From Stone to Steel: The OTHER Arms and Equipment guide?

[Krug]

From Stone to Steel from Monkey God Enterprise is out at EN World's RPG Shop, which means it should be hitting stores. Anyone picking it up? How does it compare to Arms and Equipment Guide or Mongoose's Ultimate Equipment Guide?

Details and Table of Contents here:
http://www.monkeygodenterprises.com/stone.htm

 

[Thresher]

Certainly sounds interesting, might be worth a look if someones running a specifically historical setting rather than a high fantasy.

 

[Conaill]

Here's some tidbits based on their previews:

Classes
Yeoman

Feats
Advanced Dodge
Advanced Maneuvers
Cloak Fighting
Combat Advantage
Cruel Wounding
Deflect Missiles
Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Firearms)
Faster Movement I
Faster Movement II
Fire from Under Cover
Fleet Footed
Formation Tactics
Greater Impaling Shot
Heroic Demeanor
Impaling Shot
Improved Formation Tactics
Improved Penetration
Improved Shield Guard
Improvised Weapon Training
Lantern Fighting
Move Through Punch
Moving Mount/Dismount
Off-Hand Parry
Preferred Opponent
Punch Using Hilt
Reputation
Rope Arrows
Running Evasively
Second Wind
Shield Disarm
Shield Guard
Superior Gunnery
Swift Reload

Prestige Classes
Charioteer
Duelist
Eagle Knights
Elite Mongol Horsemen
German Combined Cavalryman
Gladiator
Guang Hu Adventurer
Jaguar Knights
Janissaries
Ninja
Roman Legionnaire
Samurai

Skills
Fencing
- Balestra
- Beat
- Bind
- Ceding Parry
- Corps-a-Corps
- Croise
- Feint
- Fleche
- Lunge
- Pattinando
- Press
- Remise
- Riposte
- Thrust
Knowledge (Military Engineering)
Riding

Spells
Durance
Protection from Bludgeoning
Protection from Piercing
Protection from Slashing
Renew
Resonate
Spell Bind

Magical Item Abilities
Aura
Banishing
Blurred
Corrosion
Darkness-Bearing
Finding
Heart Seeking
Impervious
Light-Bearing
Material Cutting
Potent
Quaking
Renewing
Sundering
Warding

It also has a whole set of artifacts for each culture, alternate armor and damage systems, etc.

Compared to A&EG or UEG, this one seems to be primarily focused on combat and weapons though. For example, I didn't see any alchemy in the index, although it has a number of new materials available for weapons and armor.

 

[Kryndal Levik]

A few of the things in the book (Cloak Fighting and Lantern Fighting feats, Fencing skill) sound interesting enough for me to at least check this out...

 

[Kweezil]

There's enough bits and pieces in there that cantch my interest that the completist in me will be getting it, once I have the spare cash.

Mmm, artillery

 

[JoeGKushner]

It does sound interesting and the playtest files were good but I don't know about picking it up right now. I've still got a lot of material to cover and review for the masses like Bastion's Druid book along with a new batch of FFG material.

If the art and layout are top notch though, it'll have to get a serious look. Hated Mongoose Ultimate Equipment Guide.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

What hasn't been touched on yet is that all the equipment is placed in its historical context. There are overviews of progressive ages in history, which makes the book come alive. Very impressive book.

 

[Falcon]

This is the only arms and equipment guide I will be buying. Monkeygod has obviously done their homework. I have always been bothered by historical inconsistencies in D&D and I think this book clearly lays out how work with thematic specific settings, as well as to how to deal with differing levels of, ahem, technology.

 

[Tetsubo]

I pre-ordered a copy after reading the preview on their site a month or so ago. I can't wait to see it. I'm an extreme technophile with a particular passion for weapons (see my site for example). Whether it's Neolithic hand weapons or the latest railgun research, I love it all. Looking forward to this book.

 

[JoeGKushner]

This is the only arms and equipment guide I will be buying. Monkeygod has obviously done their homework. I have always been bothered by historical inconsistencies in D&D and I think this book clearly lays out how work with thematic specific settings, as well as to how to deal with differing levels of, ahem, technology.

How to you compensate for magic then? I mean as soon as you throw magic into the game, any historical inconsistencies are merely a byproduct of having barbarins fight alongside fighters and clerics alongside druids.