I only just found out about WoTC's Planar Handbook, and I have to ask; is there any material in this book (Races, Classes, Spells, etc) that you would consider as being possible to use in conjunction with the Planescape Campaign Setting? Or should any devoted fan of Planesecape avoid it like the plague? (Same thing goes for the Manual of Planes)
Planar Handbook- Any Use In It?
Thu, 2006-11-23 02:25
#1
Planar Handbook- Any Use In It?
Thu, 2006-11-23 15:20
#3
Planar Handbook- Any Use In It?
I'd highly recommend the Manual of the Planes as it converts the mechanics of the planes to D20; it lacks the flavor of Planescape (the planes are not intended to be used in only that setting) but you can get the flavor and an abundance of background information in the original planescape books.
Fri, 2006-11-24 02:10
#4
Planar Handbook- Any Use In It?
The Planar Handbook really doesn't have much. It has a few new races (Neraphim and Boummans are interesting, Spikers, Shadowswyfts and Mephlings are somewhat redundant, and Wildren are downright creepy, and not in a good way. Damn Furries), some totally worthless Monster classes (They factor in the absurd Level Adjustments instead of removing them making the CR to ECL rating get painfully low), some rather interesting Planar substitution levels for the base classes, brief descriptions of most factions and a forgettable Prestige Class for each, some feats (damned if I can remember any of them, though), some really stupid weapons and other equipment, new spells (many of which are in the Spell Compendium and the PSCS), a cleric domain for each plane, some random monsters, basic info on Sigil and a whole bunch of other crap.
Fri, 2006-11-24 13:53
#5
Planar Handbook- Any Use In It?
basic info on Sigil and a whole bunch of other crap.
The writeup on the City of Brass is reasonably faithful to Secrets of the Lamp.
Mon, 2006-11-27 11:58
#6
Planar Handbook- Any Use In It?
As was said a few times above, Manual of the Planes is definitely worth it simply for the 3E d20 conversion of the planes.
Planar Handbook
good
1. Shadowswyfts - Finally a native race to the plane of shadow that doesn't come from the Forgotten Realms.
2. Planar Substitution Levels - Really cool concept in general for customizing your PC.
3. Faction Prestige Classes - I thought these were really cool and I liked the descriptions, wish they had done one for every faction. What's the dustman PrC I wonder?
4. Cleric Planar Domains - Only 8 planes, representing each major alignment except neutral. Would have liked to seen one for every outer and inner plane.
5. The City of Brass, Sigil and Tu'narath - MORE MORE MORE! The diagram of Sigil on page 145 is very cool.
bad
1. Sigil and the Lady of Pain are Lawful Neutral?!?!!? Not on my watch buddy!
2. New Energons - Above all I am a monster fan. I got into D&D because of the Monster Manuals. These new energons offend me to my very core and should be ripped out of the Planar Handbook and eaten right now!
3. Planar Touchstones - Please tell me they didn't cut anything else out to include this shit! I mean, they may make good adventure sites but this whole touchstone ability bull is completely pointless. The only thing I could imagine is that the book wasn't big enough so they invented this stupid concept as filler.
4. No Githyanki/Githzerai playable races, keep your chain devil and janni, I want my playable giths dammit!
-420
Tue, 2006-11-28 20:29
#7
Planar Handbook- Any Use In It?
bad
4. No Githyanki/Githzerai playable races, keep your chain devil and janni, I want my playable giths dammit!
Do you mean the ones in the Monster Manual, or the ones in Expanded Psionics Handbook?
Tue, 2006-11-28 22:07
#8
Planar Handbook- Any Use In It?
I think he means Gith without the Level Adjustment, or something similar. This really isn't a bad idea, as Level Adjustments simply don't work, and it is a crying shame that all the PSCS races have them.
Tue, 2006-11-28 22:13
#9
Planar Handbook- Any Use In It?
Won't you please stop bitching about the lack of functionality of level adjustments? Here is how I revise them when I DM, I use the modification of challenge rating in the place of the recommended level adjustment. This won't work well with creatures like hill giants or Illithids; but it works fine for the Gith and the like.
Tue, 2006-11-28 22:20
#10
Planar Handbook- Any Use In It?
I actually thought it was kind of fitting that most of the PSCS races had LA; I've always thought of Planescape as being higher-levelled than normal D&D, kind of like DarkSun. Then again a Gith' racial class might be interesting.
I personally never thought about the Dustmen actually needing a PrC; they're not exactly combative or "movers and shakers" on the planes. For the interested, the Mercykillers have two PrCs (the Justicair in Complete Warrior and the Son of Mercy in Dragon #339), Dragon #315 has two Faction PrCs (the Harmonium Peacekeeper & the Revolutionary League Anarchomancer) and Dragon #339 has two PrCs (Son of Mercy & Incantifier) and a collection of feats and magic items. I can post the stuff from Dragon #339 here if people want.
Tue, 2006-11-28 23:23
#11
Planar Handbook- Any Use In It?
The "Son of Mercy" class is, presumably, actually for the Sons of Mercy, one of the Mercykiller splinter Factions.
Anyway, I know I "bitch" about level adjustments a lot, but that's because they don't work. There are plenty of functional alternatives, but they all involve at least a partial rewrite of the base monster, and there are always problems attached. Trust me, I know a lot about how the rules do and don't work, and, honestly, Level Adjustment is quite possibly the biggest mistake in 3.5. I've devised my own way to deal with LA, and most DMs will wind up doing the same, but what I'm saying is we shouldn't have to. I really don't think having functional monster races is too much to hope for.
As for Planescape being a high-level setting, there is a section (I think it's in chapter 6, maybe) of the new PSCS that basically says, "Planescape is not a high level setting." I'm inclined to agree.
Wed, 2006-11-29 10:44
#12
Planar Handbook- Any Use In It?
bad
4. No Githyanki/Githzerai playable races, keep your chain devil and janni, I want my playable giths dammit!
Do you mean the ones in the Monster Manual, or the ones in Expanded Psionics Handbook?
Uh, oh. Well I guess I'll just shut my big mouth then. I didn't know giths were presented as a playable race in any of the D&D books. I got Monster Manual 3E but not the 3.5 and I don't have the expanded psionics. Do they both include githyanki and githzerai?
-420
Wed, 2006-11-29 10:51
#13
Planar Handbook- Any Use In It?
Yes, they both do; MM 3.5 presents them with spell-like abilities, Expanded Psionic Handbook presents them with psionic abilities.
The Manual of the Planes is excellent, but largely unnecessary if you have all the Planescape material. The Planar Handbook has a number of useful things in it, and a number of things that are best left alone (Namely Planar Touchstones and Wildren). I'd say if you can acquire it for less than the cover price, it could be a good thing to have on hand.
Pants of the North!