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This game is a great alternative to D&D if you are tired of the current (4th) edition of D&D but also feel that 3.5/Pathfinder characters are still a bit too powerful or complicated. The rules are simplistic, but still allow for flexibility.
The rules seem to be a fusion of 1st and 3rd editions. Like 1st edition, you roll 3d6 for your six attributes, each class has a separate experience point table for reaching the next experience level, and has more than three saving throws. Like 3rd edition, there is no minimum attribute requirement for classes, it uses a Base to-hit rather than the confusing THAC0, uses a target number for each skill/attribute roll, has 0-level spells for spellcasters, and has death at -10 hit points.
Saving throws and attribute checks are rolled into one mechanic. Each attribute has a saving throw/check target number, which is either 12 or 18 depending on whether it is a prime attribute or secondary attribute. Each character has two (or three, if the character is human) primary attributes; one of which is determined by the character's class, and the other(s) chosen by the player.
There are optional parts to the game, most being the more controversial parts like receiving experience points for gold earned, multi-classing, or (my favorite) the choice to use miniatures or not.
All in all, this is a welcome change from other D&D clones on the market. It may not be for everybody, but a good number of gamers should be able to enjoy this game.
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I expected something of a Deities and Demigods rehash, but I was very pleasantly surprised.
The gods are well done, with ceremonies, taboos and powers for clerics and paladin followers. There are also a number of pantheon-specific monsters and some new spells and artifacts which I found quite interesting. I liked it a lot.
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The Bad: Unexplained areas ‘K1’-‘K5’ on the first level and ‘T/T’s on level 2.
The Good: Every room has a great description and layout, I knew were things were in the room based on the descriptions given. The dungeon has a mix of everything, traps, puzzles, combat, deserted areas for the party to catch their breath in and a maze.
The Awesome: A 100 areas of fun, four new monsters and a great assortment of treasure for lower level characters.
This is a solid dungeon delving adventure that I was able to drop into an existing campaign with no problems. Each area of the dungeon comes with its own description and the stats/treasure of anything within that area. I love the combination of traps/riddles/combat; it hit the sweet spot for my group of players who tend to be heavy on the brawn, but get frustrated with overly complex puzzles.
I read the adventure through a few times before hand and modified the ‘K’ and ‘T/T’ areas on the map, plus changed one sequence of rooms on level two and the ‘end encounter’ with the bad guys to reflect my group of players, these changes were by no means necessary the module is excellent as written. However ‘Dark Journey’ easily lends itself to this sort of re-modeling to throw in that little something extra for your players. I can see myself reusing it as an introductory adventure to Castles and Crusades with new players in the future and can’t wait for Kim Harsfield’s next work.
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Excellent module and best used with fields of battle !
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I have deleted my earlier review which mentioned that the pdf for this screen did not have the beautiful artwork included. The Troll Lords have made sure that the file now includes this and I thank them. Seriously, if you run this game get this screen. It includes easy to read charts and the most important info for the CastleKeeper to reference during play. Now that the artwork is included I have given this product the 5 stars it deserves. Well done, Trolls.
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As mentioned by the other reviewers, this is the Castle Keeper’s Screen for the Castles & Crusades game. This product includes all of the most important charts the CK will need to run his game, including but not limited to: Character class abilities through level 12, Attribute Checks (the Siege Engine), Combat Actions and Modifiers, Surprise Chart and Effects, Situational Combat Modifiers, Experience Point Charts, Intelligence Chart, Giant Strength Chart, Encumbrance, Saving Throws, Vision Charts, Weapons and Armor Statistics and the based Treasure Chart found in the Monsters & Treasures book.
All in all, this is a classic example of how a GM screen (CK screen in this case) is supposed to function.
All of the charts needed to adjudicate a C&C game are here. These charts are well placed and not crowded (perfect amount of white space). Every CK should own one of these.
Troll Lord Games have included the front, artwork side of these screens in this download.
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This map is for TLG's home setting of Aihrde, and the default world for many of the Castles & Crusades modules. The level of detail in this map is exquisite. Artist Peter Bradley has created a valuable resource for Aihrde fans, as well as fantasy gaming map/setting aficionados. This is a large map file for sure, with lots of details. Though I am a bit sad that there are no major roads depicted, that fact alone does not take away anything from the great piece of art, and valuable Aihrde resource that this is. 5 stars.
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This screen has everything you need to reference for the game. I own the actual screen, but recently bought a Hammerdog Games customizable screen; I bought this pdf so I could insert them into the screen. Unfortunately, I bought this pdf just as much for the masterful artwork by Peter Bradley, but only the interior screens are included in this product. I was told that this will be corrected in the near future. Otherwise it would have been five stars.
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A very long time in the coming, but worth the wait. This is an exhaustive tome covering an incredible amount of material, from expanding classes, equipment, and dealing with such things as hirelings and so on. The real beauty in this book is that it is just as much a toolbox kit as it is a DMG type of book. It has multiple rule variants, giving alternate options to magic (mana points vs Vancian), wound levels, hit location, multiple critical hit systems, optional skills, optional feat-like abilities, alternate armor rules (ie armor doesn't add to armor class, it soaks damage, etc). You really can design your own game with this book. The optional combat manuevers are a cool tactical option as well.
So besides the standard gamemaster type of subjects you would expect, you also get a lot of stuff to customize the game to your liking. Castles and Crusades is a rules light game but for folks who want to crunch it up a little (or A LOT) can mix up a batch of homebrew goodness with what is in this puppy.
A classic!
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The Aihrde: Cradle of the World Map published by Troll Lord Games is a beautifully rendered map generated for the Castles & Crusades world, but great for any campaign, or just to look at yearningly. Seriously, this is one very nice looking map - suitable for hanging on a wall, laminating on top of your gaming table or any other number of worshipful things.
With two PDFs available, one weighing in at 40MB and another at 92MB, the two files are scaled for different print sizes. The larger map is suitable for printing out at 55" x 36" at 300 DPI. That's a big map!
The map is well constructed, full of high level details, easy to read and great to look at. At a scale of one inch to 24 miles, it will give you plenty of room to move your campaign about in.
I'll admit that I'm not terribly familiar with the Castles & Crusades games. Regardless of whether you'll be using this map with C&C or in another system, if you're looking for a large campaign area with plenty of details, opportunities for exploration, delving and adventure, you'll like this map.
The only turn off may be the price. At $19.99 (plus the cost of you printing it out if you're not going to use it electronically) it's a fairly expensive purchase.
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If you want to tweak your C&C game, look no further than this book. Basically the Castle Keepers Guide takes a toolkit approach to modifying the Siege Engine. Much of the optional rules re-introduce elements of the full 3.x SRD, but the real beauty of the book for me is in the analysis of the game engine. Highly recommended for anyone interested in spicing up their C&C game.
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Like every one else I have been waiting a long time to get my hands on the CKG. I could not get in on the pre-order.
I really struggled with the idea of paying $32 for the PDF. In the end my better judgment lost and I got it.
After reading through it I have got to say Its a great book. Part DMG part campaign planner.
For me the expanded rules for character building is great. As well as options for fine tuning the siege engine to taste is great too.
My only complaint is the price really. Too much for a PDF. If this was any other book. And any other company I would never have paid so much. $20 or even $25 I would have not hesitated.
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I really like C&C and the siege engine, And I'm a long time fan of dark fantasy.. So picking this up was a must. It is what it is, a small campaign setting for C&C. Its dark and the over all power level is kicked up a notch or two. For what it is its a lot of fun.
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Harvesters does a lot of stuff well. It has full-playability and simplicity, coupled with a simple, Redwall-esque setting. You can play it with any group you wanted to, though its simplicity and style markets itself towards children.
It doesn't have loads and loads of stuff to make it bulky (think about game systems which go to 400 pages and detail the exact effects of a Cobra Venom Poisoned Spike Trap (Lesser), which means that while it's easier to use, it's also harder to run, but if you want a game to play with a younger audience without outright alienating older audiences (assuming, of course, they're open-minded enough to take the thought of playing as talking animals seriously), Harvesters is a one-stop shop.
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Castles and Crusades - Where Cool Water Runs is a short stand-along encounter from Troll Lord Games for the Castles and Crusades gaming system. This encounter is suitable for 3 to 5 characters of levels 4 to 7, and sees the characters being hunted by several cunning and deadly creatures as the PCs inadvertently approach their nest. As one would expect, the encounter takes place in a single setting - in this instance a refreshing glade through which a gentle stream runs. The presentation of this product is top notch, sticking to the format maintained throughout all Troll Lord Games' products. My only quibble here is the lack of a scale on the map provided. This encounter can be used in any campaign setting, and very useful and interesting adaptations are included in the 6 page product for Troll Lord Games' own world of Aihrde.
The encounter is a fairly simple one but very well detailed to make sure that CKs will know exactly what to do with which creature and when. I thought the tactics of the creatures involved, a new creature called the charon fiend, were very good, suiting both the nature of the encounter and the details of the creatures themselves. Often the best encounters are those that use the terrain well, and some elements of that are present here. The tactics will give the PCs some thought, and make for an entertaining encounter where the PCs won't know where the threats are coming from. The charon fiends themselves are probably the best part of the product as a whole - I liked their flavor, their description and their mechanical details. I think these creatures can be both terrifying and dangerous at the same time, particularly if used with the tactics described in the encounter. One weakness of the encounter, and really with a lot of products of this nature, is that the encounter is by and large telegraphed. If the CK starts reading blocked text in a seemingly innocuous clearing, there's little doubt the PCs and the players will expect something. It would've been useful if the encounter had been scripted to not be so obvious, or at least given the characters a non-mundane reason for stopping in the clearing and hence triggering the encounter. Overall, though, a very clean and neat product with some uniqueness in the new creature involved and some decent encounter design.
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