Hi guys,
The next tome of the Classic Play series, focussing on core concepts for fantasy gaming, is due out in your local stores this coming week - the Book of Encounters & Lairs, written by August Hahn.
In the old days of 2nd edition AD&D, the Book of Lairs and its various follow ups were some of my favourite books as a GM. Sure, you already had all those encounter tables but the idea of yet another bunch of goblins just walking over a hill to the party gets tiresome after a while. However, with these books, you could seriously spice encounters up and make them mini-scenarios in their own right, giving wilderness travel a flavour of its own. More than that, if players started going off on a tangent you never expected, you could bring one of these lairs out and divert the party for the rest of the evening, giving you a chance to figure how to bring the story back on track.
Welcome to the 3.5 ed version! The Book of Encounters & Lairs is intended to be everything those supplements of old were, packed into a 256 page hardback and expanded for today's players and their demands.
After a brief Introduction, the book launches straight into the encounters and lairs. Each is based around one specific creature (such as the Derro, Ettercap, Phase Spider, etc). However, we have provided an encounter _and_ a lair for each creature, giving the GM maximum flexibility. Each has a listed EL, allowing you to rapidly determine what your players can face. And, this being the new millennium, not every encounter will be solved by a strong sword and heavy armour - plenty of roleplaying opportunities have been buried into these pages to ensure there is something for every group! Altogether, there are nearly 50 encounters and lairs, all ready to be inserted into a campaign at a moment's notice.
Each encounter has a set-up and background section, giving the GM all he needs to know on introducing the scene to the players. Full maps are provided for each and a round by round break down is given for the creatures, showing the GM exactly what they will do in response to the players' own actions - as well as giving the GM countless ideas for ambushes and other tricks the players may not suspect, it also makes running each encounter very easy, allowing you to concentrate on the campaign as a whole. Details are also provided for parties who may need a higher or lower EL, plus information is there for players who manage to escape the encounter or just plain fail.
That is not all this tome contains however, not by a long chalk. August has also included a full listing of Encounter Tables, for all wilderness environments, plus full rules for adjusting the frequency of wandering monsters in the wilderness. For example, there will be less of a chance of a monster appearing in civilised areas but if a war is currently ongoing, expect all manner of weirdness to appear! The encounter tables concentrate on creatures within Core Rulebook III, but space has been provided for GMs to fill in their own creatures from other sources, allowing them to adapt these tables to their own campaign worlds.
The book winds up with a Help for Games Masters chapter that demonstrates just how to pitch these encounters and lairs at players, and when they should be used for maximum effect.
The Book of Encounters & Lairs is a 256 page hardback priced at $34.95, and will be appearing in your local store (as well as all good bookshops) later this coming week.
The next tome of the Classic Play series, focussing on core concepts for fantasy gaming, is due out in your local stores this coming week - the Book of Encounters & Lairs, written by August Hahn.
In the old days of 2nd edition AD&D, the Book of Lairs and its various follow ups were some of my favourite books as a GM. Sure, you already had all those encounter tables but the idea of yet another bunch of goblins just walking over a hill to the party gets tiresome after a while. However, with these books, you could seriously spice encounters up and make them mini-scenarios in their own right, giving wilderness travel a flavour of its own. More than that, if players started going off on a tangent you never expected, you could bring one of these lairs out and divert the party for the rest of the evening, giving you a chance to figure how to bring the story back on track.
Welcome to the 3.5 ed version! The Book of Encounters & Lairs is intended to be everything those supplements of old were, packed into a 256 page hardback and expanded for today's players and their demands.
After a brief Introduction, the book launches straight into the encounters and lairs. Each is based around one specific creature (such as the Derro, Ettercap, Phase Spider, etc). However, we have provided an encounter _and_ a lair for each creature, giving the GM maximum flexibility. Each has a listed EL, allowing you to rapidly determine what your players can face. And, this being the new millennium, not every encounter will be solved by a strong sword and heavy armour - plenty of roleplaying opportunities have been buried into these pages to ensure there is something for every group! Altogether, there are nearly 50 encounters and lairs, all ready to be inserted into a campaign at a moment's notice.
Each encounter has a set-up and background section, giving the GM all he needs to know on introducing the scene to the players. Full maps are provided for each and a round by round break down is given for the creatures, showing the GM exactly what they will do in response to the players' own actions - as well as giving the GM countless ideas for ambushes and other tricks the players may not suspect, it also makes running each encounter very easy, allowing you to concentrate on the campaign as a whole. Details are also provided for parties who may need a higher or lower EL, plus information is there for players who manage to escape the encounter or just plain fail.
That is not all this tome contains however, not by a long chalk. August has also included a full listing of Encounter Tables, for all wilderness environments, plus full rules for adjusting the frequency of wandering monsters in the wilderness. For example, there will be less of a chance of a monster appearing in civilised areas but if a war is currently ongoing, expect all manner of weirdness to appear! The encounter tables concentrate on creatures within Core Rulebook III, but space has been provided for GMs to fill in their own creatures from other sources, allowing them to adapt these tables to their own campaign worlds.
The book winds up with a Help for Games Masters chapter that demonstrates just how to pitch these encounters and lairs at players, and when they should be used for maximum effect.
The Book of Encounters & Lairs is a 256 page hardback priced at $34.95, and will be appearing in your local store (as well as all good bookshops) later this coming week.
