Sessair, The

The Sessair is packed full of history, background and good solid game information designed to expand the characters of any player who hails from this tribe.

The supplement kicks off with the History and Traditions of the Sessair, a long treatise on the origins and nature of the tribe, including their myths, methods for choosing kings and the place of war-wives among the fighting men (alternately hurling abuse and compliments, they encourage their men to fight to ever greater degrees). Known as the Tribe That Stands Up, there are few that can stand in the way of a determined Sessair.

The Tribe That Stands Up chapter covers new options for characters born into the tribe, and so will be eagerly devoured by players of the Slaine RPG. Character concepts, first introduced within the Fir Domain now include the Hermit, Mediator, Ideal Warrior, Swan, Wanderer, Hunter, Cattle Rustler, Murias Fisher, Plains Chariot Racer, Rath Grainne Noble and Devotee of Epona - surely a good enough selection to cover anything you had in mind for your character! As if that were not enough, powerful and accomplished characters may choose to adopt the Inventor prestige class, though no warrior should forget that entry into the Red Branch was covered in the main rulebook.

New Feats grants a character from the Sessair a wide range of new abilities unique to the tribe. Enlarge Wound allows a warrior to cripple an enemy, while Not For A Woman's Lips allows him to resist feminine wiles (a useful trait in Tir Nan Og). However, I have a feeling many will go straight to the Sessair Charge! Nine new feats are added in total, all for special use of the Sessair.

Magic of the Sessair details new spells available to anyone, though they all originated with this tribe and are most commonly used in its lands. They range from the peaceful Sign of the Salmon to the rather gruesome Preserve Head - always useful in blessings.

The Folk of the Sessair chapter introduces a range of characters from the tribe, both new faces and familiar ones from the comic strip, along with notes on how to play them to best effect - Gerg, Madad, Megrim and Niamh are all here, among many others! Of particular interest to fans will be the stats and descriptions of Slaine himself, at various stages in his life, from where he was simply known as the Warped One, to Slaine the King. This is polished off with a range of scenario hooks and ideas that use these characters directly, allowing a GM to introduce his players to the real movers and shakers of Tir Nan Og.

The supplement is polished off with Sessair Reference Tables, giving the GM a ready range of characters (such as a Red Branch Warrior or Headman) to use at a moment's notice or as the basis of a detailed NPC.