[KOK} Products Useful?

[BV210]

I've been reading some of the buzz that's been going on about the various KenzerCo products (and even picked up "Kruk Ma-Kali" to include in my FR campaign - Bwa ha ha ha). What I'm wondering is about a few of the other KOK products out there.

I'm leaning toward picking up the Campaign Book (just too many good-looking d20 products to choose from). But I was wondering about the Character Record Folio. What is your impression of this? There's another company (whose name escapes me right now) that has a similar product. How do they stack up? Which one is better?

Also, I saw the thread on the DM screens. It looks to me that the KOK is the hands-down favorite, but I would like to know what are the pros-cons of the WOTC, SSS, and KOK screens.

Thanks.

 

[Storminator]

If you aren't going to play in Kalamar, get the Players Guide. I have both, but since I don't play in KoK, the campaign guide sits on the shelf. The players guide, however, I have out all the time.

It has all the spells and feats from the splat books integrated into the core books lists. Very useful! And there are some good rules stuff as well. I use the KoK poison creation guides, frex.

PS

 

[Enceladus]

I love Kalamar

I'm leaning toward picking up the Campaign Book (just too many good-looking d20 products to choose from). But I was wondering about the Character Record Folio. What is your impression of this? There's another company (whose name escapes me right now) that has a similar product. How do they stack up? Which one is better?

They have a great web walk thru of their DM screen on their web site, you should get a pretty good idea of the feel of it there.

As far as books goes, I have the CS book. I do agree with some that its pretty dry stuff, but when you run a campaign in that world it becomes very 3D. Hard to describe, maybe someone can do a better job than me. I do know that when I need to dig up some info its very easy to find and I can relate that info to my players easily in a way that makes sense. I really like the way they've named the gods and how the whole pantheon works.

A player of mine actually bought me a copy of the Villain Design Handbook and I must say, I can use a ton of stuff. Again, some dry reading, but when put into practice it works. I will say this, in the places where they put short "bits" or flavor text, its always left me wanting more so there's no lack of writing talent from the bunch.

I haven't managed to get up the gumption to get the Atlas, Geanavue is next on my list. But those who have it swear by it. Other will come after me to tout, I am quite certain.

 

[BV210]

I appreciate the input guys. My list of items to purchase is now several items longer.

Has anyone used the Character Folder yet though? I'd like to hear someones take on that. I have thus far been a bit disappointed with the character sheets out there. Nothing has really made my socks roll up and down yet.

 

[BV210]

I just remember that it is Green Ronin that has the other Character Record book. Has anyone seen/used it? How does it compare to KenzerCo's?

(Slowly approaching 100 posts!)

 

[Friadoc]

Ok,

...the Green Ronin Character Folio, second version, is actually a pretty nice lil' item.

I don't own the KoK Character Book, so I can't really compare the two.

Anyhow, it's a pretty good little item, GR's Folio, in that he has a few, well needed tables (including level deliniations, as well as BAB, et al.), a nice format, and a good look too it.

The cover art is, eh, ok - personally I would have liked a feel that was more consistent with the interior art, but I'm not one of those who make such choices, but instead one who has to shrug it off when they buy the product.

Both myself and my girlfriend have one, although she is being a bit more conservative with it and waiting for the right character to use the folio with - it's only a cost of a handful of follars, but it does add a sort of mystique to it's usage. Yeap, a bleeding fanboy mystique, but still a mystique.

 

[BV210]

Thanks for the info Friadoc.

I had seen the 3 page demo on the GR website and thought it looked pretty neat. I may just have to see which one my FLGS carries and go with that one.

 

[kenjib]

I concurr readily on the Kalamar Player's Guide. There is some great new stuff in there. There are several nice variant classes. The prestige classes are kind of mediocre though. The section on skills is absolutely fantastic, really expanding skills in a very useful way -- including a handy list of profession and craft skills, new knowledge skills, and a really great variant rule for speak language too that let's you have various degrees of fluency in languages. The feats are also really great. The feats in the PHB really leave me uninspired because they are all so rules based and have little roleplay potential -- plus if you're not a combat oriented character you really don't have any options other than the terribly weak skill focus feat. The feats added in Kalamar have lots of great potential though, with feats like fearsome appearance, fey blood, noble bearing, and others that are just much more interesting and flavorful than the standard D&D feats.

There are also some new spells -- nothing fantastic here, but still definitely useful. Then there are some topics about diseases, poisons, herbal concoctions, and a neat section on the divine rule of kings (if nobility rule by consent of the gods, then they also get special favors from the gods depending on their title and political power). There is also a chapter on the cannons (holy scripture) of various gods as well as special powers granted to clerics of each god to be used in a manner akin to turning undead. This stuff is easily adaptable to other settings because there are, I think, around 50 gods in Kalamar so any type of god you would have in another setting probably has a counterpart in Kalamar.

I love the campaign setting. I prefer homebrew mostly, but reading it has been very influential and I've learned alot about what makes a good campaign setting.

I'm afraid that I haven't seen the Character Record Folio yet, but the DM screen is truly a masterwork item.

 

[Cazador]

This is from Kenzer site:
"This full-size, 16-page book gives you a sheet for everything you need, no matter what type of character you're playing, with space for all the information on your character, all your treasure and magic items, a complete spell log and adventure log and much MUCH more!"

I don't have them but planning on get them.
As to wich books to get, if you're playing on FR the CS it's not too useful like others said.
I recommend you get the DM Screen, that thing it's just great and another book from Kenzer that's worth checking no matter the campaing you're using it's the new Orcs of Tellene.
There's some reviews here about both products and they get good scores and comments from staff reviewers.

Here's the links to the reviews:
DM Shield
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=currentprod&which=kaldmscr

Orcs of Tellene
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=currentprod&which=kalaorcs

Hope it's useful.
Cazador

 

[Quickbeam]

I thoroughly agree with Storminator. The Player's Guide gets all kinds of use within our group, but the Campaign Setting is only referenced occasionally right now (for borrowed flavor text ideas) since we haven't fully transitioned our game into the Kalamar world.

Overall, though, their products are great and I'd imagine that you'll be very happy with just about any Kenzer purchases.