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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 2011908" data-attributes="member: 172">Goods and GearGoods and Gear is an equipment sourcebook by Kenzer & Company. The book is written by Mark Plemmons and Brian Jelke.The book provides both D&D/d20 statistics for Kingdoms of Kalamar, as well as Hackmaster statistics. Where judgements of mechanics are concern, this review will be written as a D&D/d20 product review.A First LookGoods and Gear is a 272-page hardbound book priced at $34.99.The cover of the book is red, with a front plate depicting a warrior facing off with a dragon in a swamp in a banner, with illustrations of various items off to the top and bottom. The cover illustrations are by Keith DeCesare and Lars Grant-West.The interior is black-and-white with illustrations by Caleb Cleveland, Storn Cook, Keith DeCesare, Thomas Denmark, Marcio Fiorito, Mitch Foust, Brendon and Brian Friam, Ferdinand Gertes, Lars Grant-West, David Esbri Molinas, CD Regan, and Kevin Wasden. The majority of interior artwork consists of depictions of various items. There are some stretches of the book that are a little plain, lacking anything but text for many pages at a time.A Deeper LookThis book is a rough read for me, as I honestly don’t pay much regard for simple mundane items. Indeed, where such items pop up in other sourcebooks, it is the first section that I skip past. Though sometimes minor details on trade goods or suchnot pop up, I find my dog-eared copy of Auroura’s Whole Realms Catalog more than sufficient to fix a price for most mundane items not covered in the PHB.So what does one do with a whole book full of the items? Does this have any place in the library if you approach mundane items similar to the way I do?The book covers a variety of topics. Where a culture specific context is appropriate, Kenzer’s Kingdoms of Kalamar is the certerpeice of any such discussion.The first chapter, In the Marketplace describes coinage and bartering. Hackmaster already has bartering rules (which are referred to here), so a bulk of the section on bartering brings d20 players similar rules. The system is somewhat simplistic and consists of a series of charisma checks to bump the price of a good up or down, and doesn’t factor in considerations such as hard limits or character skill.The discussion on coinage has some discussion that is generally applicable to d20 games, but for the most part discusses Kalamar specific regions and practices. Further support is provided for handling of market price changes due to transportation, though the latter is more a strict model and not too practical for quick generation.The sections on weapons and armor are similar to similar equipment listing in other products. Most item listings come in pair, with one list detailing Hackmaster statistics and another detailing Dungeons & Dragons statistics. The book details many racial and regional varieties of various items. For the most part, the D&D weapon statistics are similar to the basic items of these sorts listed in the core rules, with damage and threat range being for the most part identical to core rule version, though the book feels more free to create variation in attributes of weapons more commonly perceived as urgent to the game. For example, there are 9 varieties of longbow. Damage, crit multiplier, and threat range is the same for all of these, though cost, weight, and range increment varies.The clothing chapter provides the broad variety in clothing you might expect. However, this is more than just a laundry list (sorry) of clothing options for your character; there are new rules that might add a little more relevance to clothing. To wit, each piece of clothing is assigned a "style point" value. The total of style points for a character’s worn clothing provides a modifier to the character’s charisma modifier for the purposes of interaction skills (sorry munchkin sorcerers, no bonus spells to be had by wearing your best gown.)Again, a large part of this chapter is Kalamar specific, with regional clothing styles and vestements associated with given Kalamar deities.The games and entertainment chapter provides a number of items that a fantasy adventurer might run into for leisure, including the likes of chess sets, puppets, masks, and playing cards (marked and unmarked.). A page full of rules are provided to simulate dice and card games.The musical instruments chapter provides bards and other musicians with a variety of options. In addition to the basic characteristics of each item, each description also has variants providing additional benefits for bardic music using some instruments.The tools, gear, and equipment chapter is more the type that low level or low magic adventurers take an interest in, looking to eke out any benefit they can. The chapter is sorted into categories like academic, healing, containers, and so forth.The food and drink chapter again returns to a more Kalamar specific feel, starting with an discussion of common food and drink fares in various regions of Tellene, followed by the catalog style list of foodstuffs.The concoctions chapter provides a number of useful substances, both alchemical or herbal in origin, including utility items, remedies, poisons, and drugs. Each is complete with game effects. In addition to the specific items, a section of rules provides rules to alter the characteristics of poisons.The chapter on personal goods and services are some items that you are less likely to find in other products, and perhaps most appropriate to campaigns dealing with nobility or high society. Services and goods to be found here include grooming and hair styles, perfumes, and menial services such as laundry, as well as prices for a variety of hirelings (including mercenary soldiers). The chapter includes statistics blocks for a number of professionals. This section is perhaps the most game specific and where adherents of one game will feel that the most space is wasted providing statistics for the other.Similarly, the following chapter provides prices and statistics for animals commonly available in the market.The final chapters provide costs and (where appropraite) rules for lodging and transportation.ConclusionsWhat the book is is fairly straightforward. Whether or not you are in the market for such an product is a determination for the reader. For what it is, I have little complaint; a fair attempt was made to provide game treatment for items were needed, and provide variations of items like musical instruments with more than trivial significance without being too giving to the players.Kalamar fans will probably get the most out of this, especially those who appreciate the depth of detail of the setting; the variety of items, clothing, and customs get still gets further examination here. If you are merely a D&D player who finds that you frequently ask about prices or game statistics of a variety of items, it should serve you well too, though many Kalamar specific items may require some adaptation.Overall Grade: B -Alan D. Kohler</blockquote>

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