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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 2011316" data-attributes="member: 172">Medieval Player's ManualThe Medieval Player's Manual is a resource for applying d20 System rules to playing in a somewhat mythic version of medieval Europe (primarily Britain and NW France.) The book is written by frequent Ars Magica contributor David Chart and published as part of Green Ronin's Mythic Vistas line of products detailing alternate campaign settings and campaign models. A First LookMedieval Player's Manual is a 128-page perfect bound softcover book available for $22.95.The cover of the book is illustrated by David Leri, and illustrates an armored warrior fighting a dragon amidst a burning fort.The interior is black and white and features artwork by Richard Becker, Lisa Wood, Kevin Crossley, Mike Vilardi, and Caleb Cleveland. Some pieces also appear to be period-appropriate woodcut prints.A Deeper LookGenerally speaking, the approach of Medieval Player's Manual is not that unlike some other Mythic Vistas books, like Testament. Much like the way that book approaches ancient Israel as a rather fantastical version as is related in various tales and scripture, Medieval Player's Manual depicts England as if many of the beliefs that existed in Medieval Europe were true and had tangible effects.The book is divided into six chapters plus an appendix and index.The first chapter is a basic introductory chapter that lays down the approach of the book. The book strives to be faithful to history but does not sweat the differences that effects of magic as it is presented in this book might cause. The Catholic Church is viewed as having real divine merit, but as a temporal body is fallible, but other religions are also treated as having real power and merit as well.The first chapter also lays out the most basic changes, such as new knowledge skills, and classes that should be excluded in this setting (Rangers, Druids and Monks.)The second through fourth chapters have new character creation options (classes and feats) and new subsystems, collected by concept. The second chapter deals with magic and the third with religion. The fourth chapter deals with classes and mechanics related to nonmagical skills, mainly politics, philosophy, and art.The Medieval Magic chapter introduces rules for methods of magic that were believed by some to exist: alchemy, astrology, astral magic (charms) and folk charms, and theurgy. All of these except for theurgy involve a feat system, and alchemy and astrology further require skills.Knowledge (Alchemy) and Knowledge (Astrology) for the basis of these two systems of magic, but each require feats to access their more important features. Alchemy feats allow a character to create select alchemical substances such as aqua vitae (which has limited healing properties) and aqua regia (which dissolves metal) as well as purifying metals, which allows converting metals to gold (in a limited fashion) and adding minor enhancement bonuses to metal items.Knowledge (astrology) and the proper charts allow a character to predict natural events or choose a day for important events. Feats allow the divination of more facts, such as details about a character, political mood in an area, and choices that a certain character is likely to make.Astral charms and folk charms are similar in that they both require only feats, though many are required for more potent charms. Folk charms mostly provides numerical bonuses to saves, attack rolls, AC, and so forth, where astral charms emulate spells. Astral charms each require a unique feat for each spell, and you must learn feats for easier spells first. Astral charms require a character craft them at certain astrologically significant times; as such, it seems inconsistent that they don't require knowledge (astrology) checks or as a prerequisite.Theurgy requires use of the knowledge (theurgy) skill and requires a character to study rituals which, when performed, allow the character to importune spirits to do their bidding. Unlike the previous magic subsystems, no feats are required, but rituals require expensive components. In addition to this cost, theurgy is considered a sin, which prevents a character from taking advantage of certain powers derived from religion (see below.)All of these methodologies are available to any character who has the appropriate feats or skills. Cunning men are common folk who gain free folk charm feats as well as a number of class abilities stemming from their knowledge, such as ability to predict the weather, and eventual immunities and timeless body. The natural magician specializes in astral charms and astrology. Finally, the theurge specializes in theurgy, and has easier (and cheaper) access to rituals.Two prestige classes are also featured, both of which are appropriate to theurgists. The necromancer replaces expensive components with human sacrifice, and theophanists seek to use theurgy to see God. This latter class seems a bit odd to me in that at its lower levels, it primarily acts as a weak theurge, but at its highest level it gains the resurrection body charism, which is a gamebreakingly potent defensive ability that basically makes the character immune to harm.The magic chapter finally introduces some items and places of power as well as discussing how core arcane classes and spells fit. Wizards are replaced by the new classes pictured here, but sorcerers might be possible as demon-blooded beings in the tradition of Merlin.The third chapter, The Power of God provides a very brief overview of the Catholic church as it existed, and introduces new classes and magic system. The central new magic system is the Charism system, which operates through Charism feats that provide boons to the character that are stripped if the character ever sins.As for classes, clerics and paladins are said to be appropriate as more militant orders that came into existence during the time. New classes are also introduced to round out the feel of other characters in the setting. Priests are non-militant divine caster that can cause geas/quest like effects on confessed sinners and provide boons when they say Mass. The saint core class is not a divine caster, but gain bonus charism feats at every level. As with the theophanist, these feats eventually give the character access to the potent Ressurection Body charism.New prestige classes in the chapter include the crusader, templar, hermit, and mystic. Crusader is primarily a combative class, gaining bonus fighter or charism feats as well as combat related special abilities; this class may be taken by Christians or Muslims representing those wishing to expel the other from the Holy Land. The Templar represents a fantastical take on the historical order of that name, and gains spellcasting both as a divine (priest or cleric) caster and a paladin, as well as a defender class ability that aids in protecting others. Unfortunately, the author makes the dubious decision of not only keeping the paladin's thematically inappropriate "magical mount summoning" ability, he allows the templar to gain and/or continue developing this ability.The hermit and mystic are less militant. The hermit is a commoner who serves god outside the bounds of the Church, gaining access to Charisms and folk charms. The mystic is also a Charism-based class that, in addition to bonus Charisms, has ability to gain and relate visions that can relate important information.The chapter also covers the nature of angels and demons in Medieval times, and Relics. Relics are items of power that are usually obtained from the bodies of saints and martyrs. Parts of their bodies embody the Charisms they had in life; bodies of martyrs also gain additional powers when they are slain.The fourth chapter deals with nonmagical classes and methods. A major part of the chapter is related to discussing church politics and ecclesiastical law, as well as presenting rules for philosophical arguments and the creation of works of art ith d20 System rules. The philosophical argument system is somewhat interesting, though somehow I feel if you do not have the right group of players and GM, it wouldn't end up as interesting as the example the author provides.Much as with the earlier chapters, this chapter provides classes supporting the material within. The canonist is a core class representing members of the Church who are skilled at politics and manipulation instead of divine power; this is an interesting alternate to the divine spellcasting clergy and opens the way to clerical villains such as exemplified in The Three Musketeers (and combined with the theurgy rules, you could recreate the villain in the movie Ladyhawk.) The prelate prestige class represents highly placed figures in the Church. The artist and schoalar core classes have functions that should be apparent.As most of this chapter is related to non-magical, non-combat interplay, some space is devoted to campaign considerations in a less combative, more roleplaying intensive campaign. Ideas for campaign models presented include campaigns based in an abbey or int a court of a powerful noble.The fifth chapter, King, Dukes, and Princes has less of a rules focus than earlier chapters. It is basically a histrocial overview of the era of the Norman conquest, for 1086 to 1154, with thumbnails (and in some cases, stat blocks) for significant figures. In addition to the straight facts about the era, the chapter has a number of shaded "what if" blocks that describe campaign ideas if significant events of the era were to vary.The sixth chapter, Medieval Culture, covers some basics of medieval life to serve as a primers for would-be roleplayers of characters living in the era, or GMs hoping to successfully run it. This covers details such as the life of the peasantry and nobility, the structure of towns, and law. Also included are a few sample characters derived from historical characters using these rules.A short appendix summarizes feats from the book.ConclusionsIt should perhaps not be surprising that someone with as much experience turning history into gaming products as Chart managed to bring together a lot of history in a succinct manner and express many concepts of the era successfully in game terms. The book is rigorous and should be a boon to any campaign set in the era in a manner that emulates the history and lore of the era more accurately than the core d20 System material does.Even those who aren't interested in adopting convention in this book wholesale could derive some material from this book. Some material from the magic chapter could be extracted and used in a typical fantasy campaign and used as a sort of "hedge magic". I think the astrology rules seem especially ripe for the picking in this manner.Overall Grade: B -Alan D. Kohler</blockquote>

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