Sorcery & Steam
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JoeGKushner
Adventurer
So why is Sorcery & Steam a book you should buy?
Sorcery & Steam is a book you should buy if you'd like to incorporate Steampunk into your campaign. It includes campaign ideas on how to incorporate this type of technology in a few ways. We've got the hidden, secret technology that's been around for a long time, to the brand spanking new stuff that's only around in short quantities. We've got building from the ground up, where the whole world is a whirl of steam. Those looking at running different types of campaigns get some brief advice, but the majority of the information is in bringing steam feel to the setting, regardless of the actual technology behind that.
It's very heavily player focused. The player focus starts off with a look at how the core classes can interact with this new type of setting. This often includes minor rule changes like allowing a barbarian an easier time of destroying delicate and complicated technology to new skills. Want new core classes, prestige classes and more feats than you can shake a stick at? Then dive on in. For core classes, we've got the Animal Lord, a Tarzan style character raised in the wilds, as well as the Artificer and Musketeer, both of whose names kinda give away what they do.
On the prestige classes, we've got basically anything you need. Need someone to main the airships? We've got the Arcane Airman. Need to bet on a sure thing in an alley fight? Put your money on the Brawler. Need a man of keen mind and wit? Seek out the detective. Like previous books in the Path series, these include the prestige class as well as an organization. I've always enjoyed this set up as it provides the GM background and a quick means of introducing the PrC into the campaign without a lot of huff and puff about where the new PrC came from.
I found that many of the PrCs here were more fitting to a city campaign than those in the City Works book. Who doesn't want to see a detective in their city or a noble bodyguard, physician, street runner or watchman? Those worried about the Steam and Sorcery aspect don't fear though, we've got the Steamcraft Mage, a master of building odd inventions as well as the Gun Glyph, a spellcasting class that gains spells every other level but is a mean shot and has an arcane bond with his special firearm.
The only thing missing here is the Legendary Class. Now as FFG is one of the few to use this concept, I'd like to see them use it more often and this book could've probably used something like a Mek Killer or a City Maker but hey, save it for book two.
In terms of skills and feats, there's a nice section on crafting different types of devices like clockwork and steamcraft, as well as disabling devices and new knowledge skills. There aren't a lot of new skills, but drive and munitions will prove very valuable to those either using the new vehicles or explosives.
For feats, we've got the a wide standard here including those focused on specalizing with your gun, like Combat Reload where you don't suffer attacks of opportunity while reloading. Others relate to the time setting and new material like Mad Bomber where your explosives do an extra point of damage per die or having great skill at hypnotism. Of more interest, but almost all overpowered, are the Heritage Feats.
Many of these have to be to be taken at first level and build along a chain but the chain is potent. For example, you could start with Feral Child with a +3 to Handle Animal and Intimidate and move up to Feral Athleticism, getting a +4 to Climb and Jump. Now most feats give a +2 to two separate skills or now a +3 to one skill and some give a +4 to a single skill with a circumstantial limitation to it. These bonuses are just too high for most games. For those who don't mind and want their players to follow that chain, you're going to love 'em.
On the other hand, the spells aren't vast and powerful and may in fact be underpowered. Take Lightning Missile as it only does 1d6+1 points of damage or the 2nd level Harvester of Death where you make a coup de grace attack as a standard action. That's tough stuff to use a 2nd level spell for a quick kill. Spells don't go that high in level either with 6th level Wizard and 7th level Cleric spells being the top of the line through Steam Fog, a hot fog that deals steam damage. Of more interest perhaps are the Steam and Technology Domain, but alas, no sample gods to grant them.
More goods for players can be found under the equipment section. Some of these are magical-steam versions of technology like the Bard in a Box that takes a piece of vellum and plays the song encoded upon it to a Clockwork Chess set. Players though are really going to be looking for the good stuff like the Gauntlet of the Iron Ogre or the Sparking Sword or the Steambow. Their going to want the grenades, steamcraft armor and black powder weapons. One thing I'm glad to see is that with the steamcraft armor, it's not all freebies, even after the cost is paid as there are malfunctions that can happen, putting some limits on the technology.
Players and GMs will have to think about what they'll do with the Steamcraft Vehicldes. The rules for movement, attacking and defending are very clear and the vehicles themselves get stats similar to a monster, similar to Redline's system in many ways. The actual descriptions of the vehicles are a little thin for my taste though and the fact that they're not mapped out with details puts some work on the GM.
So why isn't this book a five? Well, while the feats may be a little over the top and the spells putter out a little too soon in power level, those aren't the main reasons. The biggest problem is that outside of the setting up of a campaign, the book isn't helping the GM enough. No monsters for instance. I could live with no steam golems or other critters like gremlins to ruin the technology, if we had some templates. Nope, none of them either. How about construction rules? Nope. How about artificial limbs and other goods? Nope. Art for all of the new and exotic equipment under the equipment descriptions? Nope. Floorplans for the new vehicles similar to those found in their early sea faring book? Nope.
I can understand why this stuff isn't there. The book is jammed packed with good stuff but it feels like there needs to be another book for it. A meta-issue also creeps up that doesn't effect the grade of this product but may effect it's overall utility in the future and that's 3.5. This is a solid 3.0 book, but 3.5 already has some minor rules in the Warcraft book and the Iron Kingdoms looks like it's finally gearing up for release in Winter of 2003. I'm going to merge the stuff to the best of my ability.
Sorcery & Steam is great from building up a whole new campaign to building up a secret base of steamships powered by ancient demons of lost legends.
Sorcery & Steam is a book you should buy if you'd like to incorporate Steampunk into your campaign. It includes campaign ideas on how to incorporate this type of technology in a few ways. We've got the hidden, secret technology that's been around for a long time, to the brand spanking new stuff that's only around in short quantities. We've got building from the ground up, where the whole world is a whirl of steam. Those looking at running different types of campaigns get some brief advice, but the majority of the information is in bringing steam feel to the setting, regardless of the actual technology behind that.
It's very heavily player focused. The player focus starts off with a look at how the core classes can interact with this new type of setting. This often includes minor rule changes like allowing a barbarian an easier time of destroying delicate and complicated technology to new skills. Want new core classes, prestige classes and more feats than you can shake a stick at? Then dive on in. For core classes, we've got the Animal Lord, a Tarzan style character raised in the wilds, as well as the Artificer and Musketeer, both of whose names kinda give away what they do.
On the prestige classes, we've got basically anything you need. Need someone to main the airships? We've got the Arcane Airman. Need to bet on a sure thing in an alley fight? Put your money on the Brawler. Need a man of keen mind and wit? Seek out the detective. Like previous books in the Path series, these include the prestige class as well as an organization. I've always enjoyed this set up as it provides the GM background and a quick means of introducing the PrC into the campaign without a lot of huff and puff about where the new PrC came from.
I found that many of the PrCs here were more fitting to a city campaign than those in the City Works book. Who doesn't want to see a detective in their city or a noble bodyguard, physician, street runner or watchman? Those worried about the Steam and Sorcery aspect don't fear though, we've got the Steamcraft Mage, a master of building odd inventions as well as the Gun Glyph, a spellcasting class that gains spells every other level but is a mean shot and has an arcane bond with his special firearm.
The only thing missing here is the Legendary Class. Now as FFG is one of the few to use this concept, I'd like to see them use it more often and this book could've probably used something like a Mek Killer or a City Maker but hey, save it for book two.
In terms of skills and feats, there's a nice section on crafting different types of devices like clockwork and steamcraft, as well as disabling devices and new knowledge skills. There aren't a lot of new skills, but drive and munitions will prove very valuable to those either using the new vehicles or explosives.
For feats, we've got the a wide standard here including those focused on specalizing with your gun, like Combat Reload where you don't suffer attacks of opportunity while reloading. Others relate to the time setting and new material like Mad Bomber where your explosives do an extra point of damage per die or having great skill at hypnotism. Of more interest, but almost all overpowered, are the Heritage Feats.
Many of these have to be to be taken at first level and build along a chain but the chain is potent. For example, you could start with Feral Child with a +3 to Handle Animal and Intimidate and move up to Feral Athleticism, getting a +4 to Climb and Jump. Now most feats give a +2 to two separate skills or now a +3 to one skill and some give a +4 to a single skill with a circumstantial limitation to it. These bonuses are just too high for most games. For those who don't mind and want their players to follow that chain, you're going to love 'em.
On the other hand, the spells aren't vast and powerful and may in fact be underpowered. Take Lightning Missile as it only does 1d6+1 points of damage or the 2nd level Harvester of Death where you make a coup de grace attack as a standard action. That's tough stuff to use a 2nd level spell for a quick kill. Spells don't go that high in level either with 6th level Wizard and 7th level Cleric spells being the top of the line through Steam Fog, a hot fog that deals steam damage. Of more interest perhaps are the Steam and Technology Domain, but alas, no sample gods to grant them.
More goods for players can be found under the equipment section. Some of these are magical-steam versions of technology like the Bard in a Box that takes a piece of vellum and plays the song encoded upon it to a Clockwork Chess set. Players though are really going to be looking for the good stuff like the Gauntlet of the Iron Ogre or the Sparking Sword or the Steambow. Their going to want the grenades, steamcraft armor and black powder weapons. One thing I'm glad to see is that with the steamcraft armor, it's not all freebies, even after the cost is paid as there are malfunctions that can happen, putting some limits on the technology.
Players and GMs will have to think about what they'll do with the Steamcraft Vehicldes. The rules for movement, attacking and defending are very clear and the vehicles themselves get stats similar to a monster, similar to Redline's system in many ways. The actual descriptions of the vehicles are a little thin for my taste though and the fact that they're not mapped out with details puts some work on the GM.
So why isn't this book a five? Well, while the feats may be a little over the top and the spells putter out a little too soon in power level, those aren't the main reasons. The biggest problem is that outside of the setting up of a campaign, the book isn't helping the GM enough. No monsters for instance. I could live with no steam golems or other critters like gremlins to ruin the technology, if we had some templates. Nope, none of them either. How about construction rules? Nope. How about artificial limbs and other goods? Nope. Art for all of the new and exotic equipment under the equipment descriptions? Nope. Floorplans for the new vehicles similar to those found in their early sea faring book? Nope.
I can understand why this stuff isn't there. The book is jammed packed with good stuff but it feels like there needs to be another book for it. A meta-issue also creeps up that doesn't effect the grade of this product but may effect it's overall utility in the future and that's 3.5. This is a solid 3.0 book, but 3.5 already has some minor rules in the Warcraft book and the Iron Kingdoms looks like it's finally gearing up for release in Winter of 2003. I'm going to merge the stuff to the best of my ability.
Sorcery & Steam is great from building up a whole new campaign to building up a secret base of steamships powered by ancient demons of lost legends.
Messageboard Golem
First Post
The shriek of metal on metal drowns out everything as two spell-infused iron giants clash on the field of battle. Around them, warriors clad in chain mail fire powerful cannons as a phalanx of pistoleers makes their way across the scorched grass. Mages research powerful spells in rusty towers as their clockwork like familiars scuttle about on razor-sharp legs.
Sorcery & Steam contains all the rules that players and DMs alike will need to explore a fantasy world filled with steam-driven monstrosities, mechanical beasts, black powder firearms, and the marriage of magic and technology.
Sorcery & Steam contains all the rules that players and DMs alike will need to explore a fantasy world filled with steam-driven monstrosities, mechanical beasts, black powder firearms, and the marriage of magic and technology.
JoeGKushner
Adventurer
Actually, you are not the only company. Ambient, in it's archer book, Three Arrows for the King, had one. Sorry Wil, maybe next time.
Gundark
Explorer
Well I bought this book based on the reviews here and the discussion of the book on the enworld message boards. I am running a steampunk campaign right now so this book really had some appeal for me. There have been some in depth reviews already. So I’ll just limit my comments to the things that I liked and disliked about the book.
THE GOOD: There is a lot of good to this book. The opening chapter really does a good job in creating a mood and ways to integrate the steamworks into your existing campaign. I like the idea that the chapter didn’t just focus on steam (it could be magic, bound demons, etc). Some people mentioned that the book was too Victorian for their liking. I this is just the general feel of the artwork and shouldn’t be worried about. I also liked that the book went over the core classes and explained ways that the classes would work in a steampunk setting. Some of the prestige classes are well done too, the Demolitionist, Gun Glyph (although the new gun mage from privateer press seemed to be a lot better), Rocket Ace, and the steamcraft mage were some of my favourites.
The chapter on Feats presents some neat ideas Riposte, Rapid reload, mad bomber were some of my favourites. Chapter 4 on equipment was very good, the different clockwork devices and firearms will add a bit. I enjoyed the different types of firearms that the book speaks of and rules for cannons (i.e. Grape shot).
THE BAD: While this book had many good points there was some bad as well. When it comes to adding new core classes I like to see something that I couldn’t just re-create with the existing core classes. The Animal lord and Musketeer are examples of core classes that I felt you could (mostly) re-create with the existing core classes (The Gun Mage from privateer press is an example of an innovative core class). The artificer did make a good core class idea I just felt uninspired by the way it was done. The BAB bonus is the same as a wizard without the spells; yes he can create steam craft items but so what. I can see a player playing the steam works creations more than the actual artificer. The Artificer is basically a steampunk rigger; however I just didn’t see the fun in playing one. As well some of the prestige classes were a waste of space. The Brawler, the Noble bodyguard, the Street runner and the Physician (in a world of divine magic why would this character even exist?) are some examples.
While a really cool idea the steampowered armour could become really unbalancing (the book does warn of this). I would be careful when letting this fall into the hands of PCs.
The spells were by in large uninspiring, nothing there really stood out at me. Examples were the lighting missile (who would use this over magic missile). Summon Golem (um…can you say broken?). Power word laughter and sleep (no saving throw for creatures of less than a 100 hp? Ouch!).
The Steam craft vehicles chapter turned out to be just about movement and vehicle combat. I was really looking for rules to make my own steam powered creations, this was a big disappointment.
Lastly not a huge problem, the book is 3.0 not 3.5. This actually was probably not even worth mentioning.
THE UGLY: well this book (and d20 in particular) has one ugly that I just can’t stand and this is the plethora of prestige classes. Maybe it goes back to my days of Rifts (shudder) with the tons of O.C.C.s. I HATE buying a book and finding so much room taken up to prestige classes and a large portion of this book is prestige classes (49 pages!!!). I would have much preferred that they didn’t have so many PrCs and focused on the parts of the books that were lacking (making steam vehicles for example). To keep beating the Steamcraft vehicles horse, chapter 5 felt really rushed. If there wasn’t so many PrCs more care could have been taken for this chapter.
THE VERDICT: Should you buy this book? Well It really depends. If you like Prcs then go for it. This book was slightly laking (IMHO) in steamtech items (Prestige classes and guns got the most attention). Now while there are some, there's not really a lot. Overall I am looking forward to seeing what the iron kingdoms (privateer press) and Steam and steel (EN publishing)has to offer. The book is just okay good at helping you with the Steam(punk)tech setting.
THE GOOD: There is a lot of good to this book. The opening chapter really does a good job in creating a mood and ways to integrate the steamworks into your existing campaign. I like the idea that the chapter didn’t just focus on steam (it could be magic, bound demons, etc). Some people mentioned that the book was too Victorian for their liking. I this is just the general feel of the artwork and shouldn’t be worried about. I also liked that the book went over the core classes and explained ways that the classes would work in a steampunk setting. Some of the prestige classes are well done too, the Demolitionist, Gun Glyph (although the new gun mage from privateer press seemed to be a lot better), Rocket Ace, and the steamcraft mage were some of my favourites.
The chapter on Feats presents some neat ideas Riposte, Rapid reload, mad bomber were some of my favourites. Chapter 4 on equipment was very good, the different clockwork devices and firearms will add a bit. I enjoyed the different types of firearms that the book speaks of and rules for cannons (i.e. Grape shot).
THE BAD: While this book had many good points there was some bad as well. When it comes to adding new core classes I like to see something that I couldn’t just re-create with the existing core classes. The Animal lord and Musketeer are examples of core classes that I felt you could (mostly) re-create with the existing core classes (The Gun Mage from privateer press is an example of an innovative core class). The artificer did make a good core class idea I just felt uninspired by the way it was done. The BAB bonus is the same as a wizard without the spells; yes he can create steam craft items but so what. I can see a player playing the steam works creations more than the actual artificer. The Artificer is basically a steampunk rigger; however I just didn’t see the fun in playing one. As well some of the prestige classes were a waste of space. The Brawler, the Noble bodyguard, the Street runner and the Physician (in a world of divine magic why would this character even exist?) are some examples.
While a really cool idea the steampowered armour could become really unbalancing (the book does warn of this). I would be careful when letting this fall into the hands of PCs.
The spells were by in large uninspiring, nothing there really stood out at me. Examples were the lighting missile (who would use this over magic missile). Summon Golem (um…can you say broken?). Power word laughter and sleep (no saving throw for creatures of less than a 100 hp? Ouch!).
The Steam craft vehicles chapter turned out to be just about movement and vehicle combat. I was really looking for rules to make my own steam powered creations, this was a big disappointment.
Lastly not a huge problem, the book is 3.0 not 3.5. This actually was probably not even worth mentioning.
THE UGLY: well this book (and d20 in particular) has one ugly that I just can’t stand and this is the plethora of prestige classes. Maybe it goes back to my days of Rifts (shudder) with the tons of O.C.C.s. I HATE buying a book and finding so much room taken up to prestige classes and a large portion of this book is prestige classes (49 pages!!!). I would have much preferred that they didn’t have so many PrCs and focused on the parts of the books that were lacking (making steam vehicles for example). To keep beating the Steamcraft vehicles horse, chapter 5 felt really rushed. If there wasn’t so many PrCs more care could have been taken for this chapter.
THE VERDICT: Should you buy this book? Well It really depends. If you like Prcs then go for it. This book was slightly laking (IMHO) in steamtech items (Prestige classes and guns got the most attention). Now while there are some, there's not really a lot. Overall I am looking forward to seeing what the iron kingdoms (privateer press) and Steam and steel (EN publishing)has to offer. The book is just okay good at helping you with the Steam(punk)tech setting.
Messageboard Golem
First Post
I agree with most of the above, but i should add that in the PDF version, the formatting in the Classes chapter is messed up with 4 pictures (on pages 33, 45, 47 and 52) overlaying the text making the said classes underneath unusable, not sure if this applies to the print version?
Messageboard Golem
First Post
Its also a shame that the PDF version has some problems with picture and text wraparound on pages 33, 45,47 and 52, and the lack of building steamcraft items rules does let it down quite a bit.
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