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Dryden: Hero or Horror $0.99
Average Rating:3.6 / 5
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Dryden: Hero or Horror
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Dryden: Hero or Horror
Publisher: Ancient Awakenings Publications
by Timothy B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 06/30/2011 10:44:23

Dryden: Hero or Horror seriously undersells itself. At 10 cents it is likely to be ignored and that would be a shame. While I think today it could be released with some slightly better presentation of the art (the art is good, but quality of the scan seems bad) for a much greater price, there is plenty here for nearly any flavor of the 3.x d20 game. Dryden are a race that can interbreed with other races, even monsters. For this reason they are listed as a character race, a monster and a monster template. It is also for this reason it carries a "for mature audiences" tag, but there is nothing here that I would not consider to be PG-13. Differing information is given for fantasy, modern and future versions of the game and some plot hooks. If you like the idea of a quasi-parasitic race then this is a good product. I like it since it designed to be used in multiple flavors of the same game and show the flexibility of the d20 system and this race.

And it is only 10 cents. Grab it before the publishers realize that giving something away that is this good is a bad idea. ;)



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Dryden: Hero or Horror
Publisher: Ancient Awakenings Publications
by Dustin W. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/03/2010 23:03:50

Okay, this review is four months overdue, so I might as well do it now before I completely forget.

Basically, I bought this product back in December '09 on a whim for a mere $0.10, and quite frankly, I found it to be worth every penny and then some. In a nutshell, this document introduces a new PC race for the d20 Fantasy and Modern systems--one whose background can be altered to fit any setting, from classic fantasy to modern sci-fi to far future space opera, and boast unique abilities to boot. Whether you choose the Dryden to be a long-forgotten fertility spirit of the dark forest, the product of a biogenetic experiment gone awry, or a bizarre and disturbing alien species from the distant stars is up to you. However, no matter what the origin, the basic nature of the Dryden as a hedonistic hermaphrodite born to breed with any sentient species it wants is unmistakable. Needless to say, this race is not at all suited for gamers age 17 or under or for gamers who are sensitive to sexually themed elements in RPGs. On the other hand, gamers 18 and up who have a strong stomach for this kind of content will be happy to discover how far John Bowden went to define the Dryden’s place in any OGL setting, from giving it its own d20 Modern Racial Class (including Talent Trees) and describing each of its three forms (Natural, Hybrid, and Tangle) to delicately yet succinctly describing its mating habits. The document also gives examples of how to use this race in d20 Fantasy, d20 Modern, and d20 future settings and even gives a sample story for each genre. The d20 Modern even goes as far as to offer a venue where an adventure could take place. Furthermore, even though Bowden gives a clear warning on page 2 about the content in this PDF, I also give him credit on presenting said content in a mature, sensible fashion and discussing the Dryden’s sexual nature in an upfront, straightforward fashion without milking the race’s hedonism for all it’s worth and turning the document into a glorified porno. I will admit, however, that even I was turned off by the artwork from the Wide version of the document, from the nude Dryden women in the border and on page 13, the Dryden baby scene on page 14, and such. Thankfully, the artwork from the Print version of the PDF was tamer, so at least the reader can have an option between which of the two formats he or she wants to look at, depending on his or her level of intestinal fortitude.

In short, Dryden: Hero of Horror is worth checking out, especially if you’re fortunate enough to be able to buy it at the price I did. I don’t necessarily recommend it for gamers under the age of 18, however, even with author John Bowden adamantly warning the reader of its content. Then again, if you’re 18 or older and have a both an open mind and a strong stomach for a new, flexible PC race for your fantasy or sci-fi campaign that has a distinct flavor in more ways than one, then feel free to drop the dime and download this file. It’s actually pretty useful.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Dryden: Hero or Horror
Publisher: Ancient Awakenings Publications
by Simon C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/13/2006 00:00:00

This was an interesting product, but if you are after background and ideas then it might seem a little thin compared to the D20 content. The D20 rules seem OK but I haven't played D20 too much recently. I found the way they implemented choices to customise the Dryden's abilities interesting. I would had liked a bit more info/ideas on the dragon-king setting but in a small PDF, for its price, this was a nice balance of rules and info. <br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Acceptable<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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Dryden: Hero or Horror
Publisher: Ancient Awakenings Publications
by Shane O. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 12/02/2005 00:00:00

Dryden: Hero or Horror is a product from Ancient Awakenings Publications detailing a new race, the Dryden, for a Fantasy, Modern, or Future d20 game.

The zipped file comes with three PDFs. The main file is fifty-seven pages in length. It has a color cover, with black-and-white interior artwork. It?s worth mentioning the borders on every page display a naked Dryden female. Likewise, this is the only file with bookmarks. The second file is the same product, but minus the borders and other objectionable interior artwork, weighing in at thirty-four pages. While this is obviously meant to be the printer-friendly version, it?s odd how the cover and the rest of the illustrations remain, and the tables are colored. Wouldn?t it have made more sense to remove all the artwork and change the colors to grey? The last file is an eight-page reprinting of just the Dryden racial class and feats. Obviously, this is meant to be printed and given to players. Again, however, colored tables and the color cover in this file seem contradictory to how this is meant to be a printed file.

Wisely, the product opens with a warning about using material that could be considered offensive in your game, reminding the reader that just because they?re not offended doesn?t mean others of the gaming group won?t be.

The entirety of this product is about the new race presented, the Dryden. The Dryden are a hermaphroditic race of hybrids, unable to breed with each other, only with non-Dryden, to produce Dryden offspring. They have three forms: that of their non-Dryden parent, that of a tangled mass of vines, and a hybrid form between the two. Mechanically, this is handled, not with a template, but with a feat. If you have this feat (Born Dryden), then you?re eligible to take levels in the Dryden racial class. Furthermore, the class allows you to take various Dryden-specific talent trees. In this way, there are Dryden with different powers and abilities; perhaps even some who don?t even realize they?re Dryden!

Once the basics are laid out, Dryden mating habits are covered. Dryden are natural hermaphrodites, and are able to breed with just about anything. For a Dryden, their apparent gender is just that, an appearance, nothing more. They can impregnate, or be impregnated by, almost anything, and the resulting offspring has the Born Dryden feat. Rules here cover how a Dryden can forcefully mate with another creature, and the repercussions of doing so. After this, rules cover the effects of pregnancy. Three different pregnancies are covered, a normal-length one for Fantasy games, a month-long one for Modern games, and one that?s almost-instantaneous for Future games.

After this, the book divides itself into sections. The first one covers Fantasy games. After opening with a bit of fiction, it gives the Fantasy history and society of the Dryden, which in this case are nature creatures that get along with the nature-loving elves quite well. Their Fantasy biology is also covered. Oddly, at this point, the Fantasy section then shifts and begins discussing a theocracy rules by a green dragon Dryden. Stats for Bereverak, a great green wyrm with ten levels in the Dryden racial class are given. Following some supplementary information, a ?profession? template is then given, showing the new powers that Bereverak?s sorcerer-wives gain while pregnant from him. After that are basic stats for one of his Dryconian children, and a short sidebar on the theocracy he rules.

The Modern section opens in the same format. Fiction is given, then the history, society, and biology of the Dryden, which here are the product of genetic tampering by scientists. Following this are a map and room descriptions of a Dryden safehouse.

The Future section likewise gives us fiction, history, society, and biology of the Dryden. Here, they?re a sadistic species of invading aliens, conquering worlds and taking slaves. Stats are then given for a pair of psionic Dryden twins.

Altogether, this book presents an interesting race for inclusion in any d20 campaign. The idea of using a combination of feats, racial levels, and talents make the Dryden extremely versatile mechanically, and the different backgrounds for campaign types given highlight this magnificently. However, the warning at the front of the product is correct in that some players won?t be comfortable with this product, given how Dryden can (and do) mate with almost anything, and how rules are given for mating by force. If this isn?t a problem for you and your players though, the Dryden offer a large amount of potential for a campaign of any stripe. <br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: This product pulls no punches in the subject matter, and handles mature concepts (such as mating by force) well. The Dryden as a race have very flexible mechanics, and put that flexibility to good use in the different backgrounds presented for each campaign.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Some mechanics were glossed over. Dryden have multiple forms, but what type of action it was to change forms wasn't listed in most cases. Also, the printer version could have done away with the cover, artwork, and colored tables.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Dryden: Hero or Horror
Publisher: Ancient Awakenings Publications
by Sean H. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 11/26/2005 00:00:00

The Dryden: Hero or Horror? is a supplement for D20 fantasy, modern or future, presenting three different yet similar creatures named the Dryden. The fantasy version is a plant creature, the modern one an experiment gone wrong and the future version a parasitical alien race. Each version is slightly darker than the last. In all versions of the Dryden, sexuality is involved as the Dryden as a species can only reproduce by mating with other races; this is why it carries a mature tag as well as a discussion in the introduction on ?How NOT to use this book?.

The Dryden itself is a meta-template, by taking the ?Born Dryden? feat, the 10-level Dryden racial class is made available. Each level of the Dryden racial class gives the character another choice of racial abilities organized in various trees (this organization will be familiar to D20 Modern players). The ability trees allow the Dryden greater control over their various plant-hybrid forms, the ability to adopt new shapes, rapid healing, and similar tricks. A mid-to-high level Dryden will have a variety of interesting options available to it.

The fantasy Dryden are the most benign of the variants, mystical plant-human hybrids, they are guardians of their homes in the forest, and, to a lesser extent, nature in general. Friends to the elves, these Dryden usually reproduce only with willing partners (though they are not very choosy in who they partner with animal or humanoids are as likely to be selected as mates) their prodigy forming the next generation of guardians. But there are evil Dryden as well, such as Bereverak, God King of a Thousand Wives, a Dryden-Dragon who is breeding an army of his hybrid-dragon children to assist him in his plans of conquest.

The modern Dryden are the ?children? of Anna Dryden, an experimental subject, who have escaped. With their ability to blend in with humanity, they have become humanities greatest enemy, able to infiltrate and consume the skills they need. The modern Dryden are a thing of horror movies, either suspense or slasher as suits the play style of the campaign. A Dryden safe house is presented for the modern game, it should present a serious but necessary challenge to defeat the expanding threat of the Dryden.

The science fiction Dryden are a parasitical alien race, who reproduce by consuming the genetic material (and bodies) of other races. Not only are they parasitical but they are sadistic by nature, enjoying toying with and torturing their victims before consuming them. The Dryden race is constantly expanding looking for new sources of mates and raw material, constantly consuming whatever they encounter, they are an implacable alien threat. The future Dryden are useful as both generic villains or as part of a horror scenario like they modern version.

Overall, the Dryden are an interesting race, but not suitable to all games or styles of play. The source material provides a variety of options for use of the Dryden in various sorts of campaigns but keep in mind the comfort level of your players before introducing them.<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: Interesting concept, wide range of campaign uses.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Some people will be uncomfortable with the subject matter, limiting it overall usefulness.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Acceptable<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Dryden: Hero or Horror
Publisher: Ancient Awakenings Publications
by Edmund W. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 10/12/2005 00:00:00

It's a lot more tasteful than the disclaimer would seem to indicate. Mind, that isn't a complaint. It is an interesting product, one with a great deal more potential than is fully explored. Again, that isn't entirely a complaint. The Dryden can be used in any number of different ways, and a few minor tinkers can add exponential possibilities, as can developing a few alternative interpretations to the Dryden's existence.<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Rather than presenting an idea, it presents a concepts and has several ideas about the concept. It is, in point of fact, a product I wouldn't be too put off by my nephew reading (though given the sidebar graphic I wouldn't let him read the printer un-friendly version).<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: A little lethargic on the content that would be useful to all readers.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Dryden: Hero or Horror
Publisher: Ancient Awakenings Publications
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/09/2005 00:00:00

The flexibility of this supplement was nice, as was the depth of background material and other flavor. It wasn't nearly as racey as the preamble makes it sound (although I still wouldn't recommend it for kids). The violent nature of the Dryden life cycle is described fairly graphically, and the art shows some skin, but most everything that would be of a purely sexual nature is left to the imagination of the reader. There was also not a lot of things added just for the sake of titilation... anything that was sexual or graphically violent was relevent to the nature of the Dryden ecology. The title is also a bit misleading, as there is small mention of the Dryden as any kind of 'hero' (and then only in the fantasy setting really), and vastly more attention paid to them as a horror prospect.

<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Flexibility and depth were good. Plenty of flavor, but the technical specs are there if you need them. Addressed in a well-rounded manner. This is a very legitimate and usable supplement regardless of your setting or world system.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: I thought $7 was pretty steep for what ended up amounting to a single monster, even if it was made out to be a playable race (which would be kind of difficult to incorporate into most campaign worlds). It was well done, but it would have had to be over-the-top amazing to really merit that price tag... and I don't think it really made it.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Disappointed<br>



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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Dryden: Hero or Horror
Publisher: Ancient Awakenings Publications
by Derek H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/19/2005 00:00:00

Nice features include a racial class and rules for D20 Modern, D20 Future and D&D. Using some mixing and matching with the 3 settings provides some interesting varients.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Dryden: Hero or Horror
Publisher: Ancient Awakenings Publications
by Darrin K. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/24/2005 00:00:00

I didn't know exactlt what to expect with this product. But I was very pleasently surprised. The product is very well done.<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: I like the fact that the author went above and beyond the call to give three widely different interpretations of the race. So that one is able to pick and choose the elements they may want for their own campaigns.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Dryden: Hero or Horror
Publisher: Ancient Awakenings Publications
by Steve M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/02/2005 00:00:00

I think the most fascinating thing about this product is how easily the designer managed to fit the creature concept to different settings and d20 System iterations.<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: "Dryden: Hero or Horror" is jam-packed with great ideas for how to use the drydens in just about any conceivable game, even to the point of turning them from monsters into player characters.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Nothing, except for a couple of nit-picks about typographical matters.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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