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Cover art by Jaime Jones.
Amethyst cover and logo by Nick Greenwood
Amethyst: Evolution is the second book in the Amethyst saga, following the release of Amethyst: Foundations. Evolution is a player supplement, offering options for characters both within the Amethyst setting and in homebrew games. As always, any part of the canon Amethyst setting can be modified or removed to match up with your own playing style or if you wish to create a unique setting using the rules presented here. This rulebook includes:
Reviews: Dave Knaap,
RPGNow: "Excellent second outing for the Amethyst universe. The entire structure is brought in line with WoTC's new design, with 3 racial abilities and Essentials versions of all classes. Two new races fill the ranks, along with a new Techan melee class, the Vanguard. Foundation classes are boosted with new options as well. Expect to see some more fantastic fluff to go with the bulky crunch." Previews: Gearing Up to Return to Amethyst: But I'm most interested in getting to know the tenenbri, a fae race mentioned often enough in Amethyst Foundations to make anyone eager to learn all of their truths. Are they definitely underground dwellers? Do they prefer fighting or working? What's up with their issues with the narros? What role will they fill in the shifting ideologies of the world? And just where are they in the de-evolution spectrum? Return of the Techans: A Preview of Amethyst: Evolution: Overall, I think that Mr. Dias has really brought out the best of the techan classes with his new Essentials-styled builds. The very nature of classes which use high-tech weapons to battle against dark magical forces is a unique one, and the original Amethyst classes were more than capable of performing their duties to safeguard the bastions against marauding demons and dragons and other fey creatures lurking in the wilderness. But these new builds using the Essentials “chassis” are well-designed, streamlined, and appear from all indicators to be effective, fun, and easy to play, and should make for a welcome addition to the Amethyst setting when Evolution is released. And Amethyst GMs should also look forward to having techan classes that are easier to build and maintain, given the fact that WotC’s Character Builder is, sadly, unlikely to allow home-ruled material any time soon – and Essential’s builds have the distinct advantage of being easy to write down on a character sheet!
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