Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2009200" data-attributes="member: 18387">This review is for Spells and Magic from <a href="http://www.bastionpress.com" target="_blank">Bastion Press</a>.&nbsp; Spells and Magic is a 96-page full color supplement to the d20 system that retails for $24.95.&nbsp; It is a book that goes into variant types of magic that can be dropped into any campaign setting and has material for both players and GMs.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; After a brief section on new feats and skills, the book jumps right into the meaty stuff.&nbsp; Blood Magic and the blood mage prestige class is the first major section.&nbsp; Blood mages use their blood and the blood of others to power spells.&nbsp; While some players may want this class, I see it getting more use as a NPC class than anything.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Dragon magic is next in line and this is one of the cooler aspects of Spells and Magic.&nbsp; The concept behind dragon magic is that the coveting of treasure generates its own form of power and dragon mages may tap into it in order to cast spells.&nbsp; The dragon mage prestige class allows characters to make use of dragon magic and gain certain dragon-like abilities over time.&nbsp; Personally, I like this a whole lot better than the Dragon Disciple prestige class developed by Wizards of the Coast.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Chapter four addresses faery magic and the fey.&nbsp; The Faerier prestige class is for someone who continually studies fey creatures.&nbsp; While only a five level prestige class, a character gains access to either Seelie or Unseelie Arts.&nbsp; It’s a nice approach for introducing fey elements into your campaign.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Mirror magic is also an interesting chapter although the design pretty much limits the Reflecting Master prestige class to NPCs only.&nbsp; After all, it is rather difficult to haul around mirrors when adventuring.&nbsp; I wish I had this available to me when I wrote Where Dark Elves Rule.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Jewel mages use alchemy to attune gems to various magical properties allowing them to enhance and/or alter spells, absorb magical energy, and even bind the souls of living creatures.&nbsp; Different types of gems exhibit different types of powers in the hands of a jewel mage.&nbsp; Another prestige class that uses jewel magic is the Soul Gem Guardian.&nbsp; Soul gem guardians are the sworn protectors of jewel mages who have died but their souls remain inside a soul gem.&nbsp; While only a five level prestige class, the abilities granted make the character quite formidable.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Rune magic represents a way to bring more magic in a zero to low magic setting.&nbsp; Rune mages use their skills to inscribe runes of power onto objects that will allow them spell-like effects.&nbsp; Rune magic is a very strong part of this book and is written very well.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Necromantic classes seem to be a dime a dozen right now.&nbsp; However, the Shadetouched adds a bit of flavor that others lack.&nbsp; It’s not as powerful as a full-blown necromancer, but definitely more intriguing.&nbsp; However, unless you run an evil PC campaign, this is pretty much NPC only.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Spellsingers use song to work magic, so naturally this makes an excellent prestige class for bards.&nbsp; There are some really good level benefits that should tempt even the most tentative of player.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Finally Totem magic rounds out the variant forms.&nbsp; This part is ideal for combining with a shaman or druid.&nbsp; Nine different animal totems are given so there is no shortage of choices.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; The remainder of the book covers new spells and magic items.&nbsp; The spells all appear to be balanced with several being quite original and filled with comic potential.&nbsp; The magic items also seem to be well developed and error free.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Overall, Spells and Magic represents the best product Bastion Press has released to date.&nbsp; It presents many variant rule possibilities that can easily be used in any fantasy campaign.&nbsp; It is a solid piece of work that is well worth the price tag.&nbsp; I, personally, love this book and can’t recommend it highly enough.To see the graded evaluation of this product, go to The Critic's Corner at <a href="http://www.d20zines.com" target="_blank">www.d20zines.com.</a></blockquote>

[QUOTE="Messageboard Golem, post: 2009200, member: 18387"] This review is for [i]Spells and Magic[/i] from [url=http://www.bastionpress.com]Bastion Press[/url]. [i]Spells and Magic[/i] is a 96-page full color supplement to the d20 system that retails for $24.95. It is a book that goes into variant types of magic that can be dropped into any campaign setting and has material for both players and GMs. After a brief section on new feats and skills, the book jumps right into the meaty stuff. Blood Magic and the blood mage prestige class is the first major section. Blood mages use their blood and the blood of others to power spells. While some players may want this class, I see it getting more use as a NPC class than anything. Dragon magic is next in line and this is one of the cooler aspects of [i]Spells and Magic[/i]. The concept behind dragon magic is that the coveting of treasure generates its own form of power and dragon mages may tap into it in order to cast spells. The dragon mage prestige class allows characters to make use of dragon magic and gain certain dragon-like abilities over time. Personally, I like this a whole lot better than the Dragon Disciple prestige class developed by Wizards of the Coast. Chapter four addresses faery magic and the fey. The Faerier prestige class is for someone who continually studies fey creatures. While only a five level prestige class, a character gains access to either Seelie or Unseelie Arts. It’s a nice approach for introducing fey elements into your campaign. Mirror magic is also an interesting chapter although the design pretty much limits the Reflecting Master prestige class to NPCs only. After all, it is rather difficult to haul around mirrors when adventuring. I wish I had this available to me when I wrote [i]Where Dark Elves Rule.[/i] Jewel mages use alchemy to attune gems to various magical properties allowing them to enhance and/or alter spells, absorb magical energy, and even bind the souls of living creatures. Different types of gems exhibit different types of powers in the hands of a jewel mage. Another prestige class that uses jewel magic is the Soul Gem Guardian. Soul gem guardians are the sworn protectors of jewel mages who have died but their souls remain inside a soul gem. While only a five level prestige class, the abilities granted make the character quite formidable. Rune magic represents a way to bring more magic in a zero to low magic setting. Rune mages use their skills to inscribe runes of power onto objects that will allow them spell-like effects. Rune magic is a very strong part of this book and is written very well. Necromantic classes seem to be a dime a dozen right now. However, the Shadetouched adds a bit of flavor that others lack. It’s not as powerful as a full-blown necromancer, but definitely more intriguing. However, unless you run an evil PC campaign, this is pretty much NPC only. Spellsingers use song to work magic, so naturally this makes an excellent prestige class for bards. There are some really good level benefits that should tempt even the most tentative of player. Finally Totem magic rounds out the variant forms. This part is ideal for combining with a shaman or druid. Nine different animal totems are given so there is no shortage of choices. The remainder of the book covers new spells and magic items. The spells all appear to be balanced with several being quite original and filled with comic potential. The magic items also seem to be well developed and error free. Overall, [i]Spells and Magic[/i] represents the best product Bastion Press has released to date. It presents many variant rule possibilities that can easily be used in any fantasy campaign. It is a solid piece of work that is well worth the price tag. I, personally, love this book and can’t recommend it highly enough. [color=green][b]To see the graded evaluation of this product, go to [i]The Critic's Corner[/i] at [url=http://www.d20zines.com]www.d20zines.com.[/url][/b][/color] [/QUOTE]

Verification