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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Simon Collins" data-source="post: 2009787" data-attributes="member: 9860">This is not a playtest review.Illusionism is the 10th in the Encyclopaedia Arcane series from Mongoose Publishing, looking in more detail at a particular arcane art. This one looks at illusions and illusionists.Illusionism is a 64-page mono softcover book costing $14.95. Both inside covers are used, but the text itself can seem a little thin on the ground at times with several chunks of white space. Art ranges from poor to good - the front cover is the best of the art. Writing quality is fairly good, though the flavour text is average at best. Editing seems good.The most important redefinition within the book is the split that the author has given illusionism - between what he terms orthodox illusionism and unorthodox. He defines orthodox illusionism as focusing on figments, glamours, patterns, and phantasms - the orthodox illusionist seeks to fool the senses or the mind and crafts his illusions with care. Unorthodox illusionism focuses on shadow magic, and the unorthodox illusionist seeks to create using shadow energy and is more concerned with the science of illusions rather than the art.Splitting the two types more thoroughly, the book looks at new uses for old skills, new feats, and new spells for orthodox and unorthodox illusionism separately. Eah area concentrates on enhancing the power of illusions. Highlights of the section on Orthodox Illusionism include detailed rules for Profession: Hypnotist, the Craft: Illusion skill, the Imbue Illusions feat (which gives the ability to the illusion to cast spells), and the Crafted Image spell, with 9 levels, each being able to create a larger permanent image; these images can be created as static, triggered (dynamic), or repetitive (recurring) illusions - separate spells are required for glamours, figments, patterns, and phantasms, and the caster must make varying Craft: Illusion skill checks as well. Very similar equivalents are given in the chapter on Unorthodox Illusionism, but these are related to Shadow. Of note is the return of the Wraithform spell, with some more detailed rules for wraithformed creatures.A third type of Illusionism is also discussed - Unaligned Illusionism is in fact purely the Illusion spells available to non-Illusionist, who are termed lay-mages in the book, and is defined as a kind of mixture between the two types of Orthodox and Unorthodox Illusionism. New feats and spells are given for these lay-mages, including the Shadow Beast spell, with stats for the Shadow Beast (though I'd quite like to have seen a Template here rather than a creature).Six new prestige classes are offered, each focusing on one of the types of illusions discussed in the previous sections - figments (the Figmentist), glamour (Glamourer), patterns (Hypnotist), phantasms (Mind Reaver), and shadow (Shadow Walker) - as well as the Unaligned Master, specialising in the benefits that come with Unaligned Illusionism. Each of the PrC's is 10 levels, and tend to gain a mixture of bonus feats, enhanced bonuses to their specialty illusions, and better saving throws against their specialties.Eight magic items are also offered including the aptly named (cursed) rose-coloured glasses and an impressive staff of illusion.The Designer's Notes give an insight into the creation of the concepts of Orthodox and Unorthodox Illusionism. The book ends with a rules summary, including new feats and spells, each split into Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Unaligned.Conclusion:I wasn't particularly taken by the concepts of orthodox, unorthodox, and unaligned illusionism. However, with only minor amendments, it is possible to use most of the feats, spells, new skill uses, and prestige classes without use of the Orthodoxy concept. For those looking to bring greater complexity and an aura of academia to the study of illusion, the concept as offered could be of great interest. The book is very rules-orientated - any adventure ideas, ideas for the role of illusions and illusionists in a campaign, roleplaying advice, NPCs, and such like, must be extrapolated by the reader directly from the rules in most cases, as there is little or no direct discussion of these themes. I found the book a little dry for my tastes, without the flare of some of the previous Encyclopaedia Arcane books, though its solid rules base will appeal to many, and there were some snippets here and there which are definitely worthy of inclusion in my campaign.</blockquote>

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