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My Gut Reaction to Book of Nine Swords
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<blockquote data-quote="Kishin" data-source="post: 3059594" data-attributes="member: 40956"><p>Wow. Such a clever and insightful inclusion into this discussion. I don't know how any post is going to even attempt to approximate the depth contained in this one.</p><p></p><p>Anyway.</p><p></p><p>I personally love the book. I think its one of the best things WoTC has done with D&D, because it gives melee characters options. Fighters are to me largely boring and limited after about say, 9th level. Their tactical choices are generally limited to either attempting to achieve the most per-hit-damage they can (A task they're not even the best at) or maximizing one particular gimmick such as tripping or charging. After awhile, there isn't much left that can augment this. This was part of the impetus behind the book, according to Mike Mearls, who remembered the first 3E Fighter he played long-term, a TWF with occasional predisposition toward tripping that eventually (Around 8th level) hit a wall in terms of things that would further enhance the character's chosen path. Specialization being the key to D&D, this is pretty damaging.</p><p></p><p>IMO, the problem lies with the fact that since Feats are non scalable, 75% of Feats suck, and since the Fighter's specialty is Feats, well....</p><p></p><p>I digress, however. I don't see what's so terribly unbalancing about any of manuevers in ToB, especially when compared to spellcasters of equal level (And yes, folks, that is the basis of comparison. Manuevers are effectively spells). Manuevers are also far more limited in their range of effects than equivalent-level spells. Everyone complains about the 9th level Iron Heart manuever that adds +100 damage to an attack, but given that you're using this at 18th level, that's not really a huge jump in damage, given that it requires a standard action. At the same level, a Wizard has Wish, Gate, and several AoE Save-or-Dies from which to choose from.</p><p></p><p>As for flavor....Everything except the Desert Wind discipline and its gout-of-flame manuevers and a small smattering of other manuevers (Primarily Shadow Hand, though Stone Dragon also has one that raises a pillar of stone from the earth) are not overtly supernatural/mystical. Its fairly easy to make it fit within a campaign without upsetting the feel of the setting and turning it into Crouching Tarrasque, Hidden Dracolich.</p><p></p><p>In the long run though, your opinion of ToB depends largely on the pre-existing view of melee classes. If you think Fighters are 'fine as they are', and 'balanced/on par with casters', then you're probably going to consider the material within as overpowered drek. If you don't think this way, you're more likely to enjoy what you find within. The overall value of the book is very influenced by a person's preconceived notion of what D&D should be. (And to an extent, your familiarity with the balance of mechanics at levels of play higher than say, 6th).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Kishin, post: 3059594, member: 40956"] Wow. Such a clever and insightful inclusion into this discussion. I don't know how any post is going to even attempt to approximate the depth contained in this one. Anyway. I personally love the book. I think its one of the best things WoTC has done with D&D, because it gives melee characters options. Fighters are to me largely boring and limited after about say, 9th level. Their tactical choices are generally limited to either attempting to achieve the most per-hit-damage they can (A task they're not even the best at) or maximizing one particular gimmick such as tripping or charging. After awhile, there isn't much left that can augment this. This was part of the impetus behind the book, according to Mike Mearls, who remembered the first 3E Fighter he played long-term, a TWF with occasional predisposition toward tripping that eventually (Around 8th level) hit a wall in terms of things that would further enhance the character's chosen path. Specialization being the key to D&D, this is pretty damaging. IMO, the problem lies with the fact that since Feats are non scalable, 75% of Feats suck, and since the Fighter's specialty is Feats, well.... I digress, however. I don't see what's so terribly unbalancing about any of manuevers in ToB, especially when compared to spellcasters of equal level (And yes, folks, that is the basis of comparison. Manuevers are effectively spells). Manuevers are also far more limited in their range of effects than equivalent-level spells. Everyone complains about the 9th level Iron Heart manuever that adds +100 damage to an attack, but given that you're using this at 18th level, that's not really a huge jump in damage, given that it requires a standard action. At the same level, a Wizard has Wish, Gate, and several AoE Save-or-Dies from which to choose from. As for flavor....Everything except the Desert Wind discipline and its gout-of-flame manuevers and a small smattering of other manuevers (Primarily Shadow Hand, though Stone Dragon also has one that raises a pillar of stone from the earth) are not overtly supernatural/mystical. Its fairly easy to make it fit within a campaign without upsetting the feel of the setting and turning it into Crouching Tarrasque, Hidden Dracolich. In the long run though, your opinion of ToB depends largely on the pre-existing view of melee classes. If you think Fighters are 'fine as they are', and 'balanced/on par with casters', then you're probably going to consider the material within as overpowered drek. If you don't think this way, you're more likely to enjoy what you find within. The overall value of the book is very influenced by a person's preconceived notion of what D&D should be. (And to an extent, your familiarity with the balance of mechanics at levels of play higher than say, 6th). [/QUOTE]
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