TIA for help with this.
I can't seem to find any information on the 4th edition pdfs (beyond the first announcement). Where can I find confirmation that WoTC plans to keep the pdfs updated? (my purchase of Adventurers Vault depends on this answer)
TIA for help with this.
Originally there was a plan to give low-cost PDFs with the purchase of physical books, due to the linking of codes in those books to D&DI accounts.
For a variety of reasons, however, this plan was scrapped, and instead the D&D Compendium was put into place as a way to lookup rules elements.
It was those low-cost, account-secured PDFs that were going to be updated with the latest Errata and the like.
The full-cost PDFs have never (that I'm aware of) carried a claim of being updated regularly. There was a small update shortly after their initial release to allow indexing, but that's all I've been aware of.
Those of us that have the PDFs, of course, still hope for this plan to be revised.
Where can you buy the pdfs?
www.drivethrurpg.com
www.rpgnow.com
Its like a throwaway book with a big black marker scoring the side of the book.
D&D artists spent great effort to make the books visually stunning, and its sucks that its business department ruined it with these "sludgemarks".
Very unobtrusive.
The stamp is an eyesore.
I wouldnt pay for a book with that crap on it. And I dont want a PDF with that crap on it.
That stamp is the so called "watermark". Albeit watermarks are supposed to be invisible.
The stamp is an eyesore.
I wouldn't pay for a book with that crap on it. And I don't want a PDF with that crap on it.
Here's a screen capture of one of the pages from my PHB PDF. Find the watermark ;) And even if you do find it good luck trying to convince everyone that it's an eyesore, cuz if that watermark is an eyesore so are the artist names for the graphics, and every other little bit of flavor/descriptive text
If you showed a screenshot of most of the opposite-side pages, the stamp glares across plain white paper.
This watermark is an afterthought - actually thoughtless - just violence defacing and destroying art.
If I bought a book at the store, and discovered someone had scibbled with a ballpoint pen on every single page of my book, I would return it and DEMAND my money back because the product was vandalized and unfit for sale.
If I bought a mint-condition stamp, and discovered someone had inked over it, I would demand my money back.
If I bought a mint-condition coin and discovered it was scratched, I would demand my money back.
If I bought a painting and discovered someone had vandalized it, I would demand my money back.
Think about buying a brand new car, coming home, and discovering the people at the car dealership had keyed your car.
To hear your reaction it sounds like there's a faded 36 point typeface slammed diagonally across every page. Interrupting the flow of every single page.
While you're entiteled to your opinion I think most people will find that these tiny little page stamps are WELL within the bounds of good taste.
Given the choice between these simple little tasteful marks and some form of DRM that would require me to type a password, or not be able to print/copy the PDFs, I'll take these stamps ANY day.
I'm honestly surprised they're as unobtrusive as they are.
If I bought beautiful books from my game, and the store had vandalized them, I would take them back.
The marketing is so unwise. The paper products have smudgy ink, the digital products have indelible vandalism, the DDI has coercive autorenewal - even customers who WANT to by D&D products, WotC marketing makes it hard for them to buy it!
Here's a screen capture of one of the pages from my PHB PDF. Find the watermark ;) And even if you do find it good luck trying to convince everyone that it's an eyesore, cuz if that watermark is an eyesore so are the artist names for the graphics, and every other little bit of flavor/descriptive text
Wow! I have to squint to see the watermark, and I'm still not sure that's what I'm actually seeing. Talk about an eyesore :P.
Given the choice between these simple little tasteful marks and some form of DRM that would require me to type a password, or not be able to print/copy the PDFs, I'll take these stamps ANY day.
Ditto that. I purchased a PDF of another RPG in the early days of DriveThruRPG.com and it had DRM and the DRM hastle sucked big time. I will never buy a DRM protected PDF ever again. I don't plan on "redistributing" my PDF of the PHB and will happily put up with a watermark I never notice instead of DRM.
If a player wants a flawless print worthy version they should buy the print version. If they want an easy to use PDF as a handy reference tool that has a barely noticible watermark (that they knew was going to be there when they bought it) they should get the PDF. If they think the PDF should be the print version they should stop mixing skittles with their Mt. Dew ;)
When editors spec the book with page numbers, credits, and so on, they painstakingly consider aesthetics, visual composition and balance, making it part of the visual experience of the art book. A form of calligraphy.
This watermark is an afterthought - actually thoughtless - just violence defacing and destroying art.
If I bought a book at the store, and discovered someone had scibbled with a ballpoint pen on every single page of my book, I would return it and DEMAND my money back because the product was vandalized and unfit for sale.
If I bought a mint-condition stamp, and discovered someone had inked over it, I would demand my money back.
If I bought a mint-condition coin and discovered it was scratched, I would demand my money back.
If I bought a painting and discovered someone had vandalized it, I would demand my money back.
Think about buying a brand new car, coming home, and discovering the people at the car dealership had keyed your car.
If I bought a PDF and they didn't tell me it was watermarked and I found out it was watermarked after I bought it I would raise bloody hell. But the online companies that sell D&D 4E PDFs clearly state that they're watermarked, so what's your point?
I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, that you are person with very high expectations and that you simply want a DRM/watermark free PDF and are trying to blame Wizards for the fact that you're a perfectionist (not that there's anything wrong with that), at least with regards to things you own or want to own. I don't mean this as a flame. I'm just trying to point out to you that most D&D players aren't bothered by the watermark. I also understand that you hate it. But calling out Wizards because they are using the least objectional form of security that they can for their customers just isn't good form.
PS, tho perhaps many D&D players DONT understand the importance of glamor, which is why so many get labled as shame-filled paraiahs who have never enjoyed social prestige.
When you care about how you present a product to other people, they will tend to care about the product too.
On a similar note and slightly off-topic: I think the magazines are "glamorous" (for lack of a better word, thanks Haldrik ;)). I think having them available as PDF only diminishes from an otherwise solid product. I'd love the opportunity to bring these to the gaming table and proudly "show them off". Ah well . . .
Art: I'd agree with ya, except my wife is constantly reminding me that my D&D books are NOT coffee table books.
Well, I dont know your wifes motivation personally, but typically a person would tell you to hide something because it doesnt have social prestige.
Tho, if your wife is like my mom, shes wants the room to have a specific feel and doesnt have anything per se against things that evoke a different feel.
I think the magazines are "glamorous"
I agree, the Dragon and Dungeon magazines are visually impressive.
Don't know about you, but I'm happy about this.
*grin*
Well, I dont know your wifes motivation personally, but typically a person would tell you to hide something because it doesnt have social prestige.
Tho, if your wife is like my mom, shes wants the room to have a specific feel and doesnt have anything per se against things that evoke a different feel.
I agree, the Dragon and Dungeon magazines are visually impressive.
We have a coffee table that has had a permanent tablecloth for the last 6 months in the form of a massice Chessex battlemap. I swear it is maybe 6' across.
It often has the last map, some markers for where characters stood, although often unless the cat grabs them, the characters remain on the table and get moved about.
It's gotten some looks by the Dish installer, the Furnace repair man, and a few of my wives friends.
Unfortunately it also makes a great last second note board, when my wife needs to jot something down and has no paper.
This usually annnoys me when we start playing and I discover that the lord of "need bread" has taken over a hall way and brings certain doom to the adventure!
EDIT: I forgot to mention, all my in use books reside under the cofee table, on the long shelf that sits below it..reachable and in clear view. Just like I like them!
Phobos: This usually annnoys me when we start playing and I discover that the lord of "need bread" has taken over a hall way and brings certain doom to the adventure!
LOL!
I'd like to capture all of the powers my character selected on one piece of paper through some sort of cut-n-paste, and make that page two of my character sheet. Is there an easy way to do that? I would prefer to get them exactly as they appear in the PHB, but if that's not available I'd be happy with just a word-for-word description. Is that available online anywhere? Thx
copy & paste from the PHB PDF then print.
Since the compendium only holds specific rules mechanics (powers, classes, etc), I frequently get hung up on elements within the mechanics I need to look up. Stance, for example, or marked. Or perhaps I can't recall the way the specifics of a certain condition operate (especially if that condition is relevant to a power found in the compendium), or the way to drag a foe I've grabbed. Since these aren't defined in the compendium, I have to look it up in my books... which often means that I have to drag my books with me everywhere I go. This also goes for rules elements referenced in a supplemental book that refer to a rules element from one of the core books. The more books I acquire, the more I wish I had those books on pdf so I could easily carry them around and reference them. However, that means purchasing all the books again, usually for more than I paid for their print versions, and it also forces me to choose whether I want to continue buying the print versions at all and just go digital.
I'm starting to get aggravated by it. I can't haul around every book I own everywhere I go. I really do wish there was a cost effective way to get the books I own on pdf. Replacing them all at this point would be costly and it's not the ideal solution.
As you know, the "sludgemark" is vandalizing the bottom left corner. Actually disfiguring the artwork.
If you showed a screenshot of most of the opposite-side pages, the stamp glares across plain white paper.
Are you seriously complaining about this? Really? Nothing pleases you does it?
I can't seem to find any information on the 4th edition pdfs (beyond the first announcement). Where can I find confirmation that WoTC plans to keep the pdfs updated? (my purchase of Adventurers Vault depends on this answer)
TIA for help with this.
An updated version of the PHB for 4E are now available at RPGNow and DriveThruRPG (if you already bought the PHB like I did you'll get an extra download). It looks like they're planning on updating all of their online PDFs as errata is found and fixed.
Nothing pleases you does it?
Actually, D&D 4e pleases me greatly. It is truly superior to 3e, in many ways.
The D&D 4e artists (Engels, Komarck, O'Connor, and others) are awesome.
Graht: It looks like they're planning on updating all of their online PDFs as errata is found and fixed.
Continually, updating the official PDF versions with the most recent errata - also pleases me (very much).With other electronic publishers, you can register the hardcopy version of the book and get access to the PDF by answering specific questions about the book. They should be able to develop a system that allows the books to be used by legal users as the pirates already have theirs. You could even set it up so that updates or erratta would be available upon successful answering of the questions.