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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2010492" data-attributes="member: 18387">By John Grigsby, Staff ReviewerSizing Up the TargetThe Ultimate Alien Anthology is a STAR WARS supplement from Wizards of the Coast. This is a 224-page full-color hardcover by Eric Cagle, Cory J. Hendon, Michael Mikaelian, Steve Miller, Owen K.C. Stephens, and JD Wiker. The wrap-around cover art features a cantina scene by Tommy Lee Edwards and several fine talents contribute to the interior artwork, including Sam Wood and R.K. Post (perhaps best known for his work on the fan-favorite ALTERNITY game from TSR, Inc.). The Ultimate Alien Anthology retails for $34.95.First BloodOne of the single most memorable scenes from all of the Star Wars movies is doubtlessly the cantina scene from Star Wars: A New Hope. In a brief, 15-minute scene, the viewer is given a glimpse at the incredible variety of life-forms that call the galaxy home. The later films expand the roster with even more intriguing and fascinating beings, but Star Wars role-playing products have always seemed to focus on the few prominently-featured alien races, leaving the countless others as backdrop and set dressing. Until now, that is.In the Ultimate Alien Anthology, you will find a collection of 180 alien species, many of which have never been described in any role-playing product. From Star Wars: Episode I to Star Wars: Episode VI and beyond, dozens of beings both strange and wonderful can be found here. Yes, the Ewoks, Wookies, and Vuuzhan Vong are here, but so are species like the Vuvrians, Toydarians, and Kaminoans. If it has ever appeared in a Star Wars novel, comic book, or movie, there’s a fair chance that you’ll find it in here (assuming it has at least a reasonable intelligence).Only intelligent species (and the term is sometimes loosely defined) are featured, and each is laid out in a format identical to the species from the core rulebook; background, personality, physical description, homeworld, language, sample names, age categories, adventurers, and species traits. Every creature in this book stands ready to be dropped right into a game as a player character and an example of a typical commoner of the race is provided for GMs to use at a moment’s notice. What is more, some species (such as the dressellians, for example) have favored weapons, armor, or other equipment. In a case such as this, the information is included with the information on the race.A selection of 180 alien races is a lot of material, especially given that each and every race in the book is illustrated in full-color against a height chart for easy size reference. As if that weren’t enough, you also get eight new prestige classes (the aerobat, the beastwarden, the big-game hunter, the bodyguard, the changeling, the findsman, the mystic agent, and the telepath) and 16 new feats! Finally, there is a brief discussion on playing yuuzhan vong as the caste-based beings that they are and how the different classes fit into their society.The extensive Table of Contents takes the place of an index, which instead focuses on the homeworlds of the various aliens in this book. I’m happy to note that the races from the core rulebook are included here, which makes me think that someone at Wizards might have read my review of the Arms & Equipment Guide and paid attention. If you’re going to do a “complete” work, it should be complete, don’t you think?Critical HitsIf I had to point out a particular point, I guess it would be the artwork. It is one thing to describe a Ssi-ruuk to a player. It is another thing entirely to be able to point to a picture of one and see the expression on their faces. I would love to see Wizards of the Coast make the artwork from this available on their website (as they have done with so many of their products).Critical MissesWith the variety of beings that exists in the Star Wars universe, it seems inevitable that someone’s favorite alien will be left out or forgotten, but the 180 they have chosen to include are sure to keep players and GMs busy for the extent of most campaigns. My only compliant is, once again, the issue of price. This book costs as much as the core rulebook, yet has 100 fewer pages! The quality and production values remain consistently high, but this is a supplement. Why should I have to pay as much as to buy the rules?Coup de GraceOther than the price, I am constantly blown away by Wizards’ handling of the Star Wars line. They have really pushed the limits of the license and are going far beyond the movies in their product lines. Though it lacks any Open Game Content, the d20 mechanics of the Ultimate Alien Anthology are right on target (what else would you expect?) and this book will serve both GMs and players equally well (assuming your GM lets you make use of the information herein).To see the graded evaluation of this product and to leave comments that the reviewer will respond to, go to The Critic's Corner at <a href="http://www.d20zines.com/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=index&catid=&topic=3" target="_blank">www.d20zines.com.</a></blockquote>

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