John Q. Mayhem
Explorer
That can't be overestimated. All the PP guys together are about as helpful for IK fans as Wulf's been for GT fans, and that's really helpful 
Is Iron Kingdoms worth it?
- Thread starter STARP_JVP
- Start date
Well the big complaints that you'll see ya pop up on the IK boards are as follows:
Guns being very clunky and underpowered. The Arcane mechanick being underpowered. Their are other points that get hashed out on the IK boards, but those would be the two biggies. (A personal peeve is the referencing of the 3.0 weapon weights, but eh what can ya do). Oops...almost forgot about the Armored greatcoat being too overpowered.
The fluff is very cool, although truthfully I find the IK's fluff has a bit more of the grim and gritty feel to than a pulp hero kinda of feel. Given your influences I'm not sure if thats a plus or a minus.
Whether you need the fluff is up to you, but I find the reading to be most enjoyable. The IKWG should be avoided if ya need no fluff, and the IKCG is a mixed bag. I love the fluff, but cringe at a lot of the mechanical changes recommended for fluff reasons.
The Monsternomicon will be a good choice for steampunkish monsters. Chockful of awesome art and fluff ya cant help but love it. If i had to chose one book released by Privateer Press to pillage for the setting you describe, the Monsternomicon would be it. I can never stop recommending that book, well that and the Advanced Bestiary.
And Ill echo the comment about the Ik boards, you can usually find 2 or 3 of the writers on the Ik boards, and they are more than amiable to chat up the setting. Always a bonus to learn the thinking that goes on, and what the writers would change.
Guns being very clunky and underpowered. The Arcane mechanick being underpowered. Their are other points that get hashed out on the IK boards, but those would be the two biggies. (A personal peeve is the referencing of the 3.0 weapon weights, but eh what can ya do). Oops...almost forgot about the Armored greatcoat being too overpowered.
The fluff is very cool, although truthfully I find the IK's fluff has a bit more of the grim and gritty feel to than a pulp hero kinda of feel. Given your influences I'm not sure if thats a plus or a minus.
Whether you need the fluff is up to you, but I find the reading to be most enjoyable. The IKWG should be avoided if ya need no fluff, and the IKCG is a mixed bag. I love the fluff, but cringe at a lot of the mechanical changes recommended for fluff reasons.
The Monsternomicon will be a good choice for steampunkish monsters. Chockful of awesome art and fluff ya cant help but love it. If i had to chose one book released by Privateer Press to pillage for the setting you describe, the Monsternomicon would be it. I can never stop recommending that book, well that and the Advanced Bestiary.
And Ill echo the comment about the Ik boards, you can usually find 2 or 3 of the writers on the Ik boards, and they are more than amiable to chat up the setting. Always a bonus to learn the thinking that goes on, and what the writers would change.
TheAuldGrump
First Post
Given that I ditched the IK gun rules before the hardcovers even came out I have to agree that they are not worth the cost - but I think taht it is not so much that they are underpowered as that they are overpriced.
And yes, the armored greatcoat is overpowered and underpriced. I knocked it down to DR 1/-. Broadening its scope slightly but dropping its protection.
Arcane Mechanik... I am not all that sure about, he seems underpowered to me, but I have not really had a chance to go over his abilities with an eye toward abusing the rules yet. No one has expressed an interest in playing one.
Gun Mage seems weak, but in play seems to work well, about as powerful as the bard, though I will admit to giving him a few tweaks.
The races are pretty good, and the Mechanika rules are very nifty indeed.
The Auld Grump
And yes, the armored greatcoat is overpowered and underpriced. I knocked it down to DR 1/-. Broadening its scope slightly but dropping its protection.
Arcane Mechanik... I am not all that sure about, he seems underpowered to me, but I have not really had a chance to go over his abilities with an eye toward abusing the rules yet. No one has expressed an interest in playing one.
Gun Mage seems weak, but in play seems to work well, about as powerful as the bard, though I will admit to giving him a few tweaks.
The races are pretty good, and the Mechanika rules are very nifty indeed.
The Auld Grump
BigFreekinGoblinoid
First Post
iksander said:
I can't belive that it took 20 replys to get to the Monsternomicon. The answer is a resounding "Yes", and this the place to start. Buy the newly revised 3.5 version, and the fluff will grow on you unitil you contemplate getting the Character Guide. Even if you choose not to use any of the setting flavor, this book has a lot of good steam flavored beasties, including altered undead. The knowledge check side bars, plot hook suggestions, and the comparative size references are polishing touches that put this book in a class of it's own.
Pants
First Post
Out of the three 'important' books released so far, the Monsternomicon is the most readily transferable. You can take most of the monsters and drop them into any setting with little difficulty. The writing is top notch and helps draw you into the world. And the art is pretty damn good too.
About the only bad thing I can say is that it suffers from quite a few editing gaffes and some revision issues. One of the biggest is a critter that wasn't revised completely and uses a sort bastardized version of the 3.5 swarm rules. It's really a pretty small issue, but it's an issue nonetheless.
it's not perfect, but none of the books that I own are. You should know the downsides before you buy it though.
I wouldn't buy the Character Guide for rules pillaging though... too uneven in quality.
About the only bad thing I can say is that it suffers from quite a few editing gaffes and some revision issues. One of the biggest is a critter that wasn't revised completely and uses a sort bastardized version of the 3.5 swarm rules. It's really a pretty small issue, but it's an issue nonetheless.
it's not perfect, but none of the books that I own are. You should know the downsides before you buy it though.
I wouldn't buy the Character Guide for rules pillaging though... too uneven in quality.
MoogleEmpMog
First Post
I'm sad to hear that the 3.5 Monsternomicon didn't fix the rules problems of the original. 
On the other hand, I can't reccomend it enough, problems or no. Easily one of, if not the, best monster books on the market. Even for non-steampunk campaigns, its quality and originality are virtually unmatched.
On the other hand, I can't reccomend it enough, problems or no. Easily one of, if not the, best monster books on the market. Even for non-steampunk campaigns, its quality and originality are virtually unmatched.
Pants
First Post
Actually, in my eyes, the Monsternomicon seems pretty solid rules-wise. Sure there are some weird rules usages (like bonus racial attack bonuses), but nothing as flagrant as the Ogrun's 'bonus hit die.'MoogleEmpMog said:I'm sad to hear that the 3.5 Monsternomicon didn't fix the rules problems of the original.
Iron Kingdoms is awesome. Some people complain about some of the rules, and parts may be somewhat clunky, but I can put up with some clunkiness if the rest of the game is creative, well-thought out, and thorough....and Iron Kingdoms is definitely that.
If you're not planning on running the setting, then the World Guide is the least useful to you....in a way. The Monsternomicon can be easily adapted, and lots of bits can be taken from the Character Guide.
Keep in mind, even if you are not playing Iron Kingdoms, both the Character Guide and World Guide are *packed* with hooks and little details that can be used for many campaigns. Sure there's adaptation needed, but the Iron Kingdoms at least can be used as a good example of how a setting *can* be set up....even if you don't stick to the details.
For 3E type settings, generally I'd rank Iron Kingdoms as #1, followed as a close second by Midnight. Both are really well supported, imaginative, and have lots of flavour text, hooks, etc.
Banshee
If you're not planning on running the setting, then the World Guide is the least useful to you....in a way. The Monsternomicon can be easily adapted, and lots of bits can be taken from the Character Guide.
Keep in mind, even if you are not playing Iron Kingdoms, both the Character Guide and World Guide are *packed* with hooks and little details that can be used for many campaigns. Sure there's adaptation needed, but the Iron Kingdoms at least can be used as a good example of how a setting *can* be set up....even if you don't stick to the details.
For 3E type settings, generally I'd rank Iron Kingdoms as #1, followed as a close second by Midnight. Both are really well supported, imaginative, and have lots of flavour text, hooks, etc.
Banshee
Waylander the Slayer
Explorer
The Mechanika classes will be weak in a campaign with no mechankia...I think some people might change their minds about the "underpowered" classes after the "Liber Mechanika" comes out.
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