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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Simon Collins" data-source="post: 2009623" data-attributes="member: 9860">This is not a playtest review.Gladiator is the second in Mongoose's Power Classes series, offering a new class which can be taken from 1st level.Gladiator comprises 16 half-A4-size staplebound pages, cut vertically in the same manner as AEG's Adventure Keep modules. At $2.95, this is a very high price per page (AEG's Adventure Keep modules were $2.49 at the same page count). The inside covers are used for credits and OGL but, unlike AEG's Adventure Keep modules, information from the back cover is reproduced on the first page. Font size is good, margins are average (but due to the format are effectively doubled compared to an A4 size format) and to the nature of the presentation spaces between paragraphs impinge on the actual space used quite considerably. The three pieces of mono internal art and the colour front cover are fairly average. Due to the nature of the content, the writing style is pretty mechanics-driven - what isn't mechanics-driven is fairly good. Editing also seems good.The first half of the book is essentially a new 20-level class, the Gladiator. The layout follows the standard template set by Core Rulebook I. The Gladiator gains a Fighter's BAB, HD, skill points, and Save progression. At 1st level, the gladiator must make two important choices. Firstly, he must choose a character concept - a gladiatorial slave, captured soldier, or criminal. Secondly, they must choose a combat style - equite (mounted gladiator), hoplomachus (armoured foot soldier), retiarius (net & trident with minimal armour), or secutor (lightly armoured, uses a variety of weapons). Each of these choices offers various game advantages as the gladiator progresses. A gladiator also gains exotic weapon proficiencies as he progresses and later on gains his own personal symbol (if he survives that long). The gladiator also gains two further combat styles/manoeuvres - spectacular combat (where the gladiators may show off in front of a crowd) and a progressively improved Death Move, which is an enhanced version of the coup de grace. The accessory ends with details on some specialised gladiator armours and a new weapon - the kopis, which would have benefited from an image as the description is not entirely clear - "an odd-shaped sword...much like a kukri" (fine if you know what a kukri is).Conclusion:Somewhat like its predecessor, Assassin, this accessory's usefulness is dependent on the importance of gladiators in the campaign setting, their role, and the GMs decision to allow them as character classes. Due to the nature of a gladiator (in most cases a slave/performer who is fairly limited to a single city) the gladiator may not suit many GM's campaigns as a PC class.However, there are some interesting concepts here, and I will probably use it to create NPC gladiators, or to create a prestige class.</blockquote>

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