TOPIC: New 2009 Purple tokens (speculation)

<br />I shudder to bring this up (for fear of getting shot, stabbed, and then shot again), but what about a pair of blades for the Ranger?  You could have two unique bladed weapons (say a +1 Scimitar and a +1 short sword) but when wielded by the same person each would be a +2 weapon.  I know that this idea probably won't fly because it would take up to valuable ultra rare "slots" for a give year, but it is something to think about.<br />

<br /><br />well, the problem with special ranger weapons is that we already have a +2 keen scimitar (or broadsword of life stealing) and +2 nightshades short sword.  which is really cool, but it would be nice to have something that isnt just taking the druid and rogues best weapons.  maybe a ring that lets the ranger weild a copy of his main hand weapon in his off hand or some other twin-long weapon thing.  im really not expecting much (if any) increase in power for ranger weapons because we use the best of long AND short weapons, but i would like to see something on par with what is available, and special/unique for rangers...basically, something just really damn cool.<br />and actually, i just feel kinda guilty handing out items to friends..."i have THIS, which is the best weapon that even exists for your class.  but im going to use it instead of you."

<br />Classic D&D weapons reborn in True Dungeon:<br /><br />+1 Defender Long Sword (+1 to damage and +1 to AC... it could be +2 Defender instead, if it is not ruled too powerful)<br /><br />Dagger of Venom (+1 damage, on natural 20 injects poison... target must make Fort save or take additional 10 points of damage, does not work on undead, constructs, etc.)<br /><br />+2 Bastard Sword of Dragon Slaying (double damage versus Dragons and kin, similar sword could be made for Giants)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

<br />Also do you all think that PYP will return or will it go back to being Random? Would leave to hear your thoughts about pre-ordering and at the Con.<br />

<br /><br />I think Jeff is stuck with PYP.  Most people who are buying large amount of tokens (above $250) expect it by now.  If he got rid of it many folks would buy significantly less tokens.  <br /><br />Several of the really big buyers buy $5,000 worth of tokens to get one of each purple.  If they had to deal with random purples they would stop trying. 

Well - in that logic - some of us "expected" the Golden Ticket to stay the same as years past...and that sure got turned upside down in a pretty KEWL way.  <br /><br />I think the PYP could change or go away - just to test the impact that PYP had.  And with TD:DC - well would anyone buy that much less if the PYP shifted to totally random?

And don't forget, last year the PYP DID go away for quite awhile and went to random, and people kept buying tokens in large quantities.  I suspect PYP is here to stay, but I think it would be better for TD in the long run if it went to random instead - and that would make the hunt for the top tokens each year much more exciting. 

For me it would probably reduce the number of tokens that I buy if it went random.  I doubled my order last year so that I could get two specific purples.<br /><br />Kim

It would most definitely reduce the number of tokens I buy/bought last year, as the whole reason that we even went out and bought as many tokens as we did was so that we could get the specific purples we wanted/needed for the group.  Taking it and turning it totally random would definitely kill any chances we have of actually spending more money on tokens.  I mean, how would you feel doling out $500 to guarantee multiple purples and ending up with two Hourglasses of Imprisonment?<br /><br />Don't get me wrong, it's a nice token, but many people I know would feel kinda upset to end up with two single-use items for $500 when they weren't otherwise planning to spend quite that much money.<br /><br />-Toby

I've always felt the PyP was robbing peter to pay paul. It has a price. It increases current buys but kills longterm buying. After all, for the average person, once they completely outfit themselves, why should they keep purchasing? Letting people cherrypick is the easiest way to get them to a point where any other additional token advantage is meaningless.

I'm sure a random PURP would cause a short-term token-buying valley, but I think it would recover.  After all, it was just 2006 when there were no extra PURPs at all for buying $250 in tokens, you had to hope for that 00 bag. 

I know that the only reason I bought the large order I did was to pick a particular purple token.  If it was left to complete chance, I would not have done so.  There are a lot of people who, particularly in today's economy, have limited funds.  Putting the purples in a random distribution would essentially block those who can't drop thousands on tokens from accessing the key ones they lack.  If the price tag is too daunting, people become discouraged.  If it stays within reach, people extend to reach it.<br /><br />I disagree with the comment about long term buying.  The trick to keeping people buying the larger orders each year would be more centered on keeping new purple tokens compelling than keeping the distribution random.  You'll have some completists that will continue to get every new purple, but if left random - they may simply not have the funds to do so and may lose interest.  Even completists have their limits.  <br /><br />Another example of how the PYP will build.  My purchase of the large group impressed friends of mine that end up buying a few extra bags each year but have never taken the plunge on the large purchase.  By helping pick the best purples for my party, they are more likely to buy a larger group next year.  PYP can be VERY infectious.  Don't fix what isn't broken.

Ya, and for each person it starts buying, there are those that stop for the same reason. AC and abilities have peaked for many classes. We have AC 32 now. There's no sane reason to get AC 35. It's a 20 to hit you either way. As more people bump up against that, the less they'll purchase. Not to mention the red creep also means less purchasing is necessary. Non-purp ac is up to 26 now.

I think that the rod and the skull are a hint of things to come in regards to purples.  I'd love to see Jeff "hide" even more purples until GenCon and maybe only pick a small number of purples that people could choose from when they buy their tokens.