written by kirk botula
published by tsr
112 pages
$21.95

Jakandor, Island of War is TSR's first offering for their Odyssey series. A strong first outing it is. This supplement introduces us to The Knorr, a people who are a mix of our worlds' American Indian, Celtic and Norse traditions. The blend may sound a bit of a stretch, but Kirk Botula deals with it in a succinct and clever manner. The Knorr are newcomers to the island, having been spared the drowning of the world (an explanation of the storm that sent the Knorr's fleet to the shores of Jakandor) by their War Mother. The Knorr soon found they were not alone on the island. There also lives the Charonti a race of seemingly evil necromancers.

"Seemingly evil" you say? Yes. That's the point of the series. The two societies have diametrically opposed viewpoints on what is honorable and what is vile. The Knorr are warriors. Bravery, courage, clan, and honesty are their meat and drink. The Knorr have very few spellcasters and their magic ranges from clan ritual (which everyone can learn using the non-weapon proficiency system) to talismanic. The only wizard kit available is the seer and even they are viewed with suspicion. The warrior kits available are based on the fact that the Knorr gather in beast cults. There are some interesting choices, from the firebreathing Cult of the Fire Lizard to the thick skulled Cult of the Ram. These beast cults are outside of the clan structure and allow a mixing of the clans through devotion to a form of battle.

Jakandor, Isle of War brings thankfully few new mechanics to the game. The utilization of the kit method of character creation is a welcome sight. Unlike some of the problems with unbalanced kits in some of the later Complete series books, all of the kits seem to have been built with an eye for game balance. The unique flavor of the kits is what makes them attractive as opposed to some game breaking list of character benefits. Characters are built using a tree system borrowed from the Dark Sun setting. Each player makes not one, but three characters. This format allows a party to build many members of a clan and have them adventure together and grow as a unit. Most of the other mechanics deal with new spells, clan rituals, proficiencies and of course, the Knorr's giant guardians, the juggernauts. There are also special rules for scarring, celebrating and luck that truly capture the spirit of the Knorr.

The Knorr have many aspects that separate them from the "real" societies they are based upon. The Knorr have an affinity for lycanthropes and some of their most prominent heroes were werebeasts. Their juggernauts actually animate to protect the clan like giant robots. Each clan has a relic that is kept in a sacred shrine and its use requires rites of purification - the best tales deal with a Knorr stealing the clan relic in haste so the foe could be defeated quickly. These elements add to the flavor, built by their barbaric nature.

Overall, Jakandor is a great package. It could be easily inserted into an existing campaign due to the isolated nature of the island and it's inhabitants. Alternately, it is probably one of the best stand-alone settings TSR has produced. The time investment is minimal as you aren't detailing an entire world and you actually build many pieces of the clans yourself. The emphasis is on roleplaying and societal differences as opposed to a clear-cut good vs. evil scenario. You are given the opportunity to build a piece of a culture instead of just looking for loot. Thematically, it is what more TSR products should aspire to be. Any setting that offers a character like the Wastrel, who is born to be an example of what not to be, is one that I want to play in.

I look forward to the rest of the series, Jakandor, Isle of Destiny and Jakandor, Land of Legend. The Charonti are described next and they seem to be a mix of ancient Egypt, Indian and Asian cultures. The DM's Lorebook details just enough of them to provide some foils for your Knorrman characters, but I want to see what the evil ones have to offer.

a fantastic setting, a rich culture, and a very gray world make jakandor good "role" playing