Veranthea Codex: Betzekorps Prestige Class

This free preview for Mike Myler’s Veranthea Codex clocks in at 9 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial/ToC, 2 pages of SRD, 1 page advertisement, leaving us with 4 pages of FREE content, so let’s take a look, shall we?

So what is the Betzekorps? On the mechanical side, one could call it a 10-level PrC with full BAB-progression, medium ref-saves, 4+Int skills per level and d8 HD, available only for gnomes and haflings…and one would be rather reductive in such a statement. Why? Because the Betzekorps is an example of good high-fantasy storytelling that makes logical sense.

Take this scenario – in the storied world of Vernathea, gnomes and halflings control city states in the savannah south of the scorched desert and have been at war with tribes of giants – to the point, where they were simply outclassed by superior foes – think Attack on Titan (if you haven’t seen the anime, go watch it NOW) on a small scale. Pardon the pun. Now how did they fight back? Via a team that consumes a special type of water, which reduces weight (and makes you faster) as well as jetpack-style harnesses (Attack on Titan!) and a special material that is particularly light – Reciosteel. Now all of these 3 essential components are fully depicted alongside the Prestige Class, which you may now appreciate in a different light:

While the PrC’s benefits net massive bonuses to using harnesses and allows the class to create the special water, evasions, defensive rolls, flyby attacks and the like make sure that taking apart foes while flitting around on the battlefield remains a cool option indeed…have I mentioned the flyby-full attack capstone that is not the only thing these guys get at level 10?

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are top-notch, I noticed no glitches. Layout adheres to a drop-dead-gorgeous two-column full color standard – Justin Gagen did a great job, which also extends to artist Indi Martin – this is a beautiful pdf. The pdf has no bookmarks, but needs none at this length.

Mike Myler’s Betzekorps is AWESOME. Much more than conventional fantasy, it feels more like fantasy-punk, is a love letter to Attack on Titan AND FREE. You can’t say no to to a good, free product now, can you? Seriously, a cool PrC, iconic materials with cool implications for the world – if you require a reason why Veranthea is different from other settings, why you should give it a chance – this should deliver. My final verdict will clock in at 5 stars + seal of approval – it’s free, awesome and I’m an unabashed Attack on Titan fanboy. Even if you did not lke the anime, though, you should check this out – it’s damn fun and alchemists, tinker-style characters etc. should benefit from the items and materials herein.

You can get this FREE pdf here on OBS!

Endzeitgeist out.

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