thoughts on Everquest D20

[Paul_Klein]

Exactly. Tabletop roleplayers are in no way better than "vidkiddies" and vice versa.

The EQRPG, while based off of D&D naturally (as is most other settings when you boil them down), plays nothing like the D&D we know.

Monsters, for instance: All the low-level canon fodder D&D monsters can very well be tough-as-nails badass in the EQRPG.

Plus, I don't see anyone talking about the unique leveling system in the EQ RPG.

Basically, every time you level, you get 5 training points. You use these to buy feats, attribute points, skills (but you still get a base skill-point increase every level), and resistance bonuses. You no longer get a feat every 3 levels and an attribute point every 4. Its entirely based off of what YOU want to spend your points on.

I also like that, unlike in D&D where there are only 2, you have 4 pure-caster types in EQRPG. The Wizards who focuses on direct damage and teleportation magic; the Magician who focuses on the elements as being his source of power (as well as his elemental pets); the Necromancer who specializes in the undead for his power (as well as his skeletal and spectral pets); and the Enchanter, who is a specialist in mind-magic (that's actually powerful, unlike the equivalent in D&D).

There's a lot more, but I really think this setting and system has a LOT going for it, besides a cheap price tag.

 

[Dinkeldog]

*snip*
Don't under-appreciate an entire generation. I know the "situations" you refer too... the kill monster for experience gamers, but not all of the people my age are hack-monsters.

And some people that started gaming in the 70s still are hack-monsters.

 

[Akunin]

I also like that, unlike in D&D where there are only 2, you have 4 pure-caster types in EQRPG.

/me begins counting on fingers
Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard...

/me moves to counting on tentacles
Abjurer, Conjurer, Diviner, Enchanter, Evoker, Illusionist, Necromancer, Transmuter...

Oh! There are also the Adept and Witch in the DMG.

I think you need to reconsider your stance on this particular argument.

 

[Fenes 2]

Exactly. Tabletop roleplayers are in no way better than "vidkiddies" and vice versa.

The EQRPG, while based off of D&D naturally (as is most other settings when you boil them down), plays nothing like the D&D we know.

Monsters, for instance: All the low-level canon fodder D&D monsters can very well be tough-as-nails badass in the EQRPG.

Plus, I don't see anyone talking about the unique leveling system in the EQ RPG.

Basically, every time you level, you get 5 training points. You use these to buy feats, attribute points, skills (but you still get a base skill-point increase every level), and resistance bonuses. You no longer get a feat every 3 levels and an attribute point every 4. Its entirely based off of what YOU want to spend your points on.

I also like that, unlike in D&D where there are only 2, you have 4 pure-caster types in EQRPG. The Wizards who focuses on direct damage and teleportation magic; the Magician who focuses on the elements as being his source of power (as well as his elemental pets); the Necromancer who specializes in the undead for his power (as well as his skeletal and spectral pets); and the Enchanter, who is a specialist in mind-magic (that's actually powerful, unlike the equivalent in D&D).

There's a lot more, but I really think this setting and system has a LOT going for it, besides a cheap price tag.

You can make all cannon fodder monsters a challene for high level PCs in D&D - just use the advancement rules. And humanoids can just level up - Kobold Sorcerers level 10 anyone?

You can specialize in D&D as well - no one forces you to build the same mage or sorcerer. You can have your pet-caster (summoner), your necromancer, your blaster/teleporter and many more.
An Enchanter is powerful in EQ, because the computer game is so set up that you cannot survive in many places without "crowd control" - i.e. you keep a group of monsters "mezzed" - standing around dazed - and kill them off one by one, and because the enchanters can charm powerful monsters to kill other monsters for them, and thridly because an enchanter buffs both melee and mages. In D&D an enchanter can buff a party (haste for example equals clarity, the EQ mind crack, and the EQ haste), charm monsters (or dominate them), use illusion etc.

The leveling up in EQ I do not know, but I do know that the CRPG (or rather the CG, not much of RP in it) did not offer many options upon leveling up until you hit the 50 to 60 levels, where you could aquire skill points.
And in D&D, with multiclassing and prestige classes you have a ton of options to customize your PC.

IMHO, anything I can do in EQ - with the caveat that I only know the MMPG - can be done in D&D.

EQ may have its good points, but I would rather not touch the mana-system and the iterative attacks, seeing how much of a mess was made in the online game. If I wanted to wander Norrath I would just use the background, not the rules for it.

 

[National Acrobat]

I had been looking for a more flexible spell casting system and had decided to Use the Channeling from WoT until the Everquest book came out. The Mana system was just what I was looking for, that alone was worth the book for me. I have already alerted my players that the next campaign I run is using the Mana System from Everquest. Besides that, for 30$, it is a darn pretty book, thick and full of color.

 

[Ezrael]

It is a beautiful book. I didn't mention that before. When I plunked down the $30, I did feel that even if I only found three elements I would consider using, I was ahead of the money I spent on Song and Silence and the Book of Challenges. (i'm aware that those two combined would not come out to $30, but then again, they weren't full color hardback rulebooks, either.) The Iksar in the book alone have helped me play a reptile more effectively. It looks as good as the Forgotten Realms book, is about as useful to me, and cost less. I assume that's because they're expecting to sell a boatload of them...I have no idea how well the sales have been, although I'm sure it's sold well just from comments I've heard in my local game shops.

 

[Henry]

Will Everquest RPG succeed? I hope so. I hope that something that has the potential to draw more people into the Pen and Paper hobby is very successful, because the more P&P players, the more players get exposed to other things besides Everquest. We will always have cliques and groups and snobbish gamers - every sport or hobby has those. But we shouldn't judge the many on the actions of a few.

The reason I may eventually pick up EQ RPG (after I get Book of Vile Darkness first) is because Norrath would actually make a fascinating campaign setting, once you remove the surface veneer of computer gaming. Power-players and single-minded acquisitions and trading scams aside, the core of EQ is people interacting, trading, bartering, selling, and fighting to defend their territory.

Personally, If they ever ran a server that allowed massive territorial takeovers by organized player characters, and allowed major political changes due to player activity, I possibly would get back into Everquest. But that's another topic.

 

[Henry]

Whoooops! Here I go posting to a thread, and don't even bother to make sure it's in the right forum!

Now moved to d20 systems.

 

[Corinth]

I doubt that the EQ tabletop game will be around in five years. I don't see this being popular with its obstensable target audience (EQ players) or with its obvious secondary audience (fantasy fans looking for something like D&D, but not D&D). Quite frankly, I see this game making its way to obscurity soon enough for reasons I outlined in my previous post.

 

[Hawkshere]

Vidkiddies???

Just who do you think is playing EQ, anyway? Talk about your ignorant game snobbery... At a guess, from personal observation, I'd say that EQ's ratio of "munchkins" vs. "mature" players isn't much different from D&D's. If anything, I'm inclined to favor EQ slighty in comparison.

Everyone always harps the shallower elements of EQ gameplay, necessitated mostly by the realtime computer GM'ed nature of the game. They forget that EQ is essentially a social game. Leet dewds generally don't stick around very long in these games because your reputation as a player really means something. At least it does on the server I play on.

Annoying kiddie griefers, scammers, and would-be cheaters are always in the game - but they are a small minority.

Besides, these kinds of players usually look for a game where they can score easy, and they also flock to the "latest, greatest" games. EQ is way down the list on both counts. Hate to tell ya, Silverthrone, but your "vidkiddies" are all off playing Warcraft III right now.