This article originally appeared in d20 Weekly
The Witch's Handbook
Published by Green Ronin Publishing
Written by Steve Kenson
64 b&w pages; $14.95
The newest release in Green Ronin's Master Class series, The Witch's Handbook brings to life the "naturalist" spellcasters of folklore and legend.
It boasts a beautiful and atmospheric cover painting that manages to covey both the "white" and "dark" aspects of witchery, as well as something of their pagan origins. The black and white interior artwork maintains both the same tone and level of quality, and resists the urge -- as does the text -- to portray witches in the stereotypical Hollywood/pop culture light. In fact, this obviously conscious decision on the part of the developers allows for a more nuanced and entertaining book than would otherwise have been possible.
As one would expect, Green Ronin presents the witch as a new core class. Several starting packages are included, as well as detailed looks at multiclass possibilities and rules for introducing witches without taking advantage of the new class.
Supporting the character class are numerous new feats and skill explanations. Among the 17 feats are interesting additions such as: Healing Trance (healing twice as fast during rest), Mind Over Matter (strong will reinforces stamina), and Empathic (in tune with people's feelings). Even more appealing are those that reveal something of the unique nature of witch magic, such as Lunar Magic (spell casting influenced by the phases of the moon), Spell Trap (use of magic to create a magic . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: November 6, 2002
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