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#1 With a Bullet Point: 2 Options for the Leadership Feat
Publisher: Rogue Genius Games
by Joshua G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/30/2012 09:30:16

OK, am going to open with stating simply, I hate the leadership feat. No really, I do. The idea that a simple feat gives that much resource to a player really annoys me, and my players have learned over the years to wisely avoid it. Whereas I have never told them no, nor have I forbidden it at my gaming table, they have learned that a happy Gm is a more productive and fun GM. That being said, I was curious what this Bullet Point was going to bring to the table in regards of this extremely unbalanced feat.

What we are presented with are two very different approaches to how to handle the Leadership Feat, one granting the player a “pit crew”, the other mimicking the favored effects of the ranger class. Option one goes on the idea that anyone who can build up a crew of followers and cohorts probably has done just that, but they don't travel with them. Rather they are back at the crib, home base, the keep, that one ship where you are always welcome...or that proverbial bar. Point is, they are at a safe location to the player, they don't travel with them, but if the player can get to them, he can utilize them for cheap assistance. Information, healing, spells, items...all just waiting back at home base. Now, for a GM this takes away the additional NPC from combat rounds, which is one less “body” to keep track of while the group adventures.

Option two goes the route of simple numerical bonus. Player gains the equivalent of a favored terrain boost essentially when within the lands of a community/city etc. that they are a local hero to. This bonus applies to diplomacy checks, prices for services and goods, travel speeds and of course combat and checks vs. the lands favored enemies. A simpler more streamlined method of handling the feat, there is a measure of simplicity in how to handle this feat that may be a little to simple using this method, but that would be up to the individual GM's to decide.

Final thoughts on this one, I'm still not sold on this feat, but these two options do present alternatives to having a player sitting at your table with a small book next to them tracking their cohort and followers, and the logistical nightmare that manifests when said player begins utilizing them all, in every game session. Design wise, an inspired attempt to fix a broken feat, and one that I can see many GM's embracing and using, and well worth the price of admission. So, final rating on this one will be a 5, as it gives exactly what it states, and has me pondering this feats place in my campaign.....maybe.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
#1 With a Bullet Point: 2 Options for the Leadership Feat
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#1 With a Bullet Point: 15 Fantasy Fees and Taxes
Publisher: Rogue Genius Games
by Joshua G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/30/2012 09:27:47

Following the standard 3 page format, with one for a cover/intro explaining the concept behind the Bullet Point series, and one page going to credits/OGL, we are left with a single page to handle the new concept/materials. This time out we're looking at fees and taxes to help add another level of depth to our fantasy lands. Now, this release will not be for everyone, as it is all about adding some tricks to a GM's bag of ways to separate a character and their money, and we all know how much players love giving up their gold.

Some of these taxes seem fairly odd and ridiculous when you first read them , until you realize we have had, and in some communities still have on the books, taxes and laws very similar to some presented here. Take for example the Beard Tax. A single silver tax to be paid for the right to have beard longer than two days growth...ridiculous you say? Dwarves will revolt? Probably, so be an intelligent GM, and don't invoke this tax within a dwarven kingdom. Use it within a primarily human community with a disdain for humanoid races, or at war with dwarven neighbors. Or Custom Duty, a special tax on items of high quality, to help make sure it will cost more, balancing out the market shares for the cheaper, more local product. Sound to anyone else like the taxes we pay for products from overseas? Gabelle taxes spells, which in itself is not the part of this tax that caught my attention...but could you imagine the taxman who collects upon this particular fee? What kind of bad ass is that guy?

The Tithe is a concept we are all familiar with, and Poll Taxes are not unheard of, charging citizens for the right to vote. Wergild was a nice fee, a price for the life of a citizen based upon their career and potential to earn, that is charged one who brings about their death. Tagzettel probably struck me as the most problematic of the taxes within this collection in regards to repercussions within game, as it is a tax levied against those a community thinks might be “ a bad element”. Anything and anyone they don't like or trust can be taxed under this heading just “in case” they do anything wrong, they've prepaid for damages basically...profiling much?

Now, what we don't get here are what I was wanting to see, actual fantasy taxes. How much does a feudal lord charge the local knights order in taxes for their griffons they keep stabled? Is there a fee to be paid to a community to offer better protection for your buried loved ones to keep the necromancers away from them? Or is there a tax for necromancers to operate within a city? An import tax for restaurants cooking and serving fillet of wyrm? You know, fantasy taxes. And that would have made these so much more interesting.

All in all, a useful, if utilitarian, collection of ideas, but again, not for everyone, or every play group. These strike me as being more for those groups who immerse in roleplaying within communities as opposed to those who simply want to kill it all and drag home the gold.

Settling upon a three star, as the taxes given are useful, just not what I had hoped for, but at a dollar, its hard to argue with.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
#1 With a Bullet Point: 15 Fantasy Fees and Taxes
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HHG Orc Clip Art [BUNDLE]
Publisher: Headless Hydra Games
by Joshua G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/30/2012 09:22:52

Out of the six pieces included in this bundle, the three black and white individual orcs far outshine the color piece and the two filler pieces of art. Not to say that the filler art was not extremely useful, and a good usage of a bundle to include thematic pieces for a PDF project, as the filler items being cohesive to the main theme is always nice to see in a bundle, and the artwork was very good for the necklace and sword. And whereas the color piece is not bad, it feels very out of place with the style of art the B&W pieces are done in, which is itself very very good.

All in all, you can't argue with the price if you are needing some orcs that are a step away from just the ordinary greenskin.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
HHG Orc Clip Art [BUNDLE]
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Inkwell Stock Art: Vegepygmies
Publisher: Inkwell Ideas
by Joshua G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/30/2012 08:57:29

Absolutely amazing quality artwork being made available from the Inkwell imprint. Each new release is consistently another high quality piece of full color art with an extremely easy to work with license for small publishers to get the absolute most out of in regards to value and usage.

Inkwell may have just just raised the standard on what to expect from stock art in regards to value for price.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Inkwell Stock Art: Vegepygmies
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#1 With a Bullet Point: 7 Magic Firearm Properties
Publisher: Rogue Genius Games
by Joshua G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/29/2012 16:04:53

Well, the irony is not lost here, we finally got a Bullet Point dealing with firearms. Took long enough. Follows the standard 3 page format with the second page being where all the magic happens. Two pieces of black and white art (the front piece being the better of the two in my humble opinion), and the excellent editing and grammar I've come to expect from the SGG crew. The meat of the matter follows a three column format, and gives us magical properties for one of the most argued pieces of equipment in fantasy role playing. But here's the nice thing in regards to that, the material is presented such that is applies to fantasy based firearms as well as more advanced weaponry. And besides, if you are of the camp that has no usage for firearms with your dice rolling, you probably aren't reading this review, or that PDF anyway, right?

We all know the drill by now, each Bullet Point gives us a handful of useful info on concept, this time out we get 7 new magical properties, with such interesting entries as Boomstick (forgo damage dealt for a chance to deafen a target), or Burrowing (ammo just won't stop digging in). Dependable gives you the classic self healing gun, repairing itself from the broken condition if left to its own for a while. Entangling does exactly what you would think, swapping out damage for a tanglefoot bag, and hot Lead deals fire damage instead of firing ammunition, and there is mention of the cold iron alternative to this, dealing cold damage (personally I think a gunslinger carrying a matched pair of one each would make an awesome NPC). Ricochet allows you to shoot one target, deal your damage, then potentially hit another target with the same round. And, I saved the best for last, as this reminded me of why I like the SGG products. Dimensional Capacity turns that ammo chamber of your gun into the equivalent of a bag of holding for ammo, tripling your ammo capacity. The interesting combinations one could accomplish with this ability, as it allows you to load varying ammo and call up specific bullets as you choose them as well.

So, final thoughts on the latest Bullet Point? Buy it. Pure and simple. OK, ok, if you are not a fan of firearms in your games this might not be for you, that is true, I'll go with that. But for those of you out there who have added any level of firearm, be they emerging or full on manufactured smooth bore rifled weapons of reach out and touch someoneness....this handful of Magical Properties will be a welcome addition to your firearms options. Have to go with a 5 on this one for a rating, as once again I can find no fault, and each offering was a solid, and good addition.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
#1 With a Bullet Point: 7 Magic Firearm Properties
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Clipart Critters 84 - Giant Rats
Publisher: Postmortem Studios
by Joshua G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/29/2012 15:12:35

Exactly what I was needing to visually represent a battle against some Dire Rats. Love the timeless feel of the style of art, easily fits into a retro feel as well as a modern theme.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Clipart Critters 84 - Giant Rats
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SGG Presents: Power Word Spells: Lore of the First Language
Publisher: Rogue Genius Games
by Joshua G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/26/2012 13:57:43

With a weight of 15 pages (cover and OGL eating two of those) this PDF starts us out with an absolutely gorgeous cover piece of art from Lin Bo. The iconography of this cover piece definitely convey the sense of ancient secrets of power. Internally, the artwork is B&W, with pieces ranging from good to OK. This PDF continues a new look from the SGG camp for layout, going with a full page cover and dual column with embedded artwork formatting approach. Editing and spelling both appeared to be excellent, nothing really jumped out and caught my attention.

Building an entirely new game mechanic, and form of magic, from three spells essentially would be daunting to say the least. It's not like there was truly a lot there to establish a ground work to build on, nothing established and accepted anyway. And yet, that's exactly what has been done here, and done in a logical, clear and understandable manner. The flow of thought behind the choices make sense, utilizing what could easily have been a game unbalancing element with an impressive precision, a more scalpel approach as opposed to the sword. What we end up with is essentially the first spoken language holding within the sound of the words the power of perfection, in that these are the terms that originally defined the universe, and all within it, before the many races and beings diluted the language down into their own tongues. An entire language that reverberated with power through those who spoke it. As time marched on this language lost a great deal of its inner power due to it no longer being the pinnacle of definition for reality, but it still operates perfectly as a form of channeling mystic powers into a clear and precise singular thought.

Introducing 7 new feats all tied to the concept of learning and exploring more of the First Language, we are given: First Language Syntax - increasing the hp categories of your power words by a percentage, and a Greater variety of same feat. Heighten Power Word - increase the effective level of your Power Word spells, thereby increasing the hp maximums. Lore of the First Language – read magic at will as well as communicate in any language. Master of the First Language – Swap prepared spells for power word spellslingers Speaker of the First Language – power word spell as a spell like ability Split Word – two targets with one power word spell, splitting the effect between them.

What book on a new avenue of magic to explore would be complete without new spells, Owen was kind enough to give us 20 within this collection, and I personally am hoping to see a Bullet Point at least giving us a few more. Bards, the Magus, Sorcerers, Wizards, and Witches all see new spells added to their lists with this set, with a great deal of overlap (obviously). Not wanting to go through the entire list and ruin the book for you, we'll pick out a few choice samples, such as Power Word Mute, Frighten, Combust, Inspire and Bleed. The mechanics for each operate as the original three, targeting a specific range determined by the targets current hp total at the casting of the spell. And yes, we now have Power Word options all the way down to level 1 spells, with Dazzle, Fascinate and Hesitate. Spells are presented in standard class listings followed by full definitions. Contained within the spell descriptions is a ¾ page discussion on the issue of balance, and what had to be considered and weighed with the design of these spells, as the issue of balancing a body of spells with no saves is a concern, and done wrong, could destroy a game. I'll tell you this much, the argument put forth within this discussion makes some very good points that put the power word spells in a different light by comparing them to the spells they share levels with, and the circumstances under which they must be used or simply not have the desired effects.

Finishing out with a new treat for clerical types, the Logos Domain draws upon the primal power of the First Language, with a domain spell list taken from the collection of twenty new spells. Along with the spell list, Logos followers receive three domain powers (based upon level) such as bonus languages from Wisdom as well as Intelligence, with no limit on languages to choose from. Voice of Power allows for a swift action casting of a power word spell, and Power Word Command – acting as a the command spell. It should be noted that only through this domain do clerical types have any access to these additional power word spells.

Final thoughts, this is the type of book I love to see design wise. Taking something small, but iconic, from the accepted collective that we all know and have fond memories of utilizing and being victimized by throughout the years, and expanding it to allow for so much more. The idea of specialists comes to mind instantly, and I can only hope the Geniuses are contemplating along those very same lines (if not someone else...hint..hint). Is there potential for mass abuse and game breaking mechanics? Sure. There was in Ultimate Combat and the APG also. Any playgroup can tear down the system if you let them, which is why it is up to a GM to control the flow of new material, and take the initiative to introduce ideas properly. This is one of those ideas that is worth that introduction, as there are some truly cool ideas contained within the simplicity of the power words. And besides, who doesn't want to field a spell chucker with an arsenal of power that requires not but one word to unleash?

Final rating can be no less than a 5 for this, as my only complaint is that I want more. An archetype, more spells, perhaps even a bloodline...there is so much here to work with.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
SGG Presents: Power Word Spells: Lore of the First Language
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Undead pack
Publisher: Kimagu
by Joshua G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/26/2012 02:36:04

Always satisfied with Kimagu art packs, as the quality is excellent. Small Publishers working without Kimagu artwork are cheating themselves when it comes to a fantastic value for the price.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Undead pack
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Headless Hydra Clip Art 15
Publisher: Headless Hydra Games
by Joshua G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/26/2012 02:33:22

A fairly well done greyscale illustration for a rust monster with a pretty straight forward license regarding commercial usage. A deal at the price for a publisher needing to add art for this particular creature within a PDF publication, or on a website. Perfect for home GM's as well.

Can think of only two things that would have made me happier. The background being on a separate layer to give the option to not use it, and a copy of the image in color, but color would have raised the price, so that one I can understand.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Headless Hydra Clip Art 15
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Inkwell Stock Art: Elemental, Water
Publisher: Inkwell Ideas
by Joshua G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/26/2012 02:14:09

Absolutely amazing detail for a piece of stock art. Talk about raising the standard. Was looking for a piece of stock art to represent a Water Elemental, found something I wanted to print and hang on my wall. Inkwell has made quite an impressive entrance into the market of stock art, and I can not wait to see what else they will be bringing to the table.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Inkwell Stock Art: Elemental, Water
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Way of the Samurai (PFRPG)
Publisher: Rite Publishing
by Joshua G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/24/2012 15:55:29

Weighing in at 52 pages, the latest oriental themed book from Rite publishing brings us an extremely detailed look into the Samurai, and all that it means to incorporate them as a class into your campaign world, both as a GM and as a player. Of those 52 pages 8 are eaten by the usual suspects (cover, OGL, ads and and appendix (for unfamiliar terms ), leaving us with 44 pages to cover the new material. Formatting follows the dual column approach, with embedded full color artwork throughout the book, and more than a few rather large pieces of said artwork. Each page is treated with a bamboo style framework, further invoking the feel of an old world fantasy oriental setting. Editing appears to be excellent, with nothing standing out or catching my eye in the ways of missteps or errors.

Paizo has already introduced the Samurai as a playable class, so what exactly are we getting here in this book? Simple, we are getting the history and culture that bred the samurai. We're being introduced to a cultural caste that goes much deeper than a mere class choice for a character. We are getting the reasons behind why one would want to play a samurai in the first place. A look into the reasoning behind where the teachings came from that originated the concepts behind a samurai's unwavering loyalty to his master, and the bizarre levels of respect they are willing to pay their enemies. What role a samurai plays in their lands and communities when there are no enemies to fight, no wars to be won...all of this and more is what this book attempts to uncover and reveal first by giving us a first hand telling of these histories and traditions from servant to master, and then by filling page after page with mega crunch. For those liking their books rules heavy and crunchy, and not to big on fluff, I personally recommend you flip straight to page 11, and start there. Not that fluff is a bad thing, but the method of delivery here is a lot of fluff, for what feels like a very long time, before you finally see anything resembling game mechanics....luckily, it is a pretty clean cut line, so those not wanting as much fluff can simply flip past it to get to the crunch....and let us discuss the crunch, shall we?

But, before we dive into the crunch, there is one thing I think is important to clear up in regards to this book. It clearly states, and I thought this odd until I really let it process, that unless specifically mentioning an archetype linked back to the Paizo player class of samurai, no other mention of samurai within this book is actually referring to the player class, but rather the social caste made up of poets, accountants, tax men, lords, monks and paladins...yes, paladins...they go by a different title, but they are what they are. As I said, this book seeks to introduce the entire concept of samurai, not merely what cinema has convinced us was reality.

The Samurai operate with an Honor mechanic, allowing for one to both earn and lose Honor points, and utilize them within roleplay as a gauge for how to treat other characters of honor, as well as how to expect to be treated. The rules for implementing the concept are fairly straight forward, and extremely easy to use. Characters outside of a clan or family should only find themselves in possession of honor points if their GM has allowed it, and even then there should be a solid reason within the character's story to explain it, as the entire concept of the honor system lies within the core of the samurai values.

For those utilizing traits within their game setting, 9 new samurai traits are presented, with such offerings as Practiced Calligrapher (gain a bonus to Craft(calligraphy) and Linguistics), Legacy of Death (having come from a long line of samurai who have given their lives in battle, you seek to do them honor and rush headlong into danger, grants a bonus to initiative), or Honorable Soul, which allows for a higher calculation of figuring our your honor points.

Teppou Bushi is our first archetype, and it is an archetype for the gunslinger. The gunslinger you say? Yes, in a samurai book, remember, this book approaches the samurai as an entire buke caste, not just a solitary class. The teppou bushi suffer a penalty to their honor to demonstrate the suspicions that come from fellow samurai who look at them as nontraditional and unworthy, forcing them to work harder to earn their place and the recognition they seek. The paladin finds itself represented within the Yamabushi archetype, the divine warrior monks. Serving within the setting of the game mechanics primarily as spiritual leaders and counsel to the heads of clans and family organizations these warrior monks occasionally leave their mountain retreats to travel the world battling evils and righting wrongs. The ranger shows through in the archetype Yojimbo. Yojimbo function equally as well alone traveling as a solitary warrior policing their lands, or within a structured unit of fellow warriors, and are looked upon as some of the hardiest of all samurai. Taking an enemy clan instead of a favored enemy, and replacing hunter's bond with warrior's bond (choosing either weapon or mount) are but a few of the differences from the base class for this archetype. This also marks the first major editing oddity, as the text halfway down the first column drops down a few points in size, goes back to standard at the top of the second column, then drops down again. I can only assume it is intended to do, but it looks very odd visually. Our last four archetypes are all for the Samurai base class, the Kuge – those born into wealth and power, the Tajiya – a true master of the two blade style, the Tajiya – those dedicated to ending the scourge of supernatural foes plaguing the world, and the Yabusame – the true traditionalist, the bowman.

From the archetype we go to three new orders of samurai, the Shogun, the Tajiya and the Undying Emperor. Each order giving its own list of perks for aligning oneself alongside.

The Wizard archetype Onmyoji was by far the most interesting thing in the entire book for me, as it is a variation upon the classic wizard that I have never encountered before. Studying much as their western counterparts do to get their spells after sleeping, the Onmyoji fold their spells in origami, that is then consumed in flames by the casting of the spell contained within the paper structure...feeling more true to older edition concepts in regards to scroll casting, but allowing this particular wizard to maintain these spells day in and day out, the idea rather appealed to me. Visually it is a very cool concept, but I can not help but wonder, when it comes to an adventuring version, where do they keep all that paper they would have to keep on hand once they get a decent level, lol. Replacing arcane bond with Shikigami Bond, this archetype also gets a rather cool familiar, in the form of an oni known as a shikigami (think Asian goblins).

Following this we have two new prestige classes, the Bugyo (a government official with a rather large amount of authority), and the Mosa (a samurai known for refusing to back down, despite the odds, and carrying the capacity to win the day through sheer determination and tenacity).

Six new feats, including Armored Horseman (reduces armor check penalty by your Str bonus when riding), Honor's Tongue (allowing a bonus of twice your Honor Point total to your Cha based skill checks), and Improved Far Shot (increasing a ranged weapons distance limits by 50%).

From there we get into the rules pertaining to the creation of a samurai clan, and all the intricacies involved in that...the naming, the crests, the statblock (similar in nature to a communities statblock). Presented following this section is a fully realized example clan, with map and NPC's, to better demonstrate how to utilize the rules for clan building. It is within the NPC listing that we find a new cursed magical item, the Gaki Helm, a kabuto helmet that will allow control of ghouls, but will also allow the evil spirit living within the helm to corrupt and control a wearer.

The Appendices wrap it all up with a full statblock write up for the Shikigami, as well as a statblock for one as a familiar in the first, the second being a list of terms and their definitions, for those unfamiliar with a great deal of the terms used throughout this work.

Final thoughts...for those playing within the Kaiden setting, or any Oriental high or low fantasy setting, this book is a must. It adds so many levels of depth to the idea that is samurai that it in itself becomes a solid sourcebook, with many potential avenues for adventure hooks and ideas. For those not looking to add the oriental myths or classes to their gaming worlds however, there is very little here for them, but any book entitled Way of the Samurai should have that expected of it, and if you are still reading this I doubt that is an issue. Other than the smaller font size a few times (which I think was intentional, just odd looking) I can think of nothing to really complain about regarding this book, and encourage GM's and players alike to add it to their collection. A solid 5 stars, well earned and deserved.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Way of the Samurai (PFRPG)
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Fae Cover Template
Publisher: Sade
by Joshua G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/24/2012 06:25:06

Not the worst I've ever seen when it comes to stock covers, but not the greatest either. The background color is really dark for laying text on, which one has to take into account for layout and design. The entire cover would have benefited from a softer hue saturation perhaps. Picked this up for a project I was working, but ended up not being able to utilize it as I had to make to many alterations to the text to even be able to make it stand out against the dark background.

For what it is, if you are ok with the colors, it is a decent stock cover design wise, I just wish I had realized how dark the green was going to be.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Fae Cover Template
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Simple and Elegant USLETTER
Publisher: Sade
by Joshua G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/24/2012 06:14:18

Simplistic in its elegance, the images contained within were exactly what I was looking for for a layout I was working with. Would have preferred the image to have been on a transparent background as a .png to make placement easier, but was an easy enough alteration to make on my own.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Simple and Elegant USLETTER
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Forgotten Foes Clip Art 5
Publisher: Headless Hydra Games
by Joshua G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/24/2012 06:11:33

An excellent collection of B&W artwork, bought it for the Formians included within, might have been happier without the main focus of this book being dragons, as I truly didn't need a few of the dragon varieties included, but the art is of exceptional quality.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Forgotten Foes Clip Art 5
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101 Monster Feats (PFRPG)
Publisher: Rite Publishing
by Joshua G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/24/2012 06:03:24

Weighing in at 19 pages with the prerequisite Cover/OGL/Ad combo eating up 5 pages, we are left with 14 pages of feats...that's right 14 pages. What, you thought 101 feats with a full description for each would fit in just a few pages? Following the standard dual column approach with embedded artwork, Mr. Russell continues to impress me with his ability to hunt down excellent old world art pieces that have helped define the look and feel of his books, and mixed them with a collection of recent stock pieces to pull off a very slick look and feel for yet another Rite publishing offering in the 101 series.

Being exactly what the title promised, this is a collection of feats designed for monster races, and not your players. An excellent means of changing and adding a few features to your next creature to keep a play group on their toes, and keep them thinking, as foes with new tricks make for interesting creatures, as opposed to the same old same old. So, let's dive into it, shall we?

OK, obviously I'm not going to cover all 101 of these, but I am going to pick out a few choice examples, and for those we start with Alter Breath Weapon. I mean, its so obvious it makes one wonder why this wasn't already in the game, how do you make your offensive breathers new and interesting? Change their breath weapon energy type of course. Cloak Alignment costs the usage of a 2nd or higher level spell-like ability, but suppresses your alignment aura, and puts you under a misdirection effect. Continous Breath Weapon gives us that massive gout of breath weapon that just keeps on coming that Hollywood has us all in love with. Divine Dragon replaces sorcerer casting levels with divine spellcasting levels instead...hmm, a natural clerical dragon,,,intriguing. Elemental Surge allows for an elemental to rapidly expand and reform, injuring all around them with either bludgeoning or fire damage (depending on elemental). Greater Curse of Lycanthropy is the type of feat that allows for creating those generational chains within a lycan pack, linking progeny to sire. Inhuman Name reminds us that when trying to cast certain spells (banishment, binding etc.) being able to actually pronounce the name of that you wish to effect is crucial. Invested Form truly makes gaze attacks a scary scary concept, changing the limit for range to line of sight. Now, to put that in reference, how far away are planes when they fly overhead? Birds? With this feat, if you can see it, you get a chance to effect it. Living Phylactery is hands down a must have feat for any and all counting on a phylactery to be their backup plan, you turn a creature who has failed their save against your paralyzing touch into a second phylactery, even if they have recovered from the paralysis. The idea of turning an enemy into a backup plan to the backup is to rich, and to tempting not to do. Pandemoniac Corruption is just wrong on so many levels, lol. Impregnate your opponent with goo that will take them on a painful and disgusting ride for a few days before killing them and violently destroying their bodies in birthing into the world a new member of your species....eeewwwww. And yes, there's even a quickened version that will kill in in a matter of rounds instead of days.

And last, but oh so not least, is Teleport Attack. A feat that allows one to use the spell of the same name (presented within this material) that allows you to teleport a foe into solid objects, a rather gruesome way to kill, I like it.

So, final thoughts? Editing, formatting all very good. There was an issue with spaces missing between a few words in the opening paragraph, but that was the only thing I saw, and that's pretty good in this much text to only have one line with an issue. Where as the feats don't carry names with as much oddity as a few of the feat collections, they do have the design strengths behind them, and that is what makes books like this worth having. Pick this one up, change up your creatures, and further torment your players as they try to figure out what new abilities the standard creatures have suddenly learned, and how to survive whilst they learn. A solid 5 star rating for an excellent collection of feats designed with a GM in mind.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
101 Monster Feats (PFRPG)
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