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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Arcane Runes Press" data-source="post: 258333" data-attributes="member: 402">I didn't compare it to Rokugan, as yes, that is a setting book. OA and Swashbuckling Adventures, however, are rulebooks; yes, they are genre specific books, but they have minimal setting material, instead presenting new classes, PrCs, items, monsters, feats, skills and spells that augment/modify/build upon the existing core books. In that way, they have strong similarities to the ELH, which builds upon the existing core with new PrCs, spells, items, beasties, skill mods and feats. The stuff in the ELH builds, for better or worse, a beast of a different color from a normal campaign; the abilities in the ELH require the DM and players do undergo a fundamental rethinking of what is, and what is not, a suitably challenging adventure. In other words, using the ELH creates an epic/high level genre all its own, as different from low level stuff as Batman is different from Sherlock Holmes.For me, in order for a book to convince me to make that plateau jump, it has to have that compelling something, that intangible sparkle that hits me again and again between the eyes with the idea brick, that caresses my creative fancy and pops the lock on my inner "must play" monster's cage.    It isn't a matter of distaste for high level stuff, it's just that the high level stuff they gave me leaves me cold.  The initial cool factor is there, ala "WOW! Swim up a waterfall? Vorpal Punch! DC 635! Mithril Golems! DR 60/6? WHOAH!" But that's just the numbers rush, the hard candy shell on the M&M that tastes good but doesn't stick around for long.So for me, the boat didn't float. I am glad, though, that so many  seem to like it and I, too, hope that the mechanics make it to the SRD,  so that other companies can run with it and maybe make it more compelling (to me).Patrick Y.</blockquote>

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