A very good product about spirits. More than good if you look at the discounted price.

A book for those who like our friends the spirits ... but be careful that it offers a shamanic vision of the spirits world, not in a supernatural, nor a parapsychologist mediumship view of it.

I was looking for a more "historically-anthropological" correct view of shamans to implement in an RPG. This is the best product that I have ever found up to now.

Though the book is only 68 pages, the main topics are treated and give sufficient contents and examples. Indeed, it describes quickly the different ways to become a shaman, the shaman's powers, the spirits, how to interact with the spirits, etc. The Game Master has a good starting point and can let his imagination do the rest for his own campaigns ...

This book is the second part of Codex Martialis Weapons of the Ancient World. As for the first part treating weapons (link : http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/63628), the book has a high level of quality in content and in historical illustrations. There are numerous myths and clichés about armors ... the author tries to get rid of them in a scientific historical kind of approach. And though the book is very complete and well illustrated, it remains practical to be used or at least transposed to any RPG. For my part, I also like it as an historical source of knowledge about armors.

I gave it 5 stars for the content (I really do not miss my 10 dollars).

Pierre-Olivier Bourge (french mother language, so please excuse my poor english)

Citing the author : "Our goal with 'Weapons of the Ancient World' is to place pre-industrial weapons into an historically based functional context. Though many weapon compendiums have been written for various RPGs, the real functional differences of ancient weapons have never been accurately differentiated – leading to a variety of clichés such as the ludicrous idea that a twelve inch dagger is a nuisance weapon that can barely hurt you. Weapons are different not just in how they look, but how they work. ..."

This book is by far more serious than a RPG's compendium could let think of it at first. It is built on real historical point of view (illustrations and documentations), from which, you will learn a lot on 'real weapons' (not the usual description of RPG's weapons). Nevertheless, the content is practical and can be used in any RPG (or at least transposed to any).

I gave it 5 stars for the content (I really do not miss my 10 dollars). If you are interested in this book, look at its twin : Codex Martialis Weapons of the Ancient World Part II: Armor and Missile Weapons.

Pierre-Olivier Bourge (french mother language, so please excuse my poor english)

I already own the L5R new 4th edition, and I was interested in more 'live' aspects from the Shadowlands ... so though it was from an older edition, I decided to buy this book.

I must say that the book is really what I was looking for ! I am really impressed by the material within it. The book gives you first-person perspectives, with multiple short stories and anecdotes on the shadowlands and its corruptive power, and also number stories on the courage, honor, successes and failures of those fighting it ... In summary, the book gives what is promised in the summary.

Note that this is a scanned book, but the quality of the scan is average to good and no part of the text/image is fuzzy.

So if you look for more on the Shadowlands, this is your book.

Please excuse my approximate english (a french native speaker)