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Any gaming supplement that allots a heavy amount of page space to show how to create a furry campaign automatically gets the ballsiest publisher of the year award.
Thankfully, Fursona – The Definitive Guide to Creating Anthromorphic Characters, is much, much more than a book for RPG animal lovers. It is one of the most thorough and creative race creation books to come down the Pathfinder line.
Fursona is not just a book on how to create animal races. It is actually a book on how to create any weird race, with any weird traits that you can think of. At 105 pages, there is very little that you can not build by using the system.
The layout and simple black and white images matches the standard set by the clear and concise writing. The creation process is also very simple. You first choose one of the 33 different orders which are takes on the various species in the animal and fantasy world. Then you receive 4 points to choose minor or major advantages- over 130 choices to choose. There’s also an optional 60 disadvantages that can get you more build points.
The PDF offers a ton more choices as you get to the end. There are a few templates to give you bizarre options for creatures. The last few pages take the time to explain how to recreate the traditional races for a more animal campaign.
For the Players
There’s a furry in every gaming group. The amount of choices is absurdly plentiful. Any animal you can build a race into.
For the DM
I tended to lean more towards the Lovcraftian type options: Tentacles, multiple eyes and mystic powers.
The Iron Word
The balance of the book is simple. The abilities players receive never seem too overpowered than what else is out there. Futura is a high recommendation if you are into customizing campaigns as a player or dungeon master.
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As Pathfinder grows older, classes are moving from the traditional “static class” to class designs that allow the user to modify the class to serve a variety of roles.
The Codex Mechanica: On the Creation of Fabricants, from Necromancers of the Northwest, is an impressive example of the class design.
On the surface, the fabricant is a new race of steampunk humanoids for your Pathfinder game. The Fabricant race is divided into the five basic races (Human, Elf, Dwarf, Half-Orc, Halfling and Gnome) all rewritten to include more artificial reasons for their abilities. The history and backstory of the Fabricant is strong enough to build off of, but light enough to include in any campaign.
However, this race is designed to be the fluff behind the two classes included in the 43-PDF. The two classes, Iron Warrior and Iron Magus, are the real meat of the book. The Iron Warrior, the only full class (the Iron Magus is a prestige class for magic users), allows you to receive steampunk augmentations every level to build on your fabricant character. Depending on what mods you choose will allow you to recreate most of the melee/non-magical classes.
The material in The Fabricant is well written and this product based on that alone deserves a five star, however, the font choice for the layout is atrocious and makes it very difficult to read for any real length of time.
For the Player
The Weapon Upgrades were the most exciting to my players. Anything that takes steampunk tech and applies it to medieval weaponry wins brownie points in my group.
For the Dungeon Master
Each of the classes contain lore and easy integration into a campaign world. Even if you are not into steampunk, there are some great fantasy tie-ins in the mechanics and fluff.
The Iron Word
The Fabricant is an awesome steampunkish race and class supplement that can lightly introduce tech elements into a fantasy campaign.
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Some clerics just don’t want two domains. For those holy PCs who would rather have one mighty domain as opposed to two decent domains, Owen Stephens and his geniuses over at Super Genius Games have created the Exalted Domain, an uber-domain for Clerics who want to specialize in one thing.
The Genius Guide to Exalted Domains of Storms and Savagery brings allows clerics to gain a lot more nature power for their domain buck. Nature powers have always been a point of contention in D&D, and granting a few druid abilities (like animal companions and access to druid spells) may be something the DM needs to keep an eye on. Still, the new powers and spells invoke the feeling of a being a true warrior for a god of nature. The 12 domains include elemental domains such as Air, and traditional nature domains such as plant and animal.
Exalted Domains behave a lot like normal domains. You select them at first level and they grant all the powers and spells of their name counterpart. However, in addition, most grant or replace a power with a supped up version of that power. This puts the cleric a bit higher to the role of chosen by the god than a normal priest who got a special favor. Many of the exalted have subdomains that allow the player to replace the uber-powers with other, even more direct uber-powers
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For the Players
If your dungeon master is hounding you with fey creatures, have your cleric utilize the exalted domain of Cold Iron. The Iron Aura ability will frustrate allergic NPCs.
For the Dungeon Master
I like putting the Exalted Domain of Luck on an NPC to make for a trickier NPC. The domain grants an ability that allows for multiple DM rolls and a super bonus to initiative.
The Iron Word
The Exalted Domain breaks new ground in the Cleric domain, allowing for a fresher take on the class. The ability to focus on one aspect of a God is a nice alternative that PCs will enjoy. Storms and Savagery tips slightly over the edge of overpowerness in some areas, but still feels manageable with a watchful DM.
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Some clerics just don’t want two domains. For those holy PCs who would rather have one mighty domain as opposed to two decent domains, Owen Stephens and his geniuses over at Super Genius Games have created the Exalted Domain, an uber-domain for Clerics who want to specialize in one thing.
The Genius Guide to Exalted Domains of Light and Lore feels the most balanced of the three Exalted Domain books and is the one, more than likely, that players will find the most use of when playing a traditional cleric. There are 12 exalted domains covered in Light and Lore. This includes the healing domain, magic domain and light domain.
Exalted Domains behave a lot like normal domains. You select them at first level and they grant all the powers and spells of their name counterpart. However, in addition, most grant or replace a power with a supped up version of that power. This puts the cleric a bit higher to the role of chosen by the god than a normal priest who got a special favor. Many of the exalted have subdomains that allow the player to replace the uber-powers with other, even more direct uber-powers.
For the Players
I find the Sun Domain to be highly effective in an undead campaign, allowing more powerful channels and daylight spells.
For the Dungeon Master
If you want to put a sage with the party to help them move certain plots along, the Exalted Lore Keeper skill from the Knowledge Domain allows an npc to touch objects and gleam knowledge.
The Iron Word
The Exalted Domain breaks new ground in the Cleric domain, allowing for a fresher take on the class. The ability to focus on one aspect of a God is a nice alternative that PCs will enjoy.
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Players are maimed, poisoned, plagued and disintegrated. Those that survive see a lot of crazy things that , even in a fantasy world of elves and dwarves, would make for some truly disturbing dreams.
LJPDesigns Two Dozen Dangers: Insanity, provides 24 mental diseases to trouble the most strong-willed PCs.
Insanity takes a different attempt on “mental anguish” than other PDFs have. The pathway is refreshing and makes insanity far easier to implement into a game. Most systems use some sort of extra hit point system to represent mentality. Two Dozen Dangers: Insanity slightly revises the disease rules already implemented in Pathfinder. The result is an easy integration that makes the entire game a bit more meaty, particularly any power that heals or prevents diseases.
The short 7-page PDF is made up of 24 of the insanities. Each insanity requires a will save to temporarily prevent the ill effects, and, borrowing from 4th edition, requires multiple occurrences and checks to completely cure.
For the DM
Each insanity is broken down into types: traumas, horrors and spell sickness. In my current horror campaign, I find myself using creature exposure insanities such as Aberrant Sensorium, (which provides a serious mental illnesses for encountering those Cthullian inspired creatures), and Dust Nihilism, which drives those who encounter powerful undead a bit over the edge.
The Iron Word
I love when people use what is already there and make it better. More than just a simple grouping of new things to inflict in PCs, adding mental diseases to physical diseases beefs up the entire disease system. The creativity of the 24 diseases range from nagging to borderline mean.
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Iron Nugget
Dungeon Masters can always use supplements that can help them out in a quick fix. Super Genius Game’s Genius Guide to Simple Monster Templates allows DMs to swiftly boost a creature’s CR by 1 or 2. At one point or another, every DM has underestimated the strength of their party and needed to up the next encounter to provide a sense of challenge. The 5 templates are less involved than templates from other sources. Most simply add a few abilities to the creature.
The Iron Word
Super Genius does not try to overdo it with this product, which is very relieved. It is just the right size and each template is effectively creative, providing a different experience each time. Everyone will love the eternal template, which grants near immortality. I can really see a creative Dungeon Master pairing a haunt when using this one. Simple Monster Templates will leave you wanting for more and awaiting the next volume.
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Joining the Super Genius Games archetype PDF family is the Genius Guide to Divine Archetypes. Divine Archetypes is another superb product that allows players to easily swap out one character class for another. An archetype is a condensed form of a character abilities that make up the essence of the class. With this system, you can take one archetype and replace it easily with another archetype. Divine Archetypes presents 7 divine magic archetypes. All of the archetypes are diverse and useful. For Dungeon Masters who want to shy away from the church, the Wise is an excellent choice. Without confining it with a name like shaman or oracle, it allows the player to receive divine powers from a different source.
Iron Word
I can not express enough about how useful archetypes can be to a campaign. The divine archetypes listed here are wildly developed origins of divine magic. For those looking for something other than the cleric, Divine Archetypes is a great find.
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I long for the day when Haunts will be right up there with creatures, traps and drow loners as staples of D&D. So long as publishers like Rite Publishing keep pushing out strong Haunt filled products like 30 Haunts for Ships and Shores, it should happen pretty soon.
30 Haunts for Ships and Shores takes the haunts out of their dungeon and home elements and places them in and around water. Better than any product, this reinforces how useful Haunts can be in any campaign.
The Iron Word
All 30 Haunts provide something a little different but never diverge from their subject. Readers will be surprised by the variety of ways Rite Publishing finds to creep out PCs on the open seas
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If you know Dreads, you know dreads loves Zombies; slow zombies, fast zombies, hell, I even kind of like the mutants from Another 28 days that are not zombies but everyone tends to think they are. I watch zombie movies, read zombie books and subscribe to every zombie comic book. When I was contacted by game designer Christopher De La Rosa to preview Outbreak: Undead I was very stoke. My discovery was a system that bled zombie lore and creativity and geared towards players who want a crunchy zombified evening of role-playing.
Outbreak is a hefty 459 pages of flesh-eating zombie love. De La Rosa develops a system that brings together elements of various zombie media into a super-sized package. It is a very stat heavy system.. Those familiar with Palladium Rift’s system, will recognize the percentage system that rewards players. Players have four stats, Strength, Perception, Empathy and will. They pick skills that fit into these stats that coincide with the job they chose. The occupation option is the most unique feature of the game and helps establish the role-playing element of the game.
Combat utilizes a collectible card type system of phases. Players take actions, the board is checked and then damage is resolved. This can make combat very tedious with the wrong group or DM. During the playtest, the one combat lasted 2 hours and it had been condensed.
The layout style is supercreative and really draws you into the book. It feels like you are flipping through a government dosier. However, an additional plain text version is very much needed for those who just want the information without the pretty. At 80mb, you could not bring this up on a phone, and the lack of distinguishable bookmarks makes it clunky to maneuver around through.
For RPGers
Outbreak: Undead is the table-top version of action RPGs like Resident Evil or Dawn of the Dead (remake). With the right DM, it can be utilized to play slower, more suspenseful zombie scenarios, however, it feels additional rules will either need to be created or houseruled. Still, the depth of the system allowed for some awesome random scenarios where the characters feel like they are firmly in the zombie-infested world.
For the Zombie Fan
Outbreak: Undead does not want you to run from zombies for too long. They have very detailed sections on equipment and weaponry that can save your life in the zombie apocalypse. The statistics and open ended occupation system is built for the type of role-player who likes to look at his character sheet and then figure out a roll.
The Iron Word
When played up to its strengths, Outbreak: Undead is a fun system that embeds the action zombie flick into the pages of a Role-Playing Game. I had a chance to run through a midnight preview of this game at Gencon 2009, and even with 8 players, the action was fast and intense. There wasn't a lot of tension breaking role-playing, but there was a lot of split second decisions and free form actions that really showed off the system's depth. At one point my character was allowed to take major electronics in the house and begin to hurl them outside at the herding zombies. To my surprise, there was actually a ready made system of roles for impromptu things like this. The Occupation system was one of the best features, as characters were allowed to automatically have abilities that were suited for the occupation they were before the flesh-eaters came.
If you are looking for a crunchy horror themed game, Outbreak: Undead will provide your group with the kind of zombie fix you can not get on Fearnet.
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Silver Crescent Publishing has created an engrossing dark fantasy world with their Pathfinder Campaign Setting, Realms of Twilight.
The 256 page book is a polished gem, allowing readers to easily navigate the dark fantasy world the writers have brought forth. My first fear was that it sounded too similar to LPJ Design’s Obsidian Twilight. However, I was quite glad that this was not the case. Realms of Twilight takes place in a world is perpetual twilight.
This world is settled in its predicament. Races have moved on and understand that True Sun may never returned. This since of normalcy makes Realms feel like a traditional fantasy setting with enough previous baggage to provide a new experience. The entire world is covered, not just a continent. Each of the 5 continents of the world are detailed with history, geography and gods. Player Options, New Equipment and Spells, creatures and a chapter on the legends of the world are then introduced.
For the Player
I could have done with a few more player options. There are a handful of feats and a single new base class. However, the combat alchemist almost makes me forget about the lack of options. Players will take the combat alchemist, match it up against Paizo’s alchemist and witness a knockout as the Combat Alchemist in Realms knocks out its official predecessor. Its one of my favorite Pathfinder alternative spellcasters and really gets into the flavor of alchemy.
For the Dungeon Master
The little details are what makes the world stand out. Knowing the elves relationship with the monks in Ezalyth is the kind of things that help DMs build epic campaigns.
The Iron World
Realms of Twilight is a non-traditional fantasy setting given the traditional fantasy setting treatment. It has the classics like elves and evil empires, but the darkness that plagues the land gives it the separation twist it needs. The layout of the book is magnificent, and screams of good editors. DMs will have a field day with the things they can develop from the content. PCs on the other hand are a little short changed in the options department. Readers will probably have been more than welcome to have a little less prose and a few more classes, feats and spells. However, its hard to fault a book too much when it provides beautiful world maps, a creative visual take on character sheets and so much rich lore and history.
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The first Genius Guide to the Godling allowed PCs to build potent PCs that encompassed gods who used their wits or brute. Super Genius Games has now followed up this book with the Genius Guide to the Mystic Godling, which introduced magical godlings to your players.
Mystic Godling allows players to eventually become magical Gods. Like the Genius Guide to the Godling, the Mystic Godling is really two classes. The Adept Godling allows players to build utilitarian spellcasters with specialties in both skills and magic. The Eldritch spell caster allows players to build powerful casters. When the players choose Mystic Godling, they may choose the character to be either Arcane or Divine.
Unlike the Godling class, the Mystic Godling really amps up the power of the class. Both the Adept and Mystic classes have special additional spell abilities. They are more resistant to dispel, may pick any attribute as their spell attribute and do not need to make concentration checks to cast spells. These abilities balance the small amount of spells both casters have. The Mystic Godling has magical traits that give them abilities that hint at the type of god they may become. They also receive a clerical domain, but at a later level than the previous book. Scions are nixed for the Mystic Godling, though you can take a special feat to obtain them. Instead, both classes receive Ascendancies.
However, the same gripes with the Godling Class can be relayed onto the Mystic Godlinig. The limited amount of Ascendancy abilities are almost comical. There are only three major ascendancies to choose from, which really limit player choice. The talents are much better than the Godling, but still need 2 or 3 more to provide a good amount of variety. Another major problem with the Mystic Godling is the spell attribute selection. It screams min/maxer. If you do not pick one of physical attributes, preferably Dex or Con, you are depowering the class. Also, the Adept class at lower levels does not feel too different from the Eldritch Class.
For the Player
I love this class for newbie spell casting players. It feels good to have to mention defensive spellcasting and go over all of the tricks of Spellcraft. The cool thing is, is that
For the Dungeon Master
I liked this class at high levels for DMs. It takes a few tricks out of the PCs arsenal when they try to fight a powerful spellcaster.
The Iron Word
The Genius Guide to Mystic Godling will fit a unique campaign that allows the class to be apart of the major plotline. It provides a different feel for the spellcaster. The casters can become quite powerful, but not enough so where it would ruin a campaign.
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When looking at D&D through a telescope, the overall goal is for the PC to become a god by the end of a level 1 to 20 campaign. Super Genius Games, Genius Guide to the Godling Class, strays from that logic, instead giving the PC’s the power to become god’s from the get go.
Godling Class, from a flavor point of view, will allow your character to be a demigod by the end of the progression. But mechanically, it is a class that allows players to build a sandbox class with a handful of restrictions. The Battle Godling class allows players to combine abilities seen with combat style classes like the monk, fighter, barbarian and paladin. The Clever Godling class allows players to combine abilities commonly associated with bards, rogues and other support classes. The abilities of classes are mimicked by Scion Talents, which the PCs receive every few levels. Outside of the two base classes, there is an included prestige class that allows players to tack on Godling abilities to an existing character.
Each of the classes instills a bit of divine prowess to the character by providing them a clerical domain, of which they can use both powers from the beginning. They also receive divine traits that give them a specialty ability that hints at what god they may become.
The PDF is short, at about 12 pages, and feels as if it needed about 5 more pages to flesh out the classes. Both the scions and talents need about 3 or 4 more choices to really make the PCs feel like they have a choice
For the Player
The Godling lets players escape the limits of a traditional class. I am running a Godling only campaign, and my players overwhelming leaned towards the more meaty Battle Godling as opposed to the Mystic Godling.
For the Dungeon Master
This is a great option for NPCs whom mentor PCs. It allows for a lot of leeway as a DM to create a useful NPC that does not lean too close to one class.
The Iron Word
I love the concept of the Godling class, and it works in a campaign geared around the class. The drawbacks are what kills the widespread use of the class. That is, that there is not enough material in the book to mimic every class. At the very least, there should be a book in the works by Super Genius that has more options for the class.
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2010 Halloween Review
Layout gaffs aside, the inside cover has the splash page to their other book, Haunts and More is a far more focused and interesting read. Presented by AGES games, it delves out 12 pages of deadly haunts to build adventures from. Haunts are traplike areas that can not be cured by a +2 axe and a fully rested sorcerer. Instead, you have to perform a mission that solves the problem. It is a bit disappointing that almost half of the 12 pages are “bonus material” with a less than par ranger build at level 2. The Iron Nugget is in the expansive creativity put into the Haunts themselves. If you liked this concept, you are going to want to pick this up
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Iron Nugget
Hollow Earth Expedition: The Frozen City of Terror takes a group of investigators from a simple rescue into the bowels of a creepy experience. The straight forward adventure is perfect for a one shot. In the adventure, the PCs are investigating a missing research team in the frigid unknown of Antarctica.
One of the most important things that a writer can do when trying to write an adventure in a modern setting with supernatural elements embedded in is to perform enough research so that the setting feels authentic. If the PCs do not feel that the setting is real, you can ruin the creepy, terror atmosphere you are trying to create. The writers succeed admirably at this task, reinventing a better setting and plot than the flop of a movie Whiteout.
This adventure may not fit in an ongoing campaign, as it restricts archetypes and stays fairly straight forward. However, as a one shot, the isolation of the setting brings a feeling of anything can happen, which is what you want when running a one shot.
In the end, players will enjoy the several twists in the story and the strong prose writing.
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Iron Nugget: I love when new things enter the D&D world. With haunts, Paizo added an element that is part trap, part creature, thick with mechanics but steeped in roleplaying. With 30 Haunts for Houses, Rite Publishing lends their visually descriptive writing to create 30 haunts that PCs can encounter when traveling into a residence.
Haunts do not have hit points, they are ended when specific conditions are met. This makes them a great addition to increase the challenge of an encounter without having to deal with the record keeping of another batch of creatures. I enjoyed the Lich’s Lover the most. It’s quite simple, but I can imagine how it would rack the brains of players as they search for something to hit.
Rite Publishing quality all throughout and a lot of creativity to add fun to traditional encounters.
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Publisher Reply: |
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I wanted to thank you for taking the time to do a review of our product! Steve Russell Rite Publsihing |
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I wanted to thank you for taking the time to do a review of our product! Steve Russell Rite Publsihing |
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![[PFRPG] The Genius Guide to Exalted Domains of Storms and Savagery](images/97/86117-thumb100.jpg)
![[PFRPG] The Genius Guide to Exalted Domains of Light and Lore](images/97/85407-thumb100.jpg)
![[PFRPG] The Genius Guide to Simple Monster Templates](images/97/87722-thumb100.jpg)
![[PFRPG] The Genius Guide to Divine Archetypes](images/97/87342-thumb100.jpg)
![[PFRPG] The Genius Guide to Mystic Godlings](images/97/81499-thumb100.jpg)
![[PFRPG] The Genius Guide to the Godling](images/97/80467-thumb100.jpg)
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