TOME OF BATTLE: What are your expectations?

[Razz]

I've been wondering what everyone thinks about ToB and what they would like to see in the book?

Personally, the book sounds and seems to be very intriguing. It appears like it sounds like it will produce, say, warrior types from video games such as Fatal Fury, Street Fighter, and Soulcalibur. At least I hope it does. My players love those fighting games and for them to play something similar in D&D would excite them greatly. Or it may provide characters styled after individuals from Hong Kong films, maybe? Who knows? I do have great expectations of ToB, though.

Though I do have a nagging feeling about ToB. Why the 120-page drop from Tome of Magic? Do you think 160 pages will do it justice? Think it may seem feeble compared to ToM? That's a pretty heavy page drop. I can understand if it were a 224 page book, but from 285 to 160 has me worrying about its popularity and even its content. Nine Disciplines, a number 3 times as big as the "3 new magic systems" of ToM.

But we still don't know hardly anything about the book, so the 160 pages could be as spectacular as ToM, but I still wonder why the drop and what we could be missing from ToB had it received a bigger page count. Or is it true that spellcasters are more widely received in the community than warriors?

I personally am intrigued by this book, though. I have a feeling, however, that many will feel at a loss if it does turn out to be a great book...a 100-120 page loss of content for them that is.

 

[Glyfair]

IThough I do have a nagging feeling about ToB. Why the 120-page drop from Tome of Magic? Do you think 160 pages will do it justice? Think it may seem feeble compared to ToM? That's a pretty heavy page drop. I can understand if it were a 224 page book, but from 285 to 160 has me worrying about its popularity and even its content. Nine Disciplines, a number 3 times as big as the "3 new magic systems" of ToM.

Magic books just have a lot of focus on spells (or the equivalent). Books for fighting have less need for that sort of thing, so I have no problems with a smaller page count for such a book.

 

[Nifft]

I expect it won't be as good as Tome of Magic, because Tome of Magic is a solid block of 99.44% pure awesome compressed to the density of diamond.

But if it's merely 2/3 as good, that's still a lot of awesome.

-- N

 

[Soel]

I'm thinking that its going to be 3 more base classes along the lines of the Combat Form or Psychic Body feats. Probably two of which I won't have a use for, and the other that will really shine (Just going off of the little bits I've read.)

I hope its not like the Incarnum classes with alignment having a hinge on the mechanics. I hope its more ToM and PH2 and less Incarnum and WoL.

I'm gonna look at it with an open eye, though.

 

[sckeener]

I have zero interest in this book. I have zero interest in chained or combo attacks and I fear that is all this book is going to be.....

 

[Greylock]

ToM also has three setting/adventure hooks, lots of fluff to introduce the tons of new crunch, and is heavy on artwork. Much more so than I would expect from ToB.

 

[Razz]

If it's a almost all "crunch" book then I can also understand the 160 page count.

 

[Steel_Wind]

To be blunt, I'm not expecting much: other than to be disappointed.

We'll see.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I have no expectations for this book at all. Neither good ones or bad ones. I took the same approach with Tome of Magic, which turned out to be an excellent addition to my game. (The exception in Truename magic - which just does not fit my campaigns, but which looks very good anyways. )

Perhaps 'guardedly hopeful' fits.

The Auld Grump

 

[MadMaxim]

I'm looking forward to it. Perhaps it'll make combat a little more interesting with combos and stuff like that. It would be fun to see how they'd work that out in terms of game mechanics. I'm catiously optimistic. Then again, Tome of Magic completely blew me away and I can only hope that Tome of Battle does the same.