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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5377744" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Magazine Issue 210: October 1994part 5/6Role-playing reviews: Players guides? What's the difference between a player's guide and a players handbook? I'm glad you asked. The handbooks are generally core products, modelled after AD&D. They contain information essential to playing the game. Meanwhile, the guides are generally released afterwards, intended to serve as an expansion on matters that are most of interest to players, rather than GM's. Some are pure spoiler-free setting, while other introduce cool new mechanical options. And there definitely seem to be a lot more of them around than there used to be. So Rick jumps on an area of growth and rides it to produce another column. (Yes, I know that sounds dirty <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> )The Werewolf players guide adds a whole bunch of stuff that would become core in the next edition, such as archetypes, merits & flaws, and plenty of new Gifts. It also explains a number of existing concepts more clearly, particularly when it comes to the werewolf social order. It still shows a lot of the early white wolf flaws, but they're still at the stage where they learn with every product, and are progressing towards being the number 2 gaming company rapidly. Players guide to the Dragonlance campaign goes for a fully IC approach, filling you in on the world as the narrator discovers it. This makes it rather easier to read than the core set, even though a lot of the material is near straight copypasta. Since their current problem is getting people playing the game, not buying the novels, this seems like a sensible experiment on their part. Players guide to the Forgotten realms campaign takes a similar tack, with slightly less success. This seems to be mainly due to an obsession with minutinae such as the foods of the Realms and a more meandering, less plot driven narrative style. Well, I suppose that's consistent with the general flavours of the two campaign worlds. I suspect this is a matter of Rick's tastes as much as any actual quality difference between them. Investigators Companion is for Call of Cthulhu. It's rather focussed on the real details of the 1920's, which you could find in a non game book anyway. The fact that it's also rather dry leaves Rick decidedly unimpressed. Players survival guide is for Over the Edge. It's another one that is hampered slightly by the need to avoid spoilers for players, but it still does a lot to unravel the out-there ideas of the game and make them accessible. Hopefully now you'll be able to get to the fun parts. Rick does get suckered by the First Quest gimmicks though, so it's not all good here. I suppose when it's brand new technology you don't have much to compare it to. Sage Advice: Can you try and touch someone next round with a touch spell (Only if it explicitly says so. Otherwise, you get one shot on the round you cast it, and if you fail, you wasted it) How much damage does fire storm do (a piddling amount for it's level. You're better off with call lightning)What do the short races get bonuses to saves against. (spells, and spell like abilities, regardless of which save they actually require. Not extraordinary powers though) Does druids shapeshifting healing apply to all hit points, or just the ones suffered since last change (All of them. Skip don't want to give you extra bookkeeping to worry about)Can you backstab with missile weapons (Skip says No! Don't allow ranged backstabbing in your games, folks. Nothing good can come of it)Does stoneskin protect against energy draining (No. Skip knows it's overpowered now, so skip will do everything in skip's power to nerf it without actually seeming to change the rules.)Do multiple stones of good luck stack (no)You still haven't properly fixed the wisdom bonus spell progression. (Oh dear. Surely you can work out the intention and fix it without Skip's help.)How big is sigil (large city sized, enough to hold a few million people. The lady of pain can change it at her whim though) How does everyone understand each other on the planes ( :handwaves: Common is spoken everywhere, and it's pretty similar everywhere. Unrealistic, you say? Would you prefer learning a new language every time you travel a few hundred miles. That gets tiresome very fast)What does a cranium rat's mind blast do (same as an illithid's)When does Iuz get to throw a tantrum over being beaten (any time you actually defeat him, as opposed to ending things without battle.) How do you affect a battle when not involved (event cards. You can <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> things right up with a good storm or something) Can you use wall of fire on defense (yes) When does the temple of elemental evil let you draw cards. (when it's placed.)What does 3/4 mean (you can use it in step 3 or 4. Flexibility can be as crucial as power.)What happens if you put a champion in a realm that has a level (they fight the champion, then the realm, not both at once) Do you have to beat drizzt twice in a row (no, just twice. He'll go and brood no matter how long you took between giving each beating)Can you use Drizzt more than once a battle (no)Does solid fog prevent a battle without harm (yes, but it doesn't undo any damage already taken)</blockquote>

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