If you play d20 system games and have any interest in historical authenticity, you must track down this book. It is a written as a dual-function primer on historical weaponry and equipment guide, presenting hundreds of new and modified real-world weapons with discussions of their use. Each era/region has its own equipment stats table. So, if your campaign world is based on ancient Rome, or Greece, or the Crusades, or medieval India, or tribal Africa, or the early Renaissance, or the Neolithic era, just flip to the appropriate chapter and equip your character from there.

Also included are a few prestige classes and discussions of tactics for some of the most renowned warrior classes in history. Hardness and hit points are given for an expanded range of materials--including three different grades of steel! There is an optional system for weapon and armor wear, which is elegantly simple. Fantasy materials and weapons of myth (Mjolnir, anyone?) are also coved in an appendix.

The only things that keep it from a full 5 stars are that it was eritten for 3.0, so some of the official weapon stats have changed; which is not a problem if you are using this as the only source of equipment in your campaign. Also, the wealth of info and options can at times be overwhelming. ( )