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Book of Templates: Basics
 
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Book of Templates: Basics
Publisher: Silverthorne Games
by Peter I. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 06/19/2006 00:00:00

Book of Templates: Basics is a 45 page pdf product that presents a collection in one compendium of all the templates from the d20 SRD and d20 Modern SRD, as well as one or two new ones. Silverthorne Games are a known pdf publishing company in the area of templates, particularly in the light of their Book of Templates Deluxe and the Template Troves series. While this product doesn't add much that is new to the arena, it provides a handy compendium of all the standard templates found in many games.

Book of Templates: Basics comes as a single pdf file, complete with bookmarks and a table of contents. There is no art within the pages of this pdf, and even the advertised cover (or what is assumed to be the cover) is missing from the pdf. Between the lack of art and the minimal and simple bordering and layout, this pdf will be fairly easy to print out for those that wish to. Layout and editing is generally good, although there were a few disappointing aspects to the latter. For one, the introduction to the pdf promises a template format that will contain details on the appearance changes, origins and rationale that a template may entail, something that is nowhere to be found in the pages of the pdf. There are a few other additional editing errors, such as missing page headers or minor typos. Most of the text is derived from the SRD, meaning that it should be familiar to most frequent users of templates.

Book of Templates: Basics is all about templates, and in particular the templates taken from the SRD and Modern SRD. This includes fantasy, epic, modern, and future templates all in one handy reference. The inclusion of all these templates make for a useful pdf, including all the templates and template details one might want to use from these sources. The Dire Creature template from Necromancer Games' Tome of Horrors is also included as an additional staple template, and an Awakened template is provided as per the druid spell awaken. Templates are organised by type, dividing the pdf into fantasy and modern templates for reference. Within each section templates are presented alphabetically, meaning that epic templates are mixed in with normal fantasy templates, and future templates mixed with modern ones. This can make it difficult of those not familiar with a template to adjudicate its use within a particular genre.

The templates are provided one after the other within the pdf, and templates do not start on a new page. Each template is complete, so, for example, the lycanthrope template would include all the details on contracting and curing lycanthropy. A number of undead templates are noted as version I and II as they apply to fantasy and modern games. Towards the end of the pdf are a number of useful tables that sort the templates alphabetically, by CR adjustment, by level adjustment and by genre. It would've been useful to see more of this information in the actual pdf itself next to, for example, the template title.

Overall this is a useful collection of template from all the SRD sources. Despite there not being a lot new about this pdf, most gamers will find all the templates they use at their fingertips in one handy reference file. The pdf is easy to navigate, and the templates are presented in their familiar SRD format.<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: Book of Templates: Basics provides a handy collection of templates from the various SRD sources in one reference file. Combined with some of Silverthorne Games' other template products, this will allow the user a vast quantity of different monsters to use through templates. The combination of different genre is a single file adds utility to the product.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: A number of editing errors crept through in the product, and some details alluded to, such as appearance changes, are completely missing from the pdf. Some of the information in the tables at the end of the pdf would've been useful to see next to the template title as well.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Acceptable<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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Book of Templates: Basics
Publisher: Silverthorne Games
by Shane O. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 05/26/2006 00:00:00

Book of Templates: Basics is the latest in a series of sourcebooks about templates from Silverthorne Games. The zip file containing the book weighs in at 1.6 megabytes, with the single PDF file it contains being only marginally larger at 1.8. The book has a hyperlinked table of contents and bookmarks.

The book is 45 pages long, with one page for credits, one for table of contents, one for the OGL, and one with ads for other Silverthorne Games products. Oddly, although the storefront on RPGnow shows a front cover, no such cover is in the product itself; the book opens with the credits page. The book has no artwork per se. However, there are borders along opposite pages of a deep gray. Likewise, sidebars are in a verdant green, and tables use light shading.

The introduction opens by saying that this book was made for convenience more than anything else. It?s designed to give you all of the System Reference Document and Modern System Reference Document templates all in one place. A note here also mentions that sample creatures were not included, since these templates are so ubiquitous that sample creatures would be unnecessary. Curiously, the introduction says that each template entry should have an introduction to explain the rationale of the template, any notable appearance changes it causes, and notes on creating monsters with this template. However, none of this information actually appears in the templates in the book.

The first section of the book is ?Fantasy and Epic Templates.? Every template from the SRD is listed here. Additionally, a few others have been added. ?Awakened Creature? is a template to apply to animals or trees that have been subjected to an awaken spell (which is given in a sidebar). Likewise, the ?Dire Creature? template from the Tome of Horrors is here as well. Interestingly, the 3.0 ?Psionic Creature? template is given, 3.0 psionic rules and all, though the ?Phrenic Creature? (using 3.5 psionics rules) is given almost right next to it.

The second section, ?Modern and Future Templates,? has the templates from the MSRD. Note that this includes templates of creatures for whom the Modern d20 version is different from the Fantasy d20 version, such as skeletons, zombies, and lycanthropes.

The book closes out with an appendix full of indices. Here, the various templates are grouped alphabetically, by CR increase, by level adjustment, and by genre (fantasy, modern, epic, or future).

Altogether, the Book of Templates: Basics does exactly what it set out to do, no more and no less. It groups together all of the standard templates, including related information, into a single source. While there are a few errors in the product, these are more organizational than mechanical, and all of the templates are virtually flawless, and ready for immediate use. If you need a book that codifies the basics and standards of d20 templates, look no further. <br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: It was a nice touch that this book included related sidebars for templates that needed them. For example, the Worm That Walks template had a listing for the Gathering of Maggots epic spell. <br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: It was odd that the introduction described a format that then wasn't used in the product. Likewise, the depiction of a cover which then didn't appear was a strange discrepancy as well. Also, the index of templates by genre lists the first column as being "level adjustment."<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Acceptable<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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Book of Templates: Basics
Publisher: Silverthorne Games
by Nathan C. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 05/24/2006 00:00:00

You do not have to reinvent the wheel to appreciate the feel of a good car. Silverthrone Games understands this adage and has repackaged its original Book of Templates for the 3.5 market. Though the book still rides smoothly, there are some bumps in the form of lacking sample characters.

The new version, Book of Templates: Basics has 40 templates, which include published templates for fantasy, modern and future d20 games. Including the latter two genres expands the products usage.

For the DM:

If you are consistently wasting gaming time rifling through your piles of DM books in an attempt to find ?the? template for a monster or NPC, you will find the Book of Templates very helpful. Each template is presented in its original format. There is also additional information compiled within the Template description. For example, The lycanthrope description contains information on curing the disease and playing as Lycanthropes.

Not only are the templates well bookmarked, but individual components of the Templates are referenced as well. This makes for easy maneuvering when trying to decide between two templates. This is very helpful during game preparation when attempting to figure out if that hated NPC that the party thinks is dead should come back as either a half-fiend or replacement.

The book says at the beginning that it did not include examples, but this feels like more of an excuse than a reason. The writers pride themselves on how easy it is to have all of the material that a game master needs under one book, then tells the reader that it didn?t include sample characters because the PCs could go to book the template comes from. Sample characters come in handy for a DM to get a good image of how the template operates.

For the Player

Who says that templates are for Dungeon Masters. A number of the templates included in the document contain sections on playing that type of template in a campaign. I can not wait to play an Awakened ape in my buddies new Tarzan campaign.

The Iron Word

This is a helpful resource to have if you use templates a lot. Add the Book of Templates: Deluxe Edition 3.5 and you will be able to throw a variety of types of monsters and NPCs at your group on the fly.
<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: It's nice to have all these templates at hand.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Books like this are really benefited with the inclusion of sample characters. <br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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