I have no idea whether this review will ever see the light of day, since this is related to the PDF copy of Nobilis that I got when I managed to snag approximately copy #90 from the limited-edition run that was sold for the author's birthday.

This product contains 80% of all you require for true happiness!

For the other 20%, you will need a physical copy.

Nobilis 3. It's nearly as much better than Nobilis 2 as Nobilis 2 is better than the lack of Nobilis in the world. It seems to have addressed (and elegantly!) the problems that I've heard other people had with Nobilis, and spends time discussing things like 'so who -are- nobles?' and 'so what do they -do-?' The system contains a bunch of what I would call next-generation tech if I were talking about consumer electronics or software, rather than an RPG.

The layout of this full-colour three-hundred-plus-page PDF is good, easy to read and everything; the art is attractive but less so than in the previous edition, ranging from 'comparable to Nobilis 2' to 'decent fanart' in quality. There is a good and useful table of contents and a more than serviceable index, both of which are sources of joy to anyone who's ever had to look anything up in a White Wolf book (or, if I'm being honest, Nobilis 2nd edition).

The book is approachable in the same way that a lot of those little pamphlet-style roleplaying games from indie publishers try to be approachable. It is not written with the assumption that you know how to play roleplaying games. But at the same time it manages not to be patronising.

I would have bought the book even if it didn't contain a roleplaying game. There is a strong authorial tone to this book which is absent in most RPG manuals, which gives the whole thing a strong 'this is an IC document' feel to it. I think this is great; I have been a fan of Dr. Moran's writing style since I was first referred to Hitherby Dragons many years ago. If there were someone out there who disliked the writing style, I think they'd have a great deal of trouble with the... no, I just can't do it. I can't criticise this book. There's nothing bad about it. If you are wondering whether you should buy this book, rather than picking up a second-hand copy of the previous edition: you should buy this book. You will get your money's worth.