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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Simon Collins" data-source="post: 2009206" data-attributes="member: 9860">Beware! This review contains major spoilers.This is not a playtest review.This review of Librum Equitis Volume 1 is for the print version of Ambient Inc's original .pdf release of prestige classes, put into print by Mystic Eye Games.At $12.95 for 64 pages, this compares favourably with other accessories of this size and type. Use of space including font size and margins is good, whilst the artwork is slightly above average. The quality of writing is good - the text contains a mixture of flavour text, rules information, and NPC description, all of it done appropriately to the section. Editing is average with occasional, though sometimes jarring, errors.There are some significant additions to the print version of Librum Equitis Vol 1. The first thing one notices is that there is now an extra prestige class (don't be fooled by the error in the contents, the Lords of Sorcery prestige class is still in this accessory). The new prestige class is the Collegiate Bard. The second thing one notices is the art (which was lacking from the original .pdf) and the presentation, which is easy on the eye and clearly delineates different types of information. Which is where the next surprise comes in - there are now added feats, equipment, magic items, and deities (though some of these are OGL stuff taken from other sourcebooks). Once you begin looking at the prestige classes, you also notice that each begins with some decent flavour text. Each class also has an NPC linked to the prestige class information, which includes information on appearance and roleplaying as well as stats, as an example of what can be done with the prestige class. New information, such as a feat, actually appears in the text of the NPC, linking these aspects well. On the down side, the class features do not on the whole specify the abbreviated text to signify whether they are a supernatural, spell-like, or extraordinary ability - a minor criticism levelled at the original version and one which could easily have been solved going to print. For those of you who have neither version, this is a run-down of whats inside:* Bounty Hunter - nothing original about this prestige class, but good to see it for a fantasy setting. Gains ranger-like bonuses against a bounty, sneak attack ability and a couple of free exotic weapon proficiencies. My concern is that this prestige class could easily be recreated by multiclassing ranger and rogue (and making bounty hunting a feat), but to greater effect. New feat 'Streetsmart' gives +2 to Gather Information and Innuendo checks.* Chosen Warlord - a battle leader who gains the ability to instil courage and sacred bonuses to her followers, as well as gaining increasing smite abilities. Includes information on a new deity (Garren, the worker) who unfortunately does not grant the War domain which is a prerequisite of this prestige class - sloppy.* Collegiate Bard - more like a bard variant whose class features stack with a bard's. gets an extra bardic ability to modify memories with song, access to a few extra spells, and excels in gossip and networking. This prestige class is a member of a bardic college which is briefly described within the text. A couple of new feats - Glib and Social Perception - give multiple skill bonuses. Oddly, this is a 7-level class. Seems like the author just ran out of ideas for a 10-level class.* Corpulent - worshippers of the god of greed, these beings grow fatter as they advance in level. They also gain abilities related to their condition such as damage and bludgeoning reduction due to their blubber, the ability to envelop enemies in their folds of fat, reduced movement, and a few limited domain spells (though not granted powers and no clerical spells). They would make good worshippers of fiends, if your campaign allows powerful fiends to grant some minor powers. Gross but interesting NPC prestige class. A new domain of Greed and/or Hunger, and a few spells, would have rounded this prestige class out better.  * Dark Minstrel - dark minstrels have witnessed a great tragedy which has turned their heart dark and their tales to ones of woe and dread. Another bard variant but one whose class features do not stack with a bard's. Instead, the dark minstrel gets limited spell access (its own spell list up to 4th level) and a range of bard-like musical abilities that create dark magics such as confusion, sorrow and death.* Dirty Monk - monks who have abandoned their alignment and monastery, gaining a number of rogue-like qualities. Most notable for the three new feats - Dance of the Dirk, Eidetic Memory and Prone Fighting.* Feral Ravager - an NPC prestige class for giants, humanoids or monstrous humanoids which gives some barbarian-like class features. Includes a new feat - Mighty Charge.* Imperial Crossbowman - a 5-level prestige class with improved crossbow skills (includes a new feat - improved crossbow handling).* Initiates Of Cordun - a member of a secret necromantic cabal of arcane and divine spellcasters who are able to cast both divine and arcane spells within certain restrictions and draw upon their own life force to fuel spells, but must also cut off one hand at 6th level. There is no discussion of any rules penalty to this act.* Knight Channeler - uses similar ideas to the positive energy channelling feats from Defenders of the Faith.* Longbowman - bow specialist with ability to fire at increasing ranges (to a rather ridiculous 14 range increments) at the cost of a reduced BAB progression.* Lords of Sorcery - a 5-level prestige class that gives specialist wizards the chance to cast spontaneous spells from their chosen school at the cost of a restricted school.* Military Archer - more of a short NPC class than a prestige class, as this allows qualification at 1st level and gives some class features related to archery in mass combat. * New Treant - forest guardian with arboreal shapeshifting abilities. Nice for NPCs but restricts PCs as they must tend their protected area.* Phalanx - a 4-level prestige class similar to the Military Archer but with melee-orientated class features and a slightly higher entry level.* Practical Ones - Assassins Guild member, with all the sneaking and poison-using class features one would expect.* Psycho Pyretic - psionics using prestige class who channels his anger into psionic power in the form of fire. Includes a psionic power, Brain Burn, which does physical and mental damage to the target's brain.* Raserei - more rage than a barbarian is the basis of this prestige class.* Sniper - more perfection of archery with a prestige class that is an extension of the Longbowman (and requires a class feature that can only be gained by a Longbowman). Why not make this a 15-level prestige class joined onto the Longbowman?* Swashbuckler - an archetypal prestige class with class features that involve weaving, ducking, and tumbling.* Tainted Warlock - this prestige class has permanently taken on a negative energy level (-1 to all skill checks, ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, etc.). In order to compensate for this, the prestige class gains some bonus spells (though limited caster level progression) and can add extra damage to negative energy spells. Nice idea, poor execution. New feat, Arcane Focus gives a +2 bonus to Concentration and Spellcraft. The bonus spells are increased from the original .pdf version but this is not reflected in the text.* Two-Fisted Sorcerers Of Targ - sorcerous fistfighter prestige class, gains the ability to cast two spells from clenched fists at the same time. Gains reduced spellcasting progression as a payoff. * Zombie Master - another archetypal prestige class, this one a 5-leveller with the ability to command twice as many zombies as normal, spontaneously amend spells to animate dead, and bolster zombies. Conclusion:I was singularly unimpressed with Librum Equitis in its original .pdf form. In the print version, the presentation is significantly better, the writing quality is good, the new NPCs are a very nice touch and the new feats, etc. round out the concepts better. However, the actual Prestige Classes themselves are pretty much unchanged from the original.Some are unoriginal (Bounty Hunter, Chosen Warlord, Zombie Master, Practical Ones) and some are boring (Military Archer, Phalanx). Most seem to break with my personal concept of a prestige class - that the prestige class should not restrict access down to one class through its prerequisites and that they should not be achievable through multiclassing and/or feats. Rules in several places appear to be weak, vague or broken - I particularly dislike the Military Archer and Phalanx class features and prerequisites.Having said all that, there are some good concepts here - the Corpulent, Dark Minstrel, and New Treant would make interesting NPCs with a little tweaking. I could see the Longbowman, Practical Ones, Lords of Sorcery and Knight Channeler being tweaked for PC prestige classes. Even the archetypal Bounty Hunter, Zombie Master and Chosen Warlord could come into play. But none of them made me want to add one of the prestige classes to my PC (except maybe the Longbowman/Sniper in my munchkin-archer dreams).All in all, I found the book to look good on the surface, but after I got under the skin of the slick new presentation, the actual rules here were just not up to scratch. Even the new feats lacked flair, with most being simple skill bonus combos. A disappointment.</blockquote>

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