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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Simon Collins" data-source="post: 2009624" data-attributes="member: 9860">This is not a playtest review.Exorcist is the third in Mongoose's Power Classes series, offering a new class which can be taken from 1st level.Exorcist 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 (though at one point it jumps a font size for half a sentence or so), margins are average (but due to the format are effectively doubled compared to a standard size format) and there are a couple of instances of white space. 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 average. Editing, apart from the aforementioned font jump, seems good.The first half of the book is essentially a new 20-level class, the Exorcist. The layout follows the standard template set by Core Rulebook I. The Exorcist can follow any deity, but tend to be of good alignment. Wisdom is the major influencing ability and they get a d6 Hit Die and 2 skill points per level. They cast divine spells (gaining access to all standard cleric spells), gain domains similarly to a cleric (though one of their domains must come from a set of Exorcist domains listed later in the book), and they gain a third domain later in their progression as well as  'spontaneous' access to a spell from another Exorcist domain. They gain a good number of other class features too, including a progressive ability to sense possession, turn undead from 1st level, an ability to channel turning attempts into magical protections against possession or 'hold' subjects, and turn other creatures apart from undead - elementals, fey, and outsiders - as he progresses. However, they do get a reduced Fort save and spells per day progression.The second half of the book offers three new domains exclusive to the Exorcist - Guardian, Partisan, and Vigilance. It goes on to discuss the magical protections the exorcist can create by channelling turning attempts. Wards are protective amulets, tokens, or magic circles, whilst benedictions are somatic effects performed by the exorcist to give a mystical protection or exorcism. The remainder of the book offers nine of these wards and benedictions including an icon of banishment (much like a break enchantment spell), prayer of seeking (sort of a cross between scry and locate creature), and prison (keeps a possessor trapped within a body where it can be destroyed by other means).Conclusion:The Exorcist seems to me to be a powered-up cleric. The Exorcist can turn elementals, fey and outsiders (as well as undead), has a class ability that can replicate a number of powerful spells from 1st level, and can access three or more domains. Its an incredibly appealing character class, but it still does not seem balanced compared to other core classes despite its slower progressions and d6 hit die.There are some ideas here that could be used to create a less powerful Exorcist character class or, even better to my mind, an Exorcist prestige class. I don't feel Exorcist reaches its stated aim - "designed to be seamlessly slotted into any fantasy based d20 system game" - but there are plenty of interesting ideas here to plunder. I guess the low price of the product will probably negate the costly price per page.</blockquote>

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