|
|
|
 |
| Other comments left for this publisher: |
|
|
|
|
|
Pretty good so far. My players started doing Pinebox adventures "Skinwalker" and loved it for its investigation and full backstory. Same thing here. Tons of details in this adventure that are typically left out of combat heavy horror.
Tonight the heroes save the day or see the beginning of the second flood!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
For those downloading this, keep in mind that it's a beta. This is a large, meaty document, but it lacks any final polishing. For example, there are no illustrations, page art, or pretty formatting. It's just text, although arranged nicely.
This is also just a player's guide. With this and the Savage Worlds rules, you have all you need to create characters for the setting, but there are no monsters and only limited information on places and cultures.
However, when it comes to presenting a well-crafted setting for Savage Worlds, this clearly goes very much in the right direction. The setting is definitely very directly (and fondly) inspired by the Dungeons and Dragons game, with its elves, dwarves, clerics, wizards, paladins, and such other standard tropes. All of these things are present in the setting, and each is given its own twist to make it fit into a larger, more cohesive whole. There are also elements added to satisfy some other common desires in a setting, such as a feline-humanoid race, and a reptilian-humanoid race, both of which have been popular with players.
It has all these elements, and yet doesn't have any of the feel of a generic fantasy setting. There is a definite world with a unique and interesting history and range of cultures, with options to satisfy nearly any fantasy fan.
Is it for everyone? Probably not. It tends toward the epic, heroic, high fantasy. If you like your game gritty, with ambiguous gray morality, or if you like low-magic settings, you will find better settings. But if you're looking for a nice, well-executed take on the classic fantasy gaming realm, this is it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
I was recently discussing with my playing group about inspiration - be it stories for GMs or character inspiration for Players. We came to the conclusion that modern characters - being so close to us, are the easiest to create. Medieval Fantasy characters and stories were, for us, as easy to create. When it came to other genres, like westerns or mythic China/Japan campaigns, stories and characters did not come with the same ease.
Then I read Iron Dynasty.
This book, if read from the start, will give you tons of ideas for both characters and stories. The history will make those come to life easily. The equipment section, new selection of Edges and optional rules (using the usual skills for different tasks, like Stealth for blending) all make this book a must-own for any Savage Worlds enthusiast.
It might be the best Savage Worlds book I own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Have played a couple of games, using the first adventure of the plot point setting. I had to go to the web site for some errata, and found it easily. A very interesting setting that isn't quite steampunk, fantasy or standard SF, but an interesting amalgam of all three. The art work in the main books is ok, and does illustrate ideas very well.
If you are looking for a fun Steampunk variant, this is probably it. The players guide is the first section of the overall rule book and could be printed separately from it, so nor real added value there, except you can share the file with your players without worry that they might "accidentally" slip into the GM section. The printer friendly versions are nice to have. The paper figure are nice tri-folds and have quite a variety, and plenty of copies of things that might be encountered in mass.
I have not dug into the Odd jobs or Darksummer nights, but on casual perusal, they seem to be more of the same.
Overall, a nice purchase, and if you are looking for a quite different setting, this might just be it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Before reading this rule book I had no idea who H.P Lovecraft was or what was a Cthulhu, however as I was halfway through reading it, I was inspired to go out and learn about the mythos in general. Why do I mention this in a review about a rule book? It’s because this book captures the theme of Cthulhu perfectly. The book is well laid out and easy to follow. The art work really brings to life what the Cthulhu mythos is about.
This book does a great job of merging the world of Cthulhu with the Savage Worlds rule set, a rule set that is known for its fast pace and furious fun something that would not normally be associated with the world of Cthulhu. This book supplies a whole range of new archetypes for players to use when developing there investigators and a load of new edges and hindrances that are perfectly suited for a Cthulhu themed game.
The book also gives players and the GM a choice when playing the game on how gritty and dark they want their setting to be, it gives some good ideas on how best to achieve it within your own game, whether you want to ride the slipper slide into madness with no hope of escape or give each player the thought they have the chance to come away as the victor this book has it all. For any Call of Cthulhu players out there, Realms of Cthulhu has a really nice conversion chart at the back of the book on how to convert your character across and from what I have seen and heard it works very well.
Along with some very nice story hooks and a well thought out quest generator this is simply a beautiful book to read, and is a must for anyone who calls themselves a Cthulhu fan or wants to see what the whole fuss is about. Do yourself a favour and pick this one up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
For more discussion about Savage Worlds and other RPG's please visit my blog at http://solaceofsavagery.wordpress.com
Kesshi Tales # 1 was released a little less than a year ago. The adventure presented in the book, The Wise Men and the Woods, occurs in the region of Ikusa Kokoro. Each numbered Kesshi Tales release occurs in the region detailed in it’s corresponding Guide Book which creates an interesting symbiotic link between the products. Despite this link, it’s still possible to use the adventures without buying the Guide Books if you are so inclined.
The Kesshi Tales books are very well thought out products. They get it right in several key areas which is why I wanted to talk about them a bit. The first thing worth noting is the layout and choice to go with a digest sized format. Given that these are pdf only books, it was smart for Reality Blurs to use a single column layout that displays well on tablets. These books look great and, more importantly, are easy to read. There is no interior art except for a map of the region where the adventure takes place which is on the second page. The lack of interior art adds to the clean presentation and increases the utility factor of the text. Organization is very simple, with sections that are easy to navigate on the fly. These books actually live up to the promise of being able to play with minimal GM preparation. You could grab one of these an hour before play, read through it, and be more or less ready to go when the players arrive.
There are a number of reasons I am fond of the Kesshi Tales beyond the nuts and bolts stuff I already mentioned. The first is the way the adventures are structured. While the usual hooks and plot mechanics are certainly present, they manage to present a cohesive narrative without ever feeling like they are on rails. There are always multiple ways a tale could go and player influence is paramount. Player decisions have an important effect on both character development and events within the world. The open way that the tales are designed lends itself well to customization and it’s fairly easy to swap out elements to personalize stories in ways that makes them more relevant to your group.
Another strength of the books is what I’ll refer to as a “lead by example” design philosophy. Using the Kesshi Tales as templates for home grown adventures is very easy, owing to the simple clear way the books are presented. There are a plethora of great martial arts and samurai movies out there for inspiration, and pulling themes and hooks from them and plugging them into this format is a breeze. It would also be fairly simple to produce home made tales that maintain consistency with the visual aesthetics of the official releases.
These are great books. They are fun to read and provide a lot of material for inspiration. While I love them on my tablet, I sure would get a kick out of seeing them in print. I suspect that the demand isn’t high enough to warrant a print run but it would be awesome if it ever happened.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
The more I read about RunePunk the more I'm dying to run a campaign.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
This is a great product for incorporating 'old school' type characters into a Savage Worlds Fantasy campaign.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Old School Fantasy #8 - Light and Dark is a 60 page pdf adventure for the Fantasy Craft RPG system. This is the eight instalment in Reality Blurs' line of old school fantasy adventures, and sees the heroes battle against the horrors of a deadly plague and deep-seated corruption and power in the walled city of Hopewell. While this product has some ties with Old School Fantasy #7, it can be played as a stand-alone product should the GM choose to do so. The product has a Menace of III (Challenging) to IV (Dangerous) using sliding DCs to adjust encounters to fit the GM's party and adjust the Threat level.
Layout and design of the product are fairly simple, but the product makes up for it with some excellent organisation and encounter layout. Each encounter and scenario are clearly deconstructed to make running easier, and adventure summaries are well-written to give a clear and concise overview of the adventure right from the start. Large parts of the adventure are deconstructed to give an overview of important persons, locations, and each of the key scenarios of the adventure. Writing and editing are good, and overall the product had a very good presentation level. The product could've done with some maps to round out the presentation, as there are none, but the generic nature and structure of the adventure mean that this isn't an inhibition.
Light and Dark takes place almost entirely within the city of Hopewell, barring some initial encounters that should entice the characters to travel to the city. While not much in the way of maps or information is given on the city itself, the general encounter layout and background information gives you enough to go on to construct a city of the brink of destruction, plagued by a nasty disease that's threatening to wipe out the entire city. The plague is not the only threat that the characters will have to deal with, as there are deeper evils in the city, and few allies to help them as they try and save a city in desperate need. The adventure is divided into nine individual scenes, each that progress the adventure to its next stage, ultimately driving towards the culmination of the action and the discovery of the larger threat to the city. This format means that the timing of each scene can be customised, allowing creative GMs to use the chaos of the city to create further atmosphere or further larger campaign goals or plots.
I was quite pleased with this adventure. While the concept of a plague ridden city isn't new, the adventure provides exciting action within this framework so that the characters are never far from the action, and there are plenty of things to keep them busy. The chaos of the city and the nature of the adventure provide plenty of opportunity for roleplaying, although with the sketchy details on the city, this could be challenging if the PCs venture off the beaten track. Encounters are well-scoped and challenging, and will provide enough drama and conflict to make them exciting not only for the combat value but also their location within a plague-filled city of innocents. Light and Dark is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure, well worth looking at and with plenty of scope for expanding and incorporating other ideas. The city of Hopewell could easily be used as a sandbox-type city, and the adventure is fairly easy to customise if needed. Grand adventure, lots of action, good roleplaying, but missing some maps and a few details here and there. Good product and recommended.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
I am a great fan of Savage Worlds and of the Laundry series by Charles Stross. AoO is a very nicely produced setting that allows you to play anything from a Bond movie to Spy-Cthulhu and X-Files to Men in Black, so I shall be using it to run a Laundry game as soon as I can find willing players. Crunch-wise, the setting has a built-in power-point-free magic system and a fast and furious "skill challenge" mechanic for complex multi-step tasks. A nice touch is the ability of the GM or "Director" to give agents Single Use Devices, these allow them to use any power in the rules ONE time, so you can give them the power to confront a dangerous foe without overpowering the players. Highly recommended.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Great additon to the Savage Worlds line. Finally a usable core for creating a modern-horror hybrid setting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
AOO has replaced all my other Savage Worlds settings as my current favorite. The combination of über spy tech, horror and espionage has really grabbed me. The setting allows for any kind of setting from 007 style games, too "xXx" style action spys, to X-files and even modern horror with psychic investigators! The book has one of the best covers ever in my opinion. There are several items on the cover that are an om-age to James Bond and Ian Fleming. The book has a very solid and clean look to it, with minimal [but amazing!] art by Cheyenne Wright [always a favorite] and no back texture to it. This not only makes for an easy read, but also makes it easy to print with out having to invest in new color cartridges for my printer. The "Powers" section is what has intrigued me the most, as it has removed power points from the setting and made it so characters can get powers that are above their Rank, with out making it impossible to play or deal with as a GM. It has inspired me to run an "Alphas" [Based on the Sci-Fi channel series] campaign. Reality Blurs and Sean Preston continue to impress me and I can not help buy purchase their games now as every one has inspired me to new ideas for my players.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
WHAT WORKS: A great alternative for people who may have liked BLACK OPS or CONSPIRACY X but decided they weren't fans of GURPS of Classic Unisystem anymore (like me!). The book is all about options, options, options, not about shoe-horning in a single way to play...(sometimes, that shoe-horning is fine, and sometimes, you just want options, options, options). And I do so love me some random tables, even more than I do Legendary Edges.
WHAT DOESN'T WORK: I always prefer a character sheet IN the book, and the PDF is also sans index. Now, while that's not a HUGE issue in a searchable, bookmarked PDF, it can be noticeable in a printed book. Also, I likes me a good bestiary, and this does look a true bestiary (though there is a sample alien or two to play with, to say nothing of the generator).
CONCLUSION: At only $10, I'm not shocked at all that this book shot to the top of the sales charts upon release. You can do straight up spies, you can do X-Files, you can do mutant super agents if you like, and it's at least 95% compatible with other Savage Worlds stuff to boot, so how can you go wrong? (Bonus points if you combine it with the Gritty options from Realms of Cthulhu for some real bone breaking action).
For my full review, please visit: http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2011/10/tommys-take-o
n-agents-of-oblivion.html
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Pretty good, but these guides really could use a picture or two.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Haven't run it yet, but it looks very original, a lot of intrigue.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 0 items |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Log In 
![The RunePunk Library [BUNDLE]](images/671/80697-thumb100.gif)
