Mythic Vistas: Testament [Paperback]

Scott Bennie (Author), Sam Wood (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mythic Vistas | Publication Date: March 7, 2006

The world of the Bible comes to life in this campaign setting for the d20 System. Play a wandering Babylonian magus, a sorcerer in the service of Pharaoh, a Canaanite maker of idols, or a prophet of the God of Israel. Walk the streets of ancient Jerusalem, stand beside King David as one of his Mighty Men, smite Philistines, ponder the mysteries of gargantuan tombs, look upon the dwellings of the gods, and battle demons, dragons, plagues, and the legendary beasts of Babylon. Testament gives you everything you need to immerse yourself in the Biblical Era, including: A dozen new core and prestige classes, including the Levite Priest, the Egyptian Khery-heb wizard, and the Desert Hermit. Over 30 new monsters, including Nephilim, Tempter Devils, and Zebub-Spawn. Over 50 new feats and over 100 new spells. Rules for barter, curses, piety. Guidelines for leading a small tribe through the hazards of the Bronze and Iron Age world. The Biblical Battlefield Resolution System, a new way to fight epic combats. Full cultural details on ancient Israel, Canaan, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, including history, beliefs, holy days, architecture, and more. Dozens of new magic items and artifacts. Part history, part mythology, Testament is the d20 System setting that's both instantly familiar and yet unlike any game world you have ever experienced.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing; Brdgm edition (March 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972675620
• ISBN-13: 978-0972675628
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,899,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, July 2, 2003

By 

thule222 (Stockton, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mythic Vistas: Testament (Paperback)

Excellent roleplaying guide for any Old Testament story. Covers play as any of the ancient peoples of the Bible and during any period, although there is an emphasis on Israelites and King David. Detailed events system makes village and farming life interesting. Bronze age army combat resolution captures the feel of the ancient ballads. Heroes dominate the ancient battlefield like champions from the Trojan War. Very, very well done and worthwhile for anyone interested in roleplaying the Ancient World.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than you think., January 7, 2004

By 

Matt Tucker (Richmond Hill, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mythic Vistas: Testament (Paperback)

This is a how-to book about running a d20 campaign in the `Biblical Era'

It includes alternative base classes, prestige classes, spells, monsters and a wealth of information about culture, history and religion of the major powers in the region. Does give a bit more space to the Israelites, but Egyptian, Babylonian and Cannite societies are all discussed in detail. A new tactical battle system is also introduced to run Biblical style wars. (aka. where the actions of a single hero or miracle will determine the course of the battle.)

Players need to be a little more mature than most d20 games to enjoy TESTAMENT. Not because the content is questionable. (although the discussion of Temple Prostitutes may cause snickering in some groups) There is a heavy emphasis on role playing in TESTAMENT. Protecting your tribe, surviving history and maintaining piety are very important concerns in the setting. If your players are looking for a `kill monsters and take their stuff' kind of game, than a lot of info in this book is going to go to waste.

Looking for an alternative to the LOTR/Conan/Magic Medieval setting? Try TESTAMENT. It's Better than you think.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Examplary Work, December 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Mythic Vistas: Testament (Paperback)

This is an example for any 'historical' or 'literary' RPG supplement. It gives a good overview of the historical and literary inspirations, makes complete and coherent rules for role playing in that setting, addresses fairly the limits and opportunities in taking a setting familiar through history or fiction and making the shift to a role playing setting. Not only did they think up cool and useful feats, spells, etc. they are integrated deeply into the setting & vice versa. There are good gaming products out there, but few that can serve as an example of how to make a good gaming product as well. Some may say it isn't perfect, but until we find something that is, this will serve as something to measure other products against.