Which book is better?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Since I got the day off, I was thinking about taking a trip to my FLGS
to buy a WotC book (I don't buy many). Anyhow, I was thinking of
picking up one of the "Mature" titles, the Book of Vile Darkness or the
Book of Exalted Deeds. So which one is better for idea mining? For
general all around utility? And why would you say that?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

hikaru wrote:
> "Rum Ranger" <hayes13@fadmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1112188220.212117.220970@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> > Since I got the day off, I was thinking about taking a trip to my
FLGS
> > to buy a WotC book (I don't buy many). Anyhow, I was thinking of
> > picking up one of the "Mature" titles, the Book of Vile Darkness or
the
> > Book of Exalted Deeds. So which one is better for idea mining?
For
> > general all around utility? And why would you say that?
> >
>
> Do you mostly GM or play? if you GM, get BOVD. Its simply evil the
things
> you have to throw at your players in there.
>
> If you are mostly a player, get BOED. More there for goody two shoe
PCs.
>

I mostly GM. But I like to use real good NPCs too, but I'll probably
end up getting BOVD first.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

"Rum Ranger" <hayes13@fadmail.com> wrote in message
news:1112188220.212117.220970@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Since I got the day off, I was thinking about taking a trip to my FLGS
> to buy a WotC book (I don't buy many). Anyhow, I was thinking of
> picking up one of the "Mature" titles, the Book of Vile Darkness or the
> Book of Exalted Deeds. So which one is better for idea mining? For
> general all around utility? And why would you say that?
>

Do you mostly GM or play? if you GM, get BOVD. Its simply evil the things
you have to throw at your players in there.

If you are mostly a player, get BOED. More there for goody two shoe PCs.


--
Trav
hoodyhoo@rfci.net
11/Sept/01: Never forget. Never Forgive

"Since pacifists have more freedom of action in countries where traces of
democracy survive, pacifism can act more effectively against democracy than
for it. Objectively, the pacifist is pro-Nazi."
George Orwell, on pacifists during WW II

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Rum Ranger wrote:

> Since I got the day off, I was thinking about taking a trip to my FLGS
> to buy a WotC book (I don't buy many). Anyhow, I was thinking of
> picking up one of the "Mature" titles, the Book of Vile Darkness or the
> Book of Exalted Deeds. So which one is better for idea mining? For
> general all around utility? And why would you say that?
>

For most players, the BoED is the charm. Unless you are running a truely
evil campaign, then BoVD sits around unused.

Both are fun for ideas.

CH

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Rum Ranger wrote:
> Since I got the day off, I was thinking about taking a trip to my FLGS
> to buy a WotC book (I don't buy many). Anyhow, I was thinking of
> picking up one of the "Mature" titles, the Book of Vile Darkness or the
> Book of Exalted Deeds. So which one is better for idea mining? For
> general all around utility? And why would you say that?

I use BoED more.
IMO, It's better writtein and balanced with a more widely usable
set of options. OTOH, if you're willing to put some work into it
BoVD can be mined for unique villians and other useful stuff.
BoED works great for building the more exemplar NPC the PC's may
run into than BoVD does for the more villanous. OTTH, a DM will
usually need more villanous NPC's than noble ones.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

"Rum Ranger" <hayes13@fadmail.com> wrote in message
news:1112188220.212117.220970@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Since I got the day off, I was thinking about taking a trip to my FLGS
> to buy a WotC book (I don't buy many). Anyhow, I was thinking of
> picking up one of the "Mature" titles, the Book of Vile Darkness or the
> Book of Exalted Deeds. So which one is better for idea mining? For
> general all around utility? And why would you say that?

Vile Darkness adds infinitely more to your campaigns.
Exalted Deeds is team jersey cheese.

-Michael

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

"Michael Scott Brown" <mistermichael@earthlink.net> wrote in
news:mKA2e.2304$x4.989@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net:

>
> "Rum Ranger" <hayes13@fadmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1112188220.212117.220970@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
>> Since I got the day off, I was thinking about taking a trip to my FLGS
>> to buy a WotC book (I don't buy many). Anyhow, I was thinking of
>> picking up one of the "Mature" titles, the Book of Vile Darkness or the
>> Book of Exalted Deeds. So which one is better for idea mining? For
>> general all around utility? And why would you say that?
>
> Vile Darkness adds infinitely more to your campaigns.
> Exalted Deeds is team jersey cheese.

But be prepared to work on the crunchy bits. A lot of the rules in BoVD
didn't work properly even in the 3.0 context it was released in, and you
have to adjust to the 3.5 mindset in addition to that.

 

[Matthias]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

On 30 Mar 2005 05:10:20 -0800, "Rum Ranger" <hayes13@fadmail.com> wrote:

>Since I got the day off, I was thinking about taking a trip to my FLGS
>to buy a WotC book (I don't buy many). Anyhow, I was thinking of
>picking up one of the "Mature" titles, the Book of Vile Darkness or the
>Book of Exalted Deeds. So which one is better for idea mining? For
>general all around utility? And why would you say that?

Definitely the BOVD. The BOED is for (normal) player characters or their allies.
If you want stuff for your players' characters to fight, the BOVD is your best
choice. Of course one can think of exceptions to both of these It's those
exceptions that can be the most interesting. Pick up both if you can.


--

Matthias (matthias_mls@yahoo.com)

"Scientists tend to do philosophy about as well as you'd expect philosophers to
do science, the difference being that at least the philosophers usually *know*
when they're out of their depth."
-Jeff Heikkinen

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

"Rum Ranger" <hayes13@fadmail.com> wrote in message
news:1112188220.212117.220970@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Since I got the day off, I was thinking about taking a trip to my FLGS
> to buy a WotC book (I don't buy many). Anyhow, I was thinking of
> picking up one of the "Mature" titles, the Book of Vile Darkness or the
> Book of Exalted Deeds. So which one is better for idea mining? For
> general all around utility? And why would you say that?
>

They're both rather bad.
I'd get something else.

Geoff.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

On Thu, 31 Mar 2005 12:00:44 -0600, Tialan <shalahhr@yahoo.com> carved
upon a tablet of ether:

> However, I'd have to say I like the Deathless- the "good peoples undead"
> you mentioned. I think they can fill a niche. There's room in many
> campaign concepts for undying creatures tied to a positive source rather
> than fueled by negative energy. One example I can think of is the
> Baelnorn from 2nd edition Monster Compendium (Annual 1 I think). A
> Baelnorn was an elf that chose to serve its community in an undying
> state. Though it was undead in 2nd edition terms, I think the concept
> of a benevolent undying care-taker of a community is better served by
> the use of Deathless.

I've never seen why you can't just change undead so they're not
'always evil' in your campaign if you need this sort of thing.

> As for the feats- yeah, they have a lot of munchkiny potential. The
> problem is that most of them assume they're role-playing prerequisites
> are strictly enforced in order to maintain balance. If you're going to
> use them, you need to apply a lot of DM oversight. In my opinion,
> characters earning Exalted feats should have the same behavioral
> requirements with respect to good and evil as Paladins, if not stricter.

I find this really annoying. IIRC back when 3e was new the designers
said they didn't think much of roll-play limitations to feats and PrCs
because they were hard to fairly enforce.


--
Rupert Boleyn <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz>
"Just because the truth will set you free doesn't mean the truth itself
should be free."