Faces of the Tarnished Souk: Magnus Thrax, Sculptor of War (PFRPG) by Matt Banach and Justin Sluder is a role playing game supplement published by Rite Publishing for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result. This is a single NPC at three different CRs.
The supplement is available as a 13-page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $2.95 but was purchased at a reduced price as part of a special bundle. One page is the front cover, one the front matter, one the Open Game License and two are ads.
Magnus Thrax, Sculptor of War gives some background on this former gladiator who now owns and runs the Coliseum Morpheuon’s largest gladiator school. Magnus is an ogre completely lacking in compassion and respects only those virtues that lead to victory on the battlefield. He has a prosthetic arm obtained after losing the original in a duel with Ahnkar-Kosh. This also covers how Dreamburning affects him, pieces of lore to find out and how to use him in game, including with some of the Coliseum Morpheuon adventures.
The three different versions follow, arranged in the book from high to low CR.
Thrax the Iron-Fisted is the CR 7 version, an earth-infused ogre fighter (trick fighter) 3.
Rector Thrax, The Sharpening Stone is the CR 14 version, a dreadnaught earth-infused ogre fighter (trick fighter) 7.
Magnus Thrax, Sculptor of War is the CR 20 version, a dreadnaught earth-infused ogre fighter (trick fighter) 12 with details on two feats and equipment including the prosthetic arm, a sidebar on the Ludus Thraxus gladiator school, a new option for weapons and new magic items.
After the different variations, there are details on the trick fighter archetype and the dreadnaught creature and element-infused creature templates, the latter covering all the elements, not just earth-infused.
Magnus Thrax, Sculptor of War (PFRPG) in Review
The PDF is bookmarked with major and subsections linked. Navigation is decent. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be free of errors. Other than the cover illustration, there is only one more that appears to be stock. Presentation is fine.
Magnus Thrax is a dangerous opponent should he be faced in combat, but he may be willing to teach those he considers worthy, and could be a useful mentor or a dangerous foe. As is typical with Rite’s NPCs, this is a very complicated one, especially at high levels, though in places it feels like it could be more unique. For an earth-infused creature whose epithet is “Sculptor of War” it might be expected he has some sort of connection to sculpting and statues, but doesn’t. Faces of the Tarnished Souk: Magnus Thrax, Sculptor of War (PFRPG) is an interesting and dangerous NPC and can be found by clicking here.
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