Bardic Lore: The Fachan

[HalWhitewyrm]

Highmoon Media Productions presents Bardic Lore: The Fachan.

I turned around, intent on facing my enemy and instead I faced my nightmares. In front of me stood a creature fully a head taller than I, its single, bloodshot eye staring at me with all the hatred in the world. It had a broad and muscled body with a single arm jutting from the center of its chest, and a single, powerful leg, propelling it forth towards me. I can honestly say I hope to never run into a fachan ever again.
— From the journal of Amergin Ó Míl

Bardic Lore: The Fachan is a 8-page PDF (7 pages of content plus OGL) detailing a new creature for your d20 Fantasy game from the pages of Celtic myth, the fachan. Included are stats for this fearsome creature, info on the fachan as a character race, the fachan paragon class, a fully-stated NPC to threaten your players, and Lore/Knowledge check information. Written by Daniel M. Perez, artwork by Kelso Kaiser.

Bardic Lore chronicles the travels of the great bard Amergin Ó Míl as he wanders around the land, learning about the mundane, exotic and magical, recording it in his journal for posterity. Each Bardic Lore release is an entry from Amergin's journal, with accompanying d20 Fantasy stats and descriptions.

Look for further releases in the Bardic Lore line from HMP.

 

[Crothian]

Bardic Lore the Falchan

One of the biggest complaints about monster books seems to be the lack of information inside them. Many of them are designed with combat information but little in terms of cultural information. Monsters become little more then the next encounter for the players to kill with out much detail on ecology or history of them. Bardic Lore takes a different approach. It presents one new creature and gives one the details that one might want.

The Falchan is a small PDF detailing in great detail this new creature. The PDF is only eight pages long and the file less then a half a meg in size. The book has so so art, but the lay out is pretty good. The PDF is also nicely book marked.

The Falchan is a very odd race. They have one eye, one arm out of the center of their chest and one leg. While the detail on these creatures is extensive and easy to use, the appearance seems rather silly. The book includes information on their society, how they are in combat, and some simple notes for including it in any campaign.

The book continues on to give full stats for using one of these creatures as a player character and includes a small three level paragon class for the race like seen in Arcana Unearthed. There is an NPC example of the leader of them written up. And lastly they have a great bit of info for players depending on a Bardic Lore roll.

While the detail of the creatures is well done I just have a hard time getting past their appearance. They are based on a creature from Celtic mythology and I like to see things from myth stated out, but with the options out there I think a better creature could have been done. So, if you can get past the appearance this is a very well done book.

 

[Khur]

The Fachan is a monster from Scottish legend and the heart of the first of the Bardic Lore series from Highmoon Media Productions. An eight-page PDF (plus one for the OGL), The Fachan was written by Daniel M. Perez and illustrated by John Brown and Rick Hershey. It is a two-color book (green and black), retailing for $1.25.

As is usual for Highmoon's work, The Fachan is relatively attractive in its presentation, with only a few testy bits of justification problems around the illustrations. Brown's art style is cartoonlike, which would be fine, except for the fact that fachans are supposed to by monstrously horrific and vicious. Other than this quibble, the artwork is fine. Perez continues to do a wonderful job indexing his PDFs.

The Fachan details its subject—a single monstrous humanoid derived from myth. Horrid in appearance and brutal in living style, fachans are not truly evil. Travelers should beware of them nonetheless, because fachans seldom take kindly to strangers.

Information about fachans includes average monster statistics, descriptive text, racial facts, and results for Knowledge or bardic lore checks regarding this enigmatic species. The Fachan goes on to provide a paragon class (derivative of similar classes in Unearthed Arcana) for fachans who wish to become fearsome examples of their race. All this information is put to good use in a sample fachan NPC that would make a good villain for a mid-level adventure.

Typical of Perez's work, this creature is out of the ordinary and, one could say, inimitable in its bizarre body configuration. Bardic Lore: The Fachan is conceptually solid in its treatment of the subject matter, presenting many angles on fachans. The book is not just a monster presentation, though; it's a well-rounded survey of the whole monster. The only thing missing might be page on strategies and tactics against fachans.

Some of the details spark the imagination more than others. Perez's treatment of horrific appearance is a superb idea, if a little loose with the d20 rules. It's worth application in other situations, especially in horror games.

But Daniel's writing remains quirky in places, and the PDF could use a more thorough proofreading and paring down of the repetitiveness that creeps in. More importantly, the fachans themselves could use more depth and history. Right now, the lore is too general and the prose is wishy-washy on the fachan's true ferocity, especially when presenting them as a possible PC race and as a racial paragon.

Critical Hit
Fachans are a cool breed, and Bardic Lore: The Fachan supports their utilization in a big way for players and DMs. A DM can use the creature as a monster, NPC, or even recurring villain with the tools presented here. Further, the lore section is a nice touch that provides some ready play material. Players can easily be a fachan in weirder games. They're provided with all the necessary statistics and a decent paragon class. This survey format is a superior one for playability, and excellent as an example of a holistic view on gaming utility.

Critical Fumble
Statistically, The Fachan is off base in a number of ways. The monster statistics are generally good, though the racial bonuses to Intimidate and Jump seem like tools to make the skills work out the same as they would have in 3.0 D&D. But fachans are Challenge Rating 1, despite being as tough as a bugbear (CR 2), and they have no Level Adjustment, even with heavily unbalanced ability score modifiers (giving great advantage in combat), significant racial bonuses to skills, and a considerable natural armor bonus. Fachans should have an LA of +1 or even +2. The sample NPC, Gwrgenau, has the wrong attack bonuses for his full attack. He also has too many skill ranks, since the barbarian class doesn't have Spot as a class skill.

Coup de Grace
Bardic Lore: The Fachan presents a unique creature and makes it accessible to DMs and players. Only its limited scope (one very strange creature) holds it down in playability. While the mechanics are quirky, they're certainly fixable. And The Fachan is would be a first-rate model on the brief treatment of creatures for gaming, if it had more depth and fewer irresolute descriptions of the fachan's attitudes. It's an attractive publication, regardless of the illustrations' failure to make fachans look frightening, and the richness of information raises its value. If you have a buck to blow, and you'd like to take a chance on a new and unusual creature for your campaign (fachans needn't be restricted to fantasy), give this Bardic Lore book an eye.

Final Grade: 3.75

Available at RPG Now.

This review originally appeared at d20 Magazine Rack.

 

[Man-thing]

I'm reading in the review that you would like a LA of +1 or +2 for the Fachan. If I'm following this correctly you are saying that a Fachan Barbarian 1 would be ECL 5 or 6.
Do you really think the creature is that powerful?

 

[Khur]

The fachan is at least as powerful as a bugbear and much more powerful than a hobgoblin (both LA +1), so no doubt exists that it should be LA +1. LA +2 would probably be too high. But, yes, to be congruous with the core rules, a fachan barbarian 1 should be ECL 5.

Now, as for my opinion on the matter, well, that opens a whole can of worms about the effectiveness of the LA system. That's beyond the scope of this essay. My opinion about such things has no real place in a review aimed at evaluating core compatibility.

LA is part of the core rules, and the fachan is "imbalanced" enough to qualify for an LA of at least 1.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

This St. Patricks day past I received Fachan as a complementary product when I purchased Bardic Lore: Ogham, which I will also be reviewing momentarilly.

I have, in the past, used the Fachan in my games, though never in D20, so I was curious what would be made of the creature. I am likely to use it in a magic rich area of my OGL Steampunk game, as a sign that something is very wrong in the area. (In my game world magic leaks through the gates of the other worldly creatures, sometimes other things get through as well...)

The Fachan is much as I remembered him, one eye in the center of his forehead, one arm growing from the center of his chest, a single leg descending from his hips, with which he moves in enormous leaps, and only a single ear. He was a little smaller this time through the gate, a mere 7 feet tall, and perhaps a bit less robust, but he still had his trusty club, waiting to use it on those foolish enough to try and drink from his well. A paragon class that is included allows him to reach his full stature, to tower above the heroes and roar his defiance.

The article begins with the journal of an Irish Bard, one Amergin Ó Míl *, as he describes an encounter with the creature. The Fachan as seen through the eyes of author Daniel Perez and Amergin Ó Míl is a simple soul, who likes spending his weekends clubbing, and enjoying a good meal in the afterwards.

As described the Fachan is good encounter for a first level party, gaining class levels for progression, making him a suitable encounter for higher levels. Unsurprisingly his tactics are simple, but direct. He makes an especially good encounter for a Gaelic scenario. I would have liked to have seen some of the names the beasty went by in other Celtic lands, but this is a minor detail, as I intend to use the creature in the hills of Hibernia that the creature as described calls home.

A section of what Bardic Knowledge can tell you about the creature, and the DCs for that knowledge ends the article, a nice feature that I see far too seldom. (The last time I can remember was in Privateer Press’ Monsternomicon.)

It will be interesting to see if Highmoon follows this creature up with others from the mists of Tara, I would enjoy seeing the Children of Danu and the Fomor as well as the original Balor, he of the Crimson Eye. Out of 5 stars I give this work a 4, for those less interested in Gaelic creatures it may be closer to a 3 - while I like it a great deal it is, perhaps, a bit specialized for some people’s games. I am third generation Irish-American, so I may have a bias.The inclusion of Bardic Knowledge DCs brought it up a notch in my estimation.

The Auld Grump

* For those of an historic bent, I suspect that Amergin is most likely taken from the Song of Amergin, an old Celtic lay in Ireland and Wales, though this is not confirmed in the product.

 

[DragonTurtle]

Reviewer’s Note: This product was supplied to me for the purpose of reviewing.

Physical Description: This PDF is 8 pages including the OGL published by Highmoon Media Productions. There are 2 pieces of black and white artwork that portray the creature. The layout is clean with some borders on the bottom of the page, the product is also nicely bookmarked.

A note on the art, the description of the creature states it only has one ear, however the 2 pictures show a single ear, but each picture chooses a different side of the head. This may be based on the fact that it varies for each creature.

For the player: The Fachan has full stats for a playable race. It also has paragon levels as seen in Unearthed Arcana. It is a +1 LA race, however it has some strong physical stats so this makes sense. This is definitely a unique race for players looking for something different, and is well themed for gamers in a Celtic based campaign.

For the DM: The Fachan has yet to make an appearance in 3E before this as far as I know and this is a great way to add a little Celtic flare to your campaign. The addition of Bardic Knowledge checks and a sample NPC make the information in the PDF easy to drop into an existing game. The section on how to handle advancement for the NPC is also handy, especially if the current level is too low for your game.

New Mechanics: Horrid Appearance, this is an interesting idea for low Charisma monsters that you want to keep intimidating.

Things worth possible revision: The creature type is listed as monstrous humanoid which should have Darkvision according to the SRD, instead the creature has low light vision.

Overview: This is a handy PDF if you are interested in adding a unique race to your campaign. It has a thorough amount of information and even includes tips on pronunciation. If the idea of a one armed one legged creature interests you this is a great choice. I give it 4 out of 5 stars as those who purchase it are doing it to add this monster as a race or adversary and this product does a great job in allowing a player or DM to do so.

 

[Tinner]

Author: Daniel M. Perez
Publisher: HighMoon Media Productions
Format: Fully bookmarked Black & White PDF with spot color.
Size: 8 pages
Price: $1.25
What you get: One PDF file

One of the joys of DMing is seeing the looks on the players’ faces when you manage to surprise them. My personal favorite is when I surprise them with some new and bizarre creature they have never heard of. And when it comes to bizarre creatures, they don’t get much more bizarre than the one seen in Highmoon Media’s Bardic Lore: The Fachan.

HMP’s Bardic Lore line is a series of PDF’s dedicated to translating ancient Celtic myth and legend into d20 statistics. The Fachan detailed in this file is a legendary creature of terror that originates in the Highlands of Scotland. I was quite excited to review this product, since I am of Scottish and Irish descent. Legends say that these freakish monsters were said to have only one of all their body parts – one eye, one leg, one arm, etc. The opening illustration for The Fachan certainly adequately depicts such a creature. Artist Kelso Kaiser’s two Fachan illustrations in this file (the only two illustrations in this file, aside from a Celtic knot work-style border at the bottom of the pages) remind me favorably of the style seen in White Wolf’s Changeling: The Dreaming game, which is good I suppose for an illustration trying to capture that same feel of Celtic myth.

The opening text surrounding this initial illustration is a short fiction piece describing a horrific encounter between an angry Fachan and the narrator, one Amergin O’Mil. The story itself is well written and gives an idea of the role this monster takes in the game, but the font it was laid out in is hard to read. This might just be a personal preference, but if the fiction must be in a different font, it really needs to be just as legible as the main body text. That said, while it takes a little longer to work through, this is only a minor problem.

Full d20 stats are given for this new monster, and are laid out in a fairly standard format similar to that seen in the MM. The stats look solid, aside from a small discrepancy. Monstrous Humanoids, like the Fachan normally have Darkvision, while the Fachan as presented here instead possesses Low-light Vision. This isn’t a big deal, since the rules simply state that Monstrous Humanoids USUALLY have Darkvision unless otherwise stated in their entry. Personally, since legends usually connects the Fachan to their giant relative the Formorian, I’d have liked to seen the Fachan as a Giant. Again, this in no way reduces the playability of the monster as written. It’s just my personal preference based on my interpretation of Scottish myth.

One particularly nice touch he author includes in the monster’s Special Qualities is a specific mechanic for the creatures Horrid Appearance. Old Scottish tales often detail how a man could die of fright by simply looking at a Fachan. Horrid Appearance allows a Fachan to treat a Charisma penalty as a bonus for the purposes of Intimidation checks. Add in a racial bonus to Intimidate, and you’ve got a scary looking monster, that can use its awful appearance as an advantage. This is a nice design. A brief section on Fachan society and a guide to using them in your campaign rounds out the monster stats.

Guidelines are also included for those brave souls that might light to play a freakish beast as a PC. The Fachan has a Level Adjustment of +1, putting it in the same league as the Bugbear, Hobgoblin, Aasimar and Tiefling. There’s even a three level Racial Paragon class similar to those seen in Unearthed Arcana. A Fachan Paragon can become even more frightening, improve his armor and Strength, and ultimately even grow to large size. This is another reason I feel the Fachan would have been better served by being statted out as a Giant, rather than a Monstrous Humanoid. A sample NPC Fachan named Gwrgenau is also included. Perez wisely chose to have Gwrgenau make use of the new Fachan Racial Paragon class. This is a feature that should be used by more products. By have the new monster use the new class, we see how the author intended both to work together. Gwrgenau’s personality is sparse, but well done. I particularly liked the fact that a leveling scheme is included for Gwrgenau. Not everyone can use a CR 12 monster in their campaigns. By including a leveling scheme, Perez has added a lot of playability to this monster, without requiring too much work on the DM’s part.

As a big Bard fan, I was also quite pleased to see a table including DC’s for Bardic Knowledge checks regarding the Fachan. As I said in the introduction one of the best parts of DMing is seeing the surprise on the faces of the players when they encounter a new monster. Another great feeling is seeing the look of triumph on their faces when the use a rarely utilized ability to gain knowledge about this unfamiliar encounter. This is a feature that would have been a real asset to the MM! Bards are a core class that is difficult for many DM’s to handle. Including Bardic Knowledge checks for new monsters makes a DM’s job easier, and I’m all in favor of that.

Conclusion: Bardic Lore: The Fachan is a solid hit. If you’re running a Celtic themed campaign, this critter is sure to puzzle your PC’s. While mechanically the Fachan is merely playable, the extra effort put into the presentation, even in such a small PDF is quite impressive. For $1.25 you’ll get a lot of mileage out of the Fachan.