Pyramid Review
Sword and Fist (for D&D)
Published by Wizards of the Coast
Written by Jason Carl
96 pages; $19.95
In 1989, TSR came out with a 128 page, $15.00 book called The Complete Fighter's Handbook. It set the stage for kits, and was the prototype for the entire Complete series. History repeats itself as the first class support book for third edition, Sword and Fist, focuses on Fighters and Monks.
Broken up into five chapters, Sword and Fist introduces many new options that can be inserted piecemeal, or all at once. Chapter one, feats and skills, has some feats that will sound very familiar to old Oriental Adventure fans, like the Eagle Claw Attack or Fists of Iron. For those not interested in old martial arts moves, how about Sharp-Shooting or Zen Archery for that master bowman? With over thirty new feats, most players should be able to find something they like. The new skill listing however, is much smaller. Six knowledge skills are listed with the areas they cover, but no game benefits. Far more useful are the new uses for old skills that allow you to use Sense Motive for combat prediction or to decipher strategy.
Chapter two, Prestige Classes, is either something you'll hate or love, depending on how you feel about Prestige Classes in the first place. With almost twenty new prestige classes to chose from, the days of being a mere Assassin or Black Guard are over. For those wishing to augment their monks, chose the Drunken Master or the Red Avengers. . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: February 9, 2001
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