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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ghostwind" data-source="post: 2010595" data-attributes="member: 3060">Into the Green provides the reader with details on four different 'green' environments.This 96 page black and white softcover book provides the reader with information on the following terrain types: Forests, Jungles, Woods and Plains. In addition, there is a chapter on new equipment, another on spells, and three appendix listing, one for poisons, another for random encounters and a third for weather.Each section has information on the climate, plants, animals, environmental hazards and monsters found in the region. The introduction to each section is so detailed that it's almost like reading a school text book, which isn't good. What is good is that these sections are fairly brief and lead into more useful material. The material on plants for example, provides the GM with some potential role playing material. Green Breather, a shrub found in forests, is known to be a favorite of green dragons so adventurers who happen to see this plant, know that there is often a green dragon somewhere around. It can help set the stage for future encounters or put the fear of death into the players. In some cases, the plans are themselves are traps, for example the Tokkan hides and can attempt to eat those who step upon it.The majority of each section though, is the new monsters. Forests starts on page 3 and end on page 20. From page 10 to 20 is monsters. Jungles starts on 21, ends on 38. From 29 to 38 is monsters. This isn't a bad thing at all as these types of terrain often don't have specific encounters that can be quickly planned out that are unique. Into the Green Takes care of that aspect.In terms of ability, there is a wide range of creatures present. The Arborgeist, a native to the woods, is an undead treant (ah, an old favorite) that dies by fire and haunts its old nesting grounds, an impressive CR 14 creature. The Vermillion hound on the other hand, a large scarlet and black furred hound, is a CR of 2. Stats looked good at first glance and CRs seemed solid but will require more playtesting.Chapter Five is a mismatch of equipment. There are new mundane items for example, ranging from bison chips, or bison dung, used for heating, to the Rod of the Blightsower, an item of power used by evil rangers and druids. The items represent a nice mix of natural equipment that can augment the feel of a wilderness campaign while at the same time expanding on the materials available to customize a game. Want to avoid getting wet? Wear beaver skin. Want to create rope in the wild? Use the fibers off a coconut.Chapter Six, Spells, is brief, being less then six pages long. It starts with a listing of the spells by class, level and alphabetical, ranging from 0 level cleric spells to 5th level wizard spells. Most are centered around dealing with wilderness survival or using wild things. Want to gain knowledge of plants in order to overcome plant creatures? You want Lumberjack. Need greater resistance versus natural diseases? Then you want Boost Immunity.The book uses the standard two column layout. Interior covers are not used. The art is good, a concern I had since the previous Bastion books used color and I was unsure what method they'd be using for the art in this book. Some old favorites like Scott Purdy and Ed Bourelle contribute with others so you know its good.The book leaves me with some concerns. One of the points the book makes on the back is that it's designed as a guidebook for players and dungeon masters. As a player, there's really no crunch to this book and while the information on the terrain will come in handy to roleplay out some brief encounters between rangers, without the rules to back up that role playing, the benefit to a player, especially with so many monsters in this book, is minimal.It's almost a monster manual style book and while that's fine, it doesn't do enough as a monster manual. Not every creature is illustrated, there are no racial traits, the monsters aren't listed one to a page or evenly. Want a master listing of each creature with its CR and page reference? Not here. This is fine for a book that's multi-focused, but the general information is sparse in a lot of areas. In terms of price, the book is $22.95. Compared to the Quintessential Sorcerer which runs for $21.95 and has a greater page count, that's high. It's also high compared to the former full color products that were on slick paper for $24.95. Now obviously that wasn't a pattern that could continue but the products now still have to be competitive with other d20 products and at this cost, it's not. Another thing lacking is an index. General, all purpose tool.Into the Green offers a lot of information that GMs can combine with other wilderness material like the Scarred Lands Wilderness & Wastelands and Bastion Press' own Druids electronic book. If you're looking for an end all be all book on the wilderness, this isn't it. If you're a GM looking for more material to augment your campaigns in the forests, woods, plains or jungles, Into the Green is your book.</blockquote>

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