The Artificer's Handbook introduces a new method of creating magical items that doesn't rely on experience points and can probably be used with little difficulty in either a 3.0 of 3.5 d20 fantasy game.
The book's main thrust is that you use spell slots, time and money, in addition to a reduced amount of feats (four as opposed to eight) to create items that can range in power and potency, allowing the caster to have more control over what exactly he wishes to make. It adds some paperwork as players, always in the need to conserve their power, will try to max out the system. “Yea, it can only be used on the third day of the full moon. Yeah, that's the ticket.” It's a detailed system with a lot of variants in it and it has a lot of options.
The writer doesn't assume you know all of the dangers of certain things, like changing the area of effects on spells or allowing magic items to grant feats, so he notes it for you. He provides the information on optional feats to make item creation more unique and useful, as well as ideas on how to incorporate the various elements of this option system, as well as the original, into three different types of magic setting, low, mid and high. This allows a lot of leeway in how the GM chooses to use the material without being overwhelming as you can still use a lot of the old rules with the new material.
Because the author realizes that there might be some questions here, several examples are provided. The reader can quickly see how the number of spell slots and the spells required were selected, as well as how the market price and creation costs were determined. Even better is that the items are unique and make for some interesting twists to standard treasures like the Maul of the Chicken, a weapon that turns those critically struck by it into chickens unless they make a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Even more impressive is the sample wondrous items in the appendix that allow the reader to quickly see what standard items found in the DMG will look like under this system.
Outside of the magic item creation rules, numerous details that help flesh out the magic creation system in terms of support, as well as lots of tables for the GM to spice things up. Want to make a quick history for a magic item? No problem as a quick few rolls on some of the tables here can give you the sword of Felix the Dread, slain by a ravaging nightwalker while traveling with his ogre comrades or something fun like that. It's a six step system that can be taken as much or little as the GM likes but it's useful to have. Also useful are those weird components, you know, the old exotic stuff like the breath of a mountain or a knight's dashed hopes.
New spells, feats and PrCs are included to help augment this magic system but with some tweaking, some of the material is good for a standard campaign. For instance, I don't think too many campaigns are going to be ruined by React, a spell that increases initiative, Spot and Listen Checks nor the Borrow Ability, that provides the caster the ability to use a feat or class ability from a willing target.
Of good reading but perhaps not as much use as I hoped, were the components. For example, meteor iron is usually given some odd properties, but most of the material here is merely a description, lore and use. The descriptions are very useful with the gems and makes it a snap to describe what a beryl or what a iolite looks like but doesn't go into any game effects of what these things might've done in their legendary role. Also included in these components are options for power components, very similar to Ronin Arts 101 series for both arcane and divine to augment spellcasting.
Another useful element that I thought was perhaps too good, were socket items. The item in question, be it a helm or breastplate, to use a socket, or rune or jewel, has to be crafted with an empty socket first. These sockets increase the cost and difficulty in forging the weapon but can create interesting options. The reason it's interesting is that you craft the jewel with say, an option to be +1 for a sword, but if used in armor, it becomes +1 armor. There are other neat little benefits like this such as elemental resistance for fire burst enchantments. It's a nice little system but it's allowing an awful lot of variable power to be put into the item as the sockets can be easily switched, they don't bond with the item.
Another option that I would've liked to have seen more examples and material on, is Gestalt. In Material Magica, a book of magic items by Dark Nebula, there were sets of magic items that gained additional power when the whole set was worn. Here, the idea is repeated and the Gestlat Effects are paid for separately. So you have your base items, and then the gestalt costs. The example here is of a sword and gloves, the sword, +2, the gloves, +2 Dex and Weapon Finesse, but together, the sword becomes Keen.
The artists on this book are some of my favorite with Patricio Soler, Scott Purdy, Brannon Hall and Tamara Pressman doing the honors. Each of them add some great illustrations to the book giving it a high magic feeling. Unfortunately, not all of the images match the text as we have the Willmaster's Lash pages before the actual item and the Maul of the Chicken on the opposite page of the item. Minor issues.
While the Artificer's Handbook will be most beneficial to someone looking for a new way of crafting magic items that doesn't involve experience points, it's equally useful to GMs looking for new magic items and abilities or new concepts that they may've been unaware of beforehand.
