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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JoeGKushner" data-source="post: 2010351" data-attributes="member: 1129">So what is Factory? It's a sourcebook on magical computers, robots and other high-tech goodies that takes a magical twists. Factory isn't broken up into chapters, but rather, is titled at the top of each page. The Table of Contents lists the material by sections so you can see where material like Skills, Feats, Spells, Robots, Weapons and even material for converting these goods to d20 Modern can be found. For those who want to get real specific, the index is very meaty, often a complaint about role playing products, especially those from new d20 companies.As a resource for magical material, it does its job well. While I think that it flounders in the first sections, trying to talk about campaigns, balance issues, and reprints several spells from Arsenal, their first book, it provides new spells, feats, and skill uses for the new material presented like skills for piloting exo-armor and spells like reboot, a raise dead spell for a computer.When dealing with robots, we're not talking about those created though super-technology, but rather, through magic. Still, at the level of advancement these creatures are, they bear more resemblance to those of sci-fi than fantasy. Players looking to buy robots or craft their own have a lot of options they can go for. Everything from size, and CPU programs, to weapons and armor, can be custom crafted, making almost every robot unique. All of this material is crammed into pages and pages of tables for ease of reference.Now I know that having all of these options can be a little mind numbing, but fortunately, there are several preconfigured sets of stats for the GM to throw into his Dragonstar, I mean, any high-fantasy, high-technology campaign. Need a Police Robot? How about a Security or Light Assault Robot? You're covered here.While not quite the same thing as robots, powered exosuits have many of the same options in terms of sheer variety. What physical attributes are you willing to pay for? What upgrades do you want? How about some of the listed standards like the Malefactor or the Valiant? All provided with some great illustrations to back up the stats.As far as player character robots, the section starts off with a full page illustration that's a tribute to the iconic heroes in the Player's Handbook by Drew Johnson. Basically, you pick model and size, free upgrades, those upgrades you purchase, and select your class. There are domestic, service, sports, security, industrial, military and companion robots and as the book claims, over 200 upgrades. That's a lot of customization for any player to wade through. Each type of robot is basically a race. Each one has it's own free upgrades, favored class and standard model. Each type is detailed with enough information to start bare bones and work your way up. Of course the cooler ones, the ones the players are going to want to hit, are high ECLs, especially the large ones. Ever hear of pay to play? See, there are upgrades for robots that also cost XP. Keep 'em down I always say. On a more serious note, it does help to keep game balance since the robots do have many innate features.Like magical tattoos? Well, Dweonetics is kinda the next step in that field. Magic items that are basically bonded to the target, similar to cybernetics. One of the bad things though, is that there is not only a monetary cost, but a XP cost. The good news is that the dweoware isn't something that can be targeted and destroyed. The bad news? If you're disintegrated or something else along those gruesome lines, it's gone unless the whole body is restored.For what it does, Factory goes a long way. They need to start working on the publishing aspects though. The editing is okay, but issues crop up while reading. Always remember, with Companion robots that “they are no the equal of a sentient being.”  Layout needs some work. For example, I don't need double spaces between statistic block information on the exosuits. All of the tables need some work as right now they really look clunky.Art is better than the first one, but now the publisher has to start asking himself the hard questions. For example, when dealing with art, is the art of Jeff Hoy up to the standards set by Ruben de Vela, Craig Henderson and Scott Drouin, and if the answer isn't always Yes, then those illustrations have to go. If all of the illustrations are labeled correctly, then even Jeff Hoy isn't always up to his own standards. If you're in the store, take a look at the machine at the bottom of page 85. Clunky and uneven. Take a look at the next page, also supposedly by Jeff Hoy, a completely different style, much sleeker and smoother. Same issue on page 98. The first exosuit looks like another artists did it while the next two aren't quite in the same style. Of course, this being art, everyone is going to have their own opinions and what pleases one person isn't going to please them all.Factory has many strong points. One of them is the price. At 192 pages, $24.95 is a damn good price. Factory is better than Arsenal but still flounders around a bit for lack of a setting. It reminds me of Dark Space, a good thing, with the magic cybernetics, and it looks like it'd be a good mesh with some play testing with DragonStar. If you're looking for super technology with a 'magic' origin, then Factory is your book.</blockquote>

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