Arcane Strife

[HellHound]

Millenia of warfare has scarred and shaped the lands of Shtar. Wars against the Lich Kings, the Elves and even Gods themselves.

Wars where magic tore apart the land, and stitched it back together again.

Arcane Strife. The Magics of Shtar.

Discover nearly 200 new arcane spells, plus new feats, four prestige classes and four creature templates.

Perhaps you can rebuild the magics of your world...

 

[Messageboard Golem]

I bought this as the Print on Demand edition, which came with copies of the PDF also. The review is of the PDF edition, as I am waiting for the print copy to arrive in the mail. I bought this because it was written by the same people who wrote Crimson Contracts - The Assassin's Manifesto, which I consider to be the best Assassin book on the market.

Arcane Strife is, first and foremost, a spellbook. Just shy of 200 arcane spells are crammed in here, with some additional supporting material.

The product itself arrives in a zip file containing three PDFs. The first is the front and back covers of Arcane Strife (I feel all PDFs should be bundled this way). Then you get two copies of the contents of the book itself. The first is a 2.6 meg screen edition on a nice-looking burnt velum background with comprehensive bookmarks. The second is a larger file, black and white, without the background and with higher-resolution images. I was glad to see the art in the printer edition of the PDF, because the art is EXCELLENT. I sit in awe of Scott Purdy, Brian England and Frank Krug, who help set the dark and bloody feel of the book that is supported by the excellent choice of backgrounds and the interesting fonts chosen.

As far as spell books go, this one is pretty good, superior to the other PDF spellbooks I have picked up in the past, although not as good as many printed ones (although superior to many others).

Spellbooks face some stiff competition due in part to the first two on the market being Relics & Rituals in print and the Book of Eldritch Might in PDF. When compared to these two icons of the d20 spellbook, Arcane Strife can stand proud.

The spells focus around those useful in combat or war, as supported by the setting refered to throughout the book, the world of Shtar. Shtar is explained as a fairly typical Dungeons & Dragons world that has been torn assunder by wars between a plethora of magically potent forces. Each spell includes a historic commentary as to its origin as well as its effects. Although these histories are very world-dependent, they would also work VERY well in the Scarred Lands or even right after the Time of Troubles in the Forgotten Realms. What sets the spells apart in my mind is a description of the visual effects of the spells including effects on the spellcaster.

Like most spellbooks, the spell levels themselves are slightly hit-and-miss. A few are possibly a little too low in level, but more commonly, most are listed as being too high. I find this to be a lot less destructive than having the spells to powerful for their level, and I have less problems decreasing the level of a spell than I have qualms about increasing the level (I tend to just ban spells in that case instead of bumping them up a level or two).

The four prestige classes presented are fairly interesting, but not enough that I expect to see any players picking them up in the games I run. (Except possibly the Master of the Hive, who becomes more and more akin to his insectile familiar). I was happy to see a bard prestige class, as bards are a generally underused arcane spellcaster. I would have liked an assassin in here too, but there are enough of those in Crimson Contracts. The four creature templates are all ones created by the spells in the volume - Arcane Ghosts, Balak-Mak (exceptionally dark & cruel wraiths), Bloodwraith (wraiths that drain a target's Con) and Undead Warriors which are torn from the bodies of still living combatants by the horrifically drawn Osseus Erruptus spell.

At $11, this is a 'can't miss' purchase for a 66 page book. Not the best on the market, but incredible value for your money. Especially for a Scarred Lands game.

 

[Capellan]

Arcane Strife is filled with great ideas.

It's quite literally packed with them. Almost every page has a spell concept or a hint at the history of Shtar (the spells' assumed setting) that makes you say "Cool!". And if you like your arcane casters mad, bad and dangerous to know, this book has the spells for you.

But ...

There's always a "but", isn't there?

In the case of Arcane Strife, it's "but the execution does not always do justice to the ideas".

The product's flaws can generally be split into four categories. First, and least, there are the simple editorial mistakes: the very first spell has a discrepancy between the 'stat block' area of effect, and the area mentioned by the spell's description ... it's not alone in errors of this kind.

Second, there are the 'game changing' or 'world changing' spells. Spells that fundamentally alter the balance of the game or the economics of the world, but which receive no attention or acknowledgement of this in the text. The worst offender in this regard was "Lay To Rest", but the EN Publishing crew do a good job of addressing this in their free web supplement for the product. Other spells that can have similar (though lesser) effects remain, however spells like Conjure Weapon (anyone capable of casting 2nd level spells can learn this spell, which *permanently* conjures a magical weapon). That sound you just heard is every weaponsmith in the world going out of business. Field of Caltrops is also second level, and also permanently creates items - I'm sure you can guess what sort. Alert PCs will abuse the heck out of Imbue Weapon - a 3rd level spell that allows to invest a weapon with a multiple-d6 elemental damage bonus, with its duration expressed as a number of 'hits'. Got a week of downtime in your campaign? Cast this spell on a golf-bag full of swords and imagine the fun!

Potentially one of the most significant, however - though it at leas has the defence of being 8th level, and thus far from common - is Drake's Deadly Illusion, which creates a permanent, *free-willed* illusion. The spell description contains no consideration of the ramification of this. For instance, what determines how it will exercise this free will? What is its alignment, goals, knowledge of the world? How does it view itself? Is it self-aware? How much knowledge can the caster impart to it? Can its emotions and attachments be shaped?

This brings me to the third problem: vague and incomplete spell descriptions. Instant Crucifixion - surprise - crucifies its targets. They will then take days to slip into a coma. It contains absolutely *no* information on how the victims can get free, if at all. Instant Bulletin sends town criers to every town in the country, to announce whatever message the caster has penned. It's supposed to be used by the court wizard to issue proclamations, but couldn't *anyone* who knows this spell cast it? If not, how is its use controlled? For that matter, how is it determined which towns the criers will appear in? Is it based on the caster's nationality? Their current location? What if a specific town is claimed by two countries? Will a crier appear there?

Lastly - and some extent related - we have the mechanical problems. As a spell, Darkfire has great flavour - as do many of the spells - but this 5th level spell (which presumably needs a ranged touch attack, though this is not specifically stated) will kill any living creature it touches. No saving throw, no spell resistance, no chance to resurrect them. There are a limited number of counters, but if you don't have those available within 5 rounds, you can just throw that character sheet away. You're gone. Permanently.

Similarly, Fake Spellbook is an undetectable trap with *no* save - at 3rd level. It won't kill the victim, but it will permanently wipe a spell slot off them. What spell slot, isn't clear, since it causes the effects of 'arcane burn' (a new concept introduced in the book). The thing is, Arcane Burn affects the spell you're casting, and the victim of this spell isn't casting, so how do you know what spell slot they've lost?

In short: there are lots of really evocative and interesting ideas, here, but the collection needs a thorough re-read and edit in order to fit together properly, for the spells with game-changing effects to be clearly marked, and for the absent and sorely needed details to be filled in. Now, if you don't mind doing all that yourself, you should stop reading this immediately, go to rpgnow.com, and buy the book. Because as I said: the concepts here are great. There's lots of fuel for the creative fires, and lots of really evocative, visceral spells.

On the other hand, if the problems above are an issue to you, you might be wondering if there is anything else in the book to attract your attention: the answer, honestly, is 'not a lot'. The bulk of the book is given over to the spells, leaving only a little room for a short chapter of feats (actually my favourite part of the book: I liked the bardic 'voice' feats), four undead templates, and four Prestige Classes. These classes have some great, evocative concepts to them, but - like the spells - they suffer in the execution. For instance, the restrictions on the Bloodsong Dancer make no sense (a spontaneous caster who is barred from further improving as a sorcerer or wizard, but - for some reason - not as a bard), while the Master of Minor Magics is frighteningly overcomplicated by bookwork and special case rules.

I've rated Arcane Strife a 3. If you're interested in great ideas, and don't mind doing a lot of work to flesh them out, push that up to a '4'. On the other hand, if you're looking for a spell compendium you can just 'plug in' to your campaign, take it down to a 2. There's lots of good material in this book, but you'll have to do some work to make the most of it.

 

[arwink]

[Disclaimer: Although I have done work for Natural 20 press/E.N. Publishing on a freelance basis, I've not had any contact with The Brood - the production house responsible for producing Arcane Strife for E.N.)

The biggest problem with a book like Arcane Strife is working out exactly how to recommend it without glossing over its flaws.

On one level this is a book filled with great ideas and rich flavor text, lending the magic detailed within a distinctive feel that manages to seem both literary and d20 at the same time. The historical details and descriptions given to the manifestation of spell effects make this book a pleasure to read, with the culture of Shtar serving as an entertaining backdrop to the rule-related mechanics. I'm primarily someone who enjoys playing fighters, and who primarily uses clerics and rogues as villains when I DM, so I regard any book that makes my eyes shine with the possibilities of playing a wizard as doing something right. The book looks good, reads well, and sparks the creative parts of the brain like few spell-books I've seen before.

On another level, Arcane Strife is filled with minor annoyances and rules gaff's that make it difficult to drop into a standard d20 campaign without giving some consideration to the impact of the spells, changing some names and levels, or simply applying quick fixes to spells that seem only half-there in terms of their mechanics.

At times these irritations can be as simple as mixing genres in the flavor text, as is done with the occasionally infantile naming of spells like "Stop Hitting Yourself" or the inclusion of modern literary references with "Esprit de Sade." In a similar vein are the inclusion of spells that delve into references to modern visuals in their description, making reference to targeting crosshairs, or the over-used repetition of the phrase "and has now passed into common usage" in the description of many spells histories. In many respects, it is the richness and quality of many of the other spells descriptions that make these exceptions noticeable and grating on the reader - they break the tone of the book in a very abrupt way.

At its worst, the book includes spells with badly explained effects (Instant Crucifixion crucifies someone, but offers no details on what happens if someone tries to free them or they try to escape), spells that fundamentally change the nature of the campaign (Lay to rest, a 1st level spell that prevents raising a body from the dead with resurrection or reanimating magics), and a General spell list that is available to any spellcaster that includes a number of seemingly questionable choices for inclusion (I'm at a loss as to why my war-priests, sun clerics and nearly everyone other than Wizards and Bards should be getting Increase Sex Appeal). In a lot of ways, Arcane Strife reads like a collection of spells from a long-running home campaign where the material included has seen a lot of use. They bear the mark of spells that the people involved are familiar with and know the boundaries of, but don't solve the problem of gray areas within the descriptions that can be abused by players coming to the spells for the first time.

There is more to Arcane Strife than spells, but new spells are where the bulk of this product lies. The collection of feats in the first chapter is sound, but essentially bland after so many books of arcane feats on the market. Similarly the new prestige classes and templates are either finicky to the point of being irritable if they were used, or they're simply not enough to grab the reader after reading through page after page of spells that display a great deal more innovations. The concepts of Arcane Burn, True Names and Arcane Marks/Runes introduced in the beginnings of the book are interesting and offer a great deal of flavor the magic of Shtar, but ultimately suffer from a very short treatment and a lack of use to those preferring to work with DnD's traditional magic system.

In truth, it's the spells where Arcane Strife shines, and even then it gleams like a diamond in the rough. Personally, I love the product and I recommend it to any DM or Player that's looking for a horde of new, flavor intensive spells and is willing to spend the time and effort to adjust the more complicated or unbalanced mechanics. Arcane Strife is a mine of ideas, and spellcasters who start flinging around these spells are going to shine in a way that an evoker flinging off another fireball simply isn't. On the other hand, if you're looking for a book of spells that can be dropped into a game with no work on the DM's part and nary a ripple on the way magic is seen in the campaign, then the product doesn't hold up to scrutiny. If you're one of the former, willing to mine for ideas, my assessment of Arcane Strife should probably be read as a 4 rather than a 3. For everyone else it's still a worthwhile purchase, but one that must be approached with caution and consideration to separate the wheat from the chaff.

 

[Maldur]

Arcane strife

Pdf and POD, 66 pages. Web-enhancement available.

To conceal my inability to write this up as a coherent story: here are some observations on arcane strife:

* The web-enhancement adds to the book. It discusses the impact of a spell, adds a spell, etc. It is part of the complete book not just an advertisement.

* There is an enormous amount of spells in the book. They span all levels and all arcane traditions (sorcerer, wizard, assassin, and bard). All spells have flavor and have a background in the world of Shtar. Some spells can have a large impact on a game world, this is addressed for one spell, but a DM should use care when allowing these spells. The FX for the spells are great, very descriptive, adding a certain mystery to arcane spellcasters. Spells also have a nice variety of effects and uses, not just fireball variations. Some can be used very creatively.

* Some of the spells would be very good for other classes while being restricted to only a few classes. The Pliazli’s Bolt spells for instance are given for assassins, but would work great for other spellcasters as well (like arcane archers)

* The spell concepts given in the first chapter are food for thought, but lack "completeness" for easy insertion in an existing world. I especially like the arcane sigils, visible marks of your ability to cast arcane spells, they have lots of potential.

* Many of the feats add versatility to a spellcaster in a similar way as suggested other uses of turning attempts for divine casters. Again this could have much impact on your gameworld.

* The prestige classes are nice but I miss a coherent idea behind them. It almost feels like they were added to fill out the book. I missed several PrC's as only one of the three magic concepts were translated into a PrC, while the others also have potential to form great PrC's. The weight of the different Prestige classes is also very different. The minor magic's mage is a very Rules heavy PrC, while the others are much more strait forward.

* It is good that the templates are added. They are needed to supplement the spells that create creatures with that form. I love the weakness to Farm implements for the undead warrior, a very nice touch, a great adventure hook or the basis of an epic story.

* Much of the book just screams: undead.

* The world of Shtar is implied but I would love to read more of the world. If I read the hints correctly A write-up for Shtar could be a really good addition in the grim and dark school of fantasy.

* Unfortunately some errors slipped through the editing process.

Conclusion: It is a really nice book, but it seems unfinished. As it is now is does need some work, and clarification for insertion into a running campaign. When it would be reworked up to the level of crimson contracts it would gain the full five stars but now it stops at three. That said: I WILL use it in my campaign as many ideas and spells are very nice. If you don't mind some work this book is worth it, but not if you're looking for a fire and forget sourcebook.

 

[Carnifex]

I have to start by saying that I really like the idea of Arcane Strife - a book of spells designed for an environment where the effects that magic can have on warfare are fully taken into account. It's something that I often feel isn't addressed enough, when you consider the impact that the various different spells like destructive blasts, scrying and teleportation would have on conventional medieval styles of warfare.

Arcane Strife provides a large selection of new spells, incorporating a wide variety of different themes and purposes, along with new feats, templates and prestige classes (of course). They give a nice feel of background to many of the spells by using the culture and history of the world of Shtar as a background, with the various details and personalities really bringing it to life for the reader rather than it being a dry list of mechanics.

Prior to the section detailing new spells, Arcane Strife provides some optional new rules for magic users. The 'Arcane Burn' rule in particular is one I think is particularly appropriate if one were to run a campaign where magic takes a similar line to the thaumaturgy of China Mieville's Bas-Lag novels, where if a spellcaster has his concentration disrupted in the middle of attempting to channel the energy for a spell, nasty things can happen. Rules for True Names and sigils are also provided, but overall these new rules could have done with being expanded and being more detailed. The feats in this section are quite interesting and some take an interesting direction of allowing a spellcaster to use their spell energy for other purposes, similar to how the divine feats in DotF let a cleric use his turning for other purposes.

The main bulk of the book is the spells, and boy does it have a lot of spells. There are many good new additions here, and I came across several examples where I thought ‘yes, I was wanting a spell like this in my campaign.” You really feel as you read through them that these spells are the result of a place being subjected to numerous and continual wars. The new range of Power Word spells are also quite nice (Power Word Collapse being one I will definitely use in my games). Overall there’s a lot of ingenuity and nice ideas in this section.

The problem is that some of them are not fully fleshed out and detailed in terms of mechanics as they should be. Some look like they’re too high a level, others like they’re too low, or the full impact of them hasn’t been thought out fully. Lay to Rest is particularly guilty of this, though the revisions suggested in the add-on do go some way to dealing with this. Others conjure up permanent objects like weapons or caltrops, or even in one case a permanent, free-willed illusion. Also, there is one spell in this supplement which might cause problems in a 3e Revised game, Alter Weapon Material, due to the changes to the damage resistance system in the forthcoming revision.

The Prestige Classes presented at the end of the book are nice and imaginative, especiallly the Master of the Hive. Though they too suffer a few problems with the mechanics, they seem quite nicely done overall. The templates, undead which result from some of the spells in this supplement, are also a rather nice addition.

This product does suffer from sometimes vague spell descriptions or poorly thought-out mechanics, and a handful of typos seem are in need of being edited out. Yet on the other hand, Arcane Strife is essentially a book of spells, and it does provide a large number of good new spells that can find uses in many campaigns. It’s an excellent product for getting ideas and will prove a valuable resource if a DM intelligently selects spells from it for use in a campaign. It’s no masterpiece, since you need to put in the time and effort to separate out the good from the bad, but it is a worthy purchase for anyone seeking to expand the repertoire of their arcane spellcasters.

 

[GameWyrd]

Twice the Arcane Strife for the price. You get two editions of the PDF when you buy one, an on screen version and a printer friendly version. This is a good thing. The on screen version is as about as printer unfriendly as you can get. The background to the PDF isn’t plain paper white but ancient paper yellow and brown. This colouring trails off with a torn and worn edge effect. Both editions make use of an arcane-rune-like font for background text and headers. It’s quite appropriate. The on screen edition is properly bookmarked. That’s the basics of PDF publishing done and they’ve been done right.

Arcane Strife is about harmonious divine spells. Not. Arcane Strife is a d20 supplement full of arcane spells. The strife? In addition to many of these spells being rather nasty the supplement is wrapped up in the Shtar campaign setting. After a three second noise around I couldn’t find any reference of Shtar being mentioned in any other Ambient Inc or E.N. Publishing[/a] products except for the forthcoming Divine Strife. It doesn’t really matter, you can take the quirk Shtar add-ons or you can leave them. Well. Nearly. Some of the prestige classes probably need the war-torn world’s unique touch. To use all of the spells mentioned you will need a copy of [a]http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=531&src=GameWyrd]Crimson Contracts - The Assassin's Manifesto though. You don’t need that extra to use the vast majority of the spells.

In Shtar arcane spell casters can quite easily loose their spell slots. If an arcane spell thrower has their concentration interrupted then they face two saving throws in order to avoid a back slash of unstoppable damage and the permanent loss of that spell slot. Ouch. Once all the spell slots are gone (it does seem almost inevitable, does it?) the poor spell caster pretty much looses to will to live. Most commit suicide. It’s not over then. The arcane spell caster will rise as a terrible undead horror. Double Ouch. The trickiest part here is what happens if a PC looses all their spell slots. If the player looses all their spell slots but wants to keep on playing the character then I don’t think it would be right to impose a suicidal tendency on the character. The rules for True Names are just a spicy but rather more player friendly. If you know your target’s true name then you can target spells at them more effectively. You can tell if someone’s alive or dead by writing their True Name down and burning it. You know your own True Name because it’s whispered to you in your sleep. This same chapter also presents nearly a dozen arcane spell feats and rules that state wizards and sorcerers have unique glyphs under their skin, glyphs which show their level of power (so I assume they change) but which can also be used to brand other people as a form of bizarre signature. Many of the feats are voice based, for example, the ability to inspire demons and scare celestials or visa versa.

The new spells include more than just Wizard/Sorcerer and Bard lists but Assassin too. That’s a bonus. Assassin fanatics (and there are plenty of them) will be chuffed too pieces. In addition there is a healthy whack of General Spells that are available to everyone. This chapter starts with spell list summaries, as you’ll have seen in the core rules and then moves on to the detailed description of each. These start at page 8 and finish at page 53. On average there are six spells (two columns of three) on each page. Yes. In other words - there are lots of spells. Randomly sampled names: Dance of the Nine Beggars, Killing Wind, Phantom Bison Stampede and Telepath Bane. It’s easy to find the spell you want, open the bookmarks up, access the spells bookmark and it’ll give you access to an alphabet index. Jump straight to the "K" spells, if you want.

There’s a good range of spells too. They’re not all high level wonders. They’re not all just interesting ways to kill people or soak up damage. At the same time, and this is the important bit, most are the sort of spells which will have the players say, "I want to use this spell!" and allow the DM to reply, "I have no problem with you using that spell". Let’s not use the term "game balance" for that. If you’re running a low fantasy campaign where magic is almost unheard of then these spells aren’t game balanced... but then a product like this isn’t suited for that style of campaign anyway. You fill find that many of the spells refer to events and places that probably aren’t in your game. This is Shtar again. Well. There’s no problem there. They’re easy to ignore or to assimilate into your game. I even quite like piecing together the Shtar world. Here’s an example of the sort of Shtar campaign text you’ll find in the spells, "This spell is attributed to much of the damage that the humanoids did during the First Humanoid War, accredited with allowing humanoid spies to enter much of the kingdoms and research defenses and military readiness. This spell is still in circulation, even more heavily now in the aftermath of the recent wars."

There are four prestige classes. They all have cool names but not a single one of them is a 10 level class. Ha! Two of them are 15 level prestige classes. Where you expecting that? I wasn’t! The Bloodsong Dancer is a 15 level prestige class with its own Spells Per Day and Spells Known tables. It’s a prestige class for those mages who embrace the backlash risk of spellcasting on Shtar and go with the flow. The Master of Minor Magic specialises in doing impressive things with low level spells. These "impressive things" are all the more impressive because they continue past the normal limit of a 10th level prestige class to the 15th. Automatic Defences (13th level) allows the mage to assign spells that go off automatically whenever the mage is attacked. The Master of the Hive has the especially sneaky idea of having a queen insect as a familiar! Think of the possibilities! Prestige Classes pretty much go in one ear and out the other with me these days – but not this one. Oh no. The Singer of the Dead is one of those rare Bardic based magic-cum-song prestige classes. All these prestige classes get the thumbs up from me and that’s rather rare. It’s not because their mechanics are slick and smooth, nor the 15 level shtick but because they all have a gritty flavour to them. Grit and prestige are almost always mutually exclusive.

The final chapter lists four hefty monster templates. They’ve the same dark ambience as the prestige classes before them and of many of the spells. They’re the Arcane Ghost, Balak-Mak, BloodWraith and Undead Warrior. So, okay, they’re not quite as refreshingly unique as the prestige classes but they are the sorts of encounter you’ll want to put into your game after reading through Arcane Strife.

Make no mistake – this supplement is all about the spells, about arcane spells. Most wizards will rub their hands with glee at the prospect of being able to select their magic from such an extended list. If game balance comes an issue then there’s always the mage-hammering Shtar effects as a counter. Arcane Strife is entirely successful. It does what it says on the tin. You'll be hard pressed to find a better collection of spells than this.

* This Arcane Strife review was first published at GameWyrd.

 

[Vanuslux]

Arcane Strife is an arcane magic supplement, much in the vein of Malhavoc's Book of Eldritch Might. I bought Arcane Strife when it first came out, a long while back. So why am I reviewing it now? Well, partly because I'd like to go ahead and clear out all the relics that are lingering on my "to be reviewed" list, but mostly because I have some time to kill.

Appearances - Arcane Strife came with three files. The first is the front and back covers, which are rather attractive if you can get past the fact that they're going to eat your printer's ink cartridge alive. The second is the screen version, which is well bookmarked and puts its text against a background that looks like a weathered brownish parchment. The third is the printer version which lacks the background and the bookmarks. There is a moderate amount of artwork (which is present in both the screen and the printer versions) and it's all very good, which is a very rare quality from in a PDF product. There are no layout problems and the editing seems fine.

Contents - One thing that should be noted about this book is that it uses a world called Shtar as the backdrop for its content. Don't let that confuse you, because really it's just there to give the material some sense of context and is easily ignored.

Chapter 1: Overview - (2 pages) The first chapter starts off by introducing a few brief concepts, giving Arcane Burn (magic backlash from having ones concentration broken during spellcasting...I like the idea of backlash causing damage, I'm less thrilled with the permanent loss of a spell slot), True Names (the idea that everything has a "true name" and if someone knows then they're better able to affect them with magic), and Sigils (Every wizard or sorcerer has a unique rune beneath their skin...branding that sigil on another creature has a few interesting effects) each get a few paragraphs. While each of these things could have stood a little more fleshing out, they're still quite useful for their brevity. They of course won't be to everyone's tastes, but I believe they add a lot of depth to arcane casters

The rest of the chapter is taken up by new feats. As feats go, these are well done, though there are a couple that are a bit questionable in their utility. I certainly can't imagine ever spending a feat on the ability to prepare an area of effect spell as a touch attack affecting only one target for the cost of increasing the spell level by one. There are certainly times when that might be useful...but I don't see it being worth it. Most, however, are perfectly useful and none feel unbalanced. A fair number are particularly useful to bards. There are 11 feats here and none that I wouldn't allow in my game.

Chapter 2: Spells - (49 pages) This chapter is the meat of the book. We get arcane spells galore. The best part is that a lot of these spells significantly expand the sorely lacking repertoires of Bards and Assassins. I really wish more magic supplements delivered this level of quality in terms of diversity, balance, and flavor. There are almost 200 spells here and they're divided pretty evenly across the levels. The worst thing about it is that it will make sorcerers cry over their limited number of spells known.

Chapter 3: Prestige Classes - (5 pages) In this chapter we get four new prestige classes.

* Bloodsong Dancer (15 levels) - Yes, you're reading that right. The Bloodsong Dancer is a fifteen level prestige class. These arcane casters have suffered Arcane Burn and have discovered power within it. To quote a sentence from their entry: "These few embrace the risks of losing their powers in a fiery blaze in order to gain massive power for what they feel is little danger." Massive power indeed. If bloodsong dancers had appeared in a WotC book, they'd be the Juicers of D&D. They're really powerful but will almost inevitably burn out and become useless given that every single time they cast a spell they risk losing that spell slot permanently.

* Master of Minor Magic (15 levels) - Another fifteen level prestige class. These are arcane casters that rely on low level spells. Essentially they get to cast a lot of low level spells. They don't gain spells past 2nd level. They get a lot of abilities to offset this though. Over all it seems to work.

* Master of the Hive (5 levels): These bug loving arcane casters are pretty interesting. They don't get any spell advancement from levels in this class, which I found a refreshing change from most prestige classes for spellcasters. I'd actually really like to play one of these things, though they may be a little underpowered.

* Singer of the Dead (10 levels): These bards (well, mostly bards...it's conceivable for a non-bard to qualify but they'd have to be really high level) are able to sing to the dead, hence the name of the class. They use music to sooth the undead. It's a pretty cool class, though they're going to feel rather out of step in a campaign that doesn't have a steady amount of undead in it.

Chapter 4: Creature Templates - (5 pages) This chapter presents four new undead templates, all of which are the results of spells in this book. They're interesting and formidable enough to be worth having handy, particularly if your campaign deals a lot with the undead.

In Conclusion - I said it before and I'll say it again. I really wish more magic supplements delivered this level of quality in terms of diversity, balance, and flavor. This is a really well done book that has stood the test of time just as well, if not more so, as The Book of Eldritch Might. The material, aside from a little kludginess in the Prestige classes, is top notch. If they'd done a little better on the prestige classes and expanded some of the material in the overview section this would be a five star book. As it is, it's a very strong four star book that I give a strong recommendation to for anyone who wants to expand the arcane magic available in their campaign. I would dearly love to a Divine Strife book made.