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Crypts & Creatures Psionics Handbook
by Timothy B. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 11/11/2015 12:45:04

At 12 pages for 50 cents this looks like a deal. But what we have here is a stripped down version of the psionic classes from the d20 SRD for the OSR crowd. I would have liked to see some more to be honest. There are classes and powers listed, but not really detailed. Now for someone this will be just perfect, but most people I think will want some more.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Crypts & Creatures Psionics Handbook
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Crypts & Creatures Dungeon Adventures Book One
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 08/25/2014 12:04:48

In need of a quick dungeon? Look no further, here are three fully-detailed ones for your party to die in, ahem, I mean, for them to explore.

The core concept is simple. Each one is provided with a floorplan showing where everything is and with details of traps, monsters and treasures to be found there. That's it. You need to provide the reason why the party is there and any plot about the dungeon itself.

The first is 'The Halls of Horror' which has a basic theme of undead and is intended for characters of 2nd-4th level. In the compact style we've come to expect from Pick Up and Go Games, there's a brief descripton of each room to use as read aloud text and a concise listing of appropriate stats for monsters/NPCs to be found therein. The map shows the door types - open, locked, secret, portcullis, archway and so on - and everything is clear and easy to run.

The second dungeon is 'The Sanctum of Shiva the Destroyer' and is designed for characters of 4th-6th level. It's quite a nice place with superior masonry walls and natural floors... well, nice until you meet the denizens, which include wandering monsters as well as those who stay put in their rooms waiting for the party to turn up.

Finally, there's 'The Crypt of Crimson Death' all ready to entertain parties of 9th-11th level. This is nearly all interlocking rooms rather than corridors (there's only a couple of those) and it's rather hot - 120F/48C - so characters are going to have to save to avoid heat exhaustion as well as all the critters and traps they have to contend with.

These are classic old school dungeons. Creatures apparently sit there waiting to snack on passing adventurers, but there's no clue as to what they eat if no one calls by. However, each dungeon hangs together well, there's a good variety of monsters to fight and an interesting array of loot to carry off once you have managed to slay them.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Crypts & Creatures Dungeon Adventures Book One
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Crypts & Creatures Psionics Handbook
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 08/04/2014 09:04:20

Continuing the stream-lined presentation of cutdown D20 rules, here's all you need to include psionics, the powers of the mind, to your game.

It starts off with five new races - presumably they are capable of psionics although this isn't stated, nor anything about the races we already have. Apparently your character becomes a psionic by choosing one of the specialist psionic classes which are the next thing to be detailed. These are the Psion (who concentrates on his mental powers), the Psychic Warrior (who combines mental and physical prowess) and the Wilder (who is, well, a bit wild and uncontrolled!).

Then there's a new skill: concentration. Only psionics are capable of it, and it is used for focussing your powers as well as for rising above mundane distractions to get on with something else. Then we move on to the psychic powers themselves. They use a power point system, and there are lists akin to spell lists of what is possible and how much they cost to employ.

Finally, there are some psionic monsters too, which can employ various powers against characters (who need not, of course, be psionically active themselves!). Indeed it can be quite entertaining not to allow psionics to PCs, but have some adversaries using these - to your players - strange and exotic abilities. (Or am I just a nasty GM?)

A large amount of 'crunch' concisely presented and straightforward to use.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Crypts & Creatures Psionics Handbook
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Crypts & Creatures Core Rule Book
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 07/17/2014 08:56:41

If you find the complexity of some RPGs overwhelming but still want solid crunchy rules to govern your alternate reality, this is worth a look. It's basically a cut-down and simplified version of the D20 ruleset pioneered by Dungeons & Dragons 3e.

The real appeal of this, however, is that it's designed to be easy to explain - as in, once you have absorbed the rules herein, you ought to be able to explain them clearly to someone else. They're not particularly easy to read, or at least, not any easier than any D20 ruleset is; and it certainly will help if you understand the core concepts of role-playing in general and the D20 ruleset in particular - yet once you have read through these rules you will find that the underlying simplicity becomes clear and it will be easy to sit and explain these rules to a group of novice players.

Everything you'll need to set up the characters comes in the first 11 pages. Characters have three ability scores, rather than the six veteran D20 players are used to, and skills are drastically reduced. The core character classes are all there, albeit in simplified form. There's still a goodly list of equipment, weapons and armour, though.

Next comes the GM section which is basically a speedy run-through in three pages flat of various perils the characters might face, putting numbers to their effects. Poisons, illness, traps, things like that. Oh, and how to work out treasures and other rewards.

Then magic gets a similar cut-down treatment. Most spells - and there's a wealth of them nevertheless! - are reduced to a couple of lines summarising their effect when cast, and that's it. So 'Read Magic' for example allows you to 'Read scrolls and spellbooks' - that's it. This is followed by a basic monster list.

Finally, there's some basic materials to let you create random adventures with a set of charts to roll on for location, protagonist, antagonist, objective of the adventure, fluff elements and a reward for completion. There's a basic outline map of a continent and tables for you to detail the names and natures of the countries you want to have there. Oh, and there's a good clear character sheet template.

You want a basic, quick game, this is for you. If, as an experienced gamer, you want to introduce novices to the hobby, it should work well provided you are a reasonable explainer (I'd feel quite confident, but I am a teacher...). Neat with touches of elegance.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Crypts & Creatures Core Rule Book
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Crypts & Creatures Psionics Handbook
by Travis L. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/23/2014 16:42:15

This is a straightforward rules-lite presentation of Psionic characters & rules for use with Crypts & Creatures. Like the corebook, it presents a wealth of useful information that is easy to digest and use in game.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Crypts & Creatures Psionics Handbook
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Crypts & Creatures Core Rule Book
by Travis L. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/23/2014 16:31:13

An excellent rules-lite take on the OGL system. Covers everything you need to run a campaign with zero fluff.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Crypts & Creatures Core Rule Book
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