|
|
|
 |
| Other comments left by this customer: |
|
|
|
|
|
This product delivers exactly what the title says, and it’s free! Even if you use only a fraction of the 650 encounter seeds, you’ve gotten your money’s worth!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The creatures presented in this bestiary are, for the most part, real-world creatures that have been vastly enlarged and, in some cases, given some kind of fantasy twist. Despite the name, some of the creatures presented are not really insects, but I suppose that “Oversized Invertebrates” would have made a less satisfying title. The product exhibits good production values, typical for Goodman/Blackdirge products. The artwork appears to be all-new, produced specifically for this product. The content is well-written and the creatures are useful, but as the supplement was published in 2008, the monsters predate Monster Manual 3 and may require some updating for best results.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If the official D&D Monster Manuals leave your Isle of Dread feeling a little underpopulated, pick up this supplement and flesh out your ecosystem a bit. Twenty-six prehistoric beasts—not just dinosaurs—populate these pages. Following WotC’s lead, author Aeryn Rudel names dinosaurs “behemoths,” so that a ceratosaurus becomes a “devilsnout behemoth” and a tyrannosaurus becomes a “tyrantfang behemoth.” Five of the creatures are aquatic, great for encounters on the way to the Isle of Dread (or wherever); there are also three varieties of flying reptiles or “leatherwings.” The artwork is fantastic, though some of it—signed “Burgard” and dated six or seven years before the publication of Critter Cache 2—may be reused from Broncosaurus Rex (I’m not sure about this). Critter Cache 2 was published in 2008, considerably before Monster Manual 3, so DMs may want to look at updating the monster math used in CC2 before the PCs meet these classic real-world beasts in play.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Despite what the cover mistakenly says, this product doesn’t provide a “massive seven story wizard’s tower map.” Oops. Instead, it’s a monastery-like complex; the maps depict both exterior and interior views. Putting the whole thing together requires 52 tiles (each tile is square, 7" to a side). The artwork is very well done. The product includes JPGs for virtual tabletop use, but it could also have used a key.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This “battlemap” is really a complete small dungeon at 1" = 5 ft. scale. The tomb itself is a fairly large room, but there are half a dozen or so other rooms/encounter areas included. The “information” file includes a key, but it’s written in very poor English, and although some of the bits are easy to decipher (“expiration” instead of “exit”), some are not (“Does not release his sword till then while his relics were not sent to him by the teleport”). The maps are beautifully drawn and richly detailed; the staircase map offers some slight customization via PDF layers. This product doesn’t include the isometric maps that add so much to some of LZW’s other products; I state this not as a complaint, but as a point of information.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The design of this five-level tower (counting the roof as the top level) is really very clever. When it’s fully assembled, you have an attractive tower exterior, but the interiors are all represented as well, so you can take off a floor at a time as the PCs descend, or add a floor at a time as the PCs ascend. Of course, this excellence in design translates into a need for a low intermediate level of skill and a high level of patience in putting everything together. There are lots of nice little touches, like a throne and a signal tower, and don’t forget to check out the options in the PDF layers!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Start with a square (six inches to a side) of mud and grass, then layer in paths, water, graves, trees, and various other objects (including a Cthulhu statue) to create an immense variety of swamp tiles with T-Builder: Swamp. The LZW crew produces great artwork, and here they leverage the power of PDF layers to give you all the options listed before, and more. They’ve even included a clever “hide the corner” layer to give your water and path squares a more organic look. The artwork and use of PDF technology is top-notch. The instructions, written in English, contain many grammatical errors and awkward constructions, which occasionally creates some minor confusion, but not to the point where you can’t use the T-builder.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This 2D map pack leverages the power of layers—not PDF layers, but simply stacking maps on top of each other on the tabletop. The base map depicts the titular house, plus a bit of the surrounding area (including a mine track, a patch of phosphorescent mushrooms, and more). Additional, smaller maps depict the upstairs and the roof, making it very easy to conceal and reveal the interior as needed during your game. The LZW crew even included a key to the map, although most of what’s labeled on the key is unnecessary; GMs know a saw, mine rails, chess board, etc. when they see it. The English text needs a good bit of cleanup, but the composition and execution of the artwork is great.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The “gargoyle” bridge is so called because of the gargoyle head on the side; the model doesn’t ask you to build a cardstock gargoyle! In fact, the model requires only a beginning skill level, and does its job very well. It’s a great addition to anyone’s print-and-build terrain collection.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Even if you already own a set of print-and-build dungeon walls, you’d do well to consider adding this set to your collection. The walls themselves are easy to build, but the LZW crew has included a feature I haven’t seen anywhere else: a very simple system for linking the walls together using ordinary bobby pins. That’s a great innovation. An even better innovation is the “options ruler,” which harnesses the power of PDF layers better than LZW or anyone else (as far as I’ve seen) has ever done it before. It’s a little hard to explain what the options ruler does, but once you’ve seen it in action, you’ll love the unprecedented level and ease of customizability that the system offers. This set is pretty heavy on instructions, and the instructions file credits a copy editor; while the English instructions are noticeably better than in some earlier sets, more care still needs to be taken to bring the text up the excellence of the artwork. Normally, that would limit my rating to four stars, but the excellence and utility of the options ruler overrides that this time. “E&I,” by the way, stands for “exterior and interior.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
With five substantial buildings, apparently designed for permanence, this looks more like a “settlement” than an “encampment” to me. Two buildings seem to be sleeping quarters; one seems to be a kitchen; two (without doors) are apparently for storage. Paths lead off the map in at least four different directions (maybe five, if that snow-covered path leads somewhere). The map is large and brimming with story possibilities. You could easily stage several different encounters on this map, giving you good replay value. At some point, it could even become a home base (albeit a sparse one) for the PCs. Although labeled for use with the Illfrost campaign setting, there’s nothing here that’s unique to that setting; any visit to a snowy clime will create an opportunity to use this map.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There’s a lot going on in this map by Jonathan Roberts, created for the Illfrost setting but suitable for any fantasy RPG. It’s an interior/underground map, so it’s not even confined to chilly climes like Robert’s exterior maps for Illfrost. The complex includes barracks for guards or soldiers, more private quarters for officers, cages for prisoners, and a twisty cavern/tunnel system whose function leaves me guessing. The map is well done, like all of Roberts’s maps. However, this one would really benefit from a brief key with suggestions about how to use the various encounter areas. This usually isn’t needed on Roberts’s maps, especially the exterior ones, but this one is so “busy” that a key would help.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
“Flight of the Nova-1” offers a fun scenario for either a new (using the prologue) or existing (skipping straight to chapter 1) superteam. Chapter 1 basically sets up the dramatic situation, and chapters 2–4 resolve the issue (or so the players will hope!) over a series of three combat encounters. The end of the adventure teases a forthcoming product; this will either build anticipation or frustration, depending on your perspective (and your confidence in Adamant’s release schedule) and your interest in running the projected series of adventures in sequence.
Dan Houser’s artwork is, of course, wonderful, although, GMs not familiar with the full range of ICONS character from Adamant might incorrectly think that the illustration on p. 11 depicts Wrack and Sapphire Synapse, the villains involves in the action described there, when the illustration really features Dr. Punch and Electric Judy, heroes from the adventure “No Laughing Matter” who have no connection to the “Nova-1” storyline.
His writing isn’t quite as good, mainly because he occasionally takes too much for granted instead of spelling things out in detail, forcing the prospective GM to “read his mind.” It was also discouraging to find a homonym error in the very first sentence (“baited breath” instead of the proper “bated breath.” Unfortunately, this is the beginning of a trend; grammatical errors, oddities, and inconsistencies (especially related to punctuation and capitalization) crop up repeatedly, marring an otherwise excellent product.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This nice-looking 3D model requires a good bit of precise cutting and lot of patience to assemble well. The artwork is very nice, but the walls, columns, and so on are unrealistically thin—the thickness of two sheets of cardstock. This affects both the verisimilitude and the sturdiness of the model. It’s not a bad piece, but there are better ruins models out there, especially given the relatively high price.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wow! This is a big, exciting, complex adventure, well-designed and well-presented in almost every way. Author David Flor has covered all the bases, providing several different ways for the PCs to get involved. The maps are well done, though there is no other interior art. Although the production values aren’t quite up to those of the big publishing houses like Wizards of the Coast and Paizo, the storyline and other content easily match the quality of modules from those publishers. Just about the only way to make this product better would be to include printable miniatures-scale maps.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Log In 
