Other Variant Player's Handbooks

[kobold]

I'd buy a Robin Laws take on D20 in a heartbeat. Heroquest anyone? Its D20.
Anything buy Mr. Wick relating to D20 would be avoided. I think John Wick is really talanted, but his hatred of anything D20 would prevent me from taking his take on D20 or D&D seriously

 

[Greylock]

There are two companies that I really trust when it comes to D20 products -- Malhavoc Press and Green Ronin. Both have fantastic track records. Even when I don't like a specific product, it is mainly due to the specific topic they are trying out, rather than the quality of the rules. As such, I trust them to come up with interesting alternate PHBs. As can be seen, they've done well in that department so far.

The wombat speaks welll...

Malhavoc I only have the barest of familiarity with. I've read many of the books, but have bought few. They are perfect examples of D20 indie in action, though.

Now, Green Ronin. If there was ever a D20 co. that oughta have a subscriber list or Book-of-the-Month Club, that's the one. The quality rarely disappoints and they always have the perfect mesh of fluff and crunch. And they know when to stop, when to shut up, when to say "Book finished!" which WotC lacks.

 

[Turjan]

If AU is any indication, any alternate PH would also be incompatible with 90% of the current D&D/D20 anyway, so you kinda get stuck playing in their yard anyway...

Not really. I would not recommend mixing AU classes with PHB classes in the same character, but using them side by side in the same game is no problem. You can also use normal D&D monsters and races, etc., but feats should be carefully chosen.

This said, 'stuck playing in their yard' sounds a bit funny to me. What sense does an alternate PH make, if it doesn't change some fundamentals? In the latter case, it would be a simple D&D supplement, which is not really the goal of writing an alternate PH. That's also the reason why I hesitate to call AEG's 'Mercenaries' an alternate PH; it changes a few classes and gives lots of new options, but it is much more similar to a book of WotC's 'Complete X' series than to AU, Blue Rose or Grim Tales.

 

[Turjan]

I'd buy a Robin Laws take on D20 in a heartbeat. Heroquest anyone? Its D20.

Well, it uses a d20 for all dice rolls, but that's nevertheless beside the topic. HeroQuest is so fundamentally different from D&D in its whole concept that there's hardly any similarity except the use of a 20-sided die and the fact that they are both fantasy games. HeroQuest is really alien to someone coming from D&D; it's epic fantasy with a system you first have to wrap your mind around. It's not that simple as it sounds .

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

Not really. I would not recommend mixing AU classes with PHB classes in the same character, but using them side by side in the same game is no problem. You can also use normal D&D monsters and races, etc., but feats should be carefully chosen.

As a DM, one of the things I like best about AU/AE is that I can "drag and drop" D20 materials into the setting without too much hassle. So if I go off on an AU campaign I can still use all my books.

 

[Voadam]

Yes, but most of those are not meant as a drop-in replacement for the D&D3E PH--they aren't pseudo-generic high fantasy. Well, except maybe Lone Wolf (and the ones I previously mentioned). While Arcana Unearthed/Evolved, Blue Rose, and Everquest D20 all, arguably, produce roughly the same sort of game--it's still, to a large degree "D&D"--using Spycraft, or even Talislanta D20, is definitely *not* the same game any more.

I don't have talislanta d20, what does it change that is fundamentally different from, say the changes in everquest d20 or Arcana Unearthed (both of which I do have)?

 

[Michael Morris]

I'm writing an alt PHB based on the SRD since I'm hoping to run for a 1e group and I don't want them to have to read the 3e PHB AND THEN my house rules. To keep things as simple as possible for them I want to get all the rules in one volumne.

Of course, I'm taking the liberty of putting in a lot of little changes too.

 

[woodelf]

I don't have talislanta d20, what does it change that is fundamentally different from, say the changes in everquest d20 or Arcana Unearthed (both of which I do have)?

Mechanically? No idea. The setting, however, is pretty radically different from D&D's default assumptions. Whereas Everquest is essentially D&D turned up to 11 and adjusted to work better in an MMORPG, and AU pretty much is the same sort of fantasy as D&D, but focusing on slightly different source literature (so giants and faeries and anthropomorphics, rather than elves and dwarves and hobbits). Talislanta isn't just different widgets, but also a different tone. Or, at least, previous editions were.