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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Simon Collins" data-source="post: 2009353" data-attributes="member: 9860">This is not a playtest review.Blight Magic is an accessory from Mystic Eye Games detailing the use of an evil form of magic that drains energy from the land to fuel spellcasting.Its $11.95 for 56 pages, which is fairly average for this size and type of book. Use of space is fairly good, with little wasted space, tight margins and a compact typeface. The internal mono art is weak though the front cover showing a spellcaster twisted by the blight magic is very atmospheric. The quality of writing is average, as is the editing with minor but regular mistakes.Chapter 1: The Basics Of Blight Magic, gives advice on using the book - the author rails against those who claim roleplaying restrictions should not be used to balance rules advantages, but warns that the power of blight magic can be unbalanced if the GM does not strictly enforce the roleplaying penalties that come with the use of blight magic. Though intended primarily as a book for the GM to use for villainous NPCs, there is nothing stopping a player taking one of the prestige classes offered later in the book with permission from her GM (though her character must be of evil alignment). Blight Magic is a feat that allows a spellcaster to drain energy from the land, either through a lengthy ritual that drains temporary Constitution, or a quick incantation (requiring a Concentration and Knowledge (Arcana) check) with reduced magical energies available. Different land types modify the amount of energy available from the land. The energy gained can be used to cast spells from any selection of levels up to the number of Blight Levels gained (e.g. 10 Blight Levels would allow ten 1st-level spells, or two 3rd-level and two 2nd-level spells, or two 5th-level spells, etc., as long as the caster can cast that level of spell). Chapter 2: Corruption, details the side effects of using blight magic, called generally Corruption, but including various increasing physical and mental debilitations as the caster progresses in levels. Some means of stopping these side effects is also given, which usually have another side effect, such as permanent Strength drain from a poisoned Brew. A nice touch here is that Charisma is often decreased by these side effects, thus causing Sorcerers and Bards to become more and more reliant on gaining blight magic, as their standard means of spellcasting becomes corrupted. Addiction!Chapter 3: The Blighted Familiar, discusses the summoning of a blighted familiar (usually done through sacrificing the current familiar), and the powers of the blighted familiar (including the wonderful 'Fetid Stool' ("yes, that is correct, a nasty load of crap"), 'Putrid Breath', and 'Contagious Infestation').Chapter 4: Blight Magic And Standard Characters, discusses blight magic in regard to the core spellcasting classes, and core races.Chapter 5: Prestige Classes, offers six blight magic-related prestige classes:* The Blighted Druid - a good druid turned bad with the ability to awaken blighted animal companions. 5 level class.* The Dirge Lord - a master of blight magic, who can feed off others' magic.* The Disciples Of Fell - blight magic druids with the ability to cleanse the land after draining it. 5 level class.* The Huntsmen - hunt blight magic users by using various mystical powers to track and combat them.* The Lords Of Perdition - evil priests who use blight magic to serve their dark gods specialising in various curses.* The Tears Of Terra - hunters of blight magic users who seek to cure rather than kill their prey.Chapter 6: Blight Magic Feats And Spells, includes the basic Blight Magic feat that allows the use of blight magic, and various extensions of that feat for use with any of the prestige classes in Chapter 5. Also, 8 new spells related to blight magic.Chapter 7: Blight Magic Monsters & Templates, offers one monster (a blighted treant called a Treavil) and three templates - Blight Zombies and Bone Blights (blighted skeletons) - both of which take on elemental aspects such as magma, sludge, dust and other more traditional elements - and the Stone Sentinel, a statue animated by an animal spirit, designed to track and kill blight magic users in a certain protected location.Chapter 8: Integrating Blight Magic: Ideas & Locations, gives some imaginative adventure ideas focused on the prestige classes in Chapter 5, and some simple rules for creating off-the-cuff blight magic using villains.Conclusion:GMs should think very carefully before introducing blight magic into their campaigns. With a weak or inexperienced GM, players with blight magic will get out of hand - GMs must strictly enforce the roleplaying penalties (which are fairly serious) to make this playable for a PC. The book recommends using it for villains and this is a safer start if you're keen on the idea. Blight Magic explores its focus thoroughly and imaginatively, and could bring a very different feel to magic in a campaign setting. Reminded me very much of the Defiler in the Dark Sun setting - if you liked the Defiler, you'll probably like this concept too.</blockquote>

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