Hi guys,
The front cover artwork for both Ships of War and Encyclopaedia Arcane: Constructs - It Is Alive are on our web site!
Ships of War
War is a great beast that bears no respect for anything or anyone. Wherever there is ambition or a desire for power, there will be war. The sea is not an exception; ever since the first sentient race used anything that floated to bring harm to enemies, the ocean became one of many battlefields, and its watery depths are the final resting place for those who fell in battle, ships as their only grave and monument. Warships are as common a sight as merchants and explorers, and captains of any type of vessel must learn to recognise the outline of a ship, for telling friend from foe is a skill that can save many lives on the open seas.
Inside You Will Find;
War at Sea: A detailed look at just how the different races fight at sea and what influences their crews and warships.
Crews: Hire greatly specialised crews and captains, all designed to get the very best out of the largest vessels to ever set sail on the high seas.
Weaponry: New shipboard weapons employed by many races, from the innocuous Snaring Anchor to the devastating beam of the Sun Mirror.
Ships of War: A multitude of new ships, covering a huge range of warships and complete with detailed deckplans. Confound an enemy with the Fireship, search the depths of the ocean with the gigantic Razorback submersible, or fight an entire war from the deck of the mighty ironclad Thunderchild dreadnought, the greatest ship ever to have set sail.
Encyclopaedia Arcane: Constructs - It Is Alive. . .
Golems wait silently in dungeon corridors, ready to annihilate unwary adventurers who dare defile their former master's sanctum. Shield guardians follow their owners faithfully, and ready to interpose themselves between the holder of their amulet and anything that would bring him harm. Homunculi fly forth, powered by their creator's lifeblood into a grotesque mockery of life. All of these are constructs, artificial life forms brought into the world by rituals long secreted away in the corners of occult libraries, in the ruins of mighty magical empires and the personal notes of spellcasters with the curiosity to explore this field of arcane lore.
Building a construct takes resources, skill, patience and, above all, dedication. The laboratory required to assemble and activate one of these beings is unique. After building his place of work, the caster must still gather the raw materials that will make up the frame. This alone is enough to deter any poor wizard from even attempting a construct without the patronage of a wealthy noble. But the sacrifices of construct craft do not end here.
The spellcaster must be willing to sequester himself for weeks or even months, working non-stop and avoiding all distractions to achieve balance between subtle magical energies and the hard material they are to be bound into. The rituals required to power constructs are long and require meticulous, undivided attention, else they may fail utterly or introduce a flaw into the construction. Even after finishing the process, the caster must still imbue his creation with his own life energy, losing a part of himself so the construct may rise.
But all the hardships pay off in the end, for the wizard or sorcerer has created life. Whereas it is a spirit-driven golem, a magic-powered automaton or a life-imitating simulacrum, he now has a powerful servant who does not need food, never questions an order and can crush almost anything that crosses its path. Although the humanoid form is the most popular for constructs, their artificial nature lends itself to exploration. Dedicated crafters can experiment with a construct's shape, building all kinds of artificial servants for purposes beyond mere guarding. A group of small simulacra make for a superior construction force, a huge automaton can defend a kingdom from giants, and legends speak of titanic golems that could face an elder wyrm and come out victorious. All the secrets of creating life are found within these pages, waiting for those armed with the patience and single-mindedness that such a demanding task requires. No sacrifice is enough, and all the means justify the end.
Inside You Will Find ;
Constructs - An Overview: An in-depth look at the crafting of constructs and the relative differences between golems, automatons and simulacra.
The Drawing Board: Full rules for building your very own construct!
The Artisan's Craft: Details and costs of building a construct of any size, from the Adamantine Golem to the Clockwork Automaton.
Building a Better Construct: The mere building of a construct is by no means the limit of this field of arcane wizardry. Constructs can be refined and improved, making them utterly lethal to the wizard's enemies.
Construct Abilities: A full listing of all the special abilities and feats that can be incorporated into the design of a construct.
Maintenance: Even the hardiest construct may suffer serious damage. Learn how to repair your new creation quickly and easily!
Help for Games Masters: Constructs are by no means the province of players only. A full discussion for Games Masters is included, showing how to cope with constructs in a campaign and use them against the players.
Both books will be available in stores early in March!
Matthew Sprange
Mongoose Publishing
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com
The front cover artwork for both Ships of War and Encyclopaedia Arcane: Constructs - It Is Alive are on our web site!
Ships of War
War is a great beast that bears no respect for anything or anyone. Wherever there is ambition or a desire for power, there will be war. The sea is not an exception; ever since the first sentient race used anything that floated to bring harm to enemies, the ocean became one of many battlefields, and its watery depths are the final resting place for those who fell in battle, ships as their only grave and monument. Warships are as common a sight as merchants and explorers, and captains of any type of vessel must learn to recognise the outline of a ship, for telling friend from foe is a skill that can save many lives on the open seas.
Inside You Will Find;
War at Sea: A detailed look at just how the different races fight at sea and what influences their crews and warships.
Crews: Hire greatly specialised crews and captains, all designed to get the very best out of the largest vessels to ever set sail on the high seas.
Weaponry: New shipboard weapons employed by many races, from the innocuous Snaring Anchor to the devastating beam of the Sun Mirror.
Ships of War: A multitude of new ships, covering a huge range of warships and complete with detailed deckplans. Confound an enemy with the Fireship, search the depths of the ocean with the gigantic Razorback submersible, or fight an entire war from the deck of the mighty ironclad Thunderchild dreadnought, the greatest ship ever to have set sail.
Encyclopaedia Arcane: Constructs - It Is Alive. . .
Golems wait silently in dungeon corridors, ready to annihilate unwary adventurers who dare defile their former master's sanctum. Shield guardians follow their owners faithfully, and ready to interpose themselves between the holder of their amulet and anything that would bring him harm. Homunculi fly forth, powered by their creator's lifeblood into a grotesque mockery of life. All of these are constructs, artificial life forms brought into the world by rituals long secreted away in the corners of occult libraries, in the ruins of mighty magical empires and the personal notes of spellcasters with the curiosity to explore this field of arcane lore.
Building a construct takes resources, skill, patience and, above all, dedication. The laboratory required to assemble and activate one of these beings is unique. After building his place of work, the caster must still gather the raw materials that will make up the frame. This alone is enough to deter any poor wizard from even attempting a construct without the patronage of a wealthy noble. But the sacrifices of construct craft do not end here.
The spellcaster must be willing to sequester himself for weeks or even months, working non-stop and avoiding all distractions to achieve balance between subtle magical energies and the hard material they are to be bound into. The rituals required to power constructs are long and require meticulous, undivided attention, else they may fail utterly or introduce a flaw into the construction. Even after finishing the process, the caster must still imbue his creation with his own life energy, losing a part of himself so the construct may rise.
But all the hardships pay off in the end, for the wizard or sorcerer has created life. Whereas it is a spirit-driven golem, a magic-powered automaton or a life-imitating simulacrum, he now has a powerful servant who does not need food, never questions an order and can crush almost anything that crosses its path. Although the humanoid form is the most popular for constructs, their artificial nature lends itself to exploration. Dedicated crafters can experiment with a construct's shape, building all kinds of artificial servants for purposes beyond mere guarding. A group of small simulacra make for a superior construction force, a huge automaton can defend a kingdom from giants, and legends speak of titanic golems that could face an elder wyrm and come out victorious. All the secrets of creating life are found within these pages, waiting for those armed with the patience and single-mindedness that such a demanding task requires. No sacrifice is enough, and all the means justify the end.
Inside You Will Find ;
Constructs - An Overview: An in-depth look at the crafting of constructs and the relative differences between golems, automatons and simulacra.
The Drawing Board: Full rules for building your very own construct!
The Artisan's Craft: Details and costs of building a construct of any size, from the Adamantine Golem to the Clockwork Automaton.
Building a Better Construct: The mere building of a construct is by no means the limit of this field of arcane wizardry. Constructs can be refined and improved, making them utterly lethal to the wizard's enemies.
Construct Abilities: A full listing of all the special abilities and feats that can be incorporated into the design of a construct.
Maintenance: Even the hardiest construct may suffer serious damage. Learn how to repair your new creation quickly and easily!
Help for Games Masters: Constructs are by no means the province of players only. A full discussion for Games Masters is included, showing how to cope with constructs in a campaign and use them against the players.
Both books will be available in stores early in March!
Matthew Sprange
Mongoose Publishing
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com
