Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
Does this require playing the CD? I run pbp games, and I think this might be fun to run, but not if I have to have people playing MP3s at their office.trancejeremy said:
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NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
Best (and worst) of 2006
- Thread starter Shade
- Start date
Pants
First Post
What 3rd party sourcebooks were released this year? I can't think of many...Whizbang Dustyboots said:
Oh, I bought PP's Five Finger's book. And there was Ptolus, but that's way too expensive and the megatome fetish going 'round is not one I care for personally...
Anyways.... my favorites
1. Fiendish Codex I - For all the reasons previously mentioned. Great resource that finally gathers and updates a host of demons from older editions AND creates some cool new ones too. The obyriths are great, the expanded statblock actually FEELS like it's being put to good use, the write-ups on the abyssal layers rock, and the Black Cult of Ahm provides a bunch of cool little artifacts along with being an organization that could easily be either friends or enemies of the PC's. Great stuff.
2. Player's Handbook II - FINALLY provides some real oomf to high-level fighters, along with some cool design twists and some new spells that are actually kinda neat. The new base classes are pretty cool too (duskblade and beguiler are great!). The alternate class features are just icing on the cake.
3. Tome of Magic - Mechanical quirks aside, I feel that this book really adds a lot of interesting options to the game. Unfortunately, I think that those options would be best used in a campaign divorced of the 'standard' D&D magic rules. A binder and shadowcaster become a lot cooler if sorcerers and wizards aren't around, IMO at least. In fact, I could see building an entire campaign around having binders and/or shadowcasters being the only 'spellcasters' in the world.
4. Expedition to Castle Ravenloft - Not a perfect entry, but an interesting campaign toolkit with some cool encounters and some great ideas. I'm interested in seeing where the Expedition series goes after reading this (Ruins of Greyhawk and Demonweb Pits in particular!).
5. Five Fingers: Port of Deceit - As with all Privateer Press Iron Kingdom's books, this is a well written, evocative, and fairly easy to port city. The art is great too!
Honorable Mention: Complete Mage, Dragon Mag, Dungeon Mag, Fiendish Codex II
Worst/Most Disappointing:
1. Complete Psionic - The fact that this will probably be the ONLY psionics exclusive supplement makes this even worse. Boring prestige classes, boring/redundant feats, and fairly blah powers. The Ardent is, at least, pretty cool, unfortunately the lurk and the... other base class that I can't remember the name to, just suck.
2. Cityscape - A book that tries to do too much and accomplishes little. It's too bad because this book has some generally good content, it's just mired in some questionable content. The PrC's are fairly blah, the feats are okay, and the districts chapter is hit-or-miss. The monsters are actually pretty cool, the sidebars are actually, the best and most useful parts of the book, and the sample NPC's will most likely be seeing some use. This is a book that sways back and forth for me. Sometimes I'm pretty disappointed with it, other times I feel that it does a good job with what it was dealt.
FireLance
Legend
I'm a big fan of innovative mechanics, so my picks for the best of 2006 are:
1. The Book of Nine Swords: For the brilliant maneuver mechanic and for changing the pace of the game from per day to per encounter.
2. PHB II: For excellent new base classes, alternate class features, and high-level feats.
3. Complete Mage: For the reserve feats.
4. Races of the Dragon: For the Dragonborn, which fully fleshed out the "racial advantage increasing with level" idea first introduced by the Raptorans in Races of the Wild.
5. Dragonmarked: For making dragonmarks cool.
Honorable mention: Tome of Magic for the binder, Dragon Magic for draconic feats, Monster Manual IV for the Spawn of Tiamat, Fiendish Codex I for new demons, Expedition to Castle Ravenloft and Scourge of the Howling Horde for the new encounter format, Three-Dragon Ante because it's a fun game, and Dungeon Tiles because they are useful and look great.
1. The Book of Nine Swords: For the brilliant maneuver mechanic and for changing the pace of the game from per day to per encounter.
2. PHB II: For excellent new base classes, alternate class features, and high-level feats.
3. Complete Mage: For the reserve feats.
4. Races of the Dragon: For the Dragonborn, which fully fleshed out the "racial advantage increasing with level" idea first introduced by the Raptorans in Races of the Wild.
5. Dragonmarked: For making dragonmarks cool.
Honorable mention: Tome of Magic for the binder, Dragon Magic for draconic feats, Monster Manual IV for the Spawn of Tiamat, Fiendish Codex I for new demons, Expedition to Castle Ravenloft and Scourge of the Howling Horde for the new encounter format, Three-Dragon Ante because it's a fun game, and Dungeon Tiles because they are useful and look great.
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Troll Wizard
First Post
Based on books that I have used since they came out:
Best;
PH2, good feats, new classes, etc. all around an excellent buy from which I have pulled material for my PCs and my campaign for when I DM.
MM4, some new monsters and lots of classed/leveled monsters, yes I am one of those older gamers with plenty of money but little time for gaming. So books like this are a godsend for me.
Tome of Battle, an excellent supplement, I have played a couple of warblades already
[B]Not so good [/B] as they sitting on the shelf unused;
Tome of Magic, Fiendish Codex I
To be determined:
Fiendish Codex 2, my wife got me this book, have yet to open it and read it...
Chose not to purchase after reviewing my friiend's copies:
Cityscape, Dragon Magic
Best;
PH2, good feats, new classes, etc. all around an excellent buy from which I have pulled material for my PCs and my campaign for when I DM.
MM4, some new monsters and lots of classed/leveled monsters, yes I am one of those older gamers with plenty of money but little time for gaming. So books like this are a godsend for me.
Tome of Battle, an excellent supplement, I have played a couple of warblades already
[B]Not so good [/B] as they sitting on the shelf unused;
Tome of Magic, Fiendish Codex I
To be determined:
Fiendish Codex 2, my wife got me this book, have yet to open it and read it...
Chose not to purchase after reviewing my friiend's copies:
Cityscape, Dragon Magic
NiTessine
Explorer
In my opinion...
The Best of 2006:
1. Player's Handbook II. The best general utility player accessory book WotC has released. The content is both balanced and innovative, and I am sorry to see that other books haven't picked up on the new spell styles presented here. The book also contains some of my favourite feats, such as Short Haft, which makes polearms worthwhile again, and the continuation of the Weapon Specialization feat chain.
2. Red Hand of Doom. I am currently running RHoD for Living Greyhawk, and it is one of the best adventure modules I've had the pleasure to run. The story is good, the tactical situations are both interesting and challenging, and the villains are memorable.
3. Dragon Magic. Another general utility book, with a wide range of content for all classes, built on a central theme. While the dragons-mate-with everything joke is starting to get old and the dragonfire adept feels redundant next to the warlock, the content is nevertheless well-written, useful, and inspiring.
Honourable Mentions:
1. Tome of Magic, for the coolest new base class ever, the binder.
2. Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss, for bringing back a bit of the old cosmology.
And then...
The Worst of 2006:
1. Mysteries of the Moonsea. An experimental format that I truly hope we shall not be seeing more of. Even so, the book could have been somewhat redeemed if the different adventure series actually played into one another, or if significant portions of the book's Realmslore wasn't obsolete by the time it came out.
2. Races of the Dragon. The worst book of a generally ill-conceived series. Whereas its predecessors were only burdened by a single new and ultimately forgettable race, this one had two. While the dragonborn is a solid and interesting concept, it is a bit of a niche race and sets certain demands for the campaign. The spellscale I did not like at all. Sadly, not a very good way to kick off the Year of the Dragon. Fortunately, later books on the theme, for the most part, rocked.
3. Monster Manual IV. Now, I like the new monster format. I think the statblock itself is easier to read and more logical than the old one (though I think that a Trip bonus should be included), and the "For the PCs" bits on some monster entries are an excellent addition. I could do with less encounter areas and stuff, but I can live with it. However, what really kills me about MM4 is the spawn of Tiamat. I am not a particular fan of them, and their presence in the book might have been forgivable if they weren't so damn numerous. About a half of them could've been cut out and spread into other books, or a web enhancement, or Dragon, or, really, anywhere. The space they left could've then been filled with modrons.
The Best of 2006:
1. Player's Handbook II. The best general utility player accessory book WotC has released. The content is both balanced and innovative, and I am sorry to see that other books haven't picked up on the new spell styles presented here. The book also contains some of my favourite feats, such as Short Haft, which makes polearms worthwhile again, and the continuation of the Weapon Specialization feat chain.
2. Red Hand of Doom. I am currently running RHoD for Living Greyhawk, and it is one of the best adventure modules I've had the pleasure to run. The story is good, the tactical situations are both interesting and challenging, and the villains are memorable.
3. Dragon Magic. Another general utility book, with a wide range of content for all classes, built on a central theme. While the dragons-mate-with everything joke is starting to get old and the dragonfire adept feels redundant next to the warlock, the content is nevertheless well-written, useful, and inspiring.
Honourable Mentions:
1. Tome of Magic, for the coolest new base class ever, the binder.
2. Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss, for bringing back a bit of the old cosmology.
And then...
The Worst of 2006:
1. Mysteries of the Moonsea. An experimental format that I truly hope we shall not be seeing more of. Even so, the book could have been somewhat redeemed if the different adventure series actually played into one another, or if significant portions of the book's Realmslore wasn't obsolete by the time it came out.
2. Races of the Dragon. The worst book of a generally ill-conceived series. Whereas its predecessors were only burdened by a single new and ultimately forgettable race, this one had two. While the dragonborn is a solid and interesting concept, it is a bit of a niche race and sets certain demands for the campaign. The spellscale I did not like at all. Sadly, not a very good way to kick off the Year of the Dragon. Fortunately, later books on the theme, for the most part, rocked.
3. Monster Manual IV. Now, I like the new monster format. I think the statblock itself is easier to read and more logical than the old one (though I think that a Trip bonus should be included), and the "For the PCs" bits on some monster entries are an excellent addition. I could do with less encounter areas and stuff, but I can live with it. However, what really kills me about MM4 is the spawn of Tiamat. I am not a particular fan of them, and their presence in the book might have been forgivable if they weren't so damn numerous. About a half of them could've been cut out and spread into other books, or a web enhancement, or Dragon, or, really, anywhere. The space they left could've then been filled with modrons.
ivocaliban
Explorer
Best
Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells: I may be one of the few that prefers this book to it's predecessor. I'm not sure if it was the organization, the useful hooks, or the presence of Robin D. Laws that made me fall in love with this book, but I found it one of the best reads of D&D 2006. I also have no problem with the constantly shifting power structure. Honestly, how much difference can there be between a corporation and the hierarchy of hell?
Player's Handbook II: This book has gotten far more use in my campaign than any other book released in 2006. Originally, I had no intention of buying it, but after hearing more about it, I decided to give in. For me, it's turned out to be one of the most inspirational books released by WotC to date.
Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss: While I did say I enjoyed reading Tyrants of the Nine Hells more than this particular volume, there should be no doubt that it's a fantastic book. Demons are a bit more fun to use in the overall scheme of things (in fact, they're far more prevalent in my current campaign than devils), so there's also no doubt this book will be seeing a lot of use.
Worst
Races of the Dragon: Stretching thin and already stretched series, Races of the Dragon is in my opinion, unnecessary. While I did actually enjoy the section on kobolds, the other races kept me from purchasing the book. I didn't care for the the new featured races in the first three Races books, but I still bought them for the information on the familiar races (and the "Other Races" sections had an interesting choice or two, as well). Unfortunately, kobolds alone was not enough to make me purchase this book.
Cityscape: I really wanted to like this book, but after spending an hour or so perusing it last month, I came to the conclusion that it would never see any use if I purchased it. While there were some interesting features, the overall product was a sore disappointment. Interestingly enough, I didn't realize this was supposed to be part of the "Environmental Series" until after I'd had a chance to browse through the book personally. Unfortunately, it falls far short of those rather remarkable tomes in almost every way.
Tome of Magic: What a strange duck this turned out to be. I was originally intrigued by the concept of having "new" styles of magic. Pact magic brought to mind Elric, Shadow magic has always been on the fringes of D&D, and Truename magic took me back to mythical Egypt (and a brief run as a World of Darkness mummy a decade ago). Unfortunately, this massive volume was too large, too pricey, too pretty (Yes, I said it. I'm not a fan of the comic book style art of Eberron or this book.)...too everything! In the end, I think I didn't care for the new magic systems for the same reason that I don't like psionics: more rules and systems equals more complications and headaches.
Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells: I may be one of the few that prefers this book to it's predecessor. I'm not sure if it was the organization, the useful hooks, or the presence of Robin D. Laws that made me fall in love with this book, but I found it one of the best reads of D&D 2006. I also have no problem with the constantly shifting power structure. Honestly, how much difference can there be between a corporation and the hierarchy of hell?
Player's Handbook II: This book has gotten far more use in my campaign than any other book released in 2006. Originally, I had no intention of buying it, but after hearing more about it, I decided to give in. For me, it's turned out to be one of the most inspirational books released by WotC to date.
Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss: While I did say I enjoyed reading Tyrants of the Nine Hells more than this particular volume, there should be no doubt that it's a fantastic book. Demons are a bit more fun to use in the overall scheme of things (in fact, they're far more prevalent in my current campaign than devils), so there's also no doubt this book will be seeing a lot of use.
Worst
Races of the Dragon: Stretching thin and already stretched series, Races of the Dragon is in my opinion, unnecessary. While I did actually enjoy the section on kobolds, the other races kept me from purchasing the book. I didn't care for the the new featured races in the first three Races books, but I still bought them for the information on the familiar races (and the "Other Races" sections had an interesting choice or two, as well). Unfortunately, kobolds alone was not enough to make me purchase this book.
Cityscape: I really wanted to like this book, but after spending an hour or so perusing it last month, I came to the conclusion that it would never see any use if I purchased it. While there were some interesting features, the overall product was a sore disappointment. Interestingly enough, I didn't realize this was supposed to be part of the "Environmental Series" until after I'd had a chance to browse through the book personally. Unfortunately, it falls far short of those rather remarkable tomes in almost every way.
Tome of Magic: What a strange duck this turned out to be. I was originally intrigued by the concept of having "new" styles of magic. Pact magic brought to mind Elric, Shadow magic has always been on the fringes of D&D, and Truename magic took me back to mythical Egypt (and a brief run as a World of Darkness mummy a decade ago). Unfortunately, this massive volume was too large, too pricey, too pretty (Yes, I said it. I'm not a fan of the comic book style art of Eberron or this book.)...too everything! In the end, I think I didn't care for the new magic systems for the same reason that I don't like psionics: more rules and systems equals more complications and headaches.
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