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Complete Adventurer - Almost Complete Waste

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
gv_dammerung
Jan 10, 2005 16:08:18 I just got the Complete Adventurer, written by Jesse Decker. It is a total waste of the "core setting." There was every opportunity to have the "core setting" represented in the Complete Adventurer entries. There are no references that I can see. Instead, the author entertains readers with nonesuch places for which a string of random characters would serve as well.

After the fantastic use of the "core setting" in the Complete Arcane and very nice use in the Complete Divine, it is a shame to see no Greyhawk references in the Complete Adventurer.

The design itself is also rather lackluster. A few things can probably be salvaged but this is, by far, the weakest entry in the series - for completists only.

GVD
#2
Amaril
Jan 10, 2005 17:52:14 The ironic thing is that it's earned so many great reviews in the Future Releases Forum, especially when compared to some of the other books in the Complete series. At least it's not FR or Eberron specific.
#3
mortellan
Jan 11, 2005 1:21:28
At least it's not FR or Eberron specific.

Eberron maybe in the 3rd run of the Complete series. ;) But FR is definitely represented if you know where to look. I noticed those two Nightsong PrC's were originally from Dragon magazine and are FR specific, and that was just from a casual flip-thru.
#4
thanael
Jan 11, 2005 6:53:35 So what about that Fochlucan Prestige Class. I can see that for GH.
Does CA also include the instruments of the (1E) Bards? i.e. Fochlucan, Ollamh, MacFurmidh etc.... Is more info given on the Bardic colleges and their intedration into the druidic hierarchy?
#5
Mortepierre
Jan 12, 2005 12:17:05
Does CA also include the instruments of the (1E) Bards? i.e. Fochlucan, Ollamh, MacFurmidh etc...

All the "old" bard instruments were given an updated version in the magic item section of the Complete Arcane.
#6
zombiegleemax
Jan 12, 2005 17:14:28 Actually they (Wizards) posted the excerpt for the Fochlucan PC. As you can see it is non-setting specific and has vague references to the other bardic colleges. I am pretty certain the example town for the college doesn't exist currently in Greyhawk either.
#7
void_sprite
Jan 15, 2005 4:54:20 Overall I've been kind of disappointed in some of the "Core" books. There have been several opportunities for the authors to update Greyhawk information in these sourcebooks (The Complete Books AND the racial books come to mind), but instead we're given generic information that will probably never appear in another sourcebook again.

For example...Races of Stone could have easily detailed some of the gnome/dwarf gods that are specific to Greyhawk like Ulaa, Fortubo, even Jascar and Bleredd. Instead we're given 4 or 5 new deities for these races that will probably never be mentioned again. At least Frostburn mentioned two relevant GH gods in addition to some newer ones.

I have no problem with an author exercising their creative license, but it seems kind of wasteful to me to use space in a book for essentially "useless" information rather than updating something any number of fans might be interested in seeing.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 gv_dammerung Jan 10, 2005 16:08:18	I just got the Complete Adventurer, written by Jesse Decker. It is a total waste of the "core setting." There was every opportunity to have the "core setting" represented in the Complete Adventurer entries. There are no references that I can see. Instead, the author entertains readers with nonesuch places for which a string of random characters would serve as well. After the fantastic use of the "core setting" in the Complete Arcane and very nice use in the Complete Divine, it is a shame to see no Greyhawk references in the Complete Adventurer. The design itself is also rather lackluster. A few things can probably be salvaged but this is, by far, the weakest entry in the series - for completists only. GVD
#2 Amaril Jan 10, 2005 17:52:14	The ironic thing is that it's earned so many great reviews in the Future Releases Forum, especially when compared to some of the other books in the Complete series. At least it's not FR or Eberron specific.
#3 mortellan Jan 11, 2005 1:21:28	At least it's not FR or Eberron specific. Eberron maybe in the 3rd run of the Complete series. ;) But FR is definitely represented if you know where to look. I noticed those two Nightsong PrC's were originally from Dragon magazine and are FR specific, and that was just from a casual flip-thru.
#4 thanael Jan 11, 2005 6:53:35	So what about that Fochlucan Prestige Class. I can see that for GH. Does CA also include the instruments of the (1E) Bards? i.e. Fochlucan, Ollamh, MacFurmidh etc.... Is more info given on the Bardic colleges and their intedration into the druidic hierarchy?
#5 Mortepierre Jan 12, 2005 12:17:05	Does CA also include the instruments of the (1E) Bards? i.e. Fochlucan, Ollamh, MacFurmidh etc... All the "old" bard instruments were given an updated version in the magic item section of the Complete Arcane.
#6 zombiegleemax Jan 12, 2005 17:14:28	Actually they (Wizards) posted the excerpt for the Fochlucan PC. As you can see it is non-setting specific and has vague references to the other bardic colleges. I am pretty certain the example town for the college doesn't exist currently in Greyhawk either.
#7 void_sprite Jan 15, 2005 4:54:20	Overall I've been kind of disappointed in some of the "Core" books. There have been several opportunities for the authors to update Greyhawk information in these sourcebooks (The Complete Books AND the racial books come to mind), but instead we're given generic information that will probably never appear in another sourcebook again. For example...Races of Stone could have easily detailed some of the gnome/dwarf gods that are specific to Greyhawk like Ulaa, Fortubo, even Jascar and Bleredd. Instead we're given 4 or 5 new deities for these races that will probably never be mentioned again. At least Frostburn mentioned two relevant GH gods in addition to some newer ones. I have no problem with an author exercising their creative license, but it seems kind of wasteful to me to use space in a book for essentially "useless" information rather than updating something any number of fans might be interested in seeing.