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Summary: A New Look for Role Playing Games
Review: Experts, by Varhola, Knorr, and the SGDG, expands the world of TSR's Dungeons and Dragons and all related role-playing games by covering the unexplored and under-exploited of the professional non-player characters (NPCs) who make the background of every adventure, mission, and campaign.
For the gamesmaster (GM), this tome gives new ideas for adding depth and colour to the setting where the player characters (PCs) are based and to where they adventure. By listing more than 25 new NPC expert classes and over 50 new NPC skills, a GM can design any number of unique NPCs to service his/her world of play.
For the player, a greater choice of secondary classes and skills will increase the excitement of the game. Most players will find that achieving the goal of becoming a successful expert will be as challenging as achieving success in the main classes. From my own experience, when I created a wizard character I randomly selected that the PC's secondary class was that of Merchant. I spent as much time acting as a go-between for PC-PC, PC-NPC, and NPC-NPC negotiations as I did battling monsters and villains. Currently in Living Greyhawk I play a wizard who tries to make a living as an alchemist in the city of Greyhawk but occasionally takes adventures to acquire fresh spell components.
For the students of serious history, Varhola, Knorr, and the SGDG have written a text that amounts to a Cliff's Notes summary of life in Mideval Europe, Africa, and Asia. The book is replete with historical tie-ins and useful information (such as the list of medicinal herbs of the Mideval world on page 85).
For those who play non D&D role-playing games, such as World of Darkness, Traveller, or Deadlands, because the authors dedicated their efforts to elucidate the non-magic-using expert and profession classes, the ideas in this book can be used in any role-playing setting, including Sci-Fi, Modern Day, and Mideval/Fantasy genres.
Whether you are a player, an independent GM with a weekend club, or a member of a seasoned organization, I feel you will find Experts an essential supplement to the TSR's Players' Handbook and Dungeonmaster's Guide.
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Summary: Finally A Great Classic D20 Supplement
Review: Finally a shining beacon of light in the sea of D20 porducts that have recently come out. An excellent resource to finally help any GM from novice to Dungeon God to round out his or her campagin. Well written with a very classic feel. I can't wait to see more products from the writer.
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Summary: Add a third dimension to a classic
Review: From the time I picked up the book till I put it down, "Experts" for the D20 D&D Role Playing game was time very well spent. This supplement certinaly breaks the sterotype of Hack & Slash role playing by adding a unique 3rd dimension to your average class of characters.
By expanding on this new and wonderful aspect of a true classic, "Experts" has finally made it easier to play a RPG that is more then just "kill the bad guy". It allows you to truly take on a role and interact more so then you sterotypical D&D Hack and Slasher.
For anyone who it a true role player, this is the supplement for you. In the sea of D20 supplements, "Experts" stands out like a bright beacon. I look forward to more products produced by this company.
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Summary: Excellent
Review: Good overall supplement that isn't a waste of your gaming money. Well worht it for the first time gamer to the self proclaimed expert. Add that little something extra to your games and allows you to explore more then the standard faire of character classes. Simply Excellent!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Good voerall supplement that isn't a waste of your gaming money. Well worht it for the first time gamer to the self proclaimed expert. Add that little something extra to your games and allows you to explore more then the standard faire of character classes. Simply Excellent!
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Summary: 3rd Edition turns 3-D
Review: Hack and slash role laying might be a thing of the past. After trying out Experts with our local gaming group recently, even the most hard core Hack and Slashers had to agree that this book is a great way to break the sterotype most people think of when they hear D&D. With a host of extras that help the GM fill out his world better, Experts is well worth my gaming dollars
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Summary: Very Useful RPG resource
Review: I haven't really had a chance to use the book's game rules but the book provies more then enough information to flesh npcs or characters out in any game.
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Summary: Delivers exactly what it promises, and then some.
Review: I just received my copy last week and was delighted with what I saw. The author has really done his homework, provided great backgrounds on the metaclasses, and expert types. Using the ready-made NPC experts straight out of the book has already enriched the campaign that I'm playing in. If you want to add experts to your game, you can't go wrong with this book.
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Summary: The Perfect Tool for DMs and Players!
Review: I was a big player of the old AD&D system in highschool and only recently returned to Dungeons and Dragons. Have been learning the D20 system and have been quite impressed with the changes. One of the problems I always encountered with AD&D was finding many of the hirelings and townsfolk completely two dimensional with no clear definition of their abilities and skills other than a name, hit points and an armor class to await slaughter by the next attack of bandits/orcs/or chaotic PCs.'Experts' is awesome. Everything I always wanted to have back in my AD&D days, providing detailed skills, career development paths and background information on a host of professions that will often interact with players as hirelings and NPCs. Actually the book has a tremendous potential for Dungeon Masters who want to develop a thinking man's dungeon in which the use of NPC or even PC experts is the initial plot hook or required for the successful completion of the adventure. The book is a great resource and I HIGHLY recommend it. The perfect cure for the cardboard NPC... and even offering a unique challenge for PC's who want to try their hand as an expert character on a special adventure.
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Summary: Great Resource! A MUST if you like d20!
Review: If you play D&D/D20... you NEED this book. There isn't anything else to say about the matter. Its that easy. This is one of the most comprehensive and helpful books I have come across within this genre... and what's more, its entertaining with great illustrations... you will NOT be disappointed!
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