Anyone else get Amethyst? I finished reading it last week and was pleasantly surprised. It's not something you need to rush out and get, but I do think it's well-put together and full of interesting ideas.

The basic idea is this: There used to be magic on Earth. Then a meteor hit the Yucatan and it sealed the gate that was allowing magical energy to suffuse our reality. Dragons left. The Fey left. Magic no longer worked.

Magic and science are literally antithetical in Amethyst. Where magic exists, scientific laws and processes literally break down. Technology slowly ceases to function.

So when magic went away, science reigned supreme. The evolutionary process was kick started. Humans came on the scene, developed an advanced society based on technology and science, etc..

Then a second meteor hit. Cracccccckkkkkkkk! And - viola! - magic returns. Dragons return. The Fey return. And so on.

Which causes some serious problems. First, there's a magical bad guy who spring up - he's the source of evil magic. Second, humans aren't terribly happy as their technology wonders stop functioning. They seal them selves away in city states, trying to limit the encroachment of magic on their territories.

Rules-wise, it seems okay. I didn't study the rules too closely. Basically, you've got your standard fantasy races and classes, then some technological classes thrown in on top of it.

I like the basic premise of the game, particularly how magic and science interact. The art in the book is top notch, particularly for a new (smaller) publisher. The layout was nice and, visually, everything was well-presented.

I did have some trouble picking up on what they were laying down, concept-wise. The backstory, timeline, key concepts, etc., could have been presented in a more clear fashion. I didn't like the way in which they re-named the standard fantasy denizens - you've got elves, but they're not called elves.

Apparently, they're doing a 4e version, which I'm definitely going to check out...

Seanchai

//www.serenadawn.com
I've been reading the author's work on his website for some time.
A good purchase, then?

It's a real quality work and the setting tows more closely to real world mythology (save the stuff that's up front and center). I just don't like how technology is SCREWED and all of the classes are a tad underpowered (the techan ones in particular). Still, in comparsion to core D&D, the setting is more plausible given the rule changes.

Quote from: dsivis;259243A good purchase, then?

If you're interested in the premise and have the cash. It's not something I'd recommend every gamer run out and get now, now, now.

Seanchai