The
Book of Iron Might Opens up New RPG Combat Options
October
14, 2004 (Renton, Wash.)—With the combat maneuvers
system in The Book of Iron
Might, players and DMs now can attempt every move
they've ever wanted to try in battle. From area melee
attacks and called shots to jawbreakers and weapon lock
maneuvers, this open-ended system can make it happen in
your game. The new rulebook, by game designer Mike Mearls,
is on sale today in electronic (PDF) editions from Malhavoc
Press.
Mike
says the combat maneuvers system works a little like a
scale, balancing various game elements. "You decide
how much risk you want to take in combat and balance it
against the reward you gain from it," he says. "It
was very cool to design a complete system that does this,
a book that can handle all the wild stuff that comes up
in a game session."
This
combat maneuvers system covers new ground in the d20 System
rules. In addition to these rules and sample maneuvers,
The Book of Iron Might also provides other new
options for combat-minded characters, including:
* The ironborn, an exciting new player character race;
* Three new types of feat, which push the boundaries of
what a feat can be;
* An innovative new stunt system that lets you incorporate
wild action into the game;
* New and variant uses for skills that give your characters
the edge when they need it most; and
* Lots of design commentary and step-by-step instructions
so you can utilize these new options easily without unbalancing
your game.
This
hotly anticipated book comes as a 64-page illustrated
ebook in both secure and standard PDF formats. It features
the artwork of Kev Crossley and Scott Purdy and a cover
by Kieran Yanner. The Book of Iron Might is suitable
for characters of all levels. The book is available now
at DriveThruRPG.com
(secure PDF) and the White
Wolf Online Catalog (standard PDF) for $7. You can
sample a free preview
of the text, plus an art
gallery and maneuvers
cheat sheet, at this website.
Mike
Mearls has worked as a freelance roleplaying game designer
since 1999. One of the most prolific writers in the business,
he maintains a high volume of work without compromising
on quality—a trait that has won him a place on many
gamers' lists of favorite designers. Buoyed by positive
reaction to his first d20 works, he went on to produce
a variety of material for the leading RPG publishers,
including AEG, Atlas Games, Decipher, Fantasy Flight,
Fiery Dragon, Goodman Games, Mongoose Publishing, Necromancer
Games, and others before joining Malhavoc Press. His work
can be found in Dragon® Magazine on a regular
basis.
Malhavoc
Press is the publisher of the award-winning Book
of Eldritch Might and other d20 System titles
by authors including Monte Cook, co-creator of the 3rd
edition of Dungeons & Dragons®. Hallmarks
of Malhavoc products include unusual magic, monsters,
and evocative game elements that go beyond traditional
fantasy, as well as a mastery of the d20 System rules.
The Monte Cook's Arcana
Unearthed variant player's handbook was named
Best d20 Game at the EN World d20 System Award ceremony
held at Gen Con 2004. Malhavoc Press titles are available
at this site, along with free
game articles and downloads. Print versions are published
by Sword
& Sorcery™.
