Complete Adventurer - sounds good

[Mac Callum]

I'll be very interested to see what guidelines it gives for Thieves' Guilds - the subject is broad enough to cover in a book of its own (as some people have done), but simple guidelines for a DM to use can be extremely effective. Lots of detail is not always a good thing!

Conversely, consider the more focused approach of the earlier series (and indeed, the original Complete books from TSR!) - there are many aspects to combat, divine magic, arcane magic and adventuring that are missed altogether because the focus is too narrow.

Indeed, to both. If it were up to me there would be a section on Guilds, generally, which are centered around skills. There would be a brief section explaining how mundane Guilds (such as Blacksmiths) might work (for the DM), and then a broader section on skills PCs are more likely to use. There should be general rules for generating Guilds, and then a few samples. For examples, I'd make a Thieves Guild (obviously), a Bardic College, a Royal Exploration Society, a Warrior's Meet, and maybe an Arcane Tower where Wizards, Bards & Sorcerers trade notes, etc.

I really hope they cut down on the Prestige Classes. Those things are such a waste (IMHO). In any books there's maybe one or two that's cool enough to use but I could easily live without. The rest are just wasted pages. Ugh.

 

[diaglo]

...I really hope you are not going to be upset by this comment, ok? If you are, I apologise in advance for being rude and inappropriate. Maybe you were being ironic and I didn't get it

not upset at all. Merric knows i'm playing with him. at least i wasn't the one who poked his eye out on another board.

 

[johnsemlak]

This thread should be renamed the 'What MerricB likes about WotC and D&D'

I seem to remember a thread somewhere where a certain Aussie gamer expressed strong dissatisfaction with many of WotC's maps.

 

[diaglo]

I seem to remember a thread somewhere where a certain Aussie gamer expressed strong dissatisfaction with many of WotC's maps.

it was here. and it was Merric.

Map Folio I

 

[Sorren]

I'm a lot like Merric I suppose. In fact, his last post sounds a lot like myself.

I don't think WOTC has released a "bad product". Some have been weaker than others, and some I simply didn't need, but there are none that I find totally useless. Everything has some value.

I also happen to think this has a lot to do with the "WOTC is a big company and therefore subject to harsher critisism" mentality that I see a lot these days. I regularly see people bash a good WOTC product only to then see them hype a mediocre d20 company's product.

The "stick it to the man" mentality gets old. A good book is a good book.

 

[buzzard]

Owing to my LG addiction I will likely buy this book along with Complete Arcane. I don't know if to be optimistic or not however.

I wasn't overly impressed with either Complete Warrior or Complete Divine. They are OK, but nothing special. Honestly Complete Warrior dissapointed me more. The lack of high level feats for fighters left me underwhelmed. Truthfully, WoTC has yet to give anyone a reason to consider staying a pure fighter for 20 levels. It's pretty much a guarantee of ineffectiveness at high levels. 3.5 did a whole bunch for making a lot of other classes have high level abilites which prompt one to stick to them, but fighters don't have that past 12th.

buzzard

 

[Hawkeye]

The 80's called. They would like thier ninjas back.

Hawkeye

Edit: Spelin iz ur phrend

 

[reddist]

Indeed, to both. If it were up to me there would be a section on Guilds, generally, which are centered around skills. There would be a brief section explaining how mundane Guilds (such as Blacksmiths) might work (for the DM), and then a broader section on skills PCs are more likely to use. There should be general rules for generating Guilds, and then a few samples. For examples, I'd make a Thieves Guild (obviously), a Bardic College, a Royal Exploration Society, a Warrior's Meet, and maybe an Arcane Tower where Wizards, Bards & Sorcerers trade notes, etc.

.

(minor hijack)
Mac Callum -- have you seen Guilds and Adventurers from Msytic Eye Games? It is almost precisely what you are describing.
Here's a link: http://mysticeyegames.com/products.php?product=31&p_id=18

(/minor hijack, and many apologies)

-Reddist

 

[Treebore]

I liked that book too, a great starting point for any guild build a DM may want.

I'm number 2, I like Map Folio I, and I will be getting Map Folio 2, and several of Map Folio 3.

As for WOTC I didn't like (notice didn't like, not "think is crap")

Ghostwalk
Vile Darkness and its counter part
The Deities book
Psionics suck!
Heros Builder ( I actually think this one sucks, but others have admitted to liking it)
Savage Species

Plus others I don't bother remembering.

So I am not a WOTC fanboy. Closest I come to being anyones fanboy is Necromancer Games and Fiery Dragons.

 

[buzz]

I also happen to think this has a lot to do with the "WOTC is a big company and therefore subject to harsher critisism" mentality that I see a lot these days. I regularly see people bash a good WOTC product only to then see them hype a mediocre d20 company's product.

Bing! Bing! Bing! We have a winnah!