The new Mask of Winters is...

[Guest]

I've only gotten a brief 10 minute look at the book so far. Thus, all I really have to go on is the word of others. The problem there is that that word is one end of the fanboy extreme or the other in most cases. One might assume that the truth is then somewhere in the middle, but that leaves a perfectly average book, which I already have a copy of in 1st edition.


And that book I got a look at... wow the binding (or lack of) scared me. I was afraid to open in the the storecause of that "you broke it, you bought it" mentality of malls.

 

[Jakk Bey]

I'm hardly a raging fanboy, and I think that most of the regulars are pretty fairly critical of WW enough to put you at ease on that note as well.  It's a solid improvement on the system.  


Mind you, I hate the nWoD.  Didn't buy it.  Won't.  Don't like it.  Don't think that it improved the setting, or mechanics one iota.  Happy enough with the WoD without the new schlock.


I don't buy things just on fanboyism.  It's solid.  Good work, and it clears up a lot of things, and makes things a lot more streamlined.  Probably one of the best second editions they've done--much better than they did on the old WoD books.

 

[Solfi]

I've had the chance to get some fleeting glances at a friend's book. Everything I've seen thus far looks utterly sweet. I love the way the new tick-system promotes creative stunting, and tactics removes some of the old turnbased init-hack. I'm still a bit sceptical of the whole Mail & Steel-thing, but that can be corrected with some creative tinkering.


I've got the nWoD book and the Mage book. I'm a bit miffed at the new Mage cosmology though (the little I've read), so I haven't gotten around to actually plow through the thing. I liked the symmetry of the old Mage cosmology (the cosmology, not the faction groupings... they tended to be a bit stereotypical, and neatly arranged towards the end of the oWoD).

 

[Guest]

Perhaps I'll order a copy thru Amazon, that way if I don't end up liking it, I'm not out as much money. Just hate buying things I can't give a good lookover to first.

 

[Jakk Bey]

Som all the reviews, the discussions, the nattering on about details on it already hasn't given you an idea?  


It's solid.  Whether you like it or not, that's up for grabs, until you actually read through it.  But before you can really pop wise on it, you've got to read the dang thing.


Besides, if you don't like it, you can always put it for sale here.  I'm sure someone will spring a few bucks for discount copy...

 

[uteck]

In the end it comes down to this;


+ The new edition cleans up a lot of crap from the first edition.  


- 2nd ed. breaks most of the other books forcing the ST to do lots of editing to use them.


+ Tick system makes combat flow better in a more nateral way.


- The old combat system was not that bad and easily understood.


Thoughs are the main points I  can think of now.  So if the ST wants to convert a game to second edition, a lot of prep work needs to be done for non-solars to work in the new system.  


So you either;


buriedA) Do all the conversion work, then toss it out when the new books arrive.


B) Run only Solars as players.


C) Continue to use 1st ed. for mixed games and wait for all the books befor switching.


So for everyone who does not like the new version, use option C as your excuse why you don't use it.  Since it will take about a year for the Lunar book to be released, that postpones any debate over it and this thread will be buried deep.

 

[Flagg]

- 2nd ed. breaks most of the other books forcing the ST to do lots of editing to use them.

I disagree. Most everything can be converted with very little effort.


-S

 

[Silence In Daylight]

Indeed. Now, the converted 1st Ed stuff may not match up exactly with what 2nd Ed turns out to be, but really, will hewing completely to canon improve one's enjoyment of the game significantly?

 

[uteck]

- 2nd ed. breaks most of the other books forcing the ST to do lots of editing to use them.

I disagree. Most everything can be converted with very little effort.


-S

Have you converted everything over?  If it only takes "very little effort" then why not post your conversion guide for others to use.  

 

[Flagg]

Have you converted everything over?  If it only takes "very little effort" then why not post your conversion guide for others to use.

1. Use the Charm conversions in the STC, or if you don't have that:


1a. Change all mentions of "turns" into "actions".


1b. Assume a standard Speed/DV penalty for all Charms, unless you have a good reason not to.


1c. Convert bonuses to dodge/parry to bonuses to DV, at a rate of  +/- 1DV per 2 dice.


2. Play.


-S

 

[EccentricNed]

Not a complete replacement of a 30+ book libray of games.

With the exception of the hard cover books, the exalted books are 95% story/background, with the last 5% split between 3-4 new charms and a few artifacts. Maybe a few NPCs too.


So there's no need to replace your library. The Haltans are still a tree dwelling civilisation, the Bull of the North is still running around the North and Nexus is still the largest city in creation. The few actual nitty-grit rule parts for most of these books can be converted very easily.


The only real replacements for a long-time player with all the old books would be the Core and whatever types of exalt your players play. Or ask them to buy their exalted type's rule book if you don't want to shell out $30 for the one Lunar in your group. If you want to have NPC exalts, get the storyteller companion and use the examples, it has 30 characters and 100+ charm templates.

 

[Persell]

You're right.  I bought not a few 1st Ed. books for Exalted, and I don't plan on replacing them simply because most of the softcover books were only about setting and I can still use those.  Yeah, some of those splatbooks have new charms and artifacts and such, but you don't *have* to use them.  At most, the things I'll buy from 2nd Ed. are the books for the Exalted (DB, Lunar, Sidereal, Abyssals) and that's about it.  Anything else I can just use the 1st Ed. books for the setting because after all that's what the other books are about,  more detail in the setting instead of additions to the rules.

 

[Silence In Daylight]

Plus, a fair number of 2nd Ed releases aren't replacements; there really isn't an equivalent for Wonders, for instance.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

Malfeas, the Blessed Isle, Heaven (far more detailed I'm sure) and the Wyld books I'm sure will be all new material. In fact, I'm pretty sure for Malfeas and Blessed Isle. The Underworld book...hmm, dunno yet. Probably a lot more fleshing out on the region moreso than Abyssals and Book of Bone and Ebony did.

 

[Silence In Daylight]

Don't forget the Terrestrial Directions; there hasn't been an Eastern, Southern, or Western book per se, since the River Province counts as a separate domain. Blood and Salt covered An-Teng and the Lintha, but not the archipelagoes...

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

Oh I know, that's what they're covering in the new books