This article originally appeared in d20 Weekly
Blight Magic
Published by Mystic Eye Games
Written by Doug Herring, Jeffrey Carter, John D. Faugno, and Kenny Lewis
Edited by John D. Faugno
56 pages; $11.95
A new release in Mystic Eye Games' Arcane Mysteries line, Blight Magic develops a form of magic that promises a quick road to great power, along with endless temptation and corruption -- akin to the dark and twisted magic practiced by necromancers and demonologists.
The authors make no effort to hide the fact that the contents are geared toward experienced players, and that it may unbalance a low-magic fantasy world. Buyers have been duly warned. That said, the premise behind this book is refreshingly original, at least so far as the d20 System market goes, and offers a marked departure from standard forms of arcane power.
Blight Magic represents, visually, a step backward for Mystic Eye Games. Recent releases have demonstrated matured production values with very good artwork and pleasing layout. While Blight Magic starts off solidly with a very atmospheric cover painting by John Shannon, things fall off immediately thereafter. The black-and-white interior work, provided by an unaccredited artist, is stylish but largely unsatisfying. A few pieces by this artist may well have worked fine among more polished art, but an entire book illustrated in this manner is grating and visually uninspiring.
The editing is professional and the typeset smaller than in some earlier releases, meaning buyers get more value for their money. This is somewhat . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: September 18, 2002
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