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Message: <blockquote data-quote="KDLadage" data-source="post: 2008458" data-attributes="member: 88">updated on 22-NOV-02Before I begin. let me say that I have been, since the first releases of Sword and Sorcery, a fan of this little publishing outfit. In fact, if I could work for any d20 publisher -- this would have been the one for a long, long time. So it should come as no surprise that I liked what I got in MITHRIL.In the Creature Collection, there is a creature listed called the MITHRIL GOLEM -- a large and fearsome construct that hovers over the city of Mithril like a giant hen guarding her chicks. This was one of my favorite creatures in that volume -- not because it was something I thought I could throw at my players, but because of the back story that went with it. Lets fact it, anything that attempts to take down this damn thing will more than likely meet their maker rather quickly. It would take a whole army. And that, my friends is the point.Mithril is a good look at one of the more interesting cities in the Scarred Lands setting. The book opens with a rather nice preface that sums up the idea of the city -- it is a place that can host an adventure, can be the launching point of a campaign, could in fact be the campaign or anything else. It is a really flexible plot element that can serve as anything from primary to mcguffin.Next we come to the book's introduction -- a two page overview that reads well and serves as a good acclimation to the setting. My only complaint here is the dark-gray background graphic (a portion of the scarred lands map that includes the city) that is used on the first page here (and for all subsequent chapters). This graphic is detracting and way too busy to be used as an effective watermark. Otherwise, the book is actually quite attractive throughout. The artwork, although simple, is very complementary to the text and serves its purpose well.Chapter I is called "The Divided City" and runs for 8 pages. It is a rather interesting read that explains that, thanks to the location of the city, it is really two cities that coexist -- one sprawling white beacon of purity, the other a port and harbor tainted by the blood of the fallen from the Titan war. Well written and interesting.Chapter II covers the history of the city in five pages. This is written in a conversational style that is easy to follow and apt to answer most questions, without painting a DM into a corner. On page 15 of the book (the second page of this chapter) is perhaps my favorite piece of art in the book -- a look at the golem before the war...Chapter III begins the meat of the book -- simply titled "The City" and running for 26 pages, this covers a good look at nearly every major area of the city and includes a very nice map -- easy to read and clear, but not in the most obvious of places -- it is buried about half way into the chapter on page 34. In fact, without flipping around, there is no way to know that the city map is there -- it is not included in the table of contents or anything. Still, chapter 3 is a good read and a wonderful look at a very cool place in a great campaign.No city exists in a vacuum -- and Mithril is no exception. Chapter IV is a loot at the areas around Mithril, and some of the more interesting spots that are of some importance to the city. The maps included here are a bit more logically placed and are just as clear and easy to read. Very well done. My personal favorite would be the map of the Plains of Lede and the associated write-up.Chapter V is a look at the adventuring possibilities of the areas of Mithril and the surrounding countryside. There are several fleshed out mini-adventures included, but hundreds of adventure seeds that could bear a lot of campaign fruit. This is one of the better chapters written in any d20 source book.Chapter VI is the obligatory characters chapter that covers some prestige classes, special traits of Mithril clergy and so forth. Some of the Prestige classes seem, well, not quite balanced by the standards of d20/D&D -- but not excessively so. The sections on Paladin starting packages is good, the Mithril Knights are cool -- but perhaps a bit over powered -- and the swords that they make from the metal of the golem are simply too cool for words. Great idea well done.Chapter VII is a listing of some of the more interesting personalities within the setting's area. These are fully fleshed out characters, most of which use at least an element or two of the characters chapter -- so they also serve as soon good examples of the rules in place. The best character listed here in my opinion would be Barconius, the leader of the Order of Mithril, a Paladin order in the city. He is a 19th level character (9 levels of Paladin and 10 levels of Mithril Knight) and is a great example of how the Mithril Knight is supposed to work.Open game content is set off in boxes throughout the book. Most of these are simple character stat-blocks of people that are discussed in that area of the book. One of the more interesting non-character elements would be the enchanted Ballista Bolts (page 21).Overall, this is a fine book. With a couple of minor notes listed above, this is a near perfect volume. The small details, however, that I have pointed out will keep it from getting a perfect score. Still, a very good book and one that I am proud to have as a part of my collection.And there are more volumes coming -- so with one of the city books, and perhaps the Gelspad Gaz, you can run any sort of campaign you want in the Scarred Lands... I am so looking forward to these.</blockquote>

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