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This is a delightfully atmospheric little piece, set in the Tatakama World but with a portal to a shabby backstreet in modern Tokyo. The people and places are well-described and come to life well, a real feeling of an alternate reality that's out there somewhere.
The setting is a township, Niishima, and much of the main street and surroundings are described as well as the Niishima Inn itself. There's a lot going on, many stories being told and waiting to be told. Several key NPCs are given full stat block treatment, and there are four pre-generated characters (all native to the Tatakama world) that you can use. Other useful things include a Samurai template.
Now, whilst there is a lot going on, a lot to explore and discover here, there is no real 'adventure' as one might define it. Perhaps - especially if using the pre-generated characters - the aim is to find the portal. Or you may choose to turn things on their head and have modern characters find (or fall through!) the portal from modern Tokyo and attempt to survive in this strange world in which they find themselves. The Inn has a couple of haunts which may provide a challenge to those interested in finding out why they are there and how they can be laid to rest.
It's also worth a look if you are running or considering a 'fantasy Japan' setting using Dungeons & Dragons 3.X or the Pathfinder RPG.
Illustrations are beautiful, evocative, traditional Japanese in the main, it's a feast for the eyes as well as a good read!
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This is a nice simple map of a small base on an airless, probably low-gravity, world (or indeed moon). There are two habitat modules each mounted on stilts and with a ramp from ground level to the entrance, and a further ramp leading down from a crater edge (or enscarpment) to the ground whereon they stand. Rather oddly, both have 'Habitat 01' over the door!
Use of shading gives a nice feeling of depth. although it would be nice to have an indication of vertical scale (i.e. height) on the cover picture - perhaps a standing astronaut? It looks as if the habitats are each about 3m off the ground, and the crater wall would then be some 15m high.
The top-down view is nice and clear, however you'll have to find some way of indicating people who have ducked under structures, as there's no way to accomodate this in miniatures use. Of course, this isn't a problem if you are just using this as a visual aid to show your players what their characters can see.
A nice little base, and remember - in space, nobody can hear you scream!
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This is an interesting and useful mapset of the rough end of town, industrial rather than residential, the sort of place in which trouble might easily kick off and get out of hand. It would be suitable for any contemporary or near-future setting, or even a superhero game.
The cover picture and 360° view give an excellent impression of this run-down back street and can supply some reference for the heights of buildings, although in a very neat trick many of the three-storey buildings have the upper levels set back a bit so there are two levels of flat roof to scamper around on, or even jump from roof to roof if you dare. There are also a couple of gantry walkways crossing the street for those with a mind to aerial chases or similar shenanigans.
As usual there is an overview map and multi-sheet 'miniatures-sized' ones (available with square grid, hex grid or no grid) and a massive single-sheet battleplan to use with virtual table tops or if you have access to a commercial printer.
There's lots of detail - street furniture, vents and chimneys, antennae, skylights, ladders... everything to make scampering around interesting and possibly challenging. There's even a whole heap of debris where one building has started to fall down. All is rendered almost photorealistically, clear and crisp.
Parkour, anyone?
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This is a neat vehicle list assuming a present-day apocalypse and particularly suited to the non-petrol head GM who cannot come up with a plethora of precise vehicle manufacturers and makes to suit a bunch of players who are particular about such things.
Use it for random rolls whenever a vehicle is encountered or needed, or as inspiration when you are planning the game and you know that vehicles (or at least, a vehicle) will be important. If you really aren't a petrol head, you might want to check online to find out at least what they look like, and perhaps more detail about their capabilities.
If your game is not set in the United States (or what is left of them) you may wish to substitute at least some vehicles common to the streets wherever it is - for example in Europe you'll find Renault, BMW, Audi, Seat and Fiat all over the place and none are mentioned here.
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An intriguing superhero from the Golden Age, Ghost Boy epitomises teen angst long before it was a fashionable concept. He's insecure and feels out-of-place whether he's with his school-mates or with other superheroes or hanging out with the ghosts that his powers allow him to see and interact with.
This would be an interesting character for a strong role-player to play, to explore the way in which Ghost Boy develops as he discoveres how to use his abilities to be a valuable member of a group of superheroes rather than the weedy and barely-tolerated 'cute mascot' that he feels himself to be... or perhaps one of your characters would like to mentor him and help him discover his true place in the world.
Alternatively, he could be run as a villain, working on the edge of the supernatural and helping ghosts to wreak vengeance on the living...
A neat and interesting look at a character who is not all power and strength and useful in a brawl, a more subtle yet still potent ally or enemy.
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This is rather odd - loads of publishers produce dungeons that you can use for your own games, plenty provide 'dungeon components' so that you can build your own... but this just has scraps - one area in nicely-shaded stone flags, the same in line art, and a few little bits including a door (again coloured and line art).
It's not clear what you are supposed to do with them, or why this is better than any other commercially-available material, especially as the licence prohibits any 'for profit' use - just as would be the case with any other published dungeon plan or tiles.
Bit confused, really...
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This is a very nice goblin image, provided in PNG format as both full colour and line art.
The licence for use is clear: that it may only be used in not-for-profit works and that the artist must be credited - and for once, it's stated clearly on the product page before you make a purchase, not in the download when it's a bit late to find out that the use you had in mind isn't permitted!
Anyway, he's a nice goblin, sensibly dressed in tunic and hose, with boots, a cowl and helmet and clutching a sword and shield. I used to have a PC goblin who looked pretty much like this in my mind's eye, maybe I should play him again!
The pre-coloured version gives him the traditional green skin, and the whole illustration is nicely-shaded - if you decide to use your own colourscheme on the lineart version, use it as an example.
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If you intend to mess up your timelines good and proper, so that either fantasy characters find themselves in the present day (either 'real world' or the future self of their own campaign setting brought forward in time) or a few modern people somehow end up with at least some of their kit in an alternate fantasy past, this might be of use to you. (And it does happen, I ran a modern game in which the characters ended up scampering around Conan the Barbarian's world, being transported from 20th century Miami... but that's another story!)
Anyway, what we have here is the sort of kit a modern SWAT-team trooper might have: two types of ballistic vest, ballistic armour, ceramic armour and a couple of riot shields. Who knows where they might turn up? And be quite puzzling to your average fantasy character, to whom armour means leather and metal, and it keeps swords and arrows away from your person, not bullets. Each item has been carefully considered from the standpoint of the Pathfinder ruleset, and statistics assigned. It might have benefited from a little more consideration as to what mediaeval weaponry will do to your 'bullet-proof vest' - most of us have a fair idea of how well it protects against firearms but less concept of what would happen if someone clobbered you with a bastard sword when wearing one.
That aside, get this if you are planning a cross-over, or indeed are using the Pathfinder ruleset in a modern setting.
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In the hordes of paper 'standee' miniatures now coming onto the market, the contemporary/near future genre has been rather neglected... until now. This product is worthy of consideration by anyone running contemporary, near future or cyberpunk games, and ties in well if you play the Hot Chicks RPG as many of the figures are drawn directly from some of the supplements.
The nice thing is that although quite a few of the female figures think a vest or sports bra is sufficient upper wear in combat situations, nothing here is overtly pornographic, so even if Hot Chicks puts you off as being a bit too 'adult' for your gaming table, these figures will be fine. Another nice thing is that each figure is referenced back to where the character they depict appears in a Hot Chicks book, so that if you are using them you can select appropriate miniatures. The few which don't have full game statistics in the books they appear in have them here, an added bonus if you are playing Hot Chicks.
If you need SWAT-team style troopers there are quite a few of these. There is also a nice doggie, Dougie, the Ghost-Sniffin’ Hound - the profile looks like a Doberman Pinscher, must go and look him up in The Last Ghost Hunt to see if he is a pinchie. Although most of the figures are armed to the teeth, there are some civilians there as well, a nice variety overall.
Good construction notes are included, although it seems quite straightforwards (sorry, out of printer paper so I haven't tried them yet!). A nice set in a genre not well covered.
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For those who want to introduce black-powder firearms into a fantasy world, this is a well-crafted set of notes covering the Shootist character class and general rules for the use of firearms under the Labyrinth Lord ruleset.
The Shootist is treated as the firearms equivalent of a master swordsman, a combatant who focusses on mastery of but a single weapon - in this case the rather tempramental black-powder pistol or rifle (?Rifle... I think they really mean musket, given both the rules and the illustrations).
The claim is made that few people will understand the workings or use of these unreliable devices, which have a base 1 in 20 chance of exploding every time you fire one. At times I'm not quite sure how much the author understands of the workings of these early weapons, at times the text appears to be talking about matchlocks and then a stray cap wanders in. Overall, though, the general flavour is there, although it would be worth taking a moment to survey the early history of firearms and select the point that you wish technology to have reached in your game.
The final illustration shows a 17th century musketeer and, although he's a bit later than the general run of 'mediaeval' style technology prevalent in fantasy worlds, it's probably about the right level if you want firearms to play any meaningful role in your world. To fire one of them, you have to load it with a ball, black powder and wadding, ram this lot home with a ramrod, put a little fine powder in the pan and then ignite that to fire off the main charge within the barrel. Oh, and do remember to take the ramrod out! It's most distracting to fire it across the battlefield, and far less accurate than a musketball. The rules mechanics presented will accommodate this quite well, although it is only the very well-trained musketeer who can reload in a single round especially when in the middle of combat.
Good flavour of early firearms use with perhaps the need for a little informed fine-tuning to make it perfect.
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This is a fascinating, beautifully-presented and well-described mining settlement on the very fringes of civilisation, so far away from the centre of affairs that those who mine here are left to their own devices... devices, sad to say, that include many corrupt practices and abuses.
The mining concession is in the hands of the Order of the Red Shadows of Herpa, a religious knightly order which oversees the mining of several valuable ores and the general operation of the settlement, defending their holdings against bandits and orc raids alike. The fertility of the land is poor so extra food must be bought in to feed the community, which as well as the knights includes craftsmen, professional miners and, sad to say, slave labour.
The entire operation is described clearly and in detail, which really brings it to life as a flourishing community. The GM is provided with a detailed map and notes on everything there and, as usual with Columbia Games product, these notes are besprinkled liberally with snippets of information that can inspire events if not whole adventures as you read through them.
The amount of detail is stupendous, everything from mine operations to details on just about everyone you might encounter if you visited the area. Should you dare: strangers are not welcome and viewed with hostility... and if you have useful skills you might find yourself joining the community without the option! The level of detail extends to outline floorplans of every building in the settlement which includes a thriving bawdy house - the miners and soldiers have few comforts, poor dears, so trade in ale and, ahem, other services is brisk.
Several discrete adventure hooks are provided, as well as the snippets you'll find throughout the descriptive text. The first is a way to get the party to the mine, the second involves the mine complex coming under attack, and the last offers an opportunity for the party to thwart or join an escape attempt - as even those not actually in bondage as slaves are rarely allowed to leave by the Order that controls the settlement, escape is a dream shared by many if rarely attempted.
All in all, it's a beautifully-developed settlement that oozes realism. You feel that it is lurking out there somewhere... and should you decide to visit, well, here is everything that you need.
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So now we have it, the TARDIS-equivalent for the Pathfinder RPG!
Take some small innocuous object, open or activate it and hey! You have a vast expanse, somewhere to hide or study or store stuff or shelter from bad weather.
All dressed up as an academic treatise that you might find in a local wizard's library, there is a wealth of different, unusual and exciting rooms to play with.
My husband says I have to acquire the Book of Books forthwith, as my RPG collection sneaks into every corner of the house! It's really neat, a book that when activated grants access to an otherspace cozy little library, complete with a comfortable chair and LOADS of books.
That's just one. There's the Bladed Quill, a brass pendant of a crossed dagger and feather, which gives access to another otherworld space, this time an armoury lined with empty weapon racks and armour stands. You can put all your spare gear in here, and provided you secure it neatly in the racks rather than leave it lying around, it will be there for you next time you activate the pendant.
And it goes on and on, a whole collection of different 'rooms' accessed from distinctive individual items. Whole adventures could be built around them, the simplest being finding the item in a treasure hoard or, well, anywhere, and finding out what it does. Or seeking out one you've read about...
(TARDIS, by the way, is the famous 'bigger on the inside than the outside' police box-cum-time/space machine Dr Who travels around in, the letters stand for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space... so there's a 31st portable room for you!)
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It had to happen.
We have groups of superheroes working as part of legitimate law enforcement or as vigilantes. We have groups of supervillians busy about their schemes for world domination... and so now we have a bunch operating as a private military company available for hire to, well, anyone who can pay their fee.
They are a fascinating bunch, these heroes-for-hire. There's plenty of background for the GM to take aboard and use to weave SixGun into the plot. Allies or enemies? That's up to you. You could even decide that they are your party of characters - they are well-developed enough to make fascinating pre-gens, and indeed the background suggests a campaign-full of plot ideas even as you read through it. Group dynamics, in particular, are detailed comprehensively and should prove entertaining in play.
There are several adventure ideas supplied, as well as complete individual backgrounds and character sheets for each member of the group as well as a comprehensive overview of the group itself and how it came to be. There are also some 'supporting cast' characters - a pilot, a cyber-doctor who runs their maintenance and even a potential client - each with their own plot hooks and tie-ins to SixGun themselves.
For those who like to lay it all out on the table there are paper 'standee' miniatures for all characters (and a neat stealth aircraft); and there's enough details about Private Miliary Companies to enable you to use them effectively in your game even if you haven't been tracking their rise in real life. Overall an excellent resource with loads of potential!
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This is a beautifully-rendered plan of an old gaol, a simple hexagonal walled courtyard with a grate over whatever horrors you decide are to be found below! The cover illustration and 360° view show a guard tower, barred openings and a walkway for warders to patrol, plus an open field around with a path leading up to the front gate.
The accompanying notes suggest that maybe the place was abandoned after some dread creature got loose in the dungeons beneath, the last guards to flee fastening the grate securely. Pity the convicts left trapped below... and pity those who to this day hear their shades wailing. Brave adventurers may be tasked with allowing the dead finally to rest in peace.
Or maybe it's still in use. I don't know about your players, but some of mine need locking up! This might be a suitable facility... or maybe some evil overlord uses it and the characters want to rescue someone.
Plenty of scope for what on the surface seems to be a simple old gaol. Enjoy...
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If you are passionate about creating and refining your personal unarmed combat style until even Shaolin monks want to take classes with you, this collection of ten 'style' feats will be of interest.
Most require you to have access to ki power, all assume that you have unarmed combat skills above and beyond brandshing your fists in a brawl (as opposed to proper pugilism: the 'sweet science' is a bit more than brawling if you ask any boxer...).
These additional styles are many and varied. There's a Basilisk Style that lets you use anatomical knowledge to enhance the effects of a Stunning Fist attack, whilst once you have mastered Basilisk Style, the Basilisk Blink feat grants you a supernatural gaze attack, and you can then build on it to add Basilisk Stare - a literal death look that overwhealms your opponent's nervous system causing him to drop dead! Talk about spectacular!
Another stack is based on Phoenix Style, a very mobile fighting style combining Elemental Fist strikes with acrobatics. Once you have the hang of that, you can learn Phoenix Feathers (which confers fire resistance as well as letting you use Elemental Fist more often) and then Phoenix Fire which increases your fire resistance and even grants access to personal healing.
If you want to be fast and unpredictable, look at Shifting Style Defence, where you can flip between any two styles and dodge into the bargain; or you may prefer Uncanny Style - even as you check for initiative you already are in your opening stance - and develop your speed further with Improved Uncanny Style. Finally, if you have really been working hard down the dojo, take Toughened By Training and gain 2 hit points for every style feat you've mastered!
One of the best bits of playing a 'martial artist' character is developing your fighting style into something distinctive and spectacular, and these feats, judiciously chosen, should aid you in the quest for perfection.
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![[M&M] Deus ex Historica: Ghost Boy](images/2680/111952-thumb100.jpg)
