| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Purple Dragon Knight |
Posted - 08 Jul 2004 : 00:53:09
Went to my gaming store today and saw SK behind the counter. Been a customer to that store for over 5 years and the clerk, who is also my friend, wouldn't sell me a copy because the release date is Friday!! damn WotC release policy!! aaaaarrrrgh! Hulk SMASH!! darn Lawful Clerk who upholds the rules so tightly!! aarrrrgh!!
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| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Lonecry |
Posted - 25 Jul 2006 : 20:42:40
There is a trilogy in dungeon (69,70,71?) that are about the yuan-ti creating a super-human race that is docile. It was meant for the serpent hills but with a little bit of work I moved it to the dalelands, specifically mistledale. |
| Na-Gang |
Posted - 20 Jul 2006 : 10:48:22
quote:
Originally posted by Purple Dragon Knight
For those who have used the SK book in actual play: could you give us a point-form outline of your adventures/campaign? Cheers!
Well... I'm not sure I understand what a "point-form outline" is but guessing that it involves bullet points, here goes:
- Beginning in Lapaliiya, moving around the lands of the Shining Sea
- Starting with the House of the Circle adventure from Dungeon magazine (sorry, can't remember which issue)
- Characters - a Tashalan Wizard, soon to be Celebrant of Sharess, who is related to Danino Soth the ruler of Abreon, an ex-slave Wild Dwarf Ranger/Druid, an Ex-paladin, soon to be Divine Champion of Sune, a Tiefling Rogue from the streets of Sheirtalar, a Chessentan Cleric of Lathander
- Whilst investigating Lord Soth's business acquaintances the group discover an abandoned 'facility' where, historically, Yuan-Ti and Illithids had pooled their knowledge to create aberrations, new grafts and slave races
- In Abreon they encounter a seemingly unrelated death cult but find a letter from someone called 'Imin' somehow linking Soth to it, he subsequenly is 'kidnapped' and a note left telling the PCs that someone in Mierskar has answers
- On the way to Mierskar they encounter shapeshifting snake people who worship Set and claim they are not Yuan-Ti
- In Mierskar they encounter Savis, an agent of one of the House Eselemas satraps of Lushpool who informs them that the Yuan-Ti House Se'Sehen had been conducting experiments with the Illithids, Soth was a former slaver and supplied slaves to the Yuan-Ti/Illithid alliance, and that their House (Eselemas) had moved him into hiding to prevent House Se'Sehen from turning him into a Tainted One
- Imin, a former acquaintance of Lord Soth, from his days as a slaver has been discovered to somehow be involved with House Se'Sehen and a cult of young men who tattoo themselves with scales and actively work to keep people out of the ruins of the School of Wizardry in Mierskar
- Seeine House Eselemas as the lesser of two evils, the PCs agree to delve into the ruins, where they encounter Yuan-Ti, cultists and Imin, who escapes with the help of a mysterious and powerful woman called Thoosa, but the PCs do find a note which seems to suggest that Imin has planned to be somewhere at a certain date, if only they could work out where...
- Whilst in the ruins the PCs learn that Set is masquerading as Sseth but that most of Sseth's worshippers do not realise, even House Se'Sehen do not know.
Upon meeting again with Savis she tells them that Imin will have returned to his ship, moored in a hidden cove, which was granted him by one of the other Satraps of Lushpool who may or may not be an ally of House Se'Sehen. Savis suggests the PCs infiltrate the hidden cove and learn what Imin plans
Obiviously a lot of that is non-Canon. Danino Soth is not the Canon ruler of Abreon, I even geographically moved the town from the South of Lapaliiya to the North. |
| Purple Dragon Knight |
Posted - 17 Jul 2006 : 05:47:25
For those who have used the SK book in actual play: could you give us a point-form outline of your adventures/campaign? Cheers! |
| Na-Gang |
Posted - 16 Jul 2006 : 09:41:58
quote:
Originally posted by Reefy
quote:
Originally posted by Na-Gang
It's a good book, but I do bemoan the absence of maps.
"Classic Serpent Kingdoms opinion #4"
Heh. Yeah Yeah. OK. |
| Reefy |
Posted - 15 Jul 2006 : 01:39:23
quote:
Originally posted by Na-Gang
It's a good book, but I do bemoan the absence of maps.
"Classic Serpent Kingdoms opinion #4" |
| Na-Gang |
Posted - 14 Jul 2006 : 14:07:19
Well I use it. In fact my whole campaign hinges on it, being that it's set in Lapliiya and The Chultan Peninsula 'n all.
The Yuan-Ti are great foes. Individually powerful but with enough subraces, slaves, and lesser races of 'scaled ones' to provide opposition to any level of party. My group started at 1st level, are now on the cusp of 4th level and have only just met their first Yuan-Ti (even though she's not an opponent she's facilitated their work against a rival Yuan-Ti House).
Yuan-Ti satisfy my DM's need for thick, multi-layered plots, betrayal, and behind-the-scenes manipulation. Plus the fact that the Mulhorandi deity Set is masquerading as the Yuan-Ti deity Sseth, lets me indulge my Old Empires obsession as well.
It's a good book, but I do bemoan the absence of maps. Even if one was made available on the WotC site. I would've gladly paid a bit more for a great map or two included with the product. |
| Kajehase |
Posted - 08 Jul 2006 : 12:04:06
quote:
Originally posted by Purple Dragon Knight
If you use this book, you should base your whole campaign on it... there's a LOT of evil masterminding going on within these pages!!!
And you should also remember to perfect your lisps (sure, you could go with just one kind of lisp, but using more than one is more effectful).
Seriously speaking though, since I've no group to DM, and since I can't say I particularly felt like playing a Scaled One when I made my character for Kuje's PbEM-game, I've not had any use for this book in actual game-play yet. But in terms of getting my mind ticking and whirring with ideas...oh yes.
My copy of the book gets plucked off the shelf at least once every two weeks. |
| Purple Dragon Knight |
Posted - 08 Jul 2006 : 10:53:15
In reply to RodOdom's question (from another thread): no, I have not had the chance to use this tome in actual play. I've read most of it, but must defer to less 'complicated' monsters in my current campaign.
Including elements from this book in game play would necessitate a lot of DM work (both their social/roleplaying and game/combat interactions are extremely hard to master)
If you use this book, you should base your whole campaign on it... there's a LOT of evil masterminding going on within these pages!!! |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 01 Dec 2004 : 11:15:33
quote:
Originally posted by kuje31
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
It's the best they've done since Ukta of last year.  
ROFL. :) Stop that! I fell out of my chair.
*bows* It was the best reply I could come up with.  |
| Kuje |
Posted - 01 Dec 2004 : 05:26:45
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
It's the best they've done since Ukta of last year.
ROFL. :) Stop that! I fell out of my chair. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 01 Dec 2004 : 04:53:41
quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Only five things to correct. See, I said it was well-edited. 
That is quite good. Is that a record?
It's the best they've done since Ukta of last year. |
| SiriusBlack |
Posted - 01 Dec 2004 : 04:09:43
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Only five things to correct. See, I said it was well-edited.
That is quite good. Is that a record? |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 01 Dec 2004 : 03:45:14
quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
WOTC now has errata available for this product.
I was just coming over here to comment on that fact...
Only five things to correct. See, I said it was well-edited. |
| SiriusBlack |
Posted - 01 Dec 2004 : 02:24:08
WOTC now has errata available for this product. |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 21 Aug 2004 : 04:02:54
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
This book, on the other hand, does appear to have been well edited. Thus far, I've only found one mistake, and it wasn't major enough to really pay attention to -- I recognized it as a mistake, and kept right on reading.
Well, I've had a chance to go through my copy properly and have to 'fess up to a few errors and typos that slipped past me at least, in the proof-reading stage.
In the Appendix - Historical Eras of Faerun section there are the following typos:
Illythir: should be Ilythiir
Syopiir: should be Syorpiir (can't do the accent, sorry)
Miyiertar: should be Miyeritar (although spelling of this place has been variable ...)
Ghaurraghaur: should be Gharraghaur
Also, in the section on Najara (pgs.104-107) we have in the Marsh of Chelimber write-up the description of the Principality of the Snarling Boar lasting from 457 DR to 692 DR. In the Boareskyr Bridge section we are told the Grand Prince Boareskyr, "the Snarling Boar", was a noted adventurer and FOUNDER of the realm who then went on to defeat an orc horde at this site in the Year of the Bloody Tusk (661 DR). Ummm, this means that Boareskyr lived a long, long time if he founded the place in 457 DR and then fought a battle against orcs in 661 DR. This is sort of fixable by saying that the Boareskyr who defeated the orcs was a descendant of the original Boareskyr and was likely Boareskyr III or something like that.
Also, in the section on Najara's regional history (p.112), our problems with Boareskyr aren't over, for this section states that the Principality was destroyed in 993 DR (not 692 DR as mentioned above).
Maybe Eric can help us out here ....
-- George Krashos (the sheepish one)
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| SiriusBlack |
Posted - 20 Aug 2004 : 14:33:28
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
They don't do anything for me, but I'm sure that other people will like them.
Here's something I noticed. For Wallpaper #1, the elf has scratches on her leg. Understandable given the situation she finds herself in. However, the cover on my SK tome has no such scratches. I guess they didn't want any elf-lovers to get upset that an Etrielle had been mistreated.
I see the bound human also has some additional damage to his clothing and body. Too graphic of a picture for the actual cover? I wonder why the change. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 20 Aug 2004 : 06:30:11
It seems a bit after the fact to me, but we now have Serpent Kingdoms wallpapers.
They don't do anything for me, but I'm sure that other people will like them. |
| Wood Elf Ranger |
Posted - 10 Aug 2004 : 04:35:00
I just got this tome in the mail today and read it from cover to cover in one sitting and wanted to post my thoughts on it.
First let me say the reason there was so much more fluff than crunch in this tome is because most all the races/monsters were already detailed in other sourcebooks. So they just told you which book and page to find the stats thus leaving the majority of pages free for fluff.
Which is an excellent thing I especially loved the 'in the Realms' monster sections giving up-to-date info on what the outlandish monsters are currently up to.
Only thing I didn't like was it got a bit redundant explaining each races purpose and creation/relation to the creator races.
My favorite things: the nifty Racial Traits table in the back, very handy; the artwork, just awesome; and the Serpent Slayer PrC, great idea!
So for anyone who is a fan of slithering scaly things, great artwork, and most importantly Realms fluff, this tome is well worth the money |
| Sarelle |
Posted - 04 Aug 2004 : 20:05:25
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Well, there was only a hundred or so critters that got the "Ecology of" write-ups. Just looking at the loose-leaf Monstrous Compendium and its dozen-plus appendices (I really liked that format, too, rather than the bound books), there were thousands of monsters -- perhaps even tens of thousands -- in 2E, and all of them got that treatment. I miss that. The habitat and ecology was as much a source for ideas as anything else.
As a huge fan of fantasy monsters, I strongly agree with this. When I first opened the 3E Monster Manual I couldn't understand it - it was like... which crazy got hold of the editing scissors? The Fiend Folio was a lot better about detailing them, but even that fell horribly short of the great stuff produced for 2e.
Ah well. Oh and I also agree with SS' - and AE's and the Waterdeep sourcebook's - future looking bright, at the moment. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 04 Aug 2004 : 15:32:42
quote:
Originally posted by Sarelle
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I've flipped through a couple other sections... I noticed that the naga crown has lost the annoying tendency to teleport away that it once had. Originally, though, the naga crown was said to have been created by nagas, not yuan-ti.
Magic of Faerūn has it as created by yuan-ti....
I believe the naga crown was originally described in the first Ruins of Undermountain boxed set, though it may have appeared somewhere even earlier than that... RoU states that they were created by nagas.
quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
With all this in mind, I think that when Shining South comes out, I may actually pick it up at my FLGS rather than eBay!
I too am much more optimistic about SS after seeing how SK turned out.
As am I!
quote:
Originally posted by Faraer
The expanded 2E monster writeups were based on Dragon's "Ecology" articles, of which the most prolific author was... Mr Ed Greenwood. So not only are the 'Let's fight!' 3E monsters less personally appealing, they're less Realms-appropriate.
Well, there was only a hundred or so critters that got the "Ecology of" write-ups. Just looking at the loose-leaf Monstrous Compendium and its dozen-plus appendices (I really liked that format, too, rather than the bound books), there were thousands of monsters -- perhaps even tens of thousands -- in 2E, and all of them got that treatment. I miss that. The habitat and ecology was as much a source for ideas as anything else. |
| Faraer |
Posted - 04 Aug 2004 : 15:13:56
I still don't have my copy.
The expanded 2E monster writeups were based on Dragon's "Ecology" articles, of which the most prolific author was... Mr Ed Greenwood. So not only are the 'Let's fight!' 3E monsters less personally appealing, they're less Realms-appropriate. |
| SiriusBlack |
Posted - 04 Aug 2004 : 14:12:55
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
With all this in mind, I think that when Shining South comes out, I may actually pick it up at my FLGS rather than eBay!
I too am much more optimistic about SS after seeing how SK turned out. |
| Sarelle |
Posted - 04 Aug 2004 : 12:38:30
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
The monsters section failed to impress me, though. I don't like that monsters in 3E are written up the same as they were in 1E -- "here's what you need to know to fight them right now, forget about the rest." I liked the 2E approach of giving habitat, society, and the other non-crunch stuff.
 Very much agree.
quote:
I've flipped through a couple other sections... I noticed that the naga crown has lost the annoying tendency to teleport away that it once had. Originally, though, the naga crown was said to have been created by nagas, not yuan-ti.
Magic of Faerūn has it as created by yuan-ti....
PS. I ordered it from amaazon... and have to wait 3 weeks. Hum. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 04 Aug 2004 : 07:36:10
quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
So do I! I just won an auction for it on eBay last night, so hopefully I'll have the book within the next couple weeks.
Congrats. Please share your thoughts once you have the tome. I'm about to dive into the Realms geography section. It's a delight to see how much lore is within this tome.
So I got the book in a day or two ago, and immediately divided my reading time between that and The Floodgate (sorry, Elaine!).
By sheer coinky-dink, I just got to the Realms section, myself.
My thoughts thus far:
By Lurue's silvery horn, look at all the pretty lore! More, more! 
I like the way they decided to bring the sarrukh back. Unlike certain other returns, this is one that draws all the way back to a 1st edition supplement, and it also neatly ties in with a couple other things. (I wonder if the sarrukh have anything to do with the Rage of Dragons?)
Though I would have of course preferred even more info on the various races, what was there was a nice amount, and it was richly flavorful -- something lacking from other recent FR stuff.
The monsters section failed to impress me, though. I don't like that monsters in 3E are written up the same as they were in 1E -- "here's what you need to know to fight them right now, forget about the rest." I liked the 2E approach of giving habitat, society, and the other non-crunch stuff.
I've flipped through a couple other sections... I noticed that the naga crown has lost the annoying tendency to teleport away that it once had. Originally, though, the naga crown was said to have been created by nagas, not yuan-ti.
I've oft mentioned that I don't care about the artwork. This remains true. However, I've not had any problem with the artwork in this book. Still, I should have prefered to see a couple maps...
And with PGtF, there were several mistakes that made me wonder if the book had at all been edited. This book, on the other hand, does appear to have been well edited. Thus far, I've only found one mistake, and it wasn't major enough to really pay attention to -- I recognized it as a mistake, and kept right on reading.
I should like to also comment on the fact that I like the subject matter. It's nice to see them focus on a previously untouched bit of Realmslore.
With all this in mind, I think that when Shining South comes out, I may actually pick it up at my FLGS rather than eBay!
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| Lord Rad |
Posted - 25 Jul 2004 : 10:36:43
quote:
Originally posted by Reefy
I have to say I wasn't overly interested in SK but since it's received such good feedback here, I'm now tempted to have a closer look at it. And the fact it seems to be less 'crunchy' is always a good sign.
Id recommend it, Reefy. Im not a crunchy guy at all and was very pleased by the fluffiness of SK. |
| Reefy |
Posted - 25 Jul 2004 : 02:13:13
I have to say I wasn't overly interested in SK but since it's received such good feedback here, I'm now tempted to have a closer look at it. And the fact it seems to be less 'crunchy' is always a good sign. |
| SiriusBlack |
Posted - 23 Jul 2004 : 13:29:00
quote:
Originally posted by Alexander Heppe
But is it just my copy, or is this book really lacking any decent maps? I know that the larger scale maps are to be be found in the FRCS, but I really don“t like reading a new sourcebook while being more or less required to have other sourcebooks with maps opened and strewn around my desk as well. While reading SK, I always kept asking myself things like: "Sounds familiar, but right where was this supposed to be?"
Well, as you now from reading other replies, it's not just your copy that lacks maps. I understand the feeling of wanting to look up a reference on a map while reading a piece of lore.
The only possible relief might come in future House of Serpent novels by Lisa Smedman. Many FR novels are including some map within the tomes. Perhaps a map for one of the areas discussed in SK will be shared when future novels in this trilogy are published. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 23 Jul 2004 : 11:11:50
I rather doubt it.
We've had the WE for SK. The only likely way WotC will release any maps for the tome (if they even exist) is possibly through the "Map-a-Week" feature...
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| zemd |
Posted - 23 Jul 2004 : 10:33:00
No, no maps at all 
And it could have been a great thing. I hope they'll put it available to download |
| Alexander Heppe |
Posted - 23 Jul 2004 : 08:09:56
I just received my copy a couple of days back, and only had the time to glimpse into it every now and then. What impresses me is the amount of detail and history that has been woven into this sourcebook. I also love the fact that "crunchy" rules info seemed to be less important for the designers this time.
But is it just my copy, or is this book really lacking any decent maps? I know that the larger scale maps are to be be found in the FRCS, but I really don“t like reading a new sourcebook while being more or less required to have other sourcebooks with maps opened and strewn around my desk as well. While reading SK, I always kept asking myself things like: "Sounds familiar, but right where was this supposed to be?"
I would especially have welcomed a map of the western heartlands. It seems that within a split second, the whole area between the Dalelands and the Swordcoast is literally "crawling" with Scaly-Guys... This is were I would have really welcomed a map like they did with the "Ruins of Zhentil Keep" box, reprinting parts of already published maps, but showing the area of influence and detailing the "hidden" map features. Think of it as another map layer, one withe focus "as humans see the heartlands" the other with the focus "now thats where we are really slithering and crwaling, hssssss-hssssss".
I would have loved that. What do you think?
Alex |
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