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Anger of Angels
Publisher: Malhavoc Press
by Ron M. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 06/10/2009 11:49:11

Anger of Angels From: Malhavoc Press Reviewed by: Ron "Seawolf" McClung

Anger of Angels is a new Fantasy d20 RPG Supplement from Malhavoc Press.

The concept of the "War in Heaven" was introduced to me by the movie The Prophecy. I thoroughly enjoyed that movie at the time and love the concept of warring angels. Sean Reynolds has put together a well thought-out and thoroughly engaging source book on this subject, from the perspective of fantasy role playing in the d20 system. It is compatible with the 3.5 version of the d20 core rules. From the Page 3: “From the dawn of civilization, people have wondered about how they came to be and what happens to them after they die.”Anger of Angels opens with a introduction explaining the core concept and purpose of the sourcebook.  The primary focus is on Judeo-Christian mythos, with the occasional mention of other religions. Because the concept of a war in heaven between angels and demons is primarily a Christian concept, I can understand it. It also comes from a monotheistic point of view, simply referencing the Almighty as God.

Chapter 1 covers the background needed to understand the War in Heaven--from the fallen angel of Satan to the jealousy angels had for humans; from the corruption of the angels into demons to the invasion of Heaven. In these two pages you get general information, with only a few specifics. It's flexible enough to fit into any fantasy game but specific enough to give you the meat of the perceived-game-universe.

The second chapter delves into the origins of angels and how they are created. It even introduces ways for other angels to create angels. It also covers issues like angels and free will, the mortality of angels, angels breeding with non-angels, the creation of half-angels, and the corruption of angels. Interestingly, death for an angel is final because they are the physical manifestation of spiritual energy. They are unaffected by raise dead or resurrection. The chapter further explores aspects of angels including angelic vessels - shells that angels wear as disguises, angelic wings, armor, and weapons.  

The bulk of the second chapter is taken up by the angelic races that are playable as player characters. Eleven races are presented here with the standard array of d20 statistics and text. Virtually every conceivable archetype is covered in these 11 angels. From Cherubim, Heaven's sentinels and Malakim, Heaven's soldiers to the fiery wheels of the Ophanim, Heaven's messengers and Seraphim, the most holy of angels, these races range from the familiar and mighty to the strange and awkward. I am just not so sure how one plays a fiery wheel or a winged serpent - but I guess that's where vessels come in. The chapter closes out with a few interesting paragraphs on creating variant angels.

The key thing to note when planning to use these races is to plan on a high starting level campaign. Level adjustments range from 3 to 9, with most being 5 or 6. So depending on the type of campaign you want to run (see Chapter 3), the mortals in the party (if any) will have a high starting level to be able to keep up. Not that this isn't expected or anything bad, but I do realize there are some players that prefer to start out at low levels and work their way up. The GM and the players just have to be prepared.

From the back cover: “The sanctity of heaven was shattered at the dawn of the world, when prideful angels rebelled”

Chapters 3 and 4 cover a lot of the material needed to run a campaign caught up in the war between Heaven and Hell. Chapter 3 is the campaign guide, covering advice on how to handle the different types of possible campaigns and how angels interact with the Material Plane, as well as background material for the angel society, angel rankings, angelic personalities, and their relationship with mortals. Of note is the beginning of the chapter where it breaks campaigns down for a GM and conveniently puts this book in perspective. The GM should decide on the type of campaign he wants to run. The author presents 4 types - Angelic, Mentor, Standard, and Adversaries. Each are well defined and make it more clear as to what kind of game this source book would fit in.

Of note within Chapter 3 is a short section on using this sourcebook in d20 Modern. In a couple of short paragraphs, it basically says feel free to use it in the modern setting or even sci-fi setting (in anticipation of d20 Future).

Chapter 4, Planer Geography, is the mappings of Heaven and Hell - the battle grounds for angels and fiends.  The seven planes of Heaven and the many facets of Hell are mapped out and described in moderate detail. Familiar things like Jacob's Ladder, Eden, the River Styx, Limbo and Purgatory are presented. Each, of course, is a supernatural realm, so they are presented in more abstract form. Chapter 5 and 6 are focused on prominent angelic non-player characters and organizations. Full of a wealth of prominent angels, Angels of Note includes some familiar names like Gabriel, Metatron, and Michael. It has statistics of the Eight Archangels, as well general notes about several others. Chapter 6 describes four very interesting angel organizations started on the mortal realm These open up new possibilities of plot and intrigue when you consider groups like the Council of Wings (a group of allied fiends and angels who have grown weary of the War in Heaven and work to protect the mortal realm from its ravages) or the Society of Godsblood (a group that protects half-celestials and their related kind).

Chapters 7 through 10 cover the d20 specific information to include angels and fiends in your d20 world. Chapter 7 covers feats for angels and fiends - a total of 45 angelic or fiendish feats to add to your d20 world. Many have the prerequisite 'angel' or 'fiend', as you would expect. Chapter 8 presents angelic Prestige Classes including ones like Angel of Death and Angel of Terror - a total of five. Chapter 9 covers Magic and Spells - all angels have spells and have immediate access to all spells in the list as long as they meet the prerequisites. Chapter 10 covers heavenly and hellish creatures as well as more angel NPCs to add to your campaign world.

In conclusion, I have to say that I am already inspired by this book and hope to use it in one of my d20 Modern games. It is well written and researched ( and includes a good bibliography for those wanting more resources of angelic legends and beliefs). Being written by what I would call one of the "big dogs" of the gaming industry, Sean K. Reynolds, I was honored to have a chance to review it. My only complaint, I would say, is that the type face was a little small - but that might be because I am getting old. The art was good, and appropriate for the subject matter. It was also well edited.  

I would recommend this for those GMs seeking to expand into new realms like this and to those GMs looking for new and refreshing inspiration.  

For more details on Malhavoc Press and their new Fantasy d20 RPG Supplement “Anger of Angels” check them out at their website http://www.swordsorcery.com, and at all of your local game stores.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Anger of Angels
Publisher: Malhavoc Press
by Les W. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/02/2007 00:00:00

I loved this one! Its already having a big impact on the games I'm pulling material into. Quality job all the way around. If you're going to have angelic influences in your game, this is one resource you're going to want to have.<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: All the options (ideas) for various campaign models!<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Nothing... its all good.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Anger of Angels
Publisher: Malhavoc Press
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 07/23/2006 12:20:51

An RPG Resource review

Somewhat expecting a whole d20 game involving the agents of heaven and hell, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is a genuine d20 sourcebook, for use with Dungeons and Dragons (or, with minor modifications, a contemporary or future d20 game system). It opens with the author explaining what it's all about, and stating plainly that as he's a 21st century American, it is pretty much rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition in which he lives, although there will be some references to other belief systems... and indeed there are, although more those from history (Greek Olympian gods and the deities of Ancient Egypt for example) than other contemporary religions such as Islam or Hinduism, let alone the imaginary pantheons developed for various D&D settings.

Presentation is excellent, with a colour front and back, and black and white interior. The zipfile it arrives in includes a small text file that explains how to minimise printing costs and time, by switching to black & white mode (if you can) or a laser printer for the interior, send it to print in chunks rather than all at once, use draft quality and even to leave out the 2 pages of advertisement! Read on screen, the text does tend to blur somewhat (a common PDF problem, exacerbated by the use of a serif font). Artwork is good, both the cover and some very evocative greyscale paintings within.

The first chapter, The Great War, describes how the relationship between god - or gods, depending on whether your setting is monotheistic or has a whole pantheon of gods - and angels began, with the angels created before mortals yet subordinate to them in the scheme of thingsâ?¦ albeit more powerful in many ways, and immortal. Not everything in Heaven is quite as wonderful as it might be, so what the Christian mythology calls The Fall took place, as some leading angels rebelled and were thrown out unceremoniously. Setting up in the Other Place, the rebels have continued to wage unrelenting war on the forces of good.

What's interesting is the relationship between deities and angels, and between different angels, particularly if you have a polytheistic setting. While the denizens of Heaven may be generally regarded as 'Good' they often differ as to just what that means or how it may be best accomplished. There's a delightful description of the type of heated debate that angels engage in - being perfect, they naturally assume that once they have stated their case, the logic must be so compelling that anyone who hears it will, once they've had time to think about it, be convinced. So they state it the once, smile sweetly and wander off, rather than banging on about whatever the bone of contention is, coming back a century or so later confident that their audience must have changed its mind!

The second chapter details the different sorts of angels that you can have, and how they function in game terms. Plenty of meaty rules to get your teeth into, but it sits rather oddly before material about how to use angels in a campaign. Although the main focus is those beings D&D would describe as 'Celestials' there is sufficient about the fiendish fallen variety of angel to show how they fit in to the overall picture. Not all angels work for a god, however, not even the 'good' ones. We see how angels have both their inherent type - as Celestials - and may add character classes to that to create unique and memorable beings.

Chapter 3 is probably the best bit of the whole book. Here various types of campaign in which angels might feature are explored - from the 'all the PCs are angels' to a conventional fantasy campaign where angels are just another 'monster' that pop up from time to time. Some of the in between concepts are the most fascinating. Perhaps the characters have acquired one or more angel 'mentors' who offer help and advice, or even involve them in heavenly politics, sending them on missions to further the ends of their patron deity.

Here we also see the first of a whole series of 'adventure seeds' - just a couple of paragraphs of suggestion that are capable of spawning whole campaigns never mind individual adventures. There are also notes on mortal-angel interactions, how to develop distinctive angel personalities, and ways in which familiar mortal religious concepts such as prophets, saints and martyrs might work in game terms. The role of the mortal soul is discussed (and now I know why souls get tortured in Hell!), and you can also find out how to become an angel.

It's even possible to incorporate this material, with judicious modification, into a contemporary or future D20 game system. The D20 Modern setting Urban Arcana or Spycraft's Shadowforce Archer are both potential homes for some angelic activity, if you wish to add this dimension to the magical and supernatural goings-on that take place there.

Chapter 4 looks at the geography of both Heaven and Hell, so those wishing to visit either will be able to find their way around. This is followed by a chapter containing a collection of notable angels, primarily those who feature in Judeo-Christian mythology, but there's plenty of scope for seeing how to create suitable ones for whatever mythology you care to use.

Chapter 6 contains several organisations that involve angels. Primarily religious in nature, there is scope for both angel and mortal to become involved at appropriate levels, and these groups may operate inside or outside organised religion. There's scope for many schisms and theological debate, if that's your style; or of course - as often has been the case in the real world - members of established and breakaway religions may settle their debates at swordpoint!

I particularly like the Council of Wings, a coalition of angels and fiends who have decided that enough is enough, and that the constant warfare between good and evil must stop to preserve mortals on the Prime Material Plane.

We then return to the more rules-based material, the expected fare of feats, prestige classes, spells and magical and wondrous items. There are some interesting snippets in there, in particular the items which may turn up in some unexpected places. A couple are already being planned into my campaign... And finally, we wind up with an array of creatures and a handful of NPCs.

Overall, there's a lot in here, and it will repay detailed study and careful thought to be able to build the angelic aspect into a campaign. It is definitely something that has both been somewhat neglected so far and will give added detail to the religious life that goes on in your campaign, even if angels are rarely if ever actually seen.

One of the best bits is the creative use and extension of existing d20 rules to show how angels can be built into any campaign, in a modular manner that enables the same mechanics to work equally well however pivotal or marginal angels are going to be. It's a fine example of 'how to' write a rules-based sourcebook, even if you aren't very interested in angels themselves.

The main drawback, for D&D players at least, is that there is a lot of work to be done to take the Judeo-Christian monotheistic slant and mould it into something that will work with the more usual plethora of deities to be found scampering around most campaign settings.

In 'real world' religions, the god or gods are rarely alone, they have a host of supporters, servants and hangers-on over and above those mortals who choose to worship them. Now you can add the same depth to religion in your campaign world.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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