Okay, Now this is the second time I have reviewed this product. My first review was based on my first receiving the book. THIS review is written after having read and re-read the book, as well as discussing various details on the Tribe 8 Mailing List.
-Consistency-
Firstly, I am in two minds about this book, It's content swings between some meaty substance to average. A shame really, considering the previous Cycle books "Children Of Lilith" and "Trial By Fire" both were excellent campaigns. It's WU's little inconsistencies that let it down. As a whole, it's a great supplement. Heck, the River of Dreams info in the back of the book is a veritable cornucopia of ideas for cycles...Well worth the admission fee.
-Changing History-
One flaw is character. There are several "changes" in NPC behaviour which are not covered well enough. Basically, the Weaver NEEDS to know what the agendas of the NPCs are. To be vague is NOT a smart move. It tends to cause misinterpretation and frustration.
The Fisher King (Last seen in the Vimary Sourcebook) is akey character in this book, yet he has been altered beyond his original description. Now, although a lot of descriptions in Tribe 8 are vague and unknown, the Fisher King has only ever been described by characters WHO HAVE MET HIM. Sorry Chris, but if the description is a first hand account, then you can pretty much be guaranteed that the description is 98% accurate..
Also, a key event that occurs during Downtime between quests is treated with only a passing mention, while the first Quest felt a little "out of sorts" to the setting. Many repurcussions are ignored, and the effect of the previous cycles tends to be downplayed. Example, Agnes has gone through a dramatic change, and she seems more connected to those she did not trust at the end of TbF. A little more detail behind this would have helped.
Also, several sections say "see Weavers Section" when there is no mention later...
-The Good Stuff-
Despite these flaws, Warrior Unbound does still work as a Campaign, and has a load of great ideas and plots. (I personally liked the whole Issac/Fatima of the Keepers plotline)The Quests do make for great role-playing and the NPCs that are introduced are also well thought out. Also, the River of Dreams Section, as I said before, is well worth it.
A good book, but not the best in the series. A few flaws mar the package as a whole. Still worth it for the new Story arc, and hopefully the next book will learn from the mistakes made here...
Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)
