Defenders of the Faith

Carolyn Maccabee's Review:

Others may be more qualified than me to evaluate this product as a game supplement. However, a clever hidden message near the back of the book fascinated me.

A "prestige class" called the Templars is described on page 72. The real Templars, of course, did survive the Middle Ages as a secret cabal, but are widely thought to have been wiped out by the Grays in 1974 because the Templars were able to detect and combat their incursions into our space. This book quietly suggests otherwise.

Buried among the text of the entry are two interesting statements, one describing the Templar's ability "to shrug off magical effects that would otherwise harm her", and the other saying that they can "shrug off some amount of energy from each blow or attack." Need I say more? This is truly encouraging news. Let's continue picking up these products and see how the struggle develops!

Matt Milton's Review:

I like this even better than Sword and Fist! Clerics are the best class in Third Edition. There are tons of new feats and sections on dragon mounts and all kinds of other ways to make your character tougher. The best parts are the magic items and the prestige classes. Prestige classes are the best way to get ahead in D&D, and these are great. I can't wait to cast Otyugh Swarm!

Ed Phillips's Review:

D&D is lame. If you want roll play get Vampire and play live action. Cover's cool though.

Calvin Schultz's Review:

This book has a promising title. Faith certainly needs defenders in these troubled times. A single glance at the cover dashes any hope that this book will serve any good purpose, however. A demonic-looking creature is depicted terrorizing two people in armor, one of whom appears to be a woman. On the creature's chest is a symbol which the artist uses to mock the holy crucifix of the Christian faith.

Inside, far from defending the real faith, the authors of this book immediately start trying to tear it down. It is full of talk about "divine magic", demons, and guidelines for the worship of pagan gods. A number of cults, some of which the authors shamelessly admit to being evil, are also described, along with the requirements for joining them.

Even if this is "just a game", it is a tragic waste of time. Young people with this much spare time need to spend it either in genuine church-sanctioned spirituality or in supporting family and country by working harder at a good solid job.

Judith Tolbert's Review:

I've never seen a novel narrated in this style, but once I got used to it, I had to admit that the effect was powerful. This is the tale of an iconoclastic young nay-sayer who becomes embroiled in Kennedy-era politics and must eventually face the death of his own idealism. Redman and Wyatt have really made an impressive first effort here. I can't wait to see their next novel.