|
|
|
 |
| Other comments left by this customer: |
|
|
|
|
|
Useful if you are out of ideas, playing without anyone prepared to be GM, or just fancy a random 'dungeon crawl' style game, here is a collection of cards built around the general theme of 'chaos' to aid you in setting up an adventure.
No system is specified, you could use any fantasy system to deal with necessary task resolution for full effect, or play this more as a board game in the style of "Sorcerer's Cave" if preferred.
This set contains nine Dungeon cards. Each of these has the layout of a single chamber using a 1 square = 5 feet grid. They're isomorphic, should you wish to string them together, or you can imagine passageways linking them. For each chamber there is a description of what you see when entering, and notes to enable you to decide what to do. In some, there is a chance (roll a 1d6 and check the number against that given) to find a secret compartment, a magic item or a prisoner awaiting rescue. Specific Encounters or Events can also occur, with some cards specifying a particular type of Encounter depending on the location.
The rest of the collection is composed of 18 'general' Encounter cards, 9 'slime pit' Encounter cards, 9 'crypt' Encounter cards and 9 'chaos gate' Encounter cards. Each carries full details of what to do when you draw it, with descriptions of creatures - although you'll have to provide appropriate statistics from your chosen game system. Sometimes you are instructed to draw a 'Treasure card' - this being the first of New Realms Publishing product to be reviewed, I guess they are to be found in other decks.
The cards are quite plain and clear. They are designed to be printed double-sided on cardstock (and are correctly aligned provided your printer can do double-sided), but if your printer doesn't handle card you may wish to print single sheets and glue them on to card before use.
A neat and ever-expanding range of resources for exciting random gaming.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is a rather fun adventure taken from a specific sub-set of pulp fiction - the 'wierd menance' adventure, as explained in the introduction, which gives plenty of ideas to help you set an appropriate mood for your game.
Structurally, the adventure is made up of three 'acts' each leading in to the next... provided, that is, that the characters both survive and find the clues liberally scattered around for them to find. For this is an adventure in which investigation and interaction predominate, with every NPC well-described and provided with his or her own agenda, motivations and intentions. Keep the pace brisk and let the horrors mount up - however, there is plenty material in each act for you to run this as a multi-session adventure, one act per session, if this suits your group's style.
The notes include a delightful selection of 'booby traps' with a range of them - defined as being hazards designed to stop or kill those who stumble in to them - being detailed along with the relevant game mechanics. There's also a sidebar on running cinematic and thrilling court scenes again complete with the necessary rules for moderating them effectively.
Thorough pre-game preparation is recommended and you may wish to source some floorplans for the main locations involved in the adventure, which spans a creepy old country house, central New York, various offices and a courtroom and finally an ocean going yacht!
Presentation in the main is clear, with a nice battered effect giving the impression of an old pulp magazine which does not interfere with the text. One or two errors ought to have been caught by proof-reading, but in general it is possible to figure out what was intended.
Overall, this is a cracking pulp adventure, very true to the spirit of the genre, that should prove entertaining for both GM and players alike!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The cardstock screen is a robust heavy-duty one, a full four panels. The 'player side' has a beautiful painting of Lake-Town spreading across all four panels with a couple of marauding seagulls that look about ready to fly out around your ears! The 'loremaster side' is jam-packed with useful tables and vital page references to the core rules, with evidence of thought having gone in to the selection and arrangement of tables - should come in handy when running a game.
The sourcebook contains heaps of information about Lake-Town and should also prove useful should the characters visit there - which, as it's a major settlement (at least as far as Men are concerned) in the region of Middle Earth in which the game is initially set, should be quite a frequent event. Now you'll have the resources to cope with their visits.
Opening with an exerpt from a letter written by no less than Glóin son of Gróin which paints a vivid picture of a burgeoning township teeming with trade, it begins with a rundown of the various districts and what is to be found there. This is followed by some ideas of things to do when visiting, built around the Fellowship Phase concept from the rules. There's a note about money, relating the more abstract concept of Treasure as given in the core rules to actual coinage for those who prefer a more tangible wealth. A extensive discourse on the main annual festival, Dragontide, which includes a prestigious archery contest (for which the rules are given) follows: if any of your characters fancies his skill with the longbow, encourage them to participate at least once.
The centrefold of the book is devoted to a detailed image/plan of Lake-Town with many important features labelled: this is a visual treat as well as very informative for those who want to know their way around.
The next section looks at the flora and fauna of the surrounding marshland. Plants are described realistically, and many are worth collecting as they have in-game effects. Going botanising is one of the activities suggested for a Fellowship Phase spent here. The fauna, however, are hostile monsters in the main, and if the characters meet them they are likely to be in for a brawl. It might have been interesting to include a few mundane plants and animals, the ones of interest when preparing food perhaps, as this can make a place really come alive.
Finally, should you really be taken with the place, you are provided with the resources you need to create local characters, the Men of the Lake heroic culture. There's an example (who despite being a Man of the Lake is actually a lady, and very handy with her bow!) complete with description, illustration and character sheet; and there's a blank character sheet for anyone fancying a character from here.
Overall, this is a useful addition to knowledge of the area as well as a handy play-aid.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earlier entries in Raging Swan's "Tribes" line concentrated on but a single tribe: now in an attempt to make them of more general use you get THREE tribes in plenty of detail to make each one distinctive opponents or indeed known residents in the vicinity. It's all about making them an integral part of your alternate reality rather than just throwing a few monsters in when you want a combat scene!
This product presents three goblin bands. First is the Goblins of the Black Fur, a nasty lot who should be near the top of anyone's extermination list. They are made distinctive by the wolf-fur cloaks worn by their elite warriors and number around 300 in total. A vicious bunch, they terrorise their woodland domain and mount regular forays to attack nearby settlements - human, gnome, they don't really care. There's plenty of detail to enable you to paint a vivid picture of hordes of body-painted green warriors swooping down on their prey. There are suggestions for how to involve them in your campaign, notes on their leaders and tribal lore (for those who'd investigate before charging in to wipe them off the face of the campaign world).
Next up, the Goblins of the Cloven Skull, another savage crew noted for eating their enemies' brains! From all accounts, those captives who are merely killed and eaten are the lucky ones. This smaller tribe is again detailed in full with leading individuals, lore and ideas for bringing them into your adventures.
Finally we meet the Goblins of the Gouged Eyes (is it me, or are they getting ickier by the moment?) These goblins are so vile that tales of them are used to terrify unruly children! Tainted by demonic bloodlines, they blind and hunt anyone unlucky enough to get captured by them, and are barely nicer to each other, being noted for vicious quarrels and brawls. Their leader is a druid and brings his powers to bear in dominating his followers never mind dealing with pesky adventurers.
So, next time you want a goblin tribe, why not add a little character to your monsters by picking one of these tribes rather than a generic bunch of greenies?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is quite a treat: stylishly presented and every bit as cinematic as the blurb promises it to be. The Introduction lays out what's there and includes a remarkable 'Summary for Experienced Roleplayers' that almost provides enough for you to get a game going without troubling to read the rest of the book - it's possibly worth keeping to hand for potential players although the GM at least had better read all the way through before you start playing.
Act 2: Setting Creation then looks at creating the environment that is shortly to be overrun by undead looking for a few tasty brains. It flips through a range of settings and time periods that you might choose, ranging from the familiar ones of the contemporary world or a post-apocalyptic future to unusual things like the Stone Age (ah, so that's what happened to the Neanderthals!) and other historical and science fiction concepts. Then you need to decide how bad your zombie outbreak is, from 'just started' to a full-blown apocalypse where scattered remnants of humanity are well-nigh overrun by the undead. Next, what's the vector? Or in other words, what caused zombies to arise in the first place and how do they transmit their curse to other humans. Both of these might be unknown or just guessed at, while if zombies have been around for a while the second at least has probably been figured out. Another thing that has to be determined is: what actually kills a zombie (for good, that is)? Finding this out may be an objective of your game, but the GM at least needs to have some idea. Once all these things have been decided, by the GM or in collaboration with the players, things like locations and situations can be worked out to provide the setting for each episode of actual play.
Next comes Act 3: Human Creation. This provides the necessary information to set up human characters. The details you need to determine are focussed on how well you are going to cope with the situation based around six attributes: control, fight, flee, hide, repair and scrounge... all useful survival characteristics. Each is assigned two numbers. The first is the target number that you have to exceed on a D20 roll to succeed in whatever you are trying to do. The second is quite novel - called the breaking point, it is higher than your target number and if you roll over the breaking point you succeed at your task but are likely to go a bit crazy as well! Dealing with zombies is stressful, after all! Starting with a target of 12 and a breaking point of 18 for all attributes, you can then adjust them to give your character strengths and weaknesses, just like real people do. Characters are rounded out with talents, serendipities and setbacks. These last two are chance events that will happen once during the episode either to your advantage or to your detriment. Motivations, backstory and some equipment and you are ready to face the zombie hordes, or at least as ready as you'll ever be.
And then we come to the other side, Act 4: Zombie Creation. A core suggestion is that players start out playing humans and then when they succumb to whatever is causing the zombie plague, the player then creates a zombie character and does their best to eat their former colleagues' brains. The zombie won't necessarily be the recently deceased character, and is likely to be a target for whatever the others can bring to bear, so it is suggested that you create three 'looks' for different zombies. Each will again need his six attributes which for zombies are chase, kill, notice and think. (Huh? They said six, then gave four.) Zombies have serendipities and setbacks, the number being determined by how badly decomposed they are. This vital statistic is classified as fresh, fetid, rotting or falling apart. Just as humans have talents, zombies have capabilities.
Now characters are sorted, Act 5: General Rules covers everything else you need to know to play the game. This covers using attributes and talents (or capabilities) to accomplish tasks or in opposed checks when conflict arises... and what happens when a character reaches breaking point. Appropriately for a cinematic game, it's all quick and straightforward to resolve. There is also a nifty karma system which in general ensures a level playing field: any time you use a serendipity against someone, you have to spend a karma point... and it is given to your intended victim! For those who feel being chased by zombies lacks that competitive edge, there is a scoring system to determine which player (not character) has 'won' the game: but some people may find that this detracts from role-playing, a basically collaborative exercise, so this is optional and it is suggested only to be used in lighthearted games when everyone is in agreement. Act 6: Combat Rules continues the discussion with the specifically combat-related game mechanics.
Next, Act 7: Equipment covers the items characters can find and use during the game. The focus is on items you'll have to roll to use, so weapons feature heavily as well as things you can use to support other attributes such as control or repair. Indeed, the lists are classified by attribute, a novel approach, but demonstrating clearly the sort of things you can do and what will aid you in doing them.
Act 8: Gamemasters' Section describes the role of the GM and runs through what needs to be done to run a game. Whilst much would be familiar to experienced GMs, there's enough here to let a novice approach the task with some confidence, at least as far as running a zombie game goes... the concepts are straightforward to grasp, after all. Still, there's a fair bit to cover from using character motivations to effect to deciding what is available to be scrounged; as well as minor details like how zombies infect their prey and how to handle it within the game. A neat suggestion here is to make the process quite slow, and to encourage infected human characters to conceal the process from their companions... The use of notepassing to inform players of how well their character is (covering a whole lot more than turning into a zombie, of course) is encouraged both to enhance role-play and to increase paranoia! Further notes on handling 'zombie characters' are interesting too, discussing how to involve them in controlling the mindless hordes - let's face it, playing a zombie may get a bit dull for most role-players. The chapter rounds out with ideas for plot elements other than zombies and ways for the GM to stay on top of the game.
Finally, there's a full-blown scenario to get your teeth into, Finding Mr FEMA. It's specifically designed to teach the game to new players, and even includes pre-generated characters if you want to dive straight in, but still manages to introduce a lot more than mere zombie-bashing. Everything is presented clearly and will serve as an introduction to the game for new GMs as well as new players, if required; while the action moves through classic zombie settings such as a shopping mall and a sports arena. If you like cinematic zombies (why else are you here?) this should prove enjoyable.
Appendices cover terminology, inspiration and blank sheets for human and zombie characters. Presentation is of a consistent high standard with only one or two errors that have slipped through proofreading, whilst the illustration is evocative and sets the scene well.
So, if you are in mind for some cinematic zombie fun, get this and round up some friends... and bring the living dead to a tabletop near you!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This work contains but three traps... but each one is ingeniously-designed and provides plenty of scope for the party - not just the usual trap-magnet (i.e. rogue) - to attempt to deal with it. The text is littered with comments such as 'this trap has an obvious flaw which the designer failed to notice' and the like: however anyone speculating that they are easy to deal with needs to be met with a growl of "Easy for Leonardo"...
They are complex traps, ones which require a lot of effort from whoever created the dungeon in the first place to set up. They work best if you are designing a dungeon that falls into the classic mode of a place constructed deliberately to provide a challenge to marauding adventurers - they are not the sort of thing that you'd set up just to keep unwelcome guests out of your underground lair. However, if the 'challenge dungeon' is what you want, they will provide excellent fun, at least from behind the GM's screen.
Each trap has plenty of detail to enable you to run it, from descriptions of what the characters see to a run-down of the mechanics - both in terms of game mechanics (die rolls required and so on) and in terms of the engineering of the trap itself. Provided you allow for the existance of magic and other appurtenances of the fantasy world, they 'work' within the alternate reality of your game setting, which is always a nice touch, particularly if you have mechanically-minded players whose trap-busting approach is to try and figure it out. (Memories of a spy game where I gave the characters a cryptography challenge... only to discover at a convention that one of the players was actually a real-life cryptographer working somewhere in the murky depths of the intellegence services - he didn't bother to roll dice, he just worked it out!)
So, if you like trap challenges these are well worth a look.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This tasty package provides a free introduction to Killshot. It's packed with information and background, an adventure, pre-generated characters and enough of the game mechanics to give the system a good test-drive. Written in a conversational, slightly breathless style, it is addressed to Directors (i.e. GMs) - so if you want to play, don't read this but give it to whoever you can persuade to run the game for you. Or bite the bullet, and run it for your friends. Your chance to play will come soon enough if you get enough people enthused about this game.
After some brief introductory remarks it launches into a swift, concise yet clear summary of how the rules work. The full rules, of course, contain a lot more (and examples of how each rule functions) but you will be able to get by with this, at least for an introductory game.
Next comes the pre-generated characters, five of them. Although they are pretty much playable straight off, some bits have been left blank to enable the players to customise them a little. Other bits are blank because they refer to rules that have not yet been discussed. The good thing is, most are covered in Killshot: An Assassin's Journal (the player rulebook) which is another free download, so once you get hooked you can grab a copy and add these bits in. There are also handy comments to guide players in the use and effects of various elements.
Finally, there's the actual adventure, or Job in game parlance. Everything is laid out clearly, with copious notes and sidebars explaining just what is going on and precisely how the game mechanics can be used to move things forward. It's an elegant example of a 'teaching game' in that by the time you have played through it, both Director and players should have a sound basic understanding of how to play Killshot... as well as a good idea of whether or not this game is for them, so that they can decide if they want to get hold of the full ruleset.
Yet even though it is a reasonably simple Job and pains have been taken to spell everything out, it is actually a good adventure in its own right with enough going on to keep you interested in the outcome of events, not just in understanding the processes involved in playing the game.
This one of the best examples of a "Quick Start" game I have seen in a long time. It's a good introduction to the concept and flavour of the game combined with an excellent tutorial in how to play it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
After an introduction in which the author speaks of how a car wreck gave him the time and focus to create this wholly-new game system, channelling all the frustrations of recovery into writing, we find that the book is divided into two distinct parts: An Assassin's Journal, aimed at players, and Direction, aimed at GMs (or Directors as they are termed here). These are also available separately, with the player section available as a free download - a neat idea for those setting up a group as only the GM needs spend any money at the outset.
The player section begins with a mostly in-character essay, You're Hired. This talks about the gritty and unglamourous world of the contemporary hired killer, the 'professional' who takes lives for no other reason than someone wants the target dead bad enough to pay. Leave morality outside: this is business, pure and simple, and to be played to the full, the game needs to be approached in a similar cold manner of doing a task, accomplishing set objectives and getting away with it. A liberating concept, but one where it's very important to remind yourself that you are playing a game and must put it away at the end of the session! Back to the game, it is not just the client who has to be satisfied if the assassin is to be paid, he also has to avoid the long arm of the law. Each kill will open an investigation, after all, so attention must be paid to ensuring that nothing can be traced back to you, the killer.
Stepping out of character the discussion moves on to look at how the game actually works, from the role of the Director to actual game mechanics. Pay attention because this is a novel mechanic and like any such, is more complex on paper than it is once you start to play with it. In short when attempting something for which you need to roll (a Dice Option), you roll a handfull of dice of different numbers of sides selected according to the skills, training, equipment and other circumstances that you bring to the party; and you are aiming to beat either a similar roll made by an opponent or a Director-set target. There are also Automatic Options (no die roll needed) and Defensive Options (declared in advance against something happening, e.g. an opponent attacking you). Each time you succeed, you get a Bonus Option and continue to do so until a roll fails. In a Series (sequence of events) one side has the Edge (takes the initiative and starts doing its thing) to begin with, but there are Triggers (preset events) that can flip the advantage of the Edge to the other side. There's a bit more detail, but that's the bare bones. If you are by now getting confused, there is an example of play complete with illustrations of the Tracker, a visual system using poker chips or similar markers to, well, keep track of everything. Whilst this can be a bit mechanical and detract from the flow of play, it's a good idea at least until the mechanics become intuitive.
Next comes a far more detailed analysis of the Optional System (the name for the game mechanic), which contains everything that you need to know to play to full effect. It's worth getting your head around this even as a player, else play will get bogged down as you attempt to succeed at the task in hand... and due to the nature of the game, you really do want to do not just your best but an exceptionally good job every time! Throughout, each chunk of rules information is illustrated with an example, which makes it relatively easy to absorb... but there is a lot to absorb. It's the very nature of this game that technical mastery of the rules will be key to success, an intriguing mirror of the way in which mastery of his trade is the key to an assassin's success... Interestingly, unlike many rules-heavy systems, this one complements role-play rather than detracting from it.
Character generation of itself is not detailed separately, it is woven seamlessly into the rules exposition. This gives you an intimate understanding of how each choice that goes into designing your character contributes to his ability to succeed... but does make it quite a slow process. To summarise, each character has abilities of Body, Sense and Mind. Then he has a Focus - Bomber, Burglar, Driver, Enforcer, Grifter, Hunter, Sniper, or Tech - the focus of his particular skillset and training. Then there options and reactions. These are not skills, they are broader concepts. Think of them as tradecraft, a term from the world of espionage which describes the range of tactics a trained spy brings to bear on the operation in progress. Options are the active things you do, reactions are the things you do in response to circumstances. Again, reading them through makes far more sense than a bare explanation of what they are. These are followed by the skills themselves. Finally there are traits (best considered once you have a few jobs under your belt and are beginning to understand how you operate) and gear: specialist kit, the right tools whatever the job.
That's the player section done. It's divided from the Director bit by a Tracker card and character sheet to print out.
Direction is all about how to make the game come to life. Not just to work mechanically, but to be enjoyable and challenging and exciting... It begins by attempting to define just what Killshot is - and is not. At core it is a very tactical game, player-characters will succeed best if they plan very carefully and then follow that plan (whilst of course retaining sufficient flexibility and the ability to think on their feet to cope with everything the Director throws at them!). But it can also be story-telling, role-playing... or a pure die-rolling contest where characters maximise their chances of success in a cold mechanical way. Or both. The aim of a player is clear, the aim of the Director is more nebulous, depending on the sort of game you want to run and to play... and, of course, depending on what YOUR players want out of it, but you know what they like better than any book author does. Here are the tools to help you provide a game all of you will enjoy.
These tools are provided in four main sections. First is about understanding the mechanics even better than players need to. Then there is the art and craft of creating the jobs, the assassinations that will be the focus of the game. Next comes everything else story-related that many characters won't even be aware of, but which enhance the game. Finally, there are three full-blown jobs to get you going.
The first part, Understanding Killshot, really lifts the lid on the hows and whys of the game mechanics that have already been introduced in the players' section. This understanding will help you internalise the mechanics, enable you to sit back and let them flow naturally as the game plays out. It's necessary in a game of this complexity, but making the effort will enhance play no end - without it, this ruleset could easily degenerate into a die-rolling festival with little role-playing go along. Whereas there are systems out there for which the same thing could be said, it is rare to see it addressed head-on along with the necessary tools and information to get past the issue and get back to it being a role-playing game with a task resolution system framework underlying everything. Just as the mechanics were introduced to players in an organic manner, so is this discourse presented in terms of what is going on at the gaming table, showing you how it all hangs together. Study it well. It's impressively well-done!
Next comes Building and Running Jobs. This looks at the underpinning structure of a job, to empower you to understand a pre-written one or create your own from scratch. It can be a mechanical process, the Director's job is to make it all come together as a coherent script that moreover doesn't appear to be scripted! Here your storytelling abilities come in to play, yet without a sound underlying structure it would be all too easy for the whole thing to go awry. All the nuts and bolts are here, though.
This is followed by Beyond the Job, which looks at the wider ramifications, the rest of the game. Anything from tracking what law enforcement agencies are doing about this spate of murders to the contacts the characters make, the scars they are left with or the tales that are told about them.
Finally, there are three whole jobs to try this all out on. You ought to be itching to round up some players by now, it is that compelling a concept with a ruleset honed to make it work. It's one of the best balances between mechanic and story concept I have seen for a long time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For those of you who use - or at least have read - the Lonely Coast campaign setting released by Raging Swan Press, this is quite a milestone: it's the last village on the map to be written up!
Hidden away in the depths of the forest, Oakhurst can be a bit of a creepy place to visit. It's scruffy to look at - muddy tracks winding past decaying wooden buildings with mouldy thatch - and seems to attract the least pleasant individuals to set foot on the Coast! Even the residents are grubby and ill-kempt. It's worse at night, 'tis said, but I didn't dare open the shutters after dark so cannot confirm this.
A sketch map is provided along with notes on significant locations and residents, all ready for you to describe them when the characters pay a visit. A few 'events' are provided as well as details of the surrounding area, in particular a certain cave that it's best to avoid...
All in all a thoroughly unpleasant little settlement - and, I'm led to believe, there's an adventure set there in the works, so I think I'll have to go back there, dammit. Whilst well-presented, created with thought and care, it is a place few adventurers will have much time for... so us GMs can enjoy ensuring that they have to go there!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Opening with a tale of horrific bloodshed and hostility between different peoples, Chapter 1: The Frozen Sea looks at the fascination and fear generated by lands of eternal ice and snow. Although inhospitable at first glance, they boast hardy lifeforms adapted to the conditions on the surface, and teeming multitudes of creatures thriving in the waters below. With limited resources, conflict and hostility towards outsiders are key to survival. The stated intention of this work is to go beyond merely providing an arctic expansion to the Cerulean Seas campaign setting but to go beyond that to present a sourcebook for adventuring in fridgid climes, above or below water, for anyone playing with the Pathfinder ruleset. It's a mix of ancient and modern, fantastic technology swirled in with history and peoples old when the world was young.
Following this introductory material, the chapter goes on to look at the arctic environment and the perils that it poses for anyone wishing to travel or live there. It's not just the cold... there are high winds, uncertain footing from slush to crevasses in ice, deep snowfields and thin ice to contend with.
Next, Chapter 2: Aquatic Polar Races looks at sentient - and playable - races of the arctic regions, both the low-temperature variants of races already provided in the Cerulean Seas product line and wholly-new ones created specifically for this environment. Races not adapted to the environment are rarely found here, certainly not making their homes in arctic regions as the conditions are just too harsh for them. The adapted races are the seafolk, the karkanaks, the selkies, the pisceans, the sea elves and the nommo. The history of how come they have reached the frigid areas of the oceans is covered for each race along with specific anatomical and physiological modifications they have gone through over the ages since their migration. New races include two new species of merfolk, some feykith, ice elves (who appear to be made of ice, they are so transparent) and two quite unique races - the squawk, who are ferocious warlike sentient penguins, and the thanor, chivalric sentient walruses who combine a strict code of honour with a decidedly bloodthirsty streak. Each race is given a full write-up in sufficient detail for creating player-characters or NPCs.
Chapter 3: Aquatic Polar Classes - introduced with a particularly noteworthy picture of a noble squawk warrior - discusses the range of character classes found in arctic regions. Virtually all those that exist in the Cerulean Seas setting are found here as well, although due to the savage nature of many inhabitants the martial classes are predominent. There is also a new class, the angakkuq. This specialises in harnessing spirits - from the world around them and from the one beyond - both to gain information and to power constructs created from inanimate materials found around them, which become familiars. Some prestige classes are also presented here.
Then Chapter 4: Frostcraft looks at life in arctic regions through the resources and equipment available. Aglooliks, a native feykith race introduced earlier, are resourceful tinkerers, producing a range of items often known as aglootech based on their rigorous study of everything from magic to alchemy, engineering and materials science. Naturally a range of weapons have been developed by the arctic races, including - if you use them in your campaign - some firearms (agloolik-made, of course) called fizzlepops. Bizarre indeed, and full details are given on how they function should you wish to allow them. This chapter also contains new feats and spells for the icy seas, as well as details of a new substance called ancient crystal and a selection of magic items.
Next, Chapter 5: Indigo Ice Setting gets specific with the arctic regions for the Cerulean Sea setting itself. Expanded racial histories, notable NPCs and notes on other races which are presented in the following chapter are included here, ready to help you develop the colder parts of your undersea campaign world. Languages and religions are also discussed as well as the nations and political alliances to be found here. Whilst ideas here as well as those throughout the whole book can be used in any frigid underwater realm, this chapter in particular is linked to the Cerulean Sea setting and works best if that's what you are using.
Finally, Chapter 6: Polar Sea Bestiary introduces a wide range of creatures that may be encountered, ranging from savage monsters which will eat you as soon as look at you to minor races which, truth be told, probably are little more friendly. Even looking at the pictures is quite scary!
This is a fascinating presentation of an alien environment, hostile enough in its own right even before you meet the inhabitants who appear unwelcoming to strangers and violent amongst themselves. Yet for the true explorer this could make for some memorable adventures... and the illustrations are wonderful, encapsulating the whole feel of frigid seas!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Particularly of use if you are using a virtual tabletop - either playing with folk online or projecting an image in your playing area - or if you have access to a large-scale printer to make a poster out of it, this image is a giant version of the Haunted Forest through which characters have to hunt in A21 Snow White Part 2.
It comes in two versions, one for the players for which the only labels are a compass rose and a scale and one for the GM which shows all the locations.
If you are running this particular adventure, it's an excellent high-quality version of the map in the scenario book, with the added advantage of an unlabelled version to show to your players which is not provided in the adventure.
However, because it is tied specifically to this adventure, it is of minimal use if you are not running it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Every single individual in the known universe has a background, his own story to tell - but who has the time to work it out for them all? Whilst players may lavish time and effort on their own characters, the GM in particular has shed-loads of NPCs to deal with... and even players may run short of time or inspiration or desire to introduce some randomness, outside factors, into the story they are writing for their character. Hence, this work.
What you get is a bunch of tables to roll on, from which you can build up as much detail as you want for an individual. First of all, there's one for the type of species the individual happens to be - depending on the availability of alien races in your universe, you may feel more comfortable picking one or modifying this to suit. Then we move on to how the individual was 'born' - anything from a conventional birth to exotic artificial methods, parents, siblings and other family members.
The next area to be explored is personal details. Quite a lot of detail on occupation, with broad categories and then sub-tables for each one; then clothing style, behaviour and even diet. Education, gender, hair colour and style... facial hair, height and weight, how healthy they are... possibly even more detail than you bother with for a character you are going to play - yet it all goes to making anyone - PC or NPC - more 'real' in the context of the alternate reality you and your friends are creating in your game. Consider this: you probably know this much about a close friend: what his favourite food is, what he looks like, what he does and a bit about how he was educated... so why do you not know the same sort of details about your character?
More details: hobbies, the sort of home the individual lives in and even how much time he spends there. Then implants - legal or otherwise - and the languages he can speak... looks, age (real and apparent), pets and personality, quirks, how good his senses are, even sexual preferences, skin colour and what his voice sounds like. Finally, there is a set of tables to allow you to create a bit of background history, a 'lifepath' if you will, of major events in his past.
It's rather fun to play with, may even suggest plot ideas and certainly leaves you knowing a lot more about a character than a few stats scribbled on a character sheet ever will!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The work dives straight in with Chapter 1: Underwater Psionics, beginning with the ancient history of the world, right back when there was nothing other than water, no dry land at all. Neither arcane nor divine magic had yet developed, the only power was that of the mind, exerted by will alone. Well, it's a bit difficult to muck about with spellbooks and gestures and incantations, after all, when you're underwater! Innate powers led to greater intelligence and eventually to sentience, an intriguing role for psionics in the development of life. However, once mighty psionically-gifted creatures crawled onto dry land, other forces - notably 'the gods' - stepped in and over the course of time arcane and divine powers were discovered and knowledge of the pure force of will was by and large forgotten.
Laying this epic sweep aside for a moment, we next get the Introduction, all about how the announcement of Psionics Unleashed for the Pathfinder RPG by Dreamscarred Press inspired Alluria Publishing to take a different look at their Cerulean Seas setting, in which it had been intended from the outset that psionics should be important. The result, of course, being this product. Ancient races, inky depths and lots of tentacles go both with an undersea world and with the core concepts of psionics, so it seems a good match. The collaboration worked well, with correspondence between the two publishers resulting in a compatible development, creating a 'universal' theory of psionics that works equally well under and above the waves. However, it's been approached in a modular fashion, such that individual GMs can decide just how important psionics will be, from merely one or two monsters wielding this mysterious power to it being all-pervasive once the water closes over your head.
Background provided, next comes Chapter 2: Aquatic Psionic Races. Here six rich and strange new races are presented, denizens of the deep with, yes, psionic capabilities. Seas are rich with biodiversity and 'new' yet ancient races are always being 'discovered' - even if they have been there all along. The amphian and the melusine are evolutionary branches of the merfolk. Merkoths are sort of sea-cuckoos, being raised by other races rather than their own kind. Asrai are quite unusual, being feykith, a heritage in which psionics are rare. Then there are benthic naga, related to the land-based snake people, and finally the zef, an ancient race that is cousin to the snail-like zif who were introduced in Alluria Publishing's Remarkable Races line.
Each race is given a full write-up from history and appearance to society, racial traits, views on religion and on other folks... all you need to play one as a character or present a vibrant living group as an encounter. Both rules mechanical information and flavour text is presented - rather neatly, each one takes up by a single page (including an illustration), so you could print off the page for an interested player to review if they are considering playing one. The chapter ends with notes on halfbreeds and tables with vital information such as bouyancy and depth tolerance as well as the usual age, height and weight, etc., you normally need for a character race.
Chapter 3 deals with Aquatic Psionic Classes. Most existing psionic classes can be adapted readily enough for races who dwell underwater, and they are discussed in turn. There is also a wholly-new class, the aquanaut, specifically designed for aquatic races. Aquanauts are honed for combat, with the ability to mould their very bodies to effect... each individual comes up with their own unique interpretation. Full details are provided so that this class may be played by any character who qualifies. The mutations are wide and various - extra limbs, a shell, or amour being common. As they rise in level, an aquanaut may choose to develop himself along the lines of a particular species or group of creatures, taking on various characteristics of the creature in question... examples such as jellyfish or crustaceans, sea mammals and molluscs and more are given in detail. There are also some aquatic prestige classes to aim your development towards.
Next, Chapter 4: The Gifted Sea explores feats, powers and items for underwater psionicists; beginning with the statement that the feats of Psionics Unleashed may be used without modification underwater. Other ones may need to be examined and amended as necessary to suit the aquatic environment. There are, of course, some wholly new ones to explore as well. Altered and new psionic powers follow, along with lists for the modified classes presented in Chapter 3 as well as for the aquanaut. A wealth of material here from which to develop your capabilities. The chapter rounds out with a few new psionic items that ought to come in handy.
Chapter 5: Cerulean Seas Psionics provides a glimpse of aquatic psionics as found in the Cerulean Seas setting specifically. Racial histories for the new races presented in Chapter 2 are expanded upon, including famous members of these races and their influences on underwater history... some are still around, and could prove influencial NPC patrons, enemies or contacts. There are similar comments about other races which are described in Chapter 6, deemed unsuitable to be played as characters but potentially influential in the underwater realms nevertheless.
Finally, Chapter 6: Psionic Sea Bestiary presents a range of creatures that are both aquatic and psionic. Not all are 'monsters' in the true sense, but many may wish to fight rather than parlay. Everything from stat blocks and illustrations to descriptions and likely behaviour are provided. I don't think I've met any of them whilst diving, but they are so well-written and developed that I wouldn't be too startled to find myself adding a cerebral crab or a mindshrimp swarm to the 'observations' column of my logbook!
This is a fascinating read and, even if you normally shy away from psionics, is worth considering if you are planning underwater adventures - it's a strange world, under the sea, and if your dry land campaign is psionics-light, this could be another way to highlight the 'otherness' of the depths. Everything is clear and thought out well, it all hangs together and provides plenty of scope for development of a truly unique experience underwater.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This product consists of seven quite loosely linked adventures, that can be run singly or linked as a campaign. perhaps to kickstart your adventures and provide a framework around which your own can be hung. The introduction gives a clear overview of what is there, and shows how to fit them in to the fairly leisurely pace of adventuring assumed for The One Ring campaigns (with an option for speeding things up a little if preferred). Whilst adventures, of course, fall into the Adventuring Phase, some suggestions are made for interspersing Fellowship Phases and for what the characters might wish to do during them; of particular use should you be planning to build a campaign around these adventures.
The first four adventures are suitable for relatively inexperienced adventurers whilst the last three are best tackled by more seasoned ones. The adventures provide plenty of scope for exploration of the area, with the first involving Lake-Town and Mirkwood, the next four west of the forest and the last two in Dale and areas to the north of the Lonely Mountain. And of course, there are opportunities to meet Elves!
The adventures encapsulate the 'feel' of Middle-Earth well, with the themes of travel and of meeting the rich panoply of the inhabitants of the land embedded into them. The measured cadence of the game mechanics are also reflected in the very way the adventures are written: it's not just a plotline with the mechanics of this particular ruleset bolted on, they have been made integral to the way in which the adventures are presented.
By their nature, the adventures serve as a good introduction to the setting, giving characters a chance to explore and get to know the region as well as to complete discrete tasks and build relationships with the locals. Each adventure is well-structured, presenting opportunities for the characters to choose their own responses to each situation or event whilst providing support for the Lorekeeper (GM) in coping with the characters' actions. Except for one combat-oriented adventure, fights are quite infrequent but ferocious when they occur.
The high standard of presentation makes the book a delight to read, with apposite illustrations and clear maps in the style introduced in the core rulebooks. Plans for those places that warrant them are clear but fit in with the overall appearance of the book.
Overall it's a delightful introduction to adventuring in Middle Earth and well worth a look.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is a heady swirling mix of steampunk and pulp written with a delightful whimsey and apparently suitable for playing in a tearoom over a nice pot of tea and a few cakes...
It opens with a discourse (there's no other word for it, style matches content so well here) explaining what steampunk and pulp and, yes, role-playing are, ready to set the scene. It's set well indeed, and is recommended reading even if you know (or think you know) what they all are. This is followed by a section explaining the alternate history on which the game world is based, beginning with Charles Babbage having actually built (rather than just designed) his difference engine which is, of course, in the late 1830s powered by steam. As Great Britain's technology developed apace, America and Canada embarked on a race to put the first man on the moon!
The basic rules are then presented. Character attributes take their names from the title of the game: with Cogs being mental and technical abilities, Cakes being social skills and Swordsticks being physical capabilities. Each attribute has a descriptive name that outlines the area of expertise, painted broadly and atmospherically. It also has a number associated with it, being how good the character is at that sort of thing. When a task needs resolution, the GM sets a target and the player rolls a d6 adding the appropriate attribute to it - if the target number is equalled or exceeded, the action is successful. If there's a brawl, of course, rather than rolling against a target each participant rolls against the other, the higher roll winning.
To get things rolling the next section is a basic scenario which you can play through - far better than the 'example of play' than many rulebooks provide at this point. Three characters are provided ready-generated, and there's a full, if basic, adventure through which you can run them.
And this is all chapter 1! Next comes Chapter 2, in which the rules are presented in full detail, with character creation, healing, combat and everything else neatly bundled up. Oh, and an 'example of play' if you want one! Onwards to Creating Stories, which provides useful advice for the GM in creating appropriate adventures, providing reasons for characters to get involved and all manner of useful stuff.
Following hot on its heels is Chapter 3: The Empire of Steam which goes into copious details about the setting. Firstly the history of engineering and science is discussed, followed by the social and artistic refinements of the time and finally the unpleasantness of wars and politicial machinations are touched upon, but in the most delicate of manners. Each section has details a-plenty and timelines so that you can refer to 'historical' events or indeed choose at what point your game is set, although they are taken through to 1901.
The final chapter, Devices and Designs, is a full-blown adventure set in the British Museum in 1880, where they are holding a gala opening of a new exhibition of treasures from the Orient. Come to admire, and hobnob with the cream of intellectual society, but beware... things begin to go missing. It sweeps you up in the style of this game.
The product rounds off with a couple of Appendices: some ready-created characters if you are itching to get going (with the potential for using them as NPCs if your players prefer to generate their own characters using the rules provided earlier). The second presents sample attributes - use them as presented or as inspiration in coming up with your own.
Beautiful stuff for when you fancy a light yet serious game... and a pot of tea.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Log In 
.png)
