Customer Reviews

Arcanum, 2nd edition (Atlantean Trilogy)

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Arcanum can be used as an adjunct to your own fantasy-roleplaying game--it's a great source of concepts and ideas--or as a standalone system, with just a few tweaks.

The greatest strength is the array of character types: 32 classes and over a half-dozen races. Everything is close to the "classic D&D" standard, but distinctive enough to offer some interesting and unexpected twists.

The mechanics are quite simple: a basic d20 roll for most results, armor subtracts from damage, etc. Fans of detailed combat-tweaking and complex maneuvers will be disappointed here, but I'm not among them.

One standout feature is that spellcasters (otherwise quite strong despite their lack of armor, given their ability to select spells at casting time--no "memorizing") have a unique handicap in combat situations. In direct, face-to-face confrontations, they can't fire anything more than 1st-level spells. This encourages them to stay out of the line of fire and let the warriors and physical combatants step forward. Teamwork is the key to a successful combat scene.

The spell lists are brief, but cover most of the common effects you've seen in other games (magic bolt, darkness, charms, etc.). And with so many classes, there are NINE TYPES of magic to choose from--including some dual-classes that combine aspects of two different schools. (Where else can you find a Monk class separate from the Martial Artist and the Mystic?)

Arcanum probably strikes many modern gamers as dated, and this book alone isn't enough to flesh out a complete world with monsters, NPCs, etc. But a lot of the concepts are solid, and the core focus on simplicity and balance is commendable.