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The Diamond Throne
 
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The Diamond Throne
Publisher: Malhavoc Press
by Joseph J.
Date Added: 06/07/2004 03:32:41

My review of The Diamond Throne MONTE COOK’S ARCANA UNEARTHED: THE DIAMOND THRONE A Sourcebook by Monte Cook

This is not a playtest review. This book is primarily for DMs. And of course this includes spoilers, so if you intend to play a character, STOP READING NOW! The following information is for the GM only; reading ahead may spoil the secrets and fun found in the “Lands of the Diamond Throne.â€

This is a review of the PDF. It has 98 black and white pages; one for front cover (in color), one for back cover (in color), and two ads. It is currently on sale for $9 U.S. The regular price for the PDF is $11 U.S. The print version ($18.95 U.S.) doesn’t come out until November. I don’t think there will be any changes though.

The Diamond Throne [DT] is a d20 System Campaign Setting for Monte Cook’s Arcana Unearthed. It says on the title page that this book utilizes updated material from the v.3.5 revision. The only time I noticed this is that the v.3.5 damage reduction is listed too.

DT is to Arcana Unearthed [AU] what Greyhawk is to D&D.

What other books do I need? This book assumes that you’ve got the DMG and the MM, whether you’re using AU or not. DT also suggests the Creature Collection I & II, Relics and Rituals I & II, the Book of Eldritch Might series, and the Tome of Horrors. These books are not required—merely handy.

Chapter One: People and Places, 39 pages This chapter is only the broadest, simplest view of the setting. You’ll find out about the kinds of people that live in the setting, what’s important to them, how they relate, and what their history is, as well as a brief overview of the lands, cities, and groups to be found there. I am only going to give some of my favorite parts.

Four different names for the months of the year according to some of the races, such as Sunshadow for the faen and Snow for the litorian.

Important days or holidays, some that even grant bonuses like Bladesong, a +1 to attack.

Ceremonies of Importance, Healing Ceremony—some spellcasters will not attempt to use a spell without first performing this short ceremony.

Colloquialisms, Between Midnight and Death meaning “in deep trouble.â€

The Gods and Religion. In the opinion of many, the gods of the world are gone. There are 11 different gods (religions, cults, or whatnot) each given a small paragraph or two. No stats given, thank you.

Diamond Throne Timeline. Given in Giant Time or Common Years. Starts at c. – 7085 (Beginning of the world, according to the verrik) to 1757 (Today).

Outsiders. Interplanar travel is not common, nor is the summoning of creatures from other planes. Outsiders are extremely rare.

The Threats. Some people know the name “Kallethan†as that of a powerful undead magister. Others speak in conspiratorial whispers of “the Kallethan,†a cabal of wicked spellcasters bent on domination. The last part of chapter one gives you 7 different adventure ideas from 1st to 20th level.

Chapter Two: Prestige Classes, 17 pages There are eight new prestige classes detailed here. Each one has a picture except the Giant Paragon.

Beast Reaver, mastered some large beast and now use it as a mount or companion. But to accomplish this task, they become more bestial themselves. Bland.

Crystal Warrior, specialize in weapons and armor made with crystal threads, and even tend to take on a crystalline nature themselves. Very nice and ties into the history of DT well.

Darkbond, opposite of the Greenbond.

Giant Paragon. Few giants partake in the ceremony called Ghi-Nammor. This ceremony allows the giant to grow to be a Huge creature, over 16 feet tall.

Mage Priest, these are individuals who revere gods and powers because doing so gains them greater might.

Ollamh Lorekeeper, is a faen teacher, an advisor, a poet, a historian, a singer, and a judge.

Rune Lord, are those already skilled in or gifted with runes that set out to become true masters.

Somnamancer, sometimes are called “dream casters†or “the thieves of dreams.†I love this prestige class. This is what DT is all about. Giving you ideas.

Prestige Classes from other sources. Here are a few examples with details explaining how to alter them to make them fit the rules of AU. From the DMG: arcane archer (faen), assassin, dwarven (giant) defender, loremaster, and shadowdancer. The Book of Eldritch Might: Embermage, Mirror Master. BoEM II: Eldritch Warrior. Relics and Rituals: Vigilant. R&R II: Spirit Walker.

Chapter Three: Magic Items, 8 pages It gives some specific examples of excluded items such as boots of speed. Other items are fine such as gauntlets of ogre power although there are no ogres in DT.

It is slightly more difficult to buy non-single-use magic items in the lands of the Diamond Throne than implied in the core rules.

Some different armor qualities include: damage-absorbing, energized, and runic. There are also specific armors and weapons and sample tables of detonations [single-use item to affect another creature, usually an unwilling target(s)], oils, potions, and tokens. There is also a small (7) sampling of artifacts that are part of the rich history of DT.

Chapter Four: Creatures, 20 pages This chapter presents a dozen new monsters (all with pictures) as well as listing more that you can incorporate from other books. Each one gives you an encounter hook.

Alabast, could almost pass for humans. These humanoids are not natives of this world.

Chorrim. Militaristic giantlike creatures. Fighting is life. Equip themselves well. They would of conquered DT if it wasn’t for the dramojh.

Cyclops. Huge bestial giants with one eye. They exhibit no traits common among giants except for size and strength. Still, giants look upon cyclopses as an embarrassment at best and an abomination at worst.

Dark Warden, not related to the Darkbond. They exist for one purpose: to watch over the land.

Dream Hunter, is an intelligent, houndlike being that can sense other creatures while they dream. They travel in packs, feasting on the brains of their prey and leaving the rest of a kill to rot in the sun.

Harrid, are degenerate avian creatures who literally thrive on magic. They hail from the continent to the southwest of DT.

Inchon, nearly mindless, despicable amphibious brutes, goggle-eyed, wide-mouthed, hunched, slick-skinned humanoids often have strange mutations. Inchons spawn mature very quickly and hatch in clutches of dozens or hundreds.

Radont, look like massive horses (most stand 8 ft. high at the shoulder, 12 ft. at the head. Giants sometimes use them as mounts.

Rhodin, some people liken a rhodin’s appearance to that of a hideous, maltreated ram or goat with the body of a man. They will even feed upon their own dead.

Shadow Troll, are sinister and devious cousins of the common troll. They cast spells and hide in the darkness, waiting to strike at the unwary.

Slassan, stand out as perhaps the pinnacle of the dramojh magical breeding experiments. A slassan seems to incorporate all the worst aspects of a serpent and a spider.

Xaaer are oozes fueled by negative energy. Many know them as “death oozes.â€

Creatures from other sources. There is a table that lists appropriate monsters from the Monster Manual (56), Creature Collection I (14) & II (14), and the Tome of Horrors (50). Notes outlining special concerns or modifications for certain monsters appear.

The art is much better than what is in AU. There are only 4 maps. The maps are well done but I don’t like the font used. Makes it hard to read.

Conclusion: The Diamond Throne was exactly what I wanted. As is stated in the introduction, read it and then do whatever you want. This setting was created to be as open ended as possible. There’s plenty of room to throw in vast amounts of your own created material. One prestige class, the Beast Reaver, and two of the new creatures (chorrim and cyclops) are the only things that didn’t inspire me.

This book is all flavor and the little bit a crunch that is here is covered in AU and DT caramel goodness. I will be starting my “Lands of the Diamond Throne†campaign tomorrow. I will be picking up the print version at my FLGS come November.

If you are a DM, you should give The Diamond Throne a look. If you are a player, you shouldn’t have been reading this review in the first place.

Final Grade: A (4.75 out of 5)

Peace and smiles :)

j.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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