Waterdeep - I've got it
- Thread starter danbuter
- Start date
I saw this yesterday and the cover change bothered me (I know something like that doesn't affect the content but . . . well, you guys know what I mean). Flipping through it I just couldn't resolve the physical changes enough to buy it. Opening the book felt very strange -- the binding is tight and the books trys to spring shut.
Just because 3 of 160 pages are spent on adds doesn't make the book 157 pages (though it feels that way 
) There's a reason for the 32 page increments in the publishing business. It's something to do with the "sheets" they use...fits 32 pages on each...so to cut down costs you either go for 160 or 192 (or another number divisable by 32) as half "sheets" cannot be used again.
Btw, talking about those 32-pgae sheets. I bought this BIG history book (I study history) and when I'd read around 1100 pages in it, discovered that a sheet had not been included...no blank pages or anything. It just jumped 32 pages...luckily there's something called "damaged goods are exchanged for undamaged ones"...
) There's a reason for the 32 page increments in the publishing business. It's something to do with the "sheets" they use...fits 32 pages on each...so to cut down costs you either go for 160 or 192 (or another number divisable by 32) as half "sheets" cannot be used again.Btw, talking about those 32-pgae sheets. I bought this BIG history book (I study history) and when I'd read around 1100 pages in it, discovered that a sheet had not been included...no blank pages or anything. It just jumped 32 pages...luckily there's something called "damaged goods are exchanged for undamaged ones"...
IronWolf
blank
Baragos said:Just because 3 of 160 pages are spent on adds doesn't make the book 157 pages (though it feels that way
True... There *are* technically 160 pages in the book, but why waste the last three with ads? For Heroes of Battle page one is has the title of the book and authors listed, page two has the credits and page three is for the contents. All understandable in my opinion and quite normal. Pages 158-160 are ads. Why not have used those precious three pages for more content or even..... an index!
RichGreen
Adventurer
Hi,
I have FR1 Waterdeep, City System and the Volo's Guide but not the City of Splendours boxed set so I'm looking forward to reading about the updated Waterdeep. What is the writing like? I know quite a few people were disappointed with Champions of Ruin but I've found it surprisingly interesting to read, particularly the backgrounds to the organizations and prestige classes. I like Sharn, but the book was very dry in places.
Cheers
Richard
I have FR1 Waterdeep, City System and the Volo's Guide but not the City of Splendours boxed set so I'm looking forward to reading about the updated Waterdeep. What is the writing like? I know quite a few people were disappointed with Champions of Ruin but I've found it surprisingly interesting to read, particularly the backgrounds to the organizations and prestige classes. I like Sharn, but the book was very dry in places.
Cheers
Richard
Shemeska
Adventurer
Kae'Yoss said:
Seems to be the case from what I've heard from others.
Now after refusing to buy CoR for several reasons, I'm very likely to get Waterdeep. I have maybe three 2e FR books and so I don't have ready access to those books and their level of detail. So for me, Waterdeep will be a good buy. But still, I can only look at 3e FR books and beyond the better artwork they really don't give you as much.
Here's something I'd like to see:
Someone get a words per page count for the original Waterdeep box/sourcebook from 2e, then correct the cover price accounting for inflation and tell us how much $ per words per page we payed for that compared to the same numbers for the 3e FR books on average. Considering the seemingly larger font sizes in some recent books, I'd like to see how it all stacks up in terms of value and content.
Darrin Drader
Explorer
Well, with all the bashing on Champions of Ruin, I'm glad I turned that one down and waited for Apocalypse to roll around. When I heard about it, my initial reaction was that there was already a Book of Vile Darkness, why do we need a special one for the Forgotten Realms?
Anyway, hopefully my copy of Waterdeep will show up next week. Despite the length (and I would like it if it had more content) I know its written by Eric Boyd, so the continuity will be tight and the writing should be engaging. I'm looking forward to it, but it does sound like I'll need to keep the material from the previous editions handy when I plan to use it - kind of a bummer since I think it would have been better if it presented everything you need to know about the city to run a game there.
Anyway, hopefully my copy of Waterdeep will show up next week. Despite the length (and I would like it if it had more content) I know its written by Eric Boyd, so the continuity will be tight and the writing should be engaging. I'm looking forward to it, but it does sound like I'll need to keep the material from the previous editions handy when I plan to use it - kind of a bummer since I think it would have been better if it presented everything you need to know about the city to run a game there.
3catcircus
Adventurer
Hmm...
I don't know why there is no love for Champions of Ruin - it *isn't* a player book, it is a DM book, and it does what it does fairly well.
Anyway - on to Waterdeep:
It *is* a fairly thin book, but the information it does have is very good. I sat there reading it, thinking "*this* is the type of information I've been longing for for years in a product describing a city." It goes into good detail on crime & punishment and law & order in the city, including the makeup of the city's police and military forces. It goes into good detail on the various guilds and other organizations. It goes into acceptable detail on specific buildings in the city. I *really* like the section on the different religions/churches in the city - this information is worth it's weight in gold. Even the prestige classes are good (they are flavorful and have a *reason* for existing and aren't just power-gamers' and munchkins' masturbatory material.)
Now - the downside (take this with a grain of salt - I already have all the 1st and 2nd edition products on Waterdeep, Skullport and Undermountain): the maps. Yes, they look pretty in a 3.x sort of way. But, it is a letdown after the 1st edition City System boxed set which has, hands down, the best and most detailed maps of Waterdeep that have (and probably will ever) be available. The map of the sewers is the shining spot since it has better detail than previous products, but the rest of the maps are merely adequate. The information on Skullport is a bit disappointing because of the lack of detail.
I don't know why there is no love for Champions of Ruin - it *isn't* a player book, it is a DM book, and it does what it does fairly well.
Anyway - on to Waterdeep:
It *is* a fairly thin book, but the information it does have is very good. I sat there reading it, thinking "*this* is the type of information I've been longing for for years in a product describing a city." It goes into good detail on crime & punishment and law & order in the city, including the makeup of the city's police and military forces. It goes into good detail on the various guilds and other organizations. It goes into acceptable detail on specific buildings in the city. I *really* like the section on the different religions/churches in the city - this information is worth it's weight in gold. Even the prestige classes are good (they are flavorful and have a *reason* for existing and aren't just power-gamers' and munchkins' masturbatory material.)
Now - the downside (take this with a grain of salt - I already have all the 1st and 2nd edition products on Waterdeep, Skullport and Undermountain): the maps. Yes, they look pretty in a 3.x sort of way. But, it is a letdown after the 1st edition City System boxed set which has, hands down, the best and most detailed maps of Waterdeep that have (and probably will ever) be available. The map of the sewers is the shining spot since it has better detail than previous products, but the rest of the maps are merely adequate. The information on Skullport is a bit disappointing because of the lack of detail.
The_Gunslinger658
First Post
hi-
Perhaps Waterdeep was not aimed at the old guard gamers but at the newer players who do not have access to the old books.
Scott
814th MP Co. 3rd Platoons new motto:
"Expect the Worst"
Perhaps Waterdeep was not aimed at the old guard gamers but at the newer players who do not have access to the old books.
Scott
814th MP Co. 3rd Platoons new motto:
"Expect the Worst"
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