jdrakeh
Front Range Warlock
I haven't seen a lot of WotA discussion (here or elsewhere). There were a few short threads posted immediately after its release, but nothing too informative -- it was largely a blind purchase for me. For the benefit of folks who still have questions about the product line (as I did prior to this afternoon's purchase), I offer this run up to my planned reviews.
First Things
Right off the bat, let's get this out of the way -- WotA, as a product line, doesn't technically form a standalone game. That said, it comes very close (much moreso than many d20 System games). The one notable thing that WotA lacks in this regard is a chapter of combat rules. The good news is that if you've ever played a d20 or OGL game, you already know how this works.
Unexpected Inclusions
Now, that said, I found some things in the WotA Master Codex that I didn't expect to see -- most notably, rules for generating attributes and a simple character level progression scheme (both things that a great many d20 System games refer you to the DMG for). The complete lists of skills, feats, and spell descriptions is just icing on the cake -- not once do you need to reference the PHB for any of this.
Unexpected Exclusions
On a quick skimming of the WotA Master Codex, I also noticed a few things missing that I wholly expected to be there. The most notable thing that I have yet to find a trace of is the oft maligned Attack of Opportunity. So far as I can tell, feats that provoke an AoO in D&D have either been edited to forego such things, or omitted entirely.
Admittedly, I could have missed some references to the AoO, but if they do exist, they're few enough that once can read several pages without stumbling across one. This will likely be deal breaker for some people, but for a great many others, I suspect that this could be a feature, not a bug (I know that this is true in my case, for instance).
Other
WotA proclaims that it tries to include all of the fantasy conventions that we're familiar with, but in new and unique contexts. I haven't read enough yet to determine how far AEG took this design goal, but the fact that elves are undead soul-suckers leads me to believe that they likely took it all the way. If this proves to be true, I'll be very, very, happy as WotA will end my quest for "something different enough to titillate, yet familiar enough to lure players to the table".
The Total Package
I want to quickly note the marketing of the product line, as well -- while buying all four books at full retail value isn't cheap, it is a good deal. You get a lot of material here, including a true 1-20 [level] adventure path (i.e., the Campaign Book) that actually makes the Shattered City hardcover look a bit stunted by comparsion. On top of that, you get the near standalone Master Codex, a gorgeous Atlas entirely devoid of mechanics, and a setting specific bestiary.
Summation
Although my initial impressions may not hold up after further scrutiny of the WotA books, right now I'm thinking two things...
A. AEG could not have left the d20 arena on a better note.
B. WotA sets the bar for full-blown world settings.
When I said that WotA is very close to being a standalone game, I meant it. As for the lack of combat system, I see enough room for players to import any such system of their choice (from other d20 or OGL products) without the need for much (if any) mechanical conversion. I plan on using the C&C combat system, in case you're wondering.
First Things
Right off the bat, let's get this out of the way -- WotA, as a product line, doesn't technically form a standalone game. That said, it comes very close (much moreso than many d20 System games). The one notable thing that WotA lacks in this regard is a chapter of combat rules. The good news is that if you've ever played a d20 or OGL game, you already know how this works.
Unexpected Inclusions
Now, that said, I found some things in the WotA Master Codex that I didn't expect to see -- most notably, rules for generating attributes and a simple character level progression scheme (both things that a great many d20 System games refer you to the DMG for). The complete lists of skills, feats, and spell descriptions is just icing on the cake -- not once do you need to reference the PHB for any of this.
Unexpected Exclusions
On a quick skimming of the WotA Master Codex, I also noticed a few things missing that I wholly expected to be there. The most notable thing that I have yet to find a trace of is the oft maligned Attack of Opportunity. So far as I can tell, feats that provoke an AoO in D&D have either been edited to forego such things, or omitted entirely.
Admittedly, I could have missed some references to the AoO, but if they do exist, they're few enough that once can read several pages without stumbling across one. This will likely be deal breaker for some people, but for a great many others, I suspect that this could be a feature, not a bug (I know that this is true in my case, for instance).
Other
WotA proclaims that it tries to include all of the fantasy conventions that we're familiar with, but in new and unique contexts. I haven't read enough yet to determine how far AEG took this design goal, but the fact that elves are undead soul-suckers leads me to believe that they likely took it all the way. If this proves to be true, I'll be very, very, happy as WotA will end my quest for "something different enough to titillate, yet familiar enough to lure players to the table".
The Total Package
I want to quickly note the marketing of the product line, as well -- while buying all four books at full retail value isn't cheap, it is a good deal. You get a lot of material here, including a true 1-20 [level] adventure path (i.e., the Campaign Book) that actually makes the Shattered City hardcover look a bit stunted by comparsion. On top of that, you get the near standalone Master Codex, a gorgeous Atlas entirely devoid of mechanics, and a setting specific bestiary.
Summation
Although my initial impressions may not hold up after further scrutiny of the WotA books, right now I'm thinking two things...
A. AEG could not have left the d20 arena on a better note.
B. WotA sets the bar for full-blown world settings.
When I said that WotA is very close to being a standalone game, I meant it. As for the lack of combat system, I see enough room for players to import any such system of their choice (from other d20 or OGL products) without the need for much (if any) mechanical conversion. I plan on using the C&C combat system, in case you're wondering.
