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Message: <blockquote data-quote="William Ronald" data-source="post: 2010622" data-attributes="member: 426">Plexus SRD Revised- Bundle by Creative Mountain Games  http://www.creativemountaingames.comReviewed by William RonaldRating 4 out of 5 stars.  First, a disclosure.  While I did not work on this product, I have performed some proofreading and other work on Creative Mountain Games products in the past.  Additionally, I received a review copy of the product.  I thought it would be best to begin this review with this disclosure, although my past work with CMG does not bias me for or against the product. However, I think highly of the SRD Revised- Bundle although there is room for improvement.Plexus SRD Revised - Bundle is a package of 2 PDF files (SRD Revised, Basics, Spells and Magic Items and Plexus SRD Revised Monsters).  Both products, which update the System Release Document for D20, can be purchased separately.  The products comply with the Open Gaming License, so obviously not everything that is in the new Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 Revised Core Rule Books are in the SRD.  (For example, mind flayers and intellect devourers are not part of the Plexus SRD Revised Monsters.)As both documents are PDF files, requiring the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader, it is very easy to use the bookmarks to find relevant information.  With a few mouse clicks, I was able to access skills, character classes, and slightly renamed spells in the Basics, Spells, and Magic Items PDF.  (Although the spells in the 3.5 D&D Players Handbook are part of the SRD, not all the names are part of the SRD.  Thus, a 9th level spell in the Player's Handbook associated with a wizard in WotC's World of Greyhawk setting becomes Mage's Disjunction.  Same abbreviation, but the Plexus SRD uses a different name to respect a trademark property.)Thus, it is easy for people using the Plexus SRD Revised to create new D20 products to go to the relevant sections.   If I was designing a new magic item, and needed to figure out the cost formula, a few clicks on the Plexus SRD Revised -Basics, Spells and Magic Items will get me the exact information that I need. Similarly, I can look up any monsters on the SRD, skills, classes or prestige classes.   The Plexus SRD rates very highly in terms of both content and an easy to use format.The information in the Plexus SRD is presented in any easy to read format.  It is organized in a format similar to the Players Handbook and the Dungeon Master's Guide.   The effort to organize the SRD into PDF files with easy to access sections is a great bonus to players, DMs, and game designers. Although the files lack the art work and some of the content of the core rules books, the Plexus SRD is a very good update of  the SRD.  All the information is in an easy to read format, and I found no errors in the presentation.There are some ways that the Plexus SRD Revised Bundle could be better.  On a technical issue, there were a few times when I  clicked on part of the Magic Items section and received an error message.   A page that I clicked did not appear. I do not know if this was due to a problem with my copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader or the file itself.   Fortunately, closing the file and reopening the file solves the problem.  To avoid this error, just scroll through the magic item basics section.  (I have informed Creative Mountain Games of the possible error in their files.  To quote Mark Clover of CMG, they are keeping track of potential errata for FREE revisions.)Creative Mountain Games has promised to provide free updates to anyone who purchases the Plexus SRD Revised Bundle or the two other SRD updates.  I think this is a great benefit to customers, as more information will be released for the SRD.  Perhaps future versions could include some CMG artwork.There are several ways that the product could be improved.  A table listing monsters by CR would help Plexus SRD Revised - Monsters.  Similarly, the Plexus SRD Revised - Basics, Spells and Magic Items could benefit from charts showing class skills and non-class skills, as well as some other charts.  (I am uncertain if some of the charts in the PHB, DMG, and Monster Manual are part of the System Release Document from WotC.)  However, it should be possible to create charts that duplicate their work while not including those items that are not part of the SRD.  CMG has promised to have free revisions of the Plexus SRD - Revised and its constituent parts.  Also, although both the Plexus SRD Revised Monsters and Plexus SRD Revised Basics, Spells and Magic Items have color covers, there is no other artwork.  This is pretty much a bare bones product.  Is the Plexus SRD Revised Bundle a replacement for the new 3.5 Dungeons and Dragons core rule books?  No.  However, the product suceeds in presenting the SRD in an easy to use format for gaming publishers and gamers alike. Overall, I consider the Plexus SRD Bundle to be a good product - and a good buy for a PDF product at a cost of $5.  I think the product will be useful to game designers as well as players.  I suspect that the Plexus SRD Bundle will likely only become more valuable as CMG includes free updates.</blockquote>

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