At first glance in the gaming store, Rings of Power catches the eye as it sits on the shelf. It earns good marks for initial presentation; the glossy cover is attractive, and the cover illustration makes evident the topic covered. It uses a motif common amongst most of Fast Forward Games' "magic item" supplements, giving Rings of Power more of a "tome-ish" look. I do like the hardcover aspect; if you have a group who is rough on their books, it makes a difference in durability.
Flipping the book open, the interior is done in black and white. The majority of the illustrations are of average quality and some didn't print as crisply as supplements from other d20 publishers. This might be unique to the copy I am reviewing, but the art doesn't do much for me. Some of the pieces depict unique variations on standard fantasy races, and these are the races used in FFG's "Elara" setting. It's easy enough to overlook them, however, and cut to the core.
The value of content of Rings of Power, as a whole, will vary considerably based upon your style of play and campaign preferences. For a world where magic is commonplace and artifacts exist in not unreasonably low profusion, Rings of Power makes another useful tool for a DM. For the general campaign, most of these items are too powerful to be given out liberally. This reduces the value of the book for me -- if I can't use it on a regular basis, then this factors in to my decision of whether or not to purchase it. Rings of Power does provide enough background on the historical "flavor" entries for each ring, however, to introduce them into a campaign as a focus item which the party may strive towards or be influenced by. If you see any prospects for your own Lord of the Rings style quest, you are excused.
One of my major concerns regarding all of the rings is a lack of any system information on item creation. With the Epic Levels Handbook in play in many groups, even extremely powerful items can be forged with the right combinations of feats or spells. Rings of Power leaves this information up to the DM -- or presumes all the rings to be artifacts, I'm not sure which -- and in many cases, it can be frustrating trying to determine the value of a particular item. Checking the web enhancement provided by Fast Forward Games, I didn't see any additions regarding this, which is rather disappointing. PUblishers, please, if you make a book on magic items, include the guidelines for creating them!
What of the content itself? Well, the write ups vary in quality and depth. It's nice to have story background and for a DM requiring impetus to start a storyline or merely some information for a successful Legend Lore, it becomes more valuable. Some of the stories used are a bit predictable at best or ridiculous at worst. Still, they comprise the bulk of Rings of Power and give the book its meat. Whether or not you intend to make use of the stories is really up to you; in the event you don't need this level of detail, then Rings of Power is an expensive investment.
What do I think of this product? Overall, Rings of Power is a satisfactory introduction to magical rings. Nothing stands out as especially stellar, and I can't recommend it on merit of the publishing company alone. The greatest downfall is the narrow perspective of the rings: the book simply doesn't cover enough low-power items that are likely to fall into a campaign, rather than artifact-level magic items. It's a bit of a disappointment, especially for a DM hoping to find items useful for the breadth of his campaign. I would look forward to seeing Fast Forward Games' treatment of magic items on a broader spectrum with emphasis upon minor/moderate items.
The benefit of Rings of Power lies in its descriptive flavor. Here, a DM can find a plethora of ideas to use in his own campaign, or take inspiration from what the authors laid down.
Does this merit the cost of the book? In my eyes, no. As a Canadian, I'm accustomed to paying higher book prices than in the States, and for a product approaching $40 (CDN), it doesn't warrant the cost. Even in equivalent US funds, paying nearly $30 for a product unlikely to see consistent use is quite high. If you are truly taken with the material and wish to adapt it to your own campaign; or you are operating in high to epic levels, then it can warrant the price tag. However, for my campaign, this is one to remain at the store.
