Today we are really pleased to present to you the review of Valda’s Spire of Secrets, a compendium of additional rules for D&D 5e by Michael Holik. First of all we thank Mage Hand Press for allowing us to have a preview of the pdf of this very rich compendium. The project was born from a successful Kickstarter campaign; for the record’s sake, the minimum target was reached in two and a half hours. And we anticipate it: it absolutely deserves it!
Valda’s Spire of Secrets Review: a First Impact

Let’s be clear: Valda’s Spire of Secrets is ambitious, but it can afford to do that! A promise of quality that begins with the cover and continues on every single page. In fact, the artworks, in addition to being of the highest level, maintain a unique and recognizable style; hats off to Martin Kirby Jackson, lead artist on the project, and his team of illustrators. A work that almost seems to come to life from the pages.
A lively style is also reflected in the layout. Unlike many publications for D&D 5e, Valda’s Spire of Secrets adopts an original structure. Practicality of reading is not compromised, people used to the most famous role-playing game in the world won’t feel uncomfortable. But the choice not to re-propose the same pattern is courageous, and it pays off.

Character Options: Races
Although it can count on a great first impact, the strong point of Valda’s Spire of Secrets is its content. The manual is full of alternative rules, extra material and options for the characters that leave you spoiled for choice.
First of all, there are five new races:
- Geppettins are animated puppets made of porcelain, cloth or wood.
- Mandrakes are plant humanoids with a strong connection to the season they came into the world.
- Mouselings are animated mice, divided into a lineage of mice and one of rats.
- Spirithosts are creatures composed only partially of physical matter.
- Nearhuman are common human beings, who however have traits belonging to the most disparate game races. From the claws of the Beastman to the regeneration of the Grendels, from the thick skin of the Stoneborn to the horns of the Tauran, they greatly expand the range of possibilities for a character.

Review of the Classes of Valda’s Spire of Secrets…
Certainly among the most interesting elements proposed by Valda’s Spire of Secrets there are ten completely new classes. Each of these is accompanied by a minimum of seven and a maximum of nine subclasses.
The Alchemist, the Gunslinger and the Witch (Witches can be males or females, the manual specifies that the term is unisex) are the ones that need the least explanation. They remind of classes common in the fantasy worlds of other works and cover some gaps, making many players happy.
The Necromancer and the Captain are designed for players who like to move the “minions” without directly getting their dice dirty. If in the first case it is a fantasy classic, the second class is certainly more original. You can choose from various types of Cohorts, each suited to a different playstyle; the same goes for the undead available to the Necromancer, of course.
The Investigator has references to more investigative games, as the name implies; it is perfect for campaigns that delve into ancient horrors. Then the Warden promises to be the ultimate tank and the Warmage is an interesting attempt to build a fighter that uses only the Cantrips, enhancing them to the maximum.

… And the Most Interesting Ones
The most interesting classes are probably the Craftsman and the Martyr. The first manages to make the “crafting” phase interesting, obviously, making it an active moment and not just something to be relegated to moments of pause. Instead the second has a strong ability to withstand damage and dodge death. In fact, the Martyr has an incredible ability to avoid death to meet a doomed fate: once he reaches the 20th level he can enter a state in which, for ten minutes, his power reaches unattainable heights. Then he dies to fulfill his own fate.
Overall, there is therefore an excellent mix. Classes that offer concepts already seen and adapted to D&D 5e, embody classic flavor of the genre, offer new ideas and also reserve some pleasant surprises.

Valda’s Spire of Secrets: not just Game Options
Valda’s Spire of Secrets also offers new subclasses. Six for each “core” class of D&D 5e, which add variety to the game. And here we take the opportunity to highlight another aspect of this manual.
You will have the chance to play Muscle Mage, the Barbarian who is convinced he deserves recognition for his inconclusive magic. Or the Cleric with the Rum Domain. Or the Masked Luchador Monk, and various other options.
Valda’s Spire of Secrets reserves for each class a path to play with irony, for the sheer sake of having a laugh around the game table. But it doesn’t stop there.
You can block your enemies in a singing performance with the Tyra’s Coerced Karaoke spell. Then you will show up in an enchanted carriage, with animals transformed into valets and a magnificent dress thanks to the spells Mandy’s Enchanted Carriage, Mandy’s Feral Follower and Mandy’s Marvelous Dress. Maybe bringing the Bag of Cheer with you, from which to extract gifts for other creatures.
Valda’s Spire of Secrets is a manual full of playable material, but it has a wide range of these little goodies to introduce a touch of humor to your gaming sessions; this is further embellished by the comments of Valda himself, an ancient lich who notes his sarcastic reflections in the margin of the page (full of tasty puns).

An Extra Touch
There is also a wide range of spells, weapons, magic items and optional rules. Like the one for the “auxiliary levels”, which can be substituted for the regular class levels to reflect the recent vicissitudes of the characters.
Particularly interesting are some feats that the DM can decide to grant to the characters at the first level, which reflect a particular condition. They allow you to play children or elderly characters, with vision problems or limb problems, and in general a series of peculiarities to customize your character to a whole new level for this edition of Dungeons & Dragons.
In addition to various house rules, the manual presents many rules to adapt the new classes to each environment, or to manage peculiar aspects. But never in an intrusive way: they are distributed organically where they are needed, making reading easier.
We also find other notes, placed with the same discretion, which help to make some ethical notes to the game. Small food for thought that does not weigh down the game, but helps to pay attention to players who may be more sensitive to certain issues.

Conclusions of the Review of Valda’s Spire of Secrets
Valda’s Spire of Secrets is a really great manual, a perfect complement to the D&D 5e Player’s Handbook. It is full of interesting and fun game options, the ability to focus on the more traditional aspect without neglecting healthy laughter or more serious elements that go beyond the game table. A carefully packaged product that is definitely worth the Kickstarter support received.
Also in order to discover the history of the Company of Wring, the only group of adventurers who boasts of having managed to escape from the tower of Valda the lich. What was their secret? You just have to browse the manual to find out.