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Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tyler Do'Urden" data-source="post: 1198648" data-attributes="member: 4601">Ditto to most of the positive comments here.I, myself, love the artwork and the "feel" of the book.  For some reason, it makes me feel like I've picked up the Earthdawn or Shadowrun or 1E Core Books again for the first time... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />... it brings back memories of when everthing is new, without having to jump through the conceptual hoops of learning a whole different system.  Monte took what was "under the hood" and gave it a new body, interior, and paintjob, not to mention smoother handling, leather seats and a great stereo. Really, what's most significant about it to me is that it has forced players who were comfortable with D&D 3e and 3.5 to think outside the box and come up with new ideas again, rather than the same old methods they had figured out for tweaking up overpowered characters.  AU actually makes the Feats system seem really exciting again- rather than taking Improved Initiative and Combat Reflexes (which don't add much flavor to a character, especially after they've been used for the 10th time in a row), my players have made characters that are actually defined, to an extend, by their choices- for instance, a Verrik Runethane with the Sensitive and Healing Focus feats, or a Loresong Faen Magister with the Wild Mage and Spell Artist feats... you can instantly picture what sort of characters these are.  Feats are, for once, being used the way they should, rather than just being a chain of power-ups leading to a Prestige Class.At the same time, it's also a great opportunity to forget EVERYTHING you know about DMing, especially DMing 3e.  Alignments are gone.  A feudal base isn't really assumed- feel free to make a magical society unlike any the world has ever known.  Although Monte didn't cover it anywhere, it's probably not a bad idea to throw the current system of distributing XP out the window- award for accomplishments and roleplaying, rather than hack and slash.  Arcana Unearthed enthrones the DM, not the rules- you're in charge.At this point, you're probably saying "I can do that with D&D, I don't need a new rulebook!"  Forget it.  Whenever I've tried to make serious modifications to the "implied setting" in D&D, the entrenched assumptions held by my players in their umpteen years of gaming instantly launch up to smite my attempts at breaking the implied rules.  Pulling out a new rulebook is the perfect way of telling said players that everything that they know is wrong.  And Arcana Unearthed fits the bill perfectly, because if you've been playing 3e, your group already knows how to play.Of course, there are some issues.  If you decide to use the book with 3e or 3.5, you're going to have to do a little work to make them compatible.  On the other hand, if you decide only to go with AU, you're going to have to make a different decision- whether to homebrew a world, or use Diamond Throne.  Even if you decide to homebrew, I'd recommend downloading the Diamond Throne PDF- it contains lots of valuable info on monsters, magic items, and prestige classes (you're probably sick of them, but trust me, these are worthwhile), and ideas for places, people, and plots to slip into your own campaign, and how to flesh out an Arcana Unearthed world.So, in short, if you're running 3e, skip it.  On the other hand, if you want to try a different RPG but enjoy the d20 system too much to break away, go with this- it's very worthwhile.</blockquote>

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