Iron Kingdoms Character Guide: Full Metal Fantasy Volume I

The long-awaited groundbreaking guidebook, the Iron Kingdoms Character Guide is the first part of a two-guide series that radically departs from fantasy-as-usual! Privateer Press struck a chord when they presented the land of the Iron Kingdoms, with its battle-hardened characters girded in scarred mail, wielding saw-toothed sword and smoking flintlock, and steamjacks belching ash and smoke both in the cities and on the battlefields.

Now get the definitive guidebook that details the award-winning campaign world of the Iron Kingdoms. Create new and exciting characters and classes, learn about the various races and ethnic groups of western Immoren, find out the essentials on the world’s cosmology and religions, and discover loads of important information about how magic and mechanika works in this realm that fuses steam power with the arcane.

It is a staggering new age where everything is happening, an age that embodies the expression: "Full Metal Fantasy!" No other campaign world comes close, and with this guide you’ve taken the first big step in creating your own Iron Kingdoms campaign.

The information in the pages of this guide contain:
* New and exciting character classes and prestige classes
* Heaps of new skills, feats, spells, weapons, and gear
* Expansive details on magic and the intricacies of mechanika
* Twelve major human ethnic groups of western Immoren
* Details on the various races: elves, dwarves, goblins, ogrun, trollkin, and more!
* The essentials on cosmology and religion
 

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It is fair to say that Privateer Press’ Iron Kingdoms’ Character Guide may be one of the most widely anticipated products in the past three years. It is the first major product from Privateer Press (PP) for their RPG line since the very popular Monsternomicon.

For those who are unfamiliar with the genre, the Iron Kingdoms is a d20 campaign setting that is one of the more unique and stylistic settings available for Dungeons and Dragons. It combines steam-operated technology and gun powder with low magic to form a world filled with a ‘Steampunk’ feel (much as the authors don’t seem to like that term). The Character Guide is the first of two books that detail PP’s setting, allowing players and GM’s to create exciting campaigns in their gaming world. Gamers have gotten a nice taste of the Iron Kingdoms through use of the war game line, Warmachine. Now that the Character Guide is available, it can really involve gamers who have little or no interest in war games.

Overall, the writing is good, keeping the reader interested in the world of Iron Kingdoms. The interior art is excellent, really capturing the feel of what the game is trying to convey. Then again, Brian Snoddy and Matt Wilson seem to do a great job in whatever project they undertake.

Chapter 1: Western Immoren

The first chapter does an excellent job of detailing the major continent in the Iron Kingdoms. Western Immoren contains four major countries; Khador, Cygnar, the Protectorate of Menoth, and the sinister nation of Cryx. This geographical overview discusses the history, the calendar and the races of Western Immoren. One of the more appealing things about the discussion on the races is that each nation has different types of humans. For instance, during the discussion on Khador (a nation that is very reminiscent of feudal Russia), there are different racial traits of different people living within the borders. The closest comparison might be showing the reader that there is a difference between Siberians and Ukrainians and offering different modifiers, advantages and disadvantages for each group. This offers a player more options when they decide to simply play a human. In addition to human races there are several races of Elves, Dwarves, and some new races; the Gobber, the Trollkin and the Ogrun.

The Gobber are a race with the appearance of goblins but act more like traditional gnomes. They tend to be tinkerers, inventers and rogues and are perfect for a PC race as they are accepted in all societies of the Iron Kingdoms.

Trollkin are a noble race of Troll-like creatures that live in tightly-knit communities and have a ‘noble savage’ appeal. They are geared towards the barbarian class. Whereas they are not as generally accepted in society, they are not inherently evil as are trolls from most traditional fantasy settings.

Finally, the Ogrun, while similar to the Trollkin in their society, often live among the dwarves and both share a common beneficial history, differing significantly from most traditional fantasy games. The Ogrun is a race that has often helped humans in the past due to the common interests in fighting off oppressors.

The first chapter does a great job of introducing the reader to the Iron Kingdoms. Although some of the discussions on the geography and the days of the week and month are somewhat tedious, they are important for the establishment of Western Immoren as a believable, operating set of nations and races. Once the reader gets past the first few pages and delves into the interesting discussions on races, the reading becomes much more exciting and the ideas for a campaign world begin forming almost immediately.

Chapter 2: Characters and Classes

The second chapter explains the new classes, new prestige classes and the variation of traditional classes that are found in the Iron Kingdoms. This is one of the most interesting chapters in the book as it shows the amount of thought and consideration that the authors had for their world. For some, this may be the ‘make or break’ chapter as there are some significant variations made to well-known classes such as the paladin, cleric, wizard and bard. However, for anyone turned off by the treatment of some of the traditional classes, the new classes presented more than make up for it, specifically the gun mage, fell caller, arcane mechanik and bodger classs.

Essentially, the bard is eliminated and in place is a ‘war bard.’ There are a few differences between the bard and the war bard but the most significant is perception. War bards are really more of troubadours for their nation’s military campaigns that are constantly being undertaken. The war bard sings the praises of the armed forces, waves the flag and uses their spells to help out when needed.

The cleric and the paladin lead much more regimented lives than those mentioned in the Player’s Handbook. These classes have lives of serious meditation and in some ways, a grim outlook on society. As will be discussed later, the gods are very serious about the behavior of their followers and proscribe divine punishment for those who deviate from holy law. Some examples include the brutal punishment that comes with healing people of dissimilar alignment of the god, going beyond the amount that clerics are allowed to heal per day and not offering proper praise and sacrifice.

The wizard and sorcerer are also perceived differently in this world, although their classes haven’t changed from traditional role playing settings. Like the war bard, the classes can do essentially the same thing, but unlike the war bard, the spell casters are typically seen as witches, heretics and troublemakers. As the book points out, it is not an uncommon sight to watch a wizard burn at the stake or hang from a rope in town square. Of course, as most players who like using spellcasters will observe, the secret to playing the wizard or sorcerer is to not advertise their magical abilities, lest they be in an unenlightened area.

The new classes introduced are fascinating and show the amount of creativity that the authors have put into the product. The gun mage for instance, uses a magical pistol through which they focus their arcane ability. Their spell casting abilities are somewhat suspect and the ‘mage’ part of ‘gun mage’ is vastly underpowered but the class is actually useful for the sheer versatility involved.

Aside from the gun mage, there is the fell caller, arcane mechanik and bodger. The fell caller is exclusively for the Trollkin race. It is a kind of barbarian that has a powerful shout and can unleash a powerful sonic attack. These warriors are folk heroes and saviors among the trollkin race. The arcane mechanik is part sorcerer and part engineer, capable of creating and repairing mechanical wonders, powering it with a combination of technology and mystical energy. The bodger is something of a dealer in junk, trash and broken pieces, desperately cobbling together mechanical devices with less finesse than the arcane mechanik but usually equally as good when trying to get the job done.

The prestige classes offered are special versions of the gun mage, the arcane mechanik, rouge and cleric. But like many prestige classes these are simply more focused versions of the original. Many people in the gaming community are split over the value and effectiveness of prestige classes, but the ones offered in the Character Guide are more inventive and imaginative than most. What is most refreshing about the prestige classes is that they tie directly into the game world rather than exist in a vacuum. With each prestige class there is a story with them that makes them a natural extension of the Iron Kingdoms setting and fills a nice role.

Furthermore, this chapter is where the reader can uncover the new feats and new skills available. Much like the faction of gamers that roll their eyes at new prestige classes, there may be an equal amount of gamers who view new feats as somewhat blasé. But much as the prestige classes are specific enough to the game world, the feats and skills fit in perfectly. While reading through the feats, they feel more like a natural extension of the game world rather than a system that decided to crank out a plethora of new feats for the simple reason that the author felt that the d20 system needed more. In fact, most of the new feats are closely tied with an existing class such as Calloused Hands that allows someone who has worked on mechanika for a significant period of time to forego the need of certain tools when trying to make repairs. Also, feats like Combat Loading assists gun mages and riflemen to quickly reload their weapons without the penalty (in combat) associated with doing so.

Chapter 3: Weapons and Gear

For some this may be the most interesting chapter. For a world that is based around the concept of technology, ‘steampunk’ and ‘mechs’ this chapter could end up being the Holy Grail of gear.

The weapons and gear are explained in detail and are even given pictures so that the reader has a visual image to go along with the description. Naturally, characters in the Iron Kingdoms have access to the normal weapons that would be available in the Player’s Handbook but the new weapons center on what amount to flintlock pistols and large, cumbersome rifles.

Upon examining some of the firearms, there was a concern that perhaps they would be ridiculously overpriced or so devastating that everyone would want one. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that things seemed very balanced. In fact, if anything, the firearms seem much weaker than anticipated. (As a side note, it is unclear if the authors will be unveiling any ‘magic firearms’ such as a +2 musket but it is widely suspected that it will appear in the subsequent volume, supposedly due out in November or December.)

In addition to the pistols and blunderbusses, there is an ample supply of other items such as armor used by some of the military forces and special items used by the advanced craftsmen and arcane mechaniks.

Chapter 4: Cosmology and Religion

What is most impressive about this chapter is the detail given to each of the deities as well as the religious structure. In some campaign settings, a pantheon of gods inundates the reader, the entire system virtually collapsing upon its own celestial weight. In the Iron Kingdoms, however, there are really only a handful of gods, each serving a very specific purpose.

Menoth (Lawful Neutral) is arguably the most powerful and impressive of the pantheon. Menoth is considered the ‘old god’ and the only one in the pantheon that seems to have always existed and is mysterious in the same sense that the Judeo-Christian God is seen. What is more interesting about Menoth is that in Western Immoren, a religious civil war split the nation of Cygnar apart, resulting in the formation of a new nation. This new nation, the Protectorate of Menoth is a theocracy, reminiscent of the darkest part of the Catholic Church’s history, complete with torturers, inquisitors, temple knights and deranged monks. Whereas Menoth is certainly not an evil god, the deity is certainly unforgiving and stern while his followers, though not outright evil, certainly suffer from a deranged sense of religious zeal.

Morrow (Neutral Good) and Thamar (Neutral Evil) are newer gods and are much more fashionable and modern. The two gods are twins, good and evil, each granting powers and abilities to their followers. Morrow seems to be very popular in the ‘good aligned’ nations, replacing Menoth as the prominent deity after the aforementioned civil war. Thamar, by contrast, has followers that skulk through the night, belong to sinister cults, and do their best to seduce and corrupt followers of good.

Cyriss (Neutral) is the goddess of all reason, logic, science and advancement. It is mentioned that she is the most recently discovered of all the gods and to her followers she is the mother of mechanika. What’s most appealing about this goddess is her desire to keep secrets from her followers, making them work for knowledge, appreciating her followers’ abilities to solve puzzles, riddles and complicated formulas.

The Devourer Wurm (Chaotic Neutral) is the god of barbarians, beasts and the savage creatures that live in the wild. While reminding the reader somewhat of a Lovecraftian beast, it is interesting to point out that the god is not evil, even though it is seen as such. As the god of all that is chaotic and strange, its natural enemy is Menoth and the two are engaged in an endless battle. Menoth cannot abide the Devourer Wurm’s unbridled chaos and the Devourer Wurm seeks to unravel the established order Marrow has created.

Lord Toruk is the living dragon god that oversees his nation of Cryx, imbuing spells and abilities to his followers as if he had officially ascended into godhood. His followers include pirates and thugs but his most notorious agents are the armies of undead at his disposal, including his generals, the nefarious Iron Liches.

The gods of the non-humans are certainly well developed but are not all that inspiring or fascinating when compared to the human pantheon. There is an elven deity, a deity for the gobbers and dwarves as well as certain forgotten gods. None of them seem nearly as interesting or spectacular or even have the same interesting background as the others. There is a feel that maybe they were added in because the non-humans needed some kind of deity to round things out.

Chapter 5: Magic and Mechanika

The final chapter of the book outlines the various ways magic works in the Iron Kingdoms. By explaining the arcane and divine forces that make up the spells in the Iron Kingdoms, the reader gets a sense of exactly how magic is supposed to work. A healthy amount of time is devoted to necromancy, demonology and the dark arts, as there is an entire society devoted to these things. The GM certainly needs to be well versed in the way that necromancy and undead affect the world.

The divine magic derived from the pantheon of gods is also given great detail. By going through the kinds of schools and the kinds of powers associated with each deity (Menoth, Thamar, Morrow, Cryss) it allows for very detailed characters. However, be warned that the path of divine magic is certainly not for all players’ tastes. Healing is no easy task. Average clerics can only heal a limited amount of hit points per day (determined by level and Wisdom bonus). If they exceed this, they run the risk of angering their deity and becoming the victim of divine retribution (and the list of possibilities is rather brutal). On the other hand, there may be some who think this is a refreshing change from the endless nagging of the cleric to be a healer. It certainly forces the cleric player to try something much more unique with their character than simply being the party medic. The new spells, domains, and lists of interesting, colorful religious orders to which characters may belong, go far to enhancing the rich flavor of the setting rather than distract from it.

Finally, the last section of the chapter deals with the arcane art of the mechanika. For anyone who has seen the impressive and dominating warjacks associated with the Iron Kingdoms, this is the part of the book that explains how they are made as well as some of the interesting politics associated with the steamjack unions and the various ‘approved’ shops in Western Immoren.

Conclusion

The Iron Kingdoms is a great setting that will certainly appeal to a vast number of people. It has enough of a fan base from the miniatures game as well as their initial products from a few years ago that merely flipping through the book may cause the book to sell itself. It bears some similarity to the Eberron setting in that it has some of the technological advances and sense of adventure. Also with the advent of recent products such as OGL Steampunk and Dragonmech it is more than evident that fans are in the mood for this type of product.

Certainly the product is worthy of great praise but it is not without its shortcomings in some areas. One criticism, which is fairly minor, is that some of the printing in the book is extremely dark; so dark, in fact that it makes reading some of the maps something of a strain. One thing Privateer Press could do is have beautiful color maps available on their site for downloading, keeping GMs and players from straining their eyes too much.

Another area in which the book is not as successful as hoped is having such a radical setting without an explanation of what campaigns are like in the Iron Kingdoms. Certainly, that may be addressed in the subsequent volume that is being produced, but with the past track record of scheduled releases for Privateer Press’ products, gamers may be waiting awhile for it.

Also, it would have been nice to have a more concise history and more focused background laid out for the reader introducing them to this fabulously rich and exotic world. In some areas the world history section seems somewhat dull and flat, doing something of an injustice to such a wonderful setting. (To be fair, I have a degree in history and I can certainly understand that there are times when sections on history are less than riveting.) Truthfully, there is a great set of historical sections in their war game book, Warmachine Prime that could have easily been plucked out and reprinted, doing wonders for the setting book.

The criticisms at the end aside, this is a brilliant and beautiful book. The Iron Kingdoms campaign setting is definitely in the Top 5 of most interesting and innovative (while still remaining playable) settings available for d20. For these reasons, a strong four and a half out of five is warranted.
 

Nice review. How does this title relate to "Lock & Load?" Sounds like it is a superset of L&L, reved for 3.5. Anyone know if this is true?

What I don't get about the whole product line, is isn't this 2 to 3 years late? If you bought their first 3 adventures when they came out (early in 3.0 days), like I did, you played them two to three years ago. If you continued in the IK, you made up most of it yourself.

Don't get me wrong, I love their stuff. The release dates just drive me nuts! I wouldn't be shocked if we are playing D&D 4.0 by the time the worldbook is out.
 

Maybe I can answer this. I'm no PP representative, just an interested player....

Lock & Load was a 3.0 product with the same basic intentions as this book. It was all crunchy character bits with a little Iron Kingdoms campaign background thrown in. It provided just enough to get your IK game up and going. And even though the IKCG reprints and/or updates most of that information to 3.5, L&L still remains valuable for the tidbits that didn't make the cut and for the gorgeous poster map that came with it. I'm assuming (hoping) that the release of the world guide will include said map and tidbits, making L&L completely obsolete.

As for the delays, even though the company denies it, I think their Warmachine fantasy skirmish game coopted a LOT of their resources. As basically a garage company, they had only so much attention span, talent and warm bodies to work on their products (you can tell from the bio section in the IKCG that these people all still have day jobs). Plus, Warmachine turned out to be insanely popular. The company went through tremendous growth pains trying to keep up with the demand for the wargame stuff, and honestly, pushing pewter is a lot more lucrative than writing D20 material. I don't blame them for their shift in focus. Since I straddle the line and play both games, I had plenty of background material for my IK D&D game and so I didn't miss the IKCG as much as some. I was, however, pretty vocal on the PP forums about their glacially slow efforts on the D20 front.

Having said that, it seems to me that recently Privateer Press has *finally* gotten their act together on their timelines. Their minis are coming out closer and closer to their target dates (in fact, often beating them), their D20 deadlines are missed by ever narrower margins, and their quality remains insanely high. I think we're through the darkest part of the woods, and if we don't have the world guide in our hands by the end of the year I'll be very, very surprised.
 

MOST L&L content was absorbed into this book (which is partly why PP isn't reprinting it), but not quite everything. The unreproduced art alone makes those last L&L copies worth picking up.

This book IS very late -- but not really. The "IK Campaign Guide" would have been half the size, and trying to broadly cover twice as much. PP decided to instead flesh the content out far more than they originally planned to. The upside is that they're not starting from scratch for the IK World Guide, it was basically written in tandem with the Character Guide. PP's saying release before the end of the year, and I wouldn't be surprised if they hit it.

To be honest, I don't think Warmachine (their skirmish minis game) caused too many delays to this book. Though the core of Privateer works on both lines, the bulk of this book was actually written by hired RPG writers who don't work much on the WM line.
 

Iron Kingdoms Character Guide

One of the most anticipated setting books, the Iron Kingdoms Character Guide, weighs in at almost 400 pages and runs for $39.99. It boasts some of the best art work in the industry and brings us more details about a fan favorite setting whose former largest support comes in the way of a monster book.

Published by Privateer Press, the art is a bit of a change from previous books. Unlike say the Witchfire Trilogy or the Monsternomicon, the art in this book is less pen and ink and more charcoal. The good news is that the talent of the artists has easily made the transition. The bad news, is that like several other books, sometimes the art is too dark and details are obscured.

Part of this is because this is a fancy book. No white pages here, but rather, gray background and lots of detailson many pages. The lower left page has the chapter section while the lower right has some studs. The bad news is that sometimes the grey pages have some stylistic elements that bleed into the text and make things difficult to read.

In more bad news, despite the length of time it took to get the book out, there are still editing gaffs and errors. Sometimes in a class description, the wrong wording is used or sometimes an ability is listed twice. I almost hate to say it, but it’s something I’ve become used to. Another thing are the sometimes questionable game mechanics pulled in.

For example, one of the new races, the Ogrun, has a bonus hit dice. Now even in 3rd edition before 3.5, characters didn’t get bonus hit dice. You might’ve got Toughness as a feat or something, but that’s it. In 3.5, to represent you’re racial toughness, you might get a level of your race or something. Here, a bonus hit die just seems wrong. A few other game mechanics look suspicious and it’s worth checking out the Iron Kingdoms forum when you have questions and ask for clarification.

Another two nitpicks here. The information isn’t organized in an optimal way and in that same vein, there’s probably information here that shouldn’t be. For example, while I’m sure that some readers will enjoy the details about the constellations and celestial bodies, this is the player’s book and more effort to put player relevant material in an organized matter would’ve been great. Lastly, there’s no removable map. For that, you’ll have to have the old Lock & Load book, download it from the website, or hope that it’s in the next volume.

Okay, so now that I’ve spent almost a page talking about what I didn’t like about the book, how about what I did like? First off, I like some of the design decisions behind it. Having a strong flavor, “Full Metal Fantasy” that is still compatible with D&D. Having a book that’s, well, “Fun to Read”, is a good thing. The book is set up so that there are many sections that have, “Rumor Has It…” as well as fiction sections that give you a good flair for the setting. Sadly, it’s not always as good as the material in their tabletop game and perhaps not written as straight out, but it does give the reader a good grasp of how things are.

See, like several settings, Privateer Press hasn’t just given us the “Human” as a race. Instead, we get numerous human branches with their own background and goals. Sometimes they have some in game benefits at the cost of role playing penalities, and while I’m not certain it’s a mechanically wise decision, it makes sense in the context of the setting and a GM who fails to take advantage of those mechanics is cheating himself.

Let’s start with some of the races. First off, elves here may seem similar to other settings in that they’re cool and aloof, ancient and powerful, dying and isolated, but they’re a bit different. See, there are elves on an island, the Iosans, that have decided that many of their problems are caused by humans messing with magic and so they kill those humans. Their long ago cousins, the Nyss, are masters of winter survival and use vicious claymores as their favored weapons and have a favored class of ranger as opposed to wizard. Yeah, things are different for them.

Some may look at the Ogrun, large powerful creatures, as a half-orc fill in, but they’re on a higher ranking in civilization, allied to dwarves with their own trials. In a similar manner, the trollkin actually bring a trollish race as playable with it’s own civilization. Now if only they can get rid of the Scottish elements we’d be all set.

One thing I’m grateful for are the pages of sample names. See, in a new setting especially, it’s often hard to come up with a name that ‘fits’ with the setting. With the more than two pages of names here, that shouldn’t be a problem. It’s little thing like that making it easier for the GM and players that gets a thumbs up.

Because it’s a different setting, the authors have decided to let us know how core characters are different. Thankfully, unlike say the Black Company and Dark Legacies, they don’t reprint every word when the class is essentially the same, but rather, let you know what’s different. Barbarians are known as berserkers while bards are war bards. They have some different class skills and certainly a different role in this setting, but everything is not reprinted word for word.

Another change, not necessarily to the class, but to the setting, is that clerics aren’t running around raising the dead left and right. Here, Resurrection isn’t a spell and Raise Dead is 9th level spell and in most cases, you’re not going to be able to find someone to cast it. There are some other tweaks, but I’ll get to them latter.

One of the things I like about the changes to the classes, is that their ranger does not cast spells. They have good bab, good fort and ref save, numerous ranger abilities, but don’t have spells or combat styles. Instead, they get bonus feats, starting at 4th level, and then every five levels after that. This allows you to customize your ranger more than a combat style even as it still gives you the Favored Enemy ability.

To represent the setting, there are several new classes: Arcane Mechanik, Bodger, Fell Caller, and Gun Mage. These four give a good showing of some of the differences here. Take the Fell Caller for instance. This is a trollkin that uses their voice as a magical tool. For example, they can use their voice to stay death, allowing those who are at 0 or lower to continue fighting until they reach –10, at which point they die. The Gun Mage is another example of a class bonded to a weapon, a weapon that gains more power and abilities as the Gun Mage gains in level. The nice thing about these classes is that they have a nice introduction of fiction, description, how that class fit’s into the Iron Kingdoms, and game rule information.

Some will be thankful that there aren’t a ton of PrCs in the book. I was a little disappointed in that there weren’t more. As a reader of the tabletop for example, I was surprised to not see an Order of the Wall paladin variant, as they already have a figure in the game and have their own caste in the game and the RPG. Before getting to the new PrCs though, the authors give us a quick break down of which core PrCs, from the DMG, would be appropriate for an Iron Kingdoms campaign.

For the new PrCs, my favorite is probably the Mage Hunter, just for the miniatures that’ve come out for it. See, these are those Iosan elves I mentioned earlier. They’re specialized at resisting magical attacks and assassinating spellcasters. Those looking for more gun-fu, have Pistoleers and Riflemen. One PrC that I thought out of place among the Battle Chaplain’s and Warcasters, is the Second-story Man.

Not because it’s not an interesting PrC, but rather, because it’s so general and perfect for almost any campaign that features a city and features thieves in it. See, the Second-Story Men are those who get to know their client and then rob them. Their professionals.

New skills and feats are included to round out characters. Some of the skills involve the use of clockwork material while others deal with fun stuff like demolitions. It’s a short section but gives the reader enough to base other DC checks on and includes a two-page chart of all the skills.

For feats, there are some new types like Faith and Society. The former deal with the strength of the clergy, in some ways reminding me of Warhammer or Dark Legacies, showcasing the reach of the church. The latter cover membership in various organizations like the Fraternal Brother or Greylord orders.

Now that characters have their internal options done, they still have new equipment and weapons to buy. Some of these like the Caspian Battleblade and Nyss Claymore, are meant to showcase the dangers of combat. Don’t fight people using them. Others like the Clawed Gloves aren’t weapons per say, but can be used as them.

Because it’s the Iron Kingdoms, there’s a generous section handling firearms and rules for them. This includes material cost and DC checks for Gunsmiths as well as rules for shoddy and flawed firearms. Little things to give your gun a personality.

Now when I was mentioning clerics earlier, I mentioned that there are some spells arranged differently here. Part of this goes into the whole “gritty” feel of the system. See, there’s a subsystem for healing, “The Pain of Healing”, and puts a limit of the number of hit points that can be healed in a single day, based on character class, level, alignment, deity worshipped, and the deity of the person being healed worshipped. Yeah, no more paladins healing the foul necromancer, at least not without repercussions. It’s a nice simple system that can add a lot of flavor to any game where the GM is tired of clerics healing people for no good reason.

And by the way, those that do manage to return from the dead? Well, you might not make it back in one piece. See, there’s a nice table for punishing the cleric who did it, as well as effects that can be heaped upon the person being raised. Like I said earlier, little things.

While there are several new domains, and old domains have their Iron Kingdom equivalent gods listed, there aren’t a lot of new spells. Instead, a nice section is devoted to new alchemical and mechanika goods. Now why? Doesn’t the standard 3.5 edition handle the creation of magic items well enough.

Well, it’s the little things again. See here, magic items are difficult to make and require more money and hence, more experience points to craft. Creating things with technology and magic on the other hand, is a much better alternative.

In looking over the book, I like how they’ve taken many elements from different aspects and put them into the D&D system. For example, the religious caste and the countries and wars that erupt due to it. The old faith with it’s stern focus on their god being the cause for man’s ascendance. The elves and their fallen pantheons. The new gods, once human, now leading their followers into an unknown future.

I will note that it’s not for everyone though. Reading though it, you can tell that there’s some meta-plot work going on. You get the hints that there are many ‘named’ characters, and what often happens with such settings, is that the ‘named’ characters get all the attention and love, leaving little for the PC’s to do that’s heroic. There’s also been some grumbling from the on-line community that events in the latest miniature book, Escalation, have changed the default setting of the Character Guide and created a discrepancy, not unlike what happened to Warhammer and it’s FRPG counterpart.

For those looking for an alternative to their standard d20 fantasy games but don’t want a complete low-magic setting like the Black Company, the Iron Kingdoms provides a good alternative. It’s already got a miniature line of support behind it and well, they say there’s a World Book coming down the pipes any day now.
 


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