Pyramid Review
Friends & Familiars (for d20 System)
Designed by Talisman Studios
Published by Bastion Press, Inc.
Written by J. Darby Douglas and Kristen Schlight
Illustrated by Jason A. Engle and James Byrd
32-page color softcover; $14.95
Friends & Familiars joins Bastion Press' "Legends Collection" as the sequel to Allies & Adversaries. Like Allies & Adversaries, Friends & Familiars is a very full-color collection of NPCs -- for use as sidekicks, companions, unique animal companions and even as rare familiars -- all suited for inclusion in any d20 System fantasy campaign. That color element comes from the brush of artist Jason Engle, with every page of the book done in tones of burnished gold and brown and each NPC given a full-length portrait. The style of each illustration possesses the slightest of ethereal qualities and any one of these pieces stands as among the best seen in any d20 System supplement released to date.
The format for Friends & Familiars is simplicity itself. Each NPC is given a two-page spread, with its illustration on the left-hand page, and the statistics and background given on the right. Also below the illustration is a simple two- or three-sentence thumbnail description of the character, followed by two or three hooks to help get each of them into a campaign. Only a contents page helps the reader find everything, but really Friends & Familiars is exceedingly simple to use. Unfortunately, the very high production values of this collection have been let down . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: June 13, 2003
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