I have it but all I've had the chance to do so far is laugh over the fact that I've got Brain Fluke to use now and thejump for joy over them including a primordial in the book.:D
probably pick it up on my way to work tonight
i got a copy.. very fluff heavy, it is pretty cool.
Yeah, I hear it's very DM friendly – nice.
Well I guess that's to be expected, what with the upcoming Player's Guide.
I've been a huge Realms fan since 1987, and I am totally jazzed about the changes, the having every tree stump named thing was getting in the way for me a bit.
Lots to digest. I'm curious to see what those spellscar thingies do.
Gorgeous cover, looks nice inside, and it includes a nice map. Now of course the obsessive part of me will want to keep the map in there. I just hope we get a digital copy of the map.
I grabbed it yesterday.
Lots to digest. I'm curious to see what those spellscar thingies do.
For lack of a "jealous" smiley:
Not that it's a bad thing, just that they could have put a new name on the campaign setting and renamed the places and it would have been a bit hard to notice the similiarities.
I've read about half of it so far. My basic feeling about it is that other than the names of the places, this is far from being the Faerun I came to know in 3.5e. There are so many changes and deletions from the previous books that it could be considered a new realm of its own.
Not that it's a bad thing, just that they could have put a new name on the campaign setting and renamed the places and it would have been a bit hard to notice the similiarities.
grabbed it on the way home from work, now to nap then read
The book opens with a good introduction, but then (oddly enough) chapter 1 is a sample town (similar to how the DMG had Fallcrest). It has sample adventures & hooks as well as characters. I thought it was a weird note to open the book on, and skipped it for now until I can get to reading the rest of the book.
That said, I do like the layout & look of this book. Cover art is still gorgeous (IMO the artists are really doing a great job this edition, as they did last edition). And while the new Realms will disappoint diehards as expected, this casual fan seems to like them. That said, more reading & digesting must be done before I can pass any sort of judgment.
What the hell is this? Monster tables? Dungeon layouts? It's a goddam series of dungeon delves!
When I flipped to the table of contents, I saw that I was in the "Loudwater" chapter. Apparently they wanted to provide a good starting town to jump right into play at the beginning of the book. When I flipped to chapter 2 and on, I saw the familiar area descriptions I remembered from older books.
Still, that gave me a start.
Also, I thought at first that my binding was screwed up. It's not. It's just that damn map in the back of the book. I hate it when they put tear-out maps in books.
Question: Did your PHB/MM/DMG smudge? No offense!Just want to ask.
None taken.
My core books also smudged a bit. I'm generally very careful not to touch any ink on the page, but it happens. I was even more careful this time around and it still happened.
I'm not talking huge smears here, but yeah a bit of a thumb print here and there.
Allthough I have seen the cover art, and I am in agreeance that it looks really good.
love,
malkav
Hmm... I just wanted to know
Maybe it's the weather (extremely hot or wet?) or whatever else.
I must admit the only thing that smudged for me was the KotS cover... my books were shipper overseas (ordered from the U.S. and I'm living in germany) and we had some extraordinarily hot days over here coupled with rainfalls that flooded rivers... and my books are still in perfect shape even though a bunch of people thumbed through them already.
That's why I'm wondering a little whenever I hear that. Let's see if others also complain about this issue with the book!
There are certainly quality issues with some of the new edition's books. My PHB smudges easily (my 3.5 stuff never did) and the covers warp. There's also many wrinkled pages. A friend's PHB (a wedding gift from another pal, actually) exploded. The pages were literally falling out. He got a replacement with no hassle, though, so it wasn't a huge deal. Mine aren't bad enough for that. OTOH, my other friend's are perfect. Not a smudge. Excellent binding and covers that are straight as a level. It's not every book, but there are most assuredly problems.
My DM is picking this book up soon. I'll be sure to look into it's quality - both physical and in the text itself. If there's anything of note, I'll bring it up here. I do honestly believe that the physical quality will be just fine, though. Like I said, it's not all of the books.
Hmm... I just wanted to know
Maybe it's the weather (extremely hot or wet?) or whatever else.
I must admit the only thing that smudged for me was the KotS cover... my books were shipper overseas (ordered from the U.S. and I'm living in germany) and we had some extraordinarily hot days over here coupled with rainfalls that flooded rivers... and my books are still in perfect shape even though a bunch of people thumbed through them already.
It's the midwest (states). And right now it's really not so hot out. But of course the AC in this building is on full blast because "it's the summer".
My books shouldn't smudge, and none of the old edition books did for me.
However...I have had bound trade-paperbacks smudge when they were on paper like this. I wonder if the old paper was different.
Sounds good, I'm looking forward to your statement. I'm curious what exactly is "going on", to be honest. I've got 2 PHB's, KotS and 1 MM and DMG each. Either I was lucky or the smudging is a rather rare occurance (maybe the first few or last copies of any given print run? I vaguely remember when I was in Internship in a small local printer that the first few copies could have issues, but that was at least 10 years ago).
It seems that I and my friend were unlucky. I know that some of the stuff that's been said about the quality has probably been anti-4e exaggeration. I just wanted to throw in my "evidence", as it were, as proof that there are some real physical issues with some of the books. That said, it isn't all that bad. I take care of my books (insanely good care - at least according to everyone I know :P) and though my 4e stuff has some issues I still find them perfectly ok. They just aren't that bad. This stuff has all been brought up - a lot - so I have confidence that the major issues (binding/severe warping and wrinkling) that did happen have been dealt with. I guess I'll find out on Sunday when we play. I wish I was as confident about the new Realms themselves, but I am giving them a fair chance. Reluctantly. But I figure it worked when I gave 4e a fair chance though I thought I'd not like it, so what the hell? ;) Guess I'm becoming a bit of a softy as I age. Either that or more rational. :D
Probably more rational! ;)
As for the smudging, I know it's at least partly real. A bit of it was exaggeration, though.
And good going with giving it a real fair shake, both 4E and the new realms. Always try before you judge!
My smudging got pretty bad, actually. But that's because I got uncharacteristically careless and let my hand rest on the ink for a good long time. It was certainly a combination of me and the ink. Mostly me with some ink, I guess. ;)
It's like I always say, it's not the game or setting for me - it's the friends. I play what they play (except for the incomparably sucky Hero-Clix :P). Hopefully the new Realms will be exciting enough to override any issue I find with the changes. It probably will be.
I haven't kept up with novels and the "canon" Realms, so I have no idea how far it's been changed from everyone's perception of the place. I found the first versions kind of overwhelming withg all of the major NPCs, and "every treestump named" approach. I felt like I was reading a summary of someone else's campaign. As a result, most of my FR games remained on the Sword Coast between Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate, with the occassional foray to the Dalelands.
After a quick skim through the 4e guide, however, all that changed. It feels more open, like it's finally been given to us. I like that they didn't go with page after page after page of detailed history of the various areas. Just a summary, please, thank you. No massive list of NPC-heroes-you'll-never-hold-a-candle-to. It feels more accessible. (Not that I hate to read, I love it, I just don't want to fish through gobs of info to find that one bit of fluff I need.)
I like the pared-down deity list, too. Makes everything not so top-heavy.
It does feel like a new campaign setting, but I also still see enough of the old FR in there to remind me of why I kept playing in such an overloaded setting. Who knows? We may actually leave the Sword Coast this time!
I applaud Realms 4e!
The first thing I did after cracking the book open for the first time was to run my fingers over the pages. No smudges for me! I too, freaked a bit at finding a dungeon to start off with. I double-checked the cover to make sure they'd sent me the right thing, then carried on with utmost curiosity.
I haven't kept up with novels and the "canon" Realms, so I have no idea how far it's been changed from everyone's perception of the place. I found the first versions kind of overwhelming withg all of the major NPCs, and "every treestump named" approach. I felt like I was reading a summary of someone else's campaign. As a result, most of my FR games remained on the Sword Coast between Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate, with the occassional foray to the Dalelands.
After a quick skim through the 4e guide, however, all that changed. It feels more open, like it's finally been given to us. I like that they didn't go with page after page after page of detailed history of the various areas. Just a summary, please, thank you. No massive list of NPC-heroes-you'll-never-hold-a-candle-to. It feels more accessible. (Not that I hate to read, I love it, I just don't want to fish through gobs of info to find that one bit of fluff I need.)
I like the pared-down deity list, too. Makes everything not so top-heavy.
It does feel like a new campaign setting, but I also still see enough of the old FR in there to remind me of why I kept playing in such an overloaded setting. Who knows? We may actually leave the Sword Coast this time!
I applaud Realms 4e!
Sounds good to me. Most of the things that have been removed are things that drove me away from the Realms. For Inari's sake, there were more deities in the 3rd edition FRCS than there were Pokemon in the first games (gotta worship 'em all!).
All I gotta do is whack Drizzt in my own personal campaign and I think I'm set.
Personally, I would recommend gleaning what you can from the forums, the excerpts, and Dragon articles and skip the book and make your own updates.
I had high-hopes after seeing the updated map in the Cormyr article in Dragon, but for some reason they made a terrible decision (IMO) to go with a new look.
I just wanted to point out that they went from the map in the back of the book to the map in the Cormyr article as the book was off to the presses by the time the Cormyr article was made(and as I recall it was said that they hadn't discovered the guy who did the Cormyr map until after the book was finalized).
What I've read I've really liked. I liked the old Realms, but what I've read about the "new Realms" I definitely like. It should be interesting to see where the world goes, and I'll certainly follow.
The book opens with a good introduction, but then (oddly enough) chapter 1 is a sample town (similar to how the DMG had Fallcrest). It has sample adventures & hooks as well as characters. I thought it was a weird note to open the book on, and skipped it for now until I can get to reading the rest of the book.
That said, I do like the layout & look of this book. Cover art is still gorgeous (IMO the artists are really doing a great job this edition, as they did last edition). And while the new Realms will disappoint diehards as expected, this casual fan seems to like them. That said, more reading & digesting must be done before I can pass any sort of judgment.
liking thay so far
My smudging got pretty bad, actually. But that's because I got uncharacteristically careless and let my hand rest on the ink for a good long time. It was certainly a combination of me and the ink. Mostly me with some ink, I guess. ;)
It's like I always say, it's not the game or setting for me - it's the friends. I play what they play (except for the incomparably sucky Hero-Clix :P). Hopefully the new Realms will be exciting enough to override any issue I find with the changes. It probably will be.
it gets hot here in dallas and pretty muggy but i must be lucky no books smudging so far ..knock on wood
Interestingly (well, to me at least), when my 4e campaign begun I dropped it on a fair-sized island with no specific campaign setting in mind. I was considering Eberron, but considering I've never run it before I'd rather wait for the new CS or at least psionics. With that in mind, I considered creating a new world, but then I found out that parts of Abeir moved into Faerun. Hello random island, previous location: Abeir :D
And much like my other core books, the FRCG lacks ink streaking and the like. The pages are slightly wavy, but that's it.
Hey, where, geographically, is Abeir supposed to be? Every time I sit down to read a particular section, I start to get distracted by other parts and wind up flitting all around the book like a hyperactive hummingbird.
All I gotta do is whack Drizzt in my own personal campaign and I think I'm set.
In my ongoing Realms campaign (19 years), Drizzt has been working the streets of Calimport as rough trade for quite some time now, and Elminster's ass was taken out by Asmodeus around the time of the Yamun Kahan (Horde) invasion.
I would absolutely hate it but the folding map is nice, and they don't skimp on the number of areas covered with description.
what happened to Blackstaff?
I believe he died, along with King Azoun.
What cover artwork did they end up going with? I've seen the one with Drizzit and the one with the person riding the dragon on the internet. Which one actually made it to print?
Not Drizzt. Some chick riding a dragon or something.
In general, I think the art is very high-quality...but it doesn't feel like FR. I always felt like the FR books had a distinctive "feel" to them as far as art and presentation. While it doesn't change my overall opinion of the book, I am sad to see that this feels more like a "4E" book than a "FR" book.
But I'm nitpicking.
I've got to be honest, I don't really agree with most of the impressions here. I feel the quality is way below prior realms materials. And the map... ugh. The look and feel of the old maps was awesome. The mostly brown, low-detail map included is a disappointment at best. I had high-hopes after seeing the updated map in the Cormyr article in Dragon, but for some reason they made a terrible decision (IMO) to go with a new look.
Personally, I would recommend gleaning what you can from the forums, the excerpts, and Dragon articles and skip the book and make your own updates.
Gotta agree. Compared to the old FR books and Eberron line, it's third string in quality.
Oh, and the ink is already smudging. Sweet.
Everybody has talked about smudging in the 4e books like it is a new thing. I've had books smudge for years and years. It isn't a new problem. My Star Wars Revised Core Rules had smudged on several pages and so did my players. Its the paper. You buy the book fduring release and the ink hasn't taken to the paper completely sometimes it will smudge and in the summer it is an even bigger issue because of humidity. It isn't a quality issue, it's humidity and the oils in your skin. It isn't a "new" problem at all. Even the 2e books would do that...
Shame about Khelben - should have been Elminster.
How much has the geography changed since 1367 DR? I've got piles of maps from 2nd. edition sourcebooks I'm debating throwing away, but if they're still accurate enough to use in 4e LFR I might keep them around.
Shame about Khelben - should have been Elminster.
the geography has changed alot, around the sea of fallen stars, and the shining south especially.
Everybody has talked about smudging in the 4e books like it is a new thing. I've had books smudge for years and years. It isn't a new problem. My Star Wars Revised Core Rules had smudged on several pages and so did my players. Its the paper. You buy the book fduring release and the ink hasn't taken to the paper completely sometimes it will smudge and in the summer it is an even bigger issue because of humidity. It isn't a quality issue, it's humidity and the oils in your skin. It isn't a "new" problem at all. Even the 2e books would do that...
Well, I'm not "everybody". I'm "me". And for me, this is a new issue with the 4E books.
Well, I'm not "everybody". I'm "me". And for me, this is a new issue with the 4E books.
While I have smudging, I'm not referring to that. It feels flat compared to the previous lines. The dungeon in the front is downright jarring. The organization of all 4 of these books is seriously off from previous products. Whatever it is they are doing here, it isn't working.
The sections on magic items and other rules is so light I wonder why they are included at all. When you opened the previous version of FR books, it felt different - special. This feels too bland. Same with Eberron. I'm not talking rules or what is actually written. I'll get to the fluff later. I'm talking the overall feel. It feels too much like the 3 core books...and I would have hoped for a theme for the campaign books. IE the parchment look of the previous FR books or the different style artwork style of the Ebberon line.
I kid; I'm very careful with my books, but even I have significant and unacceptable smudging issues with Keep on the Shadowfell. I have not seen the same issue in any of the hardback releases... yet.I have been interested in the Realms for a long time, but the sheer mass of lore has always kept me at bay. I'm excited about the "restart," if you will, and I really like the new book's treatment of it. I was particularly pleased by the setting's treatment of Moonshae (and many other regions) expanding from a ten-line paragraph to two whole pages. It's the best the isles have gotten since the old AD&D1 staple-bound sourcebook was published more than 20 years ago. I was eight.
Most of all, I was very excited to find that it is completely devoid of player information. To me, that is a real show of strength by Wizards in the face of splat temptation, and I applaud them. I had my doubts about their plan to spread material out across more books but still keep individual books focused and chock full of on-target, useable content, but this is a very good start. I have no need for FR races, classes, feats, and other nonsense, and they can stay in the player's guide where I will not buy them. This is probably somewhat obnoxious for FR diehards who now have to buy both books, but I say look on the bright side -- if all goes according to plan, these are the only two books you will have to buy for FR4, ever.
Good on yer, Wizards.
Everybody has talked about smudging in the 4e books like it is a new thing. I've had books smudge for years and years. It isn't a new problem. My Star Wars Revised Core Rules had smudged on several pages and so did my players. Its the paper. You buy the book fduring release and the ink hasn't taken to the paper completely sometimes it will smudge and in the summer it is an even bigger issue because of humidity. It isn't a quality issue, it's humidity and the oils in your skin. It isn't a "new" problem at all. Even the 2e books would do that...
It's not the climate, it's not my body, and it's not a problem that existed in previous editions. I lugged around my 2nd edition books all over Louisiana, Florida and the Mississippi gulf coast for about a decade, and used them until the covers fell off and never saw a smudge. I consulted my 3.5 books frequently, while cooking pizzas (game night and pizza night were the same night,) and had no issues. If I don't take care not to touch the pages of my 4e books, the text smudges. I'm not subjecting it to anything near as harsh as the conditions my older books endured - They've lived their entire, short lives in one air conditioned building, and been handled only by dry hands, and never in the presence of food, or anything oilier or more acidic than my fingertips, which have failed to smudge any TSR or Wizards product they've handled in about twenty years of play between the Red Box and 2004.
This is not acceptable quality in a book I'm expected to use as reference material for the better part of a decade. As a result of the poor quality of this edition (for which Wizards has, to my knowledge, refused responsibility,) I'll be buying fewer books in this edition than in any previous edition. Unless I hear that the quality issues have been resolved, in fact, I'm not buying anything else. I'm not happy about that, because from a mechanical standpoint this is my favorite edition so far.
I was particularly pleased by the setting's treatment of Moonshae (and many other regions) expanding from a ten-line paragraph to two whole pages. It's the best the isles have gotten since the old AD&D1 staple-bound sourcebook was published more than 20 years ago. I was eight.
Funnily enough that is the first D&D accessory I got, given to me by my father, and then I was hooked on the Realms.
I will always have a soft spot for the Moonshae Isles (Llewyyr, Ffolk, Leviathan and all of that).
I think there definitely must be a bad batch with this smudging issue – I have had my books since June 6th, and have rolled around with them tipsy several times and not one smudge.
I wonder if it's not so much "bad batches" as slow-drying ink. Meaning if your book was recently printed, the chances of smudging are higher.
None of my books are unreadable, it's just unfortunate that there are thumb prints on some of the pages.
Most of all, I was very excited to find that it is completely devoid of player information. To me, that is a real show of strength by Wizards in the face of splat temptation, and I applaud them. I had my doubts about their plan to spread material out across more books but still keep individual books focused and chock full of on-target, useable content, but this is a very good start. I have no need for FR races, classes, feats, and other nonsense, and they can stay in the player's guide where I will not buy them. This is probably somewhat obnoxious for FR diehards who now have to buy both books, but I say look on the bright side -- if all goes according to plan, these are the only two books you will have to buy for FR4, ever.
Obnoxious isn't really the word I would've used. Frankly, I can't post the word I would use here.
If all goes according to their plans, everyone will have to buy a heck of a lot more than just two books to get the information we want.
I wonder if it's not so much "bad batches" as slow-drying ink. Meaning if your book was recently printed, the chances of smudging are higher.
Well, I had a guy put aside the Core Collector's Box for me a few weeks before he brought them for me at the Open Game day (June 6th) here in London (UK), so I don't know if that makes a difference.
But I do think it is crap that so many people are having these smudging problems.
There's zero player crunch.
Oh sure, there's a few rituals, including one that players will never use. And a few magic items. But what's the point.
If I wanted to start a campaign in the Forgotten Realms, I'm screwed. I'm not talking about advanced stuff or even a new class. But the book is like "There's this great flavourful thing called spellscars, and they affect the people who get them! Wait 1 month before any of your players can have one"
It just makes the book feel incomplete as written.. While I love the concept of a fluff book & a crunch book, they should have been released simultaneously. As it is, I have no idea what the hell a spellscar does to somebody. Can I make a tribe of spellscarred who can all cast light? As the DM of course I can, but at the same time I don't want to set player's expectations for the scars at a certain level and then just drop it out underneath them. The book is essentially useless without the player's guide if the players have any sort of preconceived Realms knowledge: what if they want to be a swordmage, genasi, or spellscarred? Oh, they can join the group a month from now.
I love the overall book, but it does feel incomplete until the PG hits.
I think there definitely must be a bad batch with this smudging issue – I have had my books since June 6th, and have rolled around with them tipsy several times and not one smudge.
I wonder if it's not so much "bad batches" as slow-drying ink. Meaning if your book was recently printed, the chances of smudging are higher.
None of my books are unreadable, it's just unfortunate that there are thumb prints on some of the pages.
It does seem to be the "bad batches" thing. I've had mine since early June and smudged the hell out of my Warlord section just last week (admittedly, these smudges were due to uncharacteristic carelessness, but the smudges do still happen). I do have one friend who's books are still immacualte, though, so it's certainly not an every book thing. Some of us were simply luckier than others. I am holding higher hopes for the newer stuff because this stuff has been brought up since day one. You'd think they'd work on it, no? I'm really not overly pained by smudging, either. As long as they corrected the binding, warping and wrinkling issues, I'll be just fine.
As long as they corrected the binding, warping and wrinkling issues, I'll be just fine.
Ah, the wrinkling, while the pages were wavy when I first opened them, they have settled now to almost completely even.
Ah, the wrinkling, while the pages were wavy when I first opened them, they have settled now to almost completely even.
This is my experience as well.
Both Saga and 4E have had waviness issues initially, but have straightened out with some handling.
In all honesty, I'm a little disappointed with the 4E covers. They're pretty and all, don't get me wrong. I've got a Saga book, though, that started out with copper imprint and is now turning into psychedelic green swirls after about a year of constant use. It's like an RPG mood ring.
Ah, the wrinkling, while the pages were wavy when I first opened them, they have settled now to almost completely even.
I wasn't actually referring to the wavy page thing. My PHB has wrinkles through the upper right corners of about 30 pages or so. A few (far less) actually have wrinkles down the middle of the entire page. It's not awful, but it is an issue worthy of bringing up, IMO. The warping, though, has seemed to settle a bit. Keeping them in the handy slipcase helps, too.
In all honesty, I'm a little disappointed with the 4E covers. They're pretty and all, don't get me wrong. I've got a Saga book, though, that started out with copper imprint and is now turning into psychedelic green swirls after about a year of constant use. It's like an RPG mood ring.
Do you think the 4th Ed books will get all mojo-tastic as well?
I wasn't actually referring to the wavy page thing. My PHB has wrinkles through the upper right corners of about 30 pages or so.
Oh yeah, I do have a few wrinkles in the top corners of a few pages of my PHB, but I haven't noticed them lately, I don't know if it's because they've gone away, or I just don't pay attention anymore.
But there's also the fact that the PHB is the book I look at least!
I wasn't actually referring to the wavy page thing. My PHB has wrinkles through the upper right corners of about 30 pages or so. A few (far less) actually have wrinkles down the middle of the entire page. It's not awful, but it is an issue worthy of bringing up, IMO. The warping, though, has seemed to settle a bit. Keeping them in the handy slipcase helps, too.
Hmm. I haven't seen that at all. I think I'd go into spasms. I'm a bibliophile, I need my books to be pristine (which is why I can never play eberron again, stupid dog).
Do you think the 4th Ed books will get all mojo-tastic as well?
Unlikely. The Saga book is a black field with copper inlay, basically. The treatments apparently didn't take on a lot of the books, so moisture and exposure caused it to oxidize. Looks pretty cool, but I wouldn't expect anything of the sort out of the 4E books, more's the pity.
I love the overall book, but it does feel incomplete until the PG hits.
I was under the impression that they were staggering the DM's Guide and Player's Guide releases not so much as "Player's Guide Comes out Later," but as "DM's Guide Comes out Early." My assumption was that the DM's Guides would come out earlier so that the DM could have adventures/campaigns/what have you already planned out by the time the Player's Guide was released.
Again, just a personal impression (and not just for FR, but for the DM's Guide / Player's Guide releases for each future setting).
It's not the climate, it's not my body, and it's not a problem that existed in previous editions. I lugged around my 2nd edition books all over Louisiana, Florida and the Mississippi gulf coast for about a decade, and used them until the covers fell off and never saw a smudge. I consulted my 3.5 books frequently, while cooking pizzas (game night and pizza night were the same night,) and had no issues. If I don't take care not to touch the pages of my 4e books, the text smudges. I'm not subjecting it to anything near as harsh as the conditions my older books endured - They've lived their entire, short lives in one air conditioned building, and been handled only by dry hands, and never in the presence of food, or anything oilier or more acidic than my fingertips, which have failed to smudge any TSR or Wizards product they've handled in about twenty years of play between the Red Box and 2004.
This is not acceptable quality in a book I'm expected to use as reference material for the better part of a decade. As a result of the poor quality of this edition (for which Wizards has, to my knowledge, refused responsibility,) I'll be buying fewer books in this edition than in any previous edition. Unless I hear that the quality issues have been resolved, in fact, I'm not buying anything else. I'm not happy about that, because from a mechanical standpoint this is my favorite edition so far.
The smudging thing was answered by WotC when the first 4e books came out and some of them smudged. It has to to with the chemical used to set the ink. They suggested that the books be exchanged, but I don't recall how they suggested this be handled with mail-orders. If you search around, you should find the official apology and response.
My book's biggest flaw is a series of creases. It hasn't affected the readability, and the creased pages seem to have bolder ink, but overall it's an easily forgiveable flaw. Gives it character! (I expected the bold pages to smudge, but mine seems to be fine.)
Oh yeah, I do have a few wrinkles in the top corners of a few pages of my PHB, but I haven't noticed them lately, I don't know if it's because they've gone away, or I just don't pay attention anymore.
But there's also the fact that the PHB is the book I look at least!
I honestly haven't noticed mine lately, either. :D It's probably 'cuz they're in the very beginning of the book. They were bad, so I doubt they're gone, but I'll make it a point to check into it the next time I open it. It would be awesome if they vanished. If they didn't, no biggie.
Hmm. I haven't seen that at all. I think I'd go into spasms. I'm a bibliophile, I need my books to be pristine (which is why I can never play eberron again, stupid dog).
I am, too. Apparently not to the same degree as you, though. :P Really, I think it's because these are books I use while my others are books I read. So I look at the D&D stuff a little differently. Still, I'm nuts enough to do my damndest to make sure that they'll never look worse than the day I got 'em. Last week, though, I made a stupid mistake and uber-smudged a page. I was pretty sick when I saw what I did. Sure the ink is partially to blame, but I left my hand in the same spot for waaay too long and then, instead of just lifting it off the page, I decided - for some unknown reason - to slide it down and off the text. Real smart.
Depsite their accessibility to the cat, he hasn't puked on any other edition. Everybody's a critic, I guess!
The books with maps in the back of them came with waves at first (e.g., SW:Saga Core Book, FR PHB) and my FR PHB has a few wrinkles in the upper left corner of about 10 pages in the middle of the book.
The wave thing settled down once I got the maps out. The wrinkles are small enough and only in the white space of the book.
Hmm. I haven't seen that at all. I think I'd go into spasms. I'm a bibliophile, I need my books to be pristine (which is why I can never play eberron again, stupid dog).
I'm not sure Bibliophile is the name for this (although I am one too)...but if I have a book that I'm reading that gets 'ruined'...IE I drop it and dents the top, scaring it - or it gets wet and wrinkles it...I may never read that book again. I don't know why this is such a problem. Of course, if I a read a novel, you couldn't tell because I don't even crease the spine. Bends and folds really get to me...
The other day, I almost went into canatonic shock when I found two hardback books (Swordmage, The Terror ) and the new PHB were wallowing in water on my nightstand. Seems no one knows how the water got there (I know - the wife had a class of water there...) but the dusk jackets of the two novels were ruined. The hard cover on swordmage was faded, but somehow, the plastic quality of the swordmage dusk jacket kept it in almost good condition while Terror didn't get too bad a work out. the PHB had water on the top of it, which it resisted completely with just a wipe off.
Still, you can imagine my horror upon finding it...
I'm trying hard to read both books despite my stupid quirk.
Obnoxious isn't really the word I would've used. Frankly, I can't post the word I would use here.
If all goes according to their plans, everyone will have to buy a heck of a lot more than just two books to get the information we want.
It works out good for: DMs who only want the setting info and DMs/Players who only want the class/race info. It bones FR fans who want both.
It works out good for: DMs who only want the setting info and DMs/Players who only want the class/race info. It bones FR fans who want both.
Yes, but even the DMs that want the setting info is going to be missing a lot of information to run a campaign unless they are prepared to either make stuff up or houserule something. Example: What are the effects of Spellplague? How do you get rid of it? How about explaining some of the missing century or so between this book and the previous edition?
Really, this book is a nice overview to a strange world, but if all the crunch is going to be in other books or supplements, I could've just passed.