Top Ten Reasons to Buy Sandstorm

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I'll be interested to see what they do with the planar touchstones myself.

Not really 'Planar' when they aren't on the planes, though.

 

[Jdvn1]

... utilitarian descriptions that give clerics the basic info needed to play a cleric of an Egyptian god. Osiris's domains, Horus's favored weapon, etc. We'll get a new domain or two, and that'll be the sum of it.

But those are also in Deities & Demigods.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

But those are also in Deities & Demigods.

That's also a 3.0 book. Really, the dieties aren't going to take up much space in this book if Frostburn is any indication.

 

[Jdvn1]

Well, but the basic information is likely the same.

 

[Sunderstone]

This place has gotten abit brutal. It seems that anything WotC puts a stamp on gets negative reviews from alot of people here. First off, its an accessory, use it or dont, buy it or dont. etc.
IMO, books like the Draconomicon and Frostburn have been excellent in quality. If Sandstorm and the upcoming Maelstrom are nearly as good as Frostburn is, then I'll be happy. Frostburn is nearly its own PH and DMG. It had almost enough to start a nice campaign right out of the book without needing any other book.

As a DM who has always used environmental effects and terrain in-game, I welcome these kinds of books. Like the old Wilderness and Dungeoneer Survival Guides of first edition, these add more atmosphere to the game.

Also IIRC, Bruce Cordell (one of my faves) worked on this book as well. Im looking forward to this one.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Sure, but again, as in Frostburn, we're probably talking about small, utilitarian descriptions that give clerics the basic info needed to play a cleric of an Egyptian god. Osiris's domains, Horus's favored weapon, etc. We'll get a new domain or two, and that'll be the sum of it.

We have a different read on how important the dieties section was in "Frostburn." It touched on material in the prestige classes, monsters, magic items and sample areas. To me, that's a pretty pervasive influence.

 

[Felon]

This place has gotten abit brutal. It seems that anything WotC puts a stamp on gets negative reviews from alot of people here. First off, its an accessory, use it or dont, buy it or dont. etc.
IMO, books like the Draconomicon and Frostburn have been excellent in quality. If Sandstorm and the upcoming Maelstrom are nearly as good as Frostburn is, then I'll be happy. Frostburn is nearly its own PH and DMG. It had almost enough to start a nice campaign right out of the book without needing any other book.

Well, I run a campaign in FR's Silver Marches, and can't say I found Frostburn terribly useful. As a PH, it didn't have a lot to offer. the new weapons were a bust, the PrC's were completely forgettable, and the spells were nothing to write home about. And as a MM, I thought it uninspired. I mean, I really don't need stats for "white pudding" if it's pretty much identical to black pudding, and I can't rave about a "snow hag" that merely co-opt's the sea hag's evil eye and the green hag's rend ability. Ice golems, cold wights, snow goblins--seems like Cordell was just going through the motions of shoehorning extant monsters into frosty variations.

But it is a decent DM tool for cold campaigns. The section on ice-terrain traps, weather hazards, and dungeon features are exactly what a DM should be buying an environment book for.

But those are also in Deities & Demigods.

So they'll revise and reprint. We already know they're doing that with some of the domains (like repose).

 

[Jdvn1]

So they'll revise and reprint. We already know they're doing that with some of the domains (like repose).

True, but I doubt they'll change stuff like which domains are Osiris's and Horus's favored weapon.

 

[Felon]

We have a different read on how important the dieties section was in "Frostburn." It touched on material in the prestige classes, monsters, magic items and sample areas. To me, that's a pretty pervasive influence.

Which brings me full circle in pointing out that the emphasis of both the religion section and the book as a whole will likely be on content that's useful for adventuring in a wilderness setting, not on detailing pseudo-Egyptian/African cultures.

True, but I doubt they'll change stuff like which domains are Osiris's and Horus's favored weapon.

Probably not, in which case it's just reprinted material of use only to those folks who didn't buy Deities and Demigods (and lord I wish I was one of'em heh).

 

[Saeviomagy]

Creating a feat that allows cold spells to bypass an immunity to cold is just one (awkward) way to make a cold specialist useful in a cold climate. You could also, for instance, make casting cold spells easier in a cold environment, and fire spells harder. (In fact, that would make quite a bit of sense.)

Hardly a less awkward way of doing things, rewriting the spell lists. And STILL the fire mage will be a lot better off, and the acid mage too will be superior to the cold mage in a cold environment. There's nothing worse than having a foe totally immune to your specialisation, and when it comes to being an ice mage in a cold environment, every other creature will be immune or resistant.

Yeah, but as others have already stated - making a fire mage (or cold mage, or whatever) viable by just making things work that shouldn't work by the "basic rules" in the way of just adding stuff on top of them, that is what I consider bad game design. There are other ways to do this - if you absolutely have to.

Name one that is as simple. All I can think of is creating a similar feat which causes half of the cold damage from your spells to be some other type of damage. Which is also in frostburn.

What is wrong with an elemental-themed mage to suffer from his specialisation from time to time?

Time-to-time is fine. But a cold-themed mage in a cold area is stuffed. Which basically means you have to abandon the concept of an ice mage from the frozen north.

Thematics is important to how the game plays. Mechanics are too. Both are far more important than some ephemeral concept of "bad game design", especially when it's applied in the form "I don't like it, so it's bad game design".

Would you expect a cone of cold to work in Stygia, or on the Elemental Plane of Ice, or (insert whatever you like here)? I certainly wouldn't, which is one way to make up for the fact that your run-of-the-mill enemies will not be immune to cold damage and the added benefits that such a specialisation might provide.

And I guess that noone on those planes would use cold abilities. Right? I mean what use would an ice elemental have for cone of cold? It's not going to hurt ANYTHING on the plane of ice. So every ice elemental has cone of acid instead. And specialises in acid magic.

See - that to me is a tragedy far outweighing the supposed "bad game design" of 4 feats.