Simon Collins
Explorer
This is not a playtest review.
Crime And Punishment is a sourcebook on law and order by Atlas Games.
Crime and Punishment is a 160-page mono hardback product costing $29.95. Space usage is average, with (some large) white space at the end of each chapter, a single line between internal paragraphs and three lines between subsections, whilst subtitles are in a largish font and the top margins is quite large. This leads to an airy layout, though it is easy on the eye. Much of the art looks like it came from the public domain, with only a few identifiable pieces from other sources - this gives it a rather Victorian feel instead of a mediaeval one, which did not quite work for me. The writing style is intelligent and engaging, whilst editing is also good.
Chapter One: Introduction
This just gives a brief overview of the book's contents by chapter.
Chapter Two: Finding The Truth
This chapter looks at the means and tools for investigating crime. It begins with a new 20-level class, The Investigator. The class has an average BAB, d8 HD, 8 skill points/level, a good Ref save, and a non-standard Will save. The class features focus on deduction of clues and reading a suspect's character, as well as networking to gather information, bonus feats, and a few special abilities such as dramatic confrontation, skill mastery, informants, or slippery mind.
A new prestige class is also introduced - the Inquisitor. This is a spellcasting 10-level PrC, with a very low (2nd level) entry requirement, and class features and a spell list that focus on the extraction of truth by magical means.
Four investigative feats - careful listener, hard to fool, indomitable, and slippery tongue - are also described.
Three techniques of investigation are discussed in detail:
* Various new uses for old skills, such as using Gather Information for urban tracking, Heal for identifying cause of death, and both Heal and Intimidate for torture.
* Forensic magic - 17 new spells for eliciting the truth behind a crime, all of which are fairly low-level, such as the 0-level Agony, which enhances pain, and See The Face, a 2nd-level spell that allows the caster to view the face of people who recently touched an object.
* Tools of detection - mundane equipment like a bloodhound and torturer's kit, and magical equipment such as mantle of the inquisitor (giving a bonus to Intimidate checks and Will saves), and a ring of truth (allows the user to discern lies but forces him to also speak the truth himself).
The last section of the chapter looks at adventures involving investigation - solving mysteries, research, power struggles, and political intrigue are all discussed, and the section ends with some adventure seeds involving astrology, an ancient puzzle, and the random killing of beggars.
Chapter Three: Bring 'Em Back Alive
This chapter poses a valid question and one that can haunt a campaign setting - how do low-level upholders of the law bring high-level criminals to justice?
The main answer to this is that they hire bounty hunters, and a new core class, the Bounty Hunter, is offered. The Bounty Hunter benefits from a good BAB and Fortitude save, as well as class features that aid him in tracking and bringing down criminals, including poison use, improved grapple, sneak attack-style subdual damage, and a variety of bonus feats and special abilities (such as crippling strike and choke hold). However, when powerful mages are involved, the Bounty Hunter may not be enough. Enter The Magehunter, a 10-level PrC with spell resistance and class features to detect and avoid the effects of spellcasting, as well as the means to combat spellcasters more potently. The Magehunter has no magic of his own and is a handy combatant. Another PrC, the Spellbane, on the other hand, has a poor BAB, but good Will save progression, and gains arcane spell slots every level, in line with his existing arcane spellcasting class. However, he uses these spell slots to block, dispel, and destroy magic, with class features such as improved dispel and counterspell, and with access to a very limited number of spells that enhance this focus.
Five new feats are also offered at this point to enhance the role of the bounty hunter, including improved grapple, group tactics, and net master.
The next section takes a look at a range of tactics that can be used against targets to bring them to justice, from tracking them down, finding out information about them before attacking them, the art of the ambush (including advice on silent communication, alchemical items, and surprise), efficient combat (group tactics, restricting through entanglement and grappling, and some useful advice on bringing down spellcasters), and finally some advice on how to contain your prisoners and get them back to face the music.
Which brings us to the next section, offering both advice on using existing spells to contain prisoners, and a dozen new spells to further the opportunities to both capture and keep your prisoners safe, such as aural disruption, mystical manacles, and animate net. A variety of tools and equipment are also described to aid this process, such as flashstones, mithral rope, and the stimulant Strolga, which aids the Bounty Hunter in keeping awake whilst returning the prisoners to justice. Another section describes the problems in game terms of being restrained by manacles or rope. Some new magical items are also introduced, such as magical nets (e.g. ghost touch), collar of pain, enchanted manacles, sleeper net, and even a portable cell.
The next section gives advice to players on playing in a campaign centred on their PCs becoming a group of bounty hunters, and there are also ideas for adventures for GMs. The chapter ends with a twist, with an idea for the PCs to be the targets of bounty hunters, and there is a brief sidebar giving basic stats for a possible bounty hunter party, based on the characters from the flavour text that appears at the beginning of each major section.
Chapter Four: The King's Justice
This chapter discusses settings where royalty or historical precedent defines the law. Royal courts are discussed in detail and information on how to use the 'influencing NPC attitudes' section from the DMG is given in this context. The role of the jury is discussed, as well as the posse (actually a more ancient term that lasted into the era of the Wild West). The influence of a nation's alignment on law and crime is discussed for each alignment, followed by a detailed look at the different crimes and how they might be judged in settings where the king's law or common law rules - definitions of murder, oathbreaking, treason, trespassing, theft, and smuggling are explored. The section also discusses the role of magic in respect to the law in a high, typical, and low magic setting.
A new NPC class, the Justice, is detailed; similar to both the expert and the aristocrat, the Justice has a good selection of skills and top notch skill points per level. Ideas for a PC to take on levels of the Justice class, and the group to wander the land as itinerant law-keepers and judges are given, along with some specific adventure ideas.
Chapter Five: Divine Law
This chapter takes a look at the influence of religion on law, discussing a theocratic society, the different effects of monotheism and polytheism, and how the domains of the revered deities of a nation can be reflected in the importance of different types of crime. Again, the role of magic is discussed, but this time in terms of divine magic. There is a detailed discussion of the role of the theocratic court, and the influence of the suspect's religious beliefs on the proceedings, as well as the different types of punishment that may be handed out dependent on the focus of the religious ideals prevalent in the court - from absolution to trial by ordeal, combat, or skill.
A new PrC, the Lawkeeper, is offered, which forms the role of a right hand man to a Justice or inquisitor, to both protect and mete out justice - the main class features focus on discovering and battling heretics. The lawkeeper gains a limited spell list and resembles a Paladin in some ways. Another PrC, the God's Eye, takes a more subtle approach, spying on others to discover heresy. Class features surround gaining knowledge of the heresies of a particular target, including a limited spell list.
The chapter ends with some ideas on aspects of a theocratic nation such as crusades and the Inquisition (you never expected that, I'm sure). A sidebar details a new deity, The Silver Book, a god dedicated to law, knowledge, and justice.
Chapter Six: Law In A Lawless World
This chapter is dedicated to chaotic societies and, paradoxically, the role of the law in these societies. There is a discussion on alignment of the peoples in a Warlord state, where power shifts rapidly dependent on who has the upper hand in the latest wars. There is also a discussion of the role of the warlord in setting laws within the nation, and some ideas for adventures. Other societies are discussed in a similar manner - decadent societies whose complex laws have been highly corrupted and abused, a society where tradition is so strong that the people uphold the laws without a need for anyone to regulate law and order, and another society where anarchy reigns in the ruins of a once great nation. There is also a discussion of a society of sorcerers, with a kind of a nuclear stand-off premise underlying everybody being nice to each other.
Chapter Seven: Against The Law
This chapter takes a look at what happens when PCs find themselves the victims of the laws of a nation or area - this may be caused by the PCs' ignorance of the laws - for example, if they enter an area where magic is forbidden and start casting spells openly (how different types of magic may be received by certain types of nations is discussed). Indeed, some societies may have the ability to track down those who cast magic secretly, and a new feat, Spellscent, is offered at this point, along with a new magical beast that can track spellcasters like a bloodhound. There are also some ideas on how to hide magic use within this kind of setting (including a new feat (suppress spell energy) and a couple of new spells).
The next section of the chapter looks at the role of the vigilante. Adventurers enter an area and kill some bandits. How does that make the local lord feel, who should have been taking care of the matter? This section takes that idea and runs with it, positing all sorts of ideas of how the PCs can get in the local ruler's bad books. A further part of this section looks at laws that attempt to control adventurers, such as restrictive weapon laws, salvage and tribute, and traveling papers. Some further ideas to get round these are discussed, including new ways to use old skills, a new potion, and some new wondrous items, such as powder of power, which has a similar effect to mustard powder on bloodhounds.
Chapter Eight: Punishment
This chapter takes a meaty look at methods of punishment - from enlightened methods of healing and redemption to ghastly curses, disfigurement, imprisonment, and death. These methods are split into six sections:
* Action and Inaction - e.g. enforced community work
* Corporal Punishment - e.g. flogging
* Capital Punishment - e.g. burned at the stake
* Magical Retribution - e.g. energy drain
* Punishment Through Property - e.g. fines
* The Role of the Community - e.g. stocks with humiliation galore
The sections are rife with new spells, such as greater mark of justice, indelible mark (brands a living being), and excommunicate. Further game rules such as ability modifiers for mutilation, and fines dependent on social class are also given.
Chapter Nine: Dungeons & Dungeons
This chapter runs through various prisons, from the simple community dungeon, through dedicated prisons and magically-protected fortresses of justice, to island castaways and extra-planar cells. The chapter ends with some further ideas for unusual forms of imprisonment based on some neat twists to existing spells for jailers with access to spells like imprison, resurrection, and flesh to stone.
The book ends with an index of the d20 material provided in the book, arranged by type. There's also a small teaser for the upcoming book Love & War by David Chart, which seems to be a sourcebook on knightly romance, chivalry, and battle.
The High Points:
Crime & Punishment is a book replete with ideas and inspiration for how to deal with the law. Due to the way in which it is written, it should appeal to players as much as to GMs as the book constantly takes a player's perspective on the issues and provides a panoply of spells, items, feats, and other crunchy rules to encourage the player to interact with the law in the campaign setting. On the other hand, this gives the GM carte blanche to develop this aspect, as the ideas are almost always given a GM's perspective too. The idea of the Bounty Hunter is a prime example of this, where the book facilitates players to take on the role of bounty hunters but also provides the GM with NPCs, rules, and ideas for using bounty hunters against the PCs. Just to put in perspective the amount of crunchy stuff here, there are about forty spells and forty magic items strewn through the book, each relevant to the section where it is placed. That's to say nothing of the classes, equipment, feats, and other information to be found as well. This serves to break up nicely the sound advice and inspirational ideas that make up the core of the book.
The Low Points:
There's little negative I can say about what's in the book apart from a few minor niggles with art and layout, and a couple of odd rules decisions (like the Magehunter PrC's Will save progression). Perhaps a more detailed example of an unusual nation with all its laws and corresponding punishments tabularised? Perhaps some more on racial laws (elves, dwarves, etc)?
Conclusion:
The definitive d20 book on law and order, Crime & Punishment is designed to appeal to both player and GM. It is a cornucopia of ideas and inspiration, and a worthy companion volume to Dynasties & Demagogues. It deals with a difficult and therefore much-ignored aspect of RPGs, and helps the player and PC to explore the depth of the GMs setting, whilst allowing the GM to bring home the true meaning of the word 'consequences' to the PCs, who may have previously run roughshod over the local guard. Top class stuff.
Crime And Punishment is a sourcebook on law and order by Atlas Games.
Crime and Punishment is a 160-page mono hardback product costing $29.95. Space usage is average, with (some large) white space at the end of each chapter, a single line between internal paragraphs and three lines between subsections, whilst subtitles are in a largish font and the top margins is quite large. This leads to an airy layout, though it is easy on the eye. Much of the art looks like it came from the public domain, with only a few identifiable pieces from other sources - this gives it a rather Victorian feel instead of a mediaeval one, which did not quite work for me. The writing style is intelligent and engaging, whilst editing is also good.
Chapter One: Introduction
This just gives a brief overview of the book's contents by chapter.
Chapter Two: Finding The Truth
This chapter looks at the means and tools for investigating crime. It begins with a new 20-level class, The Investigator. The class has an average BAB, d8 HD, 8 skill points/level, a good Ref save, and a non-standard Will save. The class features focus on deduction of clues and reading a suspect's character, as well as networking to gather information, bonus feats, and a few special abilities such as dramatic confrontation, skill mastery, informants, or slippery mind.
A new prestige class is also introduced - the Inquisitor. This is a spellcasting 10-level PrC, with a very low (2nd level) entry requirement, and class features and a spell list that focus on the extraction of truth by magical means.
Four investigative feats - careful listener, hard to fool, indomitable, and slippery tongue - are also described.
Three techniques of investigation are discussed in detail:
* Various new uses for old skills, such as using Gather Information for urban tracking, Heal for identifying cause of death, and both Heal and Intimidate for torture.
* Forensic magic - 17 new spells for eliciting the truth behind a crime, all of which are fairly low-level, such as the 0-level Agony, which enhances pain, and See The Face, a 2nd-level spell that allows the caster to view the face of people who recently touched an object.
* Tools of detection - mundane equipment like a bloodhound and torturer's kit, and magical equipment such as mantle of the inquisitor (giving a bonus to Intimidate checks and Will saves), and a ring of truth (allows the user to discern lies but forces him to also speak the truth himself).
The last section of the chapter looks at adventures involving investigation - solving mysteries, research, power struggles, and political intrigue are all discussed, and the section ends with some adventure seeds involving astrology, an ancient puzzle, and the random killing of beggars.
Chapter Three: Bring 'Em Back Alive
This chapter poses a valid question and one that can haunt a campaign setting - how do low-level upholders of the law bring high-level criminals to justice?
The main answer to this is that they hire bounty hunters, and a new core class, the Bounty Hunter, is offered. The Bounty Hunter benefits from a good BAB and Fortitude save, as well as class features that aid him in tracking and bringing down criminals, including poison use, improved grapple, sneak attack-style subdual damage, and a variety of bonus feats and special abilities (such as crippling strike and choke hold). However, when powerful mages are involved, the Bounty Hunter may not be enough. Enter The Magehunter, a 10-level PrC with spell resistance and class features to detect and avoid the effects of spellcasting, as well as the means to combat spellcasters more potently. The Magehunter has no magic of his own and is a handy combatant. Another PrC, the Spellbane, on the other hand, has a poor BAB, but good Will save progression, and gains arcane spell slots every level, in line with his existing arcane spellcasting class. However, he uses these spell slots to block, dispel, and destroy magic, with class features such as improved dispel and counterspell, and with access to a very limited number of spells that enhance this focus.
Five new feats are also offered at this point to enhance the role of the bounty hunter, including improved grapple, group tactics, and net master.
The next section takes a look at a range of tactics that can be used against targets to bring them to justice, from tracking them down, finding out information about them before attacking them, the art of the ambush (including advice on silent communication, alchemical items, and surprise), efficient combat (group tactics, restricting through entanglement and grappling, and some useful advice on bringing down spellcasters), and finally some advice on how to contain your prisoners and get them back to face the music.
Which brings us to the next section, offering both advice on using existing spells to contain prisoners, and a dozen new spells to further the opportunities to both capture and keep your prisoners safe, such as aural disruption, mystical manacles, and animate net. A variety of tools and equipment are also described to aid this process, such as flashstones, mithral rope, and the stimulant Strolga, which aids the Bounty Hunter in keeping awake whilst returning the prisoners to justice. Another section describes the problems in game terms of being restrained by manacles or rope. Some new magical items are also introduced, such as magical nets (e.g. ghost touch), collar of pain, enchanted manacles, sleeper net, and even a portable cell.
The next section gives advice to players on playing in a campaign centred on their PCs becoming a group of bounty hunters, and there are also ideas for adventures for GMs. The chapter ends with a twist, with an idea for the PCs to be the targets of bounty hunters, and there is a brief sidebar giving basic stats for a possible bounty hunter party, based on the characters from the flavour text that appears at the beginning of each major section.
Chapter Four: The King's Justice
This chapter discusses settings where royalty or historical precedent defines the law. Royal courts are discussed in detail and information on how to use the 'influencing NPC attitudes' section from the DMG is given in this context. The role of the jury is discussed, as well as the posse (actually a more ancient term that lasted into the era of the Wild West). The influence of a nation's alignment on law and crime is discussed for each alignment, followed by a detailed look at the different crimes and how they might be judged in settings where the king's law or common law rules - definitions of murder, oathbreaking, treason, trespassing, theft, and smuggling are explored. The section also discusses the role of magic in respect to the law in a high, typical, and low magic setting.
A new NPC class, the Justice, is detailed; similar to both the expert and the aristocrat, the Justice has a good selection of skills and top notch skill points per level. Ideas for a PC to take on levels of the Justice class, and the group to wander the land as itinerant law-keepers and judges are given, along with some specific adventure ideas.
Chapter Five: Divine Law
This chapter takes a look at the influence of religion on law, discussing a theocratic society, the different effects of monotheism and polytheism, and how the domains of the revered deities of a nation can be reflected in the importance of different types of crime. Again, the role of magic is discussed, but this time in terms of divine magic. There is a detailed discussion of the role of the theocratic court, and the influence of the suspect's religious beliefs on the proceedings, as well as the different types of punishment that may be handed out dependent on the focus of the religious ideals prevalent in the court - from absolution to trial by ordeal, combat, or skill.
A new PrC, the Lawkeeper, is offered, which forms the role of a right hand man to a Justice or inquisitor, to both protect and mete out justice - the main class features focus on discovering and battling heretics. The lawkeeper gains a limited spell list and resembles a Paladin in some ways. Another PrC, the God's Eye, takes a more subtle approach, spying on others to discover heresy. Class features surround gaining knowledge of the heresies of a particular target, including a limited spell list.
The chapter ends with some ideas on aspects of a theocratic nation such as crusades and the Inquisition (you never expected that, I'm sure). A sidebar details a new deity, The Silver Book, a god dedicated to law, knowledge, and justice.
Chapter Six: Law In A Lawless World
This chapter is dedicated to chaotic societies and, paradoxically, the role of the law in these societies. There is a discussion on alignment of the peoples in a Warlord state, where power shifts rapidly dependent on who has the upper hand in the latest wars. There is also a discussion of the role of the warlord in setting laws within the nation, and some ideas for adventures. Other societies are discussed in a similar manner - decadent societies whose complex laws have been highly corrupted and abused, a society where tradition is so strong that the people uphold the laws without a need for anyone to regulate law and order, and another society where anarchy reigns in the ruins of a once great nation. There is also a discussion of a society of sorcerers, with a kind of a nuclear stand-off premise underlying everybody being nice to each other.
Chapter Seven: Against The Law
This chapter takes a look at what happens when PCs find themselves the victims of the laws of a nation or area - this may be caused by the PCs' ignorance of the laws - for example, if they enter an area where magic is forbidden and start casting spells openly (how different types of magic may be received by certain types of nations is discussed). Indeed, some societies may have the ability to track down those who cast magic secretly, and a new feat, Spellscent, is offered at this point, along with a new magical beast that can track spellcasters like a bloodhound. There are also some ideas on how to hide magic use within this kind of setting (including a new feat (suppress spell energy) and a couple of new spells).
The next section of the chapter looks at the role of the vigilante. Adventurers enter an area and kill some bandits. How does that make the local lord feel, who should have been taking care of the matter? This section takes that idea and runs with it, positing all sorts of ideas of how the PCs can get in the local ruler's bad books. A further part of this section looks at laws that attempt to control adventurers, such as restrictive weapon laws, salvage and tribute, and traveling papers. Some further ideas to get round these are discussed, including new ways to use old skills, a new potion, and some new wondrous items, such as powder of power, which has a similar effect to mustard powder on bloodhounds.
Chapter Eight: Punishment
This chapter takes a meaty look at methods of punishment - from enlightened methods of healing and redemption to ghastly curses, disfigurement, imprisonment, and death. These methods are split into six sections:
* Action and Inaction - e.g. enforced community work
* Corporal Punishment - e.g. flogging
* Capital Punishment - e.g. burned at the stake
* Magical Retribution - e.g. energy drain
* Punishment Through Property - e.g. fines
* The Role of the Community - e.g. stocks with humiliation galore
The sections are rife with new spells, such as greater mark of justice, indelible mark (brands a living being), and excommunicate. Further game rules such as ability modifiers for mutilation, and fines dependent on social class are also given.
Chapter Nine: Dungeons & Dungeons
This chapter runs through various prisons, from the simple community dungeon, through dedicated prisons and magically-protected fortresses of justice, to island castaways and extra-planar cells. The chapter ends with some further ideas for unusual forms of imprisonment based on some neat twists to existing spells for jailers with access to spells like imprison, resurrection, and flesh to stone.
The book ends with an index of the d20 material provided in the book, arranged by type. There's also a small teaser for the upcoming book Love & War by David Chart, which seems to be a sourcebook on knightly romance, chivalry, and battle.
The High Points:
Crime & Punishment is a book replete with ideas and inspiration for how to deal with the law. Due to the way in which it is written, it should appeal to players as much as to GMs as the book constantly takes a player's perspective on the issues and provides a panoply of spells, items, feats, and other crunchy rules to encourage the player to interact with the law in the campaign setting. On the other hand, this gives the GM carte blanche to develop this aspect, as the ideas are almost always given a GM's perspective too. The idea of the Bounty Hunter is a prime example of this, where the book facilitates players to take on the role of bounty hunters but also provides the GM with NPCs, rules, and ideas for using bounty hunters against the PCs. Just to put in perspective the amount of crunchy stuff here, there are about forty spells and forty magic items strewn through the book, each relevant to the section where it is placed. That's to say nothing of the classes, equipment, feats, and other information to be found as well. This serves to break up nicely the sound advice and inspirational ideas that make up the core of the book.
The Low Points:
There's little negative I can say about what's in the book apart from a few minor niggles with art and layout, and a couple of odd rules decisions (like the Magehunter PrC's Will save progression). Perhaps a more detailed example of an unusual nation with all its laws and corresponding punishments tabularised? Perhaps some more on racial laws (elves, dwarves, etc)?
Conclusion:
The definitive d20 book on law and order, Crime & Punishment is designed to appeal to both player and GM. It is a cornucopia of ideas and inspiration, and a worthy companion volume to Dynasties & Demagogues. It deals with a difficult and therefore much-ignored aspect of RPGs, and helps the player and PC to explore the depth of the GMs setting, whilst allowing the GM to bring home the true meaning of the word 'consequences' to the PCs, who may have previously run roughshod over the local guard. Top class stuff.
