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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 2009981" data-attributes="member: 172">Kingdoms of Kalamar AtlasThe Kingdoms of Kalamar Atlas is a comprehensive map book detailing the Kingdoms of Kalamar campaign setting.A First LookThe Kingdoms of Kalamar Atlas is a 240 page hardcover book priced at $29.99. Considering that a large portion of the book is color plates, this is not a bad price.The interior of the book is largely color. The map color plates are full color glossy pages with a very nice, realistic looking appearance.In places were fonts are used, the font size and spacing varies widely.A Deeper LookThe majority of the Kingdoms of Kalamar Atlas is devoted to full color maps. The book splits the Kingdoms of Kalamar map into 140 blocks (10 north-south by 14 east-west), covering one block per page.Each individual page provides a detailed topographical map of the region, with colored shaded contours representing specific heights. The maps are very realistic. For example, all the rivers look like real rivers on real topographical maps, with proper looking tributaries and elevation surrounding rivers that properly reflect the erosion of the river, and the rivers wind in flat terrain and flow more straight in rough terrain like real rivers.As topographical maps, the terrain type is not immediately obvious as it is in more climatological maps used by some other campaign settings. However, the maps do represent some additional details important to gamers. The boundaries of forests are marked with dashed lines. Settlements and roads are represented in a variety of colors and thicknesses to reflect the size of the settlement or quality of the road. Names of major settlements and rivers are given, though many minor rivers lack names.In addition to the map block shown on each page, each topographical map page has a "zoomed out" view showing a piece of the larger map as a listing of the 20 largest settlements along with their population.The book tends towards a policy of completeness over utility in that every map square has a page devoted to it, even those squares that only cover empty sea. As a result, there are several pages that are just blank blue blocks with latitude and longitude lines, otherwise bereft of usable campaign information.In addition to the detailed topographical maps, there are additional maps and resources in the appendices of the book.Appendix A contains a number of large scale color map plates, graphically depicting some important details about the world. Different maps show such details as trade routes, sea currents, prevailing winds, mineral resources, agriculture and livestock, and major troop concentrations, as well as a sample alternate projection of the map of Tellene.Appendix B is a pronunciation guide, providing pronunciations of major settlements and geographical features referred to on the earlier maps.Appendix C is a brief illustrated dictionary of land categories of Tellene. These are ultimately very similar to those of Earth, and there are few surprises here.Appendix D covers languages in a variety of contexts. This includes a compiled list of words in different Kalamar languages, complete with the reference in which each word first appeared. There are also language trees depicting the relationship of the various languages of Kalamar.Appendix E is a geographical features index, listing each major geographical feature depicted in the map by type and by name.Appendix F lists the settlements of the setting alphabetically, complete with page reference, coordinates, political affiliation, and population.ConclusionThe major selling point of the Kingdoms of Kalamar setting is arguably the level of detail. Given this, the Kingdoms of Kalamar Atlas is definitely a must-buy for the Kingdoms of Kalamar DM, as it provides a great map resource on a level far beyond that of the attractive but less detailed map that comes with the campaign setting book, and certainly far beyond that currently offered by any other d20 System campaign setting.If you are not currently running a game in the Kingdoms of Kalamar setting, this book will obviously be of much less use to you beyond inspiration on how you can make your own maps. There is very little in the way of game mechanics or setting ideas in the book. That said, if you are a big fan of maps, don't be surprised if you find yourself wanting to convert to running a Kingdoms of Kalamar game after you see this book.Could have the book been better at what it does? Perhaps in a few ways. The biggest thing that will probably find the disapproval of the customers is the nearly pointless ocean maps. Further, the Kalamar philosophy seems to be to provide the DM with a wealth of details for the game; many geographical features in civilized regions that would logically have name remain unnamed in this book, and such might have been of use to a GM running a game in the area.Grade: B+-Alan D. Kohler</blockquote>

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