This article originally appeared in d20 Weekly
Bastards and Bloodlines: A Guidebook to Half-Breeds
Published by Green Ronin Publishing
Written by Owen K.C. Stephens
128-page softcover; $19.95
Gushing doesn't become a reviewer. I hate gushing. But what else is there to do after reading, and re-reading again, and loving every moment of Bastards and Bloodlines: A Guidebook to Half-Breeds? The latest release in Green Ronin's Races of Renown series is quite possibly the best thus far, this despite having a broad and rather undefined foundation upon which to build. That Owen K.C. Stephens succeeds to well is a testament to his skill as a game designer.
It should be noted that unlike its predecessors, Bastards and Bloodlines is not part of the OGL Interlink with Paradigm Concepts' Races of Legends series. Apparently most, but not necessarily all, Races of Renown books will be partnered with a Paradigm Concept release (the next, Fang and Fury: A Guidebook to Vampires, will be linked to a book about lycanthropes).
Green Ronin consistently has among the finest production values in the RPG world, and here its no different. The cover painting by James Ryman is exciting and gorgeous, and Ryman, Toren Atkinson, and Julien Allen copiously illustrate the entire 128-page book with evocative black-and-white pieces. It's impossible to underestimate their contribution to the book, because it's through their work that Stephens' brilliance comes to life. Other, less glamorous elements of design are just as well executed; the layout is excellent, editing . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: May 7, 2003
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