How do you like your new?

[Psion]

New base classes are only tolerable to me if they are broad and flexible. Since most new base classes aren't, and those that do fit that criteria tend to obviate my need for more new base classes, I went with no new base classes.

No new skills, either. It takes a lot of care to insert anything that's not already a "categorical" skill into the game, and most publishers that create skills fail to do so. Even when the designer does take the care to describe how it fits the existing classes, it fails to apply to new classes. Finally, new skills tend to dilute the power of existing skills and invalidate existing characters who "would have had the skill."

So, in short, no new base classes, no new skills. Thx. Spells, feats, and prestige classes are the proper way to extend the game AFAIAC.

 

[Particle_Man]

Base Classes and Alternate Class features for the win.

Then feats. Then Spells. Then new uses for old skills.

Prestige Classes I am losing the love for, to be honest. Maybe I am just overwhelmed by the numbers of them. But also, some of them are too out of whack, and others would seem to be just as well suited as base classes (assassin, for example, which used to *be* a base class in 1st ed.). Plus, it is easier for wotc to give level by level sample builds (a la PHB II) for quick character generation using the base classes than for prestige classes, as there is more than one way into a prestige class, in most cases.

I don't like new skills. There are too many skills as it is, imho. Unless you give each class extra skill points, it actually weakens the classes when you add new skills that one must take in order to try a certain action.

 

[an_idol_mind]

I'd prefer stuff like base classes, feats, and skills not to be spread over dozens of books for simplicity's sake. Things like new spells, magical items, monsters, and the like are great because they provide new options without altering the core. New prestige classes are great, too, because they offer more options without becoming something that everyone needs to know about/deal with.

 

[smootrk]

I like it all. Everything I read helps to keep my own creativity going. I read and use what is good or useful, and I don't use what I don't think is useful... and every no and then, a piece of the 'non-useful' stuff suddenly becomes useful (and sometimes the opposite).

Now, aside from loving all the bits that come out, I would really like to see an effort to recompile all the info into a coherent and complete lexicon of D&D, maybe even as a non-print or online endeavor (subscription maybe, or registering books owned to open up content coming from such books). I would love to have complete, updated, error proofed, quality controlled, and otherwise re-compiled rules/classes/feats/skill descriptions/etc available in one concise location.

 

[Imruphel]

No new skills but otherwise all of the above.

I also like racial and cultural or group substitution levels for existing classes.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Huh. I don't find I get any flak at all when I add new crunch. Maybe I've got cool players.

I simply say to the whole group:

"I've picked up and like book X. I'm going to add it (either parts or in its entirety). Anyone object? Oh, and of course ... should nobody have any serious complaints this material comes into play immediately and is available for retrofitting characters through the retooling options in the PHB II."

Usually everyone is excited about it - and as a DM I say that it is immediately available but I don't actually use any crunch from it until the players have leveled at least once. That gives them a chance to retool, get used to the rules, and take new stuff from the book if they so desire.

Really, no problems. As for the book-keeping, that's up to the players. If they choose the options, it's up to them to keep track of where to find it.

 

[Aurora]

I agree with above posters that having stuff spread out in many books is kind of annoying because of the inevitable: "what book was that in?".
I love the new base classes and prestige classes. Currently, I am playing an elemental savant (or something like it) and I didn't think it was all that hard to plan for. I also REALLY like the new teamwork feats- those are cool.
The DM can choose to bring in or not bring in certain elements. I think that the game needs to be reworked every now and then when it is found that say a class is over or under-powered. However, for people that don't like new crunch, 1. don't buy it and 2. don't incorporate it. There is nothing wrong with that.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Well, I can't think of a new race that is the only way to access new crunch, although some make things easier.

There are a ton of PrCs available only to illumians or changelings and lots of feats for shifters only. There are even a few goliath-only feats and a whisper gnome-only feat.

 

[Andor]

211 people voting...

Nothing got more than half the votes, interesting. It looks like a mix of stuff is the best way to appeal to everybody.

New feats are the most popular form of new crunch, with 101 votes.

New Skills are the least popular form, with only 23 votes.

Surprisingly, New uses for old skills was the second most popular choice. Yet it's rarely done. Clearly someone is missing a boat. Hear that WoTC?

And new prestige classes are slightly more popular than new base classes.

 

[Ghendar]

Well, I need neither more base classes nor more prestige classes. However, I always like more spells ans more feats are nice as well.