(Complete Warrior) = (Sword and Fist) ++

[chengarino]

WotC's Andy Collins on Complete Warrior - "Complete Warrior won't be any more "necessary" for playing D&D than any other resource that isn't a core rulebook. It'll look more like a dramatically expanded S&F than like the old Combat & Tactics, though it'll have a little of that flavor as well. Keep in mind that the book's still in development and editing, so anything said about it at this point is a bit premature (even catalog copy, sadly--one of the drawbacks of writing marketing copy before the book's written)." (scooper: Gerard).

So this is the first of the 'revised' splatbooks. I guess this is why the splatbooks aren't going to be 'revised' for v3.5: they're being replaced by thicker revised books.

Bra-ha-ha-ha!

I wonder when the "stronghold builder's guidebook" will get the 'revision' treatment ;-)

chengarino

 

[maddman75]

As with all purchases, I'll see what's in it and decide if I need it or not. If it has a lot of combat options, rules and guidelines for various environments and types of combat, then maybe I'll give it a go.

If its a bunch of feats, PrCs, and skill applications for fighters I'll pass. I have enough of those already.

Funny, I'm looking forward to Bad Axe Games next book in the Heros of High Honor series than anything by WoTC right now.

 

[Welverin]

I'm starting to wonder if WotC = WW now.

 

[chengarino]

Better Way To Handle Revising Splatbooks

Now, if WoTC combines all the splatbooks (to include revisions) plus some new content (with new color art) into a new hardcover, then, i would be interested.

After the shoddy quality of the "Arm and Equipment Guide" (it's a thicker softcover book with the higher price tag) I have strong reservations about much of these books from WoTC.

Maybe A&EG is a market test to see how low a quality product WoTC can ship and still sell?

chengarino

 

[I'm A Banana]

I *really* hope the A&EG didn't do that well in the market. It was a shoddy piece, IMHO. Not nessecarily utter garbage, but for the price and design and *company*, I expected more. At the very least, full-color pages, for cripes sake.

Or, at least, I hope enough whiny ingrates like myself make their vocal opinions known.

The complete warrior doesn't sound like a compiled splatbook..I see it as S&F with the A&EG treatment (or hopefully something better). Feats. PrC's. Maps. Environments. Advice. Perhaps monsters. Probably equipment. Probably something with mounts. Tricks and tools and other randomt things about Fighters, Rangers, Paladins, and Barbarians, more than likely, with more options thrown in to make it worth the pagecount.

It's more like "What S&F *should* have been" than anything else, is my guess...and if it suffers from the same problems as the A&EG, I probably won't be picking it up. This is one movement I can certainly deride...bloody...low-quality....(grumbles about prefering to show his Oathbound book off over his FRCS, and how even Nyambe is better quality than A&EG)

 

[satori01]

I was given a copy of Races of Faerun, and while some of the feats are intresting, the book is not in my opinion worth $34.
Outside of the revised core books there is nothing groundbreaking that wizards is doing, nothing very intresting other than seemingly repackgaging, and reusing.

Fiend folio
Draconomicon
Reviesed rulebooks

I do not see much risk taking at the moment, and I will not buy any official products until the revised rule set comes out.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

Any word on whether it will contain called shots and new critical hit rules?

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I like A&EG. Yeah color would be cooler, but hey it was a generic version of Aura's whole realms catelog, with magic items and in harcover. I liked it a lot. Well the magic items failed to impress on the whole but the ordinary items(minus the gnome inventions and constant elfies make the besty thinges in the whole wide world crap) were cool, alchemical items cool, alcohol cool. So i liked the book overall, maybe a bit too expensive but it didn't break the bank.

 

[chengarino]

S&F with the A&EG treatment

The complete warrior doesn't sound like a compiled splatbook..I see it as S&F with the A&EG treatment (or hopefully something better). Feats. PrC's. Maps. Environments. Advice. Perhaps monsters. Probably equipment. Probably something with mounts. Tricks and tools and other randomt things about Fighters, Rangers, Paladins, and Barbarians, more than likely, with more options thrown in to make it worth the pagecount.

And then there will be:
- Complete Wizard
- Complete Cleric
- Complete Rogue
- Complete Monk
- Complete Psion
- Complete ... etc ...

until all the splatbooks are incorporated ... with some new AE&G-type (Dragon reprints with revisions) information.

Of all the books in the last year, I have to say I was only really happy with Savage Spiecies. Vile Darkness was fine as well.

I concur with you in that (other than the new revised books) I don't know what types of innovation are coming down the pipeline. Ghostwalk sounds interesting: but the rest of the announced books sound like x% old material plus (100-x)% reinterpretations/expansions/conversion of existing ideas.

Much of the innovations in DD3E (in the coming year) look like they are coming from outside of WoTC. As the 'alpha male' in the DD3E markeplace, I had expected more from WoTC. I am all for WoTC making money: I am even more for WoTC making money off of DD3E through innovation and leadership.

chengarino

 

[Mercule]

Personally, I'm interested to see what's in the Complete Warrior. Even if it is just the "new and improved" S&F, that may not be bad, if it really is improved rather than just super-sized (where're my fries?!?).

I haven't picked up the A&EG, yet, but it is on my list. I took a long look at it in Barnes and Noble. It looks like it has quite a few interesting bits. I may not be _quite_ worth the cover price, but close. About the only section that I was truly disappointed in was the armor, which had nothing of interest that I could see.

IMHO, Savage Species was the most over-rated book put out in the last year. The implementation and concept of monster classes would have been laughable if not obvious that it was setting an official direction. SS did have it's good points, but the amount of actual worthwhile information in the book would have been better served as a Campaign Component in Dragon. At least then I could have justified the cost. I have to caveat the about with the fact that I did about an hour and a half read-through at B&N on this one, too (such is my habit when I consider buying a book -- if I don't buy it, I don't use the material, either). It's quite possible that a complete read-through would change my mind, but I'd have thought to have gotten a reasonable cross-section in the time I spent.