review2

Masters of the Wild
Cost:    $19.95
Overall score: 9 of 10

Masters of the Wild is the last installment of the class based series of books by Wizards of the Coast. As such it seems to contain a good deal of material that just didn�t find a place in earlier books. While some might think that this would weaken a product, in reality it just means more good material for the same price.
     Chapter 1 is the usual look at how the barbarian, ranger, and druid view things. It also has advice on raging and choosing favored enemies. The best part of this chapter though is the sections describing the revision of the wild shape ability and the variations on favored enemy (allow some usefulness against undead and other uncritables) and intimidation (now officially able to be used with Strength). These sections are very useful and make sure your druid or ranger is not a useless woodsman.
     Chapter 2 is the feat section and there are a lot of them. Everything from turning plants and animals to movement bonuses to resistance to fire. There are also improved versions of toughness, a small horde of rage feats, and wild shape feats. Definitely enough to make anyone happy. (Even the DM, most of these feats would be quite appropriate for monsters [especially considering a few are stolen from the Monster Manual])
     Chapter 3, the equipment chapter, is short but sweet. There is a glass studded whip and the caber (Throwing Log!!), new magic items (such as the arrow of healing) and a new kind of magic item, the infusion (magical herbs).
     The animal chapter (4), addresses the issue of animal companions and their care. It also has new dire animals (the dire elephant cries to me for use) as well as legendary animals, creatures born to serve the mightiest druids (or perhaps challenge powerful adventurers).
     Chapter 5 contains the book�s 20 prestige classes (more than any other book in the series and double that of Song and Silence). There are various nature lord, raging, and hunter classes as well as the Blighter, an anti druid, and the Forsaker, who gives up magic because it is evil. The weirdest is the Oozemaster (the ooze is your friend). My favorite classes are the shifter, who expandes her wild shape ability to encompass all things, and the Tamer of Beasts, the ultimate animal trainer.
     Chapter 6 consists of (mostly) druid and ranger spells. Fairly good stuff here, but nothing compared to the rest of the book.
      Overall this is an amazing product and the best of the series since Sword and Fist first came out. There is material useful to any player or DM. I severely doubt I will see another book this good come out for some time.