Monte Cook is a gaming god.

Of course, we all knew that. While it saddens me to note that He has chosen to concentrate on being a novelist these days, let us also note that He has gifted us with so much that we would be ingrates not to acknowledge His ceaseless devotion to our hobby and give Him his well earned rest.

Still, ... just when He thought He was out, we pulled Him back in.

And He is still a gaming god.

This product is brilliant, not because it is a cohesive whole, but because it is somewhere between a cohesive whole and a hodgepodge of unconnected stuff. While it is certainly possible to use all of the alternate rules as they are presented in the book (and they do all work together nicely), it is also possible to pick and choose from the offerings, selecting only what works in your game (as I have chosen to do). It gladdens me to note that I have actually used very similar ideas as these in my own games already, and although I am certainly no Monte Cook, it warms the cockles of my tiny blackened heart to see that He and I have been on the same wavelength at least once or twice before. I particularly refer to and admire the discipline rules, which are the shining gems in this beautiful piece of well crafted gaming jewelry. Well done, sir, well done. Go buy this now. Stop wasting your time with this review, which only states the obvious, and go buy this RIGHT NOW. No, no. Don't thank me, I'm just the messenger. Thank Him, and be thankful that He can be persuaded to come back to us occasionally and bestow His blessings upon us.