The book was of high technical quality; however, the contents did not impress me.
Do note the following: I was seeking something very different - something to expound upon the ideas expressed in the PHB (CR?) and APG, rather than to create tangential exploratory ideas. I was wanting something to create a more unique fighter, not a more unique fighter - if you understand the differences here. I didn't want what this book turned out to be - and my rating and thoughts reflect this.
The description seemed to tell a different story than what I purchased, and all the publisher needed to do to remedy this situation was to copy the description of the file from the first page.
The feats themselves seem fairly balanced (with the primary exception of Monstrous Physique - there's not much you can do, but I still don't like it; though this seems a personal problem). Not many tend towards being overtly imbalanced, giving you more than your fair share in combat; and only a few more seem to do the inverse. From a player's perspective, I see many as circumstantial; though, perhaps, not excessively so. There are certainly plenty of feats that I would enjoy having on a character built for the concepts given.
On occasion, I felt that a feat I was reading was thrown in last-minute during the design process. The idea was not as well thought-out as others, or it didn't do anything particularly special. However, these were the exception (albeit repeated) and not the rule. Most of the feats seemed to do the job the book set out to do.
The quality is very good. The art was nothing overly exceptional, but simultaneously nothing close to an eyesore. I enjoyed reading through it. The pages themselves read well, and the formatting is very readable. It gives (as was done by the publisher elsewhere) "meta-game analyses" about the things they chose to write; designer's notes, they're termed in other works by the same group. I appreciate the insights into the writer's head, giving occasional glimpses into balance decisions.
In the end, the book is a good book. If you're looking for something to evoke a character concept in your mind; a little bit more punch to your spells (there are a lot of spellcaster feats!); or just a decent 3rd-party read for Pathfinder, then you should turn to this book. But if you're looking for some little something to support a normal character, you're stuck with the Core Rules and APG.
Don't even bother with this if you want to be normal. This book is filled with the paranormal. From Spelltouched feats to Metamagic, with both Monstrous and Bonded for either the Gargantuan fiend or the lizard Familiar, or even some more support for your Sorcerer's Bloodline... there's little room for a combat class. Finally adding a decently-sized section devoted solely to Combat Manoeuvres alongside the many sacrificial "If you hurt me, I'll hurt you" feats, there's really little here for the likes of you and me.
But if you're looking to be a little more than you or me, this could very well be just for you. It's not a bad book. It's just not what I was looking for, and the description didn't let me know that.
I hope I'm able to let you know that.
Rating: [3 of 5 Stars!] |