Can someone tell me about this "Miniatures Handbook"?

[VirgilCaine]

I've heard that a lot of the stuff is overpowered--the only thing I remember specifically is the Mage Slayer feat which basically means that, IIRC, a spellcaster within the htreatened area of a meatshield type is guaranteed dead, not just likely to be dead.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I've heard that a lot of the stuff is overpowered--the only thing I remember specifically is the Mage Slayer feat which basically means that, IIRC, a spellcaster within the htreatened area of a meatshield type is guaranteed dead, not just likely to be dead.

The Complete Arcane fixes it and turns it into a whole line of feats.

I like the book. I think the base classes (other than the boring Favored Soul) are all good, the prestige classes are some of the best in 3.5e (the Bonded Summoner is about a million times more interesting than the Elemental Savant) and most of the spells have not been reprinted. (I was really hoping Mordekeinen's Buzzing Bee would make the CA cut.) And many of the monsters are great, including the aspects and more monsters from the Plane of Shadow.

You can tell the Miniature's Handbook is a good one because WotC is busy reprinting it, bit by bit. I suspect we'll see the Healer and the Marshal appear in Battlefield Adventures, for instance.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I've heard that a lot of the stuff is overpowered--the only thing I remember specifically is the Mage Slayer feat which basically means that, IIRC, a spellcaster within the htreatened area of a meatshield type is guaranteed dead, not just likely to be dead.

Mage Slayer:
You have studied the ways and weaknesses of spellcasters and can time your attacks and defenses against them expertly.
Prereq: Spellcraft-2 ranks, BAB +3
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on saving throws. Spellcasters you threaten may not cast defensibively. (They automatically fail Concentration checks to do so.)

It's certainly a useful feat, but a spellcaster in that circumstance probably should remove himself rather than stand in melee. I endorse running away and hiding.

In the hands of a player, I doubt it'd see much use. It'd only really get abusive if the DM saw fit to sick them on players.

 

[Vocenoctum]

The favored soul was okay, just didn't work well. So far none of the spontaneous divine casters have done it for me though. (Shugenja, FS, Mystic, that other one, the UA rule)

Healer is a boring class, but the only real "problem" with it, is they don't specify that they can drop spells for healing spells, which is a huge oversight. But really, a healing centered class with a unicorn? Definetly not a prime candidate for taking.

 

[JoeGKushner]

It's certainly a useful feat, but a spellcaster in that circumstance probably should remove himself rather than stand in melee. I endorse running away and hiding. .

Yeah, but dude, you're in the dungeon, against the corner wall and man, you can't move! It's all over! What don't you understand hear? It's just SO overpowered!

 

[Illvillainy]

Mage Slayer was updated in Complete Arcane, where it lowers your caster level by 4 for spells and spell-like abilities.

 

[Vocenoctum]

Yeah, but dude, you're in the dungeon, against the corner wall and man, you can't move! It's all over! What don't you understand hear? It's just SO overpowered!

Hey, if a mage isn't intelligent enough to outsmart the FIGHTER, he's probably limited to 2nd level spells anyway!

 

[Vocenoctum]

Mage Slayer was updated in Complete Arcane, where it lowers your caster level by 4 for spells and spell-like abilities.

Actually, the main change was that it specifically mentions the Mage KNOWS he can't cast defensively.
If a spellcaster takes it, he's reduced 4 levels, which is just wierd. Why is watching for openings reducing your casting ability 24/7?

 

[MerricB]

The Miniatures Handbook is a grab-bag of a lot of different bits of information. Is it a good book? Absolutely. It has some of the most interesting designs of the range. However, they tend to push at the limits of game balance - if only because we've never seen anything like them before.

Here's a brief run-down of the D&D material (68 pages)
* Four new base classes: Favoured Soul, Marshal, Healer, Warmage
* Seven new prestige classes: Bonded Summoner, Dragon Samurai, Havoc Mage, Skullclan Hunter, Tactical Soldier, War Hulk, Warchief
* 22 new general feats
* 10 new metamagic feats
* The Swift action type (Immediate was added in the XPH)
* About 70 new spells
* New Magic Items
* About 30 new monsters

Here's a brief run-down of the Miniatures material
* Explanation of stat-cards and converting D&D stats to D&D Mini stats - 10 pages
* Full skirmish rules, including scenarios, campaign rules, and terrain rules - 44 pages. (Although the actual skirmish rules have been superceded, the scenarios, campaign and terrain rules have not been reprinted, so half the chapter is still useful).
* Mass battle rules - uses a 1:1 scale - 36 pages
* Random dungeon rules (basically a way of using the miniatures to play a board game) - 11 pages

###

The RPG game elements that I have found most useful:
* The Favoured Soul: although reprinted in Complete Divine, this spontaneous-casting alternative to the cleric fills a great niche.
* Sudden Metamagic feats: reprinted in Complete Arcane, but provide metamagic usable by standard wizards, esp. at lower levels.
* Revivify spell - a raise dead that doesn't cost a level to the recipient, provided the cleric can get there within one round of death. Not reprinted, and absolutely excellent.
* Aspects - weaker avatars (about CR 10), provide actual manisfestations of the gods and greater demons that you can use! Not reprinted.

Cheers!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

A group with multiple fighters would be signficantly tougher, IMO, if one or more of them took the Tactical Fighter PrC.

And Havoc Mage is almost a requirement for Warmages, some Sorcerers, Eldritch Knights and Spellswords, again IMO.