Immortals Handbook: Ascension 3.5E Print version...do you want one?

[MazzelDazzle]

As a Non-Regular, I'll happily pay my way. I've been a long time admirer of your work. Even if you're selling them at-cost, I definitely want to support the history of IH past and future

 

[Amsur27]

Hi, I am also very interested: I will pay what is necessary to get a copy of the 3.5E Immortals Handbook: Ascension!

 

[Beefermatic]

You have to take the good with the bad and roll with it amigo.

Definitely

Ascension is 162 pages but might bump it up to 168-176 ish. Have some extra artwork.

Nice!

I appreciate it Beefy!

Np!

What annoys me is that in 1st Ed. the Monster Manuals and Deities & Demigods would have 4 monsters or gods per page. Now, if lucky I can get one epic monster onto 2 pages.

Imagine I do a book that includes the Umbrals...its going to be 30 pages of shadowy blob monsters, whereas in the past you could probably squeeze that into 5-6 pages in 1st Ed.

Yeah you'll probably need to condense that, a few pages is fine, but unless it's like the various Starshadow, Quasar, Firmament, Mirrorwarp etc dragons or something, generally no one wants to read 15 pages of "Skeletons" for example. Much less 30.

Those two books will be amazing...eventually. Just hoping I don't turn it into three books in 2023.

But 5E does appear to be extremely playable at crazy levels* - whereas in contrast I just think 3.5E has WAY too many feats/divine abilities/spells/skills/metamagic and its just going to put typical gamers off...and I know you guys are not typical gamers (neither was I back in my pomp).

*You see a lot of threads where someone says 5E is unplayable at high level, but if you examine what they are saying; 75% of the time its that the monsters are not challenging...mine will be.

You know, I agree to a degree, but I think there is a solid niche market for people who really enjoy the long character sheets with incredible power. The main issue I've seen and had to deal with running multiple IH campaigns is a lack of counterbalance.

And sometimes abilities not working with pre-established conventions.

So, for example, the 3.5 Epic Handbooks half cocked magic system and the Ascension magic system in tandem allows for hundreds of spells to be cast per round, and it can get extremely pedantic and game breaking, or the 7th 8th 9th etc Sense powers. I've had to totally rewrite those to make them playable, and invariably you get "clever" players who think they'll make some unstoppable cheese character by going down that path and I'll have to argue with them and they get disappointed.

So that's mainly what I've seen, people, once they're in really like the system, and I've had no issue getting a solid player base, it's mainly just reining in the broken powers and redefining and redesigning them that's been problematic I find.

 

[Geminisaga777]

I also want the bestiary 23.5E Immortals Handbook, I loved the first one...it works sooo amazing! completely changed my epic levels

 

[Upper_Krust]

Yeah you'll probably need to condense that, a few pages is fine, but unless it's like the various Starshadow, Quasar, Firmament, Mirrorwarp etc dragons or something, generally no one wants to read 15 pages of "Skeletons" for example. Much less 30.

Even if I make them interesting with unique mechanics, I don't think its a good use of space. Maybe Umbral in general works best as a Template.

I have a few minor Umbral elements in the new 5E book as well as this really cool (I hope) Umbral War idea that is going on which I think is a great jumping on point for Byssal adventures. But I will explain that in the book.

You know, I agree to a degree, but I think there is a solid niche market for people who really enjoy the long character sheets with incredible power.

I know. But its a niche (epic) within a niche (super-dense stat-blocks of 3E) and if you can get the exact same "feeling" of epic play but narrow the focus so you don't have to remember a big laundry list of abilities/options, then I think its a step in the right direction in terms of opening it up to more people to try.

Demogorgon is remembered for his Gaze Attacks, Tentacle Rot and Tail Energy Drain, not his spell attacks, feats and divine abilities (arguably you could even say his Gaze, Tentacle & Tail attacks are his divine abilities though).

The main issue I've seen and had to deal with running multiple IH campaigns is a lack of counterbalance.

And sometimes abilities not working with pre-established conventions.

[/QUOTE]

I always maintained I thought it was functionally balanced up until Greater God levels. But certainly you have seen vastly far more 3.5E immortal games than me, so I would defer to you on that point.

So, for example, the 3.5 Epic Handbooks half cocked magic system and the Ascension magic system in tandem allows for hundreds of spells to be cast per round, and it can get extremely pedantic and game breaking, or the 7th 8th 9th etc Sense powers.

Yeah there are things I am converting over to 5E and you just think how the heck can I make this or that crazy power actually feasible at the game table...then you do.

I've had to totally rewrite those to make them playable, and invariably you get "clever" players who think they'll make some unstoppable cheese character by going down that path and I'll have to argue with them and they get disappointed.

Epic Players are, either directly or indirectly, Power Gamers. One of the new dynamics planned in 5E gives DMs a LOT more of a carte blanche approach to pushing back onto PCs and creating super-tough encounters.

So that's mainly what I've seen, people, once they're in really like the system, and I've had no issue getting a solid player base, it's mainly just reining in the broken powers and redefining and redesigning them that's been problematic I find.

I think even at high level 5E though, which has only a fraction of the complications of 3.5E, which itself has only a fraction of the working parts of 3.5E ultra high level, players (and DMs) can get bogged down with too many options and there will be a tipping point of this 'game breadth/depth' where you just lose them. My goal is to minimise that risk but still have every Divine Rank mean something.

 

[Obly99]

Ok, count me in

 

[Upper_Krust]

I have the Ascension text ready except for page 2. The Contents page which I will need to redo when I add the new artwork (which will bump the page count up slightly). Should get Ascension all done for Sunday/Monday. Got one of my 5E digital artists working on the cover for Immortals Handbook: GODS and that will likely draw my attention a bit (no pun intended) as the devil is always in the details.

 

[Beefermatic]

I have the Ascension text ready except for page 2. The Contents page which I will need to redo when I add the new artwork (which will bump the page count up slightly). Should get Ascension all done for Sunday/Monday. Got one of my 5E digital artists working on the cover for Immortals Handbook: GODS and that will likely draw my attention a bit (no pun intended) as the devil is always in the details.

Wow awesome! I look forward to it.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Minor update to show the art I am adding to Ascension (Above is the Epic Cleric of Thor - which replaces the original Mortal Viking image). Progress is going good but it's taking about 40-50 minutes of repainting each illustration and there are 30 new illustrations so going to take an extra 2-3 days (as I am working tomorrow), I have about 15 already completed - including the one above. But very smooth sailing, adding 8 new pages of illustrations to the Portfolio chapter which was a mega text dump so it really needed some illustrations to break up the wall of text.

 

[Beefermatic]

View attachment 270027

Minor update to show the art I am adding to Ascension (Above is the Epic Cleric of Thor - which replaces the original Mortal Viking image). Progress is going good but it's taking about 40-50 minutes of repainting each illustration and there are 30 new illustrations so going to take an extra 2-3 days (as I am working tomorrow), I have about 15 already completed - including the one above. But very smooth sailing, adding 8 new pages of illustrations to the Portfolio chapter which was a mega text dump so it really needed some illustrations to break up the wall of text.

Oh that's fucxing wicked man! I love it!