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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 2011875" data-attributes="member: 172">Dark Legacies Player’s GuideThe Dark Legacies Player’s Guide is a d20 based setting and system sourcebook set on a post apocalyptic Earth. The book bills itself as a dark fantasy sourcebook. The book is written by Yuvol Kordov and published by Red Spire Press.A First LookThe Dark Legacies Player’s Guide is a 144 page perfect bound softcover book priced at $25.95.All art is credited to Adrian Smith. The cover of the book is a wrap-around painting with two armored figures (one apparently a priest-figure with a mace, the other in exotic steampunk-style battle armor) standing amidst a battlefield as troops pass by. The interior is black and white, with a textured gray background. Interior art is highly detailed, with several impressively detailed ink pictures. The pictures definitely betray a Warhammer feel, with squat figures in chain and stud covered armor. Overall, the graphical presentation of the book is outstanding, especially out of what was a previously unpublished company.The book includes a fold-out full color map of the Earth (or what remains of it). Essentially it appears that everyone outside of Europe didn’t fare so well in the far future. The remains landmass appears like a slightly morphed Europe with Asia totally calved off, and Britain pulverized.A Deeper LookThe book opens with a short introduction about the goal and feel of the Dark Legacies setting. To sum up, the setting has a much lower level of magic, with fewer direct effects of magic on combat, and with a murkier moral outlook, totally eschewing the alignment system.The setting presents a new pallette of races. The races are fundamentally similar to those of the core game, but with different names and distinct backgrounds and racial traits: -Humans: As with most d20 variants, the human race remains with few changes. They receive the typical skill and feat bonuses, but instead of the stale generic "common" racial language, humans use regions in the setting as a guide to language. -Assar: Probably the least like any of the core races, the Assar are the fallen rulers of the world. They are somewhat elf-like in appearance, and are graceful and charismatic. The race receives a number of bonuses and is a +1 ECL race. -Briggs: Fundamentally similar to the half-orc, the Briggs are brutish creatures that are not hybrids, but primitive brutes that have had large numbers integrate into human societies. -Dwerofs: The name probably sounds similar enough to the core model for this race, the dwarf. The race has a dexterity penalty vice charisma penalty, a popular variant for d20 system dwarves. -Eldrin: Yep, elves. Eldrin have the typical elven modifiers plus a strength penalty and intelligence bonus. Not dissimilar to Warcraft elves, they are adept with dark magic, but tainted by it. -Hybrid: A new race, the hybrids are the results of breeding experiments with eldrin and demons. They can select a variety of ability score bonuses, but always take a wisdom penalty, are adept and stealth and resistant to some demonic effects. -Novags: Gnomes. Typical gnone stat modifiers, proficient with technology.One touch that should give you your first whiff of the tone of the game is that most of the races include penalties related to their social attitude.The collection of classes used in Dark Legacies is largely redefined, primarily in the area of magic (much like FFG’s Midnight setting. The core fighter, rogue, and barbarian are here essentially unchanged outside of a few tweaks (like allowing barbarians to use their strength score for intimidate rules by default), though the background information is changed to better reflect the setting and the other classes. For example, the fighter’s background material is changed to reflect a bit more of a mercenary background owing to the presence of the soldier.The new classes presented her are: -Arcanist: In Dark Legacies, anyone with the appropriate skills can cast spells, but the arcanist is a specialist, a scholar dealing in magic. The arcanist receives many skills, is able to memorize spells (which means to cast them without referring to written text, not "memorize" in the sense of preparing spells as per older editions of the D&D game), and gains other bonuses with relation to the casting of spells. -Lurker: The lurker is essentially a non-spellcasting ranger variant. The class does not use combat styles, either. In place of these abilities, the lurker receives a more detailed set of abilities letting them deal with a wilderness environment and prosper there, such as being able to better hide while sniping, and gaining an initiative bonus due to their acute senses. -Priest: As mentioned above, spellcasting is not inherently a class ability in Dark Legacies. This means a big revamp to divine caster types. The priest in Dark Legacies is a charismatic leader, who can evoke almost bard-like supernatural abilities by their voice, by invoking scriptures. A priest also receives three dominions. These are somewhat similar in concept to domains, but as clerics receive no inherent spellcasting, they are composed entirely of class abilities, including special abilities and additional class abilities. By default, the priest is not a good warrior, but characters with the war domain gain an improved BAB progression. -Soldier: Not unlike some unit-fighting classes presented in other supplements, the soldier gains class abilities that are primarily useful when fighting as part of a formation.Of these, I find the priest the most interesting and flexible. It can be used to represent a variety of faiths, and is potentially useful in other games if the GM does not automatically assume priests are divine spellcasters.A brief chapter on spells and feats outlines new or changed skills and feats for the Dark Legacies game. Examples of modifications are the spellcraft skill (adapted to the Dark Legacies magic system) speak language (discussing languages possible in the setting), and craft (covering tech used in the game.) A new skill is preach, a skill that priests use in the same way that bards use perform in the core game.Equipment in the Dark Legacies setting have a bit of an early industrial tone. Many heavy and ceremonial armors are featured, and crossbows (including repeating crossbows) seems to be a favorite of the setting, giving the setting a feel a bit more modern than typical fantasy.  The chapter features a few more specific rules tidbits, such as a somewhat abstract piecemeal armor system, a number of masterpiece weapon qualities (nonmagical weapon qualities that have a variety of effects that can be added to normal items).The most significant chapter of non-rules related material in the book is that regarding religion. The core faith in the Dark Legacies revolves around the worship of Deihass, or God, who is opposed by an adversary figure named Azrae. This is a monotheistic faith and the only major faith discussed in the book, but is split into four major denominations which are oft-times openly antagonistic. Each of the denominations, their symbols and character, are discussed herein.Magic is handled differently in Dark Legacies than core d20. Though the spells are split into levels like the standard system, any character who can read the language of demons can learn to cast spells. In Dark Legacies, arcane magic is demonic in origin and carries with it a taint that corrupts humans.Spells require a longer time than typical d20 system spells to cast, and require a spellcraft check. Failure at spellcasting can result in random side effects in edition to specific side effects listed in the spell descriptions. Low level spells are not especially difficult, but the difficulty increases as a square of the level (a 1st level spell only has a casting DC of 11, but a 9th level spell has a DC of 91!), meaning that spells that are tossed around with relative impunity in a core game would be beyond the reach of most Dark Lgacies characters.Every time a character casts spells, they acquire taint points that they must track. As a character accumulates taint, that character reaches certain taint thresholds which inflict effects on them, mostly in the form of madness.A final brief chapter provides advice for GMs of a Dark Legacies game. It is primarily a brief overview of potential party motivations and activities.ConclusionsDark Legacies seems squarely aimed at those who like the d20 system, but who are looking for the gritty Warhammer feel in a fantasy dark ages style setting. The book provides some well crafted and illustrated iconic set-peices for such a setting. Further, I must add, it has very good graphical presentation for the initial offering from a small company.As a setting, it seems very incomplete. A lot of attention is paid to some central setting pieces like religion, magic, and races. But much detail on the much alluded to demons, locales, and nations, are notably absent. Those whose taste has been whetted by this book will have to wait until the campaign guide due out in early 2005.Though the present classes and magic rules do address the look they book seems to seek, it seems like it could use a lot more treatment of other topics (like gritty combat) to complete the gritty, low magic feel. In fact, it might mix well with other books that address similar areas, like Grim Tales and Darkness and Dread.Overall Grade: B -Alan D. Kohler</blockquote>

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