mongoose books balanced?

[novyet]

Anyway... it depends on the book. Some of the feats in the Collector series are okay, though some I do find problematic. The thing most people (myself included) have problems with is some of the "character concepts" and the fighting styles, which are essentially freebies.

I have to agree as well, the concepts remind me too much of 2e kits, that offered freebies in exchange for well...nothing really. The fighting styles are a cool concept, but I personally prefer the kata system, and may blend the two together. The only other real issue I had was the weapons in QF, most were a lot better than PHB equivalents which just rubbed me the wrong way. Ah well. The other books seem pretty good with some exceptions.

 

[hong]

Yeah, the main problem with the free fighting styles is: Essentially only a fighter can take them due to the tremendous amount of required feats... as if fighters don't have enough feats anyways.

I don't see anything wrong with providing more high-powered feats. As it stands, fighters have lots of feat slots, but not a big choice of what to use with them. Just put hefty prereqs on these feats if you want them to be restricted to high levels.

 

[Darklone]

Hong, I think you misunderstood me...

I know that the fighters have not too many choices how to put their feats and they don't have REAL high level abilities like other classes...

I just wanted to remark that the fighting styles consist of freebie feats for fighters without being of use for barbarians or rangers....

 

[hong]

I just wanted to remark that the fighting styles consist of freebie feats for fighters without being of use for barbarians or rangers....

Given that we're talking about a book called "Quintessential Fighter", why is this a problem? It's a book about and for fighters, after all.

If anything, this points to how barbs and rangers have problems. Their class abilities are pretty strictly defined, whereas if you're a fighter you can do (almost) anything you like.

That's a change I'd like to see in D&D 4E, actually: all classes have lots of bonus feats like the fighter, but each class would have their own pool of feats. This would preserve class identity, while allowing more flexibility than under the current system.

 

[Psion]

Well Psion, they're both in the Netherlands. Perhaps he meant his actual bookshelf!

I didn't make that connection. Good call!

 

[Psion]

I have to agree as well, the concepts remind me too much of 2e kits, that offered freebies in exchange for well...nothing really. The fighting styles are a cool concept, but I personally prefer the kata system, and may blend the two together.

I was thinking about doing that myself, perhaps replacing the GP cost that mongoose provides with an XP cost.

The only other real issue I had was the weapons in QF, most were a lot better than PHB equivalents which just rubbed me the wrong way. Ah well. The other books seem pretty good with some exceptions. [/B]

I can understand why those would be a problem for you if you run a "buy whatever you want" sort of campaign. In campaigns where it is more common that they players only stumble on non-PHB weapon by the pleasure of the GM, it is a nice bit of inspiration and flavor you can throw in with a few bennies.

Which is perhaps why mercurial weapons never bugged me either. actually, being familiar with Van Lustbader's torturer books, I thought they were way cool!

 

[Crothian]

The books are very well done. THe fighter was the first, and does have a few problems in the character concept section. In later books I found the concepts to be much more balanced. The fighting style require a hisdom bonus of the tier you want to train for. so to get to the 5th and final tier, you need a 20 wisdom. Not exactly something a fighter easily does. Other then that and the prerequites (which can be quite hard and inconvient) you do need to spend money and time. Both of these are balanced by the DM. Only the DM really says how much money and time a PC has. THat is why I find it balanced.

 

[d20Dwarf]

Not to hijack this thread, but the fighting schools in Path of the Sword are built exactly like Psion suggested, using XP costs to balance out minor but flavorful abilities.

 

[drowdude]

Now.... I only have the Quintessential Fighter... so I cant say if the other books in the series are more balanced...

But much of the material in QF is, IMO, unbalanced. I dont have it with me at the moment, but things that stand out in my memory are the 5 level PrCs (master of the bow and that bar-room brawler class especially) and most of the "new" weapons and armor. I mean, come on, the Flamberge at 2d6 18-20/x2 as a Martial-Weapon? That is just wrong


The concepts over all didnt strike me as being all that unbalanced, and in a few cases, probably underbalanced... and I have yet to really read through the fighting style rules... I had already decided to disallow the entire book by that point

 

[SHARK]

Greetings!

Mongoose is a great publisher of a range of special and intriguing ideas. Each volume is geared to provide a range of options for someone to use. Because the books are usually designed to be somewhat abstract and creative, they have a different level of appeal and suitability.

For example:

The Fighting Styles and Weaponry in the QF. In some campaigns, those ideas may be largely "unbalanced." In another campaign, that has different balancing mechanisms in place, many such ideas may fit right in. And so on.

Myself for example, I use probably 50% of stuff from each such book. Sometimes more, sometimes less. My campaign can accomodate a lot of different ideas though. Some campaigns can't.

That's the great thing about Mongoose books--they offer a range of useful and interesting ideas for a broad spectrum of campaigns. In each, there will be some things that you like, and some things that you may not. Overall, though, the Mongoose books are a great value.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK