[XRP] Just what is in A Magical Society: Beast Builder anyway?

[Garnfellow]

I am not (exactly) trying to argue, but it is attached to a product that I am not (currently) interested in. If it were available separately I would be interested. (If Wulf wants to take that as a hint...)

So nothing against the system. Just that if I buy a product I want to be able to use the majority of the product. At this point I am interested in the CR estimator for GT, and a bit by the separately available Mass Combat, but not in the bulk of the system.

Though I will admit that having the spreadsheet included is nifty.

Actually, it /is/ available separately as a pdf. Well worth checking out.

 

[devilish]

I'll start a folder of e-mail addresses and when the PDF/book hits the shelves I'll send out an e-mail.

How does a PDF book hit the shelves?

Expect my email soon....

 

[jgbrowning]

I am not (exactly) trying to argue, but it is attached to a product that I am not (currently) interested in. If it were available separately I would be interested. (If Wulf wants to take that as a hint...)

I understand. It wasn't easy for us to decide to make the book a bit shorter, but I knew that if I were to write another 20 pages it would be delayed at least a month (probably more). So we regretfuly had to delete the CR appendix.

You can buy the CR estimator by itself. Wulf's smartly separated it. Just follow this link. GT CR Estimator.

I think most any monster concept can be boiled down to, "Something to harrass the PCs with."

Yep.

Of course, when designing a monster my first concern is not how the players are going to deal with it, but how it fits into its environment. So for me niche is concept. How an animal fits into the local environment determines abilities and behaviors, and so shapes how it interacts with the PCs.

That's right, I'm a cruel, evil person who does not think the PCs are the center of the universe.

Hopefully you find some good information in BB then. I think monsters should serve two purposes: making fun for the game and world building. I think every GMs interested in the first and the vast majority are interested in the second.

Schweet! That oughtta rock on toast.

I think it's going to be an awesome book. Hopefully, it will come out around Christmass of 2005 or early 2006.

How does a PDF book hit the shelves?

Softly. Very Softly. Unless you print it out and then its Messily.

joe b.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Actually, it /is/ available separately as a pdf. Well worth checking out.

I understand. It wasn't easy for us to decide to make the book a bit shorter, but I knew that if I were to write another 20 pages it would be delayed at least a month (probably more). So we regretfuly had to delete the CR appendix.

You can buy the CR estimator by itself. Wulf's smartly separated it. Just follow this link. GT CR Estimator.

joe b.

Ah! That makes all the difference. Thank you both for telling me.

The Auld Grump

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Hmmm, a fair number of things seem to be missing for guesstemation purposes. I encountered some on the first few I tried doing with it... And no reply to my question on the Bad Axe Forum on Mortality.

The Auld Grump

 

[Cergorach]

Joe i just bought your book and i love your writing style (as always), i particulary love the section headers such as “ICK! I’M A WHAT?”.

 

[devilish]

Joe i just bought your book and i love your writing style (as always), i particulary love the section headers such as “ICK! I’M A WHAT?”.

Wha? Joe, you've released and not told us? *pouts and goes to boards*

On drivethrurpg(watermarked) but not rpgnow. Is there going to be a rpgnow version or no?

just curious,
-D

 

[jgbrowning]

Wha? Joe, you've released and not told us? *pouts and goes to boards*

On drivethrurpg(watermarked) but not rpgnow. Is there going to be a rpgnow version or no?

just curious,
-D

I was waiting for both sites to have the book up for sale before making any announcements. I submitted information to both simultanously and didn't expect anything to be up until tomorrow earliest.... so I'm as surprised as you are.

There will most certainly be a rpgnow.com one up for sale. If not by tonight, by tomorrow morning (which is what I was suspecting to happen.) They're always prompt about getting new products out.

joe b.

 

[EricNoah]

Looks good; nice to have a master list of special attacks and special qualities especially.

Haven't looked thoroughly, but is there a discussion of the purpose/effects of DR and SR? One of my DMs and I were discussing these two items the other day and the (possibly unneccessary) complications they inject into combat. They seemed to us like redundant systems (DR is like another kind of AC and/or hp, and SR is like another kind of saving throw). Just curious if there's a page I should be turning to to address these items.

Also, I was a little confused by the examples given at the start of the D20 System Mechanic chart. The example with Will Save +7 vs. DC 28 in the Save Percentages paragraph seems to imply that there's 0% chance to make the save (when, as I understand it, a natural 20 always succeeds, and thus there's a 5% chance of success -- the "5" in your "5N" notation). Perhaps I'm misreading. Edit: and likewise, the attack example with +33 attack vs. AC 29 -- implies 100% success, when (as I understand it), a 1 always misses.

Are you interested in hearing about typos, missing punctuation, etc.? I hate to start doing that if it's not wanted -- but there is a missing parenthesis on p. 203, item IV.A.

I pointed my DM to this book, btw, as he was just telling me that he wanted to design a monster from scratch and didn't know where to begin.

 

[jgbrowning]

Looks good; nice to have a master list of special attacks and special qualities especially.

Glad you liked it. I think it will be very useful when making homebrew monsters.

Haven't looked thoroughly, but is there a discussion of the purpose/effects of DR and SR? One of my DMs and I were discussing these two items the other day and the (possibly unneccessary) complications they inject into combat. They seemed to us like redundant systems (DR is like another kind of AC and/or hp, and SR is like another kind of saving throw). Just curious if there's a page I should be turning to to address these items.

I don't specifically discuss the effects of DR and SR, but if I had made the friggen d20 table correctly it would help a lot with determining % success and failure rates. Thanks for the catch, Eric.

Also, I was a little confused by the examples given at the start of the D20 System Mechanic chart. The example with Will Save +7 vs. DC 28 in the Save Percentages paragraph seems to imply that there's 0% chance to make the save (when, as I understand it, a natural 20 always succeeds, and thus there's a 5% chance of success -- the "5" in your "5N" notation). Perhaps I'm misreading. Edit: and likewise, the attack example with +33 attack vs. AC 29 -- implies 100% success, when (as I understand it), a 1 always misses.

Embarrasingly enough, I missed that train of thought. We'll have to redo the chart.

Are you interested in hearing about typos, missing punctuation, etc.? I hate to start doing that if it's not wanted -- but there is a missing parenthesis on p. 203, item IV.A.

I'm alway interested in finding errors. If you'd mail a list to josephbrowning@exp.citymax.com we'll see what we can do.

I pointed my DM to this book, btw, as he was just telling me that he wanted to design a monster from scratch and didn't know where to begin.

I hope that the book is specific enough and yet general enough to help a new person as well as a person who's been doing it for a while.

joe b.