PHB II

[Scipion_Emilien]

Personnally im looking forward to it. I think they could do a lot of stuff to help character personnalisation since they don't have to wonder with rule (while i like D&D, the rule chapter are dry but sooooo dry).

Of course, I will wait and see before buying, Wotc has the bad habit to often make good mechanic with bad fluff. And personnally, mechanic without a "soul" i find them boring.

[Jonathan Winters]

Nobody has a gun to your head saying you should buy this book.

MAYBE it will be a good book. who knows? It might even be amazing.

Does it interest me? Not really. But it might appeal to others.

If it's really that bad, it will hurt Wizards in the long run. They will learn from it. I doubt they are stupid.

Just remember: Vote with your money.

Patrick

[Jester of the FoS]

It's not so much the earning the living, it's more the earning the living by ripping off players, by "recycling content".

Well, technically, everything published after 1979 is just ripping-off Gygax's original ideas expanding on wargaming.

[Le Noir Faineant]

O don't think we will see the 4e too soon. d20 and OGL are just too mighty right now. Many WotC customers buy the basic books, but play in totally different settings. I am sure most people nowatdays play D&D because of the settings and not the ruleset. If WotC stops the d20 license, and other companies decide to develop their own systems, that might pretty much be the end of D&D ruling the market. > IMO, at least.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Nobody has a gun to your head saying you should buy this book.

Speak for yourself!
[Sound of a gun cocking]
[Socko:]"Shut up and buy the damn book!

Well, technically, everything published after 1979 is just ripping-off Gygax's original ideas expanding on wargaming.

Perhaps so, but I think the complaint is that the book has advertised that they will be republishing classes already found in previous books. Though, the ammount of content is probably small.

On further analysis, I think that my main objection to this book is not its idea, but rather its marketing. The Players Handbook was the quintessential document for D&D - without which play was nearly impossible. Oh, you could roleplay a D20 game of your own design, but D&D was out of reach unless you compiled hundreds of loose notes from hundreds of D&D sources.
So, does not the name Players Handbook II suggest that the book should have a similar (if only slightly less) necessity for the game?

What will seperate this book from Frostburn, or Tome of Battle, or [ugh] Players Guide to Ebberon?
Or, more to the point, why should we get this book as opposed to Montey Cooks Arcana Unearthed books?

[alhoon]

It won't be necessary obviously... it is a book of Character options.
Back when 3rd edition came out, we said "WOW! Look how many options!"

But so many years later, with so much more options, one book to compile them all is more than welcome to me.

[Jester of the FoS]

What's a better name then? Heroes of Options? Book of Vile New Rules?

[Jonathan Winters]

To SCS: Very funny!

Also, Monte Cook's AE stuff is obviously very non-RL. BUT, it is well made. If you are interested in a different setting, please check it out! I have even started including stuff from it into my RL game (!). (Please don't throw anything my way...)

I am even running a MotRD game using the ''When the Sky Falls'' Event book. I admit my game has bit of a League of X Gentlemen (the comics) feel to it.

And wait until I use ''Requiem for a God'' in my regular RL game! I just have to decide which God to kill... Hum...

(Sorry if I am rambling a little, this is worknight number 7...)

Patrick

[Spiteful Crow]

Why settle for killing only one god? There's gotta be enough godsblood for the whole party!

[Scipion_Emilien]

Also, Monte Cook's AE stuff is obviously very non-RL. BUT, it is well made. If you are interested in a different setting, please check it out! I have even started including stuff from it into my RL game (!). (Please don't throw anything my way...)

I always wonder if Iron heroes was a good base for RL. Is AE an Iron Hero book?

[Corrupted_Loremaster]

Not sure as to the relation between Iron Heroes and AE, but yes, you could use it for RL, but you'll have to keep in mind that Iron Heroes is designed for a slightly more cinematic style of play than you normally see in RL, with a lot of focus on big set-peice battles, and the since the classes are designed to have about the same power level as characters in settings where magic items are freely availible, they'll be signifigantly stronger than normal PHB classes would be at that point, as most DM around here tend to be very...stingy with magic items when running RL.

[Jonathan Winters]

Yes, from what I have read, Iron Heroes is distinct from AE.

More battles!!!!

I think there are eigth new classes and only one(maybe two) magic user in there. And magic doesn't seem too easy to wield or reliable(from what I read).

Somehow I can see it working in Vorostokov or something similar.

I wasn't interested in buying it cos I would have had to teach all my players a slightly different system and they are still trying to figure out MotRD...

But I somehow have no doubt it is well made and fun. (Yes, I like Monte Cook!)

Scipion: I suggest really sitting down for a couple of minutes at Le Valet and looking through it to see if it's worth it for your game. And please let us know what you think of it if you buy!

Patrick

BTW: I have just received my ''Player's Guides to Ptolus''! Yay!

Spiteful Crow: Yes, that is a tempting offer! (Ha! Ha!) But I think it would lose some of its shock value (and meaning) if I went on a deity-killing rampage...

[Scipion_Emilien]

Scipion: I suggest really sitting down for a couple of minutes at Le Valet and looking through it to see if it's worth it for your game. And please let us know what you think of it if you buy!

Next time i'll go to Montréal i'll see, but since it happen rarely my best sources remain online forums. I so wish that they open a RPG bookshop in my city...

[Dion of the Fraternity]

Ah, a KNIGHT character class.

Which always shows everything can't be all THAT bad... heck, I'm trying to live an uneasy peace with Champions of Darkness.

[Jester of the FoS]

Table of Contents

Introduction
What You Need to Play

Chapter 1: New Classes
New Starting Packages
Beguiler
Beguiler Spell List
Dragon Shaman
Duskblade
Knight
Ex-Knights

Chapter 2: Expanded Classes
New Starting Packages
Barbarian
Bard
Cleric
Druid
Favored Soul
Fighter
Hexblade
Marshal
Monk
Paladin
Ranger
Rogue
Scout
Sorcerer
Swashbuckler
Warlock
Warmage
Wizard

Chapter 3: New Feats
General Feats
Ceremony Feats
Combat Form Feats
Divine Feats
Heritage Feats
Metamagic Feats
Tactical Feats

Chapter 4: New Spells
Dual-School Spells
The Polymorph Subschool

Chapter 5: Building Your Identity
Character Background
Artisan
Ascetic
Drifter
Farm Hand
Gladiator
Guttersnipe
Mariner
Noble Scion
Soldier
Tribal Origin
Personality Archetypes
Agent
Challenger
Companion
Crusader
Daredevil
Explorer
Innocent
Leader
Martyr
Mercenary
Orphan
Prophet
Rebel
Renegade
Royalty
Sage
Savage
Seeker
Simple Soul
Strategist
Theorist
Trickster
Wanderer
Personality Traits
Being a Good Player at the Table
Managing the Paperwork
Rolling Conventions
Respect the Spotlight
Other Concerns
Talk About Your Character
Chapter 6: The Adventuring Group
Party Backgrounds
Charter
Childhood Friendship
Chosen
Circumstance
Organization
Building the Party
Adventuring Party Basics
Being a Team Player
Teamwork Benefits
What is a Teamwork Benefit?
The Team Roster
Teamwork Benefit Descriptions
Awareness
Camp Routine
Circle of Blades
Crowded Charge
Cunning Ambush
Cunning Ambush, Improved
Expert Mountaineers
Foe Hunting
Group Trance
Indirect Fire
Like a Rock
Massed Charge
Missile Volley
Steadfast Resolve
Superior Team Effort
Team Melee Tactics
Team Rush
Team Shield Maneuver
Wall of Steel

Chapter 7: Affiliations
Broadening Your Game
The Two Categories of Affiliations
Why Join an Affiliation?
Membership Has Its Privileges
Features of Affiliations
Making Affiliations Dynamic
Example Affiliations
Bloodfist Tribe
Brightmantle Weapon Forge and Trading Consortium
Caravan of Shadows
Castle Mairo
The Chalice
Darkspire College of Thaun
Dragon Island
Elves of the High Forest
The Golden Helm Guild
The Land of Honor
Merata Kon
The One and the Five
Restenford Guild of Insurers, Solicitors, and Beggars
Restenford Sewerworkers Guild
Sharulhensa, the Alabaster Towers
Sun Fane
The Thunder Sail Argosy
Wintervein Dwarves
Creating Your Own Affiliations
Example of Play

Chapter 8: Rebuilding Your Character
Retraining
Class Feature Retraining
Feat Retraining
Language Retraining
Skill Retraining
Spell or Power Retraining
Substitution Level Retraining
Rebuilding
Ability Score Rebuilding
Class Level Rebuilding
Race Rebuilding
Template Rebuilding
Rebuild Quests
Rebuild Quests in the Game
The Gates of Dawn (Levels 6-8)
The Necrotic Cradle (Levels 13-15)
Appendix: Quick PC and NPC Creation
1. Choose a Class
2. Determine Ability Scores
3. Pick Your Race
4. Pick Your Skills
Skill Priority Lists
5. Pick Your Feats
6. Miscellaneous Characteristics
7. Choose Equipment
A la Carte Shopping
Equipment by Level
8. Pick Your Spells
Suggested Bard Spells
Suggested Cleric Spells (Positive Energy Channelers*)
Suggested Druid Spells
Suggested Duskblade Spells
Suggested Favored Soul Spells
Suggested Hexblade Spells
Suggested Marshal Auras
Suggested Paladin Spells
Suggested Ranger Spells
Suggested Sorcerer Spells
Suggested Warlock Invocations
Suggested Wizard Spells
Random Personalities