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Jakandor, Isle of Destiny is the second of three parts in TSR's new Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Odyssey campaign setting, intended for use with Jakandor, Island of War (part 1), and Jakandor, Land of Legend (part 3). Included are a full-color poster map, a bound Player's Guide, and a separate, pull-out DM's Lorebook.
This part of the Odyssey campaign is based on the clash of tribes of barbarians against a nation of wizards, the prize being the lands of Jakandor. A different major culture is detailed in the players' section of each set in this trilogy, each culture considering itself the epitome of human development (of course). With this set, players can construct characters from the nation of the Charonti, while the dungeon masters' section brings the traditional Charonti foes, the Knorr, to the field.
The Player's Guide gives readers the Charonti history from their creation myths through their rise and near-destruction to the present. Various chapters contain an overview of Charonti society, customs, rules, and caste system; unusual undead members of society; nine character kits specific to Charonti characters; new non-weapon proficiencies; new spells and magic items; and a list of commonplace magic items that might actually be available at market.
The first half of the DM's Lorebook covers the island and the Charonti foes. First up is a section for managing Jakandor's particular environs and the Charonti themselves, the topics including undead henchmen, wizardly training and assorted magic, and the Wasting Plague that nearly finished the Charonti race. Next, clans, cults, and magic are detailed for the creation of Knorr foes, as are character kits and the clans' Guardian Juggernauts. Note that in the first Odyssey set, Jakandor, Island of War, there are even more kits for non-player and player characters alike. In the second half of this booklet is an adventure for four to eight 1st level adventurers, to be personalized by the DM. In our review copy of the Lorebook, the texts of pages 4 and 5 were transposed (though the page numbers themselves were not) and the table of contents did not match the actual locations of listed sections.
An attractive, 25" x 16" player's map is included, and is deliberately cryptic, with some variable sites based on Charonti explorations and the DM's whim; a few details are added in the Lorebook, and the history of certain areas is given in the Player's Guide. More on these areas is contained in the previous Island of War product and a fully detailed map will come in Land of Legend when it is released.
Jakandor, Isle of Destiny shows great promise and is well worth picking up.
--Sharon Daugherty
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