Favorite 3.5 Supplements

Tetsubo wrote:
>>>>> I vote for the Stormwrack, Sandstorm, and Frostburn books. I liked
>>>>> these quite a bit.
>>>>>
>>>>> Of the "Complete" series, I liked "Warrior" best.
>>>>>
>>>>> Yours?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Book of Nine Swords
>>>> Expanded Psionics Handbook
>>>> Book of Nine Swords
>>>> Complete Divine
>>>> Book of Nine Swords
>>>> Spell Compendium
>>>> Book of Nine Swords
>>>> Player's Handbook II
>>>> Book of Nine Swords
>>>> Unearthed Arcana
>>>> Book of Nine Swords
>>>> 3.0, but still:
>>>> Book of Exalted Deeds
>>>> Book of Nine Swords
>>>> Epic Level Handbook
>>>> Book of Nine Swords
>>>
>>>
>>> I thought that the Book of Nine Swords was a rather cool idea.
>>> And that it completely failed to meet my definition of what fits into
>>> D&D. Which was one of my first warnings about 4E...
>>
>>
>> In what way do you mean?
>>
>> What do you think doesn't fit? The mechanic where each "special move"
>> is a separate power, or the vaguely wuxia flavour of some of the
>> powers, or something else?
>
> For me, the beauty of the Fighter is the incredible simplicity. BO9S
> removed that simplicity and made them as complex as a spellcaster. If I
> want to play a spellcaster I will. When I play a Fighter I want a
> Fighter. He hits stuff. Simple.

I don't see how Bo9S removed anything. It added new options, but you
could still play a fighter if that's what you preferred.

And I'm not sure the 3E fighter is incredibly simple. If you took feats
like Weapon Focus or Improved Initiative maybe, but if you took
conditional feats like Mobility or feats that require active use like
Power Attack or Spring Attack, not so much. I don't see how using
maneuvers (for example the ones similar to Whirlwind Attack) is
significantly complex than using feats that do more or less the same thing.

On Dec 31 2008, 12:42 am, decalod85 <decalo... RemoveThis @comcast.net> wrote:
> I vote for the Stormwrack, Sandstorm, and Frostburn books.  I liked
> these quite a bit.
>
> Of the "Complete" series, I liked "Warrior" best.
>
> Yours?

Stormwrack --- playing the Savage Tide path and it's VERY useful
Unearthed Arcana --- paragons, bloodlines, variants
Magic of the Incarnum --- 'cause I haven't had a chance to work
any of it in, but it looks very interesting

On Jan 2, 10:56 am, Keith Davies <keith.dav... DeleteThis @kjdavies.org> wrote:
> David Klassen <klas... DeleteThis @rowan.edu> wrote:
>
> > Unearthed Arcana --- paragons, bloodlines, variants
>
> Okay, yes.  I'd overlooked this one.  Apart from the core books (RSRD,
> rather), this one sees more use than any other WotC book.

I really liked the concepts of racial paragon and bloodline
"classes". It
showed an interesting method of using "class levels" for other
purposes;
sorta like what Savage Species did for playing a race from "first
level".

The environmental race variants were almost no-brainers, but having
them
written up was nice. The elemental ones were intriguing for those
wishing
to flesh out their inner planes cosmology.

Most of the class variants were, again, sort of obvious and/or pseudo
multi-classes (totem barbarians and monks with fighting styles; bards
as
clerics/warriors instead of wizards; wilderness rogues, battle
sorcerers)
but nice to see. Of course, the nod to "other" paladins was a must.

My group also adopted the Craft Points system. I've also included a
rule that lets characters "assist" with the creation of magic items---
the
character must be present for the entire process and pays the required
xp costs instead of the wizard. Of course, this means there will be
more
magic items created since it isn't the case of the wizard "falling
behind"
anymore but rather everyone slowing equally as they want stuff. So
far it hasn't really seemed to be a game-breaker.

David Klassen <klassen.TakeThisOut@rowan.edu> wrote:
> On Dec 31 2008, 12:42 am, decalod85 <decalo....TakeThisOut@comcast.net> wrote:
>> I vote for the Stormwrack, Sandstorm, and Frostburn books.  I liked
>> these quite a bit.
>>
>> Of the "Complete" series, I liked "Warrior" best.
>>
>> Yours?
>
> Unearthed Arcana --- paragons, bloodlines, variants

Okay, yes. I'd overlooked this one. Apart from the core books (RSRD,
rather), this one sees more use than any other WotC book.


Keith
--
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On Jan 2, 2:35 pm, David Klassen <klas... RemoveThis @rowan.edu> wrote:
> On Jan 2, 10:56 am, Keith Davies <keith.dav... RemoveThis @kjdavies.org> wrote:
>
> > David Klassen <klas... RemoveThis @rowan.edu> wrote:
>
> > > Unearthed Arcana --- paragons, bloodlines, variants
>
> > Okay, yes.  I'd overlooked this one.  Apart from the core books (RSRD,
> > rather), this one sees more use than any other WotC book.
>
> I really liked the concepts of racial paragon and bloodline
> "classes".  It
> showed an interesting method of using "class levels" for other
> purposes;
> sorta like what Savage Species did for playing a race from "first
> level".
>

I like the bloodline concept but not the execution. The level
investment cost is too high for the actual abilities you get. I don't
think it's necesssary even to have a cost. If everyone in the party
has a bloodline of equivalent strength then no one is getting an
unfair advantage, and the bloodline is a game mechanics for
roleplaying flavor text.

The Paragon classes are ok. They aren't something I'd particularly be
interested in, but they work alright.

Gerald Katz

Hadsil wrote:

> On Jan 2, 2:35 pm, David Klassen <klas... DeleteThis @rowan.edu> wrote:
>
>>On Jan 2, 10:56 am, Keith Davies <keith.dav... DeleteThis @kjdavies.org> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>David Klassen <klas... DeleteThis @rowan.edu> wrote:
>>
>>>>Unearthed Arcana --- paragons, bloodlines, variants
>>
>>>Okay, yes. I'd overlooked this one. Apart from the core books (RSRD,
>>>rather), this one sees more use than any other WotC book.
>>
>>I really liked the concepts of racial paragon and bloodline
>>"classes". It
>>showed an interesting method of using "class levels" for other
>>purposes;
>>sorta like what Savage Species did for playing a race from "first
>>level".
>>
>
>
> I like the bloodline concept but not the execution. The level
> investment cost is too high for the actual abilities you get. I don't
> think it's necesssary even to have a cost. If everyone in the party
> has a bloodline of equivalent strength then no one is getting an
> unfair advantage, and the bloodline is a game mechanics for
> roleplaying flavor text.
>
> The Paragon classes are ok. They aren't something I'd particularly be
> interested in, but they work alright.
>
> Gerald Katz

I've thought of giving a Sorcerer a free minor bloodline as a class boost.
But your idea of giving everyone the same bloodline level is good.
Recreate the POWER RANGERS!

--
Tetsubo
--------------------------------------
"The apparent lesson of the Inquisition is that insistence on
uniformity of belief is fatal to intellectual, moral and spiritual health."
-The Uses Of The Past-, Herbert J. Muller

BLUP