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General Tabletop Discussion
D&D Older Editions
[COMPLETE] Looking back at the leatherette series: PHBR, DMGR, HR and more!
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<blockquote data-quote="Orius" data-source="post: 8261027" data-attributes="member: 8863"><p>As for 1e's NPC classes, you left out the Witch and the Cloistered Cleric. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> And those classes were reprinted in the Best of Dragon long before Paizo touched them. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Remember the praise I heaped upon Villains and Necromancers? Well the DMGR series took a huge nosedive off a cliff with Sages.</p><p></p><p>The idea of NPC classes isn't a bad one, but 3e did a better job of it than this book. All the classes here could be much better handled with an Expert or Adept with the right focus. These classes are basically just a stripped down Fighter, Mage, Cleric, or Thief with a particular focus, and they tend to be pretty niche. And some are even more niche than others. I'd just backport a 3e NPC class into 2e to do this stuff, and they can be customized to serve particular needs. Some of the abilities aren't too bad, but I'd just use them to expand on existing NWPs. And some of the NWPs in this book aren't even new ideas and had appeared in 2e before if not the PHB.</p><p></p><p>Martia's story is okay, but stil pretty generic (not like Bakshra from Villains). The idea of attaching these NPC classes to the PCs as allies and support staff isn't bad, but it would have worked better if the classes weren't so specific. I think this book would have been better served by presenting one or two broad NPC classes like the ones from 3e that could have been customized with particular NWP focuses that could have been open ended enough to fit a wider variety of roles depending on what an individual campaign required. This book was really one of 2e's biggest letdowns for me.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Orius, post: 8261027, member: 8863"] As for 1e's NPC classes, you left out the Witch and the Cloistered Cleric. :) And those classes were reprinted in the Best of Dragon long before Paizo touched them. Remember the praise I heaped upon Villains and Necromancers? Well the DMGR series took a huge nosedive off a cliff with Sages. The idea of NPC classes isn't a bad one, but 3e did a better job of it than this book. All the classes here could be much better handled with an Expert or Adept with the right focus. These classes are basically just a stripped down Fighter, Mage, Cleric, or Thief with a particular focus, and they tend to be pretty niche. And some are even more niche than others. I'd just backport a 3e NPC class into 2e to do this stuff, and they can be customized to serve particular needs. Some of the abilities aren't too bad, but I'd just use them to expand on existing NWPs. And some of the NWPs in this book aren't even new ideas and had appeared in 2e before if not the PHB. Martia's story is okay, but stil pretty generic (not like Bakshra from Villains). The idea of attaching these NPC classes to the PCs as allies and support staff isn't bad, but it would have worked better if the classes weren't so specific. I think this book would have been better served by presenting one or two broad NPC classes like the ones from 3e that could have been customized with particular NWP focuses that could have been open ended enough to fit a wider variety of roles depending on what an individual campaign required. This book was really one of 2e's biggest letdowns for me. [/QUOTE]
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[COMPLETE] Looking back at the leatherette series: PHBR, DMGR, HR and more!
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