DISCLAIMER: This review is based on a free PDF provided by the author and the publisher, which in no way had an influence on the final score.
Introduction
Under Azoth Games, James Ray released a new Esoteric Organizations line of products. In these volume we have Mistress Saints School, an organization focused on akashic magic. But is it any good? Lessee!
What’s inside?
12 pages of content (not counting covers, ads etc.) for 2.75 bucks (very nice!), which include:
-Akashic Organization info: This small but useful section includes the differences between standard and akashic magic school’s rules: akashic conservatories (and what can you buy with your fame), a generic award that gives you access to the organization’s emblem veil (a unique veil exclusive to the organization’s members, regardless of veilshaper class), the Shape Emblem veil that also gives access to said veil (with a rule sidebar with the explanation of the emblem veil rules), and a new social trait that helps you on your education checks for 1 organization chosen at the start.
-Mistress Saint’s School for the Uncommonly Blessed organization: This section includes all the details pertaining the titular organization (like symbol, leader, common classes etc.), all the requirements necessary to become a member of the organization, ways of gaining fame and prestige and the generic awards available. The emblem veil is described here, called Fallen Scribe’s Wings, and is a belt, chest and shoulder veil that appear as 6 wings made of charred paper. Apart from the cool visuals, this useful veil’s base ability gives you both bonus to two knowledge skills, plus a kind of akashic book that can store pages upon pages of content, which will make any wizard think on joining, with essence giving bonus to saves against written magical traps and effects. The shoulders bind gives you both flying and a cool fire attack that has a cooldown, the belt gives you some spell-like abilities, and the chest gives you one of the previous abilities plus a constant threefold aspect spell.
The organization also mentions some prominent members, that follow Paizo’s tradition of including their name, alignment, race, class levels and a short paragraph: a caretaker that has some mysterious past and has diverse akashic and non-akashic abilities, a deputy headmaster that is both a dhampire and an akashic vampire hunter (from the Hallow Icons book), a very stern deputy headmistress fisherking, the incredibly powerful headmistress herself (we are talking mythic here), a pair of half-elven twins who are both radiants and work as nurse and chef each, my personal fave who is a dryad griot (from the Spider’s Stories book) that works as the mistress of arts, and a being of light that serves as the master of general education and has past ties with the headmistress.
-2 new magic items: a lunchbag that is way more useful than it sounds (conserves food, even the temperature), and a magical seal that melds with the school’s emblem veil.
-Enochian Angel: a powerful akashic celestial, this angel is CR 21, has vizier veilshaping of maximum level and many spell-like abilities. Apart from that, their wings are practically libraries and they are like lords of luscents, able to sustain them outside of the heavenly realms. It even includes rules for binding them! A cool, nice addition to the small akashic monster roster.
Of Note: Not gonna lie, I was expecting akashic Harry Potter and got surprised with a great organization. I’m a fan of Mistress Elderberry, from her background to the choice of class. She is the kind of character that makes one appreciate the beauties of roleplaying through Pathfinder and its great 3pp.
Anything wrong?: I would have appreciated some low level students or a foe of the organization. What about a rejected student? Some adventure seeds would have been more than welcome too!
What I want: If I ever start a new group, I would hook them to akashic magic, making a campaign with the school at its core.
What cool things did this inspire?: Apart from a mistress Elderberry fanfic of her forbidden relationship with a student that might or might not look like my younger self? Well, joking aside, I would like to make a rival, darker school that wants not only to take the school’s place, but also steal all of its secrets. I would also add a knowledge daevic as a physical education teacher that makes his students lift… books LOL
Do I recommend it?: Writer Julio Cortazar once said “novels win by decision, short stories by knock out”, and that is what we have here. Even in the few pages contained herein, we have enough to build encounters, adventures, campaigns, and even other organizations! Full 5 star-shaped books plus the magical seal of mistress Elderberry.
