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I think Occult Moon's "Toys for the Sandbox" series is a good idea. At .99, this 4- page pdf (which includes the cover) provides a nice, system-neutral, scenario to drop into an ongoing campaign. Plot hooks are provided for an aspiring GM to develop as he or she sees fit. Main NPCs are also given some personality and fleshed out somewhat, although not with any stats.
As a GM with a bit of experience, I could see myself using this as a mini-encounter distraction for players. The format provided can also provide inspiration for a GM to develop their own encounters. Worth every 99 penny!
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Yet another great piece from HH Games. This single pencil and ink? greyscale image is crisp and has just the right amount of personality to either be used as an inn, guildhall, or perhaps the manor of some wealthy merchant. Too bad we don't get a color piece as well. Nicely done!
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Cities of Calvanna is a great addition to any campaign- 4th Ed. D&D, or otherwise. The pre-order pdf gives a number of examples of typical shops that would be found in a fantasy city. The detailed, gridded, color maps are easy to read and (once the full, printable version is released) could be printed out for use with table top miniatures or in an online campaign.
Lists are also provided, detailing the stock items each shop will typically have for sale, along with pricing and even the lock and break DCs for chests and such!
This pre-release details 13 different shops, including a Leather shop, Brewer, Fletcher, and Animal Tender, among others. Calvanna games claims the full release will detail fleshed-out taverns, guildhouses, a palace, citadels, towers, and more. And, my favorite: lots of lists!
I am looking foreward to the full release, just to see what Calvanna games does with the more "odd" shops and abodes that can be found in a large city!
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This product is part of the Kith'takharos Setting, which is detailed at the White Haired Man home page. First and foremost, I find it interesting that the only format available for download is an ebook. Now, this poses no problem for me, because I have Adobe's Digital Editions software on my pc and laptop, but it may be an issue for others.
The Hideout is an OGL/3.5 encounter that can be dropped in almost any fantasy game setting. All that is needed is a place for the ruins of a river bridge, upon which the encounter takes place. With the background info provided this encounter can be expanded upon to flesh out a grander adventure; or it may be used for a (very quick) one-session playthrough. I also see no reason why this may not be used in any other fantasy-based campaign- perhaps as an encounter in a hex-crawl.
Included in the ebook are descriptions of the encounter antagonists and a few color maps of the bridge ruins.
A solid encounter, that can't be beat for the price, but one that definetly will need some fleshing out by the GM to provide a full session of play.
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Publisher Reply: |
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The product description does not mention that this product is available in formats other than ePub, so I can see why you might think this is the case. Thank you for pointing this out.
The Hideout product is also combined with two other Simple Scenarios and available as a bundle for both OGL and Savage Worlds rules, in PDF or Fantasy Grounds II format. I have now added this information to the product page for the ePub. |
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Simply put, Isle of the Unknown offers a wealth of ideas suitable to drop into any fantasy campaign. The isle can be used as such, but creative GMs can also use this resource to pepper their existing world with various encounters, rumors, and adventure location incentives.
The isle is divided and numbered by hex, with various encounter descriptions described with just enough detail. The creatures have a non-typical twist to them, giving the isle as a whole, a weird-fantasy vibe- not too dark and not too whimsical.
A very pleseant product overall. I highly recommend it.
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Another great addition to the RuneQuest line of d100 products. Clockwork & Chivalry 2e presents a Renaissance- based campaign that combines blackpowder weaponry, alchemy and even witchcraft.
Even if you don't plan on using the fully fleshed-out Clockwork campaign, the other bits in this pdf should fit well as additions in many other fantasy-based settings. Alchemy is given more of a Renaissance- based twist, making it different from other Alchemy mechanics in other games. And as for Witchcraft, any new spell additions to the RuneQuest family is a welcome addition! But make no mistake, witchcraft uses a mechanic of its own to distinguish it from other magic types.
Lastly, a bestiary is included that introduces creatures, both mundane and magical; along with 2 advetures and a selection of pre-made characters to round out a very good product.
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Yet another great product from Jonathan Roberts! The map sections are clear and easy to understand. Both a color and greyscale map are included. The colors and map detail conveys a frigid environment, which I imagine would be perfect for a party defending a keep against an onslaught of Frost Giants; or perhaps the party exploring a dwarven keep that has been taken over by goblins and winter wargs!
My only continued gripe is the inability to turn the map grids off. As a MapTools GM, I can appreciate "pre-gridded" maps, but there is nothing like appreciating a beautifuly drawn map without grids. I guess it's an art "thing" of mine.
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Publisher Reply: |
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I want to thank David B. Semmes for his review, I would like to point out there is a map with no grids in the zip file. Steve Russell Rite Publishing |
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Thanks for the review! I'd also like to add to Steve's comment. The pack contains a map with no grid, and the included maptool file uses that map with no grid. I totally agree that inside a virtual tabletop, you don't need a grid over the artwork cluttering up the map. Also, this way you can set the scale of the grid yourself if you'd prefer this to be a Frost giant fortification, or a land of icy pygmies!
Jon Roberts |
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The next evolutionary step in Mongoose Publishing's Runequest RPG- now called Legend. It doesn't appear that much overall has changed. Its 100% compatible with all the previous RuneQuest II books, including Elric of Melnibone, Deus Vult and Wraith Recon. So if you have invested in earlier products, you can still use them!
Legend has a more "generic" fantasy feeling than the Glorantha campaing setting, allowing GM's to more easily plug in their own campaigns- whether they be "homebrew" or versions of other games on the market. But Glorantha is supported.
The mechanics look as though they are primarily the same as MRQ2, having been tweaked and cleaned up. Cultural Backgrounds and Professions are still there. And unfortunately, some of the art from the previous core rulebook is there- but not enough to annoy or disappoint. A major change is the inclusion of only 3 forms of magic: Common, Divine and Sorcery. This may put off some older fans of MRQ, but new players will not miss a thing. The magic system is fun to play!
And best of all, the entirety of text in the Legend core book has been designated as Open Content! A definite no-brainer purchase in my opinion. Enjoy!
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A fun piece, with rich, deep colors. Great for a clockworks or victorian-flavored setting.
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Yet another fantastic map from Rite Publishing! One of my major gripes about battle maps is that many are presented with a grid-only option. This product can be used with or without a grid- perfect for online play as well!
The art style is detailed, with varied terrain types, giving both players and Gms a lot to get excited about.
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A very interesting piece, usable in both gaming situations and in an rpg product. One can only imagine what the poor man is being pressured to sign- or what he has already signed! Another great art product from Postmortem.
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This 1-page PDF from 1191 AD is an attractive color interpretation of the town of Berem. Included are some basic facts, detailing both the inhabitants and the locations of note in the town. By manipulating the layers in the PDF, location descriptions may be hidden, although I saw no way to hide the location number markers.
WHat attracted me most to this product was the non-typical perspective or viewpoint that the town is presented in, along with the architectural style of the buildings. The town just looks very appealing to the eye, and that's a good thing!
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This is a great idea! I am used to various fantasy-themed equipment and spell cards, but its about time a publisher did it for modern gaming! I am sure fans of Pangenre would also like to see other cards, such as modern armor and modern melee weapons as well (And don't forget about future items too!).
The cards are easy to interpret and read and the art is in black and white, but clear and attractive. All the info a player or GM needs is there!
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Publisher Reply: |
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Thank you for taking the time to give our product a look-in. This was very much an experiment, and it has been fairly well received as an add-on for our RPG System.
We have created a version using all of the non-crew-served Open Game Content firearm weapons that is available separately (alas, not a freebie, but it's just a buck). When we release the next major Pangenre RPG System iteration, we will also create cards for melee weapons, and perhaps other objects as well. |
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This Pathfinder-compatable product is well worth the price of admission. The PDF is over 240 pages of imaginative, descriptive details about the lands of Eclipse. Filled with artwork that enhances the feeling of wonder and strangeness of the world, it has a "Talislanta" feel to it- and that's a good thing!
From a nice selection of fun races and some interesting classes; to a section detailing lycanthropy and vampirism, there is more than enough material here to inspire any GM's game.
The only possible downside to the PDF is that the reader must paitently sift through a ton of fluff in order to get to the crunchy bits, but for those who enjoy being sneakily drawn into a setting by a sourcebook, this will do the trick!
I am truly looking foreward to more stuff from Epidemic Books.
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Since my long-time gaming group has seen many of its members move across the country, we have begun gaming online. The e Adventure Tiles have been a great help in providing me with various environments to visually stir my player's imaginations.
The Dungeon Expansion 01 is yet another detailed, colorful, and beautifuly created product that can be used both for online and table-top play.
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