Book of Iron Might

by Mike Mearls

Who needs eldritch might? Barbarians, fighters, rangers, paladins, and other warriors meet their foes head on, relying on nothing but their cool nerves and skill at arms. Few opponents can ignore a sword in the vitals!

A good swordarm is worth a thousand spells.

Any party's strength rests on a foundation of cold steel, mighty thews, and strong hearts. The Book of Iron Might contains a whole new way to look at combat, allowing you to create mechanics for called shots, daredevil stunts, and other thrilling actions on the fly. It also includes three new types of feats, new uses for skills, and an exciting new character race.

The Book of Iron Might covers whole new ground in the d20 System rules. In a crowded sea of d20 releases, no other book provides this unique look at combat. Here is more of what you'll find within its

Includes a flexible new character constructs that are designed and built for a variety of roles.

Feats and Features new types of feats, such as combat styles that grow with your character, and new uses for skills that increase your options in combat.

The innovative new stunt system allows DMs to incorporate exciting action into the game without unbalancing the rules.

And More! This book also contains more on maneuvers and other combat tactics to give your characters the edge when they need it most.

Genres: Gaming

61 pages, Paperback

First published November 29, 2004

About the author

Mike Mearls is the dark hope of chaotic evil: young, handsome, well endowed in abilities and aptitudes, thoroughly wicked, depraved, and capricious. Whomever harms Mearls had better not brag of it in the presence of one who will inform the Demoness Lolth! Has been sent into this area to rebuild a force of men and humanoid fighters to gather loot and restore the Temple of Elemental Evil to its former glory. Of course, Mearls is but one of many so charged, but he is looked upon with special favor and expectation. He and his minions have been careful to raid far from this area, never nearer than three or four leagues, traveling on foot or being carried in wagons of the traders from Hommlet. None of the victims are ever left alive to tell the tale, and mysterious disappearances are all that can be remarked upon, for no trace of men, mounts, goods, wagons, or draft animals is ever found.

Evil to the core, Mearls is cunning, and if the situation appears in doubt, he will use bribery and honeyed words to sway the balance in his favor. He is not at all adverse to gaining new recruits of any sort, and will gladly accept adventurers into the ranks, but he will test and try them continually. Those who arouse suspicion will be quietly murdered in their sleep; those with too much promise will be likewise dealt with, for Mearls wants no potential usurpers or threats to his domination.

(Major points to anyone who gets the above reference)

When not cribbing the bios of well known AD&D 1st edition villains, I'm a game developer at Wizards of the Coast. I work on the Dungeons & Dragons paper and pencil RPG and the Dungeons & Dragons miniatures game.