1st Edition or wait on 2nd Edition

[Mastervalrik]

My son, Brother and I are all new to Warmachine but one thing about we love what we see, we wanted to start a IKrpg this summer but as the new one does seem to be coming out until the end of summer was wondering from some of the people who played the D20, is it worth purchasing? Maybe 1-2 of the books to playand then we can convert when new rules come out. Was really hoping they would released this at the start of summer and not the end, any suggestions, thanks

[Lachlan the Mad]

My advice would be to wait. This is not a case of easy conversion; the rules for the new 2d6 edition are going to be very very very different to the d20 rules. Character conversion will be in name and concept only.

[Sosthenes]

It's just a few months, so I really wouldn't bother chasing the D20 books. The World Guide looks like it'll be the only remotely useful book after the new RPG comes out (and if they're a bit GRRM with their updates, might actually still be worth buying).

But if you don't want to play some other background in the meantime, I guess you could do nicely with the core Warmachine book, the info on the privateer website regarding nations, gods etc., and about any RPG you pick. Sure, conversion will be a complete do-over, but that's probably not that complicated, especially if you're in the early stages anyway.

What's your current system or would this be the entry into RPGing?

[PG_Zeber]

Depends really. Are you a diehard collector to track them all down on online selling sites ?

I would advise to wait and if by chance you have a PG in the area bug the hell out of him to demo it when released.

[Psychomancer]

Sounds like since you are kinda new to the scene, it's probably worth the wait. Although I imagine you also want to play during the summer while your son is out of school, too.

You can get PDF versions of the books through Privateer Press, I think, but they are a bit costy. Furthermore, the rules-change is going to be quite radical.

[Munindk]

I think the D20 books are great for fluff and background, but I wouldnt start a new D20 game a few months before the new RPG is coming out.
As for buying the D20 books... that might be hard, they're out of print and sold out most places and I imagine that they fetch a hefty price on ebay.

[jdripley]

The other side of it is that there's really nothing terribly wrong with the d20 version. It carries all of the quirks of Dungeons and Dragons 3.5, but every system has its ups and downs. There's nothing preventing you, the end user, from playing wither the d20 version or the new version.

If cost isn't a factor, and if you can find the books, hey, go for it.

But I agree with the others that it's probably not cost-effective to get the old books. And we all have high hopes that their new RPG will be better, but that is both "yet to be determined" and "up to the tastes of the individual" so who knows???

[Sosthenes]

If you're lucky enough that there's a good conversion floating around for a system you already own (True20, Savage Worlds and Spirit of the Century/FATE come to mind), and could get your hands on the WFT for non-ebay prices, that would still be a pretty good start. I, for one, do look forward for the new books, but won't actually use the new system.

[Rapier]

I'd buy the old books and the new books. The World Guide is only fluff and almost certainly won't be fluff repeated early in the life cycle of the new RPG, if it is at all. (It makes a lot more sense to make the new RPG concurrent with the Warmachine And Hordes Fluff than to be years behind which is when the world guide was set).

For the same reason the fluff in the old Character Guide probably won't get repeated although it has a higher chance of being - things like the cycles of the moons and information on holy days that are interesting but not really needed for the RPG probably won't be in the initial release of the new rpg because IK has so much fluff to pack into those books. The character guide is probably 40% fluff - but I wouldn't like to say how much of that will be repeated early in the cycle of the new rpg.

The monstionomicons have great fluff they have great art, lots of information about the monsters and other aspects of the IK setting (Especially Monstionomicon 2 which has stuff on the Skorne not printed in any of the Hordes books). Rightly award winning - the fluff may all be repeated however, PP may well decide that the deathjack entry or the hydra entries in the DnD books are worth reprinting directly for the IKRPG monstonoicons featuring those same monsters - although no monster books have been confirmed yet for the new rpg.

Five finger's again - great art, great fluff. If PP does a Five Finger's source book again I suspect a lot of it will be reused, but if they don't do Five Finger's for some time it may be a great source of additional information and another great setting to use. (The Witchfire triology is a less good source book for Corvis City of Ghosts - but does have a much bigger campaign pre-written if you like that sort of thing).

Not that you can get it in print but the Liber Mechanica is the only one I wouldn't recommend if you plan to use the new rpg rules - it has very little new fluff relative to crunch, and you just won't have a use for 90% of it at least with the release of the new rules.

[Mastervalrik]

Thanks everyone, If I can find the books for a NON-small fortune I am going to pick them up, if not looks like a summer of (RPG) DnD

[Mastervalrik]

Got a copy of the Character Guide and Monstionomicons volume #1 for 65- Shipped, I am working on getting a copy of World Guide now. Volume #2 Monstionomicons is going for around 70+ dollars.

[Whimper]

This isn't a place for sales, but I know a guy (ahem) who has an extra copy of Five Fingers for less than ridiculous prices. PM for details.

[Munindk]

Unless you're really into Skorne or the Bloodstone Marches, Monsternomicon Vol. II isnt that interesting. If you're only getting it for the background there's some good stuff about Pendrake, but if you can stat monsters yourself I think the Hordes Mk 1 books would be a better purchase.

[Whimper]

There's some non-Skorne stuff in MN2- a smattering of new grymkin, more rules for wold-constructs, more rules for Cryxian undead. But you're right, it's mainly "monsters from beyond the Iron Kingdoms."

Still, I love the awesome stories and artwork.

[Mastervalrik]

I'd buy the old books and the new books. The World Guide is only fluff and almost certainly won't be fluff repeated early in the life cycle of the new RPG, if it is at all. (It makes a lot more sense to make the new RPG concurrent with the Warmachine And Hordes Fluff than to be years behind which is when the world guide was set).

For the same reason the fluff in the old Character Guide probably won't get repeated although it has a higher chance of being - things like the cycles of the moons and information on holy days that are interesting but not really needed for the RPG probably won't be in the initial release of the new rpg because IK has so much fluff to pack into those books. The character guide is probably 40% fluff - but I wouldn't like to say how much of that will be repeated early in the cycle of the new rpg.

The monstionomicons have great fluff they have great art, lots of information about the monsters and other aspects of the IK setting (Especially Monstionomicon 2 which has stuff on the Skorne not printed in any of the Hordes books). Rightly award winning - the fluff may all be repeated however, PP may well decide that the deathjack entry or the hydra entries in the DnD books are worth reprinting directly for the IKRPG monstonoicons featuring those same monsters - although no monster books have been confirmed yet for the new rpg.

Five finger's again - great art, great fluff. If PP does a Five Finger's source book again I suspect a lot of it will be reused, but if they don't do Five Finger's for some time it may be a great source of additional information and another great setting to use. (The Witchfire triology is a less good source book for Corvis City of Ghosts - but does have a much bigger campaign pre-written if you like that sort of thing).

Not that you can get it in print but the Liber Mechanica is the only one I wouldn't recommend if you plan to use the new rpg rules - it has very little new fluff relative to crunch, and you just won't have a use for 90% of it at least with the release of the new rules.

What do you think of Lock and loaded??

[PPS_Simon]

You guys may be interested to know that a number of our d20 RPG books are available in PDF through DriveThruRPG!

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index....cturers_id=121