The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Sometimes a sourcebook comes out that sounds really cool and exciting, so much so that you begin salivating when you read it and your palms get sweaty in anticipation of rolling your beloved dice once again. Warriors of Heaven, an AD+D release and apparently a refuge from the defunk Planescapes line, is exactly this sort of book. I mean, who hasn't wanted to play the avatars of gods in the epic battle against evil?

After reading Warriors of Heaven, I had an entire campaign mapped out in my head, easily enough adventures to keep my gaming group going for a year. This book is just brimming with potential! From hunting down fallen avatars, to leading punitive expeditions to the depths of the Lower Planes, interfering in the lives of mortals, intrigue in the Upper Planes, and so forth. Full of evocative artwork by Hannibal King which goes a long way to pulling you into the alien envirnment of the Planes, no one can mistake this as merely "AD+D meets Highway to Heaven" (though Michael Landon as an avenging Avatar might be cool....)

The PC's obviously play Celestials, natives of the Upper Realms. There is a wide range to choose from, each with unique powers, appearances, and roles. They include:

Agathinon--look like elves with luminous skin. The primary defenders of the Upper Realms.

Archons--The epitome of lawful good, they begin their existence as noncorporeal balls of light! As they rise through the ranks, they take on new and more inspiring appearances.

Asuras--Noble and righteous warriors, they serve as messengers of the gods, carry out revenge on those who have angered the gods, and bring wisdom to mortal priests. They are human-like, with burning wings and birdlike talons.

Elandron--wild, Celestial faeries. Not truly immortal, some believe they are elves in their afterlives. They are highly magical and stunningly beautiful.

Guardinals--Muscular humans with animal traits. As with Elandrons, they are not true immortals. Unlike other Celestials, they are free to leave the Upper Realms as they please, and often interfere in the lives of mortals and hunt evil in it's own backyard. They come in many varieties, resembling terrestrial animals: Avials (Eagles), Cervidals (goats), Equinals (horses), Leonals (lions), Lupinals (wolves), and Ursinals (Bears).

Aasimar--They are the offspring of Celestials, the result of amorous rendesvous with mortal beings. They are primary agents on the Prime Material Plane, where, mounted on magical steeds, they lead crusades against evil.

Character creation would be a useless exercise if the setting was unsupported. Perkins does his best with 96 pages, notably in a large section outlining Celestial life. He touches upon topics such as politics in the Upper Realms, promotion or falling within the ranks, daily life, the Blood War, relations with mortals, and the creation of Celestials. While very well done, clearly the sourcebook would be enhanced by the addition of Planescape books(notably Planes of Law, Planes of Chaos, and Planes of Conflict) or by a gm's own imagination.

Also included in the book are 21 new wizard spells (such as Dolourous Motes, which creates clouds causing creatures caught within to experiance mental anguish) and 29 new priest spells (like blessed concoction, in which any liquid can be turned into potions of healing----whch, btw I could use in my AD+D campaign where I am subjected to the whims of Steve "Killer DM" Elliott). Finally, there are 9 powerful new magic items and three new places of note to supplement those found in the Planescape books.

As players take on the role of Avatars to the gods, they must choose gods to serve. This could involve a lengthy list of books to peruse, including On Hallowed Ground, Monster Mythology, Faiths and Avatars, Powers and Pantheons, Demihuman Deities, and From the Ashes. To make this exercise easier, Christopher Perkins has included a 6 page reference chart for all the deities covered in these books. While it by no means is a subsititute for the detailed information one would find in these other sourcebooks, it does include the basic required information needed---name, pantheon, status (Greater, Lesser, etc.), portfolio (or sphere of influence, if you will), alignment, and plane of existence. This helps immensely, and is a valuable tool.

To do justice to this sourcebook in a short review is impossible. It is so strong in potential, it simply inspires you to want to play an epic battle against evil. In my campaign,the tone will be more in the vein of Greek or Norse mythology, where the Celestials take a more direct approach to mortal affairs and where things are perhaps a little less righteous. In any event, I could tell you about a great many things I have glossed over, but that would take away from the exctement you will experiance as you read/play Warriors of Heaven and uncover the secrets for yourself. Tales of Heaven is an excellent epic game, good old-fashioned action-adventure, good versus evil, and incredibly fun.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Warriors of Heaven
Author: Christopher Perkins Category: game Company/Publisher: TSR Line: AD&D Cost: $18.95 Page count: 96 ISBN: 0-7869-1361-4 SKU: TSR11361 Playtest Review by Andrew Hind on 9/19/00. Genre tags: Fantasy	Sometimes a sourcebook comes out that sounds really cool and exciting, so much so that you begin salivating when you read it and your palms get sweaty in anticipation of rolling your beloved dice once again. Warriors of Heaven, an AD+D release and apparently a refuge from the defunk Planescapes line, is exactly this sort of book. I mean, who hasn't wanted to play the avatars of gods in the epic battle against evil? After reading Warriors of Heaven, I had an entire campaign mapped out in my head, easily enough adventures to keep my gaming group going for a year. This book is just brimming with potential! From hunting down fallen avatars, to leading punitive expeditions to the depths of the Lower Planes, interfering in the lives of mortals, intrigue in the Upper Planes, and so forth. Full of evocative artwork by Hannibal King which goes a long way to pulling you into the alien envirnment of the Planes, no one can mistake this as merely "AD+D meets Highway to Heaven" (though Michael Landon as an avenging Avatar might be cool....) The PC's obviously play Celestials, natives of the Upper Realms. There is a wide range to choose from, each with unique powers, appearances, and roles. They include: Agathinon--look like elves with luminous skin. The primary defenders of the Upper Realms. Archons--The epitome of lawful good, they begin their existence as noncorporeal balls of light! As they rise through the ranks, they take on new and more inspiring appearances. Asuras--Noble and righteous warriors, they serve as messengers of the gods, carry out revenge on those who have angered the gods, and bring wisdom to mortal priests. They are human-like, with burning wings and birdlike talons. Elandron--wild, Celestial faeries. Not truly immortal, some believe they are elves in their afterlives. They are highly magical and stunningly beautiful. Guardinals--Muscular humans with animal traits. As with Elandrons, they are not true immortals. Unlike other Celestials, they are free to leave the Upper Realms as they please, and often interfere in the lives of mortals and hunt evil in it's own backyard. They come in many varieties, resembling terrestrial animals: Avials (Eagles), Cervidals (goats), Equinals (horses), Leonals (lions), Lupinals (wolves), and Ursinals (Bears). Aasimar--They are the offspring of Celestials, the result of amorous rendesvous with mortal beings. They are primary agents on the Prime Material Plane, where, mounted on magical steeds, they lead crusades against evil. Character creation would be a useless exercise if the setting was unsupported. Perkins does his best with 96 pages, notably in a large section outlining Celestial life. He touches upon topics such as politics in the Upper Realms, promotion or falling within the ranks, daily life, the Blood War, relations with mortals, and the creation of Celestials. While very well done, clearly the sourcebook would be enhanced by the addition of Planescape books(notably Planes of Law, Planes of Chaos, and Planes of Conflict) or by a gm's own imagination. Also included in the book are 21 new wizard spells (such as Dolourous Motes, which creates clouds causing creatures caught within to experiance mental anguish) and 29 new priest spells (like blessed concoction, in which any liquid can be turned into potions of healing----whch, btw I could use in my AD+D campaign where I am subjected to the whims of Steve "Killer DM" Elliott). Finally, there are 9 powerful new magic items and three new places of note to supplement those found in the Planescape books. As players take on the role of Avatars to the gods, they must choose gods to serve. This could involve a lengthy list of books to peruse, including On Hallowed Ground, Monster Mythology, Faiths and Avatars, Powers and Pantheons, Demihuman Deities, and From the Ashes. To make this exercise easier, Christopher Perkins has included a 6 page reference chart for all the deities covered in these books. While it by no means is a subsititute for the detailed information one would find in these other sourcebooks, it does include the basic required information needed---name, pantheon, status (Greater, Lesser, etc.), portfolio (or sphere of influence, if you will), alignment, and plane of existence. This helps immensely, and is a valuable tool. To do justice to this sourcebook in a short review is impossible. It is so strong in potential, it simply inspires you to want to play an epic battle against evil. In my campaign,the tone will be more in the vein of Greek or Norse mythology, where the Celestials take a more direct approach to mortal affairs and where things are perhaps a little less righteous. In any event, I could tell you about a great many things I have glossed over, but that would take away from the exctement you will experiance as you read/play Warriors of Heaven and uncover the secrets for yourself. Tales of Heaven is an excellent epic game, good old-fashioned action-adventure, good versus evil, and incredibly fun. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 4 (Meaty)