So you got "The Book of Iron Might", what do you think.
- Thread starter Cergorach
- Start date
Zoatebix
Working on it
I think it's fantastic - though I've only read two and a half of the four chapters. I'm full of gleeful anticipation for the stunts chapter. I do have a couple of sticking-points so far:
1)It wasn't until I got to the drawbacks that it was entirely clear that maneuvers did base damage. I mean - I figured it out from context before I got to the drawbacks, , but I don't think it was explicitly stated at the beginning of the mechanics for maneuvers.
2)In some cases, I have trouble wrapping my head around maneuvers with the "effects only" drawback that still need to get past an opponenets armor bonus to AC. Of course, if you've house-ruled things and put together an armor as DR-type system...
That's about it. Everything else seems great!
-George
1)It wasn't until I got to the drawbacks that it was entirely clear that maneuvers did base damage. I mean - I figured it out from context before I got to the drawbacks, , but I don't think it was explicitly stated at the beginning of the mechanics for maneuvers.
2)In some cases, I have trouble wrapping my head around maneuvers with the "effects only" drawback that still need to get past an opponenets armor bonus to AC. Of course, if you've house-ruled things and put together an armor as DR-type system...
That's about it. Everything else seems great!
-George
Zoatebix
Working on it
I'm much more impressed with the feats than I thought I would be. I'm pretty much blown away. Now I'm thinking how the Arcane Battle feats would interact with the Psychic's handbook...
The robust treatment of skills and stunts, and especially the DM's Judgement Factor and the Description modifier, are positively brilliant, and exactly what I'm looking to add to my game.
I wish I knew more about Eberron, since the big discussion over the Iron Born seems to be how they stack up versus Eberron's Warforged race. Looking at the Iron Born on their own, I think that they're pretty solid in terms of mechanics and story. On the Eberron front - I have heard some people complain about the plausability of a nation investing so much money in a mere ECL+0 (or is it +1?) Warforged - that issue does not rear it's head in either the ficitonal creation of, or the game-mechanical creation of an Iron Born. The method, mechanics, cost, and limitations keep Iron Born an interesting, but by no means an overpowering or underwhelming, in-game option.
I'm also very impressed that Mearls built an ingenious way for a DM to control the population of Iron Born in his campaign: by controlling the abundance, cost, and ease of obtaining the Codex Ferranium, the DM has a rules-counscious but entirely in-game and story-plausable way of explaining the population of Iron-Born in his campaign.
All-in-all, I think it's a wonderful product. I had high hopes, and it far exceeds my expectations.
The robust treatment of skills and stunts, and especially the DM's Judgement Factor and the Description modifier, are positively brilliant, and exactly what I'm looking to add to my game.
I wish I knew more about Eberron, since the big discussion over the Iron Born seems to be how they stack up versus Eberron's Warforged race. Looking at the Iron Born on their own, I think that they're pretty solid in terms of mechanics and story. On the Eberron front - I have heard some people complain about the plausability of a nation investing so much money in a mere ECL+0 (or is it +1?) Warforged - that issue does not rear it's head in either the ficitonal creation of, or the game-mechanical creation of an Iron Born. The method, mechanics, cost, and limitations keep Iron Born an interesting, but by no means an overpowering or underwhelming, in-game option.
I'm also very impressed that Mearls built an ingenious way for a DM to control the population of Iron Born in his campaign: by controlling the abundance, cost, and ease of obtaining the Codex Ferranium, the DM has a rules-counscious but entirely in-game and story-plausable way of explaining the population of Iron-Born in his campaign.
All-in-all, I think it's a wonderful product. I had high hopes, and it far exceeds my expectations.
Zoatebix
Working on it
Psion said:Mark me down as "interested".
Here you go!
It actually looks better if you add another blank line in both of the spaces between the three tables - but my version of Word won't let me do that without making a blank 2nd page. The formatting looks better with the increased spacing, but you have to tell the program to only print page 1, even though there's nothing but the copyright footer on page two. Weird.
If the above doesn't make any sense, please realize that I have a headache and am not thinking entirely straight. The document should print out just fine as-is.
-George
Victim
First Post
I thought the Ironborn were rather broken. First of all, there's the issue of Large Ironborn. Boohoo, -2 Dex and loss of the minor racial feature. As far as I know, you can't find an ECL +0 race with the Powerful Build trait, much less actual large size. Even at +1, large races typically have numerous negative stat mods (although they have more generous STR bonuses).
The ability to pick racial stat mods makes Ironborn some of the best +0 casters in the game. As offensive casters, they can boost their spell damage or DCs above other casters via access to their excellent racial feats. The disadvantages of the race are minimal. Essentially, many characters would be better off as ironborn when compared to their normal race. While the same could be said for some races, such as dwarves, the customizeabity of ironborn can grant them a clear advantage in either the character's specialty, or in overcoming weaknesses; as opposed to a race granting lots of misc, situational bonuses that will often have no effect. Dwarves will probably get lots of mileage out of their stat mods and save bonuses. Armored speed and trip resistance really help fighter types. However, bonuses to craft or stonecunning will often be wasted, and their racial combat mods depend greatly on the DM.
Some of the fighting style feats seemed problematic, giving multiple feat equivalent benefits over time. In particular, Heavy Weapon style with Weild Oversized Weapon seemed broken. Like 2 hander combat needs an extra 2-5 avg damage per hit. Weapon Master can be overly strong in some cases as well, when large non STR bonuses to damage are present.
Just nitpicking here.
The ability to pick racial stat mods makes Ironborn some of the best +0 casters in the game. As offensive casters, they can boost their spell damage or DCs above other casters via access to their excellent racial feats. The disadvantages of the race are minimal. Essentially, many characters would be better off as ironborn when compared to their normal race. While the same could be said for some races, such as dwarves, the customizeabity of ironborn can grant them a clear advantage in either the character's specialty, or in overcoming weaknesses; as opposed to a race granting lots of misc, situational bonuses that will often have no effect. Dwarves will probably get lots of mileage out of their stat mods and save bonuses. Armored speed and trip resistance really help fighter types. However, bonuses to craft or stonecunning will often be wasted, and their racial combat mods depend greatly on the DM.
Some of the fighting style feats seemed problematic, giving multiple feat equivalent benefits over time. In particular, Heavy Weapon style with Weild Oversized Weapon seemed broken. Like 2 hander combat needs an extra 2-5 avg damage per hit. Weapon Master can be overly strong in some cases as well, when large non STR bonuses to damage are present.
Just nitpicking here.
