Iron Heroes useable in regular D&D?

[Voadam]

I'm tempted to get Iron Heroes http://www.drivethrurpg.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2371&affiliate_id=17596

I'm really interested in the skill target system from the previews for use in my regular D&D games and the table of contents says it has a section on using IH with regular D&D. I'm wondering what else could be purloined from the system that would make it of interest and worth the $14 pdf price.

I'm not really interested in using a different base system or making d20 combat even more complicated but what I can add to my D&D games the way I could use the classes, races, feats, magic, and monsters from Arcana Unearthed into my D&D games.

(I thought since this is asking about the D&D applicability of the product general was more appropriate than the d20 forums).

There are a couple of IH threads but none on specifically its uses in D&D.

Anybody who has it and can comment on the ability to plug in elements into regular D&D would be appreciated as I debate buying this next month or one of the atlas games pdfs, or a big monster book pdf for my game.

Thanks.

 

[the Jester]

I'm curious about this too.

 

[Graf]

I'm tempted to get Iron Heroes http://www.drivethrurpg.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2371&affiliate_id=17596I'm not really interested in using a different base system or making d20 combat even more complicated but what I can add to my D&D games the way I could use the classes, races, feats, magic, and monsters from Arcana Unearthed into my D&D games.

Posting without knowning anything is always dangerous but I would say it depends a bit on what your goals are.

Arcana Unearthed stuff is more powerful than regular DnD (I've heard explanations that this is why you need more experience points to go up a level; not sure how much I buy that).

On top of that power bump the blurbs and Monte's collumns suggest that they've basically taken all the "power" from the magic items part of DnD for warriors (which is honestly a lot) and turned them into feats.
So if you give players the new feats -and- DnD style magic items you should be looking at characters who are significantly more powerful than their level would indicate.

So if you aren't concerned about game balance (level vs. CR of monsters, intra-character balance, etc) or you feel like doing a lot of changing of rules then you could probably do a lot with the system.
Its gonna be a lot more complicated though.

Anybody want to correct me?

 

[Alzrius]

Arcana Unearthed stuff is more powerful than regular DnD (I've heard explanations that this is why you need more experience points to go up a level; not sure how much I buy that).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Iron Heroes wasn't an Arcana Unearthed/Evolved product.

 

[Lucrecio]

I've read iron heroes. Even with the changes proposed by the author to integrate iron heroes to standard d20, I think the iron heroes classes are superior. I've built a weapon master (one of the classes in the book), and it clearly outmatch any core fighter (the wpn master has better attack rolls and can cause more damage than a same level fighter). These classes have lots of firepower and more flexibility than the core fighting classes.

Personnaly, I'll probably allow the iron heroes classes in my games because of the vast potential of their token system, which is worth the problems caused by the superiority of those classes.

Also, I'd recommend you buy the book, the stunts system and the new feats mechanics are well worth your money, even if you ignore the new base classes.

 

[Voadam]

I've read iron heroes. Even with the changes proposed by the author to integrate iron heroes to standard d20, I think the iron heroes classes are superior. I've built a weapon master (one of the classes in the book), and it clearly outmatch any core fighter (the wpn master has better attack rolls and can cause more damage than a same level fighter). These classes have lots of firepower and more flexibility than the core fighting classes.

Personnaly, I'll probably allow the iron heroes classes in my games because of the vast potential of their token system, which is worth the problems caused by the superiority of those classes.

Also, I'd recommend you buy the book, the stunts system and the new feats mechanics are well worth your money, even if you ignore the new base classes.

1. What are those suggestions for integration?

2 Can the stunts and new feat mechanics be added into a straight D&D game wihtout changing base rules or do they require a change in rules, such as defense ratings or armor as DR from Unearthed Arcana?

 

[Kaos]

Stunts can be added easily. Feat mechanics could be ported in on a case-by-case basis. Some could go straight in (and there's a chart for porting the pre-requisites for the masteries) but some would have to be altered.

Integrating the classes: don't bring in duplicates (man-at-arms is a fighter, thief is a rogue, berserker is barbarian,) and leave the arcanist out if the game has it's own magic system. Change the hit die from d4+x to a d(4+x), use the base game model for feat progression instead of the IH one, drop skill groups, and a few changes that only come up if you plan to give the IH character the same wealth-levels as standard.

 

[Voadam]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Iron Heroes wasn't an Arcana Unearthed/Evolved product.

They are two different systems.

 

[Edheldur]

Question: is the entire stunts system the one presented in this
preview or is it expanded in the book?

 

[tetsujin28]

I wouldn't mix IH and regular D&D. Like AU, it's an 'alternative PH'. Iron Heroes characters are tough, and need to be 'cause they don't get magic items. Whilst there is a conversion system, no conversion is ever perfect, and giving IH characters magic, even with the suggested changes, is going to mess things up.

I'll be honest, and say I like IH a lot more than any other form of D&D. It's the D&D I've always wanted.