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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Voadam" data-source="post: 2011177" data-attributes="member: 2209">Way of the Sword is a pdf sourcebook of the martial oriented races, classes, and feats from Monte Cook's alternative Player's Handbook, Arcana Unearthed. It comes on its own or as part of a three pdf bundle that excerpts the majority of the new rules material from AU.Arcana Unearthed was designed to provide mechanical fantasy archetype alternatives to the D&D classes, demi-human races, and Vancian magic system as well as provide a complete d20 high fantasy game with a different tone from D&D's game world implications. Way of the Sword is almost completely D&D compatible with a couple of small modifications: the hide and move silent skills have been collapsed into one sneak skill, and all characters get an extra feat at first level, either a truename ritual feat, or an extra first level only feat for characters without truenames.The default world behind the setting has a lot of flavor and evocative history that comes out in both the mechanics of how certain things work and in the descriptions of the various races and classes. For example, rituals and truenames are very important in the world and a number of the feats require the character to have a truename and undergo a ritual as a prerequisite. This allows for more supernatural effects to be available to otherwise non-magical characters. Also the history of Giants as a caretaker patron race that dominates the land is well developed in the racial backgrounds of the other races such as the Sibbecai that they created. This history is even followed through to the extent that the Sibeccai automatic languages are common and giant instead of a unique one of their own.Instead of the Tolkein derived Elves, Dwarves, and Haf-Orcs, Way of the Sword provides Faen (small elf-like beings), Sprytes (Faen who used a feat to become tiny-sized winged fey), Giants (start off medium-sized but seven feet tall), Littorians (nomadic tribal lion-men) and Sibbecai (short lived jackal-men). All except the Faen have three-level racial classes that can be taken to make the characters more archetypical of their race, gaining further stat bonuses and some abilities such as a bite attack for the furry races, gaining large size after a ritual for the Giants, and spell-like abilities for the Sprytes. None of them have an ECL modifier or a favored class designation.Instead of fighters, rogues and monks, Way of the Sword provides six new martial classes.Champions: supernaturally powered champions of a cause or concept such as light, life, death, darkness, magic or freedom. They gain summonable weapons and shields and varying powers depending upon their cause, with guidelines to create other devotions. At higher levels their devotions can become a specific place, people, or even a single person.Mage Blades: Warrior mages with 2/3 BAB, and spellcasting up to seventh-level spells. They bond with a blade and can use it instead of somatic components. They use the AU spellcasting method of spell slots to power spells and fixed "readied" spells for determining which ones they can cast in a day. Their spell list is only included in AU or the pdf The Grimoire, but allowing normal wizard spells should not be too unbalancing in a game without those.Oathsworn: Monk alternatives with 2/3 BAB (and 3.0 monk iterative attacks every 3 BAB) who must always be under an oath and either keep them or fulfill them within a year or lose their class powers. These are very reminiscent of the Bloodguard from the Thomas Covenant novels (as are the Giant race).Totem Warriors: Wilderness oriented warriors who are chosen by a single animal totem and gain powers and eventually animal companions that grow with them. Their hit die type and the strength and number of their powers (including at what level they can transform into their totem form) vary from animal to animal with guidelines presented to develop new animal types. Core totems include Bear, Hawk, Shark, Snake, Wolf, and Wolverine. They are reminiscent of Shadowrun's shamanic adepts. Unfettered: Swashbuklers with d8 Hit Dice, 1/1 BAB, non-armor based defensive parrying abilities, and sneak attacks every four levels. A good core swashbuckler.Warmain: Heavy armor warriors with d12 Hit Dice and two more total bonus feats than fighters but many of them predetermined. These can outtank a fighter but lack the breadth of the fighter's customizability.The only fantasy warrior niche that is not well developed is the archer, many of the classes can make them but only one totem warrior specialty (Hawk) is specifically oriented to missile fire.Fifty eight feats round out the supplement. A number are ritual ones such as the Giant only Chi-Julud which allows a Giant to enter a rage temporarily turning points of Wisdom and Charisma into Strength and Constitution enhancements. Others like Affinity with Skill which gives a +4 to a skill, may only be taken at first level (and Ambidexterity is reclassified to be first level only now). A few such as Wealthy and Title are not directly combat related. Straight combat ones include First Strike which provides stackable sneak attack damage when striking flat-footed opponents.Way of the Sword succeeds in creating quality alternative fantasy races and martial classes. The fairy and giant PC races fill common folklore niches and the furries are a common type of "new" race for fantasy series from the Kzinti to Thundercats. It is amusing though that both D&D Dwarves and AU Giants are medium-sized. The races are well balanced as baseline no ECL races. They have good histories and interesting character traits. They would make a good PC race palette on their own and are easily insertible into most fantasy worlds.The classes do many jobs well. Champions are a step up conceptually from the narrow requirements of the paladin class, but their powers seem a touch off, for instance their shield and sword can only be summoned for one fight a day. Totem warriors are interesting nature/animal champions but they must be shapeshifters with animal companions, the shark warrior can't really take his companion into the city, wilderness, or a dungeon. Unfettered fill a cool archetype niche that has mostly been filled by multiclassed characters, prestige classes and characters that sacrifice part of the concept (warrior BAB weapon skill) or major class abilities (a fighter's heavy armor and shield for AC). Mechanically the unfettered have a better feel than even the swashbucklers in WotC's Complete Warrior. The mage blade is an attractive warrior mage with interesting abilities, a well done class. Oathsworn are an alternative monk that could represent a different martial art tradition, but their oaths can be as restrictive as a paladin's code. The warmain fills the tank niche very well but seems to do a fighter's main niche better than a fighter can, so the balance may be off if allowed next to D&D classes.It would have been nice to have the new AU equipment included in the war supplement and the mage blade probably should have been included in the magic user pdf instead of leaving his magic mostly undefined. Overall, however, the races, classes, and feats that are useable out of the box are worth checking out.</blockquote>

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