Review: Rite Publishing – Perfect Aneshka (Faces of the Tarnished Souk)


Faces of the Tarnished Souk: Perfect Aneshka
Faces of The Tarnished Souk: Perfect Aneshka, Fate’s Immaculate Blade is an epic fantasy supplement for Coliseum Morpheuon and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game written by Matt Banach and Justin Sluder and published by Rite Publishing.
By Cape Rust

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There are some folks you just don’t mess with even in an RPG. If you are running around the Tarnished Souk then there is a good chance you’ve spent a lot of time and effort making your character awesome. Aneshka could ruin all of your hard earned efforts really quickly: really, really quickly.

CONTENT

This 15 page supplement has 11 pages that include Perfect Aneshka, Fate’s Immaculate Blade at CR 22, 14 and 8. She is a horrifically overpowered half-giant ranger/urban ranger/weapon champion. This supplement includes new magic items including bracers known as the Lords of Summer and Winter and several feats including some that are horrifically overpowered.

OVERALL

Perfect Aneshka is a compelling NPC that I would rather be on the good side of. Like so many of the faces in the Tarnished Souk she has an interesting back story that a fantasy novel could easily be written about. Not surprisingly she has so many traits and talents that make her almost undefeatable and complex to run properly.

RATINGS

Publication Quality: 8 out of 10
Rite Publishing was smart to stick with the black and white for their art on this one. Because of their rampant use of stock art some of their products still come off visually as a bit disjointed. I’m not sure if the cover art inspired the character or if it was the other way around, but no matter how it happened they got this one right. The art is simplistic, yet it still conveys the aesthetic lifestyle that Aneshka leads. Based on the extensive detail, I’m guessing this is original cover art. Not only does it fit her description, but her magical bracers, swords and even her neck tattoo are included. The interior art is stock and the varying styles are a bit of a detractor. The page boarders for this book are typical for the series and work just fine.

Mechanics: 10 out of 10
Nothing having to do with the Coliseum Morpheuon is ever simple, mechanically speaking, and Banach and Sluder do an outstanding job of making the impossibly complex manageable. When you have a creature/character that is a CR 22 at it’s highest, there is going to be a lot of rules consultation and numbers crunching. This supplement, like many of the others in the series, does a good job of making those things manageable and useable. There is no escaping some of the complexities but their management is done well by Rite Publishing.

Value Add: 8 out of 10
Because of the extensive templates involved with Aneshka, this product is defiantly geared towards the Pathfinder system. Yes, the concept of Perfect Aneshka, Fate’s Immaculate Blade can be used in other settings and systems, but as written no way. Because of her powers and abilities, Aneshka must be used very carefully. I would compare her to an unlocked loaded gun; not dangerous just sitting there, but could be game changing in the wrong or even the right hands. If you are running a game that has anything to do with Pathfinder, the Tarnished Souk or even extra planer travel, then Aneshka is a good character to use.

Overall: 9 out of 10
FoTS: Perfect Aneshka, Fate’s Immaculate Blade is yet another well thought-out, well-edited and high quality product. It remains complex and full of crunchiness but that does not mean it isn’t a great product. The Tarnished Souk is a deadly place and the addition of characters like Aneshka just re-enforce that fact.

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