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Feb 9, 2011 -- 6:12AM, wrecan wrote:

Feb 7, 2011 -- 7:19PM, The_Jester wrote:

I always wonder, how many people are not playing epic, because of the lack of support, optional rules, advice, solid monsters, and the like.

I don't know.  I'm running an epic campaign right now.  I haven't had any problem finding appropriate monsters to challenge my players.  I don't use many optional rules and I haven't found "support" lacking.

So... because someone who'se been playing for four editions doesn't have a problem there are no problems? 
I think a book on Epic advice might be good for DMs both new and old. I just think think it would be a good place to also put advanced DM advice, tips, tricks, and optional rules as the last three DM-specific books were all aimed at fairly new DMs.

More advice on Epic is a good idea, on what seperates an "Epic" adventure from just Eeroic adventures that are really high level. Given they keep getting Dungeon pitches that are essentially high-level Heroic tales I would say this is a problem. 
Epic campaign arcs are another good way to do this. A few examples of some really good plane-spanning, world saving camapaigns and things you can only do at level 21+.

More monster making advice would also be good because Epic monsters have whole different design limitations. They need higher damage, larger areas of attack, and generally to feel more badass. They also need to make sure they're not focusing on a single energy type as it's really easy to stack-up resistances in the Epic tier. And Epic monsters need some resistances, because it's also easy to stack vulnerabilities and have a well-run group all do the same damage. 

Feb 9, 2011 -- 6:12AM, wrecan wrote:

I'm not saying there's no reasong for an Epic DMG.  I'm just saying the lack of one really shouldn't be discouraging many people from playing in the epic tier.  At any rate, I assume that if the powers that be see lots of people playing to high paragon and then stopping, they might think people need a nudge.  I'd find that very unlikely.

I think it's more people not starting at Epic, or going back to Heroic after being bogged down in mid to late Paragon.

Feb 9, 2011 -- 6:12AM, wrecan wrote:

Feb 7, 2011 -- 7:19PM, The_Jester wrote:

In addition to the epic tier advice, a DMG 3 could focus on the newly re-revised Skill Challenge mechanics, for those people who don't want to by Essentials.

I really hope they don't simply republish materials from another book for an Epic DMG. 

If a 4e player didn't buy the Rule Compendium because it was 99% "republish materials from another book", they'd never see the new Skill Challenge rules and advice. It should go into another book, and DMG3 is a good place. 

Feb 9, 2011 -- 6:12AM, wrecan wrote:

Feb 7, 2011 -- 7:19PM, The_Jester wrote:

Given we've seen Sigil in the DMG2, we'd need a new location for DMG3. I imagine it might be nice to get a more detailed look at some Astral dominions and descriptions of high level places and locals, such as where god go shopping and what economies based entirely around diamonds are like.

We have a lot of that in Secrets of the Astral Sea and Secrets of the Elemental Chaos, and Demonomicon.  (And the City of Brass gets a decent write up in the Scales of War.)  Of course, you could always add another one in an Epic DMG, but I can't think of an iconic epic city that fits in the Points of Light Setting.  Maybe the City of Dis in the Hells? 

A city or locale probably isn't mandatory (needless symetry) but I just think it'd be fun to show where extremely high level adventurers rub shoulders. The City of Brass would have been a good choice if it hadn't shown-up in Scales of War and Plane Below. It might have to be a new location, but the City of Dis might be fun. A dark place where there's a tenative truce between servants of gods and servants of devils. Or maybe someplace like Valhalla where the PCs can rest and recouperate and hobknob with great heroes from the past but are unlikely to find people to help them outside the city because most of the inhabitants can't leave. 

Feb 9, 2011 -- 6:12AM, wrecan wrote:

So it might be good to treat it as an Advanced DM's Guide, really focusing on customization and alternate ways of play, and more advice for really making the game your own. More on making your own powers and magic items, and customizing content. Where you can tweak the game and the possiblities, and the pitfalls to avoid. Generally all the stuff they'd never include in an Essentials DM kit.  

I'd really like that.  But I think they should wait another year or two to realease it.

They've already waited two years. Waiting until 2013 seems really far ahead and likely on the toes of 5e. 

Feb 10, 2011 -- 7:53AM, wrecan wrote:

I didn't say that.  In fact, I opened with "I don't know" to specifically make clear that I don't know whether more people would play in the epic tier with more support or not.

I was only saying that the epic tier is playable as is without more support.

I was just teasing. 

Feb 10, 2011 -- 7:53AM, wrecan wrote:

I think it's more people not starting at Epic, or going back to Heroic after being bogged down in mid to late Paragon.

I think we're all (that includes me) just speculating based on what we'd like to be true.

I was going off of what a few bloggers have said. I know the "Chatty DM" rewound his 4e campaign from Paragon to Heroic with the same characters to make it a little easier to play. And I know there's maybe a half-dozen Epic tier monsters in Essentials and no monster creation rules.

Feb 10, 2011 -- 7:53AM, wrecan wrote:

But I think they should wait another year or two to realease it.

They've already waited two years. Waiting until 2013 seems really far ahead and likely on the toes of 5e. 

Epic DMing seems like the kind of thing that could cross-over between editions.  Plus, it could have advice on closing a campaign, which is a good segue into 5e.

You'd think so... 
One of the last books (if not the last book) released for 3e was Elder Evils, which was all about end-of-the-world threats and apparently included some good campaign arcs and outlines. But is rather rare because no one bought it because everyone was winding things down or phoning them in, in anticipation of 4e. If they release a big "Book of the Epic Tier" in the last six months of 4e people will react with comments of "nice, but why didn't they do it sooner when I'd have a chance to use it".