Do you use the Book of Exhalted Deeds or the Book of Hallowed Might?

[dead]

Just wondering if you use the *official* Book of Exhalted Deeds to supplement Monte's Book of Vile Darkness or whether you stay loyal to Monte and use the Book of Hallowed Might which was supposed to arm PCs "against the most *vile* forces of darkness" (read: the Book of Vile Darkness)?

Or do you use both books?

Or do you use another book? What's Green Ronin's Book of the Righteous all about? Does that focus on the good/holy?

In other words, which work focusing on the *holy* is the *best* to supplement Monte's talents (ie. the Book of Vile Darkness)?

 

[Meadred]

Neither

I own both Book of Exalted Deeds (BoED) and Book of Vile Darkness (BoVD), as well as Book of the Righteous (BotR) and Book of Hallowed Might (BoHM). In my current campaign, the only book that has seen any use is BotR. We use it to provide us with a "ready-to-go" pantheon in our home-brew campaign (We are two DMs using the same campaign world).

I wouldn't mind using both BoVD and BoED, but I have trouble interesting any of my players in playing an exalted PC, and the other DM isn't keen on letting me play one (His campaign is a pirate campaign, with lots of "shady" characters).

The main problem with BoED/BoVD is that they, IMO, require a somewhat simplistic view of the world; things/people/issues are either black or white. Thus, in order to fully utilize them you need to have players wanting to play shining paragons of virtue, "cleaning" up a world full of vile stuff. If your players are all into film noir-type heroes, shady characters that for once does the right thing, it gets hard to use BoED and BoVD.

Of course, one could always hit the players with a boatload of bad stuff from BoVD in hope of them realizing that they need to "get exalted", but that would be railroading, which sucks. Even then they would only do it out of powergaming reasons. So, BoED and BoVD mostly gather dust in my book case.

Cheers,
Meadred

 

[Zweischneid]

I did own "Heroes of Light" which wasn't half bad, but never really got that much use out of it.

Both BoVD & BoED seemed a bit too campy to me to really make the subject interesting.

As mentioned above, D&D has more than enough clear cut alignment for my taste. I like my campaigns a bit more dark fantasy (and with dark fantasy I mean ambiguity of characters and morality, not slimy, creepy things as done by BoVD)

[edit]

i.e., I voted "Other". I likely would have voted "None" if the option would have been available.

 

[Gez]

Well, outside of the little bestiary in the BOED to complement summoning choices and fleshing out campaign cosmology, I must admit I use neither.

 

[Bigwilly]

But only got that one

Only have the BoED. Even then only use a few bits from it.

Bigwilly

 

[Allanon]

I've used some of the Monsters and Feats from the BOED, but overall it's not really as usefull as I had hoped. I don't own the BOHM So I can't comment on than one.

 

[Southern Oracle]

I use spells from both supplements, and the paladin in my group uses spells and a prestige class from the Book of Exalted Deeds. I must admit, I don't own the Book of Vile Darkness, as my kids go through my gaming stuff on a regular basis and the wife didn't want them to see the pics.

 

[Psion]

There is very little in the BoED that I consider interesting enough to use in a campaign, and very much of what is there I consider unbalanced.

Book of Hallowed Might, OTOH, has some very interesting and useful material. There are a few spells I wouldn't use, butI found the oath feats to be a fantastic and role-playing rich addition to a campaign.

I do use BotR's Holy Warrior, and think it's a great book, but it's not the same sort of book at all. It's less a character option book and more "What DDG should have been."

 

[CRGreathouse]

I use both the BoED and the BoHM. I don't own the BoHM2, though.

Or do you use another book? What's Green Ronin's Book of the Righteous all about? Does that focus on the good/holy?

I didn't like the BotR, so I don't use it. It's not really about the same stuff, though; it's more about the gods than good/evil.

 

[diaglo]

i have Book of Exalted Deeds
Book of Hallowed Might
and Book of the Righteous.

i don't use any of them.

but imo BotR is the best of the three.