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It's easy for me to say that Yggdrasill is perhaps one of the most impressive alternate history RPGs I've read. It's clear that the authors of the book possess two very important qualities in this kind of work: A love and respect for the source, and the imagination necessary to inject a kind of fantasy to make the history become even more vibrant.
The setting of the Scandian kingdoms is given thorough treatment, with lots of call outs to the unique qualities that make a culture interesting. From the call out boxes with notes on lore and history, to giving a chapter dedicated to the culture's religion and gods, the book is as as educational as entertaining (though given that it's still a work of fantasy, I wouldn't use it as a reference for a thesis.)
The system takes a bit of getting used to, but careful reading and a few sample fights should work out all the kinks. Once you get going, everything falls into place. Combat is fast-paced and deadly while retaining a host of tactical decisions that can be used to optimize your chances of felling your opponent. Magic is a highlight of the game given that there are three different magic systems that work beautifully in maintaining the feel of the setting.
If there's one thing I wish the book had more of, it would be the treatment of the other nearby kingdoms. They get a short mention in the setting chapter, but there's not much to work on with regards to what kind of threats they might pose (if any) to the Norsemenn. But that's a very minor issue as the focus of the adventures are grounded completely in the Norsemen's lands.
For a game about vikings, there's more to Yggdrasill than axes and berserkers. There's room for a surprising amount of politicking, and the player characters are encouraged to act like the legends that they wish to be.
The addition of a complete adventure in the back of the book, which includes NPCs, plot hooks and villains all worked out is a cherry on top of the whole thing, helping new GMs who might still have some reservations about getting into a setting-heavy game like this to find their legs and run something that has that Scandian feel.
Overall Yggdrasill is a splendid product, with beautiful artwork and layout, excellent writing. Definitely a must-have for anyone interested in the setting whose ever dreamed of being a viking.
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After what seemed to be an eternity, Alderac has finally released the PDF version of the sought after Legend of the Burning Sands RPG into the wild.
Released back in the days of 3rd Edition L5R, Legend of the Burning Sands (LBS) was a huge thing for me when it came out as it broadened the scope of L5R's setting of Rokugan, and introduced new cultures and factions that were all interesting and potentially fun to play.
LBS takes place in Rokugan's sister setting, the Burning Sands. Despite sharing the same "World" the Burning Sands was an entirely different setting with it's own cultural norms and societies that are a far cry from the asian-inspired nature of Rokugan.
The Burning Sands is a harsh desert that holds multiple cultures, whose lives revolve around Medinat al-Salaam, the massive city ruled by the Caliph. Nine factions exist in the city: The Khadi, Qolat, the Ashalan, the Assassins, the Ebonites, The Jackals, the Ra'Shari, the Senpet and the Yodotai.
The city of Medinaat Al-Saalam is the focus of the game, and constitutes the majority of the attention to the setting. Everything from demographics to economics is given attention, and there's enough material for a GM to spin off more than enough plot hooks for a lengthy campaign.
Of these factions, seven are given a chapter to themselves. These are the Ashalan, Assassins, Ra'Shari, Senpet, Yodotai, Jackals and Ebonites, and compose the playable factions in the game. Each of these are given a thorough treatment which include their histories, secrets, methods and techniques unique to each faction.
The system is pretty much the Roll and Keep system with minor tweaks aimed towards showing how magic here is very different from importuning Kami in Rokugan. Familiarity with L5R is nice, but the system is treated in full as to not require the L5R corebook to run a game.
There's also a bestiary of the local wildlife, and a Jinn creation system to simulate these mysterious (and dangerous) beings native to the Burning Sands.
Legend of the Burning Sands is stuffed with information, and sometimes it feels that the artwork had to be sacrificed to make space. There's art for each of the factions, but aside from that, there's very little else out there. I don't mind, but it might intimidate a few readers who aren't used to seeing walls of text.
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Despite its age, I still recommend Legend of the Burning Sands. It works well as both a standalone product and as a supplement for the L5R games, and introduces an entirely different setting with its own interesting cultures. The setting is still every bit as interesting and compelling as it was the first time I picked it up as a CCG, and I'm more than happy to see that I can now run my own adventures in the Burning Sands in tabletop form.
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Other Dust is the new post-apocalyptic RPG made by Kevin Crawford, the same writer who brought us the brilliant Stars Without Number. Those who are familiar with SWN will find that Other Dust follow the same formula: This is a game that you already know how to play, packaged in an overflowing toolbox geared for sandbox play.
The rules are classic D&D, so anyone who has ever rolled 3d6 to generate values for character stats will find themselves experiencing deja vu. That said, this isn't just some mechanical ripoff. Kevin Crawford's approach is very simple. The rules aren't the point of this game, but his sandbox is.
And what a sandbox it is. Other Dust presents an interesting vision of the apocalypse, that is also compatible with the SWN setting. The player character classes available for Other Dust are: Scrounger, Slayer, Speaker and Survivor. Each of the classes fills one particular niche, and given the nature of a post-apocalypse I find that they're an excellent selection to choose from.
Kevin goes into detail in all the fun parts of the Apocalypse, with a fun little section on Mutations, which can be anything from psychic powers to less pleasant looking ones like having detachable organs.
Much in the same way as SWN did, Other Dust is a game whose mechanics technically ends in about fifty pages into the book. The book is also 208 pages thick, and it's these 150 that really make Other Dust shine. Kevin Crawford's agenda supporting sandbox gaming is no secret in the book, as he himself calls it out early in the document.
The rest of the PDF is an impressive collection of rules and tables for generating your own apocalyptic sandbox. From random tables to create enclaves of civilization, to strange ruins, post-apocalyptic adventure creation and loot/scavenging mechanics that are a must-have for and game of this genre.
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Kevin Crawfords approach to Other Dust mirrors SWN, which is a good thing as the SWN approach works perfectly for post-apocalyptic play. There's a ton of campaigns I could run with this game, and the host of tools to aid me in coming up with session after session of play.
I heartily endorse Other Dust to anyone who is even remotely interested in running a Post-Apocalypse game. There's enough material here to run a game for a good, long time.
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First off, let me say that Hell on Earth Reloaded isn't a stand alone game. It requires the Savage Worlds corebook to play.
What Hell on Earth Reloaded does provide is a complete setting to go crazy in, with radiation cults, mutants, templars and enough weirdness to make Arkham Asylum look like nursery school.
The book itself is divided into three major sections:
The Player's guide, which details the setting, character creation, equipment and setting specific rules. Anyone with a familiarity with the Savage Worlds rules will be able to pick this up and get building a character right away without skipping a beat.
No Man's Land, which details the setting-specific Arcane Backgrounds for Hell on Earth. Old fans will recognize the Doomsayers, Harrowed, Junkers, Sykers, Templars and Toxic Shamans. Each of these Arcane backgrounds has a full treatment, with history, methods and beliefs, as well as their Edges and Powers.
Marshal's Handbook, which is the GM's only section with rules specific to running the game, and is chock-full of setting secrets that players have no business knowing for the sake of preserving the mystery of the Hell on Earth setting. There's also a region-by-region breakdown of the crazy things in the setting. My greatest frustration in this review is the fact that I can't talk about the juicy secrets and crazy elements in the book lest I spoil it for other GMs who are going to be springing it on their players.
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Hell on Earth is an alternate future of the Deadlands setting, but thankfully the game doesn't need you to be familiar with Deadlands in order to play. Hell on Earth takes on the burden of educating a new reader into the setting. This is a great thing, as this means that people who might not have any interests in the Weird West (though I can't imagine why) can still go in and enjoy the full experience of the Wasted West.
Part of the draw of the Wasted West has always been the artwork and aesthetics, and Hell on Earth Reloaded has managed to knock this one out of the park. The layout is clean, appealing and readable, and the artwork is top-notch. Every character portrait in the game makes me want to build a character and start playing.
The PDF itself is very useful, with bookmarks and a hyperlinked table of contents. Plus, for those who want to save on printer inks, the PDF also has layers that you can turn off to strip the pages down to just mere text. It's a perfect example of the kind of best practices that I'd love to see other PDF publishers adapt on a constant basis.
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With a solid setting, compelling character concepts, crazy plot hooks and powered with the Savage Worlds system, Hell on Earth Reloaded is a solid entry into the official settings of Savage Worlds. It's been a long time coming, but the wait was worth it.
If you're even remotely interested in Deadlands, Post-Apocalyptic settings or unique settings, then Hell on Earth is a must have in your collection.
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I find that Wu Xing is a game that has a lot of open spaces for a GM to fill in on his own. Sure there's a large central conflict with the Izou Empire and the Lotus Coalition, but it's just sort of there. The writing doesn't seem to convey the same kind of urgency that being hunted to extinction is supposed to impart. That said, all the pieces to make it feel urgent are there, the Executioners and Golden Lions are all fearsome opponents, and the Firearms mentioned in the game's blurb is barely given more than a short sidebar, a paragraph saying that they're pretty dangerous and take a while to reload and a single row in the weapons table. It would have been nice to see a unit of empire soldiers that specialize in firearms, like Imperial Snipers or something just to amp up how they can turn the tide against Chi-Manipulating Ninjas.
Speaking of the Empire and the Lotus Coalition, even having a small smattering of NPCs from both sides of the conflict would have been nice to see. Giving a name and a face to the big names of the Empire, such as say, a Spymaster could do a lot to make the setting more interesting. Likewise the Lotus Coalition would be more interesting if we knew who were the Ninjas who were squabbling against each other, and what their agendas were.
I'm also slightly put off by the modern language and concepts used in character dialogue in the fiction parts of the book. One particular vignette for the Blazing Dancers Clan had me strangely bothered when the Ninja offers a fan an autograph. It seemed like a very strange anachronism, and one that kept jarring my suspension of disbelief. Some turns of phrase were also far too informal to match the setting, but I think that's just my expectations clashing with the setting as intended by the author. I think my expectations could have been colored by my experiences and comfort in running Legend of the Five Rings.
That said, the game itself is pretty neat. I mentioned some issues I've had about the organization of the rules, such as putting the basic mechanics in the skills portion of the character creation instructions, but once you actually get a hang of the entire thing, it feels like a very solid system. The options for combat, the strong visuals for the Wushu and various techniques, and the little ways to customize your character are all well done. The artwork and layout are all well done, with the various pieces for the Clans being a highlight. Also the character sheet, while dense (and perhaps riddled with just a little too many shuriken) is very useful, and has a mini-reference for all the little rules for combat to help things move along a little more smoothly.
Wu Xing delivers on the promise of being action-oriented, and provides enough magic and mysticism to pull off the whole superpowered Ninja schtick with aplomb. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in playing or running in such a game, but I would also advise them to read the book very carefully just so you don't miss out on any stray rules tucked away in other paragraphs.
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Few games come even close to the kind of heart that Dark Harvest: Legacy of Frankenstein has. Iain Lowson's work in Dark Harvest could be described as a love letter to gothic horror with a little wink to the steampunk aesthetic.
Setting-wise, Promethea is a strong one, full of interesting and disturbing detail. It is a world gone wrong, with atrocities committed in the name of science, ambition, greed and selfishness. The abuse of power is a prominent theme, but for good reason. The writing of the setting chapters serve to fan the flames of indignation, where any person with half a heart can find the spark needed to DO something about the conditions in Prometha. It is a setting of martyrs and heroes fighting in the purest battlefield for sacrifice, one where their valor and courage will never be recognized.
The rules for DH:LoF are a variant of the Victoriana mechanics. I'd put this in the rules-medium category, similar to that of Legend of the Five Rings, and Savage Worlds. The mechanics are easy enough to learn and teach, though it does require about 10d6 per player. Combat is closer to that of the World of Darkness, where "Tactical" concerns aren't really the highlight, though tweaking the system to allow for some measure of advantage to those who think ahead before engaging an enemy isn't too hard to do.
Character creation is meaty, and the book itself suggests minor variations depending on the group's preferences. Characters can start off with a host of advantages, and the use of social classes to determine the difficulty of certain tasks and the availability of other advantages is an inspired touch that I wish I could see more of in other games.
Overall, Dark Harvest: Legacy of Frankenstein is an inspired and flavorful game that lends itself well to many gaming groups. The blend of Horror and themes of rebellion is a rare one, and DH:LoF finds a way to inspire players to fight, rather than just give up in the face of the inevitable. I would definitely recommend this game to anyone looking for something different as far as RPGs go.
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I've always held a lot of respect for Paul "Wiggy" Wade-Williams' work, and Leagues of Adventure is him at the top of his game. As far as core books go, this is one of the most complete in terms of usefulness and inspirations for a GM to run a game in this exciting era of gaming.
The Steampunk genre is hitting a high point in its popularity as of late, but while a lot of the stuff out there is content to handwave a lot of stuff in exchange for mere style over substance, Leagues of Adventure shows off what a healthy serving of research can do to make a game feel grounded and believable while still retaining the fancy aesthetic.
For fans of the Steampunk genre, or anyone with an interest in heroics, I definitely recommend Leagues of Adventure.
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This is an excerpt from the full review on my blog. If you'd like to read the entire review, kindly visit:
http://philgamer.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/review-leagues
-of-adventure-core-rules-by-triple-ace-games/
Thanks!
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Strongholds of the Empire is yet another essential addition to any L5R 4th Edition Library. Any of the cities presented could spawn several dozen different campaigns that don’t even need to go beyond the city walls. There’s plenty of conflict and politics to go around, and for the ambitious, there’s always the extra challenge of playing in a campaign set in Toshi Ranbo, the Imperial City that is shared between the Lion and the Crane.
Well written, beautifully illustrated, and very useful for new and experienced L5R GMs and players alike, Strongholds of the Empire is a strong first entry into PDF sourcebooks, and I can only hope that Alderac continues to publish in this format.
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This is an excerpt from the full review on my blog, if you'd like to read the full article, please visit:
http://philgamer.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/legend-of-the-
five-rings-review-strongholds-of-the-empire/
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Masks is by far one of the most interesting and compelling adventures I have had the pleasure of reading and playing. I don't want to divulge too much of the plot for the sake of those who will still end up playing the game, but I will try to at least mention the high points of this adventure.
Masks presents a strong investigative / pulp adventure vibe, and while it is still the traditional and horrifying jaunt through the Cthulhu Mythos, there's plenty of travel, research and adventuring to satisfy the needs of many a gamer who enjoys the era of play. The presence of so many varied and interesting NPCs each with their own secrets and agendas that can run counter to the players in the most interesting of ways.
Masks is a tightly linked series of adventures that forms an entire campaign, and as such, it requires a lot of dedication from its players. This isn't a beer and pretzels adventure by any stretch of the imagination. Masks requires a lot of attention, care and note-taking to get through, and sometimes even the most careful investigator might end up in over his head.
I would highly recommend Masks of Nyarlathotep as an essential part of an CoC library. The campaign itself is long, and at some parts quite possibly unfair, but for a dedicated team of Investigators, it's all worth it for the memory of being able to take on Nyarlathotep and live to tell about it.
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I’ve always felt that Call of Cthulhu works best in two possible eras: 1930′s and the 1890′s. Chaosium’s latest edition of Cthulhu by Gaslight is a gem of a setting sourcebook that I feel a lot of publishers could learn from. The detail provided gives a strong and accurate look at a given culture and atmosphere of an era, while injecting enough of the horror and wonder of the CoC brand to make it a must-buy for anyone who likes the era. There’s enough information on this book to make it worth getting even if you’re not running CoC, as it presents reference information that can fuel pretty much any Victorian Era Game as well.
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This is an excerpt of a full review. To read the entire review, kindly visit the article on my blog at: http://philgamer.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/review-cthulhu-by-
gaslight-3rd-edition/
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Imperial Histories is another must-buy for the L5R gaming group. The plot hooks are awesome, and all the eras presented are intriguing and present ample opportunity to elevate player characters into heroes.
Those who are looking for new mechanics will find them here, and fans who have been so patiently waiting for details on the Thousand Years of Darkness storyline will finally have the detail they were craving for.
I cannot recommend this book enough to fans of the game. Along with Emerald Empire and Enemies of the Empire, Imperial Histories is a solid addition to the line and manages to enrich the L5R line without coming off as just another attempt to make a quick buck.
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This is an excerpt of the full review on my blog. If you'd like to read the entire review, kindly visit:
http://philgamer.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/review-legend-
of-the-five-rings-imperial-histories/
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All in all, The Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game feels like good, clean fun… as long as all of the participants in the game are willing to comply with a shared concept of what is acceptable or not in the context of the game. A lot of things, from the initiative to the character creation, is a cooperative effort, and I can’t help but feel that it takes a certain kind of maturity to really get the most of this game.
The system itself is easy enough to learn given time, but executing the game requires that players know when to lose gracefully, or roll with the punches when their character ends up stressed out or developing a trauma. Comic book fans might not really mind, to be honest, but I fear for those who tend to prefer mechanical supremacy.
That said, this is the first superhero rpg I’ve read in a while that has me interested in getting a few friends together and running something right now. It has all the things I look for in a system: transparency, speed, and flexibility, and with any luck, I can get a game up and running without much trouble and without needing any special software for it.
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This is an excerpt from the full review on my blog. If you'd like to see the rest of my review, kindly visit:
http://philgamer.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/review-marvel-
heroic-roleplaying-game-by-margaret-weis-productions/
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Imperial Mysteries is perhaps one of the best supplements for Mage: the Awakening I have ever read. It makes for the perfect capstone supplement, revealing the nature of the higher states of existence, while keeping enough secrets and challenges to still make it playable. Archmasters are uniquely powerful but still incredibly human characters, making a campaign of this level something that is still compelling as opposed to just being the bully in a sandbox.
My only issue with the book is the fact that most of the artwork was reused from the Corebook or other existing supplements, but that's a minor nitpick. The cover art could have been better, especially after such impressive pieces for Seers of the Throne and The Tome of the Mysteries.
That said, I highly recommend this book to any Mage: the Awakening GM who is interested in the nature of Archmastery, and is looking to get a bigger picture to work with when it comes to the interaction of the Exarchs and Archmasters with the Fallen World. This book isn't just for playing being of this scale, but also offers advice on how they can be used as elements in a chronicle centered on non-archmasters in a way that doesn't feel like they're ST mouthpieces.
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This is an excerpt from my full review on my blog. If you'd like to see the full article, kindly visit: http://wp.me/p5H0U-VM
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Overall Strange, Dead Love makes perfect sense in the context of the Vampire: the Requiem line, and I feel that many a group would be missing out on a lot if they were to ignore the way that romance subplots fit in a Vampire Chronicle.
While the supplement itself doesn't have a lot in terms of crunch, dealing with a topic like this doesn't need a lot. If anything, the advice in the supplement is vital for people because you can't codify it with a lot of rules to muddy the emotion in the game.
I would recommend Strange, Dead Love to any V:tR Storyteller interested in adding an extra layer of emotional depth to their campaigns, and at a reasonable price.
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This is an excerpt from the full review of from my blog. To read the rest, kindly visit: http://philgamer.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/review-strange-dea
d-love-for-vampire-the-requiem/
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The Mistborn Adventure Game is by no means a simple game, but the rules themselves aren’t exactly “Crunchy” by definition. Crafty-Games has done an excellent job in making something that’s different from their usual niche yet without losing the same rooted foundations in sensible mechanics that I’ve come to expect from them.
The art is still in the excellent Black and White style of the Fantasy Craft books. There’s not a lot of it though, and some readers who have gotten used to seeing a lot of illustrations may find the book a little bare.
There are a few minor errors in the digital edition such “page XX” references but I believe that these will be corrected shortly.
Overall, the Mistborn Adventure Game is a genuinely pleasant surprise. Crafty Games has proven that they can put together a rules-medium game that remains faithful to its source. Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn setting is a refreshingly unique vision with exotic magics and a unique look and feel that doesn’t come off as trying too hard to be different. I highly recommend this game and I’m looking forward to running a campaign in this setting.
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This is an excerpt of my full review from my blog. If you'd like to see the rest, kindly visit:
http://philgamer.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/review-mistbor
n-adventure-game-digital-edition/
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Publisher Reply: |
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Thanks for the great review! We appreciate the kind words and attention to detail. :)
Those missing page pointers and a few other foibles will be corrected before the book goes to press, and all editions of the game will be updated at the same time. (We had an unfortunate late-game version control issue, and didn’t have the time to go back and pour over every missing tweak before this early edition went out. Our apologies, but we’ll get ‘em fixed.)
Thanks again!
__
Alex and Pat
Crafty Games
http://www.crafty-games.com |
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