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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Derulbaskul" data-source="post: 2014637" data-attributes="member: 1581">Psion,Good review.I recently made the mistake of purchasing this book after reading a review that didn’t deal with the errors and poor design judgements you mentioned in your review (plus I liked the maps). Afterwards, I posted my questions over at the Goodman boards about the rationale behind the “random” saving throw progressions (http://www.goodman-games.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=154). FWIW, I counted nine new non-standard saving throw progressions just for the first three prestige classes. I counted another four before I lost interest in what was an exercise in futility.Anyway, this was Joe Goodman’s response to me calling the progressions “wrong” after he commented that they were “innovative”:(quote)I think the most important word in your post is "wrong." The saving throw progressions aren't "wrong." They are intentionally unlike the standard progressions. That was an intentional move on the authors' part, and I intentionally left them as-is when I edited the book. (You might want to consider the authors' credentials when making accusations of error.) Intentional deviation from an authoritative rules standard is a mark of design innovation, not error. What determines the ultimate value of the change is how it affects game play.(unquote)I must admit that this left me with the “FFE/900 Words”-feeling: “we’re not making mistakes, we’re just radical and innovative”.The derro is another error. Basically, UAG uses the 3E version rather than the 3.5E version (Monstrous Humanoid; 3 racial hit dice). Again, this is called innovative design... um, I think it’s just an error.Personally, I felt your rating of 3 was possibly generous. To me, a 2 is more accurate as I can only salvage the maps and the artist has these posted at his website. The rest is useless, although a Gamma World DM might enjoy some of the information on radiation.However, your colleague’s rating of 4 for this product is simply wrong. I realise judgements about value are subjective but having to completely rebuild chapter one (half the book) means that the book really isn’t “Good”. I would still recommend FR’s Underdark, even to DMs who refuse to touch FR, rather than have them waste money on UAG. Actually, I think even the 1E Dungeoneer’s Survival Guide or the 2E Driz’zt Do’urden’s Guide to the Underdark are better purchases than this book.</blockquote>

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