Ancestral magic swords whose names fill the pages of history, handed
down through generations of heroes... arcane staves of power, crafted by
legendary mystics and passed from master to apprentice... These are
staples of fantasy literature—but difficult to recreate in the d20 System.
Artifacts of the Ages provides rules for introducing legendary swords and
staves that grow in power as their wielders advance in level. Special
"scion" prestige classes ensure that the heroes only unlock an item's full
power when the campaign is ready for it—helping to ensure that the game
stays balanced. The book also presents over two dozen unique and
interesting legendary magic items, with accurate d20 stats, detailed
histories, and adventure hooks.
I got this book last night, and I like it, for the most part. The items themselves have interesting back stories that can be modified to drop pretty easily into any campaign, requirements that are easily adjusted for Pathfinder play, and there's a solid array of weapons for all character types.
My problem with the book is the -scion prestige classes. There's one for each archetype (heavy melee, full divine caster, full arcane caster, skill monkey) and they derive their class features from the legendary item they wield.
That just doesn't feel as epic as I would want it to be. If I'm going to give out a Sting, or The One Ring, I want it to be meaningful and powerful in the hands of anybody.
Fortunately it won't be hard to come up with some rules for unlocking the powers of the weapon as you level up and attune to it more. I just wish they had included alternate rules for those who didn't want to use the prestige classes.
Overall, this is an absolute steal at $2. Nice (black and white) illustrations of each item, just under 80 pages, and overall very nice quality.
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