Which dwarf book are you going to get?

[thalmin]

How about some info then. Page of contents type stuff. Breakdown or prestige classes.

How does the book look in relation to other books? I know it's format is a bit different.

First the bad news on Badaxe Games Dwarves book: it won't be available in stores until August.
Now for some info: format - 6x9 perfect bound, 62 crunchy pages. Very effective cover (hammer and anvil)
Eighteen Feats, Fighting Styles, Dwarven Runes, Skills, Dwarven Craftsmanship, TEN prestige classes, Dwarven roleplaying.

The book is small, but so filled with crunchy bits it is worth more than the $9.95 msrp.
If you like to play dwarves, GET THIS BOOK!
If you want to see how new feats can be designed to fit within the core balance of the game, GET THIS BOOK!
(Did I mention that I was impressed with this book?)
(edited to correct number of prestige classes)

 

[Pramas]

Are elves on the wane as the most beloved race? Or did each company schedule a dwarf book in the hopes that other companies would be looking to elves first, thus getting a leg up on the market?

Oh, it's like Master Class redux for us. When we announced that series last year, no one was doing class books. In the very first press release we said we are were doing the Witch's Handbook as part of the series. By the time it comes out, it'll be the third witch book released.

Races of Renown was similar. No one was doing race books when we announced the series, then Paradigm announces their own race series on the very same day (which led us to OGL Interlink). So no, we weren't trying to get a "leg up" on anybody, because we didn't know until later than anyone else was going to try a dwarf book. July will be interesting to say the least!

Here's the info from the back cover of Hammer & Helm. I must say it's one of my favorite GR books of this year. Totally packed with goodness, and completely illustrated by the very talented David Griffith.

Hammer and Helm: A Guidebook to Dwarves
A Races of Renown Sourcebook for the d20 System
GRR1101
MSRP: $19.95
ISBN: 0-9714380-5-6

Strength of Stone, Will of Steel

Hammer and Helm is the first of Green Ronin’s Races of Renown sourcebooks. A player’s toolkit packed with character options, Hammer and Helm explores dwarf culture through a plethora of expertly designed rules by Dragon Magazine editor Jesse Decker. If you want to learn the secrets of dwarven hair braiding and marriage rituals, look elsewhere. If you want 112 pages of options that let you completely customize your dwarf character, Hammer and Helm is for you. Go far beyond the core rulebooks with:

*16 new prestige classes, including the Stormhammer, Magesmith, Thunderthrower, and Acolyte of the Crystal Path.
*Over 50 new feats, including feats of two new types: bloodline and bonding.
*New underearth creatures and templates, such as the iron-souled and the hammerstruck.
*5 new domains and over 50 new spells.
*An armory full of new equipment, including the introduction of exotic armor.
*Enough new magic items to please the greediest dwarf.
*Dwarven siege weapons, including magical enhancements.
*Stunning interior illustrations by David Griffith.
*And a whole lot more!

There’s never been a better time to be a dwarf!

 

[Krug]

*16 new prestige classes, including the Stormhammer, Magesmith, Thunderthrower, and Acolyte of the Crystal Path.

If we begged, could we get the ful list of PrCs?
Or the index/content page?

Note to the other two publishers: Awaiting yours too.

 

[Falcon]

I am definitely buying Hammer & Helm. I think GR has been very consistent in the quality of their offerings, and based on PC's recommendation, will also be picking up BadAxe's book.

 

[Nightfall]

No offense to the Bad Axe guys or Matt at Mongoose Publishing, but I think I'm getting this one, mainly so I can have something to compliment the Giant book! I love things big and small!

 

[JoeGKushner]

I am definitely buying Hammer & Helm. I think GR has been very consistent in the quality of their offerings, and based on PC's recommendation, will also be picking up BadAxe's book.

The Q Books have been of varying use to me. The GR books have all been fairly well done. My favorites as a GM are the Armies and Legions but as a player, Secret College. Well, that's if you can ever find a GM who understands your longing to play a Death Knight. "No, I won't kill the party and sell them to my master. No, I will not serve Orcus. No, I don't know what that skeletal miniature with the black sword is doing on the table..."

 

[Nightfall]

LOL! Just one thing though, Death Knights serve Demogorgon, not Orcus. Demonic Knights, different story! I REALLY want that Secret college book though.

 

[teitan]

Hrmm

Were I to buy one it would be the Green Ronin book. I haven't liked anything from Mongoose as yet and who the hey is Bad Axe Games. The best dwarf book ever is Dwarves Deep for the Realms so I don't feel I need to go beyond that myself. Green Ronin is a pretty safe bet IMO.

Jason

 

[Mark]

I've only seen Heroes of High Favor: Dwarves (Bad Axe Games) thus far. It's a hell of a great book!

If you're thirsting for ideas I'm sure you'll want to get all three but I can only comment on what I have seen. Heroes of High Favor: Dwarves (Bad Axe Games) is well worth getting.

 

[Roland Delacroix]

How about some info then. Page of contents type stuff. Breakdown or prestige classes.

How does the book look in relation to other books? I know it's format is a bit different.

I'll be posting a review later this wek, prolly tommorow if I finish it at work.

Heroes of High Favor rocks! I won a free copy at gameday, but i would gladly pay the $10 or more for it! Lots of cool stuff and though its all crunchy bits they are crunchy bits that add FLAVA to a campaign. The crafting stuff is some of the coolest stuff i've seen in d20. I'll definitly buy all of Bad Axe games race books and Ben Durbin has been added to my buy-unseen list along with Chris Heppler and Monte Cook. Jason Carl is, of course, still rotting in my set-on-fire-on-sight list after Sword and Fist. I'm just sorry that I was too embarassed to ask Ben for his autograph at the Chi-Town gameday. Oh well.