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Crimson Blades does what it does very well. The game mechanics are very good, I enjoy the d6 take on Swords and Wizardry. The power level of the game keys well with mechanics of the game.
Characters are created by old school means of 3d6 each attribute in order. Attributes are each significant to the game but due to the nature of the mechanics modifiers related to mechanics are not overwhelming. Saving throws and major action needing dice rolls are all directly tied to attributes and these are only slightly modified by level as a character grows.
The classes are a familiar mix that fit the presented and implied setting very well. Barbarians don't trump Fighters but are still recognizably Barbarians of gaming and fantasy fiction. The thief is the master burglar of classic FRP but is not alone among rogues in the game as there are also Mountebanks the clever flim-flam con-men who steal with using their wits. Sorcerers are similar to old school magic-users and use the familar pseudo-vancian spell casting system but also make use of summoning to get access to flash-bang magic that is otherwise out of their reach. All the characters are presumably human except for the elder magic-using race the Dendrelyssi that draw most of their power from summoning.
As mentioned above powerful magic in this settign hinges on summoning and sorcerers and dendrelyssi will be able to draw upon a host of elementals, demons, and undead to get the serious work done. The abilites and differences between the various sorts of entities are spelled out and fairly comprehensive but will still need some work from the GM (and players) to flesh out for a campaign (this is a good thing really).
Combat is based on a simple mechanic of one attack roll per HD vs the Ac of a target. HD are scaled down and don't go up as quickly as in other games of this style so the mechanic works well. Characters and monsters tend to have fairly low HP(with a few exceptions) so combats will generally go quickly and can be very deadly. The mechanics make it easy to have fights with one or two PCs against a host of foes as combatants will usually hit unarmored foes.
There's a fair section of NPC foes and monsters in the game properly scaled to the setting and mechanics. Each has Dexterity (as initiative is tied to the dexterity score), armor class, hit dice (I think no monster listed has over 6), saving throws, speicla abilities, and challenge level/exp award listed.
The sample setting is brief and mostly an overview that serves it's purpose as further defining the implied setting without fully chaining the game down to the included setting.
The rules are simple and get the job done without obscuring the flavor and spirit of the setting. Even a first level fighter is going to feel like a mighty slayer of those that stand before him and sorcerers will be aware of their place in the magical world.
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