The main strength and weakness with the CC is that it is very much a supplement to the Scarred Lands Campaign setting. This is great for anyone playing in that setting. It gives each of the monsters a specific feel and history. I really like the campaign setting with the exception of the god aweful One God per Alignment setup they have.
For someone who's just looking for a few monsters to throw at their PCs however.. perhaps not so good. Which of course is the reason behind the 'not suitable for common gameplay' statement. As DM, I like to have a specific reason why something is there though. Even if it is the standard 'wizard summoned creature to guard great treasure' excuse. The CC gives me a whole lot of ideas for plot hooks.(Hehe.. can't wait to apply some of the MM templates on CC creatures...yikes!)
-Bill
(A Half-Dragon Gelatenous Cube!?!?!?!?!)
|lizard wrote:
|>
|> a)NO TEMPLATES! Templates are one of the major 3e 'nifties',
|and I can
|> see several critters in the CC which would have benefitted by being
|> templates. An "unhallowed" template, for example, or a
|"wrack" template
|> for dragons. The 'karnival krewes' could have benefitted from some
|> templates as well.
|
|I wouldn't be surprised to see templates pop up in future SSS or
|Necromancer products. I'm not sure if the Wrack Dragons and
|the Carnival
|Krewes would've benefitted in the Creature Collection, but
|that's my own
|thing.
|
|> b)A pretty half hearted embrace of openness. I understand the need to
|> protect valuable IP, but I think the names of the creatures
|should have
|> been Open, at least if they were linked with the stats and combat.
|
|Well... The names and likenesses are IP. I could take the "Herald of
|Vangal" and use all the game information in another D20 product as "The
|Daughter of Graz'zt" (or rather, some other demon prince of my own
|invention). I'm fine with that.
|
|If you take it too far, tho, you end up making your product open to
|anyone, and then you get the "undersold newsprint publication" someone
|else mentioned. It might not happen, but...
|
|--
|Deird'Re M. Brooks | [EMAIL PROTECTED] | cam#9309026
|Listowner: Aberrants_Worldwide, Fading_Suns_Games, TrinityRPG
|"Atlantic City is Oz envisioned by used car salesmen and pimps."
| http://www.teleport.com/~xenya | --Rick Glumsky, Celtic Filth
|
