Man-thing
First Post
philreed said:So what makes a good fluff book for you? One with specific information about a game setting or general text that allows you to use the product in almost any campaign?
Both really:
For campaign setting material it needs to be something that provides the nuances and details. Back in 2nd there used to be this things called accessories that were filled with ideas that provided details to a world with talking for page on a pages of vague overviews or histories.
Particularly I liked:
The Poor Wizard's Almanacs and the Gazateers(For mystara)
I liked Thieves of Lankmar, Rogues of Lankhmar, and Cutthroats of Lankhmar (For Lankhmar obviously; which detail personalities and stores, guilds et cetera in the main city) Of course the line was dropped before the last one was written so I don't have a complete set.
Aurora's whole realms catalog (I've used that book in many of my settings)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I find that for general text I turn to Ronn Arts stuff for bits and ideas. But I don't find a lot of general information for many publisher that isn't loaded with cruchy bits.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
<Begin Rant>
Although thinking this through more and more I'm disliking the word "fluff" I think that a better word would be context. Material needs to be firmly buried within a working contect. I have a lot of books that are filled with new mechanics and ideas but no context.
I find a lot of books out their introduce this feat/spell/prc/magic item because I thought it be fun or its missing. Rarely is the material imbedded within a reason for existing and if it is a lot of people and reviews will say the material is setting specific. Where it would be better to say concept specific in many cases.
<End Rant>
In a lot of cases I find the e-book offerings take the risk and provide context that may be reduced in a print book to make sure its viable to powergaming consumers.