Mini Ultimate Mystic Review

[Storn]

I get SO much swag as a freelancer for multiple companies, I rarely sit down and read the books I get. I'm also fiercely independent and wanna create "my own stuff". But occasionally, something I get fits into a current character or storyline that I'm actually gaming. Ultimate Mystic came to me just as I'm running a mystical character named Geist. So. I like to read in the bath, and read it last night. And no. I did not drop it into the water.

 

So, Dean and Hero co., nice job on Ultimate Mystic. Kudos.

 

It reminds me of Ninja Hero. Fairly short and brief in it each section of what it covers, but a lot of plot ideas, info and such clearly spelled out. I liked the breakdowns on the Faerie and some of the Indian mythos especially. Sidebars like names of Angels and Demons seems like GM gold to me.

 

I liked the sidebar character examples quite a bit. Especially Randy Dandy and Redhawk. Redhawk was a bit close for comfort... I have (had) a character named Tommy Salamanca (an Iroquios, natch, for those who know me and where I grew up) who's codename was Redhawk. He used a "ghost winchester" vs. spirits instead of a coup stick. He was also a cop (SWAT, NYC) One of those zietgiest thingees, I guess.

 

I liked the three different ways of doing Astral Projection. And the discussion contained therein. Of course, my Giest, has a forth way... he kinda brings the Spirit Realm to our reality and exists in both simutaneously... so I didn't even try to build Astral Projection... more like Weave Dimensional Environment. But I appreciated the care and thought that went into that particulary gnarly aspect of supermagery.

 

My one critique is that Wild Talent didn't really get a discussion on how to build powers that are quirky and can perform bigger and larger than actual Active Point cost. I would like to have seen some advnatage, disad combo that had some chance of not working and a chance of working even larger. Because building a power, say 20d6 EB, on the high end, but limitations usually only have it work at 12d6 or not at all, is still a really expensive proposition.

 

But overall, I really liked this book. Lot of info that will need the right situation to utilize, but I have no fear that my gaming group will hit those situations eventually. I'm even going to show it to my Witchcraft GM, who has researched a lot it, but the conciseness of it all will be useful to him.

[Susano]

Re: Mini Ultimate Mystic Review

 

I agree -- this book rocks. It is packed (packed, I say!) with useful information, ideas, and suggestions. Good for magic and magicians in any genre.