The rare RPG supplement that transcends the genre. This analytical list is useful for all writers and is a tour de force of structural aids to the imagination.

There's not much to this, but what there is I really like. I think they could have done without reprinting the story as it's public domain and anyone with an interest in Irving's tale probably has it already. But the scholar class is a cool non-combat class and the NPCs are well made. It's 2 bucks and has about that much content, so it's a good buy (especially around Autumn.)

I've run this twice in the last month, and both times it made for an engaging couple hours. It's an adventure with no fighting and not even really a mystery, at least not in the gathering clues sense, and yet it's highly engaging and strangely challenging. Definitely a nice curveball to mix into your campaign.

Disclosure: I asked for and was sent a copy to review.

Blood and Bronze seems to rest its hat on the setting. It's Mythical Mesopotamia, the land of flooding twin rivers, which to me is just a brilliant idea. In this case, it's a fantastical, quasi-historical land, and there is definitely a Zothique/Lankmar feeling to the setting.

The art is really great. Maybe my favorite since Astonishing Swordsmen.

The player classes aren't entirely new but in general look interesting, particularly the mystic's lotus spells and the seers bone salts. I also quite like that nomads and courtesans are basic class choices. It implies a game not reliant on dungeon delving and violence, but there are plenty of combat rules and tricks for those who do enjoy rolling for iniative.

While the classes aren't entirely original, the ability scores are certainly more so. Gone are stalwarts like strength and constitution and instead we have guile, lore, sense, craft, vigor, and might. Okay, that last two are basically CON and STR but it's still a nice change that seems to fit the system well.

Given the time period and the setting, I would have liked to see maybe Hammurabi the seer, Enkidu the wildman, or Gilgamesh the mercenary incorporated into it. Maybe some war chariots too. There is some sub-optimal placement, as the character sheet seems kind of haphazardly inserted into the middle. Finally, there are quite a few pages that explain what an RPG is and define terms. I suspect most people who pick this up will know what they are getting. Nonetheless, this is quite a triumph of really cool ideas placed in a setting that practically writes its own adventures.

This seems to be just the beginning of a pretty cool setting. Some of the art is stunning and I don't use that word lightly. The Moss Dwarf is quite cool and something I want to play. (Their resistance to spoors alone can break a few adventures I can think of.) It seemed incongrous that they had minuses to using metal armor and weapons but could specilize in lock picking, which surely involves metal, but that's a pretty small quibble.

The list of Fungi is another resource with value for almost any game and is a great inclusion. The Fae cats I could take or leave, and I would have liked to see more than one monster included in the "Monsters in the Wood" section but overall this is really a cool ass thing.

Every part of this module is pure radness. It's a good length--detailed, but not too detailed. In a similar vein, the art is incredible, but there's not an abundance of it.

My personal highlights are the Men at Arms and Hirelings table, which, though small, are packed with some disproportionately interesting details. The bestiary adds quite a bit of the right flavor. The dunes themselves, a literal sandbox, are great although neither the Golden Barge nor the Glittering Tower dungeons inspire me as much as the rest of the book.

The War Bears are actually the coolest part though. I mean, the name alone lets you know that.

Charnel God is one of my favorite weird stories of all time. This class is a very nice Smithian adaptation. Magic Users aren't that intuitive in most RPGs, (you already know spells but you have to re-memorize them daily?) so these mechanics are actually very noob-friendly. You know, if you have any noob friends of dark heart.

Neat little seasoning to add when the fighter class starts feeling too bland. The Slayer in particular seems like it would be a lot of fun if you want to "Earthdawnify" your campaign, while the Templar is a nice alternate to the the stuffy paladin.

I actually haven't ever run a game here, but the book itself is so well researched that I've read through this book a couple times.

It's really everything a sourcebook should be!

I spent years browsing the RPG sections of Powells, not knowing exactly what I was looking for but searching nonetheless.

Every once in a while I would buy something but it was always a disappointment. If only I knew that what I wanted was ASSoH. I like the light setting, the combat rules, and especially the art, but for the me the subclasses are the true treasure of the game.

Text and cart together really create a CAS or REH feel that few games have ever matched. This game is really fantastic; I'd say as good as any RPG ever made.