Ultimate Toolbox

JongWK · January 21, 2009, 08:48:41 AM

This will be mine, oh yes...

400 pages

1000+ tables

:eek:

EDIT: EN World announcement and teasers here.

Serious Paul · January 21, 2009, 09:14:19 AM

What is it?

Sacrificial Lamb · January 21, 2009, 09:22:04 AM

Does it have random encounters? I'm not sure what I'm looking at.

JongWK · January 21, 2009, 10:08:50 AM

Quote from: Sacrificial Lamb;279543Does it have random encounters? I'm not sure what I'm looking at.

The available index suggests that yes, this will have encounter tables. Here's a good sample for cities and another one for magic.

Quote from: Serious PaulWhat is it?

It's an all-new version of Toolbox, a D&D 3E sourcebook by AEG that is probably one of the most useful RPG products of all time (even if you don't play D&D).

To quote the authors:

Quote20 Reasons to look into ULTIMATE TOOLBOX...

1. 100 pages dedicated to cities
2. 65% More Easter Eggs
3. A chapter to detail every aspect of a dungeon
4. Adventure hooks galore
5. Because we want Ryan Dancy to be happy
6. Character tables for full PC development
7. Complete, multireferenced index to help find charts during play
8. Details, details, details
9. Enough names to choke a yak
10. Entire chapter dedicated to plots and storytelling
11. Every chart has at least 20 entries, no corners cut
12. Grapple
13. Kick-butt art that truly inspires
14. Longer, more fleshed out charts
15. Maps, both overland campaign and dungeon geomorphs
16. More of everything you liked about the first Toolbox
17. Old school thinking behind the inspiration
18. Sidebars with loads of practical, good gaming advice
19. The secret of Kahn
20. You could make over 50 campaigns with this book

20 Reasons why I am Excited for Ultimate Toolbox

1. Pirates, More Pirates, and Much More Pirates
2. A table of nothing but Dungeon Smells
3. No Kobolds were harmed in the writing of this book
4. Did someone say Easter Eggs
5. Unique Descriptions of Wands, Potion Bottles, and Staves
6. Statue Descriptions, Land Mark Names and City Gamehouses
7. Legends for all Occassions, Places, and Dwelling Type
8. Clothing ("Wooooo, I'm Invisible")
9. Bards get Equal Treatment
10. Fleshing out the Family of PCs
11. Make your ships move with more than just wind
12. Find yourself trapped in an Exotic Prison built by halflings
13. Need a Wanted Poster right now
14. "I found WHAT in the goat's stomache?"
15. "All the corpses show various battle wounds except one that ..."
16. You'd never expect that guy to be a Fiendish Agent
17. It is the first hardcover that I helped write
18. Because riding a horse has been done enough times
19. There are never enough street names
20. Every group needs their own Battle Cry before you slaughter them

kryyst · January 21, 2009, 10:13:45 AM

That's actually pretty cool, if there is enough generic info there to be usefull outside of D&D I'd actually consider picking it up for those I'm stumped GM nights.

James J Skach · January 21, 2009, 10:17:58 AM

I've never seen the 3e version (shame on me); in your description, JWK, you state that the 3e version is useful regardless of rule set. Is it safe to assume in your opinion this one, even if it is for 4e, will still be useful outside of that specific application?

Boy..that's a really convoluted way to ask if it's 4e and, if so, if your experience with the previous version leads you to believe it will be of value outside of 4e.

JongWK · January 21, 2009, 10:50:50 AM

Quote from: James J Skach;279566I've never seen the 3e version (shame on me); in your description, JWK, you state that the 3e version is useful regardless of rule set. Is it safe to assume in your opinion this one, even if it is for 4e, will still be useful outside of that specific application?

Boy..that's a really convoluted way to ask if it's 4e and, if so, if your experience with the previous version leads you to believe it will be of value outside of 4e.

The 3e version had 3e NPC stats for the encounters, but the rest of the tables were system-free.

The EN World threads suggests that the new version wil be system-free. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure if they are marketing it as a 4e product.

StormBringer · January 21, 2009, 10:52:04 AM

Quote from: JongWK;279539

Are there any tools in there to help that poor woman from falling out of her corset?

HinterWelt · January 21, 2009, 11:18:00 AM

Quote from: StormBringer;279576Are there any tools in there to help that poor woman to fall out of her corset?

Fixed your typo.

Drohem · January 21, 2009, 11:19:00 AM

Quote from: StormBringer;279576Are there any tools in there to help that poor woman from falling out of her corset?

If she's cool with it, then so am I.

RPGPundit · January 21, 2009, 12:23:27 PM

The original Toolbox was a really great supplement not just for D&D but for any fantasy gaming. This new one looks really really enticing.

One question, though, what the hell is up with "Easter Eggs"? How the fuck do you put an "easter egg" into a print book? Do you have secret pages that can't actually be found unless you have the right invisible ink or something?

Methinks perhaps they're using the term wrong?

RPGPundit

JongWK · January 21, 2009, 12:50:20 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;279613The original Toolbox was a really great supplement not just for D&D but for any fantasy gaming. This new one looks really really enticing.

One question, though, what the hell is up with "Easter Eggs"? How the fuck do you put an "easter egg" into a print book? Do you have secret pages that can't actually be found unless you have the right invisible ink or something?

Methinks perhaps they're using the term wrong?

RPGPundit

Easter eggs = hidden references that are fun to find

Remember that non-magical scrolls list I created? The one with a list of secret handshakes (#33), the answer to a very important question (#42), or a government-issued carte blanche that looked suspiciously similar to the one from The Musketeers?

That kind of Easter eggs. I blame the videogames industry for spreading the term.

boulet · January 21, 2009, 12:51:19 PM

It's a new scratch and sniff technology. They just botched their grammar skill check it's actually called Easter Rotten Eggs...

Warthur · January 21, 2009, 12:59:24 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;279613The original Toolbox was a really great supplement not just for D&D but for any fantasy gaming. This new one looks really really enticing.

One question, though, what the hell is up with "Easter Eggs"? How the fuck do you put an "easter egg" into a print book? Do you have secret pages that can't actually be found unless you have the right invisible ink or something?

Methinks perhaps they're using the term wrong?

To be fair, it's a book featuring a large number random tables - if the samples and reviews are anything to go by, a very large one. It's not the sort of thing where you're going to sit down and read it from cover to cover (unless you're the sort of person who regards the phone book as great literature), examining every entry, so it's entirely possible for there to be references tucked away in there that you completely miss until it actually comes up on a roll.

By the way: totally buying this product.

Caesar Slaad · January 21, 2009, 01:13:28 PM

Absolutely on my list.