Arcana Unearthed PDFs vs. Printed Book

[Ashrem Bayle]

I'm torn between which one I want to get. I've already got 3.5, and I'm planning on adopting it as the core of my system so I'm not interesting in Monte's little tweaks to the d20 system.

However, I am VERY interested in the new races, classes, feats and especially the spell system.

So, my question is, which should I get? The fact that one is a PDF doesn't bother me. Thats what laser printers are for.

What does the printed book have that I may be missing if I only get the PDFs?

 

[Staffan]

You'll be missing out on one race (runechildren), some new equipment (new weapons, armor, and equipment templates), and said tweaks to the d20 system. It's also more practical to have one book, IMO, since the classes, races, and feats are spread out between two books (warrior-ish ones in Way of the Sword, and magic-users in Way of the Staff).

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

From the sounds of it, the only thing I'd be interested in would be the equipment info.

Runechildren have never been a race I was excited about.

 

[Henry]

I don't know if the equipment info is in any of the three.

BE WARNED: If you plan to add the magic system, the easiest thing is to adapt it whole cloth, because an AU magic system with D&D spells is going to be quite powerful.

One possibility is to throw away wizards and clerics, and use the Greenbond and the Magister, or adapt AU spellcasting in place of wizard and cleric progressions. Another is to come up with all new spell lists combining the two (easier if you have the SRD and the Grimoire from Monte) and balancing it yourself, though it's trickier.

P.S. take a look at this week's article on Diamond Throne.

 

[tetsujin28]

I have no interest in another magic system. However, the fighting classes sound like they have some nift factor. Is everything required to use them in a campaign -- new skills, feats, etc. -- contained in the fighters pdf?

 

[Nightfall]

Ash,

I think while the PDFs are nice, they work better, for me as preview for the WHOLE book. Much like the Midnight previews had some good stuff about it, I think the book is much better. (Course I'll say that AFTER I get a copy of Midnight. )

 

[Staffan]

I have no interest in another magic system. However, the fighting classes sound like they have some nift factor. Is everything required to use them in a campaign -- new skills, feats, etc. -- contained in the fighters pdf?

Pretty much, yes. One of the warrior-classes, the mageblade, is basically a single-class fighter/mage and uses the spells from the spell supplement (I really don't understand why Monte didn't put the mageblade in Way of the Staff and the akashic in Way of the Sword). Some of the classes and races have spell-like abilities that, of course, refer to spells from the Grimoire as well but I think these should be reasonably easy to convert to PHB spells with just the names.

 

[tburdett]

Pretty much, yes. One of the warrior-classes, the mageblade, is basically a single-class fighter/mage and uses the spells from the spell supplement (I really don't understand why Monte didn't put the mageblade in Way of the Staff and the akashic in Way of the Sword). Some of the classes and races have spell-like abilities that, of course, refer to spells from the Grimoire as well but I think these should be reasonably easy to convert to PHB spells with just the names.

Here is my jaded, cynical answer to why Monte didn't put those classes in the .PDF's that you mentioned, money. By placing those classes the way that he did, you are forced to buy the other product if you want to use them. Money makes the world go 'round, even the d20 world.

 

[Dinkeldog]

Yup, that would be jaded and cynical.

 

[Monte At Home]

Nevermind.