Beware! This review contains major spoilers.
Sword And Fist is a guidebook to fighters and monks for the D&D game. It costs $19.95.
Production & Presentation: This is a 96-page softcover accessory. The front cover is average colour artwork showing 3 of the standard PCs from the PHB (including a very odd masculine-looking female monk). The back cover gives a very brief overview of the accessory. The inside covers are both blank. The first page contains credits, the second and third pages contents. The layout is standard WotC stuff, two columns of clear text bordered by a runic strip on the outer edge of each page. There is plenty of black & white internal artwork, much of which is good, but seems a little repetitive. The maps at the back of the accessory are of good quality and depict the various buildings dealt with in the final chapter (see below), in typical overhead view.
Whats Inside: The introduction highlights the fact that the information inside is optional material - the DM has the final say over what they bring into their own campaign. My previous experience of the Complete Handbooks of 2nd Edition is that most people treat these optional rules as an extension to the main rules rather than an option, pretty much negating this comment, but it had to be said I guess.
Chapter One deals with Feats and Skills. New feats are Blindsight (sense opponents in darkness), Circle Kick (kick multiple opponents), Close-Quarters Fighting (improves grappling), Death Blow (improved coup de grace), Dirty Fighting (extra damage with full attack), Dual Strike (improves flanking bonus), Eagle Claw Attack (shatter objects with unarmed strike), Expert Tactician (additional partial action against Dex-less opponent), Extra Stunning Attacks (three extra for Stunning Fist), Eyes In The Back Of Your Head (negates flanking bonus), Feign Weakness (bluff catches opponent flat-footed), Fists Of Iron (more damage from unarmed attack), Hold The Line (improves defence against charging), Improved Overrun (target cannot avoid), Improved Sunder (double damage), Knock-Down (free trip after 10 point melee attack), Lightning Fists (2 extra attacks), Mantis Leap (improved melee attack after Jump), Monkey Grip (can wield larger weapons), Off-Hand Parry (+2 dodge from off-hand weapon parry), Pain Touch (victims nauseated for 1 round), Pin Shield (negate shield AC), Power Lunge (doubles strength modifier to damage, draws AoO), Prone Attack (no penalty), Rapid Reload (free action, draws AoO), Remain Conscious (partial actions with negative hp), Sharp-Shooting (+2 vs. opponents with partial cover), Shield Expert (off-hand attack with shield, retain AC), Snatch Arrows, Throw Anything (any weapon), Zen Archery (Wis modifier to ranged attacks <30 ft.). There are some new uses for old skills discussed and some new Knowledge skills (War, Streetwise, Politics, Maths, Literature, Folklore).
Chapter Two deals with Prestige Classes: Cavalier (mounted combat class features), Devoted Defender (defensive class features), Drunken Master (alcohol improves combat class features (yeah, riiiiight!)), Duelist (movement and defence class features), Fist Of Hextor (thuggish class features), Ghostwalker (mystical class features), Gladiator (tactical fighting and performance class features), Halfling Outrider (mounted defence class features), Knight Protector Of The Great Kingdom (improved combat and skills class features), Lasher (whip class features), Master Of Chains (chain combat class features), Master Samurai (mystical combat and movement class features), Ninja Of The Crescent Moon (mystical sneaking combat class features), Order Of The Bow Initiate (ranged attack class features), Ravager (terror class features), Red Avenger (mystical sonic class features), Tribal Protector (homeland-related class features), Warmaster (battle tactics class features), Weapon Master (increased effect of weapon class features).
Chapter Three (Worldly Matters) covers basic details on the possible roles of a fighter in the game world and takes a look at using racial advantages to best effect for the class, then repeats this process for a monk. The rest of the chapter is devoted to organisations in the campaign, most of which is taken up by five examples: The Fists of Hextor, The Knight Protectors of the Great Kingdom, The Knights of the Watch, The Ravagers and The Red Avengers, which link to the Prestige Classes in Chapter Two, and are all Greyhawk-related, with some advice on adapting them to your own campaign.
Chapter Four (The Game Within The Game) deals firstly with a few ideas on how to choose skills, feats and allocate ability scores when creating a character to emulate a more modest version of a Prestige Class (e.g. Gladiator, Duelist, Pirate). A short example shows the importance of choosing feats carefully to achieve a prestige class as early as possible. The next section of the accessory outlines combat tactics – general (such as dealing with undead opponents) and specific (such as using the Cleave feat). It then continues with advice on giving monsters levels in fighter and monk, followed by two short sections on mounted combat. Two combat examples come next – mounted combat, and the duel – with character stats provided. There are also two official rules clarifications on using shuriken and striking with a touch spell. The chapter finishes with three rules variants – counter tumble, flexible weapon focus with bows, and double-handed disarm.
Chapter Five (Tools Of The Trade) introduces some new exotic weapons. There is a section on comparing certain weapons that have not been described for 3rd Edition to previously described ones (e.g a gladius equates to a short sword, a katana to a masterwork bastard sword). Some new magic items are then introduced. The next section covers chariots with some chariot-specific feats. The rest of the chapter is dedicated to examples of fighter/monk-related buildings – a border tower, an elven canopy tower, a lighthouse keep, a gnome bridge keep, a bailey castle, a dwarven plateau castle, a monks’ temple and a gladiatorial arena. Each entry has information on the structure, typical inhabitants and cost. In addition, the gladiatorial arena has ideas on unusual gladiatorial fights. The maps towards the end of this section show a representation of each of the buildings described in the text.
The High Points: There are several interesting feats that I feel enhance the game – in particular Dirty Fighting, Eyes In The Back Of Your Head, Feign Weakness and Off-Hand Parry either enhance roleplaying or fill a gap in the rules for me. I liked the Drunken Master, the Weapon Master and the Knight Protector of the Great Kingdom prestige classes in terms of enhancing roleplaying opportunities for PCs and there were plenty of prestige classes that could be used by DMs for NPCs. I always find combat examples useful to show me how the rules work, and I found the two examples in Chapter 4 helpful.
The Low Points: Before I go any further I have to admit I am not a great fan of the monk class and the special powers that are related to this class. There are certain feats (Eagle Claw Attack and Pain Touch in particular) that I found challenged my suspension of disbelief, and grated on my nerves. Most of the Prestige Classes I thought would be very hard to be used for a PC, more useful for NPCs. I also must admit I am not a fan of the Greyhawk setting and the Greyhawk-related Prestige Classes grated on my nerves, but are adaptable if you look beyond the surface description. Chapter Three was the poorest of the chapters in my opinion, stating the obvious in many cases and not escaping from stereotypes very often. I would have appreciated (and expected) more information on designing organizations in one’s own campaign rather than giving five lengthy and specific Greyhawk examples – whilst these examples show the structure for covering an organisation, more of the general and less of the specific would have been better in my opinion, though there were interesting ideas hidden within the examples. I found much of Chapter 4 bland, and most of the tactics I have already read elsewhere. The buildings were stereotyped and offered little in the way of new ideas or creativity.
Conclusion: If you’re a fan of extra feats and new prestige classes, and/or you’re a Greyhawk fan, there is enough in here to be worth buying. The new weapons and magic items add to the value, if you like these standard offerings. However, I found nothing that really excited my imagination – a couple of things were good, much of it was blandly average, most of it I will never use. Therefore, I am giving this a Poor rating, though I am heavily influenced by my dislike of monks and Greyhawk. I also felt slightly aggrieved to think that I am in effect buying the Complete Handbooks all over again for 3rd Edition. For others, this could be averagely useful, and for a few a good addition to their gaming material if they like Greyhawk, new feats, prestige classes, weapons and magic items.
