Player's Guide to the Corrlands - feedback

[Torx]

I'm looking for feedback, suggestions, and the like for a guide I made for players in my home-brewed world. I've made a PDF that includes all the information that a player would need in this world. I left out tons of info that they do not need, and some of this is a little bit of misinformation (example, the history is not complex, complete, or completely accurate).

NOTE: This is not a d20 publication - it will not be published - it is merely being posted here for feedback - the feats section is entirely plagiarized, it is more the list of feats I allow in gaming all put together.

Give me thoughts, criticisms, and issues [balance]

Player's Guide to the Corrlands PDF 1.5MB

And here are two maps (for reference) - the first is an old one, that shows the layout of the land. I'm redoing it - and the 2nd shows the work in progress.

Old Map 33KB
New Unfinished Map 232KB

FINAL NOTE: I posted this on both the Plots & Places and House Rules forums, as there is a bit of crossover - I apologize for the bandwidth

 

[Crothian]

First off, the players guide is 51 pages. I didn't read it all. It looks well done, it's just long.

I went through the races and none of them seemed that bad. You've obviously put a little bit of time into this.

 

[Dispater]

Personally I think its great, the races are good the prestige classes original (IMHO mayhaps a tad unbalanced, but obviously they play an important role in your campaign), the new druid very interesting. Your feat selection seems overall solid, and the flavor text well-thought. I won't go into the more campaign specific (history, lands etc.) as I didn't read all that but all in all the impression I got was good.

Nice work!

-Dispater

 

[Torx]

Crothian - My apologies - I meant to note the length of the document, but it slipped my mind in all my excitement for finally having this mostly done. As you already guessed, this is the culmination of several months work (but does that not mean my pride in it is too high to make changes)

Dispater - Thanks for the praise! Any suggestions on how to improved the PrC's balance-wise? I consider that my greatest weakness.

 

[Crothian]

you listed the size of the file, that gave some indication on the page count.

If there is anything specifically you think might be unbalanced or you want taken a look at?

 

[Torx]

Sure. Do you think the minotaur ability modifiers (+4 Str, -2 Wis, -2 Cha) are balanced for the race? Also, take a look at the Pretender (pg. 18-20) PrC - I think that it's over-powered moreso than the other classes.

 

[Crothian]

I wouldn't make the minataurs large. Large (tall) creatures have reach 10ft (PHB pg 131).

AS large creatures they are not balance ecl 0, but even as a medium sized they would be ecl +2. Natural armor +2 is a big ability. And the +4 str is way better then -2 to wisdom and cha. The +4 to intimidate and intuit direction are really big bonuses as well.

The pretender is a tough class to get into. You need to be 5th level cleric for the spells, but all the skills are cross class. I'd imagine that unless pne has a good int bonus, they will need 2 or 3 levels of rogue as well. I think it is a more powerful then most prestige classes, but not so much to call it abusive.

 

[Dispater]

Dispater - Thanks for the praise! Any suggestions on how to improved the PrC's balance-wise? I consider that my greatest weakness.

Sure, no problem.

The prestige classes have neat, original abilities, its just the case that they gain too many at each level. You seem to balance this by only giving them a spell-casting lvl. every second, but it to me the impression is that you've come up with several great ideas, and then perhaps been a litle unwilling to reduce or remove some of them.. I think these classes are balanced against eachother, however, and since they fill such a specialised niche this may all be exused. Ah well, just some random thoughts...

 

[widderslainte]

I like the new map. What did you use to create it?

I haven't gotten to the actual guide yet. As to Minotaurs, though, you might reference the 2E Time of the Dragon boxed set [1], and extrapolate into 3E rules from there.

[1] IMNSFHO the fines setting book TSR/WOTC has ever published.

 

[Torx]

Have the boxed set (it is fantastic - lots of GREAT material in it) - the problem is that the minotaurs in 2E were unbalanced as well
The problem for me is making them bigger and stronger than half-orcs (as I know them to be) but still keeping them ECL 0

As far as the map goes, I saw some great maps by a guy by the nick of Artimidor - here's his elfwood page:

Artimidor

And he put a little tutorial on his maps at

Map Tutorial

I've used mostly his ideas (definitely props to his ingenous style) - but I've added color to mine, and it is all done "by hand" in Photoshop...I've put in about 5 hours into this so far - and I'm having problems coloring, as it doesn't look natural.

But thanks for the props! I'll try to post the finished map when I get it all set.