5 out of 5 rating for Strongholds & Followers
Matt Covell is a great GM, and he's a fantastic spokesman for our hobby. I'm a big fan. The book he produced, Strongholds and Followers, is a class-A top-tier product. The book is of great quality, the art direction is unique and wonderful, and Matt's familiar writing style makes you feel as if he's sitting in the room with you explaining the rules over a beer. Everything about it screams quality in production.
The rules and ideas he presents are original and seem to be fun. A lot of work and imagination went into this product. The tables are thorough and well thought out, and you grok what the system is trying to do in very short order.
If I had a knock on the product it would be that you need to run a campaign that will accommodate the rules. Matt says up front that using the book will require a lot more work from the GM, and I think he's right. It's a ton more work. And the players have to have complete buy in that they are building a stronghold. If you run a travelling group of adventurers, this book won't work. If the PCs want to settle down and build a home, this is the only book you need.