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Into The Blue
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<blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2011866" data-attributes="member: 18387"><p><strong>By Bruce Boughner, Staff Reviewer d20 Magazine Rack</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Initiative Round</strong></p><p>Into the Blue is a 96-page sourcebook published by Bastion Press. The author is Lee Hammock with an assist from Kevin Melka and Thomas Knauss. The cover is by Jim Pavelec and features a female sea elf riding a seahorse and a dolphin companion and it is available for $22.95.</p><p></p><p>Into the Blue is the next in the Into the- series from Bastion Press and is the sequel to Into the Green and Into the Black, as with those previous works Into the Blue delves into various environmental areas, the first two dealt with forests and plains and the underworld respectively. Into the Blue goes into ocean life and its stated purpose is to give players and DMs a way to utilize this as a fully realized environment.</p><p></p><p>Chapter one starts with ocean life. This is a basic overview of sea life. Beginning with the general environment, the chapter starts with algae blooms. For those readers unfamiliar with this author, I live in Southwest Florida, I can attest to the health and unpleasantness of Red Tide, which makes the area smell and causes skin irritation and lung issues and is used as an example of the detrimental effects of some forms of algae. The temperature of the sea is also talked about with a wide degree of temperature ranging from just above freezing to a warm 90’. Most of the creatures of the sea can control their buoyancy naturally but non-sea creatures need to use skills like Swim and Profession: Diving and apply the buoyancy guidelines that are provided. Currents are also a concern in the ocean. There are rivers of current in the open ocean that are influenced by weather, tides, geography and the rotation of the planet and in turn influences the weather and shipping along the coastlines. The Gulf stream is a good example of this, Ranging through the Caribbean, up the east coast of America to Newfoundland eastward across the Atlantic to the coast of Ireland and south to the Azores before turning west to the north coast of South America, it influences weather and shipping trade across the Atlantic. Hurricanes form off the west coast of Africa and blow into the Caribbean and American shores but also carry the warm Gulf temperatures northward and help keep the winters mild in the British Isles and western Europe. Using currents is explained here. Salt water, ice, illumination, pollution (even a medieval society creates pollution), spellbooks are all short topics covered in the chapter. Storms are a bigger subject. From their creation and the effects they have are well covered as well as the effects of temperature and waves (specifically Tsunami or Tidal waves) are also covered. Plant life, algae, seaweeds and planktons are talked about with Blood Floater, Glowbites and Mage Spores introduced as unique to the book. Animals like Anemones, Comb Jellies and Sea Wasps are among the many natural sea animals given here.</p><p></p><p>Coastal waters are the focus of chapter two. Starting with beaches, kelp jungles and corals, several charts list the type of settlements of Sahaugin, Locathah and Merfolk are given a percentage of being located here and encountered by traveling adventurers. Maelstroms created by tidal influences are also a concern near to shore and are a hazard as are coral reefs. Rocky coasts created from a number of causes are another type of coastal environment as are salt marshes. Sand bars and land bridges cause inconvenience to shipping but are easily avoided by the normal inhabitants of the area. Mermaid’s Kiss, Rope Kelp and Seagrass are part of the types of plant life in these areas. Common fauna includes Manatees, Seals and Sea Snakes. Some of the hazards of this environment are poisonous corals, riptides and undertow, all of which are threats to adventurers going into the water. New monsters are included in the chapter that the Coral Snare, Kelp Stalker and Otterkin are examples of the thirteen given.</p><p></p><p>Chapter three takes us to the open seas. From the surface it appears as a wide blue desert stretching to the horizon. Currents and weather conditions like El Nino are described. Much like Ursula LeGuin’s Earthsea series, floating cities are among the topics given here. Most often these are built by surfaces races and are made by lashing barges and ships together for the most part, although other means of construction can be created. They are often built in trade routes where aquatic races are nearby to create a trade center. They have difficulty surviving the wear of waves and tides and are generally funded by trading companies. They also face threats from pirates, sea monsters and weather. Line of sight distance is increased a great deal on the open sea and a chart is provided for that purpose. Hazards like sargassos and volcanic islands are listed as the naturally encountered difficulties. Plants like Drowning Sargassum, Salas Kelp and Warning Weed are among the natural ones encountered while animals such as Barnacles, Whales and Tuna are there also. Doldrums, exposure and scurvy are prevalent in the dangers of the open sea. New monsters such as Floating Dead, Lightning Rays and Orcam are part of eight new menaces to face. The Orcam can be used as player characters as they travel in pods like whales and are very warlike.</p><p></p><p>The fourth chapter details the deep seas. This section is more about the undersea than surface conditions. Pressure, light and temperature become important factors underwater. Pressure increases the deeper you go as light recedes and temperature drops. Some of the most dangerous creatures on the world live in the deepest parts of the oceans like krakens and giant squids. The ocean bottom is formed of Abyssal Plains made up of organic and inorganic sediment several hundred feet thick and makes up a third of the ocean floor. Brine Lakes are salt deposits that are thicker than normal seawater and dehydrate and pickled within moments. Light fades after a few hundred feet and the temperature hovers around freezing at the ocean floor. Hydrothermal vents, ridges and trenches are geological features at the bottom of the sea. Plant-like creatures like Pressure Vines and Shadow Kelp can be found here, these are magical creatures as they do not survive on photosynthesis. The animals of the floor include Chemosynthetic Bacteria, Giant Clams and Glowfish that are uniquely adapted to life under the crushing pressure. Danger on the bottom include heated water (from geothermal vents) that can rise swiftly over 400’ and turbid currents caused by undersea landslides from the edge of the continental shelves that can swiftly bury creatures and objects. Bloodworms, Iron Crabs, Trench Elves and Turtle Folk are part of the seven new monsters found in this chapter. The last two can be used as player characters.</p><p></p><p>Chapter five is dealing in equipment. Nine new pieces of equipment are introduced. Diving Bells, Glow bulbs and under water musical equipment are among the listings. Gold has only ornamental value as any form of currency is worthless and barter is the main form of trade. A dozen new magic items are offered like Helmut of Serakus, a turtle-folk piece of armor, Lightning Charms and Wet Cloaks that allow sea creatures to travel on land. New materials are introduced that are produced from the various denizens of the deep. Kelp Rope, Kraken Beak and Volcano forged steel are samples of these. This expands into new substances like Bloodfish Brew, Eel Slime and Kraken Blood that can be created be sea based alchemists. A section on armor constructed from kelp, coral, bone and shell is next.</p><p></p><p>New spells are the focus on chapter six. All spellcasters receive a few new spells that deal with oceanic existence. Animate Kelp, Desalinate and Tidal Call are samples of the spells, twenty-six new spells are introduced. The book ends with an appendix of encounter charts.</p><p></p><p><strong>Critical Hit</strong></p><p>Into the Blue is an excellent supplement for a number of uses. Added to books like Broadsides and The Seafarers Handbook and it expands on some of the information used for dealing with sailing the seas. Added to The Deep and underwater campaigning becomes that much easier to play in or run. The beauty of this book is that we are getting two sets of environs to deal in, the surface and the depths. The introduction of four new player races, all from the sea, gives an even more populous selection to choose from if you are playing an oceanic campaign. Part of my game world includes an Earthsea/Water World section and can be enhanced from this product. The idea of floating cities is not a new one but it is the first time I have seen it in a D20 product. Several of the new monsters and spells fit very well into the theme; others are variants from other sources adapted to fit here. </p><p></p><p><strong>Critical Fumble</strong></p><p>I would like to see more illustration of new items than just supplemental artwork. What Bastion Press did with Doomstriders is like what I am speaking of. In Doomstriders, the new items for use were given pages of illustration among the descriptions, making it easier to describe from a DMs standpoint. There was enough new items here that a page or so could have been devoted to showing us what these items might look like.</p><p></p><p><strong>Coup de Grace</strong></p><p>Into the Blue has the advantage of being the third of a series. Improvements suggested following Into the Green and Into the Black have been applied here. This book is a little more streamlined and gives more suggested usage than the first two did. The Earthsea trilogy was one of the inspirations for 1st edition D&D and some of the ideas in the book, like the floating cities, speaks of this influence (or perhaps Water World). It opens the door to a number of intriguing uses for the book into a campaign with a lot of oceanic travel like Dark Furies’ Maelstromsetting would be good for this as would Green Ronin’s Skull & Bones and Mystic Eye Game’s The Deep would also benefit from adding the information from this book.</p><p></p><p><strong>Final Grade: B+</strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Messageboard Golem, post: 2011866, member: 18387"] [b]By Bruce Boughner, Staff Reviewer d20 Magazine Rack[/b] [b]Initiative Round[/b] Into the Blue is a 96-page sourcebook published by Bastion Press. The author is Lee Hammock with an assist from Kevin Melka and Thomas Knauss. The cover is by Jim Pavelec and features a female sea elf riding a seahorse and a dolphin companion and it is available for $22.95. Into the Blue is the next in the Into the- series from Bastion Press and is the sequel to Into the Green and Into the Black, as with those previous works Into the Blue delves into various environmental areas, the first two dealt with forests and plains and the underworld respectively. Into the Blue goes into ocean life and its stated purpose is to give players and DMs a way to utilize this as a fully realized environment. Chapter one starts with ocean life. This is a basic overview of sea life. Beginning with the general environment, the chapter starts with algae blooms. For those readers unfamiliar with this author, I live in Southwest Florida, I can attest to the health and unpleasantness of Red Tide, which makes the area smell and causes skin irritation and lung issues and is used as an example of the detrimental effects of some forms of algae. The temperature of the sea is also talked about with a wide degree of temperature ranging from just above freezing to a warm 90’. Most of the creatures of the sea can control their buoyancy naturally but non-sea creatures need to use skills like Swim and Profession: Diving and apply the buoyancy guidelines that are provided. Currents are also a concern in the ocean. There are rivers of current in the open ocean that are influenced by weather, tides, geography and the rotation of the planet and in turn influences the weather and shipping along the coastlines. The Gulf stream is a good example of this, Ranging through the Caribbean, up the east coast of America to Newfoundland eastward across the Atlantic to the coast of Ireland and south to the Azores before turning west to the north coast of South America, it influences weather and shipping trade across the Atlantic. Hurricanes form off the west coast of Africa and blow into the Caribbean and American shores but also carry the warm Gulf temperatures northward and help keep the winters mild in the British Isles and western Europe. Using currents is explained here. Salt water, ice, illumination, pollution (even a medieval society creates pollution), spellbooks are all short topics covered in the chapter. Storms are a bigger subject. From their creation and the effects they have are well covered as well as the effects of temperature and waves (specifically Tsunami or Tidal waves) are also covered. Plant life, algae, seaweeds and planktons are talked about with Blood Floater, Glowbites and Mage Spores introduced as unique to the book. Animals like Anemones, Comb Jellies and Sea Wasps are among the many natural sea animals given here. Coastal waters are the focus of chapter two. Starting with beaches, kelp jungles and corals, several charts list the type of settlements of Sahaugin, Locathah and Merfolk are given a percentage of being located here and encountered by traveling adventurers. Maelstroms created by tidal influences are also a concern near to shore and are a hazard as are coral reefs. Rocky coasts created from a number of causes are another type of coastal environment as are salt marshes. Sand bars and land bridges cause inconvenience to shipping but are easily avoided by the normal inhabitants of the area. Mermaid’s Kiss, Rope Kelp and Seagrass are part of the types of plant life in these areas. Common fauna includes Manatees, Seals and Sea Snakes. Some of the hazards of this environment are poisonous corals, riptides and undertow, all of which are threats to adventurers going into the water. New monsters are included in the chapter that the Coral Snare, Kelp Stalker and Otterkin are examples of the thirteen given. Chapter three takes us to the open seas. From the surface it appears as a wide blue desert stretching to the horizon. Currents and weather conditions like El Nino are described. Much like Ursula LeGuin’s Earthsea series, floating cities are among the topics given here. Most often these are built by surfaces races and are made by lashing barges and ships together for the most part, although other means of construction can be created. They are often built in trade routes where aquatic races are nearby to create a trade center. They have difficulty surviving the wear of waves and tides and are generally funded by trading companies. They also face threats from pirates, sea monsters and weather. Line of sight distance is increased a great deal on the open sea and a chart is provided for that purpose. Hazards like sargassos and volcanic islands are listed as the naturally encountered difficulties. Plants like Drowning Sargassum, Salas Kelp and Warning Weed are among the natural ones encountered while animals such as Barnacles, Whales and Tuna are there also. Doldrums, exposure and scurvy are prevalent in the dangers of the open sea. New monsters such as Floating Dead, Lightning Rays and Orcam are part of eight new menaces to face. The Orcam can be used as player characters as they travel in pods like whales and are very warlike. The fourth chapter details the deep seas. This section is more about the undersea than surface conditions. Pressure, light and temperature become important factors underwater. Pressure increases the deeper you go as light recedes and temperature drops. Some of the most dangerous creatures on the world live in the deepest parts of the oceans like krakens and giant squids. The ocean bottom is formed of Abyssal Plains made up of organic and inorganic sediment several hundred feet thick and makes up a third of the ocean floor. Brine Lakes are salt deposits that are thicker than normal seawater and dehydrate and pickled within moments. Light fades after a few hundred feet and the temperature hovers around freezing at the ocean floor. Hydrothermal vents, ridges and trenches are geological features at the bottom of the sea. Plant-like creatures like Pressure Vines and Shadow Kelp can be found here, these are magical creatures as they do not survive on photosynthesis. The animals of the floor include Chemosynthetic Bacteria, Giant Clams and Glowfish that are uniquely adapted to life under the crushing pressure. Danger on the bottom include heated water (from geothermal vents) that can rise swiftly over 400’ and turbid currents caused by undersea landslides from the edge of the continental shelves that can swiftly bury creatures and objects. Bloodworms, Iron Crabs, Trench Elves and Turtle Folk are part of the seven new monsters found in this chapter. The last two can be used as player characters. Chapter five is dealing in equipment. Nine new pieces of equipment are introduced. Diving Bells, Glow bulbs and under water musical equipment are among the listings. Gold has only ornamental value as any form of currency is worthless and barter is the main form of trade. A dozen new magic items are offered like Helmut of Serakus, a turtle-folk piece of armor, Lightning Charms and Wet Cloaks that allow sea creatures to travel on land. New materials are introduced that are produced from the various denizens of the deep. Kelp Rope, Kraken Beak and Volcano forged steel are samples of these. This expands into new substances like Bloodfish Brew, Eel Slime and Kraken Blood that can be created be sea based alchemists. A section on armor constructed from kelp, coral, bone and shell is next. New spells are the focus on chapter six. All spellcasters receive a few new spells that deal with oceanic existence. Animate Kelp, Desalinate and Tidal Call are samples of the spells, twenty-six new spells are introduced. The book ends with an appendix of encounter charts. [b]Critical Hit[/b] Into the Blue is an excellent supplement for a number of uses. Added to books like Broadsides and The Seafarers Handbook and it expands on some of the information used for dealing with sailing the seas. Added to The Deep and underwater campaigning becomes that much easier to play in or run. The beauty of this book is that we are getting two sets of environs to deal in, the surface and the depths. The introduction of four new player races, all from the sea, gives an even more populous selection to choose from if you are playing an oceanic campaign. Part of my game world includes an Earthsea/Water World section and can be enhanced from this product. The idea of floating cities is not a new one but it is the first time I have seen it in a D20 product. Several of the new monsters and spells fit very well into the theme; others are variants from other sources adapted to fit here. [b]Critical Fumble[/b] I would like to see more illustration of new items than just supplemental artwork. What Bastion Press did with Doomstriders is like what I am speaking of. In Doomstriders, the new items for use were given pages of illustration among the descriptions, making it easier to describe from a DMs standpoint. There was enough new items here that a page or so could have been devoted to showing us what these items might look like. [b]Coup de Grace[/b] Into the Blue has the advantage of being the third of a series. Improvements suggested following Into the Green and Into the Black have been applied here. This book is a little more streamlined and gives more suggested usage than the first two did. The Earthsea trilogy was one of the inspirations for 1st edition D&D and some of the ideas in the book, like the floating cities, speaks of this influence (or perhaps Water World). It opens the door to a number of intriguing uses for the book into a campaign with a lot of oceanic travel like Dark Furies’ Maelstromsetting would be good for this as would Green Ronin’s Skull & Bones and Mystic Eye Game’s The Deep would also benefit from adding the information from this book. [b]Final Grade: B+[/b] [/QUOTE]
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