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Ninth World Guidebook
[978-1-939979-25-4]
$17.99
Publisher: Monte Cook Games
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by Clark B. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 02/06/2015 11:48:52

I have read the entirety of the book and have to say this book is amazing! I had some minor concerns that it would not be as interesting as the rich world created in the default Numenera book. A book filled with second hand ideas or picked up off of the floor scraps.

That's simply not so in this book. So everyone can breathe a sight of relief.

The majority of this book is pure amazing content. The artwork is great, the writing is great, and the maps are always fun to look at and imagine what's over the next hill. I was pleasantly surprised to see character options and a small bestiary section in this book for the new areas introduced and then some. Including a new race option I won't spoil. A new focus joins the already wide array of character options as well. The book shares the same ease of use and accessibility that the other books have become renowned for with handy sidebar references everywhere.

I will say I like the depth and detail of the southern lands beyond the south wall most of all. I feel it is the particular standout of the newest areas. At the same time the book does not intrude on others by labeling blank markings on the map others might have used. Any areas added to the existing world are completely new. My runner up is the small canyon of blades added to the Pytharon Empire.

Overall it is the same high quality and amazing product I would have expected and hoped for. Despite this nothing is ever perfect and there are some minor flaws. These are easy enough for me to overlook and are me really trying hard to find something to not like with book.

The most glaring is some of the new art uses a very strange style of art compared to what we've seen before. I just don't feel that this art conveys the world of Numenera or leaves the same impression. It looks like I'm looking at a cartoon and it sucked me out of the world. The artist is very skilled, but the style of the art just doesn't fit or do the book justice. Thankfully there are only a few of these pieces. Also I should stress art is subjective and what one likes another might dislike. So many of you might be okay with that.

The second minor thing I noticed is the last two new lands of the book added seem to be thin on content. The Rayskel Cays in particular is a little thin. The problem is it has the same amount of content as the others, but has to be spread out much more over the islands and I felt this was the weakest of the new places added because all of the new locations are extremely sparsely detailed. Calling it a low point of the book is a disservice to them since I want more of this region. I just feel it wasn't covered as much as needed. An interesting area that needed a little more added to it.

The only other area of the book I felt needed a little more is the completely new are the "Lands of the Dawn". It is an extremely interesting area but for such a large area that introduces so much new stuff all of it is left a little bare. It's not as bad as the Rayskel Cays but you will be feeling they could have added a tiny bit more to cover such a large geographic area.

If the only real flaws I can think of is that I disliked a few pieces of art and that I wanted more for two of the new regions I can't really deduct too much points for that.

Content 5/5 It needed a little more for a region or two, but it's easily overlooked with the quality. Art 5/5 Again I enjoyed the artwork barring two or three, but who can say they like every painting ever. Layout 5/5 The book is extremely useable and easy to navigate.

Total 5/5

The minor flaws are not enough for me to deduct any points. I hope MCG keeps this extremely high standard. This book introduces entire regions you could run campaigns in. Yet it leaves so much free for you the GM to fill with your own unique take on the 9th world. Just reading the book is a delight and playing with some of it will be truly amazing.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Ninth World Guidebook
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