DriveThruRPG.com
Browse Categories
$ to $















Back
pixel_trans.gif
Other comments left by this customer:
You must be logged in to rate this
pixel_trans.gif
The Genius Guide to Loot 4 Less: Things That Make You Go Boom
Publisher: Rogue Genius Games
by Andre F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/13/2011 10:48:16

This is Andre Faucher on behalf of Gamer's Haven reviewing Loot 4 Less: Things That Make You Go Boom, a book that focused on cheap items that vary in usefulness from the very to the next to useless yet fun.

What is good about this book? 1.) Amusing. A lot of the entries in this book are pretty funny are have fun minor quirks that can be added to the game in order to give it more flavor. For example there is a ring that was made for alchemists, who work with chemical frequently, that makes them gain a minor amount of resistance to acid. A group of adventurers could see why this might be a creation of an alchemist, as it is a convenient as is most of the items presented in this text. 2.) Reasonable. One of the mechanics introduce is a +1/2 on an item for things that are merely convenient instead of charging a full +1. This allows a lot of minor upgrades on a weapon, for example changing sizes for owners, that most people would like but are certainly not going to pay full price on. 3.) Artwork. While normally artwork is just something nice to look at while thinking about the rules, the images and borders in Loot 4 Less is actually quite good and actually adds to the book rather than just being something on the side.

What are some of the downsides of this book? 1.) Price. While it does add to a game, the price tag attached might be a deterrent. This is my chief complaint about this book, for $14 dollars there are a lot of other PDFs that can add more to the game overall than just some quirky rings and wondrous items. While chucking about the numerous minor items in this book, it all comes down to how much free money do you have to spend. Some of these items add to the game, but the price ultimately comes down on the GM. Is the GM willing to fork out over $10 in order to add some items that will be amusing but not effect combat, roleplay, or puzzle solving?

Conclusion?

This book was amusing to read and to think about the possibilities that it will add to the game including the minor items and jokes that will ensue, but the price tag is a major stumbling stone. I would recommend this book to many GMs who are looking to add some more flavor to their game and have run out of ideas, but if the GM is in a budget crunch pass on this book. Wait till either the book is on sale or spend some time making your own rules.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
The Genius Guide to Loot 4 Less: Things That Make You Go Boom
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Dangers & Discoveries (PFRPG)
Publisher: LPJ Design
by Andre F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/13/2011 10:31:07

This is Andre Faucher on behalf of Gamer's Haven, reviewing Dangers & Discoveries for Pathfinder which specializing in curses, diseases, insanities, traps, and other things that in general makes peoples lives miserable. Dealing primarily with the dangers, unless you count finding the brand new curse on you a discovery, it adds a lot to the underdeveloped areas of most roll playing games, being afraid of the dungeon just as much as the monsters inside it.

First, what are some of the good things about this book? 1.) Things that make life suck. This book has a ton of curses, diseases, poisons, traps, and even such things as hauntings. This book excels in fleshing these dangers out, how they are used, how they are cure/fixed/avoided, and the grisly damage that they can inflict. Some of the most annoying curses may not even be combat related but they will certainly cause the character to bemoan it. For example, there is a curse in here that targets pesky thieves and rogues that removes their bonus for class skills. While not a killer in combat, it will certainly make the life of any thief agonizing. 2.) Scars. Another new introduction in this book is the concept of ritualistic scarring and what they can do in the game. Throughout many cultures scars can bare meanings and significance that Pathfinder or many other RPGs simply have not touched on nor introduced any mechanic for. In this book there are numerous scars that have rules now attached to them that players, or NPCs, may consider. For example they introduced the Amazonian Sacrifice where a female archer can cut off a breast in order to gain bonuses on her archery, an example from the real world. 3.) Narcotics. Another area that Pathfinder has not touched on is in the area of Narcotics and what they can do in game. Having run an urban based campaign focused around a thieves' guild, the drug trade is of course going to be a part of many adventures. This places rules in here for the players, if they are users, or NPCs, more than likely the people they are going to stop. Functioning much like poisons, which most narcotics are, they instead of just having drawbacks also have bonuses... but are they worth the price that the character may eventually have to pay? 4.) Size. This book is over 60 pages long and has lots of artwork. This book provides a lot of info and interesting pictures which add overall to the text. Many books are fairly bland to look at but provide good rules, this one does both.

What are some of the downsides to this book? 1.) Mature. This book is definitely got some more mature themes attached to the book, which might be a bit of a drawback for groups that are a bit more sensitive to more adult themed aspects, such as narcotics and the horrible events that usually cause hauntings. This is not to say that there are not "more friendly", if one can apply the word friendly to a curse or trap, but there are some things in here that might cause some audiences to be uncomfortable. Before implementing this book, make sure that the group is interested and mature.

Conclusion?

This book provides a lot of material for a fairly good price. If you are a GM who is interested in fleshing out some of the underdeveloped areas of Pathfinder, such as scars and curses, then this book is a great buy. With lots of new ideas, good balanced mechanics, and a overall good feel to the book, many GMs will have a fun time inflicting these new horrors on unsuspecting characters. Just make sure that you conform to what your group is comfortable with.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dangers & Discoveries (PFRPG)
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Codex Draconis: Red Tyrants of the Mountains
Publisher: Rogue Genius Games
by Andre F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/13/2011 09:55:24

This is Andre Faucher, on Behalf of Gamer's Haven, reviewing Codex Draconis: Red Tyrants of the Mountains a book centered on the deadly and corrupt Red Dragons, beasts of legend and agents of terror and chaos. This book is focused on providing sample Red Dragons for Pathfinder and includes several variations on the same dragon, some sample stories, and of course the massive hoard that the adventurer's are truly after.

First, what are some of the worthy aspects of this book? 1.) Stat Blocks. As it is known I love stat blocks because I hate fleshing out a villain, taking hours to do so, only to have them die after a single battle. The stat blocks for the dragons in this book are both extensive and adaptable to meet most situations. This book does all the work for you so you do not have to spend the next three business days building that Great Wyrm red dragon that the adventurers should never attack, but inevitably do. 2.) Variations. There are variations on dragons so that you can adapt the dragon to what you were hoping for. For example if you were hoping for a dragon who was focused in fighting with their claws, they have a stat variation for that so that you do not have to do most the work, they simply have a small section on what to change in the stats. 3.) "Uping the Ante." They have a section on what possible minions for these great beasts might attract, which can spawn and adventure in itself and make the dragon a colossal challenge. 4.) Hoard. They provide sample loot lists, which saves a lot of trouble in the post combat portion. In addition they break it down for the fast, medium, and slow exp track so that you do not have to alter the lists depending on which exp track the players are heading down.

Okay, so what are some of the downsides? 1.) Artwork. The artwork in the book is a little lacking, with only a few images of red dragons to provide a bit of flavor. Visually the book could have done with some borders or even some artwork of a red dragon eating someone. 2.) Can't cover all bases. One thing about dragons is that they are so versatile in how they are built, that this book could not hope to cover all of the needs of a GM. While this is not so much of a downside for this book, a GM cannot go into this book expecting them to have exactly what they need. So there is some flexibility needed.

Conclusion?

Are you a GM who intends to ever use a dragon anywhere? Buy this book. Are you a player? Probably not. The price of this book is very reasonable for this book and is probably well worth the money that a GM can invest in this book. It will save at least the for dollars that the book might cost in time saved merely because dragons are such beasts to roll up, and if they die at the end of the encounter, it was a lot of a work with only a little pay off. With the loot, variations, and stat blocks this book is a huge convenience for anyone who is thinking of using a dragon in their campaign. So overall, lots of uses for only four dollars. I recommend this buy to dragon loving GMs.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Codex Draconis: Red Tyrants of the Mountains
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Horrors of the North
Publisher: Fat Goblin Games
by Andre F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/30/2011 10:35:26

This is Andre Faucher on behalf of Gamer's Haven, reviewing Horrors of the North, a text centered around all things frozen and the perils that the snow and ice can bring. Centered around that environment, this book offers little more than the specific interest for which this book was written.

What are some of the drawbacks of this book?

1.) Limited Scope. This book is focused on the northern dangers. And while the book accomplishes what it is setting out to cover, it offers little else to a campaign that is only going to be making a small trek into the north. 2.) Feels Copied. This book is much like the book "Frostburn" released in 3.5 also centered on the dangerous icy regions of the world. A lot of this information is available in the Core Rulebook or that could be done with a couple simple modifications to already existing creatures in the bestiary. The first third of the book is dedicated to the numerous types of cold terrain, and while useful to know the locations, feel as though they are merely something that could be gleaned from using a Google search. 3.) Price. The book is normally eight dollars, unless it is on sale, which begins to get near the area where one has to be truly interested in dealing with the cold north.

What are some of the benefits of this book?

1.) Interest. This covers the north, if the next campaign is going to spend a significant amount of time in the cold places on the globe, then it will be of interest. 2.) Artwork. Some of the artwork in this book is fairly good, although I am not particularly pleased with the yeti-gorillas. 3.) Dangers. One of the areas that the book does add is in the dangers section, including rules for frostbite and hypothermia. The book does give a lot of ideas in the realm of natural dangers, that is of non-monster/magical origins. For example the rules regarding hypothermia is something that one does not often encounter and the details given within this book actually make it a viable danger to many characters rather than just a minor annoyance.

Conclusion? Are the adventurers going to be spending a lot of time in the cold north, such as an entire campaign? Buy this book. In almost all other situations, this book will not be needed. With the price putting it out of the "impulse" buy region, the amount of information that could be found in a free location, it requires that there be a long term investment. However if there is going to be several adventures in the cold north, the dangers here change things up enough that the environment becomes as much a danger as the monsters that they are going to be fighting and the artwork, minus the yeti-gorillas, is detailed and interesting.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Horrors of the North
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Book of the River Nations: Mass Combat (PFRPG)
Publisher: Jon Brazer Enterprises
by Andre F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/30/2011 10:04:11

This is Andre Faucher on behalf of Gamer's Haven, reviewing the product Book of the River Nations: Mass Combat, an addition to their already steadfast collection of how to run a kingdom and all aspects of it. This pdf is focused on running your army, from maintaining it to crushing the enemies of the nation.

What are some of the drawbacks of this text or rules within?

1.) Requires other texts. If you truly want to get the full flavor of this, buy the Kingdom Building and Exploration pack too. When I first bought this text I did not have that, and the conversion that they have does not mesh as well as one would hope. 2.) Maintaining the Army. While running an army is expensive, Mass Combat makes it seem near impossible to keep a standing army from fleeing into the hills with a steep maintenance cost. This can cripple the ideas of having an army ready over a long period, or even for short periods. The cost is 2 BP (with Kingdom Builder rules) or 5,000 Gold (without) for most standard troops. Doing the math, effectively to maintain an army of 100 standard militia, which costs 2 bp, that means that every week each soldier has 50 gold spent on them. Apparently every week the soldier breaks at least one major part of equipment or they eat like kinds.

What are some of the benefits of this book?

1.) Versatility. This book allows numerous combination of armies that can deal with just about any idea that the group is interested in building. 2.) Mostly Good Rules. The combat system mimics much of the standard d20 fighting system but it speeds it up and allows the game to remain interesting while throwing massive armies against each other. Perhaps the best, or at least my personal favorite rule, is the CR scaling. With the increase or decrease in number and effectiveness of troops it allows for a very balanced fight. It also has the rules for a single target... say for example a giant or a high level character. This allows the characters to finally run around the battle field and do something, rather than have the player grind through 100 soldiers. 3.) Easy. These rules are not complicated and can easily be used or adapted to make a fight go much faster allowing players the feeling of huge battles without the long drawn out pain of all the rolling.

Conclusion?

If you like the River Nations collection, this is a must buy. This is a mostly good book that caters to army based campaigns, and further expands the wonderful Book of the River Nations collection. It is a good cheap price that will save a lot of head aches, or carpal tunnel if one is actually rolling out a battle of 1,000 troops, and can be easily read and understood. The only real downside is that maintenance of armies is really expensive. However in the book they note this, as to make sure that people feel the pain of a long drawn out war. In addition historically many nations did not maintain a standing army year around, because it was too expensive, and only used them in short controlled periods.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Book of the River Nations: Mass Combat (PFRPG)
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Krazy Kragnar's Magic Staff Emporium
Publisher: Rogue Genius Games
by Andre F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/30/2011 09:44:32

This is Andre Faucher on behalf of Gamer's Haven, reviewing the product Krazy Kragnar's Magic Staff Emporium which is a wonderful and cost effective way to expand the possibilities of an often overlooked item in a spell caster's repertoire, the staff. Expanding into the staff business it brings back the colorful, and often oppressed, owner Kragnar. This book is both quick and to the point, and has a small story that would add a bit of flavor to any campaign, however it is not all fun and games.

What are some of the drawbacks, reasons that one may pass over it, or could use improvement, of this book?

1.) No Need. If you are content with the limited staff rules, and selection, of the ones located within the Core Rulebook, then this book is more than likely of little interest. 2.) Power Gamers. With the lesser staff feat, it allows casters to get a staff much earlier which might be something to take note of if there is a particularly power hungry mage... take care before dropping this into the hands of a dangerous gamer.

Okay, if the book has so few flaws, what are the benefits, reasons to buy said book, or that add to the game?

1.) Blank Staffs. While this sounds like it might be a bit of a stretch, being able to hand out a staff that is cater to the specific caster. After all what wizard wants a staff that opposes their power or build? This allows and gives the rules on how to cater "shtick." 2.) Increased Selection. This gives a much larger collection to choose from, actually having many pre-built magic sticks will at least be a good starting point for any magic/staff heavy game. 3.) The Price. This book is well within affordable bounds, and adds a lot to any game that could be caster centric or if there is a particular lonely caster who wants more variety in their death stick.

Conclusion? This pdf is well worth its money. If you have any inclining in wanting more out of the magic item selection, than this book will cater to that need in a heart beat. The only thing that could even cause worry is that it might allow power gamering casters to cause more havoc; however, that can easily be dealt with in the normal form of dealing with power gamers... beating them with said magic staff.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Krazy Kragnar's Magic Staff Emporium
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Alien Module 3: Darrians
Publisher: Mongoose
by Andre F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/24/2011 12:20:21

This is Andre Faucher on behalf of Gamer's Haven Podcast. The next installment in the Alien Modules (AM3) for the Traveller system, this book obviously takes a look at the Darrians race which I had heard very little of. The book offers a lot for those who are interested in the Alien Module series, including a giant swath of new ships, guns, and culture.

First, this book offers a lot of information as it is almost as long as the core Traveller book. It gives information to run an entire campaign based around this alien race, and even has a section on how to develop a Darrian accent which adds a new level of immersion. Second, Darrians are fleshed out to the point of the other races offered in the Alien Module series which is good for those who want to be able to get further in depth of the illustrious Traveller series. Finally, AM3 includes a vast new array of random generation tables, of which I am a fan, that can be used in any setting with just a little bit of adjustment.

However, there are a couple drawbacks. First, as with all of the AM series, the books are expensive being a total of few dollars cheaper than the main book itself. For those who are on a tight gaming budget, this is a significant investment and should not be bought on a spontaneous whim. Next, the book has a narrow focus, much like all of the AM series, and if you are interested in including them, with the amount of reading that the GM/player will have to do, it had better be a pretty big part of the campaign.

The question comes down to is this worth its money? The answer is yet another depends. If you are fascinated by the Darrians and want to include them in a pivotal role in the upcoming campaign, then yes. This book will easily earn its money and give you plenty more. If you are only casually interested in the Darrians, then the investment of money and time would be probably better put somewhere else. If you love the AM series, than this will be another great installment.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Alien Module 3: Darrians
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Crowded Hours
Publisher: Mongoose
by Andre F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/24/2011 12:02:33

This is Andre Faucher on behalf of Gamer's Haven. Many classic adventures are packed into Crowded Hours which has all of the needed aspects to run these entertaining modules. The product has some very promising bits that make it a fun possible encounter to run, but at the same time it may be hard on the GM to read and keep track of all of it.

First, this book has a ton of information to run the adventure and leaves no stone unturned for the GM. If you are interested in running Traveller but are new or do not have many ideas at the time, Crowded Hours will give you all you need to run at least five full sessions. Second, the maps in this book are wonderful. Not often do I compliment something on its maps, but it has amazing maps that could be used after the adventures are run, same layout just a different name. Finally, the amount of NPCs that the game gives the GM a huge cast of characters that can become reoccurring, if they survive. Or if you are merely pulling the book apart for ideas, the characters are a great stepping stone.

However, this compilation has some major issues specifically with visual design. First, the adventures read like a textbook. While I do not expect a module to be riveting to read, after all you are supposed to play it not read it, but as a GM it makes it hard to run when you are gazing at the page and feel like you falling asleep. Second, although a bit petty, the pages are very non-stimulating. This goes back to the textbook readability level where the pages, minus the maps, are bland and completely uninteresting which could have been made interesting if they tossed in the occasional picture that the players would encounter.

The question comes down to, is this product worth your money? The answer is a bit complex. For players, no. This is modules for a GM to run, if you are a player... why are you buying pre-built adventures? For GMs, if you are interested in complex adventures then yes, but be prepared to read them in chunks like a textbook because the readability and visual attractiveness of this book is fairly low.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Crowded Hours
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
The Starfarer's Kit
Publisher: DB Game Design
by Andre F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/24/2011 11:43:46

This is Andre Faucher on behalf of Gamer's Haven. While there are many companies who produce products like this, simple sheets for recording characters/ships/whatever, many times they inflate the price. However, The Starfarer's Kit is a good, simple, cheap product that can be easily used and not break the wallet.

First, one of the many pros about this product is the price, a product within this price range can easily be afforded for convenience. In an age where a GM or player can find these sort of products by merely browsing the web for a while, it is unrealistic to make the price unrealistic. Second, another great thing about this product is that it is very printer friendly. Without odd colors or giant decorations, your printer will not cry out in pain when you print any of these pages. Finally, this is useful to both player and GM, as these can be used for a wide variety of purposes.

However, the product has a single area that can be improved. The chief complaint is the "radar blip" area, although it is a novel concept that is not usually discussed, the blips are merely red and green dots. Not exactly the most difficult thing to produce, it would have been nice to have something a little more sophisticated. It's the future!

The question comes down to, is this product worth its price? The answer is YES in a massive way. The product gives you over 50 pages of handouts, record sheets, weapon trackers, and zounds more. My personal favorite is the wanted poster towards the back, as my players always are on the wrong side of the law. This is an excellent product that is well worth the money, if only to save you from the headache of tracking down all the various different handouts that this provides.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
The Starfarer's Kit
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Encounter Pages [PFRPG]
Publisher: Purple Duck Games
by Andre F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/07/2010 12:40:53

Reviewing on behalf of Gamer's Haven

Although many products attempt to give you a product that is not worth its money, this product actually provides far more than the asking price provided. The "Encounter Pages" provides a series of encounters, a small local (Thune), and a small map pack that is intended to be used in a desert setting.

As a quick outline, if you are only looking for a quick summary this is the paragraph: First, the product produced here has several good aspects which can be implemented into any game, and since they are small bite sized encounters theses could even be used as random encounters. Second, although it is a wonderful purchase, there are some areas that would be good to work on, and possible snags that might be encountered if they are not properly introduced. Finally, this is a product that is worthy of the asking price.

First, provided in Encounter Pages are 12 encounters. While this may not seem as though this as pivotal as an entire campaign setting, many times one should think about the amount of time that one is going to get out of their money. Assuming that each of these encounters run on average half an hour, some lasting longer than others, that would mean that you get 6 hours of gameplay out of 2 dollars. That is a fantastic value. Then, there are a number of stat blocks provided in this bundle as well, many companies would attempt to provide only the concepts, but if one hates writing stat blocks, much like myself, then the two dollars alone would pay for the stat blocks. Finally, many of these are incredibly creative ideas, my personal favorite being the Green Chapel (aka the anti-TPK) provides if nothing a level of interest and mystery to the world in which the game is being held.

Second, although this is a good product there are a few flaws that need to be addressed. First, "Corpse Orgy". I understand that everyone has a right to name their own monsters and beings, but naming a monster "Corpse Orgy" seems to not only add a bit of disgusting to the game, but if their are younger party members, one does not want to be held responsible when they tell their teacher that they killed a Corpse Orgy. Then, one needs to place these encounters careful because just like random encounters, these can be done into overkill. Finally, the location and map are a bit lack luster, only really being a page each, and could definitely use a bit more fleshing out to be truly considered to be a part of this as opposed to just being tag alongs.

Finally, is this a good product worth its value? The answer is a resounding yes. For the cheap price there are plenty of adventures, stat blocks, or even ideas to change and use in different ways. This product is well worth its money and can easily be supplemented by good GMing and creative players.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Encounter Pages [PFRPG]
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Displaying 1 to 10 (of 10 reviews) Result Pages:  1 
pixel_trans.gif
pixel_trans.gif Back pixel_trans.gif
0 items
 Gift Certificates