Bastion Press: Best Books?

[Knightfall]

Out for Blood was ok. It wasn't bad and I really liked a few of the ideas (although details escape me without the book on hand), but overall I liked Green Ronin's vampire book better.

Out for Blood is a fun alt vamp sourcebook with about a third devoted to about a dozen variant vamps and vamp associated monsters, a third devoted to prestige classes along vamp and vamp hunter themes, and a third on campaign ideas like secret societies and such.

While I rarely go for vampire books, in the past, I've heard good things about Out for Blood. Its entry on RPGNow says it's v.3.5 compatible but is that only for the PDF verison? If the print version is v.3.5 then I'd have to seriously consider taking a look at it.

 

[Knightfall]

How is Airships? I'm potentially moving my "stargate" campaign to an airship campaign (kind of like the tv show, though completely unplanned).

Airships is a very good book, IMO. With it you can build an interesting air-based adventure series. However, I don't know if there is enough material in it to build a long campaign.

You might want to supplement it with an another aerial-based d20 book such as Goodman Games Aerial Adventure Guide, which I hear is great and very detailed. It's a v.3.5 book too. I haven't found a copy yet, but I'm planning on buying it as soon as I do.

 

[Knightfall]

Alchemy & Herbalists is more for the deep immersion roleplayers. It's a very informative book, but not something a Hack'n'Slasher would find interesting and a casual player would probably glance through but find little to use in a game (mostly alchemy items). If you are the type that like to describe to the DM the exact material component you're using for a spell (and I know a couple of players that do) or what herb they're gathering to clot a wound (I am reminded of the scene in Fellowship of The Ring looking for Kingsfoil and in Shrek with donkey looking for the red flower), this book would likely thrill them. The classes presented herein are not designed for outright combat and probably work better for making long-term NPCs who help the PCs in their adventures or send them on quests for specific mcguffins.

As for the other books, they aren't bad, but none of them really caught my attention. I really liked the idea behind Alchemy & Herbalism, but found that I never really used it.

Alchemy & Herbalists and Spells & Magic are both 3.0, very early 3.0 . . . . Alchemy & Herbalists introduces a system for herbalism and alchemy that demands such investment, it will almost certainly dominate the campaign and be an enormous sink for any alchemist character. It's unfortunate, then, that the alchemy is piddly from level 1 to 20. If you strip away all of the feats and skills and retool the costs, you are left with some interesting items. You are left with many more poorly designed items and rules misunderstandings, such as pastes that give objects +2 to Fortitude saves against fire.

It's clear that the book was written with love, but not with a love for the d20 system.

So, I'm assuming that Alchemy & Herbalists v3.5 that is listed on RPGNow was done only as a PDF, correct? That would be too bad... I'd want the 3.5 version and I'd want it as a book. Does anyone know if there are POD options for Bastion Press's PDF books such as Complete Minions, Druids & Druidism, and Villains: Rebirth?

 

[Voadam]

While I rarely go for vampire books, in the past, I've heard good things about Out for Blood. Its entry on RPGNow says it's v.3.5 compatible but is that only for the PDF verison? If the print version is v.3.5 then I'd have to seriously consider taking a look at it.

The print version is 3.5. Everything after Into the Green was 3.5 in print. I think Into the Green was the only one that was both black and white and 3.0.

 

[Treebore]

So, I'm assuming that Alchemy & Herbalists v3.5 that is listed on RPGNow was done only as a PDF, correct? That would be too bad... I'd want the 3.5 version and I'd want it as a book. Does anyone know if there are POD options for Bastion Press's PDF books such as Complete Minions, Druids & Druidism, and Villains: Rebirth?

I imagine all the 3.5 version does is address the change/removal of the Alchemy skill, not a big deal at all for you.

 

[countgray]

Faeries by Bryon Wischstadt

I gotta ditto the Faeries recommendation. I know the OP didn't ask about it but Faeries was my favorite Bastion Press book. It had a slew of fantastic info about the realm of Faerie and tons of interesting lore and mechanics for running a campaign set there or using fey denizens.

Plus there was some extra material you could download in a web expansion PDF from their site that had a map of Faerie and a lot of cool extra lore. A very rewarding book!

(Did dragonwing purchase Bastion Press?) Anyway, here is a link:

DragonWing Games - Faeries by Bastion Press

 

[countgray]

p.s. here is a direct link to the web enhancement if you want a taste of what's in the book:

http://dragonwing.net/downloads/e-faeries.zip

Also the addendum, errata & FAQ is pretty neat too:

http://dragonwing.net/downloads/Faeries_errata.pdf

 

[Knightfall]

The print version is 3.5. Everything after Into the Green was 3.5 in print. I think Into the Green was the only one that was both black and white and 3.0.

I'd forgotten that Into the Black is a v.3.5 book! Doh! (I knew there was a reason that I like that book so much.)

So, besides Out for Blood, which of these 2003 releases are v.3.5: Doom Striders, Faeries, and Friends & Familiars?

And what's the scoop on Artifacts & Arcanum?

 

[catsclaw227]

Oathbound = !!!

I also liked Airships and Doom Striders, both bringing in some advanced magitech. Airships, if I recall was more like flying ships and not spelljammers.

 

[Knightfall]

Or hunt down a copy of Oathbound again (although I am biased).

Heh. No kidding.

Oathbound and the follow ups are all fantastic.

Oathbound =

Oathbound = !!!

Okay, so I don't need any more convincing. However I am wondering, do any of the later books -- like Wrack and Ruin or Arena -- update the rules material in the main Oathbound hardcover to v.3.5? Or was there ever a PDF update?