Rating: 
Summary: Wow, what a great book!
Review: Pound for pound, this is one of the best D&D accessories Wizards of the Coast has produced. I made the mistake of buying Tome and Blood just before this beauty came out. This book is superior to Tome and Blood in too many ways to count.First of all, just look at it. The book is filled with gorgeous color illustrations that immediately let you know that you're holding something special. Reading the book gives you an intensely epic feeling that has been so absent from some of Wizard's other publications. Forgotten Realms, an already rich campaign setting, really comes alive in this book. The books starts by giving a background to what magic really is. It describes the Weave, a magical force created by the gods from which magic comes to mortals, and the story behind some of the legendary gods and wizards behind it. Being an accessory, there are also tons of new spells, feats, and some brilliant and well developed prestige classes (much better than Tome and Blood's "Candlecaster"). Greater Mage Hand, a spell I invented a while ago because I felt it was needed, was also invented by the book's authors, along with some other really creative and useful spells. This is undoubtebly the best D&D accessory I own. The people in charge of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting are already making it something special. This book is expensive (and it's a paperback), but worth every penny.
Rating: 
Summary: A good book, but nothing worth wetting yourself over.
Review: Spells, Classes, Magic Items, and a bit of discription of special realmsian magic types, materials, and such. It's good to get a reading that introduces some of the FR magic stuff, like spellfire, gem magic, and others.. But simply ok in my humble opinion.
Rating: 
Summary: Where's the Beef!
Review: The quality of the book was fine, a little pricey IMHO, but of acceptable quality, however, I was sorely disappointed in this product's lack of meaty rules and real content and am returning it. Returning it you ask, when most folks seemed to enjoy it, why? Well, for starters I purchased this product mainly for new and expanded rules on magic. While there were some new rules, sadly most of the rules were actually descrtiptions of things to do with existing materials and not any thing new. The Wizards duel rules and the Weave Rules had some interest however, the elemental magic system was glossed over, the moon magi were just silly, over all I felt the rules provided were weak and unfinished. The descriptions of various groups in the Forgotten Realms setting was also thin IMHO, I think the campaign setting book itself does a better job of describing Forgotten Realms characters. The final reason I despised this book was because the majority, almost 2/3s of the pages, were taken up with long lists of spell descriptions and new magic items. I dont know about you, but I find lists of new spells and magic items to be annoying and simply a waste of good paper. If you are really in search of a new spell or magic item, I suggest you try the internet. There are vast amounts of material available for free. So my recommendation is, unless you are a die hard collector of all things Forgotten Realms, skip this product.
Rating: 
Summary: An intriguing addition to the Forgotten Realms setting
Review: There is a lot about this book, Magic of Faerun, that recommends itself to the D&D enthusiast. Aside from adding a wealth of new detail to the Forgotten Realms setting (particularly new to those who have not familiarized themselves with it outside of the new edition game) it also sports a plethora of new spells, useful new prestige classes, and a small smattering of even more magical monsters and templates. Even more useful is the fact that this book goes out of its way to suggest ways to work different aspects that it lists into any given campaign. "Useful", of course, is subjective, since while it aids the Dungeon Master, it may also cause the DM to be reluctant to hand the book over to any of the players, since they might stumble across ideas that are to be used in the next session, possibly ruining the adventure. That, however, is a minor point. My primary - perhaps only - complaint about Magic of Faerun lies in the illustrations. They range from outstanding (in one or two cases) to acceptable, to downright unpleasant and distracting. And not "unpleasant" in a gorey way. "Unpleasant" in a "poorly-illustrated" sort of a way. The slightly abstract pictures of Michael Dubisch struck me as particularly poor, and I do hope that his work won't be making a return in any future D&D or Forgotten Realms books. I'd much rather that Wizards of the Coast stuck with the more traditional paintings and sketches, ala Core Rules and even the FR campaign setting. The drawings, however, don't detract from the usefulness of this product; merely from its attractiveness. In sum, this is a well-written campaign accessory that is worthy of your attention. Simply be prepared not to judge it by its illustrations.
Rating:
Summary: An intriguing addition to the Forgotten Realms setting
Review: There is a lot about this book, Magic of Faerun, that recommends itself to the D&D enthusiast. Aside from adding a wealth of new detail to the Forgotten Realms setting (particularly new to those who have not familiarized themselves with it outside of the new edition game) it also sports a plethora of new spells, useful new prestige classes, and a small smattering of even more magical monsters and templates. Even more useful is the fact that this book goes out of its way to suggest ways to work different aspects that it lists into any given campaign. "Useful", of course, is subjective, since while it aids the Dungeon Master, it may also cause the DM to be reluctant to hand the book over to any of the players, since they might stumble across ideas that are to be used in the next session, possibly ruining the adventure. That, however, is a minor point. My primary - perhaps only - complaint about Magic of Faerun lies in the illustrations. They range from outstanding (in one or two cases) to acceptable, to downright unpleasant and distracting. And not "unpleasant" in a gorey way. "Unpleasant" in a "poorly-illustrated" sort of a way. The slightly abstract pictures of Michael Dubisch struck me as particularly poor, and I do hope that his work won't be making a return in any future D&D or Forgotten Realms books. I'd much rather that Wizards of the Coast stuck with the more traditional paintings and sketches, ala Core Rules and even the FR campaign setting. The drawings, however, don't detract from the usefulness of this product; merely from its attractiveness. In sum, this is a well-written campaign accessory that is worthy of your attention. Simply be prepared not to judge it by its illustrations.
Rating:
Summary: Gnome artificers!!!
Review: This book would have been a 1 or 2 without gnome artificers. It is a dry resource as far as spells or prestige classes, but the interesting ideas about different types of magic like spellfire or the shadow weave are intriguing. The mage killer was a diappointment as I have had straight-up fighters or preists that could have made a better living disposing of mages. The gnome artificer is a must have for anyone who is tired of mages and is looking to add in an exotic flair to their game. Good for third edition but why do the Forgotten realms supplements all cost so much?
Rating:
Summary: Spellbound.
Review: This is one heck of a Forgotten Realms supplement. I can only recomend it enough.
The book starts off with a very good section about the different kinds of magic around Fâerun, and a rundown of extra magical locations. The new spells in the book are fun and vel balanced, the rewrite of the Polymorph spells are better than the Players Handbook version.
The new prestige classes are interesting, the Gnome artificer and War wizard my favorites. There is also a very good section about new materials to use in building magic items.
The book rounds off with some very cool new magic items, and last but not least some info about Moonblades(nice!).
So buy, buy, buy, buy, buy!!!
Rating:
Summary: Superior Realmsian Flavor
Review: This simply is more meat, more flavor, for the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting - and of exceptional quality. MOF knows the importance of discussing the more aesthetic points of magic in the Realms, shows many intriguiging prestige classes like the Master Alchemist and Mage-Killer. It also has many spells and magic items that contribute to a true Realms feel, using the names and based on the history of powerful characters or events of that world. For example, powerful magic rings created for the great military commanders and soldiers of Cormyr, and new magical enchantments for weapons and armor such as Impact - a version of Keen that exists especially for increasing the critical damage potential of bludeoning weapons - and Magic Eating. Highly recommended supplement to the FRCS that will see a lot of utility by both players and DMs who enjoy the high-magic world of the Realms.
Rating:
Summary: A meaty addition to the Forgotten Realms
Review: When I first read about the release of this product, I made up my mind I wasn't going to buy it. The price seemed unreasonable for a softcover supplement, and given the patchwork quality of the previous softcover releases ' It seemed like a waste' Then I actually got to read it, and all that went out the window. If you're running the realms- this will be a great add to the campaign world. More spells were a given, but here's the thing: They're actually useful! Amanuensis (A spell to transcribe magical writing in minutes rather than days) will soon be gracing the libraries of many a wizard. The clerical spells have some nice flair (a L1 healing spell for the faithful that cures 8HP plus a level bonus-nice! and they've finally given blunt weapons a keen-like enhancement spell, Weapon of Impact). Rangers, often thought to have gotten short shrift in the new D&D, get some good stuff in this book: spells that give their melee weapons +3 enhancements, and a spell that makes their next ranged shot critical, so long as it hits (I ask you, what ranger wouldn't want that?). Of course, new feats are part of the package. The metamagic feats are mostly for panache (like the feat that allows you to give your spells a 'theme' which makes them harder for opponents to identify, but has few other mechanical benefits) but they still add to the overall feel of the realms play. The prestige classes in this book are, in contrast with previous offerings, broad-based and allow for customization. Whereas there are few differing ways to play a Pale Master (from Tome & Blood), there are countless ways to play a Mystic Wanderer (a clerical prestige class, with a splash of the arcane) or the Mage Killer (a shadowy spellcaster who has a bone to pick with arcane types). With a campaign world as a backdrop, prestige classes can really explore their potential as world-building as well as character-building tools. In the 'Places of Power,' chapter, we are introduced to ready-made settings for magic events in Faerun. A magical bazaar where PC mages can buy and sell magic, as well as participate in Mage Duels. The Mage Duel rules are a great idea, although the rules are a complete aberration with the core rulebooks (spellcasters are allowed counterspells without readying actions, for example). The dueling rules promote a free-flowing and non-lethal way for mages to settle their differences. However, since a duel is unlike anything that exists outside of the dueling arena it is unclear if it will serve as anything more than the thrill-seeking stunt that it currently is. A chapter is devoted to explaining Faerun's peculiar magic backstory, which is useful for immersive campaigns and can serve as inspiration for spells, items and adventures alike. Rules for Gem Magic detail an expensive way for a magic user to store (and trigger) spells in gems-much like scrolls. Gem Magic increased cost (it uses gems, after all) comes with increased flexibility in use. A gem with a stored spell can be triggered when a certain creature approaches within 5', something a scroll cannot do. All in all, the book is chock full of what you would expect, more magic for the Forgotten Realms setting. The book is gorgeous, in keeping with the FRCS' look and feel, and the text does not disappoint. If you play the realms, this one's a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly Useful D&D Accessory
Review: When I first saw the title "Magic of Faerun", I thought the whole book would be mostly magic spells and a few magic items. I was very pleasantly surprised to learn upon reading it that I was wrong and that the book contained feats, prestige classes, quick adventure ideas and other various magic related information. Rather than focusing solely on spells or items in the beginning of the book, "Magic of Faerun" takes some time to fully describe the situation regarding magic and its history in the Forgotten Realms. This gives some great background for the slew of prestige classes and ideas that follow. I was impressed by the new feats which can add both role-playing and more choices to a campaign. The new skill descriptions (and ideas for skills) were wonderful, since I love the D&D 3E skills. The various prestige classes were numerous and some seemed a bit repetitive, but on the whole they're great and they would be terrific to use on creating some NPCs. I especially enjoyed the "magical places" section which described temples, mage fairs, mageduels, and other such things. I can't wait to intergrate some of the ideas into my own campaign. The magic spells and magic items take up the largest section of the book, but that is to be expected. They were mostly a touch above mediocre, but there were some wonderful additions. I think what I liked best was that some of the spells seemed to add spell choices to classes (such as druids or bards) that helped expand their spell lists greatly. While I wish more of the book had been like the beginning rather than mostly spells and magical items, I still think this is a great tool for both DMs and players. No matter what world your campaign is in, consider picking up this book. It can only help your game.
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