From: cms@mse.cmu.edu (Curtis M Scott)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Ok Here goes: Re: anyone posting a REVIEW: ? for Bard's Handbook?
Date: 13 Apr 92 19:09:27 GMT
Organization: CMU/SEI Master of Software Engineering Program

In article <rwmira01.51.703184473@vlsi.louisville.edu>, rwmira01@vlsi.louisville.edu (Rob Miracle (Non-priv)) writes:
|> I think the CBHB is the best of the series so far.  You can almost completly 
|> generate a character from the book.  It includes all the bard progression 
|> tables from the Players Handbook, including a Saving throw matrix, current 
|> proficiencies gained to date by level etc.  This is real handy for 
|> generating NPCs.

I do not agree. I was actually rather irritated by the amount of information
in the book which was reprinted from the Player's Handbook. None of the
other "Complete" books did that, and I was sorry to see it here.

|> They have the various kits, including kits based on demi-human races.  You 
|> can play a Halfling Wistler or an Elven Minstral.  The kits are ok, though 
|> some would be hard to use for PCs (Jester for example).  Most of the kits, 
|> are a little more powerful than a straight from the PHB character.  Most 
|> notably are the 3 to 4 extra non-weapon proficiencies that the kit gets.  
|> The drawbacks didn't really seem to balance out.  This particular piece
|> isn't as bad as I make it sound though.

I also found the kits to be slightly strong on balance, with not enough
to differentiate them. One thing that I didn't like was that some of the
"basic" Bard abilities became special abilities of the True Bard kit, so
that not all bards get the Legend Lore ability, for example. This basically
contradicts the PH, which makes things harder to keep consistent.
 
|> Included in the book are discussions and charts for different bard 
|> functions, such as playing the the streets, in a bar, for a king, etc.  They 
|> include the size of the audience, the money earned etc.  Each of the bardic 
|> abilities is covered in detail about what they can and cant do.  One of the 
|> things I liked was the discussion about the Pick Pocket roll.  This 
|> information would be useful for thieves as well.  They go over things such 
|> as unbuckeling a buckle, slight of hand tricks, etc.  Pretty well done.
|> 
|> They give a good chart for handling the Musical Instrument proficiency.  In 
|> here, the more slots you spend, a) the better you get with a particular 
|> insturment, and b) the more related insturments you get.  For 5 slots, you 
|> can get all the string insturments.  Three slots gets you all the plucked 
|> string insturments, 2 gets you all the various Lute type insturments, etc.
|> They have pictures of many instrurments from the Glockenspiel to the Lute.  

I agree. This stuff was great.

|> The book also offers an alternate magic casting system for bards.  For 
|> bards, their verbal components can be sung, and the somatic can be played.  
|> Material is stored in a special pouch and is consumed during the use, but 
|> does not have to be minipulated by the character.  Kind of a nice touch.  
|> This is of course optional.

I didn't really look closely at this, but at first glance it seemed playable.
(Pardon the pun.)

|> Finally, there was some discussion on 1st edition bards included, though I 
|> havent really tried to digest it yet.

Most of this was a reprint of the First Edition Bard information. Frankly,
I think this was a bad idea. The new bards, for better or worse, are the
"right stuff" now; only people who played 1st Edition care about the old
bards, and they already had the information in their Player's Handbooks.
 
|> The artwork is reasonably good.  I didn't see any real editing blunders, but 
|> I have only read it once and haven't tried to play it yet.
|> 
|> If you play 2nd edition Bards, this is a must get book!

I'd say, a "probably should get" book, but OK.
 
|> Rob Miracle
|> --

Curtis M. Scott
From: dlc@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Dennis Clark)
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 20:53:41 GMT
Subject: Re: AD&D Char Death < GURPS Char Death
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA