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Figurines of Wondrous Power $2.99
Average Rating:4.5 / 5
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Figurines of Wondrous Power
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Figurines of Wondrous Power
Publisher: Raging Swan Press
by Benjamin M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/15/2013 08:04:53

I found this a nice way to have all the stats for the Figurines in one place with the basics covered. It then goes on to detail how the figurines could be changed to give a flavor to them for different time periods, or for places like the cold regions or under water. I have seen a few changed Figurines of Wondrous Power in adventures/ source books over the years but this is the first time that I have seen a comprehensive collection of ideas to change the flavor of the basic magic item without changing its basic power level.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
Thanks for this review, Benjamin. These are some of my favourite old school items and I'm glad you enjoyed my treatment of them!
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Figurines of Wondrous Power
Publisher: Raging Swan Press
by Brian F. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 04/26/2011 09:16:23

Way back in what must seem like the Dark Ages of D&D, I was introduced to the “figurines of wondrous power.” These expensive trinkets were, like the Eye and Hand of Vecna, unreachable goals that all players aspired to at some point or another in their gaming careers. And yet, these artifacts have magically found their way into every edition of D&D I’ve ever played.

What are they you may ask? Like the genie from Aladdin (“PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWERS! [shrinks] Itty-bitty living space!”), each figurine is a small sculpted item mirroring an animal or monster. For example, the tiny bronze statuette of a griffin becomes a normal-sized griffin when put on the ground and the command words are spoken. These statuettes come in a variety of shapes – everything from lions and elephants to ravens, owls, and goats. It’s something that can be carried easily and offer instant help when needed.

So it was only a matter of time before some enterprising person converted these wondrous items for Pathfinder and Creighton Broadhurst and Raging Swan Press have done just that. With Figurines of Wondrous Power your Pathfinder characters can scrimp and save to have a figurine of wondrous power for their very own! All they need is somewhere between 3,800 and 28,500 gp and one of these powerful artifacts can be theirs!

Don’t get me wrong. I love these things. It’s like lusting for a Ferrari when you have a Ford Focus. I’d just hate to break one after I bought it. After all, it’s not like I’ve ever had a character that had nearly 30,000 gp on him at any one time.

Broadhurst has, in a 20 page PDF (roughly 13 pages of actual content), clearly and cleanly presented all the information you might need for any of these nine iconic items. And I love the artwork – each figurine is presented with an image of what it might look like in a crisp and clean black and white ink drawing...

For the rest of this review, check out http://www.gameknightreviews.com/2011/04/book-review-figurines-of-wondrous-power-by-creighton-broadhurst-and-raging-swan-press/



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Figurines of Wondrous Power
Publisher: Raging Swan Press
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 02/06/2011 10:21:30

Figurines of wonderous power have been around since the earliest days of role-playing, but seem to feature far more often in game books than in actual games. They are basically quite simple in concept, being a small statue of an animal which can be commanded to activate, to become that animal. But simple things can be the hardest to cope with in terms of game mechanics, and these are no exception, requiring careful preparation to understand how they operate and what their full capabilities are... until now. This product lays out detailed information about each of the nine varieties known, with separate descriptions and stat blocks for each one, no fumbling your way through tables and lists of exceptions to find out what the one you (or one of your players if you're the GM) is trying to use can actually do.

But this is not a dry collection of statistics, it's replete with neat embellishments such as quirks the GM may assign to the figurine - such as being flatulent or always hungry when in animal form to having a maker's mark on its backside in statue form - and suggested command words for causing the transformation. There are even several lists of alternates to the standard figurines depending on what part of the world you happen to find one. Desert dwellers, after all, are familiar with different animals than people who live underground or underwater, and when a craftsman settles down to make a figurine it's likely that he will craft a creature with which he is familiar. Even if you are content to stick with the basic figurine types you can ring the changes by using a broadly-similar yet different animal as a basis - just pick one of the same CR and eqivalent capabilities and you will not need to make much effort to have a figurine distinctly different from those that even the most knowledgeable player can recall.

Normally, the animal form of a figurine of wonderous power is not sentient, having merely the intellect of a normal animal of that species... but there are exceptions. Rules are thus presented to enable figurines to have at least a modicum of consciousness above the animal - perhaps, as is suggested, the figurine was constructed to house the spirit of a wizard's familiar or druid's companion. A few rare specimens may actually contain the essence of a druid seeking to retain his connection with nature after death or something else of that kind, and you will have to determine how much of his past he recalls, and how reconciled he is to his present state. And of course, you occasionally encounter a cursed figurine, by malicious intent or merely due to a botched creation. Perhaps the figurine does not function underground, or it only obeys if commanded by an individual of a certain class or race...

All these suggestions and variations discussed, we move on to to the complete write-ups of the standard figurines in a form suitable to print out and tuck into the folder of the character possessing the figurine as a handy ready-reference each time he wishes to use it. This section rounds off with notes on saddles and other equipment which you will need to have if you want to ride your figurine when it's in animal form.

This is a handy product to have if you have found - or purchased - a figurine of wonderous power or if, as GM, you want to introduce one into your game. Reading it might well spawn ideas that might prompt you to use one as treasure or even as the focal point of an adventure. It even just about serves as a scholarly tome for a character wishing to research this particular magic item preparatory to making one or out of general interest!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Figurines of Wondrous Power
Publisher: Raging Swan Press
by Aaron H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/03/2011 21:15:38

Figurines of Wondrous Power is the latest Player’s Resource supplement for Pathfinder. It’s a collection of magical figurines ranging in price from 3,800 gp to 28,500 gp all with variable powers and advantages. Each one is fully presented with detailed descriptions, stats and alternate names for use within different cultural settings.

To set these figurines, when in animal form, apart from other figurine transformation, ideas such as quirks and command words are presented plus mechanics for creating intelligent and cursed creatures. The PDF is fully bookmarked and comes in at a mere 16 pages for easy and quick reference.

Raging Swan Press creates many great supplements with simplicity and focus. They take seemingly mundane things and turn them into something fantastic with depth and character. While the supplement is limited in its capacity, Figurines of Wondrous Power does an amazing job of bringing new options and understanding to everything presented within.

Once again Raging Swan Press has created another fantastic Pathfinder supplement and another fantastic Player’s Resource. Figurines of Wondrous Power not only focuses on a single, seemingly mundane grouping of items, but takes them to another level of game-play with new options, characteristics, names and other ways to add color. The illustrations are the perfect way of finishing off the supplement with visual representations of the figurines so that all player’s have a sense of what they look like.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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