Convince me to buy BotR

[johnsemlak]

I've been recently sent a Share the love Discount (thanks Heretic Apostate ) for a number of works, including Book of the Righteous. I hadn't originally decided whether to get it, but If I buy it now it will only be $25.

So now I want some advice on whether I should buy it.

I probabaly have no immediate use of the book, as I'm not DMing righrt now and probably won't for a while. I'm also not playing a paladin or character.

However, I would be willing to buy it if it makes a good read and have a lot of good 'fluff' material.

I'd like some advice on the strengths of the book, including how much of the material is rules-light, and will likely outlast the current edition. DOes it have 3.5 issues? Also, does it have useful player info for PCs besides paladins and clerics?

 

[blackshirt5]

It's very rules light; it's one of the best books on my shelf.

 

[TroyXavier]

Great book. There's all sorts of fun stuff in there to use.

 

[bloodymage]

I don't do d20. I don't buy d20. I bought BotR. It's awesome! If that don't convince you, nuthin' will.

 

[jester47]

at first glance I thought this post was all about National Lampoon's Bored of the Rings...

Heh...

Aaron.

 

[Heretic Apostate]

Aren't we all forgetting the most important reason for John to buy BotR?

If he does, I could get $2.80 store credit at Amazon.

Now isn't that the biggest reason of all?

 

[SnowDog]

In my game, all three of us have the BotR. I don't own a lot of 3rd party stuff; heck, I don't own a lot of WotC stuff. But BotR is one of the few items that has changed the way I play D&D.

If you want crunch, you've got it. You'll find a well-designed new core class which can wholly replace the 3.0E Paladin, complete with special abilities tied to domains, gifts from the gods, etc. You'll also find some (not very many) new feats/skills/items/spells. Finally, there are prestige classes for "regular old worshippers" of each god.

But the real strength, for me, is how the material is tied together -- the "fluff." It gives you a new pantheon with a mythology that makes sense, it talks about the worshippers of each god and their place in the world, it gives you myths about the gods. It gives you solid information to help you roleplay your faith. It's bursting with flavor ... each faith has titles for their clergy and holy warrior arms, for example. Each god has a name, how it's perceived by each race, etc.

It's also got a great chapter about alignment and its place in the world that can supplement the existing core rules alignment descriptions.

It's modular; use some of it, use all of it, whatever.

The subtle conflict in the book between the aims of the Great Church (worships all good gods) and individual churches (worship individual gods) has turned into one of the focal points of my current campaigns, pretty much by accident.

Like I said -- it's changed my game for the better, and we see its impact every week. Even if you're not GMing and you're not playing a cleric/paladin, if you have any interest in the subject matter I'm sure you'll find something you'll like. And who knows? Maybe it'll inspire you to change the way you play your character?

 

[Heretic Apostate]

For those of you who have the book, do the prestige classes in some way make up for the lack of specialty priests (a la Forgotten Realms)?

 

[johnsemlak]

Bump just to get a wee few more comments. I'm almost sold.

 

[Gothmog]

If you're on the fence, buy it. Its the best money I have spent on D20 for any book, hands down. The Holy Warrior class is what the paladin should have been in the core books, and is tailored to each religion with deity-specific abilities. Even if you don't use the deities in the BotR, there is a ton of material to steal, er borrow that can be used in any campaign to make for a more detailed and compelling religious life and cosmology. If you do get the BotR, I'd also strongly advise also getting the Unholy Warrior's Handbook- it does for evil holy warriors what this book does for good and neurtral ones. If you have the extra funds available, also don't miss the Book of Fiends GR will release in early December- its the compilation of the Legions of Hell, Armies of the Abyss, and the new Hordes of Gehenna that meshes seamlessly with the BotR and UWH. Buy them, you won't regret it.