The Archean Codex, a tome of advanced magic and lore, enables the reader to delve into Talislanta s magic past. The Codex provides, among others, information on powerful forgotten spells, legendary wizards, magic artifacts, magic skills and fields, lost books of wizardry, lists of extradimensional entities that can be summoned. It also includes a historical overview of the Forgotten Age, the Talislantan golden period of magic during which time the Archaens triumphed, and other historical knowledge, so that it may help the gamemaster enrich his campaign with references to the past, add a historical flavour to it.

The Archaen Codex turns out to be a comprehensive and diverse encyclopedia of magic that can be used in combination with the recently published Codex Magicus. However, at times I found myself questioning its utility. The spells & artifacts listed and described may be powerful but are so rare, unknown and hard to find that they require hazardous research in unheard-of ancient places. Whether the Archaen Codex will come handy and applicable depends on the gamemaster s judgment and decisions. In any case, he should use it wisely and in moderation, without abusing the lore, given its arcane nature. <br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>