Terrain books--who's using them?

[Napftor]

So between Sandstorm, Stormwrack, and Frostburn, what have you used from these terrain books? Are they worth purchasing or were the ideas/rules you used things you could have come up with on your own? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for terrain books but I find many of my adventures get back to the city or underground environments in short order (thus making the books a hard sell for me).

 

[Crothian]

I use terrain books, I just don't use those terrain books.....

 

[Aus_Snow]

Out of those, Frostburn only, at this point. But that one's seen a fair bit of use. I couldn't have made do without it, actually.

 

[Napftor]

I use terrain books, I just don't use those terrain books.....

I'll bite, Crothian. What are you using?

 

[Napftor]

Out of those, Frostburn only, at this point. But that one's seen a fair bit of use. I couldn't have made do without it, actually.

I'm interested in what you're actually using from the book also, AS. Are we talking rules or fluff that you couldn't have made do without?

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I'm using some stuff from Frostburn, as part of one of my games involves the far north. Not so much the environmental rules, because the PC's haven't been in cold places long enough for it to matter, but I'm using three of the creatures in Frostburn, and will probably make use of the environmental rules in the future if the PC's end up spending more time in the far north.

My other game will probably make use of Stormwrack, once I get it. I like the map on the WoTC site for a caravel, very nice. You'd think that with all the ship books out there, the need for deck plans would have been filled but it hasn't.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I'm interested in what you're actually using from the book also, AS. Are we talking rules or fluff that you couldn't have made do without?

Rules. Mainly the 'environmental crunch', gear, monster and races sections. That's so far, anyway.

Fluff, I can (and prefer to) do myself. A particularly well written piece in a sourcebook might see some partial use, but mostly I like to write.. not that I'd call myself ---A Writer---, but yeh I enjoy writing.


In order to be completely honest, I'd have to rephrase part of my original response, like so: "I can't be bothered making do without it."

That is, I also enjoy creating and mod'ing rules, but I find doing so much more time-consuming - and potantially aggravating - than churning out some usable descriptive passages.

That's why I buy rules supplements at all.

 

[Napftor]

In order to be completely honest, I'd have to rephrase part of my original response, like so: "I can't be bothered making do without it."

Hmm, if this is the case, let me ask you this. Would your campaign have taken a turn to the arctic if you did not have the crunch from Frostburn? I don't know a thing about your campaign, I'm just assuming the game was not set in chilly regions long before now.

 

[Crothian]

I'll bite, Crothian. What are you using?

Nothing obscure, I use Frost and Fur, Into the Green, Into the Blue, Wildscape, and wilds mostly.

 

[Turjan]

Nothing obscure, I use Frost and Fur, Into the Green, Into the Blue, Wildscape, and wilds mostly.

Not to forget "Wilderness & Wastelands" .