Path of Magic: A Character Resource for Bards, Sorcerers, and Wizards (Legends & Lairs, d20 System) (Legends & Lairs)

9 new prestige classes, each with a unique organization and guidelines for integrating it with your campaign

More than three dozen new feats, including new metamagic and special feats that enhance the strengths of spellcasting characters

Several alternate core classes that can be used to add flavor to characters from 1st to 20th level

New rules for bardic performance styles that enhance and differentiate bards that dance, sing, chant, or play an instrument

Eldritch staffs, a new type of magic item that grows with its wielder in power and focus

Mystical performances that transform bards from mere bystanders to active participants in the magic being wielded around them

Magical traditions, schools of arcane thought that teach their students unique magical powers and philosophies

New templates describing the benefits and drawbacks for characters who join an organization

Expendable foci, a new type of magic item that helps arcane spellcasters control and shape the raw forces of the magic they wield

The prestige classes are, for the most part, pretty good and the inclusion of whole organizations behind them amkes them even better. The Feats are also good even though there are similarities with feats in existing products (independent development by the looks of it). They are well thought out and balanced well enough to avoid being either worthless or indispensible.

The best parts of the book though are the extended rules for bardic performances and the magical traditions. The extended rules allow for bards performing in modes other than music (like dance or poetry) and there are also rules for allowing the quality of performance to influence the bard's effects. With the new rules bards are finally more than wizards who happen to play guitar (or lute).

The magical traditions are similar to those in Path of the Sword (also by FFG) and allow arcane characters to acquire some feat-like bonuses to skills and abilities at the cost of some experience points. The traditions are a great way to make your wizard different than the wizard next to you.

The true measure of a book like this is excitement. As a player, I'm excited about the new options available to my favorite wizard (as soon as I convince my GM to let us use them). As a GM, I'm definitely going to include the traditions, feats, and bard rules in my next campaign. Some of the prestige classes will make it too.