Could more "option" books be a "bad" thing?

[d20Dwarf]

Only problem I have as a DM is maintaining verisimlitude... I don't want a PrC to exist if the PC who wants it is the only member. I have to insert a new society/organization into my world and figure out how it's interacting with all the other ones.

But I'm weird like that.

This is exactly why I included a new organization with every single PrC in the Path of... books. I'm the same way, and I wanted both players and DMs to be able to use that portion of the product to enrich their games.

 

[Psion]

This is exactly why I included a new organization with every single PrC in the Path of... books. I'm the same way, and I wanted both players and DMs to be able to use that portion of the product to enrich their games.

I really dug that aspect of the Path books. You could use the PrCs with or without the organizations.

 

[Arnwyn]

Have you ever designed your character and were pretty happy with it, until one day, WoTC comes out with a new book, and like most players I know including myself, flip to the new feat and PrC sections?

Not in my players' experience.

I give them access to a fairly wide range of feats, etc... but they don't seem too interested in any of these new "options", and almost always come back to the good ol' PHB.

Certainly one reason why I ignore many of the books coming out nowadays (and dislike Dragon Magazine more and more)... more feats and PrCs? Hell, no.

 

[Ranger REG]

That's why new options must first be reviewed and approved (or denied) by the DM before he can insert it in his campaign at the player's request.

As for the Thayan Knight Prc belonging in FR, any smart DM who wishes to have such a knight would tweak and find a niche in his campaign. It can be under a different name. After all, it is strongly recommended that PrC be as campaign-specific.

For me, a DM, I see them as rules mechanics. If I want it to provide my players an option, then I will do so. In my younger newbie days, my early campaign world was a mixture of DL and FR so I usually don't bother changing the names.

As I always say, Your Campaign, Your Rules.

 

[Psion]

I give them access to a fairly wide range of feats, etc... but they don't seem too interested in any of these new "options", and almost always come back to the good ol' PHB.

Heh. Know that feeling. I wish that my players would latch on to some of the more interesting books sometimes. I even went to far as to offer some of the more interesting ones and gifts, let redundant copies of materials I had go to them cheap, and so forth.

I just got some new players that seem to be a little more adventurous with their character design choices. I am optimistic.

 

[MerakSpielman]

As far as the organizations go, in my current campaign everybody started with a rough character-progression in mind. Most picked PrCs, including 2 very interesting ones - the Edgemaster from Asgard #6 and the Ruin Explorer. I then added the approprate organizations into the campaign, and they all started as 1st level members of their organizations.

This worked well in that I didn't have to introduce ALL PrCs from ALL my suppliments into my campaign in some hideosly complicated (and unbelievable) way, the organization-membership hassle/detail was taken care of at first level, and everybody got to play what they wanted, and even non-PrC characters got an organization, so they didn't have to feel left out.

 

[AFGNCAAP]

FWIW, I was very leery of the Complete Warrior book when it was first announced. I do like the book (since it updates some PrCs, as well as provide a few other options & touch base on other classes rather than just warriors), but I'm still leery about the concept overall.

For one, I'm upset that they didn't just upgrade material they already had out--the Samurai is the main case in point. The Rokugan elements/titles could have been removed, & the class could have been presented as is. Instead, a whole new class was presented, which is very focused & specific in its abilities with little flexibility (in a way, like the 3.0 Ranger).

Also, I'm cocerned that, even though classes & races are being grouped together in books, they're still going to be a lot of books put out. I honestly think that there doesn't need to be race books, since races can select any class now--any racial PrCs, feats, gear, etc., could be placed in the appropriate class splatbook.

If Complete Warrior was any indication, each one of these books (or the class books, at least--I hope) may provide a few new core classes, a bunch of PrCs (updated & maybe new ones), some new feats, new equipment, new spells, new domains, and some other info. The race splatbooks may pretty much the same thing, sans the new core classes (or at least I hope so--I'd hate to have to look up a core class in the dwarf/gnome book for a human or elf PC playing it).

Also, I'd prefer it if a lot of this resource info was gathered up & released in a few good-sized hardbacks instead of the current thin hardback releases; or at the very least, a moderately-sized paperback.

I'd really like to avoid the days of multiple shelves of sourcebooks (ala 2nd ed.). A few sourcebooks can't hurt, but I'd prefer having a lot of the info contained in a moderately small set of books rather than scattered about through various volumes.

 

[Ranger REG]

Actually, the CW Samurai is an attempt to update the SnF Master Samurai PrC, albeit a futile one.

But to balance out, there are other things that I do like, such as the updated feats (based not only on splatbooks but on other sourcebook like OA), new feats (like the tactical feats), new use of skills, a few unit tactics like resolving archers' hail of arrows, etc.

So despite the Samurai debacle, the product is pretty decent. (Three steps below "most excellent!")

 

[ciaran00]

More choice, in the form of books, is better. Palladium tells us so, right?

Your juicer looks really shabby compared to a guy in a helmet that can throw his crazy weapon at someone half a solar system away and travel in outer space as pure energy.

ciaran

 

[Emiricol]

Have you ever designed your character and were pretty happy with it, until one day, WoTC comes out with a new book, and like most players I know including myself, flip to the new feat and PrC sections?

Once there you find all these "must have" feats and PrCs then start to regret your current class choices...

I like new books coming out, but sometimes having so many options is sometimes overwhelming and may cause me to appreciate my character less, because of something it could have been.

To be honest, I rarely stray from the PHB in my PCs. Granted, I DM far more than I play! Still - I hate more options books. Power creep is a horrible thing.