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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sketchpad" data-source="post: 2011719" data-attributes="member: 9168">This is not a d20 book.  Rather, Arcane Adversaries is an enemy book for Champions, the superhero rules for the Hero System (DoJ, Inc./Hero Games).  Though not for d20, an inventive GM would find this as an invaluable resource that has much potential for conversion to their favorite system.  Enemy books are common for every system out there.  D&D has the Monster Manuals I-III, d20 Modern has the Menace Manual and even Star Wars has Ultimate Adversaries.  But no system has as much history with enemy books as the Hero System.  Through the 20+ years of publication and several incarnations (as well as companies), the Hero System has seen a plethora of enemy books, starting with Enemies back in the early 80s and continuing with Arcane Adversaries.  Within this book, the GM/reader is introduced to over thirty super-villains, all with a supernatural or magical twist.  Starting with the Circle of the Scarlet Moon, the author (Dean Shomshak, author of the Ultimate Super-Mage) has created an interesting group of villains that seem to have as many “real-life” goals as they do villainous goals.  The idea that someone would use magic in conjunction with business/financial power is almost clichéd … but in a good way.  Next up is a slight revamp of an old favorite, The Devil’s Advocates.  Remade for the 5th edition Champions Universe, this organization is ran by the evil Demonologist and includes such characters as Gyre and Golem.  As a side note here, the art for this particular chapter seems kind of hokey at best, but I like it … it reminds me of Jeff Dee’s old Villains and Vigilantes art from the ‘80s.With a heavy nod to Lovecraft, The Kings of Edom detail a small group of transdimensional horrors that have their eyes (and tentacles) targeted on Earth.  Though a bit zany, some of the creatures within have a lot of potential as foes for mystical players (or at least as a threat that must be stopped before they invade).  With an obvious nod to some rebellious comic creators, The Sylvestri Clan depicts a group that almost seems like a mystical mafia.  With characters named McFarlane and Liefield in the mix, one would wonder where the Lees, Larsons and Valentinos are.  Another revamp that’s made it into this book is the Vandaleurs, a family of mystics that range from the evil to the slightly corrupt.  Of all the organizations, this is the one that I liked the best … especially in regards to “The Toad.” Finally, the reader is treated to a small horde of solo villains including Evil Eye, Bromion and Witchfinder (all of which are favorites of mine).  Unlike many mystic books, the soloists range from the typical mage to the petty thief to true super-villainy.  There’s even a supernatural hunter that could give most gun-toting vigilantes a run for their money.  I would easily say that the last chapter was a selling point for me.Overall, the book is a good read, especially for fans of mystical comics.  The graphic design follows the uniform of typical Hero System books, with some good illustrations on the interior and a dramatic cover by Andrew Cremeans.  I’ve always been fond of the “enemies” books, as I’ve found them full of great ideas … even if I don’t intend on using them right out of the package.  I think my only regret of this book is not having more of the uber-mage characters or dimensional entities … but from what I understand, these will be seen in The Mystic World, a sourcebook on Champions’ mystic characters (and companion to Mr. Shomshak’s Ultimate Mystic, coming out soon).</blockquote>

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