My B&N has Open Grave...

[knasser]

I'm enjoying the PDF right now and it's a really rich book - top marks, WotC. A few things especially have really leapt off the page at me. That the sun of the Shadowfell is weak, usually clouded over and lacks the strength to burn the flesh of vampires. Vecna is not only a level 35 Controller Leader who grants his undead an effective Regeneration 50hp power and can regain Action Points, but has a girlfriend!

And if the above don't sound downright fun, I have three words for you: "Crawling Claw Swarm."

Oh this book is going to scare / thrill some players.

K.

 

[Daniel D. Fox]

This is easily one of the most exciting suppliments 4E has put out yet. It has a lot of background info, plenty of new encounters for all tiers, new monsters, incorporates new and old favorites and is applicable to everyone's game, no matter what setting you play or homebrew.

This release is leagues better than the Forgotten Realms expansion books!

 

[Ulric]

How does this book compare to Libris Mortis?

 

[FourthBear]

How does this book compare to Libris Mortis?

The primary difference is that Open Grave is clearly focused on being a source for DMs. Libris Mortis had 60 or so pages dedicated to undead monster classes and undead centered PC options, prestige classes, spells and magic items. Open Grave doesn't have any of that. It has a set of nine Delve-style encounters from levels 1 to 26, much more extensive section than the adventure sites in Libris Mortis. Roughly the same number of pages for monsters, both books having some nice concepts. About the same number of pages on "undead fluff" along the lines of societies, psychology and physiology. Libris Mortis has a nice section on sample undead of various types, while Open Grave has a Undead Hall of Infamy, with Acererak, Kyuss, Strahd and the like.

Overall, I'd say that Open Grave is more useful overall to DMs, giving it the nod since I think it would be better to just open up and use. Also, I can't honestly say I enjoyed reading the stat blocks in the sample monsters of Libris Mortis after looking over the Open Grave blocks. If you're more interested in undead centered options for PCs, Libris Mortis has material simply not found in Open Grave.

 

[Agamon]

It may have been edited out by accident.

I imagine some errata will be put out post-haste.

Grrr. I'm converting Expedition to Castle Ravenloft for 4e to start this weekend. What's the first set of encounters? Infected zombies. When I saw the template I was a happy camper...now I gotta make up my own infection disease anyway.

 

[Spatula]

Where is Osterneth, the Bronze Lich from? She's listed in the "Undead Hall of Infamy" ("Many of the luminaries that follow need no introduction to veteran players"), yet she's the only entry there that I don't recognize and can't track down.