The Book of Eldritch Might

Rating:
Summary: It's hard to earn 5 stars
Review: but Monte Cook has done it. This review is for the PDF file available from Monte Cook's website. The print version I just received has such poor artwork that it merits only three stars. I have written a seperate review for the print version available here.
Remeber the AD&D2 Dungeon Master's Guide? It was awful. Useless. I left it behind when I went to play. Read the 3rd edition DMG? Great, huh? I think so too. The same author left WOTC to do his own thing and return to freelance writing, and this is the first product under his new imprint: Malhavoc Press. If you're spoiled on the high quality of Wizards' products and have been reticent to try third party d20 products, I don't blame you, but this is the exception if ever there was one. I'm tempted to call this the best D&D product of '01. No question that it is in the top ten. Artwork is what you expect from good RPG products; layout is fine, yada yada. Where this product shines is in content. Unless you bought the PDF file online, you can't beat the price. The feats include some interesting goodies, the spells are fantastic, and the magical items are flat-out inspired. If you're worried at all about mechanics, then rest at ease -- Monte Cook designed the mechanics. He, Jonathon Tweet, and Skip "the Sage" Williams are the only authorities on D&D rules, and Monte Cook is my personal favorite RPG writer. This is a clear example of what d20 products should be.

Rating:
Summary: It's hard to earn 5 stars
Review: but Monte Cook has done it. This review is for the PDF file available from Monte Cook's website. The print version I just received has such poor artwork that it merits only three stars. I have written a seperate review for the print version available here.
Remeber the AD&D2 Dungeon Master's Guide? It was awful. Useless. I left it behind when I went to play. Read the 3rd edition DMG? Great, huh? I think so too. The same author left WOTC to do his own thing and return to freelance writing, and this is the first product under his new imprint: Malhavoc Press. If you're spoiled on the high quality of Wizards' products and have been reticent to try third party d20 products, I don't blame you, but this is the exception if ever there was one. I'm tempted to call this the best D&D product of '01. No question that it is in the top ten. Artwork is what you expect from good RPG products; layout is fine, yada yada. Where this product shines is in content. Unless you bought the PDF file online, you can't beat the price. The feats include some interesting goodies, the spells are fantastic, and the magical items are flat-out inspired. If you're worried at all about mechanics, then rest at ease -- Monte Cook designed the mechanics. He, Jonathon Tweet, and Skip "the Sage" Williams are the only authorities on D&D rules, and Monte Cook is my personal favorite RPG writer. This is a clear example of what d20 products should be.

Rating:
Summary: Just what i wanted
Review: It gave me new spells and new campaign ideas. it was what i wanted, so I am very happy with this product.

Rating:
Summary: Nice supplement from Mr. Cook
Review: It would be right to assume that the writer of the 3rd Edition Dungeon Master's Guide would have a few good ideas of his sleeve. This is the first product from Monte Cook's own imprint, and while on the slim side, the price is very, very appreciable and the content great. There are new prestige classes, such as the mirror mage and the graven one, new spells, new magic items and new feats. The artwork is good and supplements the material nicely. There's not much bad to say about it, and i look forward to the second Eldritch book coming out in March (which i believe has a rewritten bard class).

Rating:
Summary: A superior accessory
Review: One thing I like about the 3E core rulebooks is it seems like WotC play tested the hell out of them. Nearly everything is fairly well balanced. Many aspects have been simplified from the 2nd addition in a good way (though sometimes too much.) Overall, I really like 3E and consider it worth buying.

Enter supplemental materials like the Book of Eldritch Might, by Monte Cook. Let's take a look:

VALUE: Under 10 bucks for the printed version, or 5 bucks for the PDF file (available from his website). After shelling out at least 20 for each of the class books, I find this very refreshing.

DESIGN: The art in the printed version is pretty horrible. But, it's nice to have the printed bound version for easy access. However, I went with the PDF and had Kinko's print it out and spiral bind it. It's just as nice, if not nicer.

CONTENT: This is where all of Monte's D&D 3E material shines. The man is brilliant when it comes to fantasy game design. The BoEM contains new feats, spells (primary for Wizard's and Sorcs), new prestige classes, and new magic items. However, these aren't just more of the same things we've seen. Each has a unique flavor and purpose. Examples:

FEATS: Eldritch feats enhance spell-casting abilities in a whole new way outside of metamagic. Most are usable for many of your daily spells, if you meet the prereqs. Rune & tattoo magic -- very cool, great flavor to a campaign.

PRESTIGE CLASSES: For those of you that follow the many PrCs that get published through Dragon mag, Monte's are almost always unique and cool. So too in this book. Embermage: Ultimate fire mage. Graven One: A mage covered in sigils, glyphs, and tattoos, using them to invoke powerful magic. How cool of a NPC would that make? The other PrCs are solid too.

SPELLS: As mentioned, most are for Wizard and Sorc, but there is a mishmash of spells for druids and even the assassin PrC. The spells are all creative, interesting, and remarkably well-balanced.

MAGIC ITEMS: Interesting! Magic vehicles. Magic poisons. Others that vary in power, but never vary in cool factor. Your players will love to get their hands on these, and will loathe NPCs wielding them!

OVERALL: 5 Stars. One of the few accessories that I've opened up in its entirety to my game. Visit Monte Cook's website for errata to this book, and all his other Malhavok Press products...

Rating:
Summary: Buy the PDF, not the SSS edition here.
Review: Terrific feats! Great spells! Brilliant Prestige Classes! Thrilling magical items! [understated] artwork! This work is available directly from the author at montecook.com in PDF format. In that format, the art is provided by the Unseelie Court and Luis Corte Real. THIS IS A FIVE-STAR BOOK. So, why just three stars? Because Sword & Sorcery's in-house artist Brian LeBlanc is a poor substitute indeed for the original artists. The price is higher in hardcopy, and the artwork is very poor. The one positive note is that this print version includes a couple of features not included in the PDF verson of the Book of Eldritch Might, but then these are available for free through Monte Cook's web site. Again, this otherwise nearly faultless book suffers the onus of some horrible artwork. (Think Fiend Folio)

Rating:
Summary: Buy the PDF, not the SSS edition here.
Review: Terrific feats! Great spells! Brilliant Prestige Classes! Thrilling magical items! [understated] artwork! This work is available directly from the author at montecook.com in PDF format. In that format, the art is provided by the Unseelie Court and Luis Corte Real. THIS IS A FIVE-STAR BOOK. So, why just three stars? Because Sword & Sorcery's in-house artist Brian LeBlanc is a poor substitute indeed for the original artists. The price is higher in hardcopy, and the artwork is very poor. The one positive note is that this print version includes a couple of features not included in the PDF verson of the Book of Eldritch Might, but then these are available for free through Monte Cook's web site. Again, this otherwise nearly faultless book suffers the onus of some horrible artwork. (Think Fiend Folio)

Rating:
Summary: An excellent collection of Spells
Review: This is an extremely useful book with new spells, feats and magic items in it. The spells are well balenced and won't require any adjustments before being put in a campaign. The PDF ... is a better value, but the print version is pretty good.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent collection of Spells
Review: This is an extremely useful book with new spells, feats and magic items in it. The spells are well balenced and won't require any adjustments before being put in a campaign. The PDF ... is a better value, but the print version is pretty good.