Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sketchpad" data-source="post: 2011528" data-attributes="member: 9168">First off … this isn’t a d20 product, but rather a book of spells built for the Hero System.  Though it’s created for another system, I highly recommend any GM running fantasy games (as well as any other game with spells in it) to look at this book for the ideas within it, as they could be easily adapted to any system.I just received my copy of Fantasy Hero Grimoire II and I have to admit, after reading it twice, that I like the spells in this book more than the ones in FHG I.  After the usual dedication/credits page and table of contents, the reader is immediately given a page index for each spell in the book.  This is a change from FHG I in that there’s no quick stat list like there was in the previous edition’s index.  From here, Mr. Long goes on to explain the spell templates that he used in writing this book, as well as a brief paragraph on what this book is not.Getting into the spells, each school is treated like the ones in FHG I, that is, they are given separate chapters with sub-sections dependent on defensive, offensive, sensory abilities and the like.  Looking through the book, the reader is first treated to Arcanomancy, or spells that deal with magic itself.  Here you can find various staple spells like dispel or magomorphosis, which alters spells themselves.  Personally, I think this school would be very useful in any magically driven campaign and not just fantasy.  Next up is Areomancy, or battle magic.  Heavy on the offensive side, this college boasts such useful spells as “Legion of Arrows” and “Unseen Regiment” for your battle mages.  These, combined with mass healing spells and various movement powers, could very well make an army unstoppable … especially if combined with Fantasy Hero’s mass combat system.Perfect for the villainous mages, the Black Magic school concentrates on darker side of fantasy magic, offering spells such as “Agony” and “Coffin Nails”.  These, combined with spells from the Necromancy school from FHG I, would make a perfect combo for a master-mage villain to put in any game.  With twenty-seven spells in the college, it offers many options for characters or GMs wanting to use said spells in their campaigns.  Onto a different axial tilt with the next section: Chaos Magic.  Akin to the school that was made popular in gaming books from 2nd edition AD&D, chaos mages are given many options in this chapter.  Of the eleven spells given, I have to admit liking the “Unmaking” spell, which transforms a target into the chaotic material it is made from.  Good stuff!Next up is Monster Magic.  Broken down into draconic, giant and troll magic, the seventeen spells within this chapter allow both the GM and player to utilize the various spells to make both characters and creatures a bit more powerful.  With spells like “Troll-Touch” and “Wyrm’s Breath”, characters can emulate some of their most fearsome foes’ powers and exploit their weaknesses.  I actually had to chuckle a bit, as this chapter also reminds me of various video games where you can get spell-based abilities akin to the enemies you battle.  The next two chapters are the two weakest in my opinion.  Using the idea that everything has a true name and, by knowing that name, a mage can manipulate its target, Naming Magic falls in a bit frail to me.  With only about ten spells, the only useful spells I can see in here are “Slay” (which is reminiscent of Power Word: Kill) and “Weathercalling”, which brings a storm to an area.  Next up is Professional Magic with sub-categories such as “Craftsman and Merchant Spells” and “Rogue Spells”.  Now, don’t get me wrong, some of these spells could be useful and it’s not as weak as “Naming Magic”, but, with a bit more than twenty spells, there are only about half that are real gems in the mix.  Of the spells listed, I have to say that I really liked “Evaluate Goods” and “Song of the Marketplace” if for nothing else than just flavor.  Going along a traditional fantasy path, Rune Magic is the next chapter and one of my personal favorites.  I’ve always been a sucker for rune spells and especially like all twenty-three spells in the list, as they are all very descriptive and well written.  Kudos to Mr. Long for this chapter and especially for “Spila, The Rune of Ruin” … love the way it rolls off the tongue and the great write-up of it.  Following Rune Magic is another favorite of mine: Shamanism.  With forty-one spells on shaman spirits and totems, this chapter has some of the most thought-out rules of the book, especially where the summoning spells are listed.  With this college your characters cannot only summon spiritual powers, but they may also destroy certain spirits as well as speak to the dead and enter the realm of the spirits.  A great resource, not only for fantasy, but also for horror and old west campaigns that you may run or play in.  Lastly, there is Song Magic.  Like some of the bardic spells in D&D, these sixteen spells not only give you the stereotypical mood-shifters, but also spells like “Song of Springtime”, which changes the season of an area to spring.Overall, I would say this book is at least on par with FHG I and adds a good mix of spells to the already numerous sorceries listed in the previous tome.  Combine the information with a gorgeous cover by Nick Ingeri and John Davenport, and you have an excellent product.</blockquote>

Verification