Charwoman Gene
Adventurer
Please point out the Paizo product that was produced before D&D 3.5.
WotC hasn't produced a non-hardcover full glossy rulebook since then. (They are releasing one in january, however.)
Wotc takes on ... Optimization?!?
- Thread starter Runestar
- Start date
Please point out the Paizo product that was produced before D&D 3.5.
WotC hasn't produced a non-hardcover full glossy rulebook since then. (They are releasing one in january, however.)
Shemeska
Adventurer
Huh? I was talking about the current situation in the market.
WotC is doing the full color hard back releases, but so are competitors to the extent that it really isn't making WotC stand out in any way, market leaders or not.
thatdarnedbob
First Post
You used the term "a bit late" in relation to a decision made in 2003, which doesn't seem to relate to the current market at all. If you meant something else by that, please let us know!
I think what others are saying is that WOTC stepped up at the beginning of 3.5 with hardbacks. Contrast 3.0 Sword and Fist (B&W art, softcover) which at the time looked no different than a competitor's product and 3.5's Complete Warrior which at the time didn't have any competitors (full colour, hardback)
NOW, everyone is going full colour and hardback but when 3.5 first came out? Nope...and there certainly wasn't any competing Paizo products.
re: Art
Yeah, I noticed that too. WAR's B&W art looks better than his full colour pieces. I think it might be because ironically, there's TOO much colour so that all the decals/ornaments stand out and the art becomes too busy/cluttered whereas the B&W art looks clean....
It had a lot of advice on naming your character and coming up with backstories to justify a 1/2 Orc Paladin or Dwavern Wizard or similar idea that would seem alien to a 1st/2nd edition purist due to the old class/race restrictions.
The only aspect of the game that it might successfully optimize is your role-playing experience, but most experienced players probably don't need any help coming up with a reason why a Halfling would be a class other than Rogue or picking out an 'elvish-sounding' name.
Starfox
Hero
In the recent Sorcerer Essentials, WotC explicitly says that they are only "soft" optimizing, and recommends the optimization forum of their own boards for more "hard" optimization.
Quoted from the postscript of the article:
"The Essentials series tries to include a great deal of character-building advice as well as tactical advice...
We fully recognize that those of you who enjoy an optimized character might find this advice lacking, so we encourage you to seek out our character optimization boards in the community forums."
I don't think this will be an optimization book as much as a book of anecdotes and showcases.
Quoted from the postscript of the article:
"The Essentials series tries to include a great deal of character-building advice as well as tactical advice...
We fully recognize that those of you who enjoy an optimized character might find this advice lacking, so we encourage you to seek out our character optimization boards in the community forums."
I don't think this will be an optimization book as much as a book of anecdotes and showcases.
Keefe the Thief
Hero
Which makes it pretty awesome. And with Penny Arcade-Style art to boot! I´ve been waiting for a book like this - too often, D&D is taken too seriously.
BTW, i hope it doesn´t offend anybody if i say that some of the negative posts in this thread taste like sweet nectar.
BTW, i hope it doesn´t offend anybody if i say that some of the negative posts in this thread taste like sweet nectar.
Whatever that means.
I'm betting it means "We really, really want you to think that for some value of roleplay/optimization preference and player skill level, Careful Strike is a good pick."
Dice4Hire
First Post
I think it will be on the level of use feats and abilities that add together, raising someone from 30% or so efficiency up to 66% or so efficiency.
Nothing wrong with that.
