Rating: 
Summary: The prestige classes rock!
Review: For once, since the first few "example" prestige classes in the DMG, Tome and Blood brings some great, unique, well thought-out prestige classes to the D&D world. The rest of the book is just fine - the new feats are useful and there are some that really stand to enhance the flavor of a character (such as the improved familiar and the energy substitution feat), the new spells are great and fill some holes that have been missing in D&D players spellbooks since the first edition of the game. However, the prestige classes themselves make this book my favorite of the class-geared rules series so far.
Rating: 
Summary: An Improvement on what's come before...
Review: I have never, ever played a mage. As part of my policy of letting the people who make a habit of playing a mage worry about magic, I ignored this book for several months. However, lately, I've decided that I might have to turn my hand towards magery.So, what do we have in this, the splatbook for wizards and sorcerers? Well, there is the obligatory mass of prestige classes, as well as new spells, metamagic feats, playing tips, and rules clarifications. What's good? I especially appreciated the discussion on item creation, which gives more detail on how it works and what happens, and better information on costs. The metamagic feats are interesting, and some are downright mean; my DM sprang a sorcerer with a fire admixed cone of cold on us one time, doubling the damage output of the spell (but making it into a much higher level spell). I especially liked the Mage of the Arcane Order, Arcane Trickster, Wayfarer Guide, and Bladesinger prestige classes. The spells are also pretty neat, and the tips section is nice and thorough. What's bad? Aside from the four prestige classes I mentioned above, I barely have a use for any others. They seem to be mostly meant for NPCs. And of those four prestige classes, the bladesinger had to be heavily errataed on wizards.com, due to most of its abilities being left out. If there were less...eccentric prestige classes, I'd be a lot happier. A note about role-playing stuff: At heart, D&D has ALWAYS been a generic game. Without a setting attached, you can really only do so much to create a background for a class, which is why I believe that WotC isn't pushing the roleplaying component in source material like this. Sure, the default setting is Greyhawk, but the vast majority of people who I know play in any other setting that's been published, or made up their own. All in all, this is a pretty good supplement. WotC is definitely improving their line of splatbooks as they go along. I can't wait for Song & Silence to come out.
Rating:
Summary: cheese for the hero
Review: Wizards must have for D&D
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite what i was hoping for
Review: After the phenomenal debut of their core rulebooks, i have not been particularly satisfied with the supplemental paperbacks. In particular, the class enhancements like Sword and Fist and Defenders of the Faith. They're not BAD, per se, and Tome and Blood has its useful information, but compared to what it could have been, and what you're getting for twenty bucks, its just about not worth it. First, the pluses: New skills, new Feats (some of which are overpowering, so DM's' beware) and the best thing is the new Prestige classes, including the interesting Guildmage and the Pale Master. The Prestige classes are well thought out and interesting, and many players will be hopping to try them out. Now, the minuses, which in my opinion outweigh the pluses- The presentation of the book lacks appeal. The artwork is sparse, not all of it good, with few embellishments along the way to jump out and grab the reader. I have to admit, i miss the old brown Complete Handbooks of 2nd edition with their full color inserts. Not only where they longer, but there were cheaper too! There is roughly eight pages of this skinny 96 page book that describes the domicle of a wizard, replete with room descriptions and details. In my opinion, when space for text is so limited as is, this could have gone toward somethign much more useful. The spells are TERRIBLE! How many ice/fire/acid orbs can a person need? I was looking forward to dozens of rehashed spells from the Wizard's Handbook series updated to 3rd edition. Sorry, that's just not really done here. There are a few good spells, but you are better off grabbing the second edition ones and updating them yourself, or wait for yet ANOTHER supplement to come along that has some decent spells. Roleplaying tips are sparse, other than what is included in the prestige classes. EVen these could have been fleshed out some more. To me, the whole project just seemed rushed, slapped together with a minimum of expense and then shipped out at the usual high price. If i could have just gotten some better details out of it i woudl have been happy, but for this DM, they were just too far and few between to give it a higher rating.
Rating:
Summary: No more "typical mage"- unless you want one.
Review: Everyone knows the archetype- The bearded wizard, dressed in flowing robes and carrying a staff, possibly with a pointy hat on his head. That's part of the problem- the previous versions of the Dungeons and Dragons game did little to help players deviate from that archetype. Not to say that many clever players didn't find a way- but that creativity was always an uphill battle. Variation rarely went farther than the occasional wild mage from the 2nd Ed. Tome of Magic, or the 1st ed. Oriental Adventures' Wu Jen. With the 3rd edition, there is more variety in wizardry. Sorcerers alone add a new dimension. This book keeps it going with more metamagic feats, several very interesting Prestige Classes, and a few helpful spells. From sorcerers slowly transforming to display aspects of their draconic heritage to wizards gaining power through grafts of fiend-flesh, there are odd, interesting varieties available. There is even a Prestige Class for the robed grey-beard with the staff and pointy hat, if you want it. For those that want to stay close to the norm, there is very good advice on School Specialization, The Care and Upkeep of Familiars, and other developmental aspects for character building through low, middle, and higher levels. On the negative, there is some overlap with a few spells, feats and such also found in the Forgotten Realms book, but that's about all I could find wrong with it. Aslo, it seems that with this release Wizards is getting a better handle on game balance. I think thast the features in this book are much less unbalancing than some of the items in the earlier Sword and Fist.
Rating:
Summary: The prestige classes rock!
Review: For once, since the first few "example" prestige classes in the DMG, Tome and Blood brings some great, unique, well thought-out prestige classes to the D&D world. The rest of the book is just fine - the new feats are useful and there are some that really stand to enhance the flavor of a character (such as the improved familiar and the energy substitution feat), the new spells are great and fill some holes that have been missing in D&D players spellbooks since the first edition of the game. However, the prestige classes themselves make this book my favorite of the class-geared rules series so far.
Rating:
Summary: cheese for the hero
Review: Wizards must have for D&D
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: well I got tome and blood for my birthday and I was looking through and I found some alright prestige classes. after a while I read a little bit farther in the prestige class section and found the Dragon Disiple. Since I am a sorcerer I was Amazed.It is literally the best Persige Class is the entire book. after thati look at the spells and I found the lesser acid orbs. they are like magic missle except a bit better.(at least i thin they are better. all in all i think this is a pretty good book.
Rating:
Summary: A nice supplement
Review: "Tome and Blood" is a fairly good supplement with a wide variety of useful feat, interesting prestige classes, and a couple of good spells. Some of the prestige classes, "The Acolyte of the Flesh" and the "Alienist" for example, would be hard pressed to be useful for a player character but would be nice NPC's. I was slightly disappointed at the variety of schools, lots of innovation for necromancy, but the other schools, particularly illusion seemed to get short handed. Also, compared to some of the d20 licensee products like Fantasy Flight Games's "Spells and Spellcraft" or Malhavoc Press's "Eldritch Might" series, this was pretty expensive for the amount of information given.
Rating:
Summary: Great Metamagic, Good Spells, OK PrCs
Review: This is probably the guidebook I use most, since I play a spellcaster in my current 3e campaign. I recommend this book if for no other reasons than to upgrade the type of feats you can draw on as a Wizard or Sorcerer and open up a number of new avenues your mage can explore. I really appreciate the metamagic feats, particularly energy admixture and substitution, which give a battle mage new tools to take on the numerous meanies with resistance to specific energies, and scult spell, which allows you to move beyond the circular blast of a standard fireball and into some very exciting alternatives. Among the new spells, the Orb and Lesser Orb spells are a solid choice for low- to mid-level offensive attacks. I had some difficulty with the PrCs, which struck me as being of limited value. Without a DM who tailors his campaign to the inclusion of the elements needed to tap the capabilities offered, many of them would be counterproductive for a player to take. However, if you have a DM who will work with you, there's some very interesting campaign arcs that can be explored. Overall, a solid extension of magic options for the D&D system.
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