Rate the Neverwinter Campaign Guide

[Dice4Hire]

I liked it, actually. It's very, very fluff-tastic, and I can deal w/o much player stuff in it, even being a player. I think it's a very good setting to use for a party.

I'd like something higher-level, though; seriously, I'm so tired of starting out at first level, we never get to see serious epic stuff. But that's the usual rant.

Brad

I think this would be a very easy campaign to bump to low paragon or late heroic. Most of the campaign enemies and goals really do not seem heroic to me, but paragon.

 

[Zaukrie]

Very good book. I really enjoy the story elements a lot. My mid-paragon game will be heading to Neverwinter about 2 months before the big event....

 

[Pour]

Dude... voting is supposed to be for people who've bought the book. Sigh.

Yeah, that is a bummer with polls, and I can't say I always trust people's votes unless they took the time to post something comprehensive. At least you can see who voted what.

 

[S'mon]

EDIT: I should point out that even though there's only been 32 votes that the overwhelming majority have said it's an above average book. And when taking all votes into account, then 91% are saying it's worth buying. That's a pretty darn solid recommendation!

Their mileage varies!

On BBEG power, it's not that they're low level - my favourite D&D villain ever was Senator Angelarian Canolacrious, 0th level BBEG in 'Dawn of the Emperors' - but that they are described as typical D&D BBEGs leading through personal power. The 6th level female orc chief is the most egregious example; the Thay and Netheril leaders are just about ok and while Lord Neverember is weak at standard-7 (his deputy is said to be a cavalier-7 from MM2) he doesn't depend on personal power as much as some of the more villainous leaders.

I dunno, I do like the book's fluff, and the player's stuff is fine - should have been a separate player's book though. I just thought it would have a lot more DM's crunch too. I didn't expect City State of the Invincible Overlord, but certainly something more like the 2e Greyhawk City book, with lots of short 'delve' type adventures, say 10 2-pagers covering levels 1-10. I was flabbergasted it had exactly 0 adventures and 0 floorplans. I think the Evernight and Thay stuff (which to me is unuseable anyway without a map) could easily have been left out.

I guess if I'd (a) known it was just a hardback, (b) known the contents, and (b) paid around £16 instead of £27 I'd probably feel quite differently. I'd also feel differently if I knew a book of adventures was going to be coming out.

As it is, this book does all the things I find easy to do myself, and none of the things I find a chore. My current plan is to look at using some of the factions in my Loudwater campaign, though some like the Thayans don't seem very plausible so far west, whatever the novels say.

 

[S'mon]

I think this would be a very easy campaign to bump to low paragon or late heroic. Most of the campaign enemies and goals really do not seem heroic to me, but paragon.

It feels to me like it should be ca 6th-15th, not 1st-10th. There's a giant rift in the city with tentacley abominations crawling out of it, fer crissakes! Determining the fate of a major city feels like low-paragon stuff to me, and putting the BBEGs in the 10th-15th range would have allowed them to stick closer to established demographics. As it stands one pirate ship out of MM2 (Pirate: 9th level standard; Pirate Chief: 10th level standard) could trash any of the factions.

 

[delericho]

You should probably read the ENWorld review. It seems to indicate that it's a very good product, with just a couple of flaws in presentation and content.

However, at $40 it seems really quite pricey to me.

 

[Kzach]

You should probably read the ENWorld review.

Pfft, I don't trust those shills

However, at $40 it seems really quite pricey to me.

Yah, living in Australia sometimes has its downsides

 

[Kobold Boots]

I bought the Forgotten Realms 2nd edition boxed set back in the early 90s and loved it. Ran a few games in the Realms and decided to not like the setting. Haven't run a game in the Realms since.

Picked up this book based on the vibe I got off the shelf as an impulse buy. I'm impressed with it and can see how it would fit into my greater story if the players go in a certain direction, so I'd say the designers did a really nice job.

As to sub-races: I can see those fitting in nicely provided that the DM has a certain approach to it. I wouldn't just make sub races appear without some explanation.

As to Heroic tier concerns: I agree that this is really a split-tier product as the literature contradicts the statistics, both game wise and paperback. Whether this is a problem or not remains to be seen as DMs can always restat as needed and I'm sure there's new literature being prepared.

Overall, nice work. I feel that Evernight may get more immediate use in my campaign.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I bought the FRCS way way back in 3.0, and now the Neverwinter.

Both are great books, and I still use the FRCS for campaign ideas.

But I never run in FR.

Inspiration is systemless, at least in my experience.

 

[Jack99]

Pfft, I don't trust those shills


Yah, living in Australia sometimes has its downsides

Try $58!!!!