Okay, I am thinking of getting it: Sell me On Monte's UA book, please.
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Mistwell
Crusty Old Meatwad
Before AU, there was darkness.
Before AU, D&D had hit the boring stage. The DM was great, but the system it was run through just seemed tired. I started to think that if I saw one more friggen elf my head would explode. If I had to scribe one more spell into my spell book before I could memorize it to cast my heart would stop. And if my cleric had to once again be the token healer I was about ready to turn on the party and let them rot.
Then AU came along, and lo there was light at the end of the tunnel.
AU is simply fantastic. Everything is new. Even rules that LOOK, at first glance, to be old, are actually new. And things make SO MUCH MORE SENSE. The magic system is the most elegant system I have ever seen. Spells have more (heightened), or less (diminished) power, depending on how much you want to put into them. Spell lists make sense, and are consistent, and anyone can heal anyone, if they really want to. And the races, oh the races! Finally some real flavor, not taken (poorly) from Tolkien, but fresh new races ready to be explored and developed.
And alignment is finally gone. Alignment always was an artificial system left over from a bygone era where role playing was more about pogeon-holing you into a sterotype, rather than really role playing the character like you want them to be. And, this system lets you, and encourages it.
And the magic item creation system makes SO MUCH MORE SENSE. No longer do you have to force the form of your magic item into the form the PHB demands. You want an earring with 50 charges in it? No problem.
Overall, it is a fantastic system, and I highly suggest you pick it up. You won't regret it.
Before AU, D&D had hit the boring stage. The DM was great, but the system it was run through just seemed tired. I started to think that if I saw one more friggen elf my head would explode. If I had to scribe one more spell into my spell book before I could memorize it to cast my heart would stop. And if my cleric had to once again be the token healer I was about ready to turn on the party and let them rot.
Then AU came along, and lo there was light at the end of the tunnel.
AU is simply fantastic. Everything is new. Even rules that LOOK, at first glance, to be old, are actually new. And things make SO MUCH MORE SENSE. The magic system is the most elegant system I have ever seen. Spells have more (heightened), or less (diminished) power, depending on how much you want to put into them. Spell lists make sense, and are consistent, and anyone can heal anyone, if they really want to. And the races, oh the races! Finally some real flavor, not taken (poorly) from Tolkien, but fresh new races ready to be explored and developed.
And alignment is finally gone. Alignment always was an artificial system left over from a bygone era where role playing was more about pogeon-holing you into a sterotype, rather than really role playing the character like you want them to be. And, this system lets you, and encourages it.
And the magic item creation system makes SO MUCH MORE SENSE. No longer do you have to force the form of your magic item into the form the PHB demands. You want an earring with 50 charges in it? No problem.
Overall, it is a fantastic system, and I highly suggest you pick it up. You won't regret it.
Nightfall
Sage of the Scarred Lands
First of all it's not UA, it's AU. And there's the difference in my view.
UA was about optional stuff to make D&D more fun. AU, on the other hand, is about making ROLE playing fun! New classes are just the tip of the iceberg for what AU has to offer. The way spells work, gone are the Vancian fire and forget. Now we have laden effected, heighten effects, SPELL templates! While the races aren't jazzy like drow or mind flayers, you do have great classes like Warmain that make a fighter seem a little weak. But in reality D&D core classes are often as powerful if not more so than these AU classes. What makes the AU classes shine is there is THOUGHT behind them. Not so much emaphasis on "cliches" as much as "concepts" Plus feats, while still fun, have more functionality. Plus for those wanting a harsher penalty for dying and raising dead people, true names.
In my view, AU is quite simply, for us slightly jaded D&Ders that want some fun and want something a little fresher than before.
UA was about optional stuff to make D&D more fun. AU, on the other hand, is about making ROLE playing fun! New classes are just the tip of the iceberg for what AU has to offer. The way spells work, gone are the Vancian fire and forget. Now we have laden effected, heighten effects, SPELL templates! While the races aren't jazzy like drow or mind flayers, you do have great classes like Warmain that make a fighter seem a little weak. But in reality D&D core classes are often as powerful if not more so than these AU classes. What makes the AU classes shine is there is THOUGHT behind them. Not so much emaphasis on "cliches" as much as "concepts" Plus feats, while still fun, have more functionality. Plus for those wanting a harsher penalty for dying and raising dead people, true names.
In my view, AU is quite simply, for us slightly jaded D&Ders that want some fun and want something a little fresher than before.
Frostmarrow
First Post
Ditto. But the art sucks.
Umm... I don't think so. There is some art I don't like, and some I do (particularly Sam Wood and Macbin's art). But then again I can say that about every other gaming book I own.
As for buying it, I love it for its unique flavor and interesting interactions between the races. The implications and shades of "evil" and "good." The unique classes and their takes on the usual archetypes. The sheer newness of it all, which makes think of new ideas at a mile a minute when I crack open the book.
But if you want more, go to Monte Cook's message boards (http://pub102.ezboard.com/bokayyourturn), and check out the disscussion there. Also http://www.diamondthrone.com is a fan-run, Monte-approved website for all kinds of AU support material (adventures, NPCs, playing aids, magic items, fan fiction, everything).
As for buying it, I love it for its unique flavor and interesting interactions between the races. The implications and shades of "evil" and "good." The unique classes and their takes on the usual archetypes. The sheer newness of it all, which makes think of new ideas at a mile a minute when I crack open the book.
But if you want more, go to Monte Cook's message boards (http://pub102.ezboard.com/bokayyourturn), and check out the disscussion there. Also http://www.diamondthrone.com is a fan-run, Monte-approved website for all kinds of AU support material (adventures, NPCs, playing aids, magic items, fan fiction, everything).
Corinthi
First Post
Two huge changes I love about AU.
1. No alignment. In AU, Monte doesn't define the morality of the world by differing pairs of letter. First level spells don't spell someone moral outlook out to you. As both a player and a DM, I find that change to be very liberating. Good and evil is defined by actions, not by universal absolutes. That very much suits me.
2. The spell system is a work of art. It takes more work to fully assimilate than standard D&D, but when you dig down into it, the flexibility of the magic system is glorious. I've yet to see two spellcasters that looked alike. So far I've not run into any spell that's so good, not preparing it puts a character at a disadvantage. Heightened and diminished effects combined with a plethora of spell templates and easy metamagic feats make each individual spell capable of a wide variety of different effects.
Now, the classes are pretty nifty in thier own right, especially the Mage Blade. However, the main reasons I'm an AU fan are the two listed above.
If you don't want something new and original, don't bother with AU. There are some pretty decent D&D supplements coming out. But, if you're getting a bit bored with standard D&D, by all means, give AU a look see.
But avoid the PDFs. You'll do much better just picking up the book.
1. No alignment. In AU, Monte doesn't define the morality of the world by differing pairs of letter. First level spells don't spell someone moral outlook out to you. As both a player and a DM, I find that change to be very liberating. Good and evil is defined by actions, not by universal absolutes. That very much suits me.
2. The spell system is a work of art. It takes more work to fully assimilate than standard D&D, but when you dig down into it, the flexibility of the magic system is glorious. I've yet to see two spellcasters that looked alike. So far I've not run into any spell that's so good, not preparing it puts a character at a disadvantage. Heightened and diminished effects combined with a plethora of spell templates and easy metamagic feats make each individual spell capable of a wide variety of different effects.
Now, the classes are pretty nifty in thier own right, especially the Mage Blade. However, the main reasons I'm an AU fan are the two listed above.
If you don't want something new and original, don't bother with AU. There are some pretty decent D&D supplements coming out. But, if you're getting a bit bored with standard D&D, by all means, give AU a look see.
But avoid the PDFs. You'll do much better just picking up the book.
Fanog
First Post
I agree with most of what has been said here. It's definately a good way to het that 'new' feeling. (IMO)
You may know this already, but Monte has written alot about his reason for writing specific parts of AU like he did. For the last, he has kept a design diary, which gives some comment about several parts of AU. You can find the first installment here:
http://www.montecook.com/diary1.html
The link below is for the last installment of the design diary. This one also contains links to all the the others ones.
http://www.montecook.com/diary24.html
HTH.
Fanog
You may know this already, but Monte has written alot about his reason for writing specific parts of AU like he did. For the last, he has kept a design diary, which gives some comment about several parts of AU. You can find the first installment here:
http://www.montecook.com/diary1.html
The link below is for the last installment of the design diary. This one also contains links to all the the others ones.
http://www.montecook.com/diary24.html
HTH.
Fanog
Wraith Form
Explorer
Well, you know....it's aiight...but it's not all dat.
Try E-Bay for a cheap copy of it.
Try E-Bay for a cheap copy of it.
Berandor
lunatic
O.K., let me try 
I don't like Cook's Ranger. The Books of Eldritch Might caused a mixed reaction in me. Just so you know I'm not Monte-Fanboy.
I got interested in AU by Monte's design diaries (which you could read as a starting point, they're on his website). A player in my group, too.
Two other players weren't interested at all, and the last one was sceptical.
I bought AU, and it was the first rulebook in a long time that I actually read cover to cover in a very short time - including the spell descriptions.
I started a one-shot adventure with my group, just to see whether they like it.
Now, one player doesn't care whether we play D&D or AU, and the other three players are juggling character concepts and send me e-mails about an AU campaign. That's how well it was received.
I think AU is great for several reasons:
* The lack of alignments is a great improvement, causing more varied character reactions to situations as far as I have experienced.
* The classes and races are refreshingly new, and still incormporate well-known fantasy archetypes, just different from D&D (or, in some cases, the same types, but better solved).
* The magic system is unbelievably flexible and still very much D&D - it's simply wonderful and, imo, superior in all counts to the original D&D system.
* Flexibility and choice are promoted throughout. There's not only the standard "It's your game, change what you don't like", but actual discussion how to change things you don't like. The book doesn't force anyone to take an ECL race, but instead (with voluntary racial levels) includes the option to take one nonetheless.
* Put the power back into the hands of the DM. That's a big sentence, but somehow I think AU is succesful in that. Throughout the book, I really got the feeling that Monte gave me the bones of a great system, handing it over to me with the knowlewdge that I could - and would - bring its flesh and bones myself. The same with the campaign setting (Diamond Throne).
AU is simply marvelous, and a quantum leap in D&D with regards to the experienced roleplayer, one who knows how to interpret rules and knows basically how to play, and now wants flavorful options to make the game really great.
Yeah, I love it! It's as close to perfect as I have seen in D&D (and RPGs, in general).
Then again, I can be a little gushing with praise (and damnation)
Berandor
I don't like Cook's Ranger. The Books of Eldritch Might caused a mixed reaction in me. Just so you know I'm not Monte-Fanboy.
I got interested in AU by Monte's design diaries (which you could read as a starting point, they're on his website). A player in my group, too.
Two other players weren't interested at all, and the last one was sceptical.
I bought AU, and it was the first rulebook in a long time that I actually read cover to cover in a very short time - including the spell descriptions.
I started a one-shot adventure with my group, just to see whether they like it.
Now, one player doesn't care whether we play D&D or AU, and the other three players are juggling character concepts and send me e-mails about an AU campaign. That's how well it was received.
I think AU is great for several reasons:
* The lack of alignments is a great improvement, causing more varied character reactions to situations as far as I have experienced.
* The classes and races are refreshingly new, and still incormporate well-known fantasy archetypes, just different from D&D (or, in some cases, the same types, but better solved).
* The magic system is unbelievably flexible and still very much D&D - it's simply wonderful and, imo, superior in all counts to the original D&D system.
* Flexibility and choice are promoted throughout. There's not only the standard "It's your game, change what you don't like", but actual discussion how to change things you don't like. The book doesn't force anyone to take an ECL race, but instead (with voluntary racial levels) includes the option to take one nonetheless.
* Put the power back into the hands of the DM. That's a big sentence, but somehow I think AU is succesful in that. Throughout the book, I really got the feeling that Monte gave me the bones of a great system, handing it over to me with the knowlewdge that I could - and would - bring its flesh and bones myself. The same with the campaign setting (Diamond Throne).
AU is simply marvelous, and a quantum leap in D&D with regards to the experienced roleplayer, one who knows how to interpret rules and knows basically how to play, and now wants flavorful options to make the game really great.
Yeah, I love it! It's as close to perfect as I have seen in D&D (and RPGs, in general).
Then again, I can be a little gushing with praise (and damnation)
Berandor
Last edited:
Plane Sailing
Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!
I think another selling point could be that you could take the whole thing and run an AU campaign with it - or you could just pick elements and incorporate them into your own D&D campaign with more or less effort.
For instance, including Hero Points into your game would be trivial, including True Names would be some work, including Spell Templates and something based on the magic feats would be more work and moving wholly over to the AU spell system would be quite a bit of work (but very rewarding).
My next campaign might be an AU campaign, if not it is likely to be a D&D campaign but using AU for all magic using classes and magic.
Even if you don't run the campaign it is chock-full of ideas.
Cheers
For instance, including Hero Points into your game would be trivial, including True Names would be some work, including Spell Templates and something based on the magic feats would be more work and moving wholly over to the AU spell system would be quite a bit of work (but very rewarding).
My next campaign might be an AU campaign, if not it is likely to be a D&D campaign but using AU for all magic using classes and magic.
Even if you don't run the campaign it is chock-full of ideas.
Cheers
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