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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MDSnowman" data-source="post: 2010945" data-attributes="member: 6255">Vigil Watch: Secrets of the Asaatthi is a 120 page Sourcebook for Sword and Sorcery Studio's Scarred Lands setting. The Cover shows a female Vigilant (conviently dressed in a full body leather get up, coming apart suggstively around hip level ^_^ ) fighting off two of the Asaatthi, one casting a spell the other using a sword.What no introudction is this book? I like it already.Chapter 1: History of the AsaatthThis chapter is told through an Asaatthi historian who met, and suprisingly didn't attack, a group of Vigliants investigating them. The history of the Asaatth is a complicated matter, but the gist is this... They are the first born of Mormo's creation and spent years living underground till the Epoch opf Mormo when they emerged and using weather controling magic established 6 great cities all over the world. Eventually though they fell to infighting (they are snakes after all) and Mormo withdrew her favor... in the resulting Chaos Barbarians destroyed the empire. (Bare in mind the story is being told by one of their own, odds are they weren't giving the other races enough credit). Then the epoch changed and forced with a cold even they couldn't combat they withdrew into hibernation. During that time Mormo blessed a group of creatures namng them the Yuan-ti and they became the second born, from the Yuan-ti the Gorgons were born . Eventually the ice thawed and the Asaatthi woke themselves up, needless to say they weren't happy to see Momo having gone on without them, but they pulled themselves together just in time for the Divine War... then Mormo was defeated. Since then they've just been biding their time.Chapter 2: lands of the SerpentfolkThis chapter details, more than a little dryly, the two major places on Ghelspad that the Asaatth still live. The first are the Swamps of Kan Thet, they are a collection of providences  surrounding Liar's Sound. Despite the less than frienly conditions this group represents a culture clearly patterned after Feudal Japan. Each province is ruled by a Lord and a Warmaster. The various lands represent three different clans within the Kan Thet swamps, Ssruutek (the Warrior Clan), Mormus (The Clan of Druids), and Caallek (nominally the lower clan, but no where near useless) This group makes a great deal of use of the Samurai class from Oriental Adventures to drive home just how special the Asaatthi are.The other major gathering of Asaatthi dwell in the Ukrudan Desert. They are centered largely around their last great city (defended with magic so powerful even they can't get back in) and the rest of the tribes are entirely nomadic. The groups here are rules by Liches who can remember life since before the hibernation. The chapter rounds out with a few places where one is likely to find smaller numbers of the race.Chapter 3: Life of the AsaatthiThis chapter deals with the basics of the race, their life cycles, mating habits, psychology. This sections one so much insight into the Asaatthi as a race that anyone would have no problem Role Playing them. Next we're given "breeds of Asaatth" while what most people know of as Purebloods are most common they also have River Dwellers, Infiltrators (able to take human form), Misbred (those with a parent of another race), and Rrassek (those with genetic defects). Next we move into feats, the basic feats are a short list and most require an Asaatthi psyhology. What is of more interest are the Technique feats, each is a combat style that is done as a series of feats, each feat gives you another new attack to make.The Alyeeth Kassuk Style- This style focuses on deception. using fients and quick movements to catch foes off guard, and at its peak, move in such a way as to make a foe think they're in another world (granting the user a HUGE bonus).The Taasuden Style- This style focuses on moving the blade so quickly that the wielder gathers a pocket of condensed air at the tip of his blade. At it's most powerful it gives an average weapon extra reach and can deflect attacks.The Utaan Ite Style- This is a two weapon style and when mastered allows the warrior to hypnotise foes within 60' rendering them unable to attack. Next we're given Weapon Familars in which a weapon takes on the role of a Asaatthi's familar. Various feats are available that further enhance it, some geared toward combat, others toward magic. All in all a very fun concept.Finally there are Loci feats, where the Asaatthi store a bit of magical energy inside themselves for future use.The chapter rounds out with a few new spells, weapons, and magical items, even a couple of minor artifacts.Appendix I: Masters of Sword and SpellOf course, the prestige classes... 1-10 and a blurbAncestral Warrior (7)- Someone who calls on their ancestors to improve their abilities in battle.Dragon Warrior (6)- Mystics who channel the power of ancient dragons in combatLocus Master (6)- The logical extemsnion of the Loci featsOrnamancer (5)- because these snakes like their gems, a spellcaster who focuses on them.Paragon Warrior (7)- Master warriors who try to become symbols of their race's might.Relic Hunter (4)- Not to be confused withthe TV show or Tomb RaiderAverage? 5.8, eh not great, some good ideas, despite what the book says most of these Prestige Classes are for Snake people only.Appendix II: Adventures Among the SerpentfolkThey should say Adventure (singular) this chapter is dominated by a detailed adventure in which the Vigils of Vesh, Calastian Battle Mages, and a group of Asaatthi are all about to stumble onto an ancient secret tied to both the Asaatthi and the ancient SlareciansAppendix III: Lexicon Because dang they need itFinal Verdict: A very good book, the usefulness cannot be understated. If you're going to use the Asaatthi this is the book for you. On the other hand they have alot of white spaces (especially around the prestige class) and almost none of this "Vigil Watch" is told from the perspective of the Vigils. With Warrens of the Ratmen we got a great view of the Knock Down drag out fight the Vigils were in against the Ratmen, compared to that the Asaatthi seem more like a curiosity. That keeps this book from being a 5.</blockquote>

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