General RPG Rules DiscussionDiscuss the rules of any game except D&D or Pathfinder, such as Arcana Evolved, Mutants & Masterminds, Star Wars Saga, d20 Modern, and the like.
Sorry for slightly derailing the thread but ... "Hot pursuit: on foot" sounds exactly like what I'm looking for for an adventure I plan to play soon. Is there any way to get a PDF version of this book (how long is it, by the way)? I checked on various online RPG shops and couldn't find it anywhere.
Sorry for slightly derailing the thread but ... "Hot pursuit: on foot" sounds exactly like what I'm looking for for an adventure I plan to play soon. Is there any way to get a PDF version of this book (how long is it, by the way)? I checked on various online RPG shops and couldn't find it anywhere.
Only 14 pages, including cover, OGL, and everything. But you really need the first Hot Pursuit book (which is longer) to use it. Unfortunately, as has been mentioned earlier, Adamant Entertainment removed Hot Pursuit and its other d20 books when the d20 STL ended last December, rather than altering the PDFs to get rid of WotC's trademarks. So there's no way to buy Hot Pursuit any longer. It's too bad -- I picked these up just before the deadline, and they have a nice system for chases.
OTOH, if you need some chase rules and don't mind springing for a book with lots of other stuff in it, Pathfinder #7 has a decent chase system (I'd say similar in spirit to Hot Pursuit but not quite so open-ended) buried in the adventure. You can get the PDF at Paizo for I think $14. Of course, you're also paying for the adventure and other articles.
Sorry for slightly derailing the thread but ... "Hot pursuit: on foot" sounds exactly like what I'm looking for for an adventure I plan to play soon. Is there any way to get a PDF version of this book (how long is it, by the way)? I checked on various online RPG shops and couldn't find it anywhere.
Another alternative is to find some free Hot Pursuit derivatives and try using them. Even if they are for True20 instead of regular d20.
__________________
Spoiler:
Quote:
Originally Posted by keteryck, on Iron Heroes
You are not your magic weapon and armor. You are not your spell buffs. You are not how much gold you have, or how many times you've been raised from the dead. When a Big Bad Demon snaps your sword in two, you do not cry because that was your holy avenger. You leap onto its back, climb up to its head, and punch it in the eye, then get a new damn sword off of the next humanoid you headbutt to death.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeapThaumaturgist
"Home" is what you defend with your life ... from ninjas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stalker0
Minions are a convenience, a way to allow a dm to run many guys with little effort, and a chance for players to really strut their stuff. They are not so that Bobo the clown can kill the legion of the damned.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wulf Ratbane
Victory should come like the dawn, not like a light switch.
Spoiler:
Hate skill ranks? Try Sadrik's Fix.
Interested in Blood Throne? Find out more.
__________________ "The designers of the newest edition built so much reliance on rules right into the game, to make it easier to play. As one of those designers, I occasionally think to myself, 'What have we wrought?' " -Monte Cook
" If the DM has to make a lot of judgment calls, the game is more difficult to learn. However, it's my belief that it's also more satisfying." -Monte Cook
"Don't let rules replace good DMing skills"- Monte Cook
Last edited by Greg K; 4th July 2009 at 06:10 AM..
For anyone who wanted Hot Pursuit but can't get it anymore, this should work fairly well. I really don't see why it couldn't work with 4E also.
There are also simlar chase rules in the Masterminds Manual for Mutants and Masterminds
__________________ "The designers of the newest edition built so much reliance on rules right into the game, to make it easier to play. As one of those designers, I occasionally think to myself, 'What have we wrought?' " -Monte Cook
" If the DM has to make a lot of judgment calls, the game is more difficult to learn. However, it's my belief that it's also more satisfying." -Monte Cook
"Don't let rules replace good DMing skills"- Monte Cook
More interesting news about Hot Pursuit and Pathfinder if you don't read the Publishers' forum: Adamant Entertainment has announced the Tome of Secrets for Pathfinder RPG, being released at GenCon. It looks like it will have OGL versions of several classes from non-OGC WotC books (re-envisionings, must be) and other rules -- including chases. Looks like this might be a new hidden gem coming out soon, we'll see!
More interesting news about Hot Pursuit and Pathfinder if you don't read the Publishers' forum: Adamant Entertainment has announced the Tome of Secrets for Pathfinder RPG, being released at GenCon. It looks like it will have OGL versions of several classes from non-OGC WotC books (re-envisionings, must be) and other rules -- including chases. Looks like this might be a new hidden gem coming out soon, we'll see!
Huh, interesting.
If my local 3e-ers make the short hop to 3.PF, I'll have to consider this book. Because [nodding approvingly goes here] it seems they've also included their Fantasy Occupations, more or less. I'll hope 'more', but either way.
I was really excited that the Tome of Secrets listed the Warlock as a new class - I'm really hoping it's just like the WotC warlock with the serial numbers filed off.
Beyond that, I heartily recommend The Practical Enchanter from Distant Horizons Games. The first chapter alone contains a spectacular breakdown of bonus types you can get from spells, and de-constructs them into variable "spell templates" that can be used to create thousands of new spells. And, oh yeah, it's completely FREE!
Monster Knowledge Cards from 4 Winds Fantasy Gaming fills one of those gaps you never realized you had until you check it out. It's standard operating procedure these days that PCs make Knowledge checks to see what they know about monsters, right? But the monsters in the SRD don't have Knowledge tables...until now. This is great for going back and giving the standard 3.5 monsters what later creatures have as a matter of course now.
Myth Merchant Press's System Operational Reference Digent, better known as SORD is a GM's best friend. This document completely reorganizes and gives a new layout to the SRD's rules for combat, making it INCREDIBLY easier to locate the necessary rules and speed up play. It guarantees that your combats will speed up by 10-15 minutes, and it backs up that boast. Also, for Pathfinder Beta players, there's SORD Plus 1.0.
While it's meant for Modern d20, Pelgrane Press's The Book of Unremitting Horror is one of the few monster books that actually frightened me as I read it. The writing, the art, the monsters...this book's tagline is "Because new times demand new nightmares" and it delivers those in spades.
Kobold Ecologies by Wolfgang Baur's Open Design has a dozen monster ecologies in a style reminiscent of Dragon magazine. While these are from the pages of Kobold Quarterly, this is a great resource if you don't have that magazine, and there's even some new material here. This book does a great job bringing to life the creatures it showcases.
Paragon Publishing has exactly a dozen products out, all of them for nature-themed characters. Ten prestige classes and two base classes are given, each one expertly detailing how the class approaches a different design philosophy for what it's meant to do. The design in these is great, and the flavor really helps evoke what's given. In particular, I recommend the Shamanistic Warrior and the Wildcat as great examples of what Paragon's produced.
The Random Esoteric Creature Generator may not be a "hidden gem" since it's published by Goodman Games, but it deserves mention nonetheless. This book works for all editions of D&D, and does a great job letting you build your own creatures. It also has superb advice on using monsters in your game. It just might be the last monster book you'll ever need.
Of course, if you'd prefer existing monsters that have been altered with advanced Hit Dice, class levels, and/or templates, then check out the works by Creative Conclave. Whether it's Goblinoids, Orcs, Savage Creatures, or something else, their Lazy GM line provides the stat blocks you'd rather not suffer through yourself.
Tricky Owlbear Publishing has released their Behind the Spells series for a while now, wherein the history of various classic spells are revealed for the first time, along with new variants and related crunch. If that sounds interesting, the Behind the Spells Compendium may be worth a look.
Steamworks: Deluxe Edition is one of those "you got tech in my fantasy" products that puts technology on an equal footing with magic (and psionics) in your game. It keeps to familiar rules for doing so, making the integration almost totally seamless, and does a good job explaining how it all works in-game as well. If you want to have a technological presence in your fantasy world, this might be the answer you're looking for.
Finally, this might be a tad controversial, but I want to recommend Sisters of Rapture despite it being an erotic supplement (warning, the flash preview on the product link is NSFW). I want to say right up front that this book, unlike the BoEF, is actually good. Using actual artwork rather than photoshopped images, this focuses on a sex-positive cult instead of bombarding you with sex-based rules without any context. Mixing equal parts fluff and crunch, this is the erotic d20 book that gets it right.
__________________ Need an informed review of a product? No problem! Check out my RPGnow Staff Reviews!
I find it odd that not one book from En Publishing has been listed so far. The Fantastic Science is worth its weight in gold (and is dirt cheap as a POD).
And the same for Ronin Arts. There are scores of good pdfs on e23.
Primal Urge's Emerging Forms line is the best collection of races in pdf format.
Octavirate has several monster pdfs that are good to great, but the real gem is Feared and Hated- how to customize sorcerers.
Genjitsu doesn't have many products, but Metablades does martial/supernatural classes well and Shaping the Self is my favorite d20 product period. It is racial classes and similar ways of altering characters (mutations that aren't mutations).
Distant Horizons has more than The Practical Enchanter (which is awesome). Eclipse and Paths of Power I are both free and very useful. Paths II expands the idea of path magic (ie learning related spells rather than willy-nilly) and has ~200 spells to showcase the idea.
__________________ Lifetime member of the Xerces Society
[Invertebrate Conservation]
I find it odd that not one book from En Publishing has been listed so far.
Reread the seventh post in this thread. I had listed five of them.
__________________ "The designers of the newest edition built so much reliance on rules right into the game, to make it easier to play. As one of those designers, I occasionally think to myself, 'What have we wrought?' " -Monte Cook
" If the DM has to make a lot of judgment calls, the game is more difficult to learn. However, it's my belief that it's also more satisfying." -Monte Cook
"Don't let rules replace good DMing skills"- Monte Cook
...and Shaping the Self is my favorite d20 product period. It is racial classes and similar ways of altering characters (mutations that aren't mutations).
Much thanks to you for mentioning this. I picked it up the other day, and am loving it so far.
__________________ Need an informed review of a product? No problem! Check out my RPGnow Staff Reviews!
Your welcome. There are two free Shaping the Self supplements on Genjitsu's website (one silly and one paragon classes for the other elves, dwarves, gnomes and halflings).
__________________ Lifetime member of the Xerces Society
[Invertebrate Conservation]
Your welcome. There are two free Shaping the Self supplements on Genjitsu's website (one silly and one paragon classes for the other elves, dwarves, gnomes and halflings).
Hm, I went to their website after purchasing the product, and while the web enhancement for the other races of demihumans was there, that was it (except for a product preview). Where was the "silly" supplement?
__________________ Need an informed review of a product? No problem! Check out my RPGnow Staff Reviews!
Lazy GM series of 3.5 statblocks for generic humanoids of specific types. Super useful if using one race as big campaign enemy and want varieties of standard, appropriate enemies (warriors, skirmishers, shamen, mounted, at various levels/CR).
Yeah, they're great aren't they
Actually, there aren't just humanoids. We've got two books (Dungeon Beasts and Savage Creatures) that cover a wide range of the more, well, monster-y monsters. I'd love to know if anyone has used any of the wierder stuff (like the Otyugh crime boss, or the Phrenic Tyrannosaur) but that would be a bit of a thread-jack.
On topic, most of the third party stuff I've used are from the usual suspects of Malhavoc, Goodman etc. I'd echo support of Poisoncraft, and I like Fiery Dragon's Counter Collection and One Monk Miniatures for some cheap and snazzy cardboard minis.
__________________ New from The Lazy GM: Savage Creatures. 40 monsters, hundreds of stat blocks. The Lazy GM Series. Pre-generated monster stats for the discerning adventurer. The World of Conclave. Innovative (and free) webworld for d20.
That's strange, I thought Golems and Goldfish was for Shaping the Self but it is for Flock of Foes (another good product but not in the same league as StS). Best part of G&G is the art for the half-bronze dragon goldfish.
__________________ Lifetime member of the Xerces Society
[Invertebrate Conservation]
Omega World d20 is my favorite 3e supplement. It really captures the feel of the old Gamma World game. And, it does it about 40 pages. I would play it again in a heartbeat. It even beat out DragonStar for me; and I really liked DS, too.
Judge Dredd d20 is another 3rd party book that took 3.0 from fantasy into a totally different genre. I think it did it quite well. The idea of just having 2 judge classes & 1 citizen class with a bunch of different tweaks really took off for me.
The Vault of Larin Karr is one that I must mention since I still have it for my 3.0 game that I know I will reprise one of these days (or years).
Ancient Kingdoms: Mesopotamia is in the same class. I hope I get to use it one day.
Since Emerging Forms are gone I have been digging around to find something else of use in my collection that is still for sale.
Plot Device's colour magic scheme. Chrome, which is the PrCs, is fairly meh, but the rest reorganize all the SRD spells into different themes than the schools 3.X uses. The classes are also usually very different from the wizard and sorcerer. They have limited spell selections but make up for it by their class features (like the black have a d12 HD and the use of armor, but can only cast when in contact with earth and stone and are restricted to mostly defensive spells).
__________________ Lifetime member of the Xerces Society
[Invertebrate Conservation]
Since Emerging Forms are gone I have been digging around to find something else of use in my collection that is still for sale.
Gone? Not hardly! Go look at them for free over at the Grand OGL Wiki!
Quote:
Plot Device's colour magic scheme. Chrome, which is the PrCs, is fairly meh, but the rest reorganize all the SRD spells into different themes than the schools 3.X uses. The classes are also usually very different from the wizard and sorcerer. They have limited spell selections but make up for it by their class features (like the black have a d12 HD and the use of armor, but can only cast when in contact with earth and stone and are restricted to mostly defensive spells).
Ah, a great choice. I remember those, though I haven't looked at them in quite a while now. I also recall that I enjoyed Radical Re-Alignment.
__________________ Need an informed review of a product? No problem! Check out my RPGnow Staff Reviews!
Last edited by Alzrius; 1st September 2009 at 06:03 AM..
Reason: fixed italics tag
![[3.x] 3rd Party Hidden gems?](http://www.enworld.org/forum/iconimages/general-rpg-rules-discussion/3-x-3rd-party-hidden-gems_ltr.gif)
I have been digging around to find something else of use in my collection that is still for sale.
Linear Mode
And yet another word from our sponsors
