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Worst book WotC made for 3.0?
- Thread starter crinos43
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I had to use multiple votes. But if I had had to use one, it would have been the Epic Level Handbook (although I also voted for AEG, DDG, Psionics Handbook, Stronghold Builder's Guidebook and Book of Challenges). When I read the Paladin advancement table in that, I actually laughed out loud in the gaming store.
However, if I were to vote for the most disappointing, it would be the DDG. There have been such advancements since 1980 in how games handle religion, it was very disappointing to see all that text wasted on how gods do in combat while all kinds of questions about how their churches work, etc. remained unanswered.
I voted for AEG because I bought it and felt ripped off. I suppose I wouldn't hate the book if it had cost me less than $15 instead of the $25+ it cost me.
However, if I were to vote for the most disappointing, it would be the DDG. There have been such advancements since 1980 in how games handle religion, it was very disappointing to see all that text wasted on how gods do in combat while all kinds of questions about how their churches work, etc. remained unanswered.
I voted for AEG because I bought it and felt ripped off. I suppose I wouldn't hate the book if it had cost me less than $15 instead of the $25+ it cost me.
Mouseferatu
Hero
Darn it, meant to click the ELH along with Arms & Equipment, and I didn't. Poo.
Edit: Some clarification is in order...
I don't object to the concept of epic levels. I just have a problem with the execution. Frankly, I thought the numbers got way out of hand; if you've got a +95 to a Skill, 1d20 isn't particularly random.
I'd have preferred that the epic level powers allows PCs to do stuff they couldn't previously do, but not by granting them additional skill points to do them.
Edit: Some clarification is in order...
I don't object to the concept of epic levels. I just have a problem with the execution. Frankly, I thought the numbers got way out of hand; if you've got a +95 to a Skill, 1d20 isn't particularly random.
I'd have preferred that the epic level powers allows PCs to do stuff they couldn't previously do, but not by granting them additional skill points to do them.
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Psion
Adventurer
Deities & Demigods. There were some with limited utility or big swaths of wasted space, but this one takes the cake. Just how much of this book is campaign useful? Very little. WotC didn't learn their lessons from 2e. Faiths & Avatar was a hit even among non-FR fans, precisely because it was useful to the players.
The idea of a "deity monster manual" is seriously outmoded. I am not of the opinion that deities should never be confronted, but groups that can make use of a book primarily composed of deity stats are in the serious minority.
I agree with the limited usefulness and problems with ELH, AEG, and Stronghold Builders, but DDG is the biggest waste of them all.
The idea of a "deity monster manual" is seriously outmoded. I am not of the opinion that deities should never be confronted, but groups that can make use of a book primarily composed of deity stats are in the serious minority.
I agree with the limited usefulness and problems with ELH, AEG, and Stronghold Builders, but DDG is the biggest waste of them all.
Gez
First Post
None.
There are some I'm not interested in (A&EG, Stronghold thingie, Book of Challenges, from that list; but also Herobuilder's thingie and Enemies&Allies); some that I wish would have been done better, with more insight and interoperability (Deities & Demigods, ELH, Psionics); but I don't want to deny those it may serve the books I'm not interested in; and I don't think it would have been better to not adress levels 21+, gods, or psionics at all.
There are some I'm not interested in (A&EG, Stronghold thingie, Book of Challenges, from that list; but also Herobuilder's thingie and Enemies&Allies); some that I wish would have been done better, with more insight and interoperability (Deities & Demigods, ELH, Psionics); but I don't want to deny those it may serve the books I'm not interested in; and I don't think it would have been better to not adress levels 21+, gods, or psionics at all.
A'koss
Explorer
I agree that Deities and Demigods doesn't have a whole lot of practical use in most games, but I've been able to pull a few nuggets of goodness from it.
The Psionics book is probably the most disappointing for me for I keep hoping that a good set of psionics rules will come to D&D... and I'm continually disappointed.
The Arms & Equipment Guide? I thumbed through it at the local gaming store and went "nope". Ditto for the Hero Builder's Guidebook.
I have been able to pull some useful tidbits from the Epic Level Handbook, at least insofar as ideas and guideliness for my own HL rules. Personally, I'm of the opinion that any efforts to create a set of high level rules that build upon the problems we already see in the core rules is doomed to failure. The game just wasn't designed with epic levels in mind.
The Psionics book is probably the most disappointing for me for I keep hoping that a good set of psionics rules will come to D&D... and I'm continually disappointed.
The Arms & Equipment Guide? I thumbed through it at the local gaming store and went "nope". Ditto for the Hero Builder's Guidebook.
I have been able to pull some useful tidbits from the Epic Level Handbook, at least insofar as ideas and guideliness for my own HL rules. Personally, I'm of the opinion that any efforts to create a set of high level rules that build upon the problems we already see in the core rules is doomed to failure. The game just wasn't designed with epic levels in mind.
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