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B5 RPG by Mongoose Publishing

I saw that a few days ago, looks abso-fragging-lutely wonderful. I've already got my local book store to order the first 5 books.

As for price, I have to say it seems for the DVDs, B5 is a lot cheaper. I looked at DS9 and it was just on $100, lot more than I paid for. Farscape DVD's are way over priced for me (pity, as I would collect them otherwise).
 
Most of your licensed RPG material is roughly in the same range as B5. Call of Cthulu and Farscape D20 books were $39.95, and most others run in the $30-40 range, so it's not so much more for the Babylon 5 RPG.
 
Don't talk to me about the Farscape RPG. Thanks to Henson, there won't be any more books for it. At least the B5 one has at least 12 books in the pipeline. :)
 
Most of your licensed RPG material is roughly in the same range as B5. Call of Cthulu and Farscape D20 books were $39.95, and most others run in the $30-40 range, so it's not so much more for the Babylon 5 RPG.
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I don't play pen&paper RPGs (although i know d20 rules from computergames) :)
Compared to B5 novels it is very expensive.
But i understand that making 300+ page fullcolor hardcover fact book is much much more difficult and more expensive.
I'll quess i'm buying it from eBay after i'll return from military.
 
Where can you learn about D20 games ie What they are, how to play, how many people needed, ect.

Thanks,

Cerberus
 
Where can you learn about D20 games ie What they are, how to play, how many people needed, ect.
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I think B5 RPG will only use some of the d20 rules. It's too complicated to explain all the rules, but i hope this site helps http://www.wizards.com/D20/article.asp?x=srd

D20 ,i think are games that use 3edition d&d rules. Each game will modify them to fit their own system (like i quess B5 RPG will modify them to fit B5 universe). It's still too early to say what B5 RPG rules will be since the game is not out yet.

But if i'll buy this book, i'll buy it only as a factbook - not as a game. :)
 
d20 and Open Gaming games are basically the rules of 3rd edition of D&D (from Wizards of the Coast) adapted for their own game. The biggest bugbear within the gaming community is that most new games are coming out as d20. It was meant to allow cross-overs, but each game makes its own modifications and that. The annoying thing is that I had to buy the 3ed D&D Players Handbook (refered in all d20 games as Player's Handbook, for only about 20 pages at the most, and your game isn't complete without having a copy of it. I'm also not big on fantasy games and the Player's Handbook is designed for D&D, not some sci fi game. The new Modern d20 game is suppose to help with this.

Basically, if you want to learn the rules, get the Player's Handbook, or just find a gaming group near by and join in. You will pick it up.
 
D20 ,i think are games that use 3edition d&d rules. Each game will modify them to fit their own system (like i quess B5 RPG will modify them to fit B5 universe). It's still too early to say what B5 RPG rules will be since the game is not out yet.
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If you look at the preview and read the Game Designer's Notes, you will see that they 'rebuilt' the d20 rules to fit the genre (they believe in the rules fitting in with the genre, rather than getting the genre to fitting with the rules).
 
People wanting info should look at opengamingfoundation.com , its by wizards (d20 makers) and I believe contains most of the rules for d20 anyway.


In support of the system it is mind numbingly easy to learn and play, though people who have learned and used older systems tend to rat on it very easily.
 
Mmmm... that preview looks great. I just got the D20 Modern book the other night (to help out with a little project I've been working on for quite some time under the OGL), which I assume Babylon 5 will be very similar to. Can't wait to get this one.

That's a pretty standard price for the factbook. In fact, the d20 Modern book was right around $40, too, I believe (it was a gift) and most of it is available as PDF files thanks to the OGL.

Star Wars under the d20 system was around the same price, too, as are several of the d&d sourcebooks.... admitedly, though, they do seem a lot more expensive than 2nd edition d&d books were. I remember picking those up for $30 CDN.
 
I was hoping to get the main rulebook for free, but I didn't win the contest that d20zines.com was running ... drat. Definitely looking forward to it in a big way, though!
 
WOHOO!!! It's being sent to the distributors now, and should be in stores by the end of next week.

Mongoose has also released another preview.
 
Just to let you all know -
"The Babylon 5 Roleplaying and Fact Book" was released in the UK last week (19th July 2003).
"The Fiery Trial" (a campaign module) and "Signs and Portents #1" (Mongoose Publishing Magazine) were out this week (26th July 2003). The magazine has a look at the upcoming Mimbari sourcebook and a short adventure titled "Whispers in Darkness".
The books so far are quite stylish in design and crammed full of information.
Like some of the other posters, my interest is not RPG-based. I just like reading B5 stuff and if this is all there is, then I'll still buy it.
 
There is a review of the RPG at SciFi Weekly:

Babylon 5 is the perfect setting for a role-playing game, offering all of the diplomatic intrigue, brutal firefights and alien strangeness that science-fiction fans thrive on. And the new d20-based Babylon 5 RPG does a good job of capturing the series' essence and presenting it in a playable form. Exactly how good a job it does, however, will depend in largely on what players expect to get out of the core rulebook.
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Ultimately, diehard fans, who will happily buy another four books in order get the complete Babylon 5 experience, should enjoy this game. Beginners with a fleeting awareness of B5 should also get a lot out of it, as it serves as an excellent introduction to the setting. Fans who fall somewhere in between, though, may be less than thrilled.
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http://www.scifiweekly.com/issue329/games.html

I also have a page with all the RPG books in case anyone is interested. ;)

http://abyss.hubbe.net/b5/books/rpg.html
 
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