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Cosmic Patrol: Core Rulebook
Publisher: Catalyst Game Labs
by Billiam B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 09/09/2011 11:01:05

Genius. The potential for this game is huge. The dice system looks very playable. I really like the character templates. The pulp setting can be played totally straight - the representations here aren't too cheesy, just enough humour in the concept without being silly. The design and art perfectly compliment the game. Perfect for $4.99.

Join the Patrol!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Cosmic Patrol: Core Rulebook
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Darkfast Classic Fantasy Set Zero: Basic Adventure
Publisher: Okumarts Games
by Billiam B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 09/03/2011 14:38:24

You could pretty much populate a whole low level D&D dungeon with the classic representations of a hobgoblin, gnoll, orc, bugbear and a little guy who could probably double as either a goblin or kobold. The five stout adventures also included are a magic-user, elven archer, axe wielding dwarf, a monkish cleric and a properly armoured fighter.

The figures are double-sided. Trimming requires a careful hand but the black border allows for touching-up where edges don't exactly meet. (Instructions provided)

I'm a big fan of illustrated dungeon scenery and figures, and my future games will have to employ the Darkfast Classic Fantasy range.

Five stars and all that. ;) Even if your not into printed minis download it just to appreciate the art. Congratulations and thank you again to Okumarts.

Billiam B. http://bit.ly/rpgblog



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Darkfast Classic Fantasy Set Zero: Basic Adventure
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Ancient Worlds - Megalith Circle
Publisher: Lord Zsezse Works
by Billiam B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 08/28/2011 19:01:23

The Megalith Circle looks simple enough for the more clumsy paper modellers, like myself (thumbs the size of footballs). This would make ideal set piece for fantasy or horror campaigns in RPGs and would probably not go amiss on a sci-fi battlefield, like WH40K.

Really nice work, Lord Zsezse!

Billiam B. http://bit.ly/pr9z9l



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Ancient Worlds - Megalith Circle
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Darkfast Classic Fantasy Set One: Orc Tribe
Publisher: Okumarts Games
by Billiam B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 08/28/2011 18:56:38

Okay, if you're an old-schooler, a fan of AD&D, or of the earliest Basic editions, you'll be no stranger to the pig-faced orc. Whether or not I believe orcs should have snouts is now completely ambushed in my nostalgia addled mind by the fact that they represent illustrations from those games. David Okum's Orc Tribe is a sheer pleasure to behold. It's a great mix of caricature and chunky costume details.

The PDF containing these printable figures also gives the player the option to select different colour capes and armour with different layers. I'm really looking forward to other figures from this "Darkfast Classic Fantasy" range. Perfect for acolytes of the OSR.

Billiam B Orcs pimped at: http://bit.ly/pr9z9l



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Darkfast Classic Fantasy Set One: Orc Tribe
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Tombs & Terrors Fantasy Role Playing
Publisher: Beyond Belief Games
by Billiam B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 08/26/2011 16:45:09

This rulebook is really growing on me. After downloading this PDF I bought a printed copy from Lulu.com Although it's not a "retro-clone" (and doesn't pretend to be) and definitely has an "Old School" build. Tombs &Terrors feels like it's written by a DM from the early 80's flipping through the d20 SRD or DnD3 rules, rediscovering the game rules he is most familiar with.

It would make a perfect gift as an introductory rules for novice gamers, and it would also work as a sort of "primer" for 3e fantasy rule systems.

The inclusion of a scenario and character sheet are both a real plus - making it a "complete" product -in a dizzying world of core sets and multiple expansions.

If you like DnD3/3.5, Pathfinder or other d20-style fantasy titles, and perhaps your a fan of older editions, fast play, light ruleset, want to make a one-off purchase, but you also need a rulebook that's "portable" ... then Tombs and Terrors is definitely for you.

It reminds me, in a positive way of the Simpson's definition of "brunch": "It's not quite what you expect ... but you get a good meal!"

-Billiam B.

Full review / "old school musings": http://bit.ly/rpgblog_ToTe



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Tombs & Terrors Fantasy Role Playing
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Battle-Map 1
Publisher: Crooked Staff Publishing
by Billiam B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 07/11/2011 14:31:50

Simply exquisite!

These tiles/battlemap are the perfect compliment of to the Little Book of Dungeons Volume I.

These maps are ideal for a dungeon master who likes a blank but structured canvas (if that makes sense) - or even random-contents play. This dungeon is ready for stocking and perfect for any campaign. The grey scale design is perfect for black and white printers, and can be printed in part or as a massive (several) tabletop(s) map - perfect for use with figures employing a 1inch=5ft grid.

Excellent.

-Billiam B. http://bit.ly/rpgblog



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Battle-Map 1
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The Little Book Of Dungeons - Volume II
Publisher: Crooked Staff Publishing
by Billiam B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 07/09/2011 18:39:21

CSP have had plenty of experience making really robust and interesting maps.

I adore these greyscale maps. (Much of the following praise is repeated from my comments about Volume I. ) They feel professional, solid and deliberately absent of filler features (apart from pillars,steps and doors) making these an ideal blank base for stocking with details and denizens.

Volume II has a few extra odd features, parts of caverns, a straight sewer/river/canal, but every map is still linking in with standard dungeons which is a compatibility plus. Speaking of compatibility the flagstone grid is 5ft per square.

Again, I have to say that these monochrome maps are to the quality and standard of the one page dungeons by WotC used to include in Dungeon magazine and are at a pocket money price. Their simplicity in detail is their strength, allowing the DM to adapt them to his or her game setting.

A solid, practical, useful gaming product.

-Billiam B. http://bit.ly/rpgblog Purchased copy. Longer review inc. Vol I: http://adventuresandshopping.blogspot.com/2011/07/little-book-of-dungeons-vol-i-ii-csp.html



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
The Little Book Of Dungeons - Volume II
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The Little Book Of Dungeons - Volume I
Publisher: Crooked Staff Publishing
by Billiam B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 07/09/2011 18:30:18

These are charming, very slick, textured greyscale maps, which would be absolutely perfect for most dungeon campaigns - especially where the DM suddenly needs a plausibly grand set of underground halls.

The maps feel professional, solid and deliberately absent of filler features (apart from pillars,steps and doors) making these an ideal blank base for stocking with details and denizens. Also if a DM wanted the PCs to traverse a massive empty area (like in much of the Mines of Moria) perhaps leading only to a couple of encounters, these plans are ideal, creating a sense of a dungeon terrain that will take a day to cross.

They would be compatible with most tabletop tiles or systems - especially since they've made the flagstones into a 5ft grid - the staple of all modern plans and battlemats - so a DM could adapt tiles he already owns. :)

These black and white maps are to the quality and standard of the one page dungeons by WotC used to include in Dungeon magazine and are at a pocket money price. Their simplicity in detail is their strength, allowing the DM to adapt them to his or her game setting. If you think that you're that sort of DM, then these are a bargain-"must-buy". :)

-Billiam B. http://bit.ly/rpgblog Purchased copy. Longer review inc. Vol II: http://adventuresandshopping.blogspot.com/2011/07/little-book-of-dungeons-vol-i-ii-csp.html



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
The Little Book Of Dungeons - Volume I
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Old School Fantasy: Heroes (Savage Worlds Edition)
Publisher: Reality Blurs
by Billiam B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 06/25/2011 11:41:14

I'm looking around for some introductory material to the Savage Worlds system, and these characters look perfect - especially since I'm on an "old school" kick at the moment, so thieves and clerics are just the ticket.

The previous review seems a little harsh - considering it's mainly about the lush background graphic and, yes, the publication is free - so no-one's time or money is being squandered. Besides, I think I'd be cutting and pasting the text of the character stats into other documents before printing (although I'm sure some PDF readers provide an option to turn backgrounds off)

(Perhaps Featured Reviewers are just too spoilt for choice ;) )

A nice little pack of characters. :)

Bb billiambabble at yahoo.co.uk http://bit.ly/rpgblog



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Old School Fantasy: Heroes (Savage Worlds Edition)
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Savage Insider Issue #1: Building the Savage Worlds Community
Publisher: Mystical Throne Entertainment
by Billiam B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 06/25/2011 11:12:15

A new eZine for all things Savage World based! The Savage Insider eZine (free on DriveThru) is specifically designed for Savage World players, including links and references to the multifarious games and genres connected with that flexible system. The love for Savage Worlds glows on each page. Also includes a comic strip!

Savage Insider is edited by Aaron Huss of Roleplayer's Chronicle, and The Mystical Throne site, both fonts of much news and wisdom.

I hope that there are many more issues of this to come!

-Billiam B http://bit.ly/rpgblog



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Savage Insider Issue #1: Building the Savage Worlds Community
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Trollhlla - Tavern By The Sea
Publisher: Flying Buffalo
by Billiam B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 06/15/2011 21:24:49

Excellent! A new T&T solo! :)

This is definitely from the light hearted end of the Tunnels & Trolls gaming world. Frivolity and brutality go hand in hand in what would actually make an ideal introductory solo game for a 1st (to low) level character. But don't get too attached to your new hero, there's a few instant death sections lurking.

"12 Big Burp isn’t keen on taking any lip from little guys like you. Make a L1SR on CHR. If you make the roll, go to 46. If you fail, he rips your head off, and eats it like a cherry. The last thing you hear is a crunching sound! THE END."

Nice. :) You can start the adventure without a character, a random roll determines race, a back-story and quick-choice equipment, just add stats. This is a nice touch, because a new player doesn't have to worry too much about shopping through the equipment lists and worrying about the change. It's a fairly short adventure so I can't afford to cite any spoilers.

The last few pages are for a GM wishing to run the tavern encounters as part of their own campaign. Again, this is ideal for starting players.

Adapted from a magazine solo in the early 80s Tavern by the Sea has been rewritten to work with T&T7.5 rules, but Mr KsA assures us that any ruleset will work. (This also means that it works with Flying Buffalo's Free Rules) A basic understanding of Saving Throws and combat rules is required, all magic is discouraged, adventure points are awarded for successes - not to mention a fair amount of gold to walk away with, that's if you do actually manage to walk away...

Tavern' is ideal if you like a lot of fun and mortal surprises, perhaps not for players who crave epic adventure and immersive fantasy. Oh, did forget to mention "pirates"? If you like pirates in your pseudo-medieval games, you'll also love this. :) Say "Yarr" like a troll ...

Bb http://bit.ly/rpgblog (Review Copy)



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Trollhlla - Tavern By The Sea
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Claw / Claw / Bite - Issue 18
Publisher: Unicorn Rampant Publishing
by Billiam B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 06/14/2011 06:41:34

A really nice mix of the old and new! I especially enjoyed the article on the very practical DIY Dungeons: Terrain Tiles on the Cheap which included photographs to illustrate. As a bit of an old-schooler and nostalgia reader it was really nice to see classic AD&D module Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth getting a mention with regard to adapting old modules for 3-4th editions (including some stats). The layout is very easy on the eye and design to be read on the monitor (portrait) the text being a large enough size to read without zooming - well thought out. I'm guessing it also looks good on a tablet computer - relatively high contrast might mean it'd look just as good on a b/w e-reader. The articles are short enough for to dip in and out at leisure. If you've been following the D&D side of the hobby for quite few years but like to play newer systems as well, Claw / Claw / Bite is definitely worth that spare $3.

Bb http://bit.ly/rpgblog

(Free review copy)



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Claw / Claw / Bite - Issue 18
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The Trouble Brewing at Witchcliff - Game Pack
Publisher: 0one Games
by Billiam B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 05/30/2011 16:40:40

I'm a big fan of large floor plan sets. I've just bought this (bargain at $6.98) and am printing bits out - lots of fun putting it together. The only downside is that the margins might be too narrow for some printers - but since all the pages fill the same width, page "scaling" will be uniform across the pack, i.e. the grid will still match up. Naturally there's a lot of black ink involved, but the final effect is worth it, also you get to save on colour cartridges! The scenario is larger than I expected (I never read the product description too closely), 20 pages of Pathfinder compatible adventure (will also work with D&D 3.5 I'm guessing). The counters are a nice optional touch - some with head art, many blank - with a 2D "counters bag" as well. :D

Add some 6th-7th level characters and Pathfinder (or d20/D&D 3-3.5) rules and you have a complete immersive tabletop gaming experience, similar to any "out of the box" game currently on sale by the larger publishers.

Excellent!

Bb http://bit.ly/rpgblog billiambabble (at) yahoo.co.uk (Purchased copy)



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
The Trouble Brewing at Witchcliff - Game Pack
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Type S Scout/Courier "IISS Dreamcatcher"
Publisher: Scrying Eye Games
by Billiam B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 05/27/2011 20:23:33

Good value for money ($3 USD).

Absolutely essential floor plan for any Traveller game (old and new). The inside of an S-Scout never looked so good.

Definitely for fans of the Millennium Falcon and Firefly-class Serenity, who like their starships dingy and cluttered!

Summary: Useful eye-candy for space navy heads with minis!

Ace. Fire up the jump drive!

-Bb- http:/bit.ly/rpgblog



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Type S Scout/Courier "IISS Dreamcatcher"
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D-Jumpers Volume #1: The Gate to Adventure
Publisher: DVOID Systems
by Billiam B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 05/27/2011 19:47:33

My first contact with D-Void Systems was through downloading the Legend of Zelda sourcebook / table top RPG, the rights to which have now been been withdrawn and that document is no more. I mention this because it's worth remembering that D-Void Systems see "the big picture" when it comes to game design, well they certainly plan "big". They may be worth watching for future releases - or at least tagging just in case they do something really dangerous. ;)

Some people buy products after being lured by glossy images, others buy for stat blocks. The D-Jumpers series currently has neither, but this shouldn't held against it. This is a system-less affair, and quite rightly so, because the campaign background would be adaptable to any starting-genre of game. By "starting genre" I mean the world (and game) in which the player-characters are native and most familiar with. Basically, if you liked the series Sliders, Star Gate SG-1,Doctor Who or stories with any inter-dimensional themes, you'll love D-Jumpers. Portals and alien worlds galore, varying tech levels, different laws of nature, magic even, political struggles and moral dilemmas.

D-Jumpers Volume 1 The Gate to Adventure is a compilation of individual issues in the range. It reads as whole campaign with different worlds acting as episodes.

A lot of attention is given to what motivates NPCs and how to usher the players into some fairly bizarre situations. What is nice about this first volume is that the mysterious character of "The Gatekeeper" can be played as either a mere linking device, a patron, a symbiotic arrangement with the players or even as a pan-universe megalomaniacal villain. Naturally, for experienced players these options can be genuinely refreshing.

The scope of the campaign is potentially huge. The amount of work a DM /referee /storyteller will bring to the table may vary from system to system, for example there are plenty of encounter settings, but no maps in D-Jumpers, which for figure based gaming can be a shortfall. For old fashioned radio-play style gaming exact layouts will not be an issue.

At 31 pages with illustrations and small text, this is a dense document, which reads like a set of well written scenario articles, logically divided into subsections with the bullet point storyline and goal checklists.

It seems to be early days for DVOID systems, so their promises of extra access to "free gaming content, crowdsourced from the gaming community" and "Lifetime Updates Policy" is hard to gauge at this stage, but there's definitely a sheer force of will and vision behind these products which may propel them forward to write more products. Are you buying a product or investing in a cult? Hey, this is role-playing - nearly all product ranges have a ferverous following!

With The Gate to Adventure you're getting quality writing, lots of ideas-content, but no gloss. It prints well in black and white (once the background image has flattened). If you like system-less campaigns with lots of detail about story line and PC hooks, and like your settings with infinite variety and possibilities then D-Jumpers is definitely for you.

In summary: Well written and just a little "mental".



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
D-Jumpers Volume #1: The Gate to Adventure
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