The Dawn Razor is a 22 page file, consisting of: 2 pages for maps, 1 page for an unlabeled players' map 3 pages for a crossword and solution page 2 pages for letter-handouts for the players and 10 pages for the adventure, which is apparently scaled for “any level” - the strength of the nemesis of the adventure varies based upon the composition of the adventuring party.

The authors state this is part of their “Combat Series” and for better or worse, this is true. Be warned: light spoilers exist below . . . .

There is one opponent in this module, a creature that, for the life of me, feels like a monstrous Komodo Dragon. The text of the adventure has a lot of read-aloud text (the default font is meant to be read aloud, while the bolded text is meant for the DM/GM.

I have to admit, this is the first time I've encountered a crossword puzzle in an adventure. In this case, if the players complete the crossword the paper magically transforms into a bestiary entry describing the nemesis critter. I don't think this clue will work well for my groups. The crossword is, by necessity, relatively simple, and so I suspect better used for younger players. My own players will not care about the scientific notes – if there was treasure, they would look for it, and no horse-sized lizard is going to stand in their way.

The map included is a nice, simple ruin. I like the isometric view of a ruined stone manor/small castle.

The authors provide combat notes for the critter.

I would think this has more opportunity for a younger or inexperienced DM. Unfortunately, being “systemless” it requires someone familiar with the system of choice to adapt the encounter. It lives up to the sales pitch of a combat encounter. That said, it was a cheap purchase, I just don't think I'll get much use out of it.

My final rating is 3-stars. There may be a niche that this product can fit, but it's not mine.

You know all those little "environmental" things that dungeons are littered with that may not always be foremost in the minds of adventurers or dungeon masters? Things like "a cool mist that hugs the floor" or "this goblin has infected pustules covering his face." Little things that add something to a game session, or send a gamer's mind off in the direction of a new adventure? This book has those.

Yes, it's a compilation of previous work, but that work was awesome, so it's nice to have a collection. It's especially nice that a hard-cover option is available, because this is the sort of book that gets opened to various pages, and isn't read from cover-to-cover.

Things you'd see in the various environments, little random treasures you'd find, different traps, random (interesting) NPCs to encounter . . . this is a list that allows a GM to add little bits and pieces to his game.

Raging Swan excels at this type of product, and it's system-neutral, so it's not specific to a particular game. Geared towards the fantasy-genre, there's still plenty of information that could be used in a 20's Lovecraftian game, a modern game, or if stretched, a sci-fi setting. Example, "20 things to find in an abaondoned camp site" has lots of things that could be used for an abandoned moonshiner's shack. Naturally, the Necromancer's Sanctum is pretty obvious. The entries for a war-ravaged land can be modified to show the aftermath of a planetary invasion by Colonial Marines.

Again, this has lots of ideas, and add those little details that may be considered throw-away lines. Of course, players will grab onto these throw-away lines and head down the rabbit hole ("Why does this goblin have lesions on his face? What's the purpose of that lock of blonde hair we found in the chieftains' pocket? Why were there lumps of coal in this skeleton's eyes?"), but that's half the fun, isn't it?

This pdf contains five half-pages of game information, plus the requisite covers and OGL statement. As befits a product supporting the OSR, mechanical rules are few.

There are subjects including what to use dragon teeth, droppings, etc., just like the cover states. There is mention of the Lion & Dragon RPG, but the information herein can easily be used for any OSR game.

I rated the supplement at 4 stars because the information is great, and spawns several potential adventure ideas as the PCs bring the dragon's corpse back to civilization. The value is well worth the $1 I spent. There seem to be a couple items missing that I would love to hear the author's take on - dragon bones and organs, such as the eyes or the heart. Granted, using this product as a guideline can get me traction in that regard, but it seems like using a femur to craft a javelin could be covered, if only to say "dragon bones are actually unsuited for crafting, being highly porous and delicate once the magical life energy of the beast dissapates upon its death." Which as I write this makes total sense, and will likely be my explaination should it ever come up in a game.

I am very happy with this purchase; it is getting printed and placed into my "GM Notebook of Miscellany" because my players don't always kill dragons, but when they do I want to have an answer for "Hey, can we collect some of it's breath acid?"

This is a fun model that uses the same textures as Dave Graffam's models. It looks like Mr. Graffam said "Here, use my textures with your own geometry." I like that, and it allows for lots of fun collaboration between modellers. Kudos for working together.

There are 2 NPCs described in the instruction booklet. The master and apprentice each get a few sentences, although it's nothing ground-breaking.

The instructions are well-detailed and easy to follow. No surprises with building it. The geometry of the building is not the usual rectangular box, so it makes an interesting focal point on the wargames table.

The only issue I have with the model is the lack of options. I'm spoiled by Dave Graffam's usual options of dormers, building extensions, chimney options. There aren't any here. The geometry of the building doesn't change. Now, there are still layers to allow for window placement, or exterior surface options (plaster, half-stone,quarter-stone, stone, tudor wood), so you could build a couple different colored versions. There are multiple roof colors as well, so there's definitely color variety.

There are also options for magical runes placed over the doorways or inscribed into the base. That could be a lot of fun for a wargame scenario. If your figure crosses the rune, take a hit of X strength. Or "approaching within 3 inches of a doorway with an active rune will result in a fire ray . . .".

Given time, I could also see using some of the pieces and kit-bashing some other of Graffam's models (I don't own any other Mystic Mountain models yet, so don't know how well they could be bashed together).

So, given the unique nature of the building, but limited build options, I'm settling on 4 stars. It's a neat model, and will fit in nicely with my other buildings.

I picked up The Sanctuary Ruin because I wanted a small encounter area (a side trek, if you will) as the PCs traveled to the main area. A place for them to pick up some experience and some treasure, because the next adventure will be a bit tough for them if they go into it at their current level. I don't think I'll be disappointed.

Some spoilers may follow.

The module reminds me of a very small Keep on the Borderlands. A goblin warren is described, along with the "home base" for this adventure, although many details the home base are left to the GM.

The goblins are presented with alternate actions, depending on what the PCs do. For example, if a large number of goblins are killed, the remaining goblins will harvest poisonous mushrooms and drop them in the inn's water supply. Goblin reinforcements are mentioned as well, moving from one area to the decimated area. These details help GMs make the game world seem more alive, that critters don't just wait around for the PCs to slaughter them. Furthermore, there is an outside group exerting pressure on the goblins, and the goblins are plotting revenge. Enterprising PCs (and perceptive players) could find a way to use this to thier advantage.

There are two issues I have with the adventure. First, the random encounters are very difficult for a low-level group to survive. A 1-in-6 chance of an encounter every hour wandering the woods means over the course of a day, a party will have 4 encounters. The first entry on the random encounter table is "d4 giant toads." I will be modifying this for my own game. Second, there is a very real possibility the PCs will be overwhelmed by the goblins. This resembles adventures like B2 The Keep on the Borderlands, but that wasn't my favorite part of the module. It will require some thinking on the players' part to accomplish the destruction of this goblin tribe.

A final quibble: the initial encounter describes a wagon peppered with arrows, and a band of goblins victorious in their raid. But the goblin equipment described doesn't mention bows or arrows.

I like the interactive nature of this module. I like that it is generic enough for me to place where I need it, with minimal backstory. I believe reckless PCs meet their dooms. I would have liked a little more development of the PCs home base. But this is a very good module, and I'm very pleased with my purchase. Overall, then, I'll give this module 4 stars.

This module is designed to be a continuation of A3 Hunt for the Ogre Lord. As such, using it as a stand-alone adventure poses significant problems.

The adventure starts out with the PCs hunted. Now, at the end of the previous adventure they had helped save the kingdom, so why they should now hide their identities is difficult to explain. But that's how the adventure starts. From there it's sneaking into BBEG's lair and gathering evidence of his treachery in order to present it to the king. Of course, the BBEG isn't there, so the king can beg the PCs to hunt him down. Supplies, lodging, food, and support are now provided (because apparently saving the kingdom from an orc/ogre invasion wasn't enough).

Happily, the references to the other system seem less, although there are still problems ("alter" instead of "altar" for instance).

Given the reliance on the previous module, as well as the illogical start, this module clocks in at two stars. The railroading is less, but the motivation for the PCs to bring the BBEG to justice is weak.

This module starts with a railroad ("Answer the summons or face execution"), continues with a railroad ("Accept this mission or face treason"), then railroads the PCs into being captured ("There is no way the part can win this combat, nor are they intended to fight. Is this railroading? Sure, but it's part of the adventure plot and this would be a short adventure without it."). The PCs are then thrown into a prison without their weapons or equipment, and expected to go through a dungeon that is so linear it does not require a map (there are no other paths to choose, it's either the next area or go backwards), only to end up requiring the ability to scale walls like a spider in order to find a secret door that allows them to escape. In the words of the adventure, "Failure to detect this means that there is essentially no way for the party to escape the tunnels."

Throw in the editing I've come to expect from Sacrosanct Games (see my reviews of the previous two modules for those details), and this module clocks in at one star.

The OSRIC version of this module is 16 pages, plus maps and handouts.

The editing, much like A1Lair of the Goblin King, leaves much to be desired. "Intellect" and "willpower" checks are not used in the OSRIC system. At one point, the PCs may run through near-boiling water, at which time they might suffer a minor wound. Furthermore, the adventure locale is rather generic, and the plot forces minor railroads of the PCs.

The OSRIC version of this module is 8 pages. There is an additional page of GM material in the front (describing the lands surrounding the adventure area; one page for a new creature, two new spells, and two new "arcane items"; one page for 5 sample characters; and five pages of maps. Spoilers follow; skip to the last paragraph to avoid them.

The adventure itself is fairly straightforward: Goblins are attacking innocents and need to be stopped. The reward for this deed seems rather high, especially if the goblin king's head is returned. For a first level party, I would hesitate at handing so much gold out. That said, the goblins themselves are rather weak. While the OSRIC site lists goblins as having 1d8-1 hit points, the basic goblins in this adventure are 1/2 hit dice creatures. Their armor class and weapon damage is also weaker. Overall, they use the stats for kobolds, rather than goblins. The stats for dire wolves are also different from the OSRIC rule books.

Further problems with this adventure involve references to Sacrosanct Games' own system. A more rigorous proofreading of the material would have excised these references, and eliminated some confusion. For example, the "arcane items" mentioned above. At the end of the module, there is reference to the local church that can heal wounds, but instead of listing the cost for a particular spell, the author says a "deep wound" can be cured for 10 gp, while "any severe wound [can be healed] for 50 gp."

Finally, there is an issue with "Outlook Tower/Overlook Tower." Both names are used, once again showcasing the lack of proofreading. There is a what the author calls a plot hook located in the basement of this guard tower, but it will likely derail the PCs. A vivisectionist's table in the basement of a royal tower isn't something that one encounters on a regular basis, and the author's note says "plot hook for expanded adventure, perhaps?" The only problem is that this isn't a plot hook. It's far stronger than that, and not something most PCs would ignore. As there are no further information provided, it's up to the GM to determine answers to players' questions. Not a good thing in a published adventure.

My final rating is 2. There are a lot of problems with this adventure, even for the low price. A skilled GM can fix the problems, but there are other options out there that don't require the additional work.

This is a fun product. Three charts to determine what starts a brawl, what happens during the brawl, and what happens at the end. Stat blocks for the Watch and a couple bystanders. Improvised weapon rules, drunken conditions, terrain/environment modifiers . . . what's not to love? Now the GM has a quick reference for how difficult it is for the PC to not only leap on top of a barrel of ale, but also the difficulty in balancing on it while fighting.

This supplement will alleviate a lot of the headaches a GM might face when running a brawl. There are a couple assumptions made that should be noted: 1) It doesn't go into detail about how to track all the combatants. After all, the story should be about the PCs, so the GM is instructed to describe the overall flow of the brawl. 2) Lethal damage is the exception, not the rule.

Although the rules are for Pathfinder, the three charts can easily be adapted for other genres. The Watch is changed to Space Station Security, while a drunkard grabs a personal data device (instead of a few gold coins) and bolts for the door.

Since I like playing with miniatures, this supplement will go great with some cardstock tavern decor. A tavern fight is more than just another dungeon encounter. It's a fun way to let off steam, be a little silly, and let the characters' personalities come through.

This is a fantastic module. I will address some specific items here, as the previous reviews by Endzeitgeist and others do a good job covering everything else I might say.

Spoilers might follow, so if you plan to play it just skip to the end.

The generic placement for this module is very well done. Unlike the original Moathouse (from the Village of Homlett/Temple of Elemental Evil series), which was located near a swamp, this one can be located anywhere. And the minor earthquake that affected the underground areas decades ago could still have caused a nearby swamp to be created. This is one of the few "place it anywhere" locations that can really be place anywhere in my campaign world. Speaking of the background notes, I can see PCs falling upon hard times and ending up like the original owners.

The artwork is excellent. I'm a big fan of providing visual references for my players, and this module gives me ample opportunities to do so. The cartography is also very nice. I'm a fan of Billiam Babble's Inked Adventures, and appreciate the hand-drawn maps. As a side note, if you travel over to Billiam Babble's deviantART gallery, he has some pictures of the maps with a parchment background.

There is an adventure timeline that helps GMs create an atmosphere to reinforce the idea that the PCs don't live in a bubble. There are two story hooks the GM can use as great teaching-moments to show that not every encounter has to end in bloodshed (although they will, it's still a good addition). These add story options, and get away from the usual linear-dungeon trope that most dungeons fall victim to. Giving the NPCs personality traits does the same thing, and alleviates the GM from trying to add mannerisms on the fly. I’ve seen this in other Raging Swan products, and it’s a wonderful addition. The GM gets to focus on other things.

Once again, the feeling of an organic adventure is reflected in the random encounters table. Eliminating specific encounters because the PCs already fought them makes perfect sense. Again, I can give the players the feeling that the PCs aren't the only ones running around in the world.

Information for scaling the encounters was also much appreciated. Although each entry seems fairly repetitive, something a lot of published adventures forget is "Repeat the important information where the GM is going to read it.” This is very important, since the GM already has so many things he has to worry about when running the game. I'm a lot more likely to remember what the scaling effects were (or that I can scale the encounter!) when I have that information right in front of me.

I sat in a seminar by Tracy Hickman, where he said "don't ever put 'indecipherable runes' in your description, because the players WILL sit and try to figure out what they say." I encountered this in Paizo's Rise of the Runelords adventure, and my players drove me crazy trying to copy the writing and translating it, since the runes the PCs encountered did actually mean something thousands of years ago. Without spoiling too much, there is an area where PCs can waste a bunch of time (and get attacked by wandering monsters), and it makes perfect sense in the context of the area.

The PCs can get a map as part of their loot, leading them to a further adventure in a lost dwarven hold. I would have like a larger image of the handout, but I'm pretty sure I can enlarge it myself. There is a map of the dwarven hold as well should the GM want one. Hadramkath is one of Raging Swan’s other products, and makes a nice addition here. If the GM wants to direct their players elsewhere, I sense an easy link to "Forge of Fury" or a half-dozen other dungeon crawls. Similarly, the GM can drop it if it doesn’t fit with his game. I wish more adventures did this. Once again, it creates a living world for the PCs to explore. And as GM I am totally NOT railroading the players into choosing their next adventure. Great stuff.

I think this is a worthy successor to the original Moathouse. It improves the original with a non-linear storyline and NPC motivations, capturing the competing interests of those who reside in the Keep (especially the competing interests within the factions!). Overall, each of the additions makes the whole much more "real" than traditional dungeon-crawls.

Well done, Creighton! Thanks for creating such a great product.

In addition to what others have already said, I'll add that the miniatures themselves are easy to cut out. The color and detail really make me look forward to future releases.

And besides: Pig-faced orcs! How can anyone who grew up in the "Old School" days not love them?

This is a fantastic looking model. The artwork is vibrant, the instructions clear. This was my first Lord Zsezse Works purchase, and I'm not disappointed. The fireplace prop is really a stove. There's a small square where the resident could cook up a pot of soup (or something). That's a great little detail. Plus, the well prop can be used as a separate piece. I plan on using it as an objective for a wargame scenario.

This kit is sharp. Although it is a little more expensive than others, the detail included makes it well worth the price.

Brief review: A perfectly adequate battle map for the price.

Detailed review: The cover image is the only other art in this pack. Details like landing gear or escape pods are not present. In fact, while the escape pods are mentioned, they are not mapped out, and there appears to be no way to get to them.

There are brief stats that look like stats from the Cortex system; I'm not very familiar with that system, so I'm just making a guess. There are some minor disconnects between the text. At one point, the ship lists a crew of 2, with single berths, and a passenger cabin with double occupancy. But that double occupancy berth is listed as "Captain's Quarters." Plus, the map places this berth very close to the cockpit/bridge of the ship.

The cargo capacity is listed as 50 tons, but the cargo area of the base model is only about 400 square feet (or about the size of a 2-car garage!). Obviously, this ship is designed for small cargo! Especially since cargo has to traverse an "L" shaped path in order to be loaded. There's also a map for a VIP passenger variant, where a luxurious suite replaces much of the cargo area. Finally, there is a passenger/medical transport floorplan with 4 additional passenger berths and a small medical bay.

The ship would be quite cramped, as is appropriate for such a vessel. Living on the Hornet would be like living in an RV or a sailboat: you can call it home if you have to, but it'll always be a treat to get out and stretch your legs. Especially with all the berths filled.

In conclusion, while there are certainly more elaborate ship plans out there, this does what it's supposed to do. There are a few quirks, but it will work just fine as a starter home for your space-faring PCs.

A great addition to a papercraft village. The "not quite square" design sets it apart from the usual buildings. I built it in a few hours, with the small addition of an extra layer of cardstock to the floors for a little bit of extra support. The interior has several options, including several paintings, a couple rugs . . . nice extras that make people take a second look at the model. Note that the two levels are completely open; there are no separate rooms within the model. A small fireplace can be placed on the lower level, and has a chimney through the second level and onto the roof. There are several positions where the fireplace can be placed, and each are labeled so there shouldn't be confusion when the time comes to print the model.

Due to the interior and not-square design, I would rate this as a mid-level model. It is very much worth the money.