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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pinotage" data-source="post: 2781871" data-attributes="member: 15194">Masterwork Characters: Born of the Shadows is a pdf product from Clockwork Golem Workshop, one of several in the Masterwork Characters series. This pdf features a number of shadow-related options to enhance characters or monsters, including the shadowborn race template, new prestige classes, new feats, new spells, and new mundane and magical items. It's a 21 page pdf written by Adam Windsor, of which 20 pages are devoted to the content. This pdf normally retails for $2.95. This review was done as part of Crothian's Review Project.Disclaimer: The reviewer is also d20 freelance writer with recent published material. Every effort has been made by the reviewer to ensure that this is an impartial review.Initial Impressions:This pdf from Clockwork Golem Workshop has a very simple layout in two columns, and is easy to read with well-written text. There are two pieces of good artwork in the pdf, both taken from work done by Louis Porter Jr. Design. From a general presentation perspective, it's a no-frills pdf, with low art content, but very high on the crunch and mechanics, something that it does well at. There are one or two minor editing errors in the text, but I think Adam Windsor does a good job of providing some additional options around the shadows, darkness and death theme.The Details:Despite the lack of a table of contents (the pdf is fully bookmarked for navigation), the pdf is divided into five different sections, each touching on a different shadow-related topic. The material hangs together well, with feats used in the prestige classes and magical items based on feats and spells contained in the pdf. It's always good to see a more cohesive mechanical presentation, rather than a number of seemingly disjointed  pieces of work. The material within this is useful to both DMs and players alike, for PCs and NPCs, which is an added advantage for a good value for money pdf.Shadowborn: The pdf starts by presenting a new race template, the shadowborn. These people of the shadow are born with the taint of shadow and negative energy, and as a result have certain racial abilities different from the norm for their race. Very good background material is provided, discussing characteristics of the shadowborn, appearance differences to those of their race not tainted, and loads of other information to allow players to create interesting shadowborn characters. Shadowborn characters gain racial attributes such as bonuses to intimidate, penalty to Constitution, darkvision, and the shadowtaint feat as a bonus feat (which grants resistance to death effects, negative energy and the like) among other characteristics. All in all certainly something useful, and the idea of entire cultures formed from the shadowborn congregating together has some appeal in a campaign world.Feats: Twelve new feats are presented in the next section, offering a number of different feats for characters and NPCs to take. Examples include Blinding Strike, where you forgo sneak attack damage to blind and opponent, Death in the Shadows, where you can sneak attack even when your opponent has concealment, Ebon Adept, which allows spellcasters to cast spells with the Shadow descriptor at a higher caster level, shadowtaint which grants a save bonus against death effects and negative energy effects, and Shadowtouch, which allows you to deal negative energy damage on a successful touch attack. In general the feats are good and useful, most usable to all classes rather than the 'sneaky' types only.Prestige classes: There are three new prestige classes presented in this pdf: the Dark Hand (those focusing on using their shadowtaint in a martial style of discipline and meditation), Ebon Magus (a spellcaster powerful in shadow magic) and Shadow Knight (a vigilante capable of using the shadows to strike at their foes). Each prestige class is provided with ample background describing the nature of the prestige class, and training and culture characteristics. All three are good and well-presented, although probably on the strong side. The Shadow Knight, for example, gains an ability called Combat Insight that allows him on a special Sense Motive check, to deny his opponent his Dexterity bonus to AC for a number of round equal to half his class level. For characters specializing in sneak attacks, this is an extremely deadly ability, particularly given that ranks in Sense Motive can easily outstrip BAB used in the opposed check, and the fact that this ability can be used unlimited. Overall though, a strong selection, with perhaps one or two abilities that would require some DM attention.Spells: About a dozen new spells are provided, most of them appearing to focus on alternative uses of the darkness spell and similar large area concealment effects, such as Shadowfear, Nightchills, Night and Fog and Blacklight. Other spells include Shadowsight, allowing a character to penetrate glamers and figments, and Shadowstep, that grants a bonus to Hide checks. A useful selection, but focusing perhaps too much on one idea and not expanding enough on the shadow theme.Magic: The last section details a number of new mundane and magical items. Mundane items include metalblack which reduces the armor check penalty for hide checks, while magical items include liquid darkness (to create a limited darkness effect), blackmail (a special armor), and the flute of the night (a horn of Valhalla variant that summons rogues). There are some good ideas presented in this section, and useful material.Conclusions:Masterwork Characters: Born of the Shadows, presents a plethora of new material based on a theme of shadow, darkness and death. The author does a good job of presenting mechanically solid material with a good balance of fluff and crunch, allowing players and DMs alike to use this material in a creative fashion. Feats, spells, magical items and prestige classes are included, with lots of useful material in each section, although the prestige classes may be somewhat on the strong side with some strong abilities. In general it's a well-written, simply presented pdf that's good value for money at the price based on the large amount of content it contains. Based on mechanics, balance, usefulness and presentation, I'd grade this pdf with three and a half stars, rounding up to four stars.</blockquote>

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