The way I could sum this up is that it is as epic as all the other New Epoch stuff. Great illustration, written well, easy to understand. You get a feeling that this is willing to be its own game, and it's packed full of high-fantasy steampunk action.

The adventure codex pretty much just covers rules for resting, travel, combat... well, everything. It also covers the sorts of environments players are likely to find and the weather that might be encountered in outdoor areas.

Ultimately, there's not that much to say about this codex. It's rules, plain and simple, but they are plain and simple rules.

The New Epoch looks like it's shaping up to be one of the best role-playing games ever.

Every once in a while, I see something that is both well-written and balanced, and makes me almost squeal in delight at the awesome contained within (not that I would ever do that, mind you!). This is one of those books.

The more I delve into The New Epoch, I find that where I first accused it of being a trite fantasy setting with steampunk, I was being far too shallow. This book, while a necessary part of The New Epoch for playing (there are six books in all, if I am correct, and only the Character Codex [1] and Adventurer Codex [3] accompany this one as of October 17, 2010), is a glorious read. I do not believe I have enjoyed a list of equipment so much ever. There's a lot of variety in here. My initial gripes with the Character Codex have been put to rest with this, as the equipment pulls together the system.

Gunswords, airships, and steambikes, as well as the traditional swords and sorcery await you in this reliquary of awesome. If you're at all considering The New Epoch, I would say that you should not hesitate to get it. Its system is the best d20 system I have seen (and yes, I am looking at Pathfinder and D&D [3.5, not the trading card one] here).

The New Epoch is probably one of the foremost products on this site, and maybe anywhere. Good writing combines with art that makes me shed tears of joy to form one wonderful ball of goodness. I go now to review the Adventurers' Codex, and I am practically shaking with anticipation.

This book is pretty killer, especially the illustrations. I read the first two books already, and helped playtest an earlier version of this product.

As far as their previous work goes, this one is the best yet. It explains how the rules work in fairly clear detail, and is organized from front cover to back cover in a sort of adventure sequence -town, journey, dungeon, combat, experience. It did come out weeks later than promised. But, I have to say it lived up to my expectations and perhaps exceeded them. And well, at $10 it beats most other products out there straight away for solid value.

I really like the amount of detail that went into the overland terrains and the different types of dungeon. They're clear cut, and define the setting fairly well. Plus they come with tables for random generation. This is something other systems need to do.

There were a couple of references to products that have not yet been released. I'd love to see the terrain hazards, random encounter tables and on-the-fly dungeon generation tools that are supposed to be in an upcoming Master Codex. Plus, it would be really good if they had some more monsters to throw at players.

Most things are a little better worded than their previous products too, plus they've updated everything to something called COG system. It seems the same overall, but has amalgamated a lot of the redundant rolling into faster game mechanics -you don't roll for damage anymore cause it's already part of your attack. Oh, and an important good change was the skill retries which I found in their updated Character Codex -you can retry as much as you like, just by paying 10 Steam each time. Much better. There is no need to calculate encumbrance or armor penalties in this system (my group always ignored them in any system anyway) -bravo! All in all, the system seems better, easier and probably faster, though I can't say for sure until I test it.

If you're worried about trying a new system, it's quite logical -we worked it out pretty fast. You need the three core books, and use the index and the bookmarks.

Apart from a minor gripe that the massive illustrations kill my printer cartridges, I'd recommend this book to anyone. Ten bucks (thirty bucks for the set) is cheap for an awesome setting and probably about a hundred full-page type illustrations (no kidding). Even if you don't play it -the setting can be ported into any other campaign and is really cool. Good job Flightless Terror!

This book is absolutely beautiful. I love the weapons, I love the armours -the best ones are aegis armour, bracer armour and robe armour, mainly cause they're really original to me (better than boring old leather, chain and plate). But my favourite stuff would have to be the last two or three chapters. The illustrations for the vehicles are great -finally I can imagine an actual old-tech campaign setting without going too modern (kills the "fantasy" for me when you get guns. I guess everything is presented in a way where I can imagine how it fits into a fantasy world.

I must admit I was very skeptical when buying it because it claims to fit just about every d20 system that ever was, but it's actually made as an original d20 System which has damage reduction armor and weapon skill rules. That's okay, but I won't be using that system cause I already have a Dnd campaign that's working well. My players are going to a steam-age town and I wanted some cool gear for them to pick up.

In fact, all of the weapons are a really easy conversion to DnD. Unfortunately, the armour system doesn't really correlate at all -a pity cause I really love the art. I want to make the vehicles work a lot, but we need to substitute a DnD skill to pilot them. The potions and poisons are cool, but would need tweaking to work in DnD.

Oh, btw, it seems like you can get an average DnD price by dividing the shillings price by 10, so it's pretty easy to do.

As for everything else (and there is a LOT), it doesn't depend on the system. It has lists of gemstones and ALL of them are illustrated, which is awesome cause I don't know what a jacinth or a zircon gem looks like. There are heaps of clothes and drawings and descriptions of what they actually are, like a doublet, chaps, etc. There are prices for houses, mansions, castles and every bit of furniture you can buy.

There are some gadgets that you can get which are like low-tech stuff put into a steam-age setting. There is a doppeltyper which makes doppeltypes (think of an old photocopier where you push the paper through yourself). There is a chronometer (like a pocket watch). There is a occultometer which measures magic readings around you. Basically a bunch of tools for smart players to make creative solutions in your dungeon puzzle rooms.

There's heaps of other stuff, I won't go into all the details.

Two things I didn't like: The whole system isn't out there yet. There are references to an Adventure Codex, but it won't be released until late September (according to the email when you buy it). The other thing is there are no stats for the pets that you can buy. It doesn't say their Strength, Agility, whatever... will that be in some other book later, too?

The best part of the whole book is the vehicles, in my opinion. They didn't draw every single one, but there are some massive illustrations and intricate details there. Each vehicle has a type of feed (acid, coal, fuel, key turns) and a hunger (how fast it gets used up) -they talk about the vehicles like they are types of animal, which is pretty cool. The vehicles themselves are really nice looking and you can see how each country has it's own types of steam-powered, clockwork, acid-powered or fueled style. It helped me to visualize the setting better.

I was going to give this book a 4 because some things are not compatible with DnD, but I guess that is not a flaw as such, cause it does say it's an original system. Overall, I give it a 5 because it is exactly what I wanted, great illustrations and has a lot of new ideas. They have a Character Codex which has already been released, but I won't play it until I see the full range of books.

I have read a couple of other reviews on The New Epoch and decided to throw in my two cents. I agree with some of what has been said but wish to present a different perspective on things. First off, it should be remembered that this is a new product by a fledgling company (from what I gather), not something churned out with the backing of a big established publisher. This means it is a labour of love more than a new product line aimed at further filling the already bloated coffers of a big corporation. It is not hard to appreciate that the major players in the rpg world can more easily afford to charge less for their products if they so choose to, relying instead on volume to bulk up sales numbers. Spending money on products like this supports and encourages new talent trying to break into the industry, which may be a worthwhile reason in itself for such an investment, and, as new faces to the industry, perhaps we should be welcoming them for the time and effort they have put in to bring new games to our living rooms. As for The New Epoch itself, it has been described as derivative of D&D in both art style and game design, and drawn both praise and criticism from the same sources for being too close to D&D or straying too far in terms of using the d20 system in innovative ways. Either way, any resemblance it bears to D&D should please those familiar with that and make it easier to get into as a system, and any departures can be seen by those who are not interested in another D20 D&D clone product as a refreshing departure. It's easy to criticise the work of others without considering what is put into it to make a finished product, and the art of The New Epoch is polished and smooth and, like the visual design all through this first book, evocative of the fantasy steam age setting. Thought has even been put into the visual representation of the languages of the setting, as evident in the text of the races section that accompanies the sample character images. Speaking of the race chapter, another reviewer has mistaken the Draug for a clone of D&D's infamous Drow (Dark Elves), going so far as to say they live underground when no such thing is stated in the book. This is an example of prejudicial bias at work on the part of reviewers. They see the words d20 System, they see humans, orcs, dwarves, elves, halflings etc and they think “dungeons and dragons”, and from there, everything gets seen in those terms, whether that be accurate or not. Another example of such is the way the passive defenses work, which have been compared to the saving throws of D&D. Yes, the three defense types fall under similar categories to the saves of D&D, covering dodging, physical resilience and mental resilience. However, it differs from D&D, which has two seperate mechanics for this – one a passive armor class system and the other an active saving throw roll. The New Epoch system abandons the traditional Armor Class mechanic of D&D and d20 fare in favour of its three defense types, simplifying things in a way that should streamline play. In effect it combines the two mechanics of 3rd edition D&D into one passive mechanic that requires less dice rolling. It should be obvious that the three kinds of defenses are not something unique to D&D in deserving consideration – they describe a happy medium between one flat defence roll or stat and numerous defence types for specific attacks. Any game of this kind should have a way to manage a character's resistance to unwanted interference of the like and the makers of New Epoch should be lauded for their simplification and refinement over a clunky dual system that was largely a dinosaur hanging over from the early days of Dungeons and Dragons. Rather than poke holes in a game where there are none due to opinions about a different game, perhaps reviwers should focus their attention on what makes a game stand out on its own merits and understand the mechanics involved and how they work, and the content of the game setting before passing on mistaken assumptions as part of reviews, thus misinforming people. I'm sure playing the game would make such things clearer, but reading the material thoroughly helps too. I don't really have the time to give a personal review of the New Epoch in this post, but hopefully the points I have raised will encourage people to try it for themselves and form their own opinions based on what they read, not what they already think before reading what is in the book.

Well first Steampunk is the best new genre out there, there is nothing like mixing up fanticy with a few projectile weapons, and this seems to have all the coolest aspects of it. The Art of the equipment is amazing its so detailed I just want to pick up the weapon and use it for real, you really get a clear image of what the world is ment to look like and whos in it. Now I come from a Long background of D&D from 1st to 3rd, and I have my dispositions at first as I was so fixed on that system. I read the book from cover to cover and was confused at first, The layout for charater creation was not in the best order, and the Disiplines and Skills had me thinking for a while. As the front page said "contact me if I had questions" So I emailed the creator and asked him about the Skills and Disiplines, He got back to me straight away and clarified my questions and even posted me an updated Charater sheet that was more similar to D&D (thanks man that is so cool)

I started re-reading and everything fell into place, I created a charater in a few minutes and I was ready to play. But then I had to wait as the other books are not out yet. I can't wait to see whats in stall.

If your looking for a new game to try this will be the one, but remember a charater codex does not make a game you need the DMs guide or whatever that will be called, so get this while its cheap and create a charater and pray that the author puts the rest out quickly

GOOD:

Visual is 10/10 Charater building ideas are endless History of the world is impressive and its only the charater Codex Breaks the mould of your regular charater classes D20 system is easy Level up is so simple 4 page Charater sheet is the best I've seen

BAD:

You have to read it carefully to understand the charater creation (once you have it its easy) Order of the book could be a little easier for charater creation Could maybe do with a few tables and examples of how skills are used when you have weight and size and level penatiles but that might be in other books All charaters are created equal at first level no one will have one great stat over any other player, ( I like to know I'm the best at something sometimes) But thats just the system.

Overall I give this book a 5 star, this will be a great game once everything is out there

The Good: Gorgeous book, some great ideas, a ton of potential. The Bad: Borrows heavily from a certain famous fantasy, the d20 indicia is misleading as it is not the d20 system one tends to think of. For a full review, visit: http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2010/08/tommys-take-on-new-epoch-character.html

Wow. I liked the first version of this, and wrote a huge rant.

This version is more concise, and the gripes I had have been more or less resolved.

Everything is better, in my opinion. It's probably the best d20 system I've seen, and much of the massive bloating has been removed.

Really, for $12, you get great typesetting, good art, what more could you want? It's a good Steampunk setting, and the rules are solid.

This book does contain a full game, don't be put off by its title. Granted, it lacks some of the elements of a full game, but it's got enough content to be playable, if it involves some deduction and bashing.

It's a long book, and I have no gripes with the page formatting. The art is pretty decent, if obviously marketed to a predominantly male audience. It's not as bad as some I've seen, though, and it's mostly not so bad as to preclude use with any players you could find.

Some of my worst gripes lay in the system.

For one, it's a pretty standard d20+modifier vs. check. Boring and predictable. Not only that, but they're just so common. I mean, you can find these for any genre. In fact, I've seen one of these just the other day. It's not that they're bad, but they're predictable. The more modifiers you stack, the less fun a game becomes. For instance, in Shadowrun, a newbie can kill a dragon with a standard gun, just because he rolls a great hit and the dragon rolls too few successes to sink the damage. This never happens in a modifier heavy game. There's a happy medium for realism, just because you don't want your ultra-tough demigods dying to a .50 cal bullet. However, in this you can get massive numbers, so it's always going to end in a one-sided battle with whoever built the highest modifier character winning. There's no threat from a mob with pitchforks, because only on a 20 could they even land a hit. Of course, this is me griping, but it's part of the reason I prefer a game where you get fewer modifiers rather than astronomical amounts. Given inspection, I think it would be easy to get a +5 modifier on a level 1 character. That's a lot, that's 25% of a d20's potential, and you don't wanna give a basic character so much of a probability unbalance, because the battles will become binary.

Another: Instead of just putting physical statistics, they use elements, which are not so horrible, but they add a bit of complexity that could be done without. It feels almost like in the desire to be unique, the developers just renamed things at whim. Granted, on the character sheets, they do say both the fancy name, and the plain name a D&D player would expect. (For instance, Air is "Agility and Nimbleness"). They add an attribute, so at least it's not just a plain copy of D&D here.

The protection system feels just like saves in the d20 system: You have three defenses, a reflex, fortitude, and willpower (though not necessarily), in place of a standard Armor Class.

All the races are pretty much standard, though not bad in any way, and while the steampunk/Victorian fantasy setting is not terribly common, it's not impossible to find similar things.

My gripe is that it feels a lot like pretty much everything else. However, it does have some creative elements. I have a few gripes with putting weapons as skills (maybe as a D&D holdover, despite the fact that I do it in both my homebrew systems, so I'm hypocritical here).

It does have a bit of bloating. Each weapon has its own skill, so you have to calculate up to 41 skills (though really, you won't use more than one or two types of weapons, so this lowers down to about 20 or so, counting the fact that you probably won't use every last skill either), 7 attributes, 3 movement-related "passives", 3 defense AC-style things, health, a mana equivalent, your proficiency with up to 7 types of armor (though, again, you probably won't use every last one), multiple disciplines (also complex, based upon class, basically determine abilities further), a buncha talents (each with five potential ranks), then the gear, wealth, and relationships of a character. Each individual character. And that's not counting cosmetics. It'd be fun, I believe, to play with a group of well-trained roleplaying machines, but it's sure not for novices, at least not novices who wish to play the same week they start reading.

And now I feel bad for being negative. This is actually a good game, and at the price, even though you'll probably end up buying at least one additional book or improvising a fair amount of content, it's definitely worth it. I'm interested in the City of Steam game they say is coming out as a MMORPG adaptation of this, just because it's a good system, but way hard to understand.

All in all, I'd give it a four, for being a good, mostly solid system, set in a good setting with tons of potential, docking the one point it lost for its massive modifier d20 system (both unoriginal and fairly biased towards powergamers) and the massive bulk, because only a few of the weapons will be used by any one gaming group.