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DM splat books

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
ikkleste
Feb 25, 2009 7:03:48 So we've had Open grave, MotP, and dragonomicon 1. The last of these was Jan.

I like these products but none are what I'm looking for just yet, we're playing Heroic which pushes MotP and Dragonomicon into majority redundancy. From what i can tell open grave is even majority paragon (and on a personal note Undead will be a minor factor in my campain at best).
So I'm keen for more of these DM oriented splat books, with stuff i can draw from and pull into my campain world.

But coming up we have dragonomicon 2 and the plane below, in Nov and Dec this year respectively. That's a long wait. And even then that's for more higher level stuff.

Now this isn't the end of the world, but it would be nice to see more stuff usable at early levels particularly as (i'd guess), a large number of people will be beginning campains at heroic over the last few months moving to paragon and epic as the campain takes them there.
Wouldn't it have made sense to start with slightly more heroic level splat and fill in the stuff about extra-planar travel and dragons a little later.
A little more raiding the goblin camp or clearing out the secret tunnels under than castle, rather than being attacked by elementals in your spelljammer or taking on dragons, vampires and liches.

I guess for now I'm left with my humble MM, by own made stuff from DMG, the odds and ends in dragon and the stat blocks from LFR that show up in the comp (Am I correct in deducing there's no way to get more info on the LFR material other than signing up?). Which is fine I guess, just would be nice I suppose to have a little more sourse material at the levels I'm playing.

Like i say I like the look of OG, MotP and Drag. But they aren't really applicable to what I'm running. i've been hoping for something a bit more relevent, but looking ahead I can't see much this year.
#2
rambaldi
Feb 25, 2009 7:39:19 MM2 and DMG2 not to your liking? The Dungeon Delve is listed as an accessory rather than adventure. Good to see Dragon out in a compiled paper form (I think? http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/242070000)

For other people after the 2009 releases to accompany reading this thread http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndlist&brand=All&year=2009&tablesort=2
#3
Tharag_Bocc
Feb 25, 2009 8:33:55 I'm sorry to hear that you feel that these books are of no use to you, however, I would like to point out that these books are in fact meant to be useful for all tiers.[INDENT]Draconomicon contains 45 monsters levels 1-10 and advice for using dragons at every tier of play, including heroic, in roles as diverse as advisory and patron. It includes two heroic tier hooks/quests (one at level 5 the other at level 7). It includes three dragon's lairs appropriate as adventure sites for heroic tier (levels 5, 6, and 9).

Manual of the Planes is more sparse. It contains only 7 monsters levels 1-10, though it only contains a total of 31 monsters. It primarily presents very generalized description of the planes without getting into tier specifics. Of the three, it is by far the most fluff oriented.

Open Grave contains 51 monsters levels 1-10 and advice for using undead at every tier of play, including heroic. Like Draconomicon it includes, hooks/quests and lairs (for levels 1, 3, and 7).[/INDENT]
#4
ikkleste
Feb 25, 2009 12:40:46 MM2 and DM2 I'm certainly interested in, and have actually pre-ordered. I'll probably pick up Dungeon Delve too to fill in when I'm rushed for prep time or something. But as far as they go I'm talking about "fluffier" inspiration.

As far as the other 3 go maybe I've the wrong impression, I might pick them up at some point MotP looks an interesting read and something I'll certainly get use out of if my campain lasts that long, the others will probably have the odd thing i can use, maybe a quest plot I can divert into or an occasional critter.

I guess where i was coming from was I saw them, thought "hmm not ideal, I'll see what else is coming up in that vibe" checked it out only to find more dragons and more planar stuff at the end of the year and not much else before then.

There's certainly a big gap between open grave in Jan to Dragonomicon in Nov, waiting for DM fluff. It seems like a big gap in the shedule and even one DM fluff book during the summer would "balence" the schedule, and it'd seem to make sense to fill the lower tiers a bit both because a) you've got dragons and planes already and more coming at the end of the year, and b) there'll be a whole load of people playing around heroic at the moment due to starting long term campains at low levels over the first year of the games life.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 ikkleste Feb 25, 2009 7:03:48	So we've had Open grave, MotP, and dragonomicon 1. The last of these was Jan. I like these products but none are what I'm looking for just yet, we're playing Heroic which pushes MotP and Dragonomicon into majority redundancy. From what i can tell open grave is even majority paragon (and on a personal note Undead will be a minor factor in my campain at best). So I'm keen for more of these DM oriented splat books, with stuff i can draw from and pull into my campain world. But coming up we have dragonomicon 2 and the plane below, in Nov and Dec this year respectively. That's a long wait. And even then that's for more higher level stuff. Now this isn't the end of the world, but it would be nice to see more stuff usable at early levels particularly as (i'd guess), a large number of people will be beginning campains at heroic over the last few months moving to paragon and epic as the campain takes them there. Wouldn't it have made sense to start with slightly more heroic level splat and fill in the stuff about extra-planar travel and dragons a little later. A little more raiding the goblin camp or clearing out the secret tunnels under than castle, rather than being attacked by elementals in your spelljammer or taking on dragons, vampires and liches. I guess for now I'm left with my humble MM, by own made stuff from DMG, the odds and ends in dragon and the stat blocks from LFR that show up in the comp (Am I correct in deducing there's no way to get more info on the LFR material other than signing up?). Which is fine I guess, just would be nice I suppose to have a little more sourse material at the levels I'm playing. Like i say I like the look of OG, MotP and Drag. But they aren't really applicable to what I'm running. i've been hoping for something a bit more relevent, but looking ahead I can't see much this year.
#2 rambaldi Feb 25, 2009 7:39:19	MM2 and DMG2 not to your liking? The Dungeon Delve is listed as an accessory rather than adventure. Good to see Dragon out in a compiled paper form (I think? http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/242070000) For other people after the 2009 releases to accompany reading this thread http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndlist&brand=All&year=2009&tablesort=2
#3 Tharag_Bocc Feb 25, 2009 8:33:55	I'm sorry to hear that you feel that these books are of no use to you, however, I would like to point out that these books are in fact meant to be useful for all tiers.[INDENT]Draconomicon contains 45 monsters levels 1-10 and advice for using dragons at every tier of play, including heroic, in roles as diverse as advisory and patron. It includes two heroic tier hooks/quests (one at level 5 the other at level 7). It includes three dragon's lairs appropriate as adventure sites for heroic tier (levels 5, 6, and 9). Manual of the Planes is more sparse. It contains only 7 monsters levels 1-10, though it only contains a total of 31 monsters. It primarily presents very generalized description of the planes without getting into tier specifics. Of the three, it is by far the most fluff oriented. Open Grave contains 51 monsters levels 1-10 and advice for using undead at every tier of play, including heroic. Like Draconomicon it includes, hooks/quests and lairs (for levels 1, 3, and 7).[/INDENT]
#4 ikkleste Feb 25, 2009 12:40:46	MM2 and DM2 I'm certainly interested in, and have actually pre-ordered. I'll probably pick up Dungeon Delve too to fill in when I'm rushed for prep time or something. But as far as they go I'm talking about "fluffier" inspiration. As far as the other 3 go maybe I've the wrong impression, I might pick them up at some point MotP looks an interesting read and something I'll certainly get use out of if my campain lasts that long, the others will probably have the odd thing i can use, maybe a quest plot I can divert into or an occasional critter. I guess where i was coming from was I saw them, thought "hmm not ideal, I'll see what else is coming up in that vibe" checked it out only to find more dragons and more planar stuff at the end of the year and not much else before then. There's certainly a big gap between open grave in Jan to Dragonomicon in Nov, waiting for DM fluff. It seems like a big gap in the shedule and even one DM fluff book during the summer would "balence" the schedule, and it'd seem to make sense to fill the lower tiers a bit both because a) you've got dragons and planes already and more coming at the end of the year, and b) there'll be a whole load of people playing around heroic at the moment due to starting long term campains at low levels over the first year of the games life.