"Go to the sign of Marvel's Axe, a dubious inn on the edge of the Thieves Quarter, in the City of Greyhawk, and look to your own wrist. If you perceive a bracelet and dangling dice, watch for the next throw in the war between Law and Chaos and be prepared to follow the compelling geas." -Signal

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Faeries - Bastion Press


Faeries get a bad rap in my opinion. Even the cover of this book sends the idea that  they are all the commercialized version of elves (before Peter Jackson gave us his  interpretation of Legolas) that were made popular in cartoons and animated films. The stories of the Fey in cultures where they originated  give us a much darker portrayal than the images that have made them popular. They were  creatures not to be taken lightly and to deal with only if you had to and most times  that would not end well for the even the best intentioned if they were not careful.

Other than the image on the cover I think this book does a fair job of trying to put  them in a light more consistent with the legends that they sprang from. The book is a  D20 offering so it has much of the overhead that comes with that in the way of prestige  classes, feats and the like. If you are a 3.x player then these are at least average for  offerings from that period. The book offers details on the lands of the Fey and  background on the races that can be used in any game system as well as other material  that taken into systems or settings. I think this is one of the better Bastion Press  offerings I have read and am glad to have it in my collection.


Published: 2003
Pages: 128

Publisher Blurb:

Welcome to the Twilit Lands, where all is fey and faeries rule. This d20 guide to  Faeries provides answers on the fair folk, the fey races and creatures more ancient than  dragons and far more enigmatic than their sizes or shapes ever reveal. The secrets held  by the fey far outstrip all the other races combined, and this book brings them right to  players and Game Masters alike.

This supplement provides new rules and a new understanding of fey monsters as well as  many new faeries for your d20 games. Players can learn more skills and spells, plus  discover magical artifacts and secrets from the fey. Meet new monsters and fey legends  that cross many worlds and cultures, from Old Man Winter to the Lady of the Lake. Best  of all, the world of Faerie, a world as close as a dream and as magical as its denizens,  comes alive with its legends and lore for the Game Masters and can easily be linked to  all d20 worlds.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know a lot of people will already be fans, but if anyone out there has missed it, terry Pratchett's book Lords and Ladies, does a damned fine job of showing faeries how they are supposed to be done.

ravencrowking said...

The Goodman Games Complete Guide to Fey is also worth getting, if you don't have it already. I revised it a bit, and ad-mixed it with the Bastion Press book, when I was running my own 3.X mash-up.

Wymarc said...

@shortymonster I have not read that. I am not sure i have ever read an Pratchett (and I know I should have). I will be sure and pick it up. Do I need to read anything else before it (is it part of Discworld?)

@ravencrowking That is one of the Complete Guides I have still yet to pick up. I have found those to be good supplements across the board,

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