General RPG DiscussionDiscussion of all RPGs and non-system-specific topics. DM/GM/player issues, settings, etc. Rules discussion belongs in one the forums below.
I like Adventurer's Vault, but I have to add my voice to the many that have lamented the relative lack of mundane weapons and equipment. The cynic in me would say that this was deliberate in order to sell another book (perhaps Arms & Equipment Guide 4E?)
No. Adventurer's Vault II. If I am not totally mistaken, it's already announced and everything.
I don't know if it's cynical. It's good business, and there are still tons of items to be had - you can't pull them all in one book (not without inflating the price, too).
I sometimes feel the designers have tons of ideas and nowhere the space in their books to put it all into it. I suppose that's one part the "heritage" of decades of D&D lore, equipment, classes, races or settings, but it's also seems as if there is still a lot of design space to be explored...
Thoughts of the Arch Chancellor - My weblog on EN World - containing game related material, like: house rules, design theories, reviews, play reports, adventure ideas
Secret Member of <Think we would just hide our secret with a spoiler tag, eh?>
I have Encyclopedia Magica. What I consider the most "essential" non-core item for 2e after Tome of Magic and I haven't even used 0.5% of even one volume of that book....
Be honest, do you really think all items (sans the overpowered ones) in the book are equally useful?
I predict that most players will never voluntarily buy/make/use about 50%-60% of the items in the book, especially as they are all priced the same for the level.
Be honest, do you really expect all items in any group of magic item chapters/books/compendiums/compilations to be equally useful?
How is this any different from the 3E MIC, or any similar material to come before it?
__________________ It doesn't matter how gimped the class may be, people will always play Rangers. Saying "I'm a Ranger" in fantasy gaming is kinda like saying "I'm Batman."
"I have no silver gifts for thee,
No scented words nor frankincense:
Only this love, that burns in me
Like a vain fire in valleys whence
The sun has flown beyond the sea."
-Clark Ashton Smith, 'The Song at Evenfall'
"Oh pick up flutes and fiddles, a new tune is beginning
A melody forsaken, on the chords of our elders' song
Each note is telling a story, a fragment of existence."
-Elvenking, 'Oakenshield'
I've found a lot to like about this book already - just started a 4th level genasi swordmage (I finally get to play!) and I picked all three of my items out of the Adventurer's Vault.
I love all of the new types of items too, like standards and reagents. More weapons and armor is great, but all of the new types really help to fill out the otherwise slim selection from the PHB.
The rules for handing out magic item upgrades as treasure, upgrading magic items with rituals, and moving enchantments from one item to another are greatly appreciated.
Color me happy with my purchase - it's gonna get a lot of love. Not just, like, 50%-60%. Closer to 90%. This is 100% fact.
Well, because of this thread I ordered a copy. I'll let y'all know in a week.
__________________ I don't "tell stories" when I play D&D. I adventure. Afterward, when the gold is counted and the bodies piled high, we may tell stories about how it all went down. Or not.
Thoughts of the Arch Chancellor - My weblog on EN World - containing game related material, like: house rules, design theories, reviews, play reports, adventure ideas
Secret Member of <Think we would just hide our secret with a spoiler tag, eh?>
Be honest, do you really expect all items in any group of magic item chapters/books/compendiums/compilations to be equally useful?
How is this any different from the 3E MIC, or any similar material to come before it?
When you read my original post you will see that my only point is that most items in AV are useless as they won't be used in game as they are too weak/special.
So when you respond to my post respond to that and don't try to turn it into an edition war discussion.
__________________ Everything about RPGs is subjective, so everything I say about them is I my opinion and not hard facts
Having a backstory is good. Using this backstory in game is better. And for that you need background skills.
4E, the game where you play HSMFOS
Heroic
Only good, or at least unaligned adventurers are supported and no monster you can fight is good aligned.
Super-
The PCs become masters in any skill automatically and it is impossible for them to be bad at a mundane task
Mutants
Compared to NPCs of the same strength, PCs poses a ungodly amount of HP and can withstand huge mountains of punishment. That or they can spontaneously regenerate wounds.
From Outer Space
Yet despite no matter how powerful the PCs become, they can never do anything special what the "natives" (=NPCs) can do like animating a skeleton.
I like it. The alchemical items are pretty cool. And I'm glad that they brought it out so early. I loved the 3.5 Magic Item Compendium but it came out far too late in that edition's lifecycle to be of much use (for those of us who have switched to 4e, at least) ...
I also like Appendix 1. It has some great rules and guidelines on how to let magic items grow with the PCs (and even specifically mentions the "family heirloom sword" that is a much bandied-about example ...) and the Magic Item Scaling chart can also be used as a guide for getting rid of those ubiquitous pluses (for those of you who wren't able to figure out how to do it yourselves already).
I also love the cover and the way they did the gloss on the rays of light. Very stylish.
I am completely shocked that you have a less than glowing opinion about anything 4e.
-O
Personally I was stunned at this wholly unexpected revelation.
Annoyingly I am still waiting for my copy. Availability in the UK seems to have been patchy with Leisure Games not even getting their copies until tomorrow.
Personally I was stunned at this wholly unexpected revelation.
Annoyingly I am still waiting for my copy. Availability in the UK seems to have been patchy with Leisure Games not even getting their copies until tomorrow.
I had preordered it from Amazon UK and they did not have it on stock. . . even with a very late shipping date. Got it from my FLGS (probably for quite more than I would have paid on amazon).
I used two items from the AV last night and they worked out great. First, I chucked a vial of alchemist's frost at some sort of strange ooze and took it out. More impressively (at least IMO), I changed my +2 dynamic weapon from the default longsword to a dagger, flanked one of the oozes with my surrounded compatriot, and rolled a natural 20. Sure, the crit didn't kill it and since it was bloodied, it split into two monsters, but it was cool. It also allowed me to throw the now dagger and kill one of the little beasties. Oh, I'm going to have some fun with this weapon, especially once I take the Eladrin Soldier and Weapon Proficiency (rapier) feats.
__________________ Veronica: Where's your brother?
Dick: I think he took Ghost World up to his room. They're probably up there making love. Or playing Dungeons and Dragons. Or both, at the same time. They're both, like, 12th-level dorks. I'm just sayin'
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