Any love for the Iron Kingdoms setting?

[Herobizkit]

I've been seeking game supplements for use in my homebrew campaign and believe that Iron Kingdoms might just be what I'm looking for. I've read the reviews, but now I'd like to know... has anyone USED any of the Iron Kingdoms books in play? The Witchfire Trilogy, Full Metal Fantasy, World Book, Liber Mekanika? Anyone? Are they compatible with Core rules, or do they require an all-new cast of characters? Psionics? Help me before I drop $100 on bookends!

 

[Khairn]

All the IK books are 3.5 compliant although there are some changes to the core rules that better fit the setting.

The IK Players Guide has all the rules you need to create your characters, and it has a good amount of IK fluff. Its one of the only rule books that I enjoy reading, just because its so well written. It includes lots of info about the religions & Gods of Western Immorren and has IK specific classes, PrC's, feats skills & spells. It also has rules for making arcane mechanica, although these have been slightly changed in the Liber Mechanika

The IK World Guide has no rules at all. No PrC's, feats, skills, equipment or spells. Its only info about the world. It is packed with idea's and perfect for a GM that really wants to get into the background and setting of the world.

The Liber Mechanika is a new soft cover book that provides revised rules for arcane / tech classes. It also includes a few new PrC's, feats and equipment.

I highly reccommend Monsternomicon 3.5 which is an outstanding monster book and filled with plot hooks & story idea's for IK specific beasties.

The Witchfire Trilogy is getting a 3.5 face-lift and should be coming out soon in 1 book. Its a great story and great place to start an IK campaign.

Besides that I would reccomend (if you are a real fanatic about the setting) taking a look at buying the WarMachine books. They are very well written and filled with lots of juicy IK RPG idea's. They also have great illustrations, immersive stories and provide you with a great story arc of the current war between the kingdoms that can be used as background for your game.

As you might be able to tell ... I have lots 'o love for IK.

 

[Desdichado]

I've used the Monsternomicon many times in play, and found it to be an absolutely excellent supplement; my favorite monster book, in fact.

I've used the Witchfire Trilogy (really Tetrology; I also have the pdf "Fool's Errand")way back before IK specific character guidelines had been printed, and found it to be a passable set of modules, although a bit too tightly scripted for my taste to run exactly as is. More recently, I've adapted material from those books and combined it with the Freeport modules to create custom urban swashbuckling adventures. I've also used the firearms rules from the modules; they were slightly modified in subsequent books.

I've only ever used Lock and Load and the IK Player's Guide in a IK game, and it is slightly different than standard D&D, but I like the differences a lot. A lot of that material is so IK specific that you probably wouldn't use much of it for any other game.

The IK World Guide is completely non-mechanical, and is a great read, but probably only really useful for someone who intends to actually play IK, not just borrow IK stuff for a homebrew.

I don't have the Liber Mechanika, so I can't comment on that one.

 

[Timespike]

In my last game, material form both the monsternomicon and IKCG factored in HEAVILY. It all worked great. One word of caution, though: a smart player with the right feats and some enchanted pepperboxes can do a LOT of damage in a single round!

 

[Stormborn]

I've used the Monsternomicon many times in play, and found it to be an absolutely excellent supplement; my favorite monster book, in fact.

I've used the Witchfire Trilogy (really Tetrology; I also have the pdf "Fool's Errand")way back before IK specific character guidelines had been printed, and found it to be a passable set of modules, although a bit too tightly scripted for my taste to run exactly as is.

The IK World Guide is completely non-mechanical, and is a great read, but probably only really useful for someone who intends to actually play IK, not just borrow IK stuff for a homebrew.

I don't have the Liber Mechanika, so I can't comment on that one.

Ditto. When I played in the Witchfire triology I was particularlly frustrated with it. I like the IK setting, all thebooks are great, and I use the Monsternomicon in lots of games. But I really didn't care for (hated it) the Witchfire trilogy, maybe the revision has cleared somethings up, but I doubt it. Also, I think some things, like the gunmage could be handled better with feats or similar, as it was unsatisfying to play at low levels.

 

[Banshee16]

I wonder if the revision to the Witchfire trilogy includes not just updating stats, but the module itself.....like updating the racial types for humans, replacing magic items with mechanikal items, putting in monsters from the Monsternomicon, etc.?

Banshee

 

[barsoomcore]

Echoing love for Monsternomicon -- easily my favourite RPG purchase ever.

I have all the RPG books except Liber Mechanika, and have picked up the No Quarter magazines. They're awesome books, love reading them, but cannot comment yet about playability.

I suspect my next campaign will be set in the Iron Kingdoms, however...

 

[GlassJaw]

The IK stuff is awesome. It's by far some of the most well-written and innovative campaign material from recent memory. The rules and crunch are just decent though. It's weird because while Warmachine (the miniatures game from Privateer) is very complex and rules-heavy yet incredibly balanced, the RPG rules are a little wonky in places. Nothing that can't be tweaked and fixed of course but I don't think I would use anything without reading through it first. That said, I want to reiterate how amazing the fluff and world is though.

 

[Bobitron]

I'll echo the thoughts of others. Amazingly well written stuff. I have all the books (except the WFT) and would give a big thumbs up to them all.

 

[Teflon Billy]

Plenty of love for it here, and tons more on the ENnies Judge panel the year it was entered.

To quote the departed Alsih2o, "...now that is how you publish a setting..."