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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2009242" data-attributes="member: 18387">This review is for Hammer & Helm: A Guidebook to Dwarves by Jesse Decker.  This is the first book in <a href="http://www.greenronin.com" target="_blank">Green Ronin’s</a> Races of Renown series and part of their OGL Interlink partnership with Paradigm Concepts.  The book is 112 pages in length and retails for $19.95.I have to be upfront and say that I believe this book is everything that Heroes of High Favor: Dwarves from Bad Axe Games should have been.  This is an excellent sourcebook if you are looking for something more than a stereotypical dwarf.  For starters, there are some well thought out alternative dwarven racial concepts that give a new take on dwarves as a race.Chapter two presents dwarven feats.  In addition to general and Metamagic feats, three new types are presented, bloodgift, bonding and spell channeling.  Bloodgift feats are forces that come from ancestral ties to the stone where they dwell and are taken at first level.  Bonding feats are forces acquired through hard work and sacrifice.  Spell channeling feats tap into the innate magical abilities of dwarves.  All of the feats in this chapter are well balanced and show imagination.The prestige classes in chapter three are excellent extensions of many base classes but unique enough to create some interesting characters.  There is the Acolyte of the Crystal Path, who ultimately assumes a crystalline forms and the earth subtype.  Gemscribes use gems for Metamagic spells.  Ironbound are essentially walking armored tanks who can even sleep in their armor without penalty.  My personal favorites are the Stormhammer and Thunderthrower classes.Chapter four is an collection of original creatures.  A template that can be added to any corporeal creature starts the chapter off.  There are three additional templates along with new creatures that may serve as dwarven mounts.  My favorites in this chapter are the Iron-Souled Creature template, the Isen (Artic Dwarf), and the Thaneguard (Construct Armor).New spells and magic comprise chapter five.  A new type (some might say school) of magic is outlined, clanheart magic.  Five new clerical domains are presented, Armor, Construct, Fortitude, Stonehearth and Sword.  An impressive 57 new spells are detailed and they all appear to be, for the most part, quite balanced.Chapter six is a meaty chapter in its own right covering many things.  Mundane armor and equipment descriptions start the chapter off.  Dwarven weapons follow with the next section devoted to magic items.  Golem plate armor, Hammer of Anchors, and Beast Stone are my favorites here.  There is also a brief section on siege engines and their use in combat.  Let me say that there are some really original concepts here also.  Lastly, the appendix lists typical dwarven NPCs.Overall, Hammer & Helm is a fantastic book that breathes new life into some old stereotypes.  All of the game mechanics and rules are balanced and well written.  A great deal of thought and effort went into this book and it shows.  I will be very interested to see if <a href="http://www.paradigmconcepts.com/" target="_blank">Paradigm’s</a> forthcoming giants book is equally well done.  If you love dwarves and are looking for something new, then by all means buy this book.  In addition, this is a book that belongs in every DMs resource library.  It will see a lot of use; that I am certain of.To see the graded evaluation of this product, go to The Critic's Corner at <a href="http://www.d20zines.com" target="_blank">www.d20zines.com.</a></blockquote>

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