What are the opinions on Ptolus?

[Yair]

I have to ask... Do you realize that the Ptolus book IS a whole campaign in a book?

Yes... but a) I don't trust Monte to put out the campaign that I like (our tastes seem to differ), and b) I'm pretty sure I'd like the other's campaigns. c) I have a feeling this campaign won't be a "real" campaign, but rather "campaign material".

To each their own though! All of the reasons you listed for things you don't want are things I *do* want! The adage, "one man's trash is another man's treasure" definitely holds true there.

Peace and smiles

 

[Bagpuss]

I would love to own it, I think the price is probably justified, but I can't afford it.

 

[Ravensblood]

Ok so I'm sold on it. I've preordered Ptolus and am looking forward to all the material which will take me forever to go through and incorporate into my next campaign. I did download the first pdf but what is this second one that Whizbang is talking about?

"I preordered and have been running a campaign set in the world of Ptolus since January and love the flavor of the world. The two PDFs taken from the book that folks who preordered have gotten have just confirmed everything I thought to be true about the book."

 

[Ravensblood]

I preordered and have been running a campaign set in the world of Ptolus since January and love the flavor of the world. The two PDFs taken from the book that folks who preordered have gotten have just confirmed everything I thought to be true about the book.

Ok so I'm sold on it. I've preordered Ptolus and am looking forward to all the material which will take me forever to go through and incorporate into my next campaign. I did download the first pdf but what is this second one that Whizbang is talking about?

 

[DethStryke]

I would love to own it, I think the price is probably justified, but I can't afford it.

Thinking more on this, I believe the following reasons are key for me:

1. The content and topics, from what I've read, are right up my alley. This is, of course, the most important point. However, that being said...
2. The limited release structure , coupled with...
3. The amount of Bonus materials provided if you pre-order before July 16th (which I did).

By itself, the book is UNDER the line for me to say it's worth it. WITH the CD, 5 pack of Player's Guides, the full modules, etc... that's when it becomes cost effective in my eyes.

I would, however, pay up to 80 bucks for the book alone. My math may not add up, and I have not tried to crunch the numbers (cover price value of included items against the 130 cost vs. what the book would "end up costing" after those are removed), but that is my gut feeling on it.

I think another important point for my view is that I do NOT buy RPG books. I run and play with Core Rules only (DMG, PHB, MM1). I would only consider the other Monster Manuals, but that's about it. So to put forth money for ANY book is a strech for me. I did buy the Forgotten Realms Campaign Book, and that got a small amount of use... but that was when it first came out.

I did break down and get the Spell Compendium. I have some complaints on the layout, but I have found that a useful purchase. I think when I DM again, I'd buy more books. I own alot of Star Wars Revised D20 books because of that. Perhaps Ptolus will be the start of that spending extravaganza, much to my wife's dismay.

 

[luke_twigger]

I did download the first pdf but what is this second one that Whizbang is talking about?

PT1 is free to everyone. If you did the Pre-Order before the necessary cut-off dates (31 May for PT1, 30th June PT2) you should have received emails with Discount Coupons to allow you to download PT2 and PT3 for free. If you should have received these emails but didn't then try contacting White Wolf Customer Service at http://secure1.white-wolf.com/catalog/contact_us.php. I believe Pre-Orders also get a PT4 PDF on 1st August for free.

PT1 Players Guide
http://shop.enworld.org/index.php?do=product&productid=1533&source=Search for ptolus

PT2 World of Praemal
http://shop.enworld.org/index.php?do=product&productid=1534&source=Search for ptolus

PT3 Ptolus Organisations
http://shop.enworld.org/index.php?do=product&productid=1680&source=Search for ptolus

Edits (thanks to Jaws for the corrections below)

 

[Voadam]

I run a shared world homebrew campaign based in Ptolus since we played through banewarrens.

I am the current DM and recently bought the module and picked up the free player's guide. I tied in Demon God's Fane easily as taking place on a backwater of the Empire with some modifications. We started the religious civil war and involved fiendish politics as well.

I was a bit dissapointed in the player's guide. Ptolus is supposed to be the most racially cosmopolitan city in the setting where magic and monster races are expected to be seen running down the streets but it is still supermajority human. I expected Monte to back it up with a more fantastic D&D melting pot trade city vibe than the PG actually gives.

 

[Jaws]

Incorrect, luke_twigger.

The PDF PT2: The World of Praemal was free to anyone who pre-ordered by May 31st and PT3: Organizations was free to people who pre-ordered by June 30th.

No deal on the rest of the PDFs.


Peace and smiles

j.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Here's my take:

I've been very happy with Monte Cook's work. Very, very happy. I own/use Arcana Evolved, Iron Heroes, etc., in my home brew. When I first heard about Ptolus, there was a gleam in my eye that could blot out the sun.

However....

The Player's Guide left me feeling "Meh". There was just nothing in the book that made me want to leap into the setting. On one hand, I feel that the material exists, and is in the big book...the stuff that would make me go "Woah! Cool!" OTOH, if I was a player, given the Player's Guide, what would convince me to stay in the city?

Thing is, I know that, deep down, I want to buy the book. But I need more convincing...and I don't like the idea of support material only for pre-orders.

If you found the Player's Guide exciting from a PC standpoint, I'd love to hear why.

 

[catsclaw227]

The PDF PT2: The World of Praemal was free to anyone who pre-ordered by May 31st and PT3: Organizations was free to people who pre-ordered by June 30th.

No deal on the rest of the PDFs.

Wow, this is a bummer! I was under the impression that I was getting all the PDF's for free, as a result of preordering. I am not sure why I have this understanding; I think I may have been dazed by the list of "freebies" that come along with it, that I assumed that the PDF would be free ala GOO's Game of Throne's Deluxe edition.

Basically Ptolus is going to cost even more than I thought, since I often use PDF and Print together for the copy/paste functionality it a PDF brings to the table.