Quintessential Splatbooks vs the Wizards Class Books

[Bendris Noulg]

Well, from personal taste, I find the Quint books far more useful.

Why?

Quint: Information about the classes, how their roles can be modified and expanded upon, options for defining flavor.

WotC: Min/Max tips.

Quint: Prestige Classes that support the above.

WotC: Prestige Classes that are a Min/Maxer's wet dream.

Quint: Occasionally odd things that can be easily and quickly fixed (weapon goes from Martial to Exotic, up this DC by 5, etc.).

WotC: Mostly comprised of things I wouldn't touch with a +25 Flaming Hammer of Munchkin Smiting.

Quint: Helps the DM define the role of a class or race within a campaign.

WotC: Things that make me go .

Note that I've found this standard in comparison of most 3rd Party material to WotC's material (thanks to the BoVD, WotC finally has a release on my Top 10 Resource List again). To sum it up, I've found that I use about 5%-10% of the WotC books (Skills and Feats) and about 50% or more of the Quint books (just about everything but the PClasses, and that's really only because I've made it a point to always design my own PClasses, although I'm looking very hard at one by Ambient that I'm half-tempted to snag).

As for Fighting Styles, I've not used them, although I am basing a number of 5-Level PClasses on the same concept. Consequently, I'm doing the same with their Elementalism rules, so...

 

[Aeolius]

I like the oozemaster as well, but only in that I can fit it into my aquatic campaign easily, what with jellyfish and so on. Also, as an oozemaster acolyte of a teratomorph sounds like a natural fit, I am working one into the "Jungle of Lost Ships" adaptation I'm working on.

I also think Masters of the Wild was the best of the WotC splatbooks, but then again my campaign is set in a vast undersea wilderness. The information on animals and infusions made the book well worth the price of purchase.

I recently purchased Mongoose's Quintessential Witch and was pleased with the quality of the work within.

 

[Paul_Klein]

I think the WotC books have a far better variety about them. They have a lot of PrCs, feats, skill uses, equipment, spells, magic items, and story (as well as a lot of great and interesting material for "newer" players).

3E was made with balance in mind at every turn. Anything that is way overpowered can upset the whole balance of the game. And, unfortunatly, the Quint book seem to break this 'rule' time and time again.

While the WotC books aren't perfect balance-wise, they are more balanced than the Quint book.

Also, you only need 5 books for all the classes

 

[acorania]

I use both, though I don't have both of either yet. I still need to pick up Master of the Wild and I only have the Quintessential Cleric (though I would like more of those).

With both I have to consider what I let into my games. Before I start a campaign I spend a bunch of time creating a sort of PHB for my game. I don't retype the actual PHB or anything but I do go into any changes I have to particular rules and what if anything is included from other books. Originally I was just accepting any WOTC whole, but after experience with a Paladin swing around a mercurial greatsword from Sword and Fist, I have changed my mind.

For spells I have a list of what will be in the game as is and list of spells that can be researched (meaning they will get tweaked in the final revision that is allowed into the game). Of course I leave a bunch out completely as well (either because I consider them unbalanced, they are campaign specific or because the very closely duplicate spells from other sources).

So, I guess in summation I use a bunch from both, some is changed and some is kept exactly the same and allowed and some is not allowed.

Now that I have a document made though I just need to update at the beginning of my next campaign (who knows when I will have time and group again <sigh>) I will just need to do work updating not completely recreating.

Sean Mahoney
acorania

 

[drnuncheon]

So are the Quint-books less focuses on prestige classes than the WotC books?

Definitely. Comparing S&F with TQF:

S&F: 96 pages, 28 of which are PrCs (about 30%)
TQF: 128 pages, 13 of which are PrCs (about 10%)

And S&S with TQR:
S&S: 96 pages, 20 of which are PrCs (about 20%)
TQR: 128 pages, 13 of which are PrCs (about 10%)

Plus, the Quint books definitely do more to add to the game in terms of additional useful mechanics - where S&S has a laundry-list of bardic instruments and S&F has a discussion of when it's mathematically best to use flurry of blows, TQR gives us rules on running a thieves' guild and TQF has the Open Mass Combat System.

J

 

[Kerrick]

Question: Why is it always about PrCs? IMHO, there are already too damn many of the things floating around, and anything I can't find, I can make myself (and probably do a better job with). We have all the Wizards books, and frankly, they blow. There are a few good PrCs in them, like the Lasher, and plenty of good feats (but they're not OGC!! ), but not much beyond that. I must admit that I haven't seen any of the Quint books beyond the Quint Rogue, but I was rather impressed with what I saw - rules for creating guilds, creating traps, new gear, etc. etc. THAT'S the kind of thing I want to see - not some over- or under-powered assmunch PrC that seems to have no purpose beyond being a "cool concept".

 

[Synicism]

Originally posted by Bendris Noulg Quint: Information about the classes, how their roles can be modified and expanded upon, options for defining flavor.

WotC: Min/Max tips.

Quint: Prestige Classes that support the above.

WotC: Prestige Classes that are a Min/Maxer's wet dream.

Odd... granted that I could live without the WotC powergaming tips most of the time, I've found that the Quintessential prestige classes have been either underpowered or seriously munchkin.

Same with a lot of the feats and equipment. I'm also not a huge fan of the "character concepts" section. I think variant classes like FFG's are a much better way to go because too many of the "concepts" seem to give you something for nothing.

That's actually my gripe with a lot of the quintessential stuff - too much comes free.