AKASHIC NODES: THE HOME OF MEMORY
From: Blue Devil Games
Reviewed by: Ron McClung
AKASHIC NODES: THE HOME OF MEMORY is a new RPG PDF Supplement from Blue Devil Games.
From page # 1:
“A Supplement for Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved”
Knowing very little about Arcana Evolved, I am forced to approach this review from a content point of view. Unfortunately, I do not know anyone that has bought the book so that I could borrow it, and I am not in a position to plop down $40.00+ to buy a book I will not use. It is nothing against Arcana Evolved. It truly looks like a fantastic book. I am a huge fan of Monte Cook’s approach to things. I simply do not play fantasy based d20 enough to buy it.
That said, this PDF centers on a concept presented in Arcana Evolved called the Akashic Nodes. They are apparently a unique concept presented in Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved. Instead of trying to understand the concepts behind it, I will quote the PDF from page 4:
“These curious locales are the focal points of the akashic memory, particularly concentrated areas of long lost cultures, strong personalities, or other phenomena….This book expands on these simple underpinnings, providing a wealth of new information, mechanics, and ideas.”
Chapter 1 – Citadel Of The Wayhunters expands the Akashic Node. It presents several new mechanics to flesh out a node’s particular characteristics. Intensity is an overall measure of nodal strength. Epicenters are areas of concentrated power. Lore represents specific areas of knowledge to which node is attuned. Aspects are a node’s dominant overall themes. Echoes are memes, or quantified cultural practices and ideas, with personalities strong enough to manifest as individual entities. The remaining parts of the chapter build on this in considerable detail, giving breakdowns in areas that need it and general overview in those that do not need that much detail.
Chapter 2 – The Academy Of Visions centers on the the magic of Akashic Nodes. The Academy of Visions was a great hall of Akashic magic and knowledge at the top of Elders Mountain that is now abandoned. The chapter includes a nice bird’s eye view of the campus, as well as a thorough background and description. The Library is described as well as several tomes and associated exotics spells. The Armory is also described with a few magical weapons contained within. Also described are the Reliquary, the Arcanum, and the Great Hall.
Chapter 3 – The Forgotten Graveyard describes the creatures of the Akashic Node. Along with a sample node, the Forgotten Graveyard, this chapter lays out five creatures: the Akashic Reaver, Memory Manifest, Merro the Mind Merchant, the Moraphel, and the Node Leech otherwise known as Ithinax’s Bane. It also contains a template – Slave Of Memory.
From page # 42:
“How old is old? How green is the Green? They are one and the same. ”
Chapter 4 – The Burlboughs focuses on the nodes for non-Akashics. As described by the author himself – Where tall, leafy branches keep out all but dapples of sun and where trunks crowd so thickly that they seem like one, akashics and greenbonds nurture one of the most ancient nodes of all: The Burlboughs. The Burlboughs is a node of the ancient memories of those that serve the Green. It includes a full description of the node, several creatures found in this node like the T’ian, the Rune Puma as well as the magic common to this node. Burlboughs is a sample non-Akashics node, and the chapter ends with several short samples of others including Champion Nodes, Mageblade Nodes, Magister Nodes, Oathsworn Nodes, and Warmain Nodes.
Chapter 5 – The Serpent’s Heart Guildhall is an Akashic guild and an institution of learning. Along with a general explanation of how to join the guild, the chapter includes the description of the Serpent’s Heart node which is actually two nodes in one. Like chaos in order locked in an eternal struggle, the Valor Core and the Madness Vortex make up the Serpent’s Heart node. There is also a nicely rendered map of the Guild Hall, some adventure ideas in the form of conspiracies, and a list of who is who in the hall. It ends with 35 Adventure Seedlings Using The Serpent’s Heart Guildhall.
Chapter 6 – The Fading Of All Things is an adventure for the Akashic Node. Like the rest of the chapters, I can not comment on the content of the adventure other than to say what it is, because I do not know enough about the Akashic Nodes. In The Fading of All Things, Kraalisthe diplomat hires the characters to guide him to Library in the Sand, the ruins of Mykl , and a village as part of a diplomatic mission. Along the way, the players encounter those that wish the mission to fail. It is an adventure of characters level 8 to 12. It is well illustrated with a couple of maps and several fleshed-out NPCs and monsters.
In conclusion, I honestly wish I knew more about the Akashic Nodes because now I am intrigued. It is definitely something very esoteric and obscure. This book seems to me a good companion for those looking to delve into the nodes. The art and layout are decent to fair, and it is well written. The authors obviously have a strong interest and passion for the subject.
For more details on Blue Devil Games and their new RPG PDF Supplement “AKASHIC NODES: THE HOME OF MEMORY” check them out at their website http://www.bluedevilgames.com, .
AKASHIC NODES: THE HOME OF MEMORY
From: Blue Devil Games
Type of Game: RPG PDF Supplement
Written by: Bill Collins, Phillippe Daigneault, Jay Imhoff, Justin D. Jacobson, Derek Kupper, and Michael Trice
Game Design by: Monte Cook
Cartography by: Edward Bourelle
Editing by: Alex Yang
Supplemental Writing and Game Design by: Robert Smith and Justin D. Jacobson
Cover Layout and Design by: Jennifer Rodgers
Interior Layout and Design by: Justin D. Jacobson
Cover Art by: The Carmona Brothers, Jesus y Javier Carmona
Additional Art by: Marcio Fiorito, Daniel Harris, Sergio Isaza, J.P. LeClerc, Bradley McDevitt, and Jeff Ward
Number of Pages: 103
Game Components Included: One PDF File
Game Components Not Included: Core d20 and Arcana Evolved Core rulebook
Retail Price: $ 6.66 (US)
Item Number: Type Manufacture’s Item Number
Website: www.bluedevilgames.com
Reviewed by: Ron McClung