Hello, I'm very interested in DragonMech. I am a Battletech lover, but I could never get into D&D 3.5ed. I was wondering how well the setting is and how well the mechs are used in a fantasy setting. Is it better that the Iron Kingdoms Warmachine. Thanks for your replies.
-Ian
Why buy DragonMech!!!!!
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Mad_Irishman
- Gongfarmer
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 6:49 pm
- Location: Kempner TX
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Ken Hart
- Deft-Handed Cutpurse
- Posts: 195
- Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2003 7:23 pm
- Location: Goodman Games East
- Contact:
Ian,
While not getting into the pros and cons of DragonMech vs. IK (both great settings, no question), I'll try to list a few reasons why you should try DragonMech. (And yes, I'm biased.
) For instance, I love the sheer variety of adventures:
-- Want to do military combat? Skilled mech jockeys and gearwrights are needed to pilot and repair the mighty mechs that will defend your homeland or your clan's honor against your enemies. Anti-mech magic spells and combat tactics are always developing, too: "Hey, did they just fire a black pudding at us?"
-- How about alien horror? Don't let a lunar skinstealer get its hooks in you. Foil the schemes of the aboleths, now awakened and ready to dominate this new, steam-powered world in their crab-like brine worm mechs.
-- Espionage or political intrigue? Be a spy for one of the mechdoms. (Shar Thizdic wants you!) A talented wizard or rogue can make a lot of money by stealing mech-building secrets.
-- City-based adventures? Look no further than the cliffside city of Edge (described in detail in The Last City), where drow and dwarves share an uneasy truce for the sake of commerce, and where trained giant spiders and levitation spells take the place of elevators. For a wild twist on city adventures, try a story set on one of the skyscraper-sized city-mechs!
-- Wild West-style exploration? Sure! With the threat of the lunar rains finally reducing, why not go into the corners of the Stenian Confederacy or the Endless Plains and fight the odds by trying to build a settlement? Of course, even if you get past the politics and bureaucracy, the rust riders or Irontooth Clans might be a problem, to say nothing of a lunar dragon...
-- How about a good old dungeon crawl? Huge chunks of the moon lie across the surface of Highpoint, some still unexplored. Who knows what valuable treasures (or terrors) might reside in the ruined lunar temples?
-- Action, romance, competition, bug-hunting ... pretty much any type of story is possible in DragonMech.
Did I mention the city-mechs?
You can practically base an entire campaign around life in one of these mechanical, walking juggernauts. Thousands of people live within each city-mech (some much more comfortably than others). Others, like the coglings, have rejected "civilization," choosing instead to create a hidden society within the city-mech's gigantic gear forests. It's even led to a new type of ranger: the clockwork ranger.
While the standard D&D classes exist, the new technology has spawned new classes, such as the steamborg and mech jockey. If you're a fan of Battletech, then you'll enjoy the opportunity to build a mech of your own or customize one of the many existing models in the core book and the supplements. You'll also find easy-to-grasp rules for mech-vs.-mech and mech-vs.-infantry combat. (If you have any questions, you can also come back to these forums and ask.)
As for your not getting into the D&D 3.5 rules, I think if you find the setting interesting, you'll be able to adjust to the rules. You can find the standard SRD freely available on sites like the Hypertext d20 SRD.
I hope this helps! Give DragonMech a shot and don't hesitate to ask more questions.
--Ken
While not getting into the pros and cons of DragonMech vs. IK (both great settings, no question), I'll try to list a few reasons why you should try DragonMech. (And yes, I'm biased.
) For instance, I love the sheer variety of adventures: -- Want to do military combat? Skilled mech jockeys and gearwrights are needed to pilot and repair the mighty mechs that will defend your homeland or your clan's honor against your enemies. Anti-mech magic spells and combat tactics are always developing, too: "Hey, did they just fire a black pudding at us?"
-- How about alien horror? Don't let a lunar skinstealer get its hooks in you. Foil the schemes of the aboleths, now awakened and ready to dominate this new, steam-powered world in their crab-like brine worm mechs.
-- Espionage or political intrigue? Be a spy for one of the mechdoms. (Shar Thizdic wants you!) A talented wizard or rogue can make a lot of money by stealing mech-building secrets.
-- City-based adventures? Look no further than the cliffside city of Edge (described in detail in The Last City), where drow and dwarves share an uneasy truce for the sake of commerce, and where trained giant spiders and levitation spells take the place of elevators. For a wild twist on city adventures, try a story set on one of the skyscraper-sized city-mechs!
-- Wild West-style exploration? Sure! With the threat of the lunar rains finally reducing, why not go into the corners of the Stenian Confederacy or the Endless Plains and fight the odds by trying to build a settlement? Of course, even if you get past the politics and bureaucracy, the rust riders or Irontooth Clans might be a problem, to say nothing of a lunar dragon...
-- How about a good old dungeon crawl? Huge chunks of the moon lie across the surface of Highpoint, some still unexplored. Who knows what valuable treasures (or terrors) might reside in the ruined lunar temples?
-- Action, romance, competition, bug-hunting ... pretty much any type of story is possible in DragonMech.
Did I mention the city-mechs?
You can practically base an entire campaign around life in one of these mechanical, walking juggernauts. Thousands of people live within each city-mech (some much more comfortably than others). Others, like the coglings, have rejected "civilization," choosing instead to create a hidden society within the city-mech's gigantic gear forests. It's even led to a new type of ranger: the clockwork ranger.While the standard D&D classes exist, the new technology has spawned new classes, such as the steamborg and mech jockey. If you're a fan of Battletech, then you'll enjoy the opportunity to build a mech of your own or customize one of the many existing models in the core book and the supplements. You'll also find easy-to-grasp rules for mech-vs.-mech and mech-vs.-infantry combat. (If you have any questions, you can also come back to these forums and ask.)
As for your not getting into the D&D 3.5 rules, I think if you find the setting interesting, you'll be able to adjust to the rules. You can find the standard SRD freely available on sites like the Hypertext d20 SRD.
I hope this helps! Give DragonMech a shot and don't hesitate to ask more questions.
--Ken
DCC, DragonMech, Etherscope editor
Writer: "Madness at the Mutilated Oak," DCC #48: The Adventure Continues;
DCC #52: Chronicle of the Fiend
"It really is the height of pessimism to have a hat lined with chain mail." --Mrs. Peel
Writer: "Madness at the Mutilated Oak," DCC #48: The Adventure Continues;
DCC #52: Chronicle of the Fiend
"It really is the height of pessimism to have a hat lined with chain mail." --Mrs. Peel
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Mad_Irishman
- Gongfarmer
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 6:49 pm
- Location: Kempner TX
Why Buy DragonMech!!!!
Well I'm sold. I just bought the rule book and mech book off Drive Through RPG and let me say I'm impressed. There is a little bit of everything in your book and I'm very impressed with the design and layout as well as production values. Now once I get some more money, I'm going to get your campaign guide. Thanks for the helpful reply and keep up the good work.
-Ian
-Ian
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Orin
- Wild-Eyed Zealot
- Posts: 85
- Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2005 6:26 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
I came to DragonMech via BattleTech as well. I suspect that it isn't all that unusual 
. DragonMech also got me back into D&D after a 15 year absence. Now I'm alternating between playing BattleTech and running a DragonMech campaign each week with a group of guys what originally got together to just play BattleTech.
I have also bought the IK stuff, but although the world is very well realized, it isn't as 'mech centric as DragonMech - which is what hits the spot right now for me and my players. Perhaps in six or so months we might start an IK campaign.
. DragonMech also got me back into D&D after a 15 year absence. Now I'm alternating between playing BattleTech and running a DragonMech campaign each week with a group of guys what originally got together to just play BattleTech.I have also bought the IK stuff, but although the world is very well realized, it isn't as 'mech centric as DragonMech - which is what hits the spot right now for me and my players. Perhaps in six or so months we might start an IK campaign.
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Flushmaster
- Far-Sighted Wanderer
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2005 3:20 pm
- Location: Zanesville, OH
I've played D&D for over four years now and have also been a fan of Battletech for even longer (I've only played the original BT a few times, but I've read quite a few novels, played various videogames, and also play the clix game), but neither led me directly to DragonMech. This I discovered while restocking the RPG section at a local WaldenBooks that I worked at for a while. My first thought was, "Huh?" Then I started flipping through it and it immediately went to the top of my It Must Be Mine List. So I bought it, liked it, bought the Mech Manual, liked it, and as soon as enough discretionary cash comes my way I'm going to pick up Steam Warriors and Second Age of Walkers (I really need to get a job; being poor sucks).
As soon as I can get a few more players I plan to start up the campaign that I've been writing off and on for a few months. Unfortunately, getting three or four gamers together at any one time on a consistent basis hasn't been that easy either the past few months...
As soon as I can get a few more players I plan to start up the campaign that I've been writing off and on for a few months. Unfortunately, getting three or four gamers together at any one time on a consistent basis hasn't been that easy either the past few months...