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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JoeGKushner" data-source="post: 2011691" data-attributes="member: 1129">The Game Mechanics return to Artifacts of the Ages with a book on Rings. For those who’ve never caught the Artifacts of the Ages idea, it’s where a magic item has modest starting power and that those who enter into Scion PrCs, can unearth the true power of the item as it gradual gains more and more abilities as the character rises in levels in his PrC. The first book covered Swords and Staffs, while Wizards of the Coast, put these optional rules in Unearthed Arcana and added a few items of their own.This entry clocks in at 80 black and white pages and costs $17.95. JD Wiker and Gary Astleford handle the writing with interior art performed by Pete Schlough. The book comes out under the Green Ronin publishing company and is written by the Game Mechanics. Internal layout is standard two columns with a border of interlocking rings. Interior art focuses mainly on the legendary items with a few illustrations of various heroes and villains thrown in. Art is solid and lends the items personality. You can see the screaming souls on the Crown of Screams for instance or feel the weight of ages on the Ring of Bone.In terms of the book itself, each item has a different set of prerequisites for the character to enter the class and you can only serve one item at a time. No hoarding three different rings and advancing in the Scion class to gain those powers of each. One cool factor though, is that you can enter different Scion PrCs for different items, so that you could have a sword and a ring, and have Scion PrCs for each item. You’d never fully master either item mind you as the Scion is a 10-level PrC, but it would allow some interesting combinations.For those who’ve never seen the Scion class, they are in essence, slightly toned down versions of the core four, fighter, wizard, cleric and rogue, being battle, spell, faith and swift scions. For example, the spell scion continues to gain spells, but gains no bonus feats as a standard wizard would. The battle scion continues to gain bonus feats, but not as many. In trade, the character’s magic item gives them unique powers.The book is broken up into each scion type so chapter four for example, is Faithrings, while chapter five is Swiftrings. Each item starts off with a brief description of what the item is, then background ,which is broken up into different history DC levels so that the smarter the characters are and the more research they do, the more of the ring’s history they unveil. As before, there are interlocking background traits in these items. One of the rings might have details connecting to another ring. The items are not limited to just rings though as we have other forms of jewelry like Amulets, Brooches, Torc’s and even a Phylactery. The items all include their requirements, as well as any restrictions and attributes, which include method of destruction and base value. Special abilities are provided with a table listing a level-by-level progression, and full explanation of the powers in the text. Some of the items also include Adventure Hooks, boxed text that provides the GM with a quick idea of how to use the item and get it into play immediately. Some of the items favor certain classes. For example, the Broach of Bolan is of obvious use to a Ranger despite being in the Battlering section. See it requires you to have ranks in Knowledge nature and Profession Hunter, while having Survival and the Track Feat and the Favored enemy Class Feature, but it also provides you with sneak attack damage against your Favored enemy.In some instances, you have to wonder if the items are worth the sacrifice. Take Eichenfols, the Oaken Clasp. This item is meant for a druid to wear but because you’ve got to enter the Faith Scion class to access it’s powers, you’ll lose all of the Druid’s abilities even as the Clasp provides you with druid or nature like abilities. Why not just stay a Druid? In that realm, most of the items that work with the non-four core, could probably do more for those classes. After all, how do you stay a ranger even with a ranger like item when you’re skill points are cut down every level? A fighter on the other hand may lose a few feats, but the powers of the item often make up for that.Ironically enough, sorcerers don’t have that problem. Perhaps because they are in essence wizards without Spellbooks and don’t gain numerous special abilities like the other variants, some of the items here work perfectly for them, especially those made for them like Vlieyerda, an ear cuff made by dragons for their servants.The book has a few uses. The first is that since several of the items here are of an ‘evil’ nature, they can act as campaign hooks for players to find the proper means of destruction. Taking it a step further, they can be used by villains in the campaign and force the players to find their own items of legendary power to stop them. The second is in finding legendary items for themselves. The problem with this approach is that unless everyone has a legendary item, the player can either be overpowered or underpowered, depending on how closely the GM follows standard D&D power levels. After all, 10th level in a low magic campaign can make these items almost artifacts but in a high powered campaign, players might still feel that they should’ve went with a different PrC for access to its abilities and powers. A side benefit is that for GMs who haven’t done a lot of time investing in their campaign’s mythologies, a lot of the book can be used almost as if with little alteration. Take the story of the Tiger’s Eyes, crafted from Purushhavyghraa, the Tiger King, who allied with evil gods and when cast down, his flesh enabled rakshasas with supernatural abilities, his blood turned tigers into dire tigers, and those mortals who feasted on the tiny remnants left, became the first weretigers. Artifacts of the Ages Rings, is a solid follow up product and provides more campaign options and potential tools for GMs who feel that items shouldn’t just be traded up as the characters move up in levels.</blockquote>

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