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Liber Canticorum: The Book of Songs

Author: Sam Chupp, Alian H. Dawson, David Edelstein, Jo Hart, John Karakash, Steven Kenson, Elizabeth McCoy, Water Miliken and Patrick O'Duffy
Category: game
Company/Publisher: Steve Jackson Games
Cost: $19.95
Page count: 128
ISBN: 1-55634-354-X
Capsule Review by Elizabeth Bartley on 03/03/99.
Genre tags: Fantasy Modern_day
Liber Canticorum, or the Songbook, covers pretty much everything a GM or player might want to know about Songs in In Nomine.

For those who aren't familiar with In Nomine, the universe is referred to as the 'Symphony.' People who know how to play special themes in the Symphony, called Songs, can wield what amount to magic spells.

The book includes:

  • How to learn Songs
  • Discovering new Songs
  • Special Song rules (performing quietly or in chorus, song variations, etc.)
  • New Songs and all the previously published ones all in one place (very convenient)
  • Secret Songs that only a few Superiors know, and formerly secret songs that were lost when the Superior who knew them died
  • Restricted Songs that can only be performed by angels, or only by demons, or only angels/demons of a specific choir/band
  • Favorite Songs of each band and choir (e.g. Cherubim, the guardian angels, like Songs which let them protect and heal their charges.)
  • A new mechanism, song bonuses: some songs are easier to perform for angels or demons of specific choirs, bands, or superiors. For example, angels of Fire have a +1 to Sing any Song of Fire.)
  • And a very useful chart with a sentence-long description of each song and the song's range, duration, essence requirement, disturbance created, opposition to the song, and any applicable bonus

I haven't playtested the material, but the new mechanics look like they would work, and I liked them because they added some depth to the idea of Songs. Really the only downside is that the material is a little bit dry, but the book is a remarkably pleasant read given that most of it is essentially a list of spells.

The book is useful for both players and GMs: it's got everything you need to know about Songs together in one place, well-organized and well-presented.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

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