"Someone got paid for this?!" Terrible sourcebooks and modules thread

[Libertad]

I don't think Complete Warrior really deserves a spot up there. I mean yeah it may not be up to the standards of the Completes, or Sword and Fist, but it is not in the same category of fail as WAR!

You're right it's not as bad as those other books, it's just it didn't need to be printed in the first place. They already had a perfectly serviceable S&F book. A bit of 3.0 -> 3.5 errata and they would have been fine.

So, given the thread's title, I don't think someone deserved to be paid for CW given the net change of the system and what they already had.

I know what you mean about Sword & Fist.  Am I the only one who misses many of their more unconventional weaponry absent in Complete Warrior (Gyrspike, anyone)?

[RobbyPants]

When I first go the book (before I realized it's usually a waste of a feat to take EWP), I loved the mercurial swords.

Also, the 19-20/x3 crit on the shot put could potentially open up some crit shenanigans. On it's own, it's the equivalent of a base crit of 17-20/x2 or 20/x5.

[InnaBinder]

When I first go the book (before I realized it's usually a waste of a feat to take EWP), I loved the mercurial swords.

Also, the 19-20/x3 crit on the shot put could potentially open up some crit shenanigans. On it's own, it's the equivalent of a base crit of 17-20/x2 or 20/x5.

I know what you mean.  I petitioned my 3.0 DM hardcore to allow for a mercurial falchion.

[RobbyPants]

When I first go the book (before I realized it's usually a waste of a feat to take EWP), I loved the mercurial swords.

Also, the 19-20/x3 crit on the shot put could potentially open up some crit shenanigans. On it's own, it's the equivalent of a base crit of 17-20/x2 or 20/x5.

I know what you mean.  I petitioned my 3.0 DM hardcore to allow for a mercurial falchion.

DM: Fine. You have have a mercurial falchion.

Player: Sweet. Do you allow Book of Vile Darkness?

DM: Let me guess: your PC is a Disciple of Dispater, right?

Player: How'd you know?!

[zook1shoe]

Use two and aptitude + lightning maces

[GreyICE]

Huh, lets take on White Wolf.


Wraith: the Oblivion - Somehow made it up to a second edition before anyone bothered to actually play a game of it.  Once they did, they discovered that the system was horrid.  Having a destined nemesis?  Kind of cool.  Making your alter ego that destined nemesis so that they advanced at EXACTLY the same rate as you (allowing you to defeat them by metaphorically sitting at home and eating potato chips)?  Less cool.  Making  them manifest by dumping taking you over so that not only could you never meet them, but it needed either DMs or other PCs to hijack your character?  This enters wallbanger territory.

Probably the system White Wolf would most like to forget producing.  It was clearly driven by writers and artists, not by actual gamers who created systems that were fun to play.  To this day, I'm sure there's White Wolf employees who don't understand why it failed... and others who don't understand what the first group are thinking. 

Kindred of the East - So all the vampires in Asia are from a completely different line of ur-vampires who have nothing to do with other WoD vampires, are more powerful, and just happen to share certain mechanical similarities?   

I knew virtually no one who really liked this system.  African vampires, when they were introduced, thankfully all came from the same clans as everyone else, they just had a very different set of cultures and traditions, which made a ton of sense. 

Return of the Scarlet Empress - so this entire time the main drama of the Exalted storyline has actually been a sidenote to the ACTUAL enemy, who sweeps in at the 11th hour, kicks everyone's ass, and takes over the world with nothing anyone can do about it?  Being a system where all the PCs can do is either die honorably or run like scared children brings it into the straight "screw you" territory.

I'm fairly certain every single person who likes Exalted considers this book non-canon.  It's a middle finger to their entire fanbase, and some people will never forgive them for it. 

Chicago by Night, 1st edition - the only, the ONLY V:tM setting to EVER get two editions was Chicago by Night.

White Wolf prefers it to be remembered as only being printed once.  The first edition didn't stop at getting mere game mechanics wrong (in an official White Wolf Publication), it was filled with grammatical errors and obvious mistakes, as well as featuring subject matter that was horribly written.  It's nigh on legendary.

[veekie]

Return of the Scarlet Empress - so this entire time the main drama of the Exalted storyline has actually been a sidenote to the ACTUAL enemy, who sweeps in at the 11th hour, kicks everyone's ass, and takes over the world with nothing anyone can do about it?  Being a system where all the PCs can do is either die honorably or run like scared children brings it into the straight "screw you" territory.

I'm fairly certain every single person who likes Exalted considers this book non-canon.  It's a middle finger to their entire fanbase, and some people will never forgive them for it.

A-fucking-men! Though I've seen a few good tellings where the plot gets completely circumvented.

Though really, would it kill White Wolf to hire some goddamn editors?

[TravelLog]

The reason I hate Eberron books: no table of contents or index. Spells are randomly thrown in along with feats and items on the most random pages.

And of course, Complete Psi. My theory is that each person was given a single page and told to write the next one. This we have a horribly disconnected book created without the person who thought up its subject matter.

[veekie]

And of course, Complete Psi. My theory is that each person was given a single page and told to write the next one. This we have a horribly disconnected book created without the person who thought up its subject matter.

You hadn't seen a really disconnected book until you see some of White Wolf's. Graceful Wicked Masques takes it to such an extreme that for a 200 page book, its errata consisted of 47 pages. And that to make it playable.

[TravelLog]

And of course, Complete Psi. My theory is that each person was given a single page and told to write the next one. This we have a horribly disconnected book created without the person who thought up its subject matter.

You hadn't seen a really disconnected book until you see some of White Wolf's. Graceful Wicked Masques takes it to such an extreme that for a 200 page book, its errata consisted of 47 pages. And that to make it playable.

There exists something worse than Complete Psi...?

I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

[littha]

There exists something worse than Complete Psi...?

I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

I suggest you don't look into FATAL, it may cause minor aneurysms.

[TravelLog]

There exists something worse than Complete Psi...?

I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

I suggest you don't look into FATAL, it may cause minor aneurysms.

Don't remind me. Reading the review was painful in and of itself. I'll never read the material itself. Ever.

*Shivers*

[littha]

There exists something worse than Complete Psi...?

I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

I suggest you don't look into FATAL, it may cause minor aneurysms.

Don't remind me. Reading the review was painful in and of itself. I'll never read the material itself. Ever.

*Shivers*

I got about 40 pages in before I had to give it up... of 900+

[Nanshork]

There exists something worse than Complete Psi...?

I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

I suggest you don't look into FATAL, it may cause minor aneurysms.

Don't remind me. Reading the review was painful in and of itself. I'll never read the material itself. Ever.

*Shivers*

I got about 40 pages in before I had to give it up... of 900+

I read the character sheet once.  I laughed at it until I realized that it was for a real game.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

The Forest Oracle
by Carl Smith (1984)

Beworst module ever.

4. THE BRIGANDS

A group of seven men approaches. They are following the road east, and are making good time, neither tarrying nor running. Their faces are expressionless. One is dressed as a cleric of some sort, and another is dressed as a traveling drummer. The others could be peasants or serfs going from one location to another for the harvest season. Each carries some sort of weapon. It is plain that they are not soldiers by their haphazard way of walking. They do not seem to be joking loudly or singing as they advance.

The party encounters seven brigands. One is the leader (Fighter; AC 5; MV 6' per round; HD 3; hp 13; % in Lair 20%; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6 Sword +1; SA Sword +1; SD Standard), of the other six brigands (Fighters; AC 7; MV 6' per round; HD 1-6; hp 10 each; % In Lair 20%; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6 [sword]; SA None; SD Standard). The brigands look like rough men and carry weapons that pilgrims or wayfarers would not.

The brigands charge when they are 25 feet from the party of adventurers. They are all armed with swords. Roll 1d6. On 1-3 the brigands surprise, on 3-4 there is no surprise, and on 5-6 the party surprises. The brigands will fight until they are all dead, or until the party has been killed. If a brigand is captured, he will offer to lead the party to his hide-out (Area 2A Map) if they spare his life. He will not volunteer any more information about the hideout, but will not lie if asked a direct question about it.

[SolEiji]

There exists something worse than Complete Psi...?

I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

I suggest you don't look into FATAL, it may cause minor aneurysms.

Don't remind me. Reading the review was painful in and of itself. I'll never read the material itself. Ever.

*Shivers*

I got about 40 pages in before I had to give it up... of 900+

I did it.

I literally read all of FATAL.

It took about 2 hard weeks, with frequent breaks, uncontrollable sobbing, and the sqamous legions of nightmares escaping from beyond the wall, but I managed it.  The sheer.... insanity... the corruption...

I can say 100% that there is not a single page of minor value in the book.  Not a single page where there wasn't something offensive, irritating, insipid, and vile.  The Book of Vile Darkness Artifact exists, and it is this pdf.  Reading it deals Wisdom damage even on a save.  You don't want to know what happens on a failed save...

I can say you are not missing anything, not at all.

[TravelLog]

I did it.

I literally read all of FATAL.

It took about 2 hard weeks, with frequent breaks, uncontrollable sobbing, and the sqamous legions of nightmares escaping from beyond the wall, but I managed it.  The sheer.... insanity... the corruption...

I can say 100% that there is not a single page of minor value in the book.  Not a single page where there wasn't something offensive, irritating, insipid, and vile.  The Book of Vile Darkness Artifact exists, and it is this pdf.  Reading it deals Wisdom damage even on a save.  You don't want to know what happens on a failed save...

I can say you are not missing anything, not at all.

That's...not possible.

Why...

Why would you do that to yourself? I mean... It's just...

You deserve a medal and some of kind of restitution for pain and suffering.

[Wrex]

I did it.

I literally read all of FATAL.

It took about 2 hard weeks, with frequent breaks, uncontrollable sobbing, and the sqamous legions of nightmares escaping from beyond the wall, but I managed it.  The sheer.... insanity... the corruption...

I can say 100% that there is not a single page of minor value in the book.  Not a single page where there wasn't something offensive, irritating, insipid, and vile.  The Book of Vile Darkness Artifact exists, and it is this pdf.  Reading it deals Wisdom damage even on a save.  You don't want to know what happens on a failed save...

I can say you are not missing anything, not at all.

You sir, deserve a fucking medal. That....thing....is the literary equivalent of IWBTG.

[Tempest]

Book of Exalted Deeds / Vile Darkness

Bigger pile of broken crap is hard to find.

[dman11235]

I'm definitely going to jump in here and +1 the CW.  It may not be as bad as some of these other things, as in not broken/poorly researched/whatever, but it is just about the best example of lazy writing I've ever seen.  The only reason it's not broken is because so little effort was put into it that there was no chance at anything odd happening.  And then that sort of thing ENDED UP HAPPENING.  Reaping Mauler?  Take this feat that makes you worse at grappling in order to be no better at grappling!  Samurai?  Gains no class features.  Hexblade was at least an attempt at something good.  Swashbuckler?  Again, no class features, barring the two at, what is it?  3 and 11?  The feats are the only shinning part of the book, as there's....there's......what feats are in there?  I mean really?  The book is entirely forgettable when it's not horribly underpowered and poorly designed, giving me one of my Top 3 Worst Designed Classes of All Time, only being beat out by the Sorcerer and Cleric.  Notably the only horribly weak one in the top 5.

Have I mentioned the freaking Samurai yet?

PREEDIT: I had to look it up to see what feats are actually good.  Seriously.  Only a couple Stunning Fist and ranged feats, and then a bunch of feats that either make you worse, no better, or should have been a part of a base class or ability.  At least they had tactical and divine feats.  Was this the first one to have those?  If so that's probably the only good thing from the book.