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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 2011605" data-attributes="member: 172">DragonMechDragonMech is a campaign setting for d20 system fantasy, prominently featuring giant robot-like constructs. The book is written by Joseph Goodman of Goodman Games. In an unusual move, the book is published by White Wolf under their Sword & Sorcery banner.A First LookDragonMech is a 240 page hardcover book priced at $34.99 US.All art in the book is attributed to Niklass Jansen. The cover is color and depicts some mechs engaging in hand-to-hand combat, with bizarre creatures in the backdrop.The interior is black and white. The interior illustrations all have a somewhat smudgy looking black and gray inkbrush style.A Deeper LookDragonMech takes an approach to setting design not unusual for d20 fantasy settings: they take the basic D&D races and classes and adjust and add to them as needed to fit the setting.The idea behind DragonMech is that the moon of the DragonMech world drew close to its parent, and rained destruction down upon it, in the form of both damaging particles that came down in a "lunar rain" as well as monstrous alien creatures that ravaged the surface (in particular, lunar dragons). The surface dwelling races fled to the "underdeep" inhabited by the dwarves at the time.One dwarf pioneered the creation of mechs which allowed a return to the surface world, providing both protection from the lunar rain and a means to combat the alien creatures which ravaged the surface. Some mechs that were built were the size of cities.The worst of this disaster has passed, but the mechs remain and not all threats are abated by the time that the campign begins. The campaign is thus set in a period of recovery and rediscovery of the surface world. The rains are still there, but not so bad. The lunar dragons (and other strange creatures) are out there, but the races of the world have mechs now.Character races are essentially unchanged from d20 fantasy/D&D, though there is about a third of a page devoted to each describing how they fit in the setting. Classes are a different story. Some classes have few tweaks, and new variants and whole new classes are provided: -Clockwork ranger: A very odd tweak, the clockwork ranger is adapted to the unusual wilderness that exists inside some city-mechs, the gear forests (unoccupied machinery spaces that have acquired wildlife of its own.) -Coglayer: This is DragonMech's principle "tinkerer" class. Class abilities include "steam powers." Essentially, the coglayer can only maintain so much steamtech gear at one time. See below for details on the steam powers system. -Constructor (variant wizard): The constructor is essentially a specialist wizard with access to a new school of spells introduced in the book related to constructs. Like divination specialists, they must surrender access to one school. -Mech Jockey: The model mech-piloting class in the game. Many characters can pilot mechs, but the class abilities of the mech jockey are essential in getting the best performance out of a mech, overcoming many weaknesses inherent to a mech. -Stalker (variant rogue): The stalker is a rogue specialized in infiltrating and/or destroying mechs. They vary from a standard rogue primarily in that their class skill list is slightly different, and their special abilities gained after 10th level relate to defeating mechs. -Steamborg: A second steam tech class, steamborgs replace part of their body with steamtech. They gain some steam powers as coglayers do (but slower) as well as enhancements to their personal abilities as they replace parts.There are also a variety of prestige classes that fill specialized roles or mix class abilities.The major new class mechanic is steam powers. Characters with steamtech classes progress slowly as they gain levels; this represents the amount of steamtech items a character can maintain. A character gains individual powers but each device may include multiple powers. Powers can be stacked to gain greater potency, or new functions.Overall, I found the steamtech rules more manageable than those in FFG's Sorcery & Steam, but still wonder how it would work out in play in comparison to core classes. They don't seem overtly weaker than existing classes, but given they only gain powers linearly, and have to invest powers either to add new powers or enhance old, it seems like they are force to choose between depth and breadth in their abilities.The heart of the book is the mech rules themselves, which can support mechs so big that they are called "cities."Basic mech characteristics are primarily determined by two factors: size and power source.Power source is of one of five types: steam powered, man-powered (i.e., using many slaves to move the mech), clockwork, animated, and undead (the latter two resembling many existing D&D construct types). The power source used has a strong influence on the capabilities of the mech. However, even given these effects, the man-powered mech stretches my suspension of disbelief. I just have a hard time picturing an array of slaves manipulating levers and pulleys powering an effective mech.Mechs begin and large size on the standard d20 creature scale. However, they blow the top off of the scale. DragonMech extends the scale beyond colossal. Like Dragonstar, it adds roman numerals to represent larger sized mechas (Colossal II throught Colossal V). But the scale does not stop there. Six further categories are labeled City Mech A through F.)To repeat for those who missed it: there are 10 size categories beyond colossal. How big some of these are is mind-boggling. A city mech F can have over 800 hit dice! Mechs receive ability scores, spped, and HD according to type and size. Mech constructors can add armor and other traits, and severel sample mechs are provided.Much of what makes the dragonmech campaign world has gone before – the moon, it's effects, and the creation of mechs. The setting chapter describes the DragonMech world in further detail. Another major feature of the DragonMech world is a large seasonal variance in water levels, which the author purports would result in no ports, more amphibious life, and frequent changes in landforms. It also gives the major detailed continent it's name: Highpoint, describing the continent high relative elevation, which gives it an advantage over other continents assailed by the sea.The setting chapter discusses regions and settlements of Highpoint in detail. Not all major cities are city mechs, but many former major cities lie in ruins. The city mechs, in particular, are located in flatlands near the dwarven lands in which they were first forged.The creatures chapter in significant, weighing in at 25 pages. Most of the creatures fall into two categories: steamtech constructs and lunar creatures (like lunar dragons).A campaigning chapter discusses various ways to apply the material in the book. This chapter is strong compared to similar such chapters in other books in that it strongly focuses on the themes introduced in the book, and provides strong ways to play up those themes and utilize the setting. A minor bit of the chapter is concerned with adapting the books material to other settings, and appealing idea simply because the book looks ready made for such use.A final chapter introduces a detailed city mech that can be used as the basis for a campaign.ConclusionsI took in DragonMech with a mixture of bewilderment and awe. Some of the concepts are mind boggling, but appealing. I feel this book could have sold its feel better with a stronger artist of a wider variety of artists that could have perhaps better captured and conveyed some of the feel of the setting that I only saw glimpses of it the muddy looking artwork in this book.The mechanics are overall an improvement over some other Steamtech materials I have seen. The classes are overall well done, though I do have questions about how the steam powers system would pan out in actual play.Overall Grade: B -Alan D. Kohler</blockquote>

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