The content of this “how to” guide is rather helpful. The book starts with a discussion of various ways a GM might populate the divine realm—if any—in his or her game world, followed immediately by judicious consideration of approaches to divine intervention. The author, Michele Armellini, is careful to help GMs see the implications of their decisions for various character types, especially clerics, paladins, and the like in fantasy settings. Armellini also gives plenty of attention to the structure of institutional churches, their social roles, and the implications for using them in-game. Several examples and plot hooks round out the guide. Unfortunately, the production values don’t match the quality of the content. The writing isn’t bad at all, but does need some grammatical and stylistic polishing; the typesetting lacks imagination and skill; the stylistic inconsistency of the artwork—commercial clip art that you can buy right here on DriveThruRPG/RPGNow—creates dissonance. The content is worthy of four stars, but the production values bring that down a bit.
Rating: [3 of 5 Stars!] |