This is not strictly a playtest review, though I did play in a demo game at GenCon UK, run by the author Ian Sturrock. Which was nice.
Slaine: The Roleplaying Game Of Celtic Heroes, is a campaign setting and rulebook based on the world of the 2000AD comic, Slaine, now owned by Rebellion. Mongoose Publishing are the first to produce a celtic-style campaign setting, and have made a real coup by gaining the license for Slaine, which should hopefully pull in a few more people from outside rolelaying into the game. For those not in the know, Slaine is a mercenary warrior (destined to become king) in a fantasy-version of the pre-Christian Celtic lands of Ireland, Wales, Scotland, England, and France - known as Tir Nan Og (the setting also touches on 'Iceland/Greenland' and 'Scandinavia'). Though not historical per se, the comics were keen to impart a sense of historical authenticity within the limited knowledge we have of that era.
The Slaine RPG is 192 pages long and comes in at $34.95, a little more expensive than books of similar type and size, though this is accounted for by the fact that it is a full colour hardback, and a licensed product. Space use is good in terms of both font and margin size, with little wasted space. The art is good to superb, most of it in the style of the Slaine comic products. I can't overstate the quality of the art and presentation in the book - its probably the best I've seen yet in a d20 product. My only complaint was that sometimes excerpts from the comics contained irrelevant text which had me frowning for a moment. I should also note that a good bit of the comic excerpts are mono line drawings but there is a significant amount of colour art, several pieces of which are full page pieces - all of these are top class stuff. Writing style is good, with occasional editing errors (the most glaring of which was the chapter titles on the side of each page in the Earth Power chapter).
The introduction gives an overview of the book and some advice to players new to Slaine, new to d20, and rules to watch out for, for veteran players. A section entitled 'Welcome To The Land Of The Young' gives an overview of Tir Nan Og. The land is a mythical version of Northern Europe before Britain split from the rest of the continent. We are introduced to the main villains - the Fomorians (a race of mutated humanoids from the north) and the Drune Lords (corrupted Celts from the South). We are also given an overview of the main tribes of Tir Nan Og - the violent Sessair, the dour Finians, the battle-hungry Fir Domain, and the stealthy Tribe Of Shadows. Further to this, a degenerate giant race live on the edges of the land of Tir Nan Og, and a tribe known as the Fir Bolg, whose culture and lands lie somewhere between the northern tribes and the Drune Lord tribes, are also described. The section finishes with the concept of the El Worlds, the home of elves, goblins, elementals and other supernatural creatures, which lie beneath the lands of Tir Nan Og, and are but legend to most. There is also a simple mono map of the lands discussed.
Chapter 1: Characters In The Land Of The Young, deals with classes, races, skills and a few new concepts to d20. There are only 3 races available in Slaine:
* Humans - who also gain two cross-class skills as class skills (players choice) - its not specified whether these allow access to exclusive class skills.
* Dwarves - not at all like D&D dwarves - they have large pointed ears, can be charming and are dextrous, whilst lacking strength - they are viewed with disdain or superstition by most humans
* Warped Ones - half-humans with the blood of an extinct beast-folk, who are able to distort their bodies into raging monstrous mutations (called warp spasms) when they get angry - naturally they are tougher than humans but they tend to be somewhat barbaric, lacking charisma and intelligence.
There are five classes:
* Druid - again, not at all like a D&D druid - Celtic Druids are skilled in divination, gain a limited selection of bonus feats, can use the ogham language to send secret messages using Innuendo, can cast spells and use magical attacks using Earth Power, increase in Knowledge, and craft a magical stone that gives them luck. They get a d4 hit die.
* Noble Warrior - Celtic aristocrats, leaders of men, with a fighter hit die, BAB, saves, bonus feats and weapon specialisation, plus some tribe-specific class features.
* Thief - gains a rogue's hit die, BAB, some of the rogue's special abilities and a slower increase in sneak attacks and uncanny dodge. Also gets 1 rank in every non-exclusive class skill at 1st level, and a better Will save rate.
* Tribal Warrior - gains a Barbarian's Hit Die, BAB, saves, and fast movement. A slower increase in Rage also. Gains a specific tribal fighting style dependent on tribe chosen, and a bonus to a Craft or Profession skill check, and a bonus to Diplomacy and Gather Information with 1st-level warriors in the same tribe.
* Witch - gains the BAB of a Druid, the saves of a sorcerer, and class features that focus on sacrifice as a means to power, plus summoning and self-alteration abilities.
No multiclassing is allowed.
There are some amendments made to standard skills (such as noting that Open Lock and Disable Device are exclusive to the Thief class in Slaine). Three new skills are introduced, but these all relate to the new magic system in Slaine - each skill gives access to a certain type of magic - Bless, Divination, and Sorcery. A table indicating starting age and money are also given.
A system for measuring honour and reputation is then described, to mirror the importance of this function in Celtic life. Termed 'Enech' (as the AD&D 2e Celts Campaign Sourcebook did), there is a large table indicating possible ways to gain and lose it. Having an Enech of 0 is not good (slave or outcast), but having an Enech of less than 0 can be fatal, as the character may be attacked and killed on sight with no repercussion in law or social stigma to the 'murderer'. If a character with Enech is illegally killed, or if he is bound into an oath or business deal, the character's Enech reflects the liability in monetary terms that the murderer must pay to the character's family, or the character must pay if he breaks an oath or reneges on a deal. This monetary amount is termed 'Sarhaed'.
The chapter ends with a discussion of geases and weirds. Geases are taboos/restrictions on behaviour which give penalties to Enech, Charisma, luck, and magical power if they are broken. The character may also gain a weird - a fate or destiny - a sort of prophecy of something that will come to pass in the character's life from temporary insanity to a heroic sacrifice. The onset of a weird is determined by the GM.
Chapter 2: Feats, introduces over 40 new feats. 15 of these are probably limited to use in Slaine, unless introducing a whole new ruleset into your campaign - these include Earth Power feats related to the new magic system(such as ritual sacrifice and tap dolmen - drains standing stones for magical power), and special feats such as crafting a druid's egg, and improved variants of the warp spasm. However, that leaves nearly 30 that can be used outside Slaine and include some great new combat feats such as flying leap (a charge variant where you launch yourself at an opponent), humble shield (where you let the opponents weapon get stuck in your shield, then wrench it away from him for your own use), salmon leap (jumping high in the air to avoid ranged combat), shield kick (where you kick the opponent's shield up above his head, then leap on it to deliver a death blow), spear catching, and spear foot (where you launch your spear with your foot from a prone position).
Chapter 3: Goods And Weapons, covers currency and haggling, before describing the merits and problems with the flint and iron (not steel) weapons available in the setting. Some new weapons are also introduced, such as the Dart Dragon (a dart hand crossbow fired by magical power), Gae Bolga (a serrated spear that causes potentially fatal damage when removed from a victim), razor-edged shield, and tathlum (a sort of bola made out of the minced brains of enemies mixed with lime). Various armour, masterwork items, and mundane goods and services are also discussed and priced.
Chapter 4: Combat, begins with a discussion of the Celtic habit of naming martial and exotic weapons. This gives a +1 to attack but gives a penalty to all dice rolls for an hour after loss. There follows a discussion of Taunting, a selection of insults that drive the opponent to reckless attacking. Rules for warp-spasms are then given (these Incredible Hulk-like mutations require a minimum DC of 30). The chapter finishes with various rules for chariot combat, including scythes on the wheels of chariots, collisions and overturning, and chariot upgrades, such as masterwork suspension.
Chapter 5: Eyes Without Life, Sundered Heads And Piles Of Carcasses, is a mass combat system designed for both large skirmishes and full-scale epic battle. The system uses a ruleset based on a fighting unit with statistics similar to a single creature. These statistics are pretty much based around an average of the members of the unit. The unit combat resolution system is very similar to the d20 system, involving rounds, initiative, attack rolls, damage, AC, and hit points of the unit. Additional rules are then discussed such as charging, restricted attack options (such as flanking, disarm, etc.), modifiers due to greater numbers, magical attacks, and withdrawal. Morale is an important factor in the system, and various influences on morale are discussed, and statted out. Different unit types are defined (infantry, slingers, cavalry, and skirmishers) and some slight changes to the rules for full-scale battles are given. A final section gives some advice on how the PCs can influence the outcome of battle.
Chapter 6: Earth Power, describes a new magic system for Slaine. All creatures have a small amount of Earth Power (magical power) - thus anybody can cast at least a small amount of spells. Earth Power can be gained and lost in different magical locations, and by sacrifice of blood, goods and weapons. Magical backfires can also affect levels of Earth Power). Earth Power can be stored in standing stones, dolmens (three or four standing stones topped by a capstone) and cromlechs (more complex arrangements of standing stones) to create powerful magical effects when released by a druid or other capable. There are seven types of spell - bardic magic, bless, curse, divination, nature magic, glamour (illusion and enchantment), and summoning magic character. Various spell ranges and magical links (such as corn dollies, which function something like voodoo dolls) are discussed. In the character section, each table has a column rating their Magical Attack Bonus. This number is used in the magical attack system, which uses Charisma as a bonus and is resisted using a saving throw. Over 60 spells are then given to fit in with this new system. Each spell gives a cost in Earth Power, details on any magical attack rolls or skill checks that need to be figured in, and prerequisites (such as the Beguile spell which requires a Cha of 13+, +1 or higher magical attack bonus, and that the caster must be female). Sample spells include Astronomy (short/medium/long-term prediction), cure injury, divination by entrails, flea infestation, ill luck, poetic insult, scrying flames, spear of light, and summon spectral army. There is also a short passage on Ogham, which can improve the effects of some spells.
Chapter 7: A Guide To Slaine's World, begins with a brief gazetteer for Tir Nan Og. The lands of Albion (roughly equivalent to England), Eriu (roughly Ireland), The Inland Sea (what will become the Irish Sea), Alba (roughly Scotland), and Cambria (roughly Wales) are briefly dicussed, and the important locations defined. The southern lands of Tir Nan Og belong to the Drune Lords (roughly covering most of France), whilst the lands on the border betwee the two are mostly Sourlands (lands drained of energy by the Drune Lords and become wasteland). The chapter then turns towards legal and cultural issues, discussing the importance of kings, tribes, kinship, fines, and law, as well as going into more depth on Sarhaed. Social customs such as marriage, birth (including a great way to let a man know the extent of a woman's suffering during childbirth - witches "tie a cord around the end of his manhood, and the woman tugs on the cord whenever she experiences pain"!). The Celtic custom of fostering (where a child goes to live with a different family for a time) is discussed, and the section goes on to list cultural issues surrounding combat, such as cattle raids, honour in combat, head-hunting, and the champion's portion. The chapter ends with a brief discussion of the cultural differences in the Drune Lord tribes.
Chapter 8: Adventures In The Land Of The Young, begins by detailing sky chariots - flying ships. Weather is then discussed with any influence on game mechanics. Environmental influences such as water, starvation, fire, cold, and disease, are discussed. The next section deals with the Laedership feat and its role in Celtic culture. The chapter then turns to Prestige Classes, detailing the following:
* Bard - has to have at least two levels of Druid, has some standard D&D Bard features, but gains various magical song class features.
* Battle-Smiter - experienced bodyguard for nobility or rich merchants, with various class features to help protect his employer.
* Charioteer - various class features enhance ability to use chariot impressively.
* Fool - the archetypal fool of the king's court with minor class features from rogue and bard, as well as unique ones such as innocuous, grovel, and scam artist.
* Red Branch Warrior - violent spearmasters
* War-Witch - a cross between a witch and a warrior with strong links with the El Worlds - she eventually becomes an El creature herself.
Chapter 9: Gods And Goddesses Of Tir Nan Og, begins by listing the six major festivals of the year and discusses the importance of sacrifice at these festivals. Twelve gods and goddesses are briefly discussed. Since there are no clerics as such in Slaine, the only two advantages to worshipping the deities are 1) you get to meet the prerequisites of certain spells and 2) there is a slim chance that the deity might intervene on your behalf when you face otherwise certain death. There is a very brief section on the El Worlds - covering the world of Devils and Angels, the world of the Elder Gods, the world of Elemental creatures, the world of the Dead, and Cythraul, a hellish city.
Chapter 10: Bestiary, begins with a discussion of the creature format (note - there are no alignments here, nor CRs - the CR system is ditched) including sidebars on magical attack bonuses, and tribe class features and fighting styles for the Drune Lord tribes and Berserker Tribes. Fourteen Celtic-style animals are included (such as wild cat, badger, deer, and war dog), as well as several different types of animated tree. Dragons are elemental in feel and include a spectral dragon from the El Worlds. Other creatures include the legendary Fomorians, the Half-Dead (generic undead), the Shoggey Beast template (shaggy werecreature), and Titans (barbaric giants).
Chapter 11: Campaigns In Tir Nan Og, discusses adventuring in different seasons, a further discussion of enech and a more detailed explanation as to why the CR system was ditched - the author felt that the nature of encounters in Slaine is not appropriate to the CR system and that it keeps players on their toes. XP is given on an informal basis, mainly based on guidelines to do with seasonal adventuring (a little like the system used in Pendragon, with only two or three adventures at most occurring in a year). Magic items are discussed, as several weapons that appear mundane (such as the gae bolga and tathlum) have magical properties. Optional benefits granted by the worship of a deity are also given, such as inceasing the effects when a dice roll made is exceptional. Some further discussion of geases for the GM is also given, some advice on charcater death (since there is no resurrection spell, only magic items or a possible trip to the El Land of The Dead is required to bring back a fallen comrade), and three ideas for campaigns - all the PCs are warriors, all the PCs are kin, or all the PCs are wanderers and vagabonds.
The book ends with a brief timeline, a glossary, a pronunciation guide, a large table of character names, an interesting and illuminating 'Designer's Notes' section where the advantages and disadvantages of the classes and magic system are discussed, and index, and a character sheet.
Conclusion:
For those of you who are interested in Celtic culture, warfare and epic storytelling, this is a must-have book. While not always historically accurate (as the author himself admits and the world of Slaine dictates) the feel of a Celtic world seeps from the pores of the book. The superb presentation, art and writing style match the fascinating setting and the areas covered on the whole enable the GM to bring that world to life. Further sourcebooks are planned to fill out what felt like some empty spaces in the book - particularly the gazetteer which was a bit lightweight.
I was slightly disappointed with two areas - the lack of influence of the gods on the setting. Now I don't know my Slaine too well and this could be a reflection of the comics, but I felt that the gods and goddesses should have a more powerful influence on the world than they did - the optional benefits section is certainly one that I would use, and I felt that some game mechanic based on sacrifice for immediate and regular in-game use would have worked quite nicely. Also, with the lack of fey/nature spirits - again, maybe this isn't a major factor in Slaine, but I felt a Celtic-influenced world should have had more fey. Finally, I wasn't entirely convinced by the decision to go without CRs (I find they are more of a boon for me when planning adventures than a hassle when playing) - certainly, the GM would have to make it clear to players that she will be introducing creatures well above and below the character's capabilities before playing a Slaine campaign or adventure according to this ruleset. However, its relatively easy to assign a CR to a monster, so I didn't find this a major nuisance.
For those less interested in Slaine (er, why are you reading this?) there are still good things to take away for your d20 campaign. The honour and reputation system is a useful addition if you want to encourage these traits in your game, as are geases and weirds. Many of the feats, especially the combat ones, are excellent fodder for any fantasy campaign. New weapons can also be used from here, and the information on taunting, weapon naming and chariots could all be useful outside Slaine. So could the mass combat system, and some of the creatures from the bestiary (with some extra work). Of course, there is a whole new magic system here based on Earth Power, which seems smooth and easy-to-use at first glance, though requires proper playtesting to fully understand the potential and any problems of the system. Having said all that, this is not a game thats easily integratable with standard d20 fantasy games due to the new races and classes (some of whom have the same name as D&D classes) and the different magic system.
Since my two main gripes about this product may be dictated by the world of Slaine (I'm not sure as my knowledge of Slaine is limited) I can't fault the book on these points though I feel that others may also be disappointed by these areas. Buyers should be aware that there are some areas that lack detail - for example, there is no discussion of time travel, which occurs in the Slaine comics. Other areas that lack detail will be covered by future releases. The book certainly left me wanting more - I'm just not completely sure that's a good thing rather than a bad thing. I'll give the book the benefit of the doubt on all counts, and give it top marks.
] and in fact the rules for weirdstones, cromlechs and dolmens are detailed to the extent of just how far away a sorcerer can be and still draw power from them and just how many weirdstones can be placed in the ground before the natural limit is exceeded and the land starts to die. You’ll also find the rules for Druid’s Eggs here (worth bookmarking if you’re running with a druid character) and a brief mention of Time Worm Eggs. A pet peeve of mine is the phrase "more information (blah blah blah) can be found in the forthcoming …". It’s a peeve because the ‘forthcoming’ book is only forthcoming for, at most, a month or two and then for the rest of reality the sentence is out of date. Oh well, just a niggle. There are 23 pages of new spells. That’s 23 pages in the smaller text density but decorated with some of the best (but not full page) illustrations in the book. The spells format will look familiar; there are components (V, S, F, etc), casting times, ranges, targets, durations, saving throws, etc and I don’t think anyone will be terribly confused. There’s also the new magic attack roll attribute and earth power cost. The "Ally of the Horned Lord" costs 1EP and "A Murder of Crows" costs 10EP. You need to have this much earth power at hand to cast the spell (and if you don’t then sacrifice a bested enemy and see if that helps!). Given that its not too easy to convert standard d20 spells to this system (even though its similar) I’m glad there are 23 pages of new spells but I suspect there will be demand for more. 