Why buy?

[Anonymous]

I'm thinking of buying the core rulebook for the B5 rpg. Can anyone answer the following:

-IS the book error free? (relatively speaking; minor errors such as in gramma/spelling do not bother me, even the errors with conan did not bother me and there were more than a few. However, I dislike errors with rulings/rules, as this can cause confusion)

-Does the corebook have everything needed to run a game?

-Can someone tell me what the telepaths are capable of? This is probably the class I will be playing, and I would like to know how they stand with regards to the other classes. Can they attack with telepathy, move objects? How is their BAB/mundane combat ability?

-Are there any PRC's in the book; if so, can someone name them please?
-How is the euipment section of the book? I don't mean weapons, just lots of different equipment.

-I notcied this game does not use the vp/WP system Starwars d20 uses, (which frankly I really like, and feel accurately describes blaster damage, and heck, should be used in every d20 product IMO.).
However, this rpg DOES seem to have chars with much lower hp, so it can be hard to survive a blaster shot. Is this true?


Any other tidbits/reasons why I should buy this book would be appreciated. I am not a fan of B5 (only watched a few episodes, liked what I saw) but I have ben aching for another scifi/fantasy rpg. There's only so many times one can play a jedi/sith 8) without getting a little weary of it, and aching for something new

Oh adn btw, the B5 setting is scifi/fantasy correct? NOT hard scifi like startrek? (i mean B5 has telepaths and technomages, and thieve guilds...)

 

[CARTMAG]

first off Xex B5 is considered Hard Sci-fi not Sci/Fantasy

 

[ronbogard]

Here is what I say Xex.
-I don't know of any RPG that is error free. Mongoose's B5 is one with with the smallest error's and they answered any question I sent to the rules masters.

-Telepaths read minds. Earth Telepaths have rules to follow so I would say to get the Earth Alliance Source book it has a lot more on telepaths PRC.

-Well just off the top of my head is The psi cop.

-Well yes but it is about the story not a dungeon crawl RPG.

Hope this helps you to buy this great RPG.[/b]

 

[MongooseMatt]

-I notcied this game does not use the vp/WP system Starwars d20 uses, (which frankly I really like, and feel accurately describes blaster damage, and heck, should be used in every d20 product IMO.).
However, this rpg DOES seem to have chars with much lower hp, so it can be hard to survive a blaster shot. Is this true?

Well, think about the type of combat that happens in Star Wars - then think about the same thing in B5. They _so_ need different systems to reflect what happens

Yes, characters in B5 have very low hit points. A 10th level character might be able to take 2 shots from a PPG. A 20th level character might be able to take 3. Or maybe not. He could get killed with just one.

Combat is _not_ a nice thing in B5 and unless you truly have overwhelming force on your side, it is far better to be sneaky or diplomatic. . .

 

[El Cid]

You might want to join the Yahoo group b5_rpg and read the posts for the campaign I'm running to get a feel of how a game (at least my version with the great help from my players) runs.

The Core Book is needed to run he game if you want to use Mongoose's system.

Other books that I'd recommend includr the racial fact books (Earth, Minbari, Centauri and yet to be released Narn and League books).

All of the books and the Signs & Portents mag have a wealth of information that any B5 fanatic would kill for.

Before Mongoose started publishing these books, my local group used Champions and I know others who have used GURPS to run a B5 game.

You don't NEED any of Mongoose's books to run a B5 game but you'd be crazy to pass up the wealth of information in them.

Good luck and have fun.

Sidney

 

[slingbld]

-How is the euipment section of the book? I don't mean weapons, just lots of different equipment.

Ya hate errors eh? :lol:

I found one in yer post :twisted:

Seriously though, the B5 MRB has some errors but not realy any more than say, D&D 3.0 had....

If you want a scifi setting that is more grounded than Star Trek (which is more SciFantasy than SciFiction), then I'd realy recomend this game....

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks peeps. ANd gah! I meant errors in RULINGS. The grammatical errors in Conan did not bother me, while the error's in Deciphers LOTR made me want to grind my teeth. (great book too btw. Could use a second rev...too bad the company's rpg division is nearly gone. Maybe mongoose could pick it up eh?)

Wel,, if I do buy it I would like to have the core book, and the psi-book just mentioned. By the way, are there any cool things telepaths can do (at relatively low levels...say under 10) apart from read minds?

Is the space combat exciting; i.e. are the rules presented adequete?

Right now, I am awaiting the LW d20, (the latest preview has me pumped up for it). After that I will see to getting B5 over summer. Maybe I'll see if my local bookstore has it and flick through it for a while and see if I like it.

 

[Brucifer]

Xex, I thik you need to play a different RPG. It sounds to me like you want a Star wars-esque style of sci-fi, which B% aint. Teeps at very high levels can change memories and evemn invent a whole new reality on the fly. But lesser teeps (sorry talia) really can just read minds.

The Vp/WP system is canned in favour of very low hits (7th level scientist/combat medic has only just got 21HP!) and in this game its SKILLZ that work for you characters, not combat.

And im Afraid that you will find errors in most books and contrary to what ppl will tell you here, they aint just typos (Interceptor rules missing form main rules, Certain feats from Minbari book) - these tend to cropup here.

It has to be said that after buying every book available in Britain to date, the system is exceptional. But if missing rules and having to trawl through this forum to find a complete set of them will get up your nose, i would try anther system if i were you.

Of course if you could find a system with a depth of background like B5, you wouldnt need it anyway. Which is why so many people who got fed up with Star Trek's "OMG its a massive problem, lets hope we can solve it in 45 minutes" approach swung to B5 - coz it 'kin rocks man!!!

:twisted:

 

[Enlightened Bystander]

The only big rules problem is that the rules for Interceptors weren't in the book, and they appeared online within a week of the initial release