3 comments about Exalted Scroll of Kings (Exalted 2nd Ed).

1. Those familiar with White Wolf products (especially the Exalted line) will note the substantial editing problems. Only the most grammar conscious or irritable would claim that these really detract from the quality of the product, I feel, but then again I have been acclimated to this sort of shoddy editing by years of it.
   
   Scroll of Kings is a solid book, containing a great deal of setting information necessary for running campaigns dealing with military campaigns and the like. Each of the first five chapters covers one direction (South, North, West, East, Central) and introduces rules and mechanics that pertain to the conditions most common in that direction. The armies of major nations and cities in each direction are also given a thorough treatment, complete with Mass Combat statistics for one unit per locale. All in all, this material is very sound and satisfying and makes an enjoyable read. I was especially fond of the discussion of each direction's war gods, their rites, rituals and dispositions. History buffs will be alternately entertained or frustrated, depending on how picky they are about "realistic tactics and equipment," but the relevance of such a discussion within a fantasy line is a perennial argument that will not disappear anytime soon.
   
   With regards to the treatment of Exalted canon, your mileage may vary. An example: The presence of projectile firing shore and deck cannons in the old Savage Seas supplement always nudged me the wrong way (since it contradicted most explanations for why Firedust was not gunpowder and could not be used the same way) and now that has been somewhat retconned with the introduction of steam cannons. The same principles apply ... one need only use the firedust to vaporize water in a boiler and then the steam does the work of pushing the stone or shell.
   
   While I like steam-cannons in my setting, others have expressed their distaste. The individual preferences of each reader ought to be considered.
   
   The last thing that bears mentioning is the degree to which various rules and mechanics are scattered throughout the chapters. I enjoyed this organization, but I also understand the outrage and frustration of others who find it messy and irresponsible.
   
   I am well satisfied with it and eagerly anticipate the next supplements in the line.



2. The Mass Combat rules for Exalted need quite a lot of work. They're clumsy to work with and some of the mechanics are simply poorly thought out (e.g., the way Morale scales for larger armies provides for ridiculous results in which a very small force of mortals can, without much trouble, rout most of a 10,000 man strong enemy force of mortals. No Exalted or heroic mortals need be involved). I'm running a campaign in which an important battle is coming up, and so I bought this book assuming that it would feature a better and streamlined ruleset that would save me a lot of time and provide for a better play experience.
   
   Unfortunately, the book doesn't deliver.
   It outlines a lot of flavor for military forces in the different regions of Creation, including a few stat blocks for different kinds of troops. It also features some mildly useful information for ships and other military equipment, such as siege engines and cannons. These details are useful, to be sure. But what use is this level of detail when the system itself won't work without extensive house-ruling?
   I own most of the Exalted 2nd Ed books, and this is the only one which I regret purchasing. You can obtain a great deal of the flavor from the relevant Compass of Terrestrial Directions books, and statting out armies and units isn't that hard. The main contribution this book should have made was improving the core system of Mass Combat, and that is exactly what it doesn't do in any shape or way.
   With so many other excellent Exalted supplements, I suggest you pass on this one.



3. Scroll of Kings is a collection of rules, etc., centered around the theme of armies and warfare. Within are clarifications to the mass combat system, stats for siege weaponry, info on the military practices and sample units from a variety of nations (including several not previously covered), and other stuff of that nature. There is also info on the major directional gods of war, their worship and agendas.
   
   The one potentially confusing thing is the overall organization. The book is arranged by direction, such that the rules for sieges are in the section on the South, whereas naval combat is in the chapter on the West. It makes thematic sense, but it means you have to have a good sense of the themes involved (or have read the whole book already) if you want to just look up a particular thing. Of course, the whole thing isn't that long, so it's not a big problem. Also, most things with stats are at the end in the appendices, so that while naval combat is discussed in the West chapter, the actual ship stats are in the back.
   
   On the whole, it's a nice addition to the series that will come in handy for players interested in making use of the War Ability, or for Storytellers of a series set during wartime. The additions and clarifications within are useful and welcome in that case but not essential for those less interested in games focusing on this particular theme.

5 comments about Race Series Collection (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, 3 Book Slipcased Set).

1. These books are just an awesome resource for players. They give a little more information on typical life for the races (even humans, go figure). They also have some new subraces and some new prestige classes as well as racial feats and a few more tactical feats. Just an all around good resource for tweaking characters.



2. This box set of books is good for any player who wan'ts to make more specialized characters.



3. This a good set of books for experienced played who want more information about how different races work. The addition of other races a player can use is also handy. They are really nice source books.



4. this was an excellent buy. It came in plastic and was unopend and undamaged.



5. Well with the arrival of the 4ed. you may think this is a dead supplement...well not at all. The mechanics and rules are really dead, but the flavor text dont. This three books provide a huge dose of informations about the major races of the DeD world. The social characteristics, the phisiology, and many other aspects of each race is very well explained. The artwork could be better, but the information is really precious. If u don't agreed with the new cosmology or the race changes of 4ed., this is a good book for you, if you loved what they did in 4ed., forget about this.

5 comments about Serpent Kingdoms (Dungeon & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement).

1. Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, is the best-selling author of hundreds of stories, game products, novels, articles, and other material set in the world of Faerûn. His most recent titles for Wizards of the Coast, Inc., were Elminster in Hell and Hand of Fire. He is also the author of the Band of Four novels published by Tor Books.
   EricC. L. Boyd has written articles for both Dungeon® and Dragon® Magazines and is the author of Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark™.
   Darrin Drader has done design work for Asgard and d20 Weekly online magazines



2. Serpent Kingdoms is a Forgotten Realms release, which means it's going to be long on story and background and consequently a little short on feats, classes and other "crunchy" bits. This isn't a bad thing, it's just the way things are and you have to understand that any time you buy a book that's about a particular campaign setting it's going to have a lot more story and a lot less crunch than other books.
   As far as content goes, I found the backstory interesting and several of the creatures mentioned will be making an appearance in my game shortly. I'm not running FR, but I do have a vile reptilian dictator to play with and Serpent Kingdoms gave me some great stuff I can drop right in, some ideas I can use with a little work, and some inspirations for my own game. Not bad for a gamer whose bookshelf beats most game stores.



3. Serpent Kingdoms continues the recent tradition of better FR products, improving substantially on such below average fare such as Races of Faerun and the Player's Guide. However, the new power of the Sarrukh and the information on the Yuan-ti religion contradicts other sources and seems to be setting the stage for a revision of Set's relationship with the Yuan-Ti.
   
   I would recomend this book only to those looking to set a campaign outside of the usual areas or those who are very interested in the Yuan-Ti. The Sarrukh are too limited in number and location to be of much use in a gaming sense, though the information about them makes a great read.
   
   The background on the Lizard Kings, Nagas, and other reptilian species is specious at best.



4. Readers who buy these books should have an understanding that they can be great for inspiration purposes. People who get disappointed seem to do so because of some tidbit of reference material they were hoping would be there but wasn't. However it seems to me that there is still tons of other useful refernce material contained in these books to keep one occupied for a very long time. I agree they are pricey, but the material contained cannot just be scoffed at.



5. Good Background book if you plan to use any of the reptile type races in your adventures. Easy read, put together well, very usable.

5 comments about Power of the Jedi Sourcebook (Star Wars Roleplaying Game).

1. This is a must have for all Star Wars roleplayers. It has a huge amount of new stuff for playing as a jedi. An EXTREMELY helpful addition.



2. If you have the Core Rulebook, this supplement is a must. It contains lots of info on the jedi and lots of great stuff about the types of jedi you can play with prestige classes and all. Being a Jedi is what Star Wars is made of, so this book is a must if you want your adventure of RPG to be complete.



3. The Power of the Jedi Sourcebook is a full-color, hardcover resource for all things pertaining to the Jedi Order. Continuing from the standard set by the Dark Side Sourcebook, the "PotJ" book combines information and utility with a tasteful arrangement of interior artwork and photos.

   Most players will probably be most interested in the selection of new Jedi Prestige Classes, Light Side Force skills, feats, and equipment that the book offers. But there are also sections discussing Jedi history, Jedi traditions, new equipment, and new force-sensitive creatures. There are entries on important characters, important locations, and even advice on how to run a Jedi campaign. And of course, no book on the Jedi would be complete without a discussion of Force Spirits. This is also a section discussing new races, but most of these are also in the newer Ultimate Alien Anthology.

   This book has been one of the important resources in my Star Wars campaign. I've really enjoyed using the Prestige Classes. From the Jedi Healer to the powerful Jedi Weapon Master, players now have a much wider range of advancement options open to their characters. In addition many of the force-sensitive characters, creatures, and locations have already popped up in my storyline. I also found the notes on running a Jedi campaign to be very useful, for not only can they guide a GM but they can also aid players on how a Jedi should conduct himself.

   However, I do have a few minor complaints. A few of the Light Side force skills, particularly Force Light and Sever Force, seem to be quite powerful. Perhaps this is because they were based on the abilities of comic-book characters, but in any case, it was a wise move that such skills may only be acquired with GM approval. I would have also preferred to see a much more in-depth history section, particularly as it pertains to the Tales of the Jedi storyline. Finally, I felt that the maps for some of the important locations were fairly inadequate.

   However, as I noted earlier, these were minor complaints.

   Overall, I found this to be an outstanding addition to my Star Wars campaign. I use it often, and it is likely that I will continue to do so for some time to come. Whether you're the GM of a campaign with Jedi in it, or whether you're a player wanting to explore the possibilities of a Jedi character, I'd recommend this book as a solid investment.




4. To be frank, the Jedi classes offered in the Core Rulebook just aren't that cool. You can be a Guardian (typical butt-kicking Jedi saber-warrior) or a Consular (Princess Leia-ish diplomat type that shuns violence). The two prestige classes (aside from master, which of course is always cool) are interesting, but not that great. Additionally, there's little guidance on how to handle Force Spirits, which you would think is an important Jedi aspect.
   
   Power of the Jedi remedies all of these deficiencies, adding several prestige classes that are both interesting and useful (e.g. the Jedi Healer and Weapon Master), additional light side feats and skills (including Battle Meditation and Cure Disease/Poison), and rules for managing a Jedi campaign and Jedi characters- including Force Spirits. There's also a section on Jedi equipment, including some older Jedi starships and specialized lightsabers (including the dual-phase and great saber), additional species, nasty force-wielding monsters, and a description of Jedi history and famous Jedi. The latter is particularly extensive, and includes descriptions and maps of some famous Jedi sites (e.g. the Chu'unthor).
   
   The volume is hardcover, which largely explains the cost, and includes numerous and excellent illustrations- many of which are actual art instead of just more film captures.
   
   If you are planning on running a Jedi campaign, or even have any light side Jedi players in a non-Force oriented campaign, this supplement is critical. I can't overstate how much depth and material it adds to the Jedi character in this game.



5. The "Power of the Force" book by Wizards of the Coast is one of the most complete indexs of the force put out by either West End Games (the privous owners of the Star Wars RPG franchise) or Wizards to date. It has a number of stats of characters that have made up the esteemed order along with additional jedi powers, feats, equipment and so forth. Another great feature of this book is that it also has stats on such jedi's like Kit Fisto, the Gray Lady, as well as updated stats on Mace Windu.
   
   The book also shows some of the other functions of the Jedi Order and some races also view it. I only wished that it had come out after the Knights of the Old Republic game so that the Jedi Sentinal PrC could've been included but then again, that's just me.
   
   Other than a few minor issues with the rules, Power of the Force is a great book to own and a *MUST* if you play a jedi in any era of Star Wars.

3 comments about Malleus Monstrorum: Creatures, Gods, & Forbidden Knowledge: Roleplaying Game Guide (Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game).

1. of this amazing collection of CoC beasties. I don't play CoC currently, but this book is so useful that it's worth having and converting d20 to CoC is fairly simple.



2. I play Call of Cthulhu by Chaosium and this resource book is great for Keepers to draw from. Enough monsters and Old ones for any investigation. BRP is easy to convert to D20 so those folks into that will have no problem throwing into a D20 scenario/campaign. The most notable thing outside the content is the art work. Seems to take old photos/Ads/Artwork and splice mythos flavor into it. I recently used an avatar of nylarthotep in the book in one of my games with fun results. Makes designing encounters easier and fun.



3. At my heart im a D&D players and love monster books. In the last few years I have gotten in Lovecrafts works and have begun to pick up the games books by chaosium. Then I found this little gem.
   A collection of almost evey God, Old one, Elder, monster and normal animal from Chaosiums books. Im sure there are more, but that only means there will be a Malleus Monstrorum II.
   THe Lore is well written and the book is made of good quality, though I wish there was a Hardcover.
   My only complaint is there werent enough pictures of the beasties to give me a good idea of what they looked like, only a vague description. Now I have pretty good imagination but an imagincation usually needs something to go off of. And This is where the product fails. It doesnt give you enough of a physical description. The lack of pictures would have been fine if replaced by some great descriptions.
   Overall though this is a great book. Any Lovecraft fan should buy this book, evne if you do not play the game.

5 comments about The Chaos Curse (Forgotten Realms: The Cleric Quintet, Book 5).

1. The Bouldershoulder Brothers. They are the funniest characters in the forgotten realms. Everything else in the series is blah.



2. Seriously, with this as the final volume, I think the Cleric Quintet would have been better as the Cleric Quartet. If you've read the rest of the series (which is excellent) you'll want to read this one just to know how it all wraps up. The series deserved a better ending though, one that wasn't so painful to read.



3. So many bad reviews, I think the problem lies not with the book, but with the readers. This book is what it is, a closing to a 5 book series. The reader should know better then to jump into the story at book 5 and expect indepth character development and the logical development of a villain. This book is meant to end the story of Cadderly not begin a new one.
   
   The Clerical Quintet is a series that overall bears a 5 star rating and is one of the best fantasy reads you can find. This book lacks in areas and is not as enthralling as the first 4 but it closes the story well regardless of whether people liked the ending or not. If you continue to read the Drizzt's series books that procede this book on the Forgotten Realms timeline you will run into Cadderly once again and find more information about what happened to him that might change your perspective on the story teller.
   
   Salvatore is a master at painting a picture in everything he writes. If you purchase this book, purchase the entire Quintet and be prepared to be whisked away and immersed into the world of the Forgotten Realms by one of the best fantasy writers of our time...



4. Suspensful, gripping as usual, the type of book that is hard to put down when the alarm is set for 6 am it is already 2 am and you have been reading since 9:30 pm



5. On my first read through this series, years ago, I felt that Salvatore fell into a common writer's trap of overpowering the main character, to near god-like status. In many respects, I still feel that way, even though I recognize that he did make attempts along the way to temper that power.
   
   The book is the final installment in the Cleric Quintet, and if you have not read the prior 4 books, I recommend that you do so for this one to make more sense.
   
   The book picks up from the end of the last book, Fallen Fortress. Cadderly, priest of Deneir, along with Pikel and Ivan Bouldershoulder (dwarven brothers, one of whom aspires to be a druid) set off to find a way through to the old red dragon Feyrenn's treasure. Danica, the warrior monk and Cadderly's fiancee, together with Dorigen, the repentant wizard, set straight off for the Edificant Library, home to priests of both deities Deneir and Oghma. Shayleigh, the woodland elf, goes with Danica and Dorigen most of the way to the Library, then parts ways to return to Shilmista, her home.
   
   Unknown to any of them, Kierkan Rufo, a branded, cursed and fallen priest of Deneir, has returned to the Library before any of them, together with Druzil, the mischievous imp. Together they enter by way of the catacombs, seeking to liberate the Chaos Curse, held captive in a bowl of holy water by Cadderly's hand. Rather than liberating it, however, the bumbling Kierkan drinks the potion instead, then runs out, vomiting all the way, in the hopes that the priests of the Library might help him.
   
   As Kierkan is in the process of dying, the corrupt Dean Thobicus, leader of the Library, invites Kierkan into the Library, so that the priests may try better to heal Kierkan. What Thobicus fails to realize is that while Kierkan is killed by the potion, he is also, through its power, returned to an undead state as a vampire, the most powerful of undead creatures, and Thobicus' invitation gives the vampire Kierkan free reign in the Library.
   
   So it is that Kierkan and Druzil set about desecrating the Library, converting some priests to vampires, and turning others into zombies, in the hopes of unleashing this unholy army against Cadderly and his friends in this final confrontation.
   
   In my eyes, the ending is tragic, even though it might be seen as noble, there is a loose thread left hanging concerning the dragon's horde, and a number of characters have glaring blonde moments. In all, though, the book is well written, suspenseful and difficult to put down (especially if you've read the prior 4 books and want to see how it all turns out). I am a little foggy on how Kierkan manages to gradually desecrate the Library, yet the all-powerful Cadderly is either too stupid to try re-consecrating it, or lacks the power to do so (even if it is on a piece-by-piece basis).
   
   Nevertheless, I recommend the book, especially to those interested in clerics, druids and monks, classes which are often overlooked in fantasy literature.

5 comments about The HOBBIT Parchment Journal from the Collection of Sam Gamgee.

1. Hey there! Just thought you should know that this is not actually a book for reading or such. It is a journal that you write in. The pages are, however, illustrated nicely, and there are a few snipits of writing. But mostly, it's nice for a person who is going to keep a journal, not an avid reader.



2. This is as it says on the cover ' Being a blank book with some curious illustrations of friends& foes of the none companions'. It is a journal for you to write in or look at the very good artwork, by the artist Michael Green. It should certainly enrich your Tolkien experience. Some particularly great illustrations here are: ' The long wait of Arwen Evenstar', ' Bombadil', ' Another daughter of the river king', 'By the doors of Durin', ' Another notch for Gimli's ax', ' Saruman', 'Shield- Maiden of Rohan', 'The Palantir is taken', ' Oliphant', 'The darkness of Denethor', ' The trial of Gondor', 'Ghan Buri Ghan', 'The mouth of Sauron' and 'Rosielass Gamgee '.
   The drawings of Aragorn and Elrond though, seem incorrect.
   To clear up misconceptions, the book was published in 1979, 7 years after the passing of JRR Tolkien, and 22 years "before the movie hype began".
   It is a pleasant illustrated journal.
   And I just love that wonderful , wistful poem at the back of the journal , Lay of the Passing Ages.



3. This is a lovely journal with beautiful illustation of the characters in Lord of the Rings.



4. This is a nice little journal with lovely illlustrations, but the quality wasn't that great. I was rather disappointed.



5. I think this journal is great. It's small and just the right size. You do have to be carefull with the cover though since it's paperback, but other than that it's perfect! You almost don't want to write in it!

5 comments about The Complete Fighter's Handbook.

1. In general, the fighter is the class which suffers most of lack of depth. But this book contains some very good kits to compensate that and to turn the boring hack-'n'-slasher into a real serious character. The gladiatior and samurai are my personal favorites to give characters more depth. It also has a good section about combat as it describes new moves and situations (and this book is therefor interesting for all classes actually)



2. I enjoyed the kits in this book, and the expanded rules on the proficiencies are good. For example, it has advanced rules on running an armorery or weaponsmithing business.
   However, the combat rules and most of the other stuff in the book is pretty [undesirable].



3. This book is outdated. I mistakenly bought one called the Complete Druid. Some of the spells could transfer, some were workable. But for the most part you could not tell what could even be salvaged. If you still play 2e go ahead. But don't fool the rest of us into buying it, as most of the rules not only don't work any more, they were probably changed for a reason.



4. This book is a definite must for any AD&D afficianado! I remember this one time, my elf-fighter-mage (12/13/3 level, +3 to hit, +5 reaction roll), assaulted a small hut guarded by a giant three headed goat. Using the combat procedures described in this manual and the +5 helm of brilliance I found in the cave of wonders outside of the swamp of despair, I was able to vanquish the drow queen and her awful minions, including the three-headed goat. An awesome buy! :-))))



5. Aaron Allston single handedly took the fighter in the group from being a tank at the front taking and dealing out damage to a living breathing character.
   The skills and details on specialization between the covers of this book make a warrior worth playing again.
   The abilities and specialty classes will provide you with infinite role play opportunities.

1 comments about Mutants & Masterminds: Pocket Player's Guide (Mutants & Masterminds d20 Superhero Roleplaying).

1. I won't review this fully as there are lots of reviews of the Mutants and Masterminds main book. (As a GM I got tried of always fighting my players for my copy of the main book. So bought one of these.) It's basically the 1st half of the main manual. All you are missing is the GM sections which talk about running a campaign, and include some NPC stats. I highly recommend it for people who aren't running the game. The one thing to keep in mind is that it's a pocket guide, and the print is smaller than the main book. It's readable for anyone who can read a paper back novel. Other than that it's word for word the same as the main manual.

5 comments about Faiths and Pantheons (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Setting).

1. If you play a creric in the Forgotten Realms setting this book will help you expand your character in may ways. it has all the deities that affect the life on Faerun, including demihuman and monster panteons, several intriguing prestige clases and a few magical items that will make your game more enjoyable.

   For a DM it is a must as it explains all the churches and the deities motivations to interact with the people of Faerun.




2. first i'd like to say that i find this book fascinating. the level of detail thats put into everything forgotten realms related has always awed me, and this book is no different. the amount of information on each deity is astounding and has stat blocks down to stats and feats and personality quirks. HOWEVER
   i cant imagine being in a campaign where 1% of this information would come into play. if you're running a forgotten realms campaign its a good (though not necessary)accessory, otherwise its useless. thats my rationalization for my mediocre rating, being that i run a campaign that exists in a different world, i never have reason to pick it up, and even for a campaign in faerun its not required.



3. This book would be a waste of money for most people. Almost all of the important information about human deities has been extensively presented in the Second Edition softcover perfect-bound books, "Powers & Pantheons" and "Faiths & Avatars," with information on non-human deities available in the Second Edition "Deities & Demigods" (a.k.a. "Legends and Lore"). Adapting the abilities of the deities to Dungeons & Dragons 3.$ edition stats is fine for those people who run games in which the player characters interact with divine avatars on a regular basis, but for those who leave the gods in their heavens (or home planes), that information is of only incidental importance.
   
   The Second Edition books may all be purchased on Amazon or eBay for a COMBINED price less than the $33 pricetag of this edition.
   
   Something which every potential purchaser should be warned of is that the book CLAIMS that it and another previously published book list ALL of the deities of Abeir-Toril (the world of the D & D Forgotten Realms campaign setting). That's a bold-faced lie. The publishers, Wizards of the Coast, have just come out with a new book listing a bunch of new non-human deities, and they are in the process of re-engineering the Forgotten Realms to drastically alter Lolth, the famous spider-queen demon/goddess. This $33 book is ALREADY obsolete in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
   
   There are a few new magical spells and gew-gaws in here and some new prestige classes (which are easy to write and take up lots of space as filler material), but there's not enough of that to justify the exhorbitant price. There are some divine feats and abilities listed, too, but much of the "original" material there is already available in the D & D Third Edition book, "Deities and Demigods."
   
   Unless someone is running a Forgotten Realms D &D campaign in which the gods or their avatars are very active participants, a book-buyer's money would be much better spent buying the three second edition books I mentioned and just doing a few mental calculations to adjust the deities for Third Edition. Those three together cost less than this book alone, and provide twice as much information, nearly all of it still relevant to the Forgotten Realms.
   
   The book has almost no use to non-Forgotten Realms D & D campaigns except as a sourcebook from which to derive divine characters for other campaigns.
   
   The art of the book is nice. The overall "look" is nice." The lay-out is comprehensible. Nevertheless, the total of all its virtues is worth far less than its listed price. As a fifteen dollar softcover this would be a good deal. As a $33 hardback it is for die-hards only.



4. This book is good for getting info for clerics and dm's, or anyone who wants a better ide of the forgottens realms.



5. The first thing I noticed about this book was how beautiful the art was. The pages were nice and gloss-smooth with a hint of texture. I really loved the cover art. I really loved the interior art. That said...not the greatest source for DMs and players. There were a few books written for 2nd edition that already covered most of these gods. The problem arises that you have to convert 2nd edition to 3.0 or 3.5. (All I want for Christmas is a conversion book from WOTC.) This book does not introduce any new gods to players/DMs. Nor does it introduce any worth while gods. I'm reading the entries for these "gods" and I'm thinking "These guys are totally killable by 2-3 epic level characters". What kind of "gods" can be killed in the first place? Let alone by 2-3 28+ level characters? Now I know what you're thinking...."Wow this guys campaigns must be high level or hack and slash". Not so. I/we have played our current campaign for almost a year, at 8-10 hours a Saturday, every Saturday, we wouldn't have lasted as long if we played those types of games. Hack and Slash campaigns historically last about 2 months then they fizzle like a caster's spell when they fail thier concentration check. In 2nd edition you had max abilities. That meant if you had a 25 in something, nothing was stronger than you. In 3.0/3.5 if you have 25 in str there are about a million things out there that are way,way,way, stronger than you. If WOTC wanted to expand the D+D game to include cosmic(Epic) level characters, the least they could have done was ensure the dominance of the gods by making them a little higher than Epic level. This book is a waste of time/money for anyone who doesn't want to kill a "god", or for anyone who wants to keep the integrity of thier campaign intact. Gods are not to be slain by mere mortals! If your in a campaign that has killed or is going to kill a god, think about this; Should we as players be able to kill a GOD? This entity that grants up to 9th level divine spells to his/her priest's? This enigma of power? I say no! I say add about 15 levels and 35 stat points and throw in a few custom 10th(thats right I said 10th)level spells. Then and only then will you see an example of a true "GOD" of Faerun!