Magnanimous Composition Heroes: Rules of Heroic Games are Pathfinder Roleplaying Game-compatible rules that allow players and GMs to run more epic games at lower levels by allowing players to make more powerful and versatile characters and giving GMs rules to construct monsters that will always challenge them. This PDF contains the following:
New rules for character creation
New rules for character advancement
Variant monster creation rules
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I was curious about this product as we are currently playing an epic sword and sorcery campaign, but while the simple changes that this pdf proposes may work for some, it wouldn't work for me.
The pdf basically proposes that each player takes two classes at each level and use the best BAB, saves, hp etc. Furthermore, the PCs get all the class skills and class abilities. It also allows the player to take two wizard levels instead of, say, a barbarian and bard level. So now the spells per day and spells known stack.
This may certainly work for some, but absolutely NOT for me. I was hoping for something a bit more simple and elegant. Also, the rules for the GM seems like a lot of work to implement, a couple of simple templates would have been much better and easier to read.
Lastly, the layout is messy and was clearly not first on the publisher's mind. I don't mind a simple layout, but a simple white layout had been much better and pleasing to the eye.
However, at $1, I can easily forgive the layout. This is not very useful for me, but may be for some.
Sub-par product that feels like a collection of house rules
Magnanimous Composition Heroes: Rules of Heroic Games suffers from poor editing, layout, and as a product feels like a collection of house rules put to product quickly.
The pdf is 9 pages, with one being a title page and two being the ogl. That leaves six pages of content which was ok with for the price of admission.
The pdf uses a two column per page layout, but it is unattractive as there are spacing issues. In addition many pages have quite a bit of empty space. Normally I'd expect art in these voids or a redistribution of layout. The editing for clarity needs work as well as I found myself rereading the product just to make sure that I understood its rules as presented.
The internal numbering on the pdf isn't consistent, it appears that this document was separate documents brought together, and the page numbers were never updated. There are even two page zeroes, one right after the other.
The player option is a somewhat more powerful version of the gestalt rules, placing classes in tracks. This can result in a player taking a spell casting class twice and getting double spells known/per day. The product does say rules for heroic games and it certainly does give players that heroic edge, but gestalt did that as well, and the presented system seems to build on gestalt, not bring much new to the table.
The GM area presents rules for gestalt monsters for the heroes to battle and provides these options through what amounts to templates.
After reading the product I walked away with the feeling that the product was quickly put together house rules. Certainly OK for a free product, or as a handout to players starting a game with their GM, but with its layout problems, wording issues, and the entry fee its a no go.
Had this been a free product I'd have certainly been less critical, but this product left me feeling like I bought a handout that a GM normally just gives me as a player.
Note that the lack of artwork (other than the cover) was not a factor in the review, at a $1.00 price point I have no expectation of artwork.
Pros: Powerful PCs (builds on the gestalt rules)
Cons: Layout, wording, little innovation
