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<blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2009994" data-attributes="member: 18387"><p><strong>By Chris Sims (aka Khur), Staff Reviewer d20 Magazine Rack</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Sizing Up the Target</strong> </p><p>Focusing on the paragon of virtue amongst the core classes, Call of Duty weighs in as a 66-page PDF. Written by Chainmail Bikini Games' James Garr, you can get this book now for $7 on RPGNow.</p><p></p><p><strong>First Blood</strong> </p><p>Call of Duty is jammed with ideas for the paladin. Without much fanfare, the PDF jumps right into game material for the would-be knight (and others). For your buck you get new feats, new knightly prestige classes, the paladin as a prestige class, new magic items and spells, and a wide range of advice for customizing your true hero or heroine. The PDF is attractively illustrated, serviceably designed (justified type is bad in many places), and takes full advantage of PDF navigation capabilities. The writing and editing are good too (though the use plural pronouns in place of singular ones is onerous). </p><p></p><p><strong>Critical Hits</strong> </p><p>Four words: meaty, diverse, thoughtful, and imaginative. </p><p></p><p>The material focuses on the paladin, but much of it can be used for other characters fighters and clerics. Many of the feats allow customization of a paladin's abilities through specific uses of channeling positive energy (turn attempts per day), which is a nice mechanic. The idea of the paladin as a prestige class is fantastic, and all of the other classes in Call of Duty are very creative ideas as well. (Not all of the classes require a paladin background, though a character usually derives some benefit from present or former paladin status.) Each of the classes comes with a grand bonus too: an NPC exemplar of the class. </p><p></p><p>The information on roleplaying and customizing paladins is particularly useful and well done. While these sections aren't all "crunchy" rules (there are some), they are extremely valuable advice for modifying, using, and adjudicating paladins in a unique way in the campaign. Even veterans will find many things to make them better players or DMs within the demesne of the paladin. A single quote can be used to display the depth and breadth of Garr's thoughtful treatise on this unique class, "Remember, however, that a paladin is not restricted from aiding an evil creature. The most benevolent paladins have been known to save villains from fates that even they did not deserve, and have even managed to redeem such souls." Many examples of this type of broad thinking occur in the book. </p><p></p><p><strong>Critical Misses</strong> </p><p>Like numerous small-press releases, Call of Duty suffers from imbalances; some are severe, some not. There are feats that fail to be clear about their own ramifications (Aura of the Sun: Does it actually damage vampires? What spell level of darkness suppresses it?), contradicted by other options in the book (using lay on hands as a free way to bolster paladin abilities when using turning attempts in the same way requires specific feats for each instance), or strange and unnecessary (Craft Divine Arms, Call of Duty). A few of the new spells suffer similar problems. </p><p></p><p>Where the mechanical problems are worst is the prestige class abilities, which are often too powerful for the prerequisites the class requires (such as the Archon's Judge, Verdict, and Jury abilities). This fault includes the prestige paladin, which is considerably mightier than a core paladin. No few of the classes include an ability to summon aid, yet all of these abilities produce an effect like that of lesser planar ally, but interpret that spell poorly (no repayment to the called outsider, no solid limit to duration, and failure to reconcile the fact that called creatures truly die if slain). Words to the wise: the prestige classes require scrutiny before inclusion in any game, and 32-pages of this book are devoted to them. </p><p></p><p><strong>Coup de Grace</strong> </p><p>Call of Duty is an admirable product, all of it OGC. Some minor errors and imbalanced mechanics leave compliance issues, and thus a lower score. However, the book takes paladins to a whole new level of playability and uniqueness for players and DMs. Finally, the class inspired by the legends of Charlemagne and his peers has some worthy treatment.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: green"><strong>To see the graded evaluation of this product and to leave comments, go to <em>Fast Tracks</em> at <a href="http://www.d20zines.com/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=index&catid=&topic=4" target="_blank">www.d20zines.com.</a></strong></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Messageboard Golem, post: 2009994, member: 18387"] [b]By Chris Sims (aka Khur), Staff Reviewer d20 Magazine Rack[/b] [b]Sizing Up the Target[/b] Focusing on the paragon of virtue amongst the core classes, Call of Duty weighs in as a 66-page PDF. Written by Chainmail Bikini Games' James Garr, you can get this book now for $7 on RPGNow. [b]First Blood[/b] Call of Duty is jammed with ideas for the paladin. Without much fanfare, the PDF jumps right into game material for the would-be knight (and others). For your buck you get new feats, new knightly prestige classes, the paladin as a prestige class, new magic items and spells, and a wide range of advice for customizing your true hero or heroine. The PDF is attractively illustrated, serviceably designed (justified type is bad in many places), and takes full advantage of PDF navigation capabilities. The writing and editing are good too (though the use plural pronouns in place of singular ones is onerous). [b]Critical Hits[/b] Four words: meaty, diverse, thoughtful, and imaginative. The material focuses on the paladin, but much of it can be used for other characters fighters and clerics. Many of the feats allow customization of a paladin's abilities through specific uses of channeling positive energy (turn attempts per day), which is a nice mechanic. The idea of the paladin as a prestige class is fantastic, and all of the other classes in Call of Duty are very creative ideas as well. (Not all of the classes require a paladin background, though a character usually derives some benefit from present or former paladin status.) Each of the classes comes with a grand bonus too: an NPC exemplar of the class. The information on roleplaying and customizing paladins is particularly useful and well done. While these sections aren't all "crunchy" rules (there are some), they are extremely valuable advice for modifying, using, and adjudicating paladins in a unique way in the campaign. Even veterans will find many things to make them better players or DMs within the demesne of the paladin. A single quote can be used to display the depth and breadth of Garr's thoughtful treatise on this unique class, "Remember, however, that a paladin is not restricted from aiding an evil creature. The most benevolent paladins have been known to save villains from fates that even they did not deserve, and have even managed to redeem such souls." Many examples of this type of broad thinking occur in the book. [b]Critical Misses[/b] Like numerous small-press releases, Call of Duty suffers from imbalances; some are severe, some not. There are feats that fail to be clear about their own ramifications (Aura of the Sun: Does it actually damage vampires? What spell level of darkness suppresses it?), contradicted by other options in the book (using lay on hands as a free way to bolster paladin abilities when using turning attempts in the same way requires specific feats for each instance), or strange and unnecessary (Craft Divine Arms, Call of Duty). A few of the new spells suffer similar problems. Where the mechanical problems are worst is the prestige class abilities, which are often too powerful for the prerequisites the class requires (such as the Archon's Judge, Verdict, and Jury abilities). This fault includes the prestige paladin, which is considerably mightier than a core paladin. No few of the classes include an ability to summon aid, yet all of these abilities produce an effect like that of lesser planar ally, but interpret that spell poorly (no repayment to the called outsider, no solid limit to duration, and failure to reconcile the fact that called creatures truly die if slain). Words to the wise: the prestige classes require scrutiny before inclusion in any game, and 32-pages of this book are devoted to them. [b]Coup de Grace[/b] Call of Duty is an admirable product, all of it OGC. Some minor errors and imbalanced mechanics leave compliance issues, and thus a lower score. However, the book takes paladins to a whole new level of playability and uniqueness for players and DMs. Finally, the class inspired by the legends of Charlemagne and his peers has some worthy treatment. [color=green][b]To see the graded evaluation of this product and to leave comments, go to [i]Fast Tracks[/i] at [url=http://www.d20zines.com/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=index&catid=&topic=4]www.d20zines.com.[/url][/b][/color] [/QUOTE]
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