Game: Encyclopaedia Divine: Fey Magic
Publisher: Mongoose Publishing
Series: d20
Reviewer: Wyrdmaster
Review Dated: 22nd, May 2002
Reviewer’s Rating: 8/10 [ Really good ]
Total Score: 10
Average Score: 5.00
Fey Magic is alternatively known as Dreaming the Reverie, Seeking the Reverie and Calling the Reverie. The Fey are a fickle race but they don’t deserve being overlooked; this seems to suit the book as a whole. A good way to get to grips with what the book is trying to present is to skip to the very last chapter and read the designer’s notes first. I think I can quote the author’s opening paragraph safely.
“I have always felt a bit concerned how the fey are portrayed in the ‘classic’ fantasy campaign. While legends persisted of their incredible magical powers, they were still depicted as flighty and annoying ‘props’ to throw at characters when they needed a break from killing undead and dragons. Their closet allies, the elves, had a natural affinity for magic, and even possessed some small relics of ancient magic long since lost. Where did that magic come from? More importantly, where did it go?”
I feel that the author makes a fair attempt to satisfy the questions and observations set about above. After reading the book I was left with the feeling that the Fey are alien in nature and yet a power not to be trifled with. Much success is had in presenting the Fey as strange beings with obscure desires by dismissing much of the uncertainty around them. For example, is Fey magic arcane or divine? It’s divine magic. It’s divine magic in a similar way to how Druids draw their power from the natural life around them, the Fey draw their energies from the nearby Plane of Fairie and certainly not through carefully, slow and studious understanding of arcane rites. Having said that, there is a no small amount of fanfare described for Fey Magic, in fact, magic dances and songs as well as powerful feasts and trances are core to the fairy way.
There is the Fey Domain even though the fairies hold clerics in contempt. The Fey Domain’s spells can be accessed by through fairies who have levels in, say, Druid. As you would expect there’s a set of new spells to populate the Domain. Aside from that, there are no extra spells in this Encyclopaedia Divine and that might surprise people. Fey Magic isn’t a collection of new spells, instead any successful relationship with the strange faeries gives certain types of character classes the ability to enhance and improve their normal collection of spells.
In fact, you can do other things with the Fey Essence other enhance your “mundane spell casting abilities”. If the subtitle “Dreaming” put you in mind of White Wolf’s Changeling: the Dreaming then you might be expecting to read that the fey can harness the otherwise intangible fairy essence and infuse it into objects and items. I don’t think this concept is borrowed from White Wolf’s glamour system any more than I think the mention of Dreaming is. Although I suppose you could also relate the Plane of Faerie to the World of Darkness’s the Dreaming I think this is also a coincidence. Why? It only makes sense to base any fairy RPG in the already popular Western culture’s concept of fairies. You’ll find a small collection of these concept fairies, brownies, leprechauns and spriggans for example.
It’s a credit to the book that you don’t encounter the Prestige Classes until you’ve ready plenty about Fey Magic. The Prestige Classes, the feydancer, the spellbinder, the wylding and the chosen protector are all well constructed. They’re all fully tenth level prestige classes as well and I really do think one 10 level prestige class is worth three 5 level prestige classes. Fairy Feats and items are also given room in the book but just as with the Prestige Classes they’re not rushed in too early or a cheap attempt at filler.
Another sign that Fey Magic’s really been designed a valuable GM aid and not just a power trip for fey-mad gamers is the bigger than usual Advice for GM section. It’s pretty useful advice too and generally comes in the format of rational why the players might end up needing to deal with the fairies or why the fairies might end up needing to deal with the players.
There a very many more reasons than just the artwork of pretty nymphs to buy the book. (I think the colour inside art depicts a fairy lady who’s taken the title of “Miss Mongoose” from Nymphia of The Slayer’s Guide to Amazons.) I think the book does an honourable job of presenting a carefully balanced guide as to why you might want to get involved with the Fey, yet why you might want to avoid dealing with the Fey and certainly why you will want to avoid breaking oaths and running foul of the Fey. You’ll be able to take as much or as little from Fey Magic as you want, if you want to introduce a fully fledged fey scenario into your campaign then you have enough material here but if you just want to have your battle weary heroes find a pretty forest glade where they rest to heal for a while then you’ll be able to use some of Fey Magic and not regret owning the rest.
