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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 2009592" data-attributes="member: 172">Spycraft Soldier/Wheelman Class GuideAEG's Spycraft espionage RPG was an instant hit amongst d20 based games, bringing high-action cinematic espionage to the d20 system. AEG is no stranger to the strongly supporting their products with supplements supporting different character types (AKA "splatbooks"). As with Wizards of the Coast's splatbooks supporting D&D, AEG has chosen to support their spycraft games with a series of books each handling multiple classes. The Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide is the first such book in this series.The Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide is written by Chad Brunner, Shawn Carman, B.D. Flory, Scott Gearin, and Patrick Kapera.A First LookThe Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide is a 104 page perfect bound book priced at $24.95. This is a little high for a book of this size. By way of comparison, AEG's Spycraft Modern Arms Guide is the same price but offers 144 pages.The cover of the book is similar to most books in the series, depicting a black-and-white ink picture of an agent against a silvery-gray backdrop. The cover art (by Veronica V. Jones) depicts a short-haired woman on a motorcycle (highlighted in purple, in contrast to the rest of the monotone picture) and shooting a handgun.The interior art (by Mike Sellers and Paul H. Way) is black-and-white. The style is similar to the Spycraft rulebook, with bold inked drawing with some exaggerated features.The body text in the book is dense, header text clear and conservative but stylish, and paragraphs are closely spaced, giving a fairly high text density. The layout is pleasant and readable, with no major layout gaffes, but in some places, there are some extraneous hyphens interjected in words in the middle of a column.A Deeper LookThe Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide is organized into four chapters.The first chapter covers prestige classes. Many of the prestige classes are concepts that may more or less be realized with the existing Spycraft core classes, but are further bolstered and specialized with class abilities. The included classes are:- Ace: The ace is basically a highly trained combat aircraft pilot. The ace's class abilities bolster the pilot skill and related skills that assist in airborne combat.- Armorer: The armorer is a character with an expertise in creating and modifying weapons and other gadgets, and have a touch for using their weapons as well.- Bodyguard: As should be apparent, the bodyguard is a character specialized in defending others.- Grunt: The grunt is a combatant that is specialized in the use of automatic and heavy weapons.- Hunter: The hunter is an expert track trained in stalking enemy operatives.- Mariner: The mariner is an expert with waterborne vehicles.- Medic: The medic, like the bodyguard, has a fairly obvious function.- Slammer: The slammer is a character specialized in operating heavy armored vehicles such as tanks.- Stingray: The stingray is essentially a special forces combat diver, such as SEAL operatives.- Street Fighter: The street fighter represents masterful unarmed martial artists, brawlers, and other unarmed combatants.- Street Knight: The street knight is a specialist in small, agile vehicles such as motorcycles.- Tactician: The tactician is an expert in combat tactics and strategy, and has abilities that enhance his and his teammates effectiveness in combat.The concepts embodied in these prestige classes seem a little basic, but the mechanics seem to flow well with the Spycraft rules and many would appeal to players to give a PC a schtick or specialty.The second chapter is New Rules, introducing a number of new variants and options.Those who where disgruntled by the confiningly espionage-oriented character departments in the Spycraft rules should appreciate the flurry of new departments presented here. The new departments are ones that you would expect soldier and wheelman characters to spring from, but they represent training from organizations other than espionage agencies. Characters can be trained as peace officers, special forces, racers, or be from a variety of military academies.The skills section of the chapter introduces some new skill uses and new skill specialties such as the skiing and scuba-diving sport specialties. The most significant alteration here is that personal vehicles (which include things like hang-gliders, motorcycles, and snowboards) are now handled by the balance skill rather than other skills like drive or pilot. I am a little iffy on that decision. I could see how it would apply to snowboards, but am a little iffier on changing the governing vehicle skill for vehicles like motorcycles and hang-gliders.The chapter includes a flurry of new feats, most of them related to combat, vehicles, or military operations (such at training in survival in specific hostile terrain types.) Similarly, the chapter introduces some new gadgets and personal (tripod-mounted) weapons.The third chapter introduces new options and rules variants for chases. This includes rules for targeting specific parts of vehicles, jumping with vehicles, jumping from vehicles, skydiving and scuba-diving, and variants for collisions. These options help round out the chase system to handle a number of situations that arrive in the modern action/espionage genre.The fourth chapter is the Spycraft Vehicle Guide. This chapter does for vehicles much what the Modern Arms Guide does for weapons. It introduces new vehicles, including new vehicular qualities and rules for new types of vehicles.ConclusionThe Soldier/Wheelman class guide is not essential and does not do as much for the game as the Modern Arms Guide does, but many players will appreciate the expanded character options. Further, the new vehicle and chase options may be useful to many GMs who want more options with less work when adding new action sequences to their Spycraft adventures.Overall Grade: B--Alan D. Kohler</blockquote>

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