[3.5] Dungeon Master's Guide II

[Scorpions__]

Companion Spirits, Teamwork benefits, bound weapons?

How have you used DMGII in your games? I find it too be one of the least used books in my library.





DM[F]R

[0Megabyte]

I find it to be the least used book in my library. I even read Weapons of Legacy more often. (hey, just because it isn't a well-made book doesn't mean it isn't interesting, or that the fluff of the weapons is bad. In fact, the basic concept is cool, and some of the abilities isn't bad. It just kind of sucks mechanically. The rules for making such a weapon are too complicated, too!)

The thing is, I haven't looked at that book in years. The teamwork benefits looked like they sucked, and the rules for making a business were bad too. I dunno, the DMGII for 3.5 just isn't all that good, to my memory. One of the only interesting things in there was magical locations.

[Escheton]

Likewise, and we have a stack of books taller than the dm.

[Serpentine]

I even read Weapons of Legacy more often. (hey, just because it isn't a well-made book doesn't mean it isn't interesting, or that the fluff of the weapons is bad. In fact, the basic concept is cool, and some of the abilities isn't bad. It just kind of sucks mechanically. The rules for making such a weapon are too complicated, too!)If you want some help with using it, I just scrap the mechanical costs and replace them with roleplaying ones, have some flexibility in the creation, and I'm thinking of making a more simplified version of the creation lists (e.g. X level spell Y times per day, etc).

Is Knight from DMGII? I forget.

[HunterOfJello]

Decent for DM advice, but I can't remember a single game mechanic from that book that I've ever used.

[Scorpions__]

It seems to be the forgotten book just like the Dragon Shaman is the forgotten class...

Knight is from PHBII by the way.





DM[F]R

[CockroachTeaParty]

I don't own the DMG II, and have no reason to own it. However, apparently there's an item for bards in it that helps optimize inspire courage even more. I wish I had it's stats...

[Bakkan]

The only thing I have ever used it for is the item templates (Githcraft, Feycraft, etc.) Some nice, and cheap, options.

[Safety Sword]

Likewise, and we have a stack of books taller than the dm.

That's what happens when you let gnomes DM

[Incanur]

That's what happens when you let gnomes DM

:smalleek: What an alarming notion. I predict turnips (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Jan_Jansen).

[Safety Sword]

:smalleek: What an alarming notion. I predict turnips (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Jan_Jansen).

"Beware! Your knees are mine!"

[Incanur]

"Beware! Your knees are mine!"

What a wonderful game. I'll have to load it up again some point in the future and relive the good times. I made a point of employing Throne of Bhaal continuity and characters for my version of the Realms as DM. The PCs encountered notables such as Sarevok, Edwin, and Korgan.

[0Megabyte]

It seems to be the forgotten book just like the Dragon Shaman is the forgotten class...

Knight is from PHBII by the way.

Oh my. Dragon Shaman is a forgotten class? I guess I'll never forget the class after SilverClawShift's campaign journal. The image of the quiet Dragon Shaman taking the skies for the first time and battling a dragon in a aerial duel is something honestly awesome. If I ever wanted to play the class, that would be the reason.

[Tvtyrant]

... I actually don't own a copy of Dungeon Master's Guide I, only II. So.. plenty?

[Ashram]

The only thing I really ever use from that book are the magic item signatures, which really should have been in DMGI as variants for a magic item's glow.

[true_shinken]

Man,that book is really good. It may not be high on crunch, but the DMing advice is very good and I really like the fluff.
One of my favourites 3.5 books. Heck, one of my favourite RPG books ever.

[FelixG]

I have used a few of the classes from it...

But they really should have given the person who was set to write the owning a business section a calculator before publishing it :smallwink:

[Amphetryon]

The Apprentice feat has shown up in Iron Chef a time or two; it's one of a limited number of ways to obtain a new class skill.

[Thespianus]

I have used a few of the classes from it...
What classes? I really can't find any classes in the DMGII... :smallconfused:

Magic items, feats, special locations, yes. classes? Not so much.

[FelixG]

What classes? I really can't find any classes in the DMGII... :smallconfused:

Magic items, feats, special locations, yes. classes? Not so much.

BLARG I was wraping the PHB 2 and DMG 2 into one book :smallamused:

Thats what happens when you post from work at 3 AM... heha

[thompur]

The rules for mobs was useful.

[Dralnu]

As a DM, I love that book. I can't agree more with all the DM advice they give. It can really open up your eyes on how to improve your own playstyle, which will make your own DMing experience and that of the players way better.

The biggest thing I personally took away from the book is that location adds so much to campaigns. I've used nearly all their achetypical locations. Ice Bridge is particularly detailed and easy to plop into a snowy area. Their "magical locations as treasure" is also great and unique way to reward players. I've recently used the Terrible Cyst to reward my players in my evil campaign.

Ooooh, and their magical events! Great campaign capstone ideas. With a little effort you can combine it with Elder Evils. Good stuff!

EDIT: Forgot to mention (now that I look at the book again) that I've used some of their pre-made NPCs too. I'm lazy with making NPCs, these are all pre-done with a cool picture, why not use them?

[Fax Celestis]

I use the terrain and non-combat encounter advice all the time. One of my most memorable campaigns started with an inn fire that the PCs had to escape from and later featured a battle atop an ice bridge. Further, the advice it gives on HOW to be a DM is invaluable.

[Thurbane]

Seen several threads like this by people who didn't like it.

Personally, I thought it was good. I love the section on Saltmarsh, the master & apprentice rules, and the book in general.

It isn't a chock full of crunch as many books, but I still like it.

[Urpriest]

I like the traps, and the mob rules. Used both in a recent campaign actually. The reason that I have the book out almost every time I'm making an adventure, though, is its statblock format for NPCs. That thing is really really handy.

[Dragon Star]

... I actually don't own a copy of Dungeon Master's Guide I, only II. So.. plenty?

This is a joke, right? Right??? Please tell me it's a joke...:smallfrown:

[Thurbane]

This is a joke, right? Right??? Please tell me it's a joke...:smallfrown:
Maybe not...it's getting very hard to track down the core rulebooks for sale now, and when you find them, the prices tend to be very inflated. By contrast, picking up most non-core splatbooks (with the exceptions of MIC and SC) tends to be relatively easy at Amazon, Ebay or similar.

It's also possible to run a game just using the SRD, with no DMG (although some core mechanics - mainly levelling - are deliberately not listed in the SRD).

[Feliks878]

I own a copy and it probably is the least used physical book we have (though our collection is probably smaller then many peoples.) I'm pretty much the only person in my group to use it, and I simply use it to learn stuff. Which it's nice for.

[AshDesert]

The DMing advice is fantastic, along with some of the ideas presented in the book. The little crunch there was struck me as kind of meh, but that wasn't really the point of the book. It was supposed to be a true Dungeon Master's GUIDE, a book that can help teach you to be a Dungeon Master. In that sense, it was very successful.

[Zeta Kai]

I really like the sample town, Saltmarsh. It was the inspiration for the City of God (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=9860351#post9860351).

The DMing advice is pretty good, but if you're an experienced DM, it's not gonna fix any flaws that you may have developed. For the long-time DM, the benefits are hidden among the advice for novices. I think that if the information had been better organized, separating it into newbie stuff & master stuff, then it would have been better received.

[Thurbane]

To be honest, I think the lukewarm reception to DMGII is mostly from people who aren't that interested in gaming advice or fluff, and are looking for books to introduce a ton of new crunch. My 2 cents, anyway.

[Scorpions__]

Am I the only one who uses companion spirits? In Pelor's White Flame (see sig) I've given my players one with no XP charge just because it's a very difficult campaign, and it works out very well too.





DM[F]R

[Coidzor]

...I somehow missed the places where Companion Spirits and bound weapons are addressed, actually... :smallconfused: Then again, I was mainly reading the sections about apprentice and master feats, templates for weapons and armor, and the alternative rituals for creating magic items.

[Valameer]

The first chapter helped me improve a ton as a DM. I highly recommend the DMG II just for that - or pick up Robin's Laws of Good Gamemastering from SJG. It's the same thing, but (probably) cheaper, and without all that other stuff.

The first chapter is a gem of a book, and probably should have been printed separately. Everything else seems like rules that weren't cool enough to make it into the first DMG.

So, other than the bit written by Robin D. Laws, I've browsed the '100 Adventure ideas' table. I like that sort of thing. But I've never actually used it.

The Saltmarsh city write-up is alright. This sort of idea has been done better by different sources (Sharn: City of Towers and Ptolus definitely beat Saltmarsh as a campaign setting). But the space used on Saltmarsh is by no means a waste. It's probably the book's highlight outside of the first chapter.

The DMG II has abstract rules for a PC running a business. This is the last part that might see use.

Nothing else in the book seemed worthwhile to me.

[Twilightwyrm]

I actually used the DMG II just recently. Before we had been using for simple traps, but since I was DMing for two of my friends who were playing a Swashbuckler and a Marshall respectively (let's face it, not the most awe-inspiring powerful classes) in a Pirate themed campaign, I decided a Companion Spirit in the form of the floating, talking skull of a former pirate captain would be appropriate.

[NavyBlue]

As a DM, I read it all the time, usually Saltmarsh or the 100 ideas table to draw inspiration for my upcoming sessions. As far as the new rules presented, though, I don't think I've ever actually used any if them.

[ThiagoMartell]

To be honest, I think the lukewarm reception to DMGII is mostly from people who aren't that interested in gaming advice or fluff, and are looking for books to introduce a ton of new crunch. My 2 cents, anyway.

This, so much this.
DMG2 is an awesome book.

[GenghisDon]

Companion Spirits, Teamwork benefits, bound weapons?

How have you used DMGII in your games? I find it too be one of the least used books in my library.





DM[F]R

It's barely been used, if at all. WOTC stole my $ on that one, I'm afraid. I don't even look at the PDF of it, & barely recall what's in there.

DM advice is great; when you haven't read/heard it all before, ect.

[kitcik]

We have this exchange nearly every session:

DM: "-4 for firing into melee"

Party (in unison): "-2, teamwork"

DM: rolls eyes

Not sure why he never remembers it...

[Menteith]

I heavily rely on Teamwork Benefits for martial Mooks, like Hobgoblins. Massed Charge or Missile Barrage (with Ballistas) can make everyone a reasonably dangerous enemy, and it fits the fluff well. I also like the DMGII Sudden Stunning enchantment far more than the MIC one (look, Paladins and Bardblades need a bit of love sometimes), and the Apprentice feat is useful for those skills that Martial Study can't pick up.

[Akal Saris]

To be honest, I think the lukewarm reception to DMGII is mostly from people who aren't that interested in gaming advice or fluff, and are looking for books to introduce a ton of new crunch. My 2 cents, anyway.

I agree.

I like the advice in DMGII and have recommended it to a few aspiring DMs.

Otherwise I might have used the mentor feat in Iron Chef competitions I believe, since it solves some skill acquisition issues.

A few of the magic items are useful, like the Stunning weapon enhancement, and the Feycraft weapon material.

Never used a magical location, companion spirit, or teamwork benefit before.

[Kelb_Panthera]

It's got some interesting stuff in it, but I can see why it gets so little use. I make use of parts of it on occasion, but that's it.

BTW, this is probably gonna get locked due to thread-necromancy any minute now, so if you wanna discuss it further, someone should make a new thread or ask a mod to permit this one to stay open.