Is Ptolus living up to the hype?

[Voadam]

I've heard conflicting things on adventures in Ptolus. What levels are covered for ready to run out of the box adventuring as modules and not simply tools for a DM to use in creating adventures? And which pdfs would these be in?

I understand there are tons of plots and npcs and detailed places and organizations for a DM to use in adventures, but that type of stuff can be found in Bluffside or Silver City or Freeport or other highly detailed city books.

 

[Odhanan]

An example of what I'm looking for is whether or not the players have enough player resources to immerse themselves in the setting?

Way more than almost any other RPG book ever published. I'm serious. Places, people on the streets, shops, rumors, events ... enough tools to get players through several campaigns set in Ptolus in a row and have them really immersed in the setting and know it as a familiar, believable place they could live in.

 

[Kristian Serrano]

Way more than almost any other RPG book ever published. I'm serious. Places, people on the streets, shops, rumors, events ... enough tools to get players through several campaigns set in Ptolus in a row and have them really immersed in the setting and know it as a familiar, believable place they could live in.

But is that through handouts, through the Player's Guide. or through the Ptolus book itself? I would never expect my players to purchase this book just to read up on litorians.

 

[Odhanan]

I've heard conflicting things on adventures in Ptolus. What levels are covered for ready to run out of the box adventuring as modules and not simply tools for a DM to use in creating adventures? And which pdfs would these be in?

Chapter 33 (included in the PDF Ptolus Adventures of DTRPG) covers level 1-4.

Some locations within the book are fully described and allow you to cover the remaining level 5-20 without mapping anything.

The Night of Dissolution and Banewarrens cover mid-levels. Beyond the Veil, from Atlas Games, was originally set in Ptolus and covers upper-mid levels.

It might be useful to have a look at the Ptolus product list here, Ptolus inspired adventures and a whole lot of materials/inspirations on Monte's message boards, too.

 

[Odhanan]

But is that through handouts, through the Player's Guide. or through the Ptolus book itself? I would never expect my players to purchase this book just to read up on litorians.

Through the book itself but then the player's guide provides exactly what it's supposed to do: provide the basic information players can use when starting the game. They get to know the contents of the big book through the game itself, obviously.

 

[darthkilmor]

But is that through handouts, through the Player's Guide. or through the Ptolus book itself? I would never expect my players to purchase this book just to read up on litorians.

I believe thats, through you as a DM, imparting that info to your players.
How do players learn about things in any homebrew or other game they don't have a book for? Brief writeup and learn about the rest as they play.
I believe there are a few chapters other than the Players Guide that players can read without spoilers, but most are prefaced with "DM's only, these chapters contain material the players should discover during play".

But in general, IMHO Players should not buy Ptolus.

 

[Kristian Serrano]

How do players learn about things in any homebrew or other game they don't have a book for?

They can typically afford the campaign setting book (e.g. Forgotten Realms CS, Eberron CS, Player's Guide to Greyhawk [2e, but enough fluff for a 3e campaign]). These campaign setting books typically have some nominal amount of crunch, such as feats, domains, prestige classes, spells, equipment, races, etc., with which players can immerse their characters into the setting.

 

[Haffrung Helleyes]

Ptolus isn't a campaign book, it's a city book. Player's don't typically buy the city book, because it's equivalent in many ways to buying a copy of the adventure.

Ken

 

[Odhanan]

Ptolus isn't a campaign book, it's a city book. Player's don't typically buy the city book, because it's equivalent in many ways to buying a copy of the adventure.

Actually it's both and more, but I agree that buying the big book as a player would provide major spoilers, as would access to some of the PrCs described therein, for instance.

 

[sckeener]

They can typically afford the campaign setting book (e.g. Forgotten Realms CS, Eberron CS, Player's Guide to Greyhawk [2e, but enough fluff for a 3e campaign]). These campaign setting books typically have some nominal amount of crunch, such as feats, domains, prestige classes, spells, equipment, races, etc., with which players can immerse their characters into the setting.

The Ptolus' players guide does what it is supposed to do. Usually the WotC setting books are not for players. They might say it but they give too much information or go in directions that the DM does not wish. Ptolus' Player's Guide tells the player the basics and I'd say even then some players wouldn't know everything there.

Here are the PDFs for Ptolus:

The Player's Guide to Ptolus It's free.
Ptolus: The World of Praemal
Ptolus: Beneath the Streets
Ptolus: DM's Companion
Ptolus: Districts of the City, Vol. 1
Ptolus: Districts of the City, Vol. 2
Ptolus: Organizations
Ptolus: Adventures

The Banewarrens
Chaositech

Counter Collection: Ptolus
Ptolus Adventure Maps: The Ghostly Minstrel
Ptolus Adventure Maps: The Trouble With Goblins
Ptolus Deluxe City Map
Ptolus e-Adventure Tiles: Ghul's Labyrinth I
Ptolus e-Adventure Tiles: Sewers
Ptolus Sketchbook Vol. 1:Midtown
Ptolus Sketchbook Vol. 2:Temple district
Ptolus Sketchbook vol. 3: Necropolis
Ptolus Sketchbook vol. 4: Oldtown​