Strongholds and Followers

[MadBear]

I'm just curious who else has read/considered using Mathew Coville's Strongholds and Followers book? I found it pretty interesting, and a good way to help with building a kingdom in an abstract way that still put the focus on the characters, so the game just didn't become a kingdom simulator.

Personally, I found it really intriguing. I love the idea of having my characters build and maintain strongholds.

(link for those who don't know what I'm talking about: https://shop.mcdmproductions.com/)

[Unoriginal]

Can you give an example of something in particular you liked? Mechanics, blurb, advice, anything that made you go "this is useful"?

I've personally never considered giving Coville a cent, and find what already exist about building strongholds and managing people to be enough to build on, but I can't judge this book without knowing more about the content.

[Theodoxus]

It's ok. The content is decent enough, even if, as Unoriginal stated, one could do most of it with time using existing rules - I guess the time element (saving of, that is) is the best part.

What I can't stand is the color/layout scheme they decided on. It's hard for me to read, just because I get distracted by the colors and font... Fortunately, it's a pdf. I just modded it for my own use.

[lunaticfringe]

I liked the creatures (on the fence about the Gem Dragons because of his take on psionics).

The pirate ship section really kinda stuck in my craw. It's just a variant Barbarian Camp Sidebar and he didn't even bother with anything like ship combat rules.

It's got a few ideas worth trying out but I doubt I'm going to use most of it as printed.

[mephnick]

It's ok and I'll use some of it, but kickstarting the book was 99% about repaying Colville for the hours of content I've consumed and 1% about getting a book.

EDIT: I'll likely purchase his next book for the same reasons. I want to support his company, even though I hate D&D play streams so the biggest part of the company isn't for me.

[MadBear]

Can you give an example of something in particular you liked? Mechanics, blurb, advice, anything that made you go "this is useful"?

I've personally never considered giving Coville a cent, and find what already exist about building strongholds and managing people to be enough to build on, but I can't judge this book without knowing more about the content.

The work put in to how you could go about creating a stronghold, and the charts to roll on for what you attract was really appreciated. I'm finding the whole book to be useful and fun, I was just curious what others thoughts on it were.

In particular, I'm a really big fan of the warfare system, and how straight forward it is to use. It allows you to have a giant battle going on without playing a war game as your characters go about the battle with the big bad.

[Kalashak]

I don't really plan to use any of the mechanics, because they're an extra layer of complication in an already complicated game, and because the power levels are a lot higher than I personally like. I might use the warfare rules, they were simple enough.
I liked reading it a lot though, and the art sure was pretty.