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Thread: Book Review

  1. #1
    Site Moderator kgauck's Avatar
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    Dynasties and Demagogues, by Chris Aylott
    published by Atlas Games in March of 2003

    Aylott is the proprioter of a game store, the Space-Crime Continuum in Northampton, Massachusetts. Check out their web site at http://www.spacecrime.com/ His book, _Dynasties and Demagogues_, is about politics in role-playing games. Its a d20 sourcebook and includes both advice for running political campaigns and the usual character focused tweaks for operating in a specifically political enviroment, namely feats, skills, and prestige classes.

    One of my favorite sections was on magic and politics. My own games tend toward fighters and rogues with some clerical support, and have been caught off guard by wizard characters' actions. While I have come up with some of the ideas described mentioned in the text on my own, it was a pleasure to find a single source which dealt much more thoroughly with this subject than I have. Overall, the book is a good reference for both DM's familiar with politics mostly by providing good mechanics, and for DM's who wouldn't know where to start with such things. The explanation for what a political campaign is and how it would work are clear and complete, without being a rigourous tome.

    The book lists for 28.95 $US, and merits some consideration for gamers who use politics as an element in their games. Such a sourcebook should be of particular interest to players of Birthright, since the setting also presumes a political game.

    Kenneth Gauck
    kgauck@mchsi.com

  2. #2
    Kalien
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    I picked up a copy of the book when in England for a friend back here in NZ and have read through it.

    The book contains a basic plot which the author works through to show just what might be involved in a political game. I found this useful and definitely worth reading.

    The new Character Classes are very good, as are many of the feats (though a few of which I thought to be a little over-powered). What I also liked were the personality feats which reward a character for playing in character. An example would be the Mediator feat. When a character with this feat mediates a dispute they gain action points (basically a bonus on a future die roll). This could easily be applied to domain action rolls.

    I would recommend this book to any BR player or DM. My only regret is that the shop only had one copy of the book left and so I couldn't get one for myself as well.

  3. #3
    Member Michael Romes's Avatar
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    Any chance to find a copy for me in germany?
    Amazon.de does not list a book of that name, nor even knows the author :-(
    bye
    Michael
    Michael Romes

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