I want to start by saying that the book accomplishes the task it sets for itself with aplomb: to present a fast and simple system for character creation at the given point levels (62, 125, and 187) for DFRPG. Following the process is so simple and seamless that it was only afterwards I realized how much of the foundational work was "hidden" in the base templates and class modules. They remove entirely the mental load of figuring how much of each attribute to buy that might otherwise stymie a new or less experienced player worried about making an ineffective character (separate from making an optimized character). This is not equally true with DFRPG itself, as each class template offers a chunk of points to spend on a list of advantages that includes increases to many attributes as well.
The opening of the book, as well as the sections devoted to each group of delvers (Strong, Fast, and Smart), includes advice on building characters and utilizing points to customize. While you can use the book strictly as written to build a character, there is an emphasis on making your own choices, manipulating the modules, and setting aside points from one area to spend in another. There are also a few tips on "optimizing" characters, such as buying down Basic Speed to the nearest whole number (since fractional Basic Speed has essentially no effect) to free up points.
The variety of upgrade modules allows for differentiating characters using the same class module backbone, with a good deal of choice for each class. You get one upgrade module at the 62- and 125-point levels and two at the 187-point level. Strong Delvers generally get to pick between 12-13 (the Wrestler only gets 6 options but they are very specialized). Fast Delvers range from 8 (Swashbuckler) to 12 (Thief). And Smart Delvers also have 8 (Cleric and Wizard) to 12 (Bard). A number of upgrade modules also include choices within (such as spending X points on skills or abilities), so even two characters with the same module could turn out different. Finally, several of the upgrade modules feature new advantages detailed later in the book, many of which seem intended to enhance or fix an issue with the DFRPG. There are also new advantages for each example character for each class at each point level as detailed in the companion books (Strong Delvers, Fast Delvers, and Smart Delvers).
I love the skills built into the class modules, usually giving you one point each in a broad range of appropriate skills. It is super helpful that each of these skills includes the relevant attribute and difficulty, such as listing Acrobatics (DX/H) or Thrown Weapon (DX/E). This saves a lot of time having to look up the skills in Adventurers when you get around to determining your final skill level. It also leads to my first criticism of the book. Why were the recommended weapon skills (aka primary weapon skills) not similarly labeled? Each template directs you to spend a certain number of skill points on a primary weapon skill listed on your basic class module. These weapon recommendations do not have the skill attribute or difficulty listed. The advanced class modules list secondary weapon skills and include the attribute and difficulty for each. And the templates that include putting points into Brawling or Wrestling or Shield list them, but not the PRIMARY weapon skill for each class. Seems like a weird oversight and I was forced to flip back and forth in Adventurers to find the information.
Moving into another criticism, the disadvantage modules are, I feel, a weak point. There are 19 available modules but each character, regardless of class or point level, selects 2, so it is not quite as much choice as it seems. Several combinations have overlap of the same or incompatible disadvantages that requires you to open Adventurers and fill a -5, -10, or -15 point gap, unless your class has an automatic disadvantage that can swap with it (like Disciplines of Faith for Clerics and Martial Artists) or you choose to replace them with a reduction in secondary characteristics (e.g., HP, Will, Per, etc.). For example, five modules have a Code of Honor, two have Chummy, two have Overconfidence, four have Sense of Duty, and five have Social Stigma. On the plus side, the author tried very hard to include as many disadvantages from Adventurers as possible while excluding as many of the severely limiting or specific ones (e.g., Blindness, Obsession, and One Hand), as possible. Also on the plus side, the author makes all of the above quite clear in the introductory text for this section and notes that these modules serve more as guidelines to spark the imagination than hard and fast choices that must be made. I certainly ran into the most issue with using the book when it came to selecting disadvantage modules because I rarely found one that fit exactly what I wanted for my character. While I had no issue molding my vision of a character around the benefits in an upgrade module, I had a much harder time accepting the impact of an as-written disadvantage module on one.
Each of the spell-casting classes have three pre-built themed spell lists with the relevant choices made for each point level. For example, a Druid can quickly select Botanist (for Plant spells), Elementalist (obv), or Zoologist (for Beast spells) and there is a list of spells broken up by 62-, 125-, and 187-point levels. These are some of the most useful parts of the book and it is a shame that there are only the three choices per class. The publisher, Douglas Cole, told me that they were some of the hardest/most time consuming parts of the book for the author to create.
After creating several characters in DtG, I decided to make one strictly by the book. I created Honor Greenwood, a Cleric at the 187-point level, but I made two variants: the first was a healbot and the second was a buffbot. They have the same base template (Master Smart Delver), same basic and advanced class templates (Cleric), and the same disadvantage modules but different upgrade modules and spell lists. They seem pretty different.
All in all, Delvers to Grow is an awesome set of books with a well-executed basic function and plenty of advice and new material that more than justified the money I put down in the Kickstarter.
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