Iron Kingdoms World Guide: Full Metal Fantasy, Vol. 2 (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying) [Hardcover]

Rob Baxter (Author), Brian Gute (Author), Doug Seacat (Author), Jason Soles (Author), Joe Martin (Author), Matt Wilson (Creator), Michael Tresca (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2005

Immerse your self in the award winning fantasy setting of the Iron Kingdoms This guide further details life in western Immoren by exploring each of the the Iron Kingdoms, meeting their inhabitants, and studying their history. Immerse yourself in the exhaustively detailed world of grit, sorcery, and steam where the tides of progress push the kingdoms into a bloody war and adventurers weild sawtoothed blades and smoking magelock pistols.

As a follow up to the Iron Kingdoms Character Guide: Full Metal Fantasy Volume One, this book provides the unforgettable experience your characters crave.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Authors: Rob Baxter; Brian Gute; Doug Seacat; Jason Soles

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Privateer Press (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097069704X
• ISBN-13: 978-0970697042
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,234,195 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael "Talien" Tresca is a game designer, author, communicator, and artist. Michael has authored numerous supplements and adventures for publishers of Open Game License and D20-compatible games, including AEG, MonkeyGod Enterprises, Goodman Games, Otherworld Creations, Privateer Press, RPGObjects and Ronin Arts. His articles and reviews have appeared in Allgame.com, D20 Filtered, Dragon Magazine, Gamers.com, Pyramid, and RPG.net. He has participated in panels about electronic and tabletop role-playing games at Bakuretsucon, Dragon*Con, and I-Con. Michael is the National RPG and Sci-Fi Movie Examiner and recently published a book by McFarland Publishing, The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games.

When he's not writing, Michael can be found as his alter ego, Talien, on RetroMUD as an administrator. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, a preschooler, an infant, and a cat. All are fluent in English.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Speechless, November 27, 2005

By 

Evan Miller "Hedonist and All Around Geek" (Cincinnati, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Iron Kingdoms World Guide: Full Metal Fantasy, Vol. 2 (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying) (Hardcover)

What can I say abut this? This has to be the most comprehensive guide to an RPG world I have ever read. It reads like a history text and encyclopedia combined, but not as dry. The writers at Privateer Press have outdone themselves. Background info is given on the wonderful world of the Iron Kingdoms that they have shared with us. They go into such detail int he book. Each country's entry gives info that I wish other publishers put into their publications, such as the hierarchy of nobility and titles used. They even go as far to devote a section to ships used int he Iron Kingdoms and describe them.

There is so much information here, most GMs will find it daunting to know where to start with what they have before them. But between this and the IK World Guide Vol 1, these stand out as the best written RPG products to come along in a long time.

If you have any passing interest in the Iron Kingdoms, and even if you don't, this and the ocmpanion Vol. 1 book are highly recommended!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, March 26, 2007

By 

J. Gates (Denver) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Iron Kingdoms World Guide: Full Metal Fantasy, Vol. 2 (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying) (Hardcover)

I finished reading the World Guide this weekend, and felt like I had studied for an exam in European history...a very interesting exam that is.

This book is chock-full of history and information on Western Immoren. Everything is incredibly detailed and yet extremely interesting.

One thing that stood out to me was that it all "made sense". The history actually shapes itself into a logical sequence. I was always frustrated with regular genre fantasy...where nothing makes sense. This world does. It lays out why and how magic and technology has evolved, and how they are currently used...together and apart.

The only downsides to me were the maps and some of the fonts used. They push so much information onto a small map area that it is hard to read at times. Resources and towns become cluttered, and make it difficult to even tell what the geography is. The other problem is that on some of the images in the book, they use a...I guess a gothic type font. That particular font is very difficult to read.

If you are looking for a refreshing twist on standard high-fantasy, this book (and world) is for you. Check out the Iron Kingdoms: World Guide.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Sourcebook, March 20, 2006

By 

Daniel Price "Dano" (UK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Iron Kingdoms World Guide: Full Metal Fantasy, Vol. 2 (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying) (Hardcover)

The Iron Kingdoms World Guide: Full Metal Fantasy, Vol. 2 is packed with awesome information about the world of the Iron Kingdoms. Great detail and very well written, I would highly recommend this book to anyone running an Iron Kingdoms campaign and anyone who simply likes a well done game setting.