Megan Robertson's page

As we have come to expect, a wealth of resources for fantasy games - what with archers (and arrows for them) heading up the character-based resources for players, adventures for GMs to run and ideas to help them hone their skills. The focus is on Pathfinder, but there is material for other rulesets (and much can be translated with little effort, provided you are reasonably familiar with the game mechanics of the system of your choice).

The Editorial introduces the issue focus on archery, with an account of how fictional archers inspired the editor, Wolfgang Baur, not only to play archer characters but to learn how to use a bow himself. He asks for our archery stories... um, well, I used to have a line manager who practised archery and occasionally threatened to shoot the site manager and told me that he reckoned he could hit him out of his office window... hmm, let's get on with the review!

For those seeking to play really good archers, the best place to start is an elf. Archery kind of goes with elves, and so there's a whole new racial base class, the Elven Archer, for Pathfinder. Suggestions are offered for ways in which the class could be varied: perhaps you don't want pointy ears, or prefer to use the crossbow - the underlying mechanics can be readily amended (and you are shown how) to make the class work as well for your concept as for the original suggestion. There are also notes to help you embed your elven archer into Open Design's Midguard campaign setting, even if your game is not set there the ideas can be modified to suit your campain world instead. If the new feats are not enough, the next article Arrows of the Arbonesse adds a wide range of arrows beyond your standard clothyard arrow with bodkin tip. Fill your quiver with the glass-tipped and magical acid splash arrow, fire a fisher's filament arrow over the next battlement you wish to scale or play really nasty with the razor's filament arrow or the silent night one (that flies so quietly it is hard to notice the archer who fired it). These and others enable the archer to do more than just shoot the opposition or bring down a deer for dinner.

If your characters prefer a more scholarly approach, the next article on Derro Ooze Magic is aimed at alchemists and mages seeking to improve their spell components by somewhat dubious means... the Ooze School of magic, complete with its associated powers and spell lists. But you may need to 'harvest' eyes or bile or other body parts from halpless humanoids to get it all to work properly. Sorcerers can take an Ooze Bloodline to access the same powers. If you have faced off against an ooze or similar and been jealous of their capabilities, fret no longer. You too may have them... and specialists in this magic may even attract one to become their familiar! I think I'll stick to my owl, but it could be an interesting choice... just imagine having a gelatinous cube or an ochre jelly trundling alongside you.

If that's too tame, the next article - Servants From Beyond - suggests some very unusual allies you might care to summon from the Lesser Planes, showing how you can engage with them to good effect. Each one is presented in full detail, not just stat-block but background, personality and motivations so that they can be role-played properly once summoned. Astute GMs can mine this for ideas for featured adversaries or at least beings that might be encountered, or they can go to the next article, which presents four creatures from nightmare, the Night Terrors of the changling moth chrysalis, the dire naked mole rat (escaped from Ron Possible's pocket, no doubt!), the cephalic parasite, and the pishtaco - four monsters right out of the worst nightmare brought to life for your campaign, complete with ecology, life-cyle and a wealth of detail to enable you to make them an integral part of events, rather than just the next monster.

On to game theory, as Monte Cook talks about The Power of the Game Master. It's something I've noticed, particularly as most of my games are now run online with people I don't know outside of the gaming community on whatever site we are playing, how they regard their GM as someone special, rather than just another gamer who happens to be running the game rather than playing in it. This may be commonplace in groups where one person habitually GMs, but my local tabletop groups all consist of people who are equally happy either side of the GM screen. Is the GM God? Just another player but with a different role? Or is the GM God but only as long as the other players let him? Thought-provoking, and no real answer, at least not in the right or wrong sense - consider what works for the particular group and that's the right answer for you.

Now, the first adventure, Captured in the Cartways by Christina Stiles (Pathfinder, 5th-level) based in the tunnels under Zobeck and letting the characters bargain their way out of trouble by undertaking a small task... Naturally, you could transplant it to any city with a sub-surface counter-culture if Zobeck's not in your game world. A nice short jaunt to spring on characters who thought that merely exploring the Cartways was dangerous enough!

Back to game ideas... and are all adventurers fit young men and women out seeking fame and fortune? Putting the Band Back Together is an intriguing article about what happens when retired adventurers decide, for whatever reason, to get back into action... or have it forced upon them. One interesting thought is that you could dust off old adventures - particularly if you are using a party of characters that have actually been played by the group and since retired - and see how the locations and inhabitants have changed over the 20 years or whatever since the party last was there. Whilst older characters may now be less physically vigorous, they can draw on experience in ways that younger adventurers cannot: and several feats are presented that seek to codify the advantages that veterans have over their younger and more nimble counterparts. More ideas follow - fancy a hunt that takes you through the Margreve woods and beyond? Then read Fey Hunters and Shadow Hounds, finding that just who is the hunter and who the prey may be open to debate. Those fey have plenty nasty ideas and tricks to play, with spells, items and exotic poisons in their arsenal.

There's a brief article about character specialisations for the AGE system, and an interview with Christina Stiles - fascinating, particularly as I once had the pleasure of co-authoring a book with her but have never actually met her! This is followed most appropriately (Christina and I both love the character class!) by The Bardic Arts, a piece about honing the abilities of your D&D 4e bard with some tangible rule mechanics built around the performer/entertainer aspect of being a bard, often left to the role-playing abilities of a bard's player (I had a DM who made me sing at the table...) rather than made an integral part of the ruleset itself.

In Ask The Kobold, Skip Williams takes a detailed look at how poison actually works, then there's a piece Small Spirits: 5 Nature Spirits for Any Campaign, some enchanting primal nature spirits that your characters might encounter if they are really observant. A nice touch is that good ideas are backed up by game mechanics for both Pathfinder and D&D 4e, and adventure hooks abound. If you are a gnome, tiefling or minotaur, there follows some racial powers (D&D 4e stats) that may be discovered by those ready to delve into their ancestral heritage. Next, back to game design theory with an article on how to create 'time pressure' in an adventure and use it to good effect with a haste point mechanic that can be applied whatever ruleset you are using. Now it is not pure GM fiat that determines if the characters arrive in time! And if hurrying makes you hungry, how about some magical seafood? No really, there's an article on Fish of Legend (and yes, you can cook and serve some of them, if you catch them!).

This packed journal rounds off with a page about The Ruins of Arbonesse... and if you are a fantasy gamer, you are going to find at least one thing of interest within this issue. Me, a cheerful song whilst preparing a seafood dinner for a party of veteran adventures I'd like to coax out of retirement...

As I look over any of 0one's mapsets, adventure ideas always begin to stir... so, here is the first in a line that takes some of their 'Black and White' line of game-ready tiles and battlemaps and presents you with an adventure tailored to that location.

The location in question is the White Wyvern Inn, situated with an eye to the travelling (and adventuring) community about a day's journey from anywhere... you pick a suitable place in your campaign world. The adventure is not just based in the inn, it is built around the very fabric of the place, and provides opportunities for those who wish to exercise their brains and their role-playing abilities, as well as their sword-arms.

The work begins with some extensive background, some of which can be explained to the characters as events unfold, some of which they might find out for themselves... and some of which they may never know, but which make for a rich experience as you use the whole to good effect as the game proceeds.

It is left to you to arrange for the characters to be in the White Wyvern Inn. Perhaps they're 'passing trade' or they may have been sent for deliberately... because the landlord has a bit of a problem. A ghost that haunts the taproom, playing the organ and entertaining the patrons, even acting as bouncer when people get a bit rowdy. But it has a disquieting habit of possessing someone mid-evening and declaiming a monologue in their voice, leaving them unharmed it is fair to say, but not everyone is happy about it and so the landlord has decided that the spook must go. Can the characters help?

Naturally, there's plenty else going on, even if the task of discovering how to ensure that the ghost goes to its rest was not enough. There's a whole cast of well-detailed characters each with their own distinct personality, agenda and set actions for the night - picking their way through what everyone is up to will provide plenty to keep your characters busy, never mind attending to their ghost-busting duties. Some may attack, some will try to enlist the characters' aid in their own schemes... and should you wish to make this an integral part of an ongoing campaign, rather than a one-night stand, much can be used to foreshadow further adventures.

The Inn itself naturally plays a starring role, and is described in loving detail, and referencing the original mapset if you have it. There's a decent-size map for the GM to work from, and if you like lots of floorplans and battlemaps to put in front of your players you can either get the original White Wyvern Inn set or don't buy this at all but get the Spirit of the White Wyvern Game Pack instead: adventure, maps, tokens and more.

After all this, background and maps and room descriptions and all, we actually reach the adventure itself. On page 8, there it is, the 'read aloud' text to introduce the characters to what you have in store for them - must be one of the longest introductions I've read in a long time! Once launched by their arrival, events move at a cracking pace with plenty of detail about what the NPCs are doing and how they will react to whatever the characters get up to. Everything is presented in two parts - there are the 'location' based events that will take place whenever the characters go to the stated location, and the 'timed' sequence of events that will take place at the appropriate time wherever the characters have got to... all melding together to create a vivid alternate reality that should come to life around your characters.

It's a cracking little location-based adventure with a lot crammed in, full of excitement. Drop this in somewhere suitable, tweak events a little to fit your own campaign, and it could become a momentous and memorable part of the story you and your players are creating together.

This is a monumental work, a comprehensive and scholarly history of the role-playing industry from its inception in the early 1970s to the present day. The focus is interesting, concentrating on the individuals and companies that have made role-playing what it is today rather than looking at the games themselves.

Whilst detailed, the writing flows well, making it eminently readable and often entertaining, a fascinating survey of the companies and people who have shaped role-playing and are responsible for most of the books on my shelves (or, these days, lurking on the RPG hard drive) - and who have provided me with years of entertainment and passion. If your interest in role-playing goes anywhere beyond the next dungeon delve, if you like to know the background and history of the games you enjoy, you should find something here catches your attention... and once caught, be warned, it may be a while before you can tear yourself away!

The chosen approach gives an overview worthy of the most epic campaign showing how the waxing and waning of public interest in role-playing has affected and been affected by developments within the industry as a whole. Depending on your particular interests, you can follow a particular company's or designer's fortunes, explore the state of play of the industry at a time of your choice - an interesting place to start, perhaps, is what it was like when you first took die in hand - or see which developments or innovations in role-playing or even the world around it had the most significant effects.

There is even material here that could attract the sociologist or social historian, or the budding game designer who seeks to understand the heritage of his craft as well as learning the nuts and bolts of game design. Should anyone offer a course in role-playing games, this is likely to feature on the reading list! And if that isn't enough, it does not presume any prior knowledge of the role-playing industry, introducing and explaining even the people who - to grey-haired ladies like me who grew up with role-playing and have been involved in it all their adult life - are notable industry personalities or even friends. None of the insider deigning to enlighten you here, but a clear exposition of the industry and those who shaped it.

For the scholar, there are quotes and references a-plenty - but entertaining and informative enough that the more general reader is not put off. If you delve far enough you can find out the context in which your favourite games or, often, individual books were published - fascinating insights that will ensure I return again and again as I develop my RPG Resource website.

Authoratative, entertaining, a fine and detailed survey of the development of this fine hobby from its earliest days to the present, filled with personalities and drama... this is a triumph of a work worthy of the highest praise.

Roll on up! Roll on up!

The circus is a magical place to visit even in the real world, and can be a fertile source of adventure in your fantasy world as well. Perhaps your characters are enjoying a night off, or they are meeting someone amidst the crowds... You might even want to run a game centred around a group of performers... and I even had one group who got in with a bunch of travelling players as an investment opportunity!

Here we have a town base for a travelling circus and associated 'carnival' sideshows, complete with descriptions of some of the fantastical and bizarre acts and exhibits. The actual location is described in detail too: thus you have the option of using the whole as presented or picking out acts, sideshow exhibits or the setting itself as suits your needs. Every NPC has a backstory, things you might pick out to weave into your plot or develop new ones... the ringmaster is a philanthropist, perhaps he has a job for your characters, or they may be in need of humanitarian aid when they've fallen on hard times, for example. Or perhaps he helped someone that they are looking for, and can point them in the right way - or misdirect them, if he distrusts their motives.

Adventure seeds, a whole packet of maps and plans, detailed NPC stats, everything you need to bring the magic of the circus to your game.

Roll on up! Roll on up!

Legendary weapons can be really FUN! Not just for the character lucky enough to wield one, but for the GM as well. Did you know that they can get jealous...? I for one would find it perturbing if the tools of my trade were getting miffed with me.

So here we have a selection of legendary weapons, the sort that young heroes acquire early in their careers and which grow with them, all of an unusual nature to Western eyes. Legendary indeed, perhaps something that nobody else uses, never mind the special powers that acrue... potential for some interesting quests to strange and exotic parts of the campaign world just to find out how to use the weapon to full effect, seeking tutelage from some ancient guru. (I like that, not just another weapons catalogue, but one which starts to spawn adventure ideas as I flick through it!)

Each weapon comes complete with backstory that gives not merely a rationale to the powers it confers on its owner, but ideas about what it might want from the relationship: particular actions or styles it might require, or quests that must be fulfilled. An assassin's weapon that coerces each successive owner into becoming the ultimate assassin himself... a fighting iron that once belonged to a warrior who made battlefield control an art form, and confers similar cunning on new wielders - or moves on to someone else forthwith.... a rope dart used by a geisha to right wrongs and said to appear in the hands of those who would defend those who cannot defend themselves... each weapon comes with a wealth of detail that builds plot ideas, whole campaigns even, as you read about them. And there's a nice illustration too, useful if you don't happen to be an expert in unusual Oriental weaponry.

Whether you are running an Oriental-flavour campaign or want to introduce a really unusual weapon into your standard cod-mediaeval European-style world, there are ideas here that could readily grow into... well, legend. Can't ask for more than that!

Sorcerers, as the Introduction points out, are unique amongst spellcasters because their magic comes from within themselves, an innate power. Not something bestowed by a deity, powered through music, drawn from their surroundings or learned from a book. Yet nearly everything written about them either lumps them in with other arcanists or never gets further than talking about bloodlines. So the purpose of this work is to present some different options for a sorcerer - arcane endowments, sorcerer-specific spells and alternative class powers - so that, whilst important, bloodline is not the only defining feature of your sorcerer.

First up, arcane endowments represent additional powers that a sorcerer may develop as he gains in experience. Mechanically, an endowment can be taken any time a level taken as a sorcerer would allow selection of an additional feat, and it replaces that feat. The options are quite interesting, including the ability to absorb temporarily a spell that is cast at you and being able to cast it yourself... provided you do so before you next prepare your mind for the next day's spells. Or perhaps you'd like the ability to occasionally re-roll a saving throw, cast a spell you'd not normally get the opportunity to learn or use spell energy to heal yourself - there are quite a few options here. Most are quite mechanical, and will need some thought to enable you to describe in character what your powers are and how you use them.

Next, the new spells. Normally, sorcerers use the same spell lists as wizards, even if the way that they prepare and cast them are different. The spells presented here are designed around the game mechanics pertaining to sorcerers, or the underlying rationale for how this class works, and so are not suitable for other casters (however curious they might get over what your sorcerer is getting up to in the corner!). For example, you can curse someone so that whenever a spell or power appropriate to your bloodline is used on them - whether by you or someone else - they suffer penalties to saving throws and armour class as they attempt to defend themselves. Other spells revolve around bloodlines as well, enhancing or replacing abilities, even allowing you to loan them temporarily to another creature.

Finally, alternate class powers are based on the archetype concept, allowing you to put a different spin on your character irrespective of the bloodline that he has. The bedreven has studied the powers and abilities available to sorcerers to such an extent that he gains similar powers, making spells a part of himself and casting them by will alone - mechanically, he uses a spell point system to determine what he can cast and so can be even more flexible in choice of spells provided that he has the points left to cast the chosen spell. A scourge is a sorcerer who has honed the combat elemments of his spellcasting abilities, becoming an embodiment of destructive arcane power. He can protect himself with light armour and a shield without suffering any chance of spell failure, but unlike a magus (who combines actual martial skills with magic use) the scourge's concentration is on his spellcasting alone. Last up is the strega, who combines sorcerous abilities with those of a witch.

This is a refreshingly different look at the sorcerer class, and ought to provide a few ideas for anyone looking to run a sorcerer who is that little bit different.

In what has become the standard opening, this fourth volume in the Divine Favour series opens with an overview of the cleric as adventurer and party member: strengths and weaknesses of the basic class, and what it's best to focus on. Most groups regard their cleric primarily as the provider of healing, with other spellcasting and a bit of combat tacked on for good measure. However, wise choice of offensive spells can make the cleric more potent in combat, and can be a better use of his powers than as a field medic. Switch to using the channel energy ability as the main healing force, and capitalise on the fact that clerics can cast spells when wearing heavy armour.

Next, new clerical domains are introduced: Alchemy, Apocalypse, and Prophecy; along with sub-domains that can be used to introduce variety by letting you swap out some of the domain powers and spells for different ones, changing the focus of your domain subtly. Some group existing spells to provide a different emphasis, but there are quite a few new spells - and new powers to play with.

If that's not enough, next some new archetypes. The Ascetic believes that the best way to explore his faith is to deny his bodily needs, fasting and choosing a limited diet, avoiding substances that he views as harmful. Charismatics exert influence over others by the power of their voices, many are travelling preachers proclaiming The Truth as they see it, some start crusades or urge their congregations to a certain course of action. An Enthusiast is filled with, well, enthusiasm about his faith and his deity - often forgetting themselves to such an extent that they can fall into a holy rage, abandoning reason as a raging barbarian does in his passion. The downside is that he cannot muster the focus to study spellcasting. The Exorcist sees devils and demons as threats to eliminate whenever the opportunity arises, and his powers and spells all function to that end. A Flagellant holds that pain and suffering are the way to salvation - and powers his spellcasting through his own blood. The Theosophist seeks wisdom and knowledge of the divine through study, becoming an intellectual student of his chosen faith rather than a devotee. They spend too much time in the library to be good fighters, on the other hand they have access to three domains instead of the regular pair, the third being any available to the character rather than those associated with his chosen deity. Vatics, who are restricted to the Prophecy domain alone, are capable of focussed visions, being able to cast any divine or arcane divinatory spell. Weapon-sworn believe that the path of righeousness is found through mastering their chosen weapon. Some are effective, even enthusiastic brawlers, others seek a more meditative state through their exercises. Wonder Workers manifest awesome powers through devotion alone.

Finally, all the new spells listed earlier are given a full write-up, ready for use; including a couple of rather nifty luck-based spells that can be used to help or hinder someone else.

There's a lot packed in here, and you will need to think what will fit in with the deities of your campaign world and the flavour of your game. Plenty of interesting ideas and food for thought, but as the deities of a world influence it so profoundly, GMs will need to decide which of these options to allow. The real strengths are the archetypes, which reflect how different people can take wholly different approaches to the service of their chosen deity - even when they have chosen to venerate the same one!

The defining features of an oracle are his curse and his mystery, and each one will have a different combination. To aid in making oracles even more interesting and individual, this work starts out by offering some additional curses and mysteries to consider.

First, new curses. The curse must be chosen at first level and remains with the oracle lifelong... so will he be a coward or a drunkard? Either could make adventuring interesting, especially for everyone else in the adventuring party. A stranger curse is that of the echo: this poor oracle cannot speak save to repeat what someone else has said... spells are cast silently, but at higher levels he can speak the verbal components of a spell someone else has cast and cast that spell, provided he is of sufficient level to cast it normally. That might prove too severe a handicap, so the aspiring oracle may prefer to be cursed with being grotesque, becoming even uglier as he rises in level. Other curses suggested are that of being illiterate (which does have the bonus of enabling the oracle to develop a prodigious memory), mute, souless or even of having an unstable form - you roll every day to see what you wake up as! The last one is wanderer, the oracle has itchy feet and cannot stay anywhere long. Each has some minor advantage, like the illiterate oracle's good memory, but in all cases the curse has profound effects on mechanical capabilities, never mind the potential for role-playing a distinctive character.

Next come some new mysteries. Like the curse, each oracle must select his mystery at first level and will continue to deepen his understanding in that mystery for the rest of his life. First is the mystery of clockwork: oracles who delve into this mystery can discern and change how mechanisms work and even create new ones out of thin air! Useful in a world where artificial constructs and mechanisms abound, but abilities are in the main limited to affecting them, so check that they are prevalent wherever you will be adventuring before choosing this mystery. Other oracles may prefer to delve into the mystery of the moon, gaining control of light and shadow and dreams... and insanity and sleep. Another mystery is that of the old gods, oracles who decide on this one gain strange powers and abilities from long-forgotten deities. Those who delve into the mysteries of disease are themselves plague-carriers and in general quite unpleasant to have around, whilst those who devote themselves to the mystery of snakes gain both the good and more repulsive attributes of serpents. Finally, the mystery of wine is there to be plumbed… perhaps best not by those whose curse is drunkenness!

The collection ends with a selection of new feats, all of which are specific to oracles. Many are based on mysteries, or on the oracle’s relationship with their deity, and should enable you to fine-tune your oracle’s capabilities in whatever direction you wish.

This book is all about developing coherent yet individual oracles who ply their trade skilfully and distinctively, and is recommended for all who want to stamp a mark on their campaign setting with their oracle. Some of the curses and mysteries are probably, however, best suited to NPC ‘enemy’ oracles, rather than player-character ones – but even these will prove memorable to those who meet them.

Do you think that those goodie-twoshoes fellas in the shining armour make boring adventuring companions? There's a fair bit more to a well-designed and well-played one, and this book is packed with advice and suggestions to help you hone your paladins to perfection.

It opens with a look at key ability scores, suggesting that aspiring paladins ought to concentrate on strength and charisma, with others being chosen based on the desired role, those aiming for diplomatic roles need intelligence whilst those wishing to become investigators may need wisdom. The obvious focus on constitution for someone intending to be a fighter can be disregarded as the paladin's abilities provide him with plenty of protection.

Next comes the wise use of class abilities such as Smite Evil and the laying on of hands, as well as suitable spell choices and selection of a divine bond. Naturally many of these will stem from the choice of deity, but in general spells ought to be chosen with an eye to enhancing fighting capabilies especially with regard to Smite Evil. It is better to rely on the laying on of hands rather than fill spell slots with healing magic. Skills are limited, so diplomacy and ride are good choices.

Now on to the new stuff. First, alternate class abilites: Divine Aspect and Stigmata. Divine Aspect allows the paladin to channel a bit of his deity's raw power at times of need, being able to manifest all appropriate benefits of one chosen domain... and a lot of benefits are listed here for all the common domains. Stigmata, however, are a way for the paladin's deity (or at least, the GM) to show displeasure with a paladin who has strayed from the straight and narrow short of stripping him of paladinical powers. As well as the classic bleeding wounds (as manifested by some Roman Catholic saints), an erring paladin might find that he has bad dreams or that it is harded for others to cast divine magic on him, or he may develop an obvious mark that shows divine disfavour to all who see him. It is up to the GM to decide if the paladin can atone over time, and so lose the effects, or whether they are permanent reminders to both him and others of the importance of following that particular god's teachings and direction.

The next section provides several new paladin archetypes to choose from. These provide the overarching concept, describing the way in which an individual paladin chooses to serve his deity. A Heavenly Beacon, for example, acts as an inspiration to others, with abilities that confer bonuses to their fighting capacity. The Holy Sword dedicates himself to mastery of his weapon. The Metropolitan is a city-based paladin, dedicated to protecting and improving the lot of urban dwellers, while the Questing Knight spends his time in search of holy relics and sights, or dangerous beasts to vanquish, much as in the classic tales of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table with the quest for the Holy Grail. A Templar draws inspiration from the crusader orders, defending holy places.

Next comes a look at Codes of Conduct. Whilst the core rules state that a paladin ought to live according to rules, what those rules actually are is left a bit vague. So here are suggestions as to how to codify them, with rules for paladins to follow... and benefits which accrue if he does. So a paladin who follows a path of poverty receives a few extra spells such as mending that will make his money go further... and a paladin dedicated to being extremely honest gets spells that help him discern the truth and tell when others are lying to him.

The book rounds out with some new Feats that paladins (or in some cases, others who meet the requirements) may take. Some are quite interesting - for example, a paladin who chooses the divine aspect ability can take the Dual Aspect feat, in which he chooses two domains suitable to his deity and can decide every time he activates his divine aspect which domain's effects he wants to manifest.

All this may serve to make that paladin even more of a goody-twoshoes... but an effective one, with a variety of ways in which to further the will of his deity within your campaign world. A well-played paladin can enhance any campaign, and here are some tools to help set him up.

The Introduction begins with an overview of the Druid class - a divine spellcaster drawing on the limitless power of the natural world, and with Wisdom as his primary ability. Special abilities include Wildshape, the ability to change form; whilst druids need to concentrate on the things they are good at with their spells - controlling the natural environment, participating in combat and acting in concert with their animal companion. This page is illustrated with a delightful sketch of a Welsh Archdruid from the 18th century, a time when romantics tried to recreate ancient practices, something that led to the establishment of the Gorsedd and the Eisteddfod, something completely different from Druidism as practiced within a fantasy game!

After some advice on feat selection, the discussion moves on to introduce some new class abilities for druids. This begins by exploring a novel option for Wildshape: namely being able to change into several identical animals or even a whole swarm of critters instead of but a single one. Similarly, druids may choose to have a flock of creatures as companions - rats, crows, bats... - instead of a single individual, numbers and size being restricted on a Hit Dice basis, with various options becoming available as the druid rises in level. They can also grant companions the power of speech, and at high levels empower them to cast spells as well.

Next comes some new Druid archetypes. Moon Druids (not, as one single solitary typo would have, Mood Druids!) embody the cycles inherent in nature, life and death, and transformation; and may favour the full moon or the new one. Phase Druids are also interested in change, but for them it is the continuous flux, the fluidity of nature that is important. Green Wardens care about life, growth and renewal, hating anything that disrupts the natural flow or which mimic it in an artificial manner. They are able to harm undead creatures as a result of this hatred. The Forest Child connects with the deepest, darkest reaches of the woods, being particularly close to fey and others who dwell there... including the very plants themselves, enabling them to take on some of the characteristics of a plant. Elemental Shamans form close bonds with one of the elements: air, earth, fire or water; gaining specific abilities related to the element chosen.

These are followed by some new spell domains that druids may acces. Bird, Hunting, Insect, Transformation, and Tree: each with their own specific powers and appropriate spell lists. Then there are a few new creatures suitable - or so tis claimed - to be animal companions. Electic lizards I can understand, but a brain ooze? Or a fast flytrap? (A Venus flytrap-style plant, in case you are wondering. Can you really see your druid wandering around with a plant pot under one arm?). Finally, some new feats.

This is a nice exploration and enhancement of the Druid class, although not all the options sound as if they would be easy or interesting to play. A Forest Child, for example, would thrive in a group that spent a lot of time in wild primordal forests, but would be at a loss in a city or a desert. Some may work better for NPC druids whose location and part in your plot is served by the option in question. There's certainly scope, and druids tend to be rather neglected amidst the flashier and more exciting spell users. Worth a read if you like playing druids, or run campaigns where wilderness adventures feature.

Was there a time when goblins were not vermin worthy only of immediate extermination? In this adventure, characters attempt to delve into goblin history on the trail of a great leader who stood proud amongst the other fantasy races. Written for low level (2-5) characters, intended to fill but a single evening and accompanied with all you might need by way of resources - tactical maps, monster summary cards, battlemaps and monster 'standees' - this scenario seeks the truth about the past.

The adventure itself starts quite abruptly with the characters entering a goblin ritual site and disturbing the ceremony in progress. How you get them there is up to you, one suggestion is that locals of other races have asked for help in clearing the goblins out. Naturally, goblins don't like being disturbed at their devotions any more than other worshippers do, and an unseemly brawl is likely to develop. Fate will, at that point, take a hand as the chief priest calls upon his deity to intervene... a delightful moment which I won't spoil by explaining what does happen!

In true archaeological style, this ritual site is not new, with successive layers of use to explore, moving back through goblin history, before that long-lost tomb is finally found. But is that treasure cursed? Tamper, and the characters may find out...

Everything is presented clearly, and the adventure should run smoothly with minimal preparation beyound some printing and cutting-out of the battlemap tiles and monster 'standees' - much nicer than tokens, especially if your players like to use miniatures to represent their characters in combat.

Whilst a straightforward 'dungeon delve' on the face of it, this is a neatly-crafted adventure that should make a memorable one-off or interlude in a campaign, perhaps revealing a little of the ancient history of your setting or posing some interesting questions for more reflective characters, or even launching a career as tomb raiders, ahem, archaeologists for characters for whom that would be of interest.

The cover illustration shows a mage who is either a bit baffled or trying to keep a straight face whilst a bunch of small rocks orbit his head... or maybe he's wondering if he had one ale too many? It makes an excellent introduction to that most bizarre of magic items: the ioun stone.

Stemming from ideas in Jack Vance fantasy novels, they are quite a difficult concept to get your head around. This work opens with a delightfully in-character discourse on the sheer lack of information about where they come from or what they are before launching into descriptions of some thirty of these doo-dads. Apparently Questhaven, the default setting for much of Rite Publishing's work, is a hot-bed of ioun stone manufacture, with craftsmen and mages combining to produce ever more exotic items for the discerning practioner. The assumption is made, however, that you know what they are. Now, true, they've been in fantasy gaming, especially Dungeons & Dragons, for a long time... certainly AD&D 2e if not before, and basically are magic items which operate when within 3 feet of their owner and, yes, they do fly round his head - the advantage of this being that they don't occupy an item slot. Over the years various rationales have been given for their origins, Vance himself wrote that they were acquired from the heart of a dead star, whilst the Postive Material Plane has also been cited as their source. From D&D 3e on, they can be created in the same way as other magic items. Each one confers a specific benefit based on shape and colour, the effect being automatic as long as they are orbiting their owner's head, and even when expended they can give a psionist a single point of power.

Enough of the background for anyone unfamiliar with them, on to the contents of this book. There's a whole range of intriguing effects available from the different stones detailed, plenty to whet the appetite if you are looking to acquire a few, or want to learn how to make them... or if, as a GM, you want to scatter a few around as treasure. Try a Powder Blue Sphere Ioun Stone, for example: once per day you can use it to send a message of up to 140 words to someone, then on to someone else, or even back with a reply. A magic text message or tweet... or if you have a Translucent Ellipsoid Ioun Stone, you can transform yourself into an amorpheous liquid form once a day. Others confer combat bonuses, or enhance skill check rolls, each quite specific, so choose wisely when you go shopping.

There also is an unique one, called The Master's Finch. Said to be imbued with the spirit of a druid's familiar (who was a finch), as its owner rises in level new powers manifest. Indeed, it appears to be able to learn, for it is told that each new owner finds at least one power that has not been associated with it before.

Ending with a handy reference table, this is a nice collection of stones to add to your game in various ways, a fun little catalogue well-presented and explained. Just don't give one to someone who's drunk, they will never believe that they are not seeing things as it whirls around their head!

Haunts have been one of the most intriguing and (from my side of the GM's screen, anyway) entertaining additions to the panoply of challenges to throw at characters... and here they take another novel yet classical twist: the haunt that is associated with an item rather than a location.

The work opens with a pseudo-scholarly account, the sort of thing you might cast before the more intellectual kind of adventurer to send them haring off into the horrors you have prepared for them. This leads in to the promised collection of some 30 haunted objects, by way of a note on persistant haunts, which can be a bit puzzling. As haunts duplicate spell effects whatever they do has a duration which can be 'instantaneous' or it can last for a set period. A persistant haunt with an instantaneous effect is one which hangs around firing it off repeatedly, while ones whose effects last longer are considered persistant only if there's a variation in the normal spell duration, it is triggered anew each round, or it is an effect that if you were creating it by casting a spell, you'd need to concentrate for the entire duration of that spell. A new 'trigger' is introduced as well. Haunts are normally triggered by proximity or touch, but some of the ones described herein are triggered by a gaze, by being looked upon. You defend against these in the same ways as you might protect against a gaze attack... but of course, you only take those sort of precautions if you are expecting one! Blindfolds and averted eyes can be very inconvenient when exploring...

The actual haunts are associated with a selection of items familiar to anyone who likes spooky stories, particularly those of a darker turn. Charred corpses, bloodied beds... and each one, of course, has a specific method of destroying the haunt, one that is not always obvious so if you use it you will need to work out how to present appropriate clues so that those characters who manage to stop running away and screaming long enough can figure it out. A delightfully sneaky one called the Determined Device, for example, resets a trap which the characters have already disarmed... as well as more classic examples like a flute that forces you to dance, a blisteringly-hot door knob, or a mirror that traps souls.

This magnificent array is followed by a description of an abandoned (and of course haunted!) temple and the ghost that masquerades as the resident deity. This location is the one described in the opening flavour text, complete with its own set of apposite haunts, and the whole could be used as a minor adventure in its own right.

The haunts are all well-developed, with coherent reasons as to how they came to be as they are, and logical ways to dispel and destroy them... can the characters but figure them out! Plenty to play with as you design your next game and pick one or two to terrify, annoy, or distract the characters. Build their stories into the plot you are weaving, and add atmosphere to your game.

In his Foreword, lead author Mike Selinker tells a tale about a rather hot Thai curry, and thus gives an insight into how his mind works. You may or may not like your curry hot, but reading this book will give you an insight into how a whole bunch of successful game designers go about designing games that people will buy and play. If you want to turn inchoate ideas into workable - and saleable - board games, or just want to know a bit more about how your favourite games came to be, and about the underlying concepts that make good games, read on.

The book is made up of four sections, and a mastery of ALL of them is necessary to create a successful game. Some fortunate souls may manage that for themselves, others need to develop the ability to find others who can fill in the gaps. First is actually coming up with a concept, which then has to be designed, developed, and finally presented: first to a publisher and then to the paying gamer public. Each section contains several essays by the people who made some of the games that sit on your shelves and which you enjoy playing.

Part 1: Concepting is all about what sort of games you might want to make, and who is actually going to play them. First, a board and card game designer called James Ernest (think Kill Doctor Lucky) draws the important distinction between a game and its rules. However vital they may be, a game's rules are just one part of what makes up the whole; and if the whole package isn't fun, that game won't get played. Moreover, although you can break down a game into its component parts, and even take its ruleset apart to see how it works, that probably won't help you design a different game - you need components for the game you are thinking of, and whilst you may well be inspired by something that works well elsewhere, you cannot guarantee that it will be as good with the concept you are kicking around. Right at the beginning you need a child-like imagination of what sort of game you want to play and why... but that needs to be the real reason. Some games make the players feel smart, some make you laugh, others let you imagine that you are something that you are not, some are familiar and comfortable because you don't need to worry how to play them.

Next, Richard Garfield (Magic: The Gathering) states that the best way to understand games so as to design your own is to play loads and loads of other games, thinking about what works, and why, as you do so. And don't just play the sort of game you'd like to make, play any sort you can get your hands on, watch game shows and more. Inspiration can come from the strangest and most unlikely places! (My family complain that I seem to reduce everything to 'How would this work in a game?'...) Then Jeff Tidball muses on how each game tells a story, and gives guidance on how to develop it, drawing on classical influences. One thing that's been mentioned is how game design has not been as subject to critical analysis and study as has music or literature. To understand and appreciate game design, you need a measure of such an academic approach. This is followed by Matt Forbeck comparing mechanics and metaphor, showing how both are important; and Mike Selinker discussing game ownership. This may sound woefully dull, the sort of class you might doze through, but it's not. Each essay is well-written and entertaining as well as informative and thought-provoking.

Part 2: Design moves on from these underpinning but quite general comments to look at the methods of deciding how a given game is actually going to work (and how to determine if it actually does as intended!). It opens with Andrew Looney (Fluxx) describing his own thought processes, how he goes about that strange activity of designing a game. Oddly, it sounds a bit like what goes on in my head, then it turns out that he's also a software designer which is one of the things I've done in real life... Fascinating stuff, though, even if your mind doesn't work this way. Next up, Rob Daviau talks about intuitive design, how with many of the best games it's just plain obvious how to play - even if you spend the rest of your life figuring out how to play it really well! Lisa Steenson next contributes a piece about 'gateway' games - the ones that sucker people into the hobby of game playing - and how to make them. Mike Selinka is next with a look at some of the all-out show-stopping game mechanics, a fine tour of what's outstanding in gaming. It's noticeable that most contributors (except Lisa Steenson) tend to spread their net wide and talk about other people's games as much as they do about those they've written themselves. This is followed by James Ernest again, talking about strategy, skill and luck within your game mechanics; closely followed by a second piece from the same pen about decision-making in gambling games... which are not all to be found in the casino!

In some ways, Part 3: Development, is where it gets tough. Coming up with ideas, working out mechanics and testing them, those are fun activities and because we like them, we are reading this book. But this section looks at the grunt-work that takes something that's fun and turns it into a robust game that's ready for the final step to take it to the marketplace, the hard work that turns 'good' into 'great' and is why most ideas for games stay just that: ideas. Dale Yu kicks off by looking at the development of the game Dominion, for which he was part of the development team, and extrapolating from that to discuss the very essential role of 'development - the honing of the original design - in the creation of games people will want to buy and play. Fascinating reading, as in the next piece by Paul Peterson about balance - and the creative uses of the lack thereof - in collectable card games. It is these details that make all the difference between something that is fun with your friends and something that can be sold to, and played by, gamers worldwide. Then Dave Howell focusses on the vitally-important point that must not get lost amidst the search for game perfection: it must remain FUN to play! He looks at some of the pitfalls that can spoil the game for at least some of the players. Delving deeper, Mike Selinker writes on the topic of writing precise rules: the sort that make sense at the first reading, and still do after hours of gameplay and a few beers. They don't only need to be clear, they also have to enable the game to be played with minimal effort - you're not there to apply rules, you're there to play a game! Teeuwynn Woodruff finishes this section, with a look at playtesting and how to make sure it's done to good effect.

Finally, we come to Part 4: Presentation. This is all about coverting your fun, playable game into a saleable commodity, and then selling it. It opens with Steve Jackson (of GURPS and Steve Jackson Games fame) on the trials of prototyping. Your prototype is what you tout around publishers in the hope they'll want to take your game on. Steve goes through some of the awful mistakes he's seen in a long and profitable career, in the hopes that we'll avoid them. Next, Dale Yu is back with some of the things that you should do with your prototype. So, with your nice prototype getting potential publishers slavering, read Richard Levy's piece on pitching and turn the interest into an actual sale. Finally, Michelle Nephew writes on the processes involved in getting your game from proposal to print, all the tough (and expensive) things that it is far better for a game designer to have his publisher do for him. Stick to what you know and are good at, and let others contribute the things that they do well.

Even if you never design a game, you will look at every game that you play in a different light. If you really absorb the wisdom herein and apply it to your killer game idea... your game will be welcome on my review pile!

First up, it's a cracking adventure in its own right. The Adventure Background opens with an evocative account of a dying city, detailing how it has come under vicious attack from the Hungering Legion, a bunch of mercenaries that you really don't want to meet on a dark night. But meet them the characters must, them and those who defend the city so desperately, if they are to complete their quest. Even here, though, are the chances to make this adventure your own, a living breathing part of your campaign world, not just something plonked down because you fancy running it and it's the right level for your players... a series of questions about fundemental motivations and underlying facts, replete with ideas. You could even take this as a starting point to build a campaign around, this adventure could be a culmination or just a waypoint in your plot. Or just run it as is, with as much or as little of the wider background as suits your style. A few 'hooks' to suggest why your characters might get involved and we're off.

Off indeed, in an in media res first encounter that has the characters already having struggled through snow and ice and tunnels to reach the very gates of the beseiged city. Descriptions and advice to the GM help create vivid images - and this is if you are presenting the game conventionally, rather than using the extensive resources provided for users of the MapTools virtual table top system. Attention must be paid to the hostile environment, the cold is at least as much of an enemy as the... well, enemy is! They are, however, very active on their own account.

Being at least partially a 'location-based' adventure, there are lots of options available at every point, all laid out clearly so that the well-prepared GM can cope with whatever decisions the characters make. There's even advice on how to handle some more exotic ideas for spell use that devious wizards might come up with! The action continues as the characters (hopefully) manage to enter the city and find their way - using combat or guile or negotiation - to where the person they have been sent to find might be. Clever use is made of difficult terrain and fog - both the meteorological sort and the 'fog of war' - to ensure that the party will end up passing through certain locations (where of course encounters will happen) without feeling that they are being led by the nose to get there, the sense of being free to explore the city, a city in the dying throes of a bitter siege, is strong. Despite the confusion, everyone and every creature has a reason for being where they are encountered, and their motivations and likely reactions are provided in such a way that whatever the characters do, you should be able to work out an appropriate response to their actions.

The adventure culminates in a dramatic escape attempt, replete with thorny moral questions to challenge the characters as they pick their way through difficulties that transcend the physical, causing them to question what they are doing as well. Or at least, that dimension is available for groups who seek more than the exercise of sword-arm and spellbook against a defined enemy. Those who prefer it kept simple can be challenged as much or as little as you see fit without deminishing the adventure - but if you seek a truly epic tale, make them think about the choices that they make!

Now to the extra twist to this tale: if you use MapTools you get (along with the download if you have bought the PDF or via the Bits-and-Mortar program if you bought it in print) a customised set of maps and tokens that are both spectacular and practical. Even better, if you are new to MapTools, tutorials are available on the Rite Publishing website to show you how to use the resources provided to best advantage. The visual effect is such that if there is any way to run your game where you can access the Internet, consider whether you might use them even if everyone is in the same room!

Be that as it may, here is a good, tough and challenging adventure, with plenty of material to enable you to run it effectively no matter what the characters do; moreover one which will make them think about more than just how to overcome the next obstacle.

Can I give it 6 Stars?

Opening with a Setting Introduction, which describes the variety of game types that you can play in this bleak yet chaotic apocalypic future-Earth, a setting rich with a wealth of opportunity for those brave, perhaps vicious, enough to sieze what they want and defend it against all comers. The background is explained, a gradual decline brought about by wars, economic catastrophes and environmental damage: no single apocalyptic event but a succession of disaster after disaster that brought once-green Earth to its present state of barren wasteland scattered with giant city-fortresses ruled by warlords.

Scene set, Chapter 2: Races looks at, well, the races available to players. The default is, of course, human beings - as described in the 'Humans' section of the Dungeons & Dragons 4e Player's Handbook. However, if 'fantasy' elements are required, the use of this ruleset means that the D&D fantasy races are compatible - even if they are explained away as aliens or from another dimension within your game. Or there are other options here: you might want to play an android, for example, a robot with artificial intelligence that has developed self-awareness... a process which tends to end in insanity. The formulae of D&D 4e have been used to good effect with such as 'Play an XXX if you want...' and powers for androids being renamed 'skill programs' - very neat retooling of the ruleset to suit the game setting. You could also pick a cyborg, a human with a lot of prosthetic enhancement and replacement. Stranger are the experimentals, subjects of mind or body altering biological experimentation, and gene freaks, who are genetically engineered humans, altered to excel in one specific area. Strangest of all, perhaps, are the risen, who have died and been restored to life by technogical means.

Next, Chapter 3: Classes examines the different career paths that characters can follow. Different races tend to be better at different classes, but you can enter whichever one that you wish. There are three to choose from: athlete, diplomat and specialist. Fantasy classes from D&D can also be used, the most suitable being those that draw on the martial or psionic power sources... unless you want to go really fantasy, of course. Athletes excel in melee, specialists in ranged combat, whilst diplomats use their minds and their charms to achieve desired outcomes. For each, a wealth of exploits and other features enable you to customise the character within these broad categories to end up with whatever you want. It's clear that plenty of thought has gone into these.

Chapter 4 then presents some paragon paths for those who reach 11th level and choose to specialise further. These are based on past history and inclinations, not on any specific class, and all are available to any character. Relic hunter, killer, high-tech gladiator, free agent, king of the streets, tunnel rat... it's the style in which you go about your adventures, the areas in which you wish to excel, that determine which, if any, you choose.

Race and class decided, on to Chapter 5: Skills and Feats. There are two new skills - Psych and Science - to equip your character to deal with the world as it is now, as well as notes on how to adapt existing D&D skills to the setting, in particular how to use knowledge of nature to forage in the wastelands. There are plenty of setting-specific feats to choose from as well. This is followed by Chapter 6: Equipment and Vehicles, so that you can kit out your newly-created character. In this setting, each fortress-city has its own currency, often held in electronic format: fine whilst you stay in one place, but what if you are visiting, or travel around a lot - or just have to leave in a hurry? Once you move on, electronic funds need to be converted into something more tangible. Precious metals and gems are a standard, of course, but drugs, medicines and ammunition are also popular. Then on to armour and weapons, and more general gear including medicines, food, and the various necessities characters are likely to need. An interesting point is that gear is defined as the stuff your character has that makes a difference to his being able to complete the adventure. Services - from lodgings to those of 'sex workers' and even a scale of bribes - and vehicles are also included here.

Next is Chapter 7: Experiments. Here are described several protracted procedures that characters might wish to undertake. They fit an analogous position to the 'Rituals' of D&D although they can involve the use of a wide range of skills. So if you wish to reanimate a fallen character, or persuade one of those archaic satellites to give you a view of the world from space... here's how. A character sheet blank, and off you go...

Despite the overview of the setting given at the beginning, the GM is going to have to engage in quite a bit of pre-game designing: surroundings, personalities, as well as whatever adventure is to take place. This work gives you the tools and a glimpse at the setting, but more work is needed before you will be ready to stride forth and adventure in the Altered Earth. What is here is good, clearly presented, consistently thought out... but it feels almost as if there's a second part to the book yet to come.

Jam-packed into some mere 28 pages are an overview of the setting, several sample characters, an adventures AND some ancillary material: plenty and enough to decide if this is a game that would appeal to you and your players.

First comes the setting information. After talking a bit about science-fiction adventures in the far future, things calm down a bit and it turns out that this is a post-apocalyptic Earth setting some unspecified time in the future. Civilisation has been destroyed in a series of wars, so well destroyed that nobody really remembers what it used to be like. Out of the chaos there arose powerful warlords who over the course of time have established fortified city-states that stand proud over the desolation and wilderness. Against this backdrop, all manner of adventures may be had.

The cities are teeming masses of humanity, crowded into too little space, piled layer upon layer, the higher up you live, the better-off you are. Governance is sparse, law and order just about non-existant. The rich hire security, the rest survive as best they can. Even in those rare places that hold elections, little concern is paid to the well-being of the population, whilst the majority of places are under the sway of a dictatorship of some kind. Real power lies in two places: the corps and the warlords. Neither care about ordinary people.

So, given this premise, 5 pre-generated characters and an adventure for them to play are provided for those who are intrigued enough to want to try this out. Glancing over the character sheets, it's clear how core D&D 4e has been bent, folded, mangled, spindled and macerated to suit. You'll still need the corebooks to make the most of it, or certainly once you branch off to concocting your own materials or characters for this setting, but there's a whole range of new stuff - from chain-swords (shades of Rifts here!) to appropriate powers and skills - that remain true to the underlying system yet give it a distinctive spin.

The adventure comes next. Set in the urban jungle of the lower levels of one of these vast cities, the characters are asked to find a missing girl, whose adventure sampling the darker side of life has gone sadly awry. Encounters aplenty await, as they make their way through situations that are described evocatively, words bringing them to life in the mind's eye. Chases, brawls, negotiations, opportunity to try out role-playing, skills and that chain-sword as you explore this alternate reality and stamp your mark upon it.

Then comes the additional material. Some concept art, mostly warriors and gangers, people you'd not care to meet in a dark alley but probably will if you play the adventure. And more background material, this in the tangible form of how money is handled in this game, and some of the things you can buy with it. Want a protein bar, or space in a 'coffin hotel' to spend the night?

As an appetiser, this gives a fair bit to get your teeth into (although I wouldn't recommend the protein bar, to be honest!), certainly enough to try the game out and consider whether or not it will suit your group and meet your gaming needs. And it's free, a good start. More than that, though, it does give a good flavour, a good feel, for what is in store.

Traveller has always been a fascinating game for the sheer diversity of things you can do in it, more diverse ways of finding adventure than just beating up adversaries and taking their stuff. A major element has always been interstellar trade. Even if you routinely flip past the business pages in the newspaper and confine your speculation to the odd game of poker or bet on a football game, there are bits in here that might still pique your interest.

Firstly, whatever your character does NOW, he might well have served on a merchant ship before he became 'an adventurer' and so will have a background and skills from his time in the merchant service. It's a great way to see the universe and be paid while doing so, without the obligations of military service. It can also provide an income and means of transportation during a game, even if the main focus is on other exploits. Or interstellar commerce may be the focus of your adventures.

So, this book comes in two parts. The first part is a massive extension of the mere two pages or so in the corebook for those who want to have 'merchant' in their background. Instead of just creating a 'merchant' with a basic skillset of ship-handling and trading, you can now choose between no less than seven distinct merchantile careers. Now you can be a free trader, a broker, a junk dealer, or a marketeer, serve in the merchant marine, or be a Royal Trader or a slaver. Of course, you can be 'ethically challenged' in any of these - indeed if you are a slaver, some people will condemn you thus out of hand. (Note for newcomers to Traveller: 'Ethically Challenged Merchant' is a polite way of describing a far future pirate!)

Character creation is much the same as standard, with the starting point - after rolling for or purchasing your UPP and determining homeworld characteristics - being the selection of which sub-career you'd like to go in to. This can be picked, provided you meet the prerequisites, or you can pay the, ahem, Licence Fee (i.e. bribe) to be admitted even if you fall short of the standards normally required. Exceptions can, of course, be made for a special case. Merchants also get a couple of new options: a specialist Ally called a Buyer/Seller who is a contact who is helpful specifically when it comes to trade, and the ability to exert influence. This is governed by a system of levels and by die rolls each time you wish to have an influence... and can backfire if you roll poorly!

Each merchant career has specialisations, so there is a lot of choice, a lot of variety available. You don't have to stick to them throughout your career, so a broker, for example, may spend some time working in an established corporate brokerage house, dabble in illicit trade, and/or strike out on his own. A merchant marine deckhand may be promoted to become an officer, or a free trader may serve aboard a large fleet or operate on his own or with just a few partners. No wonder that there are people who spend their time just generating Traveller characters without even intending to play them in a game, you can generate fascinating histories as you work through a career, and if you do end up playing that character, just think of the rich background he'll have!

The second part of the book deals with the running of all manner of commercial ventures in the far future, and are of particular use if you want to engage in commerce or trade during actual gameplay (or as a background to it). It begins with a remarkable essay on general commercial success, which takes the interesting approach of providing a means to generate a business in an analogous manner to generating a character. Naturally, it's only worth going through the whole process for a company that will be of pivotal importance in your game, but it's another fun thing to go through on a quiet night in even if you don't need a fully fleshed out company right now. Indeed you could run a whole game around competing companies using these rules - or run a dynamic background to a merchantile campaign where the characters are minions of one or more such organisation. If this kind of detailed company appeals, but the creation process does not, several examples are provided. (One minor flaw, a comment relating scale in those mega-corps that span several sectors refers to Ling Standard Products in each instance, instead of to the company in question!)

The next section, Trade in the Galactic Market, develops the basic trade system as given in the core rules. It can get quite complex and does call for a fair amount of die rolling and consulting of tables (I showed it to my current referee, and he threatened me with the slavers!) but it does allow you to model just about anything you like, particularly if you want to run that standby of Traveller games, party of characters with ship funding their explorations and adventures by trading planet to planet. You can simply convey freight, mail or passengers from one place to another; or engage with trade more actively, buying and selling as a true merchant. Or you can deal in slaves, but I won't talk to you if you do!

Then there's a section on Privateers. These are defined as a kind of freelance law enforcement of the space lanes, preying on illegal (by the lights of their sponsoring government) trade. The line between privateer and pirate is a narrow one, however, especially when it's your ship that is boarded and your cargo that is seized! If privateering appeals - and despite being dangerous, hard and thankless work, the profits for success can be high! - this section looks at everything from gaining that all-important contract to the duties and obligations that a privateer takes on, depending on just who has hired them on, and the sort of events a privateer can expect during their service. As well as governments, privateers also serve megacorporations and religious faiths.

Next, there's a section on Trade Goods. Ecellent for those who want to bring some life to their cargo hold, and take their manifest beyond a bland statement of tonnage of freight carried, there is a lot of detail here about what you might actually be hauling around the galaxy. It also enables you to relate trade items to the world you're on when looking for something to purchase, and be able to think about what would actually needed on the world you intend to visit next. So if you are the sort who'd rather know that your hold is full of black pepper, or bauxite ore, depleted uranium or illict BTL chips, rather than just a tonnage with a freight or resale value, this chapter will bring your manifest to life.

Finally, what book on traders wouldn't allow them to go shopping for themselves? Plenty of equipment, weapons, and clothing for merchant characters to purchase. Ship modifications and equipment are included too, and even some purpose-build merchant vessels - including a specialised passenger transport. As my engineer character doubles as a chef, he's wondering where the galley is on the plan; but otherwise they provide interesting variety from the standard ships already published.

Overall, this is a splendid expansion of the ruleset to allow you to delve into as much detail as you'd care to about interstellar trade and commerce in general. Vital if you wish to centre your game on such matters, capable of generating a wealth of background even if trade is only incidental to the plotline.

Right from the very beginnings of Traveller, one of the joys of the game was the impression of a whole universe out there, ready to be explored. A feature of this, even back then and more so as the Information Age has developed far more than Marc Miller and the rest might have imagined, has always been the ability to pull up data about those places your character might be going to... even in the days of those 'little black books' there were a couple entitled 'Library Data' that contained the sort of information a character might turn up if he enquired about a place or a thing he'd heard about, neatly encapsulated so that the Referee could either read it out or just point to the book. Everything was 'in character' and free from any game spoilers, something you could let your players browse through as much as they wished without risking anything you didn't want known yet coming out.

This book is a worthy successor, presented in a similar manner and every bit as useful to player, character and referee alike as the original!

It pretty much dives straight in, with a scant paragraph explaining that the records herein are the sort of information that would be thrown up in a computer search on a given keyword before starting with 'A' and so on. Neatly, it reflects the same sort of problem that besets those who struggle with a Google search - you need to know what you are looking for: apparently computers in the far future are no better than ones today at interpreting vague and woolly requests. Ask Google for 'that expensive hotel in the Gulf states' and you won't find the 'Burj al Arab' easily; just so in the far future, you need to know what you want to know about!

If you are not desperate for a given piece of information right this instant, it can be quite fun to flip through, if a bit disjointed by the very nature of the presentation. The style is very uniform and consistent, clear and authoritative in tone. Whilst it is accurate in terms of the Official Traveller Universe (OTU), individual Referees can of course make their own decisions as to how accurate this 'public information' actually is within the context of their own game. It would also be relatively straightforward to devise similar entries on matters of your own devising, ready to answer in-character queries from your players.

As well as the 'encylopaedia' entries, there's the Emperor's List that runs through the succession of rulers of the Third Imperium for the past thousand years right up to the current incumbent, Strephon. This is followed by some useful charts equating Tech Level to various standards recognisable to real-world present day readers (especially those who read enough science fiction to know what, say, a Dyson sphere might be!). A timeline chart shows events in the entire OTU as compared to Earth... the Zhodani were spacefaring while our ancestors were building pyramids! These charts put things nicely into context.

As a game resource, it is an excellent and accessible presentation of 'what an educated character probably knows' about any topic from the AAB to Zhodani. By necessity it can be a bit of a thumb-nail sketch - and often there will be more information in other books for those who want to go into a topic in detail - and sometimes it's a bit simplistic: any far future kid already knows far more about air/rafts than the couple of paragraphs here... but it has also been written with one eye to the age-old gaming problem: characters know far more about the alternate reality in which they live than their players can be expected to! If you run or play in Traveller campaigns that use the OTU to a greater or lesser extent, this is a book well worth having as a handy reference!

Essential reading for anyone interested in the Zeitgeist Adventure Path, and with it being available as a free PDF download with the option to purchase a printed version if you prefer, it's quite safe to say that! Starting with some evocative fiction to set the scene, a brief Introduction explains the contents of this work - aimed at players and GMs alike - and gives a brief pronuciation guide, which makes everything sound like Welsh pronounced with a strong American accent! There's also a note that, despite the underlying theme involving tension between industrial/technolgical advances and magical tradition, those who don't like tech in their fantasy can substitute either arcane magic or psionics for technology, with their 'traditionalists' being divine spellcasters. Likewise, although the game is set squarely in its own setting, you can adapt it to take place in another alternate reality of your choosing. The next couple of pages repeat the contents of the Player's Primer, describing a little setting, background and timeline, and presenting a map.

Section 1: Characters covers what you need to know to create characters suited to the setting and campaign. The default assumption is that characters are members of the Homeland Constabulary, but if preferred, they may work for some other law enforcement agency or be hired in by the Constabulary as specialists. Basically, it's possible to play just about any race or character class that is available in standard Pathfinder games, although some will be quite unusual here or may need a little work to fit in. Clerics are rare, as there are no established churches and deities tend to be less involved in mortal affairs than in some settings; but druids and oracles abound. Just about all magics work, apart from long-duration flight and planar travel, and dragons are presumed to be extinct. Technology is quite low-impact, aside from a sooty atmosphere, most noticeable in this new-fangled railway and some primitive firearms, muzzleloaders in the main.

The discussion moves on to the really neat innovation of character 'themes.' These are background and flavour options, which work mechanically in a similar manner to traits, only you may have just the one theme. All fit well with the setting of this campaign, and may need changing if you intend to tamper with it. Nine themes are on offer, each offering an interesting angle. For example, there's the Docker, who is not a mere stevedore but a member of an informal and innovative artistic movement. A bit anarchistic, they favour impromptu performances of music, graffiti, stand-up or even freestyle philosophy. Both Gunsmiths and Martial Scientists are fascinated by the fusion of technology and combat, with the former specialising in firearms and Martial Scientists taking a formal analytical approach to warfare itself. As you can see, the themes allow you to choose your character's whole approach to life, rather than a profession or allegience.

There also are details of income, and of the novel contraptions and substances available to spend it on - even recreational drugs if that's your character's thing! Then comes a system of 'Prestige' which is a reputation-based method for determining how easy it is for a character to obtain unusual items or call in favours, necessary arts in navigating the bureaucracy inherent in an organisation like the Constabulary.

Next is Section 2: Setting Overview. Here's the stuff your character knows, because he grew up there, neatly summarised for the benefit of players who didn't. The action is centred around the subtropical kingdom of Risur, where emerging technology vies with ancient magical heritage, and its relationships with neighbouring states. Cities, nature, cuisine, religious belief, and more are covered - and for those who want to get deep into character there's even suggestions for adapting real-world accents to different nations so they actually sound different! There's a lot here and it will repay careful study, so as to become embedded into this alternate reality and see it come to life in your game. The Royal Homeland Constabulary serves to protect Risur from any threat, internal and external, and is said to use any means legal or otherwise to achieve its ends. There's plenty about other lands as well, to facilitate playing characters who come from there or to inform trips abroad.

Finally, Section 3: Flint looks more closely at the dominant city of Flint, the technological capital (although not the legislative one) of Risur in which at least the initial stages of the campaign are to be focussed. Characters are advised to get to know it well, and there's a map and gazetteer to aid you. There is also detail on the organisation, responsibilities and powers of the Royal Homeland Constabulary, and a selection of key NPCs characters will encounter in the adventures to come.

Oh, and everyone is paranoid about teleportation. Be it the threat of someone teleporting in about some mischief or even teleporting out with a kidnap victim. Fortunately, it can be blocked... with gold, provided that gold forms a complete ring. Shall we just say that golden handcuffs take on a whole new meaning...

It's an excellent overview of a well-designed setting that leaves you itching to create a character and dive on in, an excellent way to get everyone eager to play or GM the campaign to come!

The second 'advertising flyer' for the Zeitgeist Adventure Path is designed to tell interested parties, and particularly those who might play in the campaign, about the setting of the adventures. As member of the Homeland Constabulary, the characters are tasked with defending the good citizens of Risur from threats within their very borders... but all is not quite what it seems (when is it ever?) and many are the dark secrets that they will unearth as they go about their tasks.

There is a series of thumbnail outlines of the races to be found in Risur and some of the strange and diverse influences acting upon them. To find out more, or if one concept has already caught your eye, there is a more comprehensive Player's Guide which will provide comprehensive details to enable you to create and play the character of your choice - although if you are already chomping at the bit, the author says that you could manage fine with this information alone. A major strand appears to be the death of an elf goddess some 500 years ago, an event which had cataclysmic effects far beyond the understandable distress it caused to her own devotees. Technology is quite advanced, even to the level of firearms, whilst dwarves believe that they, at least, are coming to the end of their story and that their kind will soon cease to walk the land.

There's a very brief timeline, less history than even the most inattentive youngling will have picked up on the school bench, and a nice map showing both Risur and the surrounding lands. Overall, the setting in a neat two-page thumbnail that can live in a folder with your character sheet as a ready-reference. If you don't have at least a sneaking urge to play this campaign after reading this, check your pulse.

An excellent idea, a good-looking two-page handout to introduce the new adventure path from EN Publishing, something that gives the gist of the nature of the campaign to players and GMs alike: and once a GM has decided to run it, something to pass round to whet his players' appetites well before there is anything more substantial to share with them (as this came out a good few months before the full Player's Guide).

Two pages it may be (and that is handy enough, print double-sided and hand out but a single sheet!) but there's plenty packed in. First, a summary: Risur is a land where technology is burgeoning, despite the surrounding forests that are teeming with the fey but there's a new age, the 'zeitgeist' coming, or so the skyseers say.

Next, an outline of what is to come publication-wise. A series of thirteen linked adventures, which will take characters from 1st level to the dizzy heights of 20th level (Pathfinder) or 20th level (D&D 4e), in a rich world rife with plotlines and interesting NPCs with whom to interact. The characters, employed as members of the Homeland Constabulary of Risus, face challenges aplenty as they protect the citizens from threats within the very borders of the country.

Apart from a pretty picture, the second page is advertising, explaining how the main sales route will be by subscription (including it being a perk for those who have paid membership of the EN World discussion website), but that adventures will also be on sale. There will be two versions of each adventure, one for each ruleset, but those who chose to subscribe will not have to decide which ruleset they want, they get access to both! Neat.

Nothing quite as sweet as a miniature dragon, perhaps of a suitable size to hold in your arms like a pet... but drakes are not pets, but sentient beings in their own right, fascinating creatures to have around in your game. (I had to add 'in your game' lest I start to conjure fantasies of one coming in my back door...).

The Introduction talks about, despite - because of? - their iconic nature, how difficult it can be to actually have a DRAGON wandering around in your game. They're big, they're tough, and they tend to amass game-unbalancing amounts of treasure. Moreover, they're supposed to be the creatures of myth and legend, not someone you meet down the pub for an ale and a few hints about the next adventure. This is where creatures such as drakes come in: all the awesome features of real dragons without actually breaking the legend that dragons ought to be in your alternate reality.

Then on to The Ecology of the Drake. If you want to have them around, it's important to know a bit about how they live, what they eat (especially when adventurers are out of season), and so on. Whilst fitting in to the Open Design setting, Midgard, most is applicable to any game world, at most you'll need to change a few names and locations. It all started off with pseudodragons, which are the first of the class of critter now called 'drakes' to be recorded. Popular with wizards as familiars, and even around the house, some tried to call them 'common drakes' but it never caught on, they are too, well, uncommon! Yet, once they were established in the popular mind, other types were discovered and these were even less common. Most are tagged by some 'feature' that is associated with them - generally esoteric, geographical or material. So you get glass and ash ones, those which embody an idea, and those associated with an area or geographical feature. They are definitely related closely to dragons: reptilian, winged, and with a breath weapon. But there are differences too. For a start, you cannot tell just by a glance at the colour of one what its alignment might happen to be, and they do not have all of the magical abilities dragons have. They tend to get on better with ordinary people as well, building rather more sustainable links than those based on slavery or lunch. Drakes and dragons don't always get on, either. Some dragons don't like these pesky upstarts, others think they'd make neat pets.

Drakes do like to hoard, but rather than going for gold and gems, a common theme is the 'curiousity' - unusual items, maybe of historical interest - or ones based on the type of drake that they are. Even aside from the geographic drakes, many choose to live someplace that is appropriate to their type, like the colony of ash drakes that live amongst the smokestacks of the foundaries of Zobeck. One section runs through many of the known drake types and where they are to be found in Midgard. The chapter rounds off with a list of some ten famous individual drakes: drakes of renown, even if your characters never meet them, they might have heard of them.

Next, Chapter 2: Players and Drakes looks both at companion drakes, and at those who want to actually play a drake character. (Don't laugh, I have a pseudodragon PC in one of my games who is great fun, even if he did set an entire monastery church alight through incautious use of his breath weapon!) For those seeking a drake companion, remember that they are not good at following orders, and are certainly not the docile creature that some familiars appear to be. Even if you choose not to use the rules for Wilful Companions (which are a delight for the mischevious GM to contemplate), they ought to be played as distinct personalities in their own right, often a bit superior, convinced that they are by far the most important members of the party and probably counting 'I told you so!' as one of the first phrases they learn in Common! Several feats aimed at drakes are presented, including ones for those who become companions. Drakes can choose any character class as their companion (and yes, they tend to see it that way round!), but different types prefer different classes, and - a rather neat thing - confer slightly different mechanical benefits based on class. For example, Cavaliers can choose a new order, the Order of the Drake, and Monks can develop a style based on how drakes fight. Those who really, really like drakes can take a whole new class, the Drake Tamer; and a prestige class, the Master of Drake Forms, aimed at anyone who enjoys shapeshifting.

The second part of this chapter looks at actually playing a drake character. Beginning with the pseudodragon, and using this as a framework to construct the necessary game mechanics to create any of the drakes in this book, you'll find all that you need if you fancy playing one of these small but fascinating creatures. Advancement and the sort of roles a drake PC might occupy are also discussed. This is followed by some new drake-related spells and magic items made for or by drakes. Finally, mundane items that are of use to drakes, including such useful concepts as blades that can be attached to wing or tail.

Next is Chapter 4: Game Masters and Drakes. The meat of this chapter is a full run-down on no less than 20 drakes to be used as allies or enemies in your game. This is a bestiary rather than a collection of NPCs, you will have to add specifics relating to each individual as you need them. Alehouse drakes sound rather fun, whilst candle drakes are useful to have around despite the unusual diet (they not only produce light, they eat candles, you see!). Others, such as crimson drakes and deep drakes, are inimicable by nature and far more likely to serve as foe than friend. There are some fine illustrations of the different types, too, the sort you want to print or project so you can say "You see this!" to your players. This fine array is followed by a set of rules for creating additional drake types to your own design.

This tome is quite a gem, particularly notable for the flexibility of approach from a bestiary to everything you need to create your own drakes as monsters or characters... if it's drakes you want, you will find them here.

Aimed at Rite Publishing's 'Kaidan' setting, there is evocative material here that could be useful whenever you want to introduce an oriental flavour into your game. It opens with three short stories, told in a gentle oriental style, telling of the adventures of a young swordsman called Akaan and, more importantly, how he grew spiritually and then in his turn taught others. First listen, then meditate on what you have heard.

Moving on, but in the same style, comes an explanation of what tengu are - sentient flightless bird-men, to put it briefly. Customs, traditions, faith, the rhythm of their lives, are all covered here for those who would seek to understand or portray them. The race would seem suitable for players who favour a philosphical approach and are comfortable with thoughtful role-play of a character who has considered his place and aspirations carefully, not that tengu are by any means pacifistic as to them mastery of the sword is a high art indeed! Believing their race to be descended from the wind and the mountains, they revere both and often express themselves in arts such as poetry and calligraphy as well as in swordplay. A well-rounded tengu displays competence in all of these and more.

Only once this discussion is done do we reach the relevant game mechanics necessary to create a tengu character. Naturally, individuals may pursue any class, and each is discussed briefly as to their suitability and the way in which most tengu would approach that vocation. Several archetypes are also presented. For example, some tengu tame and raise boar, and ride them as Cavaliers. Others pursue a distinctively tengu form of Paladinhood. Others seek the very power of flight, developing a martial style involving prodigious leaps and eventually even limited flight. Seekers after great wisdom may aspire to become daitengu, the near-immortal guardians of mountain-top shrines.

Finally comes a selection of new feats. Many could be picked up by non-tengu characters, perhaps by spending time with tengu, observing them closely and studying their ways: others have the race as a prerequisite.

Overall, beautifully-presented in evocative style, it is easy to picture tengu society and see how you might place them in a suitable part of your world - or, for that matter, have a clear picture of your homeland if you wish to play one who has travelled far to adventure in other lands. A nicely-put-together piece, a few minor layout flaws, but pleasing to eye and mind alike.

The work opens with a sad tale of a fox who so loved a human being that he learned to shift into human form... but everything ended tragically, and a spirit of pure vengeance was born. Thus did Red Jack come into being, a fey being that brings death, and fills children's ears with tales of terror.

A backstory rich and strange, portraying Red Jack to the full, equips you with the groundwork to weave his presence into your campaign world, replete with the myths and legends associated with his name and deeds. His magical demesne is also detailed, perhaps your characters come across it in their travels, and enter unawares. Or, having heard the tales, or even encountered those on whom his vengeance has fallen, seek it out deliberately. Chief amongst its dangers is a major artefact, the Murder Stone. Created at the culmination of Red Jack's vengeance, it is death to merely touch the thing... but can also confer knowledge to those courageous enough to try and lucky enough to survive.

Three groups of fey creatures, all fox-related, come next: the kitsune (or gloom fox), the ghost fox and the pipe fox. Plenty of details are provided for incorporating them into your game, even - should you so wish - as player-characters. They are quite fascinating, not necessarily evil but by no means good either, often damaged psychologically with... interesting results. Magical, fascinating, there are many reasons why your characters might want to seek one out, and you have all the tools to make them come to life when that happens.

Finally, there's another major character, one bound up in Red Jack's tragic story, for she is his long-lost daughter. She too could be an interesting, if dangerous, acquaitance for your characters - a passing person of interest or a pivotal individual in an adventure or whole campaign. The book winds up with detailed stat blocks for all individuals and races described herein.

There's a lot of potential here, if you like the mystical aspect that including the fey in your game can bring. It's ambiguous, no evil to fight or good to aid, each fey seems to be a bit of both. Whilst ideas a-plenty may spawn as you read through, there is nothing that you can just pick up and run; but if you like the concepts, there is plenty to make use of as you craft your own stories.

OK. So those books of feats for the new classes in the Advanced Player's Guide that you, like me, have been collecting have just been bundled up to make a new product that we don't really need... WRONG! Well, maybe if you only want to play an Oracle, say, you might be better off with just that subset. Even apart from those who clamoured for a print version, this is an advantage to most people and in particular GMs trying to keep track. True, nearly everything here, apart from a few corrections and improvements, is available in the previous products. But it's all laid out in an easy-to-use form, with all the feats ordered in the first section, and then all the 'builds' collected together afterwards.

The Introduction explains some of the background to the work, including the author's long-time fascination with feats and the way in which he approaches them. The preference is for feats that are widely available but which can be used to customise, hone or otherwise fine-tune a character to be just what you want. Advice for both gamemasters and players about thoughtful and balanced use of feats is also included.

So, on to the feats themselves, listed alphabetically. Possibly the best part of each feat description is the 'commentary' giving the author's thoughts on that feat - a real delight both for those who fancy doing a bit of game design themselves and those curious as to how game designers come up with things. For those who don't want to plough through pages and pages of feats in the first instance, there is a summary table that gives feat name, prerequisites if any, and a brief outline of what it enables you to do. There are also sidebar comments of wider interest, some historical anecdotes and overarching commentary covering feat combinations or the approach to an entire group of feats. The historical asides are fascinating, demonstrating how wide-ranging research can become at times - I'm glad I'm not the only one to delve into obscure matters to improve my game!

This is followed by the 'Builds' grouped by each class in turn. Some may deride the entire concept as a very cold and calculating way in which to view your character - yet how many students visit a careers counsellor and plan course combinations to maximise their chances for getting the college place or job that they fancy? Of late, players applying to my games often include a 'build' profile in their submission, even if they don't stick to it once I call for a level-up; and it doesn't hurt to have some idea of where you think you are going, even if it changes with time. (The character planning development as an open-handed combatant has suddenly wondered just how she'll incorporate the intelligent magic dagger she's just bonded with...) It is certainly an interesting approach, and there is nothing more infuriating as hearing about a neat feat and then finding at your next levelling point that you have nowhere the right prerequisites for it, and yet if only you'd... Most GMs are not too happy at a retrofit, so you are stuck, whereas with a bit of forethought you'd have the feat you want. Also, as you read through these 'Builds' plenty of role-playing possibilities are presented, some are so full of concept ideas that whole character backgrounds can be spawned from merely reading them.

If you didn't get the earlier class-by-class products, this is a better work to go for: even if you did the value of the compilation outweighs the sneaking feeling that you've already paid for this material!

Throughout history, the concept of the 'lost city' has always fascinated... likewise generations of gamers have been drawn to explore by legend and rumour, right back to the Basic Dungeons and Dragons module B4: Lost City! Whether it's fame and fortune, mere survival, or some higher purpose, mention lost cities and adventurers will come in droves. This lost city is no different, and there are wonders to discover for those brave enough and skilful enough to explore.

The lost city of Kadralhu has much to offer the adventurer and much also to offer the gaming group, for it is presented as a 'sandbox' adventure, a setting with much to do rather than a single plotline to figure out. Whatever the characters' motivation for going there, wherever they venture once they arrive, there are things going on, things to discover, enemies to vanquish, allies to be made and secrets to learn. All that is visible is a small ruin protruding from the desert sands... but (naturally) all is not what it seems.

Chapter 1: Kadralhu provides the background explanation of who used to live here, and why the city is now 'lost' at least as far as the outside world is concerned. For survivors still dwell there, some following ancient patterns and others developing their own responses to the cataclysm that struck their city down. There are several parts to the city, each with their own stories to tell, and these may be explored in pretty much any order. The city has a long and eventful history that, once discovered, explains at least part of what it is today, and promises what it might become again, if the characters win through and choose to restore it to its former glory. There are eight major locations, described in following chapters, as well as numerous factions and groups amongst the surviving residents.

It is suggested that characters arrive at the city knowing little of what to expect, perhaps even coming across the ruins by chance when crossing the desert. However several hooks are provided ranging from the characters being asked to trace the source of contamination in ground water that's driving those who drink it mad to divine entreaties. Whilst there are riches to be looted and antiquities to be discovered, it is unlikely that most adventurers will have heard about them. The two settlements nearest to the lost city are outlined, with an extended adventure characters might wish to emerge and then return to the city several times before they are done with it... or it is done with them.

The chapter rounds out with extensive notes on the new races to be found here, each with an impressive array of sub-types, and complete with all manner of background information to enable you to play them effectively as far more than mere opposition in combat. There's monsters here too, sometimes the distinction is a bit blurred as to what is 'monster' as in creature and what has a little more in the way of intelligence. Put together it creates a unique microcosm of life, a unique ecosystem which more thoughtful characters may find intriguing and worthy of study, while more violent ones will find plenty to challenge their skills.

Next, Chapter 2: The Phoenix Tower deals with the ruins on the surface, all that is to be seen by the casual passer-by and the characters' likely point of entry to the city. A small, broken, slanted building on the surface is but the very top of what was once a high tower, but through it characters can descend and begin to see the scale of the city awaiting them. Not of course that it is that simple: the descent itself is fraught with danger even before they get to explore. Skill in scrambling as well as in combat will soon be called upon in the encounters within. Descriptions are atmospheric and intriguing, with plenty to keep explorers' minds busy as they plumb the depths, while each encounter is mapped and detailed clearly, making them straightforward to run.

Once the characters are in, Chapter 3: Impressions is designed to enable you to let them have a look around. Several themes run throughout the adventure, relating to the beings that are encountered - part of the challenge facing the characters is to figure out what they are and how to deal with them in an appropriate manner: if they get their approach right, they will win friends. If not... shall we say that a difficult task will be made even harder. Those which make a good impression gain tangible benefits over time, with clear rule mechanics to help you administer the effects. While clear, these are quite complex, so it is worth making sure that you understand them before the characters get this far. There's a lot for them to do, finding their way around and making friends (or enemies), but a collection of small encounters are provided for when things seem to go a bit slowly, as well as several major set-piece ones tied to certain locations.

Following chapters detail other parts of the city and what (and who) is to be found there. I won't go into details as many of the titles might give too much away, suffice to say that both locations and specific encounters are marvellously detailed, making it easy to make the alternate reality come alive for your players. Everything has its history, its reasons for being the way it is. Everybody that they meet has their own business to be about, that its clear that they will be getting on with even were the adventurers not around. Yet if the characters succeed in puzzling out the great secrets of the city, they can choose to restore it to its former glories, raising a deity in the process...

Many challenges that the characters face are tough ones and will tax even those of the designated levels to the utmost, however both brains and brawn will be needed to succeed. Parties who wish to fight everything they meet will likely fail, yet those who hesitate and are not prepared to fight and fight well will be overwhelmed. It's a balanced and rounded adventure, with scope for many different things, and one which should resound in the legends of your gaming group for many a year to come.

As this product's "blurb" says, the warrior-mage turns up far more often in fantasy fiction than he does at the gaming table. This is partly due to the tendency for most systems to focus on being either a spell-caster or a sword-swinger, with cababilities in one or both having to be sacrified in an attempt to multi-class your way into the sort of character that you want to play. The recent publication of Ultimate Magic in the Pathfinder core line has begun to rectify this with the Magus class, although he's envisaged as being with a sword in one hand and a spell in mind. So, here is a short work jam-packed with ideas for how to make your Magus into your own idea of a warrior-mage, one who will hopefully be the subject of many a bard's song...

Material is presented as two aspects. Firstly there is a collection of new arcana, the arcane secrets that are the specialty of the Magus class. There's a wide variety, enabling all manner of enhancement to weapons including a neat one which allows you to pre-load a spell with a range of 'touch' into a weapon when preparing for the day, and then expend it at will... and use any spell, with certain limitations, each day you choose to use this arcana. Another enables the magus to use any feat for which he qualifies, but does not have, for a set period, another handy little ability.

The second part is a selection of new archetypes, building on all the new arcana. Like those presented in Ultimate Magic, an archetype must be chosen at first level, and it is an all-or-nothing package deal. There are some interesting ideas here. A Cabalist, for example, draws on inherent power rather than study to cast spells, acting more like a sorcerer who can fight than the warrior-wizard most Magus characters are. Those who value the finder side of life might prefer the Magavan, who specialises in social and divination spells and is well-suited to the role of Court Magician or diplomatic service.

If the Magus interests you, there are some interesting additional concepts to consider here. GMs will find material of use, I'm sure an NPC Magavan or two will soon be hanging around seats of power in my games...

Everyone sometimes wonders how a 'modern' person would get along in the fantasy setting of their choice, here is a character class that lets you find out without all that tedious modification (says she who took a bunch of Dark Conspiracy characters and dropped them into an AD&D 2e world based on the Conan stories!). The 'Enforcer' is defined as that individual who is trained and accustomed to use brute force to impose his will on those around him, whether at behest of the state or a mob boss... SWAT team member, elite soldier, even a mixed martial artist.

Naturally, our Enforcer is assumed to have been raised and trained in the modern world, before he ended up in a fantasy one. To reflect this, an additional two skills can be taken as class skills, and the character gets 3 +Int bonus skills ranks per level. Depending on background, the character may or may not have access to skills like Spellcraft or Use Magical Device. They can also choose an 'archetype' and have access to a range of appropriate talents - being able to duck, to shake off the effects of adverse conditions (dazed or confused and so on) or focus on producing an extreme effort. And should an enforcer reach 20th level he gains the quality of Enforcement, the ability to be so calm in combat that he can take 10 on an attack roll or CMB check - talk about presence of mind!

The Archetypes enable you to customise your Enforcer to suit the background and role that you have in mind. Some - like the Devil Dog - are aimed at a particular type of combatant, perhaps with reference to the historical time period in which he operated, whilst others are more generic. The Knee-Breaker is for those who serve mob bosses as 'muscle' and the Prize Fighter serves to model anyone who fights for his living and others' entertainment, irrespective of what style he uses. It can also be used in the creation of any professional-level athlete or the 'augmented' soldier trained and perhaps modified to the ultimate.

Next, a glance at Anachronistic Equipment. Given the concept of transporting the Enforcer from his modern world to a fantasy one, you will have to account for any weapons or other equipment that he brought with him (especially if your concept includes the ability to commute between the two settings). Even if restocking is not possible, an Enforcer with basic gunsmithing and hand-loading skills will be able to keep a firearm operating in a fantasy setting, even before enlisting the help of wizards and alchemists for more fantastical solutions. There is also a new take on rules for using firearms, designed to reflect the use of MODERN firearms in a fantasy world, rather than the alchemical and primitive ones envisioned in such as Pathfinder's Gunslinger class. This is optional, and it would be perfectly possible to run an Enforcer without them. The two sets of rules can even be run in tandem if you wish to highlight the difference between a modern firearm and the sort developed in the fantasy world itself.

There are also some new Feats designed with the Enforcer in mind, some of which could be useful for any combat-honed characters. Then comes a discussion of Progress Level, which is being introduced to explain what a character from a particular setting is familiar with and is able to use. It cuts both ways, of course, the average fantasy wizard is as inept with a modern TV remote control as a modern person might be with the use of a sunrod. It's not impossible, but the item in question is not something you're used to so you need to be told or shown how to make use of it. To use the system, determine the Progress Level where the character was raised and with which he's most familiar. Whenever that character levels and might take a new weapon proficiency, he can choose to instead take a Progress Level proficiency in the use of everyday items (including weapons) appropriate to the Progress Level in which he is now operating. An interesting and elegant solution, which should go some way to modelling how a character will, over time and with experience, become familiar with the things around him in the new setting in which he finds himself.

This is a well-presented piece, going beyond the mere new class itself to look how to deal with some of the issues that arise with the underlying concept of taking someone out of their own time. All the discussions are presented thoughtfully, so that in understanding how the designer reached his conclusions, you can decide if you want to use them or provides a basis on which, if you're so minded, you can modify them to suit your own needs.

Plunging straight in, this adventure begins with a brief outline of this richly-detailed Japanese-inspired setting. In a neat twist, the characters too are seeing it for the first time, arriving as 'gai-jin' (the Japanese word for 'foreigner' although it's a word with somewhat negative connotations) and seeing it with all the wonder of outsiders visiting a new and very different place, even as their players are finding out about a new setting.

Much of the discussion, though, is best kept for the GMs' eyes. Unlikely to be common knowledge elsewhere, although it may be a topic of discussion in some academic and theological circles, life and death here, the state of the souls of both the living and the dead, is somewhat unusual. Reincarnation gone mad, shall we say, and leave characters to discover it for themselves as they begin to piece together what is going on. Japanese-inspired this setting may be, but it draws on the darker side, on the tales that are told, that create a setting filled with oriental horror.

Setting outlined, on to a summary of the adventure itself. The characters have been hired by a 'gai-jin' merchant who's sailing to Kaidan to trade... but all is not as it seems. (When is it ever?) He's been there before, came into conflict with a local (undead) noble and... suffice it to say, the situation is fraught with difficulties and the characters will encounter many adversaries all intend on achieving their own ends. Several adventure hooks are provided to ensure that the characters are drawn in effectively. Many of these have been designed so as to encourage the characters to explore and investigate their surroundings, thus getting a far better introduction to the setting than some quick in and out errand!

From the outset, the characters are plunged straight into the action, even as their ship arrives at its destination port on Kaidan. It's not only swordsmen that they have to contend with, there's also a mountain of bureaucracy to overcome as well as local attitudes to anyone who is a foreigner... and as for those who are non-human! As they explore the port town (while waiting for the paperwork to be sorted out), multiple plotlines entwine them... with events scattered in such a way that it will take careful consideration to discover what is going on, and plenty to keep the characters busy whether they prefer to interact with those that they meet or let their swordarms do the talking. The township is mapped and described well, enabling the GM to allow the characters to prowl and explore as they please and giving him plenty to keep them occupied. As several encounters may be resolved by single combat, there's an interesting sidebar of ideas about how to keep other players engaged with the game whilst only one of them is actually involved in a brawl.

Once documentation is straightened out, the characters' employer is ready to travel to his ultimate destination inland, a journey of some 100 miles and, needless to say, not without incident. Inns, the wilderness, townships, bandits and plenty of undead provide a variety of challenges, including a fine pitched battle. This episode of what is a three-part adventure ends as the characters reach their destination.

Throughout the adventure, clear maps are presented as appropriate, all of which highlight the oriental nature of the setting. Each encounter is laid out clearly, with suitable progression of events to enable the GM to build up the horror as well as the action. Dreams and visions interleave with more tangible events, and good use is made of supernatural tools provided by the Pathfinder ruleset such as haunts. Overall, it is a nicely-crafted adventure with an unusual and beautifully coherent plot integrated into the setting. Oriental settings are fairly common, but this one has its own twist that should make for some memorable adventures.

The Introduction starts with a discussion of what comprises a 'modern' game, and why the authors thought it worth re-tooling the Pathfinder ruleset to make one. One of the main reasons for the popularity of contemporary games is the sheer familiarity of the setting. While it's fun running round the universe in starships or matching wits (or fireballs) with a dragon, that's not the world we live in. If you run a game in a contemporary setting, you do not need to keep explaining everyday matters that characters would be familiar with, but which their players are not! Having found that the Pathfinder ruleset worked well in its original fantasy setting, the authors decided that 'modernising' it was a better option that starting out from scratch.

So, on to the meat of the matter. Noting that players will need the core Pathfinder rulebook to make use of this book, the first chapter deals with characters. Here there is an interesting departure from the usual fare: no classes. Every character is a 'Modern Hero' with the differences between each one being expressed in terms of their talents, skills and feats, along with background and more descriptive rather than rules-based features. Whilst most will be human, the possibility is floated that there just might be other races around, they just keep under the radar, at least if your setting will be the modern world as we know it. The further you drift from that, the more fantasy elements you can introduce. All Modern Heroes use the same advancement table, gaining additional Talents and Training as they rise in level. What is available is based on the archetype (if any) you have chosen and the directions in which you wish him to develop.

Archetypes represent the character's chosen profession and have to be chosen at 1st level or not at all. The choice will modify the character's progression, and the availability of skills and training. Characters also get Action Points, which they can use to enhance skill use. A common enough rule, but here you choose to associate one ability with your APs, and the calculation of how many are available depends on that ability and your level. For those who do not like book keeping, there is an abstracted Wealth system based on level and professional skills.

Next, Talents are explored. These are extremely similar to Feats, giving assorted minor mechanical benefits based on the Talent chosen and with additional ones available as the character rises in level. They are available to all characters, and some have prerequisites... indeed, it's not clear what differentiates Talents and Feats at all, except that some require the expenditure of APs to activate them. I think they are supposed to replace the class features used in Pathfinder, thus keeping the balance should a fantasy character for some reason wander into your modern world.

Talents are followed by Difficulties. These are optional minor disadvantages that a character may take in return for getting extra Talents. Whilst the disadvantages have a game mechanical cost, the real use is in adding flavour to role-playing - the character may be absent-minded, perhaps, or even have a Dark Secret which could have plot implications as well.

Next comes a version of the Traits system, here used to give the character some background flavour, as well as a list of class skills, wealth and reputation bonuses and a bonus Feat. They are described as the sort of job that the character might have, or at least have had before becoming an adventurer... anything from an astronaut trainee to a blue-collar worker, a doctor, an athlete or a criminal. To reflect the modern world, celebs are there too!

Also altering the base Adventure Hero class are Archetypes. A set of advancement tables - slow, medium and fast - are given, these are used depending on Archetype for determining BAB and saves, the neat bit is that the Archetype discriminates between them - fast track BAB and slow Will save, and the like. The Archetype also can give a different hit die, number of skills per level and specific 'Training' - this last is a number of feat-like options from which you can choose as you advance. Each relates to the particular Archetype, so the Daredevil gets some wild driving options, while the Engineer gets ones that aid in building, repairing and jury-rigging equipment. The Martial Artist has access to a variety of forms, enabling you to customise your fighting style, as well as the interesting Expert in Your Field one in which the character is a renowned exponent of his particular art with reputation to match.

Next up are the skills, with a concentration on those skills unique to modern settings. The standard 'fantasy' ones are, by and large, also available, and the variations caused by the modern world are covered in detail. One neat new skill is Examine, for all those budding CSIs. Knowledge: Technology seems to concentrate on computer hacking, whilst Craft: Explosives is for those who want to blow stuff up! Feats are given the same treatment, existing ones modified and new ones added, including some specific to firearms combat such as the Double Tap.

Character created, we move on to equipment. Armour available ranges from bike leathers and football pads to an array of stab/bullet resistant vests. No bomb suit... Weapons, naturally, concentrates on firearms. Rather confusingly, the charts are alphabetical rather than by type, so you get shotguns, rifles and handguns all jumbled up - fine if you are enough of a gunbunny to pick your weapon by manufacturer, but if you just want a hunting rifle you have to read through the lot to find one! The main non-firearms covered are compound bows, tasers, pepper spray and the like: if you want a blade beyond the few mentioned, go mediaeval (or at least, fantasy) to get it. Grenades and explosives are covered too, as well as quite a lot of descriptions of different firearms - go get a gun magazine, the game mechanics differences are negligible. For more stealthy killers, there's a selection of poisons.

The discussion then moves on to matters such as availability, legality and how easy it is to conceal items, and a neat idea for 'items on hand' to let characters roll to see if they just happen to have a given common item when they need it (although the explanation of how to use it could do with clarification). There are also copious tables of modern equipment, a bit superfluous as most people know roughly what, say, a laptop computer costs and how big it is. (And does anyone much use photographic film these days? Even the professional photographer who lives next door has gone totally digital.) This section is followed by the vehicles one, where at least they are sorted by type rather than manufacturer name this time. Lifestyle costs and services round this section out.

That's it, apart from some previews of forthcoming product, mostly about a supplement dealing with matters arcane should you be contemplating making magic a reality in your setting. What is completely absent is anything about what you might actually have your characters do. In some ways, it's not difficult: look at the range of contemporary stories told in books, films and TV shows. You could recreate any of them with this ruleset, whether your tastes run to Jason Bourne or NCIS, ruthless lawyers, crime families or police work... but maybe a couple of sample outline campaigns would help get the creative juices flowing. It's a good start, though, if you need a modern ruleset and are happy with (or at least already know) the Pathfinder system its based upon. Think I'll be off to plot some adventures, I have some ideas it would work well with...

This adventure in the campaign The Sinking sends the characters into the Army Quarter, showing them some of the aftermath of the cataclysm there... as well as, wherever you might go in the Great City, how adventure, danger and opportunity are never too far away!

As in many of the best adventures, it is a seemingly minor event that sets the whole thing in motion. The sort of event that the best GMs slip in just to make their alternate reality come alive in their players' minds, in this case used as a neat way to begin the adventure. Better yet, it's an adventure that poses a moral quandry to the characters, faced with conflicting pleas for assistance, who should they help?

The adventure revolves around some former slaves, who took advantage of the cataclysm to part company with their previous masters, and other denizens of the sewers and catacombs in which they have taken refuge. It begins, however, where adventurers are often found: in a tavern. As usual, several hooks are provided to encourage the characters to get involved, ranging from employment opportunities to a barmaid offering one of the characters... er, well, you know, we'll say her favours. However they become involved, a merry chase through the sewers ensues.

The sewers are well-described, although the map is rudimentary. The text will enable you to set the scene well, and the characters should soon realise that anyone living there by choice must have a very good reason for not emerging into the world above. Naturally, whatever the characters do has consequences, including raising the ire of the slavers, leading to a climatic scene on a yacht in the harbour. All very nicely done, there is the real feel of this being an operation in progress that the characters have happened upon, that would be going on whether or not they were around, rather than something provided for them.

In reviewing 0one product, the fact that the company's native tongue is not English is normally only apparent by occasional clumsy turns of phrase, but this one alas is dotted with errors that at times make it quite hard to figure out just what is being said. A good proofread, preferably by a native English speaker, would have been of benefit.

The aftermath of the adventure will leave the characters with both enemies and allies for the future, but provides a satisfactory conclusion if you choose to run this as a one-off. Overall it is a good and exciting adventure with plenty to do, and scope for characters who enjoy interaction as well as those looking to exercise their sword-arms.

Just as in the real world, cataclysmic events also have domestic consequences, as families and organisations are forced to seek alternate premises whilst their own, damaged or destroyed, are repaired. Here we have a congregation who have a rarely-used place of worship in the Temple District which, being kind and religious types, they are willing to loan out to those in need. Trouble is, the temple has already been taken over by somewhat unpleasant denizens of the sewers, who have been rendered homeless but were not in the mood to wait to be invited to take up residence. Someone's going to have to do something about it!

Several ideas for getting the characters involved are provided. If they're members of the congregation their superiors suggest the task as a trial of faith. Or a wealthy worshipper might ask them to take on the job for pay. There's a few other suggestions as well, at least one is delightfully sneaky and probably the one I'll employ when I run the adventure next! The temple in question is dedicated to a Goddess of the Harvest, and is only used at harvest-time. The cult has fallen on hard times, so the prospects of much reward are low... and they are quite keen to stress that it would be most inconvenient if the place got damaged as they would not be able to afford much in the way of repairs!

The entire Temple District is pretty chaotic, as many displaced or injured folks have sought aid here. It's well described in an atmospheric manner, and there's scope for you to bulk out events a bit should you so wish. As for the temple itself, it's small and rather tatty but the new inhabitants do not want to leave and are prepared to defend it vigorously! Unfortunately, being sewer-dwellers originally, they are none too good at personal hygiene and a few cure disease spells may come in useful. Oh, and they are not the only displaced persons in residence, some critters have taken refuge here too... and there are things there that the original owners apparently didn't know about as well. Plenty to keep the characters busy once they embark on the task of clearing the place.

The adventure is designed to run in a single evening and as such is pretty straightforward. Yet it manages to pack in a lot of flavour, a lot of those delightful small details that make your alternate reality come alive. Should the characters be successful at cleaning the place out, fortune smiles on the cult and it prospers, giving them a long-term resource for favours. A neat little adventure to have to hand.

If you are going to play a science-fiction space faring game, you will need aliens! The IF corebook provided several interesting races, and here is a book not of additional aliens, but providing a toolkit for those who'd prefer to design their own, or of course, create game versions of their favourite aliens from film or fiction. It takes you step-by-step through the process of creating a complete alien race, ready to serve as player-characters or adversaries... or just that odd fellow sitting beside you in the cantina. Drawing on earlier work from ComStar Games, a company intertwined with the Avalon Game Company, it puts a distinct twist on the process, tailoring it to the Infinite Futures ruleset.

Chapter 1: Character Concept talks about the need to have an overall idea for your new race. Not just physically, although that's a major part of it, but philosophically: what is the racial outlook on life? Are they aggressive war-mongers, scholarly pacifists, do they admire the artistry of a chef or a painter... or a swordsman? Are engineers more valued than lawyers? What sort of environment did they develop in, and how has that influenced them? Lots of questions to help you find the answers you need to begin building your new race. Some of the 'flavour text' you come up with will not impact the game mechanics, but don't lay it aside - a tripedal race that bears live young, has three eyes, is omnivorous, and is covered with short pink fur may or may not have any racial characteristics rules-wise based on these features, but you are already beginning to visualise them.

If you are desperate to have a fictional species in your game, be aware that there's always a player who knows more about Klingons or whoever than you do! So if the intention is for the race to be antagonists, avoid using something that players, if not characters, already know about - unless the idea is that this race has been known to them for a long time! Scavenge bits from here and there by all means, but always look to making them different and surprising too. These rules are designed for making new races roughly equivalent in strength and capabilities to the standard human, with an eye to game balance. Think carefully before making your aliens too stronger (or too weaker), an invincible race of super-aliens may sound cool... but will get tiresome if the regular joes that make up the character group can never get the upper hand. The rest of the process pays due attention to this by using a point-buy system to ensure that alien races are balanced with those already in your universe (but there are rules for how to tip that balance in an appendix, if you are determined to do so).

Ideas and concepts beginning to form, we move on to Chapter 2: Species Creation. Now it's time to start putting in some numbers, beginning with the core of the process: ability score adjustments. Once you have decided on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the alien, it will become clear where the adjustments need to be applied. Choices can be significant, especially as far as combat is concerned should Strength and Dexterity be involved. Then you need to decide on specific racial traits. Perhaps your new alien has some ability that comes naturally to them but not to other races. Additional senses, different body type, affinity for certain skills, enhancement to some aspect of combat ability, special attack modes: all are possible and by assigning a point value to each, it becomes relatively simple to track that all-important game balance.

Next comes Chapter 3: Racial Skills, which allows further fine-tuning of just how your new alien race approaches problems and lives its life... a society in which everyone's telepathic will be quite different from one in which communication is primarily olfactory or visual - and all will be puzzling to those verbal humans! A whole raft of possibilities opens up to a race which can fly, others may find their way around using echolocation or sense vibrations. There are a lot of ideas here, along with the associated game mechanics to make them happen. Picking a few of these, or using them as a template to structure your own ideas, will help you customise your alien.

This is followed by Chapter 4: Feats and Drawbacks. This is a discussion of 'racial' feats which are inherent to the alien in question, rather than the regular pick'n'mix feats characters take as they advance, but they can go a long way towards defining that alien's capabilities. Drawbacks are things disadvantageous to the species, which add extra points to the pool of points used to ensure game balance.

Chapter 5: Finishing Touches rounds off the creation process. It is more conceptual in nature, covering things like society, language and other things which are vitally important to making the alien... well, alien; but which are not reflected in game mechanics. There are loads of ideas, just reading through them spawns visions of what is possible and how you might make not just an alien creature but a whole civilisation behind it, and make it come alive within your alternate reality. Game mechanics are important, but the underlying concepts are what make your aliens believeable.

Then there's a checklist to note down your choices made as you run through the processes outlined above, and a couple of Appendices. The first is a series of alien races outlined in brief, to show you want can be done using this development system; and the second talks about racial levels, how to scale your inventions when you really do want them to be markedly more or less powerful than the majority of races in your universe.

If you seek aliens, look elsewhere. Here is a masterclass in how to build aliens: thought-provoking and mechanically sound... but you need to do the work to make your aliens come 'alive' to inhabit your alternate reality. Here are the tools to empower you to make it happen.

This product, an attempt to produce an over-arching set of rules for all manner of science-fiction gaming drawing on the core concepts of the Pathfinder ruleset, opens with a bit of a rambling prologue about how the game got its name, and the usual 'What is a role-playing game' that most corebooks have - after all, any book might be the reader's first RPG.

This is an exhaustive and massive remaking of the core Pathfinder system into a science-fiction game. It provides you with a good rules toolkit, but as far as setting is concerned you will have to write your own, or adapt one written under a different ruleset. It is a good start, but needs more work - including proofreading and editing - before it will be THE science-fiction D20 game... It certainly starts spawning ideas of settings and adventures in which these rules can be used, and shows some touches of genius particularly in the way in which some iconic items and beings from SF novels and movies have been adapted. If you are ready to ask, "What IF?" this may be the ruleset you need to answer your question.

As I say, it's a huge book... so my full review is a bit too big for this system, read it on RPG Resource if you like!

Jumping right in, the first chapter - Riddles of Steel: Roleplaying in the Frozen North - explains what's so special, what's so different about games set in harsh northern areas inspired by Norseland sagas and Viking lore. The familiar cod-mediaeval or renaissance fantasy civilisations of the majority of games is replaced with a bloodier and darker mindset, never mind that the place tends to be darn cold as well! Vicious monsters abound, and those which walk on two legs live life to the full in conditions that others may see as primitive, certainly more self-sufficient than their neighbours to the south.

But it's not just a lack of urban luxury, guards to protect you from thieves and villains, and lower temperatures: the whole mind-set is different, and to get the most out of such a setting both GM and players - particularly those whose characters are native to it - will need to start thinking in a different way. Curses and prophecies vie with an ingrained fatalism, and even luck is viewed as more than mere chance. Nature features large in everyone's life, just surviving in such lands poses a great challenge even before you throw in monsters and raiders. Glory, honour, revenge are often the causes for which you might take up your sword, rather than the abstrations of 'good' or 'evil' which may motivate other men and women. A lot of this background information is provided here to empower you to capture the 'feel' of the Northlands - with everything from customs and games to the nearest thing they have to a legal system and an array of deities to worship, or at least propitiate.

Next, Chapter 2: Thule, the Last Continent, presents a gazetteer of the Northlands, replete with history and mythology to help the locations described come alive to visiting adventurers. It's a mystical place, harsh yet rich and strange, a place where legends abound and new ones can be written by those with courage, endurance and daring. Stirring stuff, perhaps such tales as inspired many an adventurer to take up that profession, even those who stick to safer lands to actually practise it.

This is followed by Chapter 3: Heroes of the North, which describes the different peoples to be found in the Northlands: human sub-races, and other humanoids. Much of this is flavour, with the actual numbers you need unchanged from regular racial details, although there are specific traits you can build in, but this is the sort of flavour which can enable players and GMs alike create and play characters who fit in to their alternate reality as if born there... as indeed perhaps they were. The information necessary for local class variants is also presented, such as new abilities for bards (often called skalds) and new domains for clerics, based as always upon their choice of patron deity. Sorcerers get a couple of new bloodlines, and then the discussion moves on to new skills and modifications to existing ones appropriate to this particular setting. There is an impressive array of new feats as well. For those wishing to fine-tune their monsters there are some monster feats than can make them more suited to the Northlands, beings of legend about which adventurers can, if they conquer them, create legends of their own.

Characters built to suit their environment need equipment to match, whilst visitors from elsewhere will need to ensure they have all they need, so the next section provides all manner of things that you might need to live, travel or adventure in the Northlands. Whether you are after a few sledge dogs, a pot of honey to attract bears with, or a set of runestones to conduct your divinations in an appropriate manner, these and more are here. Consider portage ale, a brew so potent and flavourful that having once tasted it, the average Viking will do literally anything to have some more, very useful if you have some heavy work to be done! Preferable, at least, to troll whiskey, which has been known to make trolls ill, never mind members of less-tough races.

Next, Chapter 4: Magic of the North looks at the distinctive style and flavour of magic as it is practiced in the Northlands. Never mind ritual incantations, cast your spells with mocking rhymes and shout them as challenges to your opponent, for rough and vibrant are both the mages up here and the spells that they cast. Specific styles include grudge magic - which fulfils the old saying, 'When you go to seek vengeance, first dig two graves' as it causes harm to target and caster alike, and of course rune magic, bringing the power of the ancient carved symbols to play by use of the Rune Mastery feat and tracing the shape of the desired rune either by painting it or running your fingers over an already-carved or inscribed one. Mystic strangeness to bring a real distinctive difference to spellcasting up here in these frozen lands. Quite a few more conventional spells are presented as well, but all breathing the very essence of the North across your spellbook. Steal spells from your enemy's very mind, enlarge someone's weapon to giant-size, harness the very power of Loki himself to aid your lies or worm out embarassing secrets, ir just summon up a swarm of mosquitoes to plague your enemies, all these and more can be learned. There's even a neat Level 0 one to improve your snowballing abilities... after all, mages like to play too! The chapter rounds out with an impressive array of items... items about which legends will surely be written, if they have not been already.

Chapter 5: The Frozen Land contains a wealth of additional rules to make refereeing a game in the Northlands flow. Rules to cover chases over frozen terrain, rules for coping with the unique environmental hazards the location presents. To reflect its importance to the Northern psyche, there's a system whereby Fate can play a part in a character's life story, a neat mechanic which preserves player freewill whist trapping characters in the coils of destiny.

Finally Chapter 6: Bestiary presents some mighty opponents - or potential allies - for your characters to encounter. Beware, though, there are some such in the previous chapter, such as the Splintered Stump - tucked in with rules on the effects of cold, seeing that this wicked remnant of a tree that has frozen so much that it exploded now seeks to gull passers-by into thinking it is warm, and remove their heavy clothing to freeze as the Stump sucks up their life-warmth. The book rounds out with a fine map of the area.

Written in an engaging style, often reminiscent of the Norse Sagas and clearly influenced by them, this work provides an evocative campaign setting that gathers up much of the mythology and legends that spring to mind when you mention the frozen north, packaging them into a playable whole. A bit of proof-reading would improve it, but nothing that makes it incomprehensible, just mis-spellings and logic that jars on occasion. If you want to send those soft civilised characters somewhere that will shock them, or run a campaign wholly-set in the land of the midnight sun, this will set your feet on the path of legend.

This work starts with an overview of the inquisitor, quite a talented chap with plenty of options. Pity the first paragraph repeats itself, perhaps we should send an inquisitor after the proof-reader!

So who is this inquisitor anyway? A potent mix of religious devotee, spy, investigator and hunter (of people rather than dinner): a bit self-serving in the way his powers generally serve to enhance himself rather than the group he is in, but at least he can claim it's all to the glory of whatever deity he reveres! The special ability of 'Judgement' is both powerful and versatile, depending on what judgement is pronounced, and this is coupled with a reasonable number of skills and the ability to cast divine spells. They are skilled at both solo tactics and teamwork as well, whilst they have bonuses to many of the skills needful for effective interrogations. The analysis suggests ways of using these to optimal effect, both in designing your character and when playing him.

Many of the feats provided are combat ones, although Friend and Foe is a neat way to codify and enhance attempts at the 'Good cop, bad cop' routine. The Coordinated Fire feat gets around the difficulty inherent in trying to work with someone else whilst constrained by having to act in initiative order. For anyone who's wanted to model the Japanese art of iaijitsu, the Draw Strike feat captures the ability to draw and use a weapon - generally a sword - in a single motion. For those who want to become ghosthunters, the Track Spirits feat should come in handy, and there are several which willl work well for those who see this class as a kind of ecclesiastical bounty-hunter.

The work concludes with three 'builds' showing how the class can be developed to good effect in different ways depending on your character concept. First is the Bloodhound, who takes the bounty-hunter theme and becomes a tenacious and tough fighter who can find anyone and then beat them into submission. Next is the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, who serves an evil deity and attracts innocent souls to that god's service by appearing nice and helpful! It's good for someone who enjoys being sneaky and manipulative. Finally, a build which highlights the investigative side of the class, the Dectective. There are side notes to each one, which make for fascinating reading. The historical concept of 'Inquisition' made famous by the Roman Catholic church of the 16th century, a tool of state policy often as much as one of ensuring that the faithful keep to the straight and narrow. The role of the art of detection in a magical world, and the vexatious debate on how an evil character can work plausibly with a good party... these are covered briefly but in a thought-provoking manner.

It gives a good grounding in the capabilities and potentials of the inquisitor class, and is worth a look if you play one, or GM a group that includes one. A little marred by several minor errors which have slipped past the proofreader, and a few odd characters which I cannot resolve even with a bit of PDF-hackery, but none are enough to detract from a cracking good read on this specialised area, that will indeed give your Inquisitor an edge!

Taking a new tack for Rite Publishing's "30" series, this work looks not at items that you might find but a specific type of threat that you might encounter - the haunt. Indeed, not just any old haunts but those which have, for whatever reason, chosen to manifest in a house.

The product opens with an overview of haunts, which were introduced in Paizo's GameMastery Guide - if you intend to make extensive use of haunts you may find a copy useful. Basically, haunts can develop in a location in which living creatures suffered in some way, and can be accompanied by undead. Despite having hit points and assorted capabilities, they can be thought of more as an atmosphere, an area in which effects are caused, than as actual beings in their own right. (I'm sure learned clerics and mages could argue for hours over that one!). They can only be removed from their location by performance of specific acts, based on the reasons why the haunt is there in the first place, although they can be damaged or negated such that they go away... but only for a while, they'll manifest again later. The really fun thing is that they manifest by duplicating a spell effect - which makes the game mechanics straightforward as you can treat the haunt's effect as if someone had cast the spell in question.

Straight on, then, to a collection of haunts ready to use, beginning with minor haunts - the sort of restless spirit that slams doors, walks around with heavy feet, or plays an instrument. They usually cause annoyance rather than harm, and manifest in ways that suggest 'This place is haunted' to the average paranormal investigator. Perhaps the area gets very chilly all of a sudden or things start to move apparently of their own accord (as if an unseen servant spell had been cast. For most of these, there's a standard riposte, the casting of an appropriate spell will negate the haunt... until it resets, that is.

Next comes the concept of 'associated haunts' - these are combinations of haunts that work together, and one example is given, in which a Fire Starter Haunt (which whispers in your ear that it would be a good idea to light a fire, with the effect of a suggestion spell) is combined with one called the Unrepentant Smoker, which causes a lit fire to billow smoke uncontrollably, and the Charred Man Haunt, where swirling smoke coalesces into what appears to be the form of a burned body... spooky indeed!

This idea for effective uses of haunts is followed by some more substantial threats. These can actually hurt, rather than annoy or scare: perhaps possessing your familiar and causing the poor thing to bite you, or a shadowy form manifests and appears to reach out through someone to grab and squeeze their heart! Again, many of these haunts are resonant with the sort of things that happen in ghost or horror stories... and should terrify the characters which encounter them, at least until they find out how to stop the manifestation occurring.

Finally, there's a fully-detailed NPC. Pers Veilborn studies haunts, he follows a goddess of knowledge and death, and can be persuaded to accompany adventurers who have encountered manifestations that need to be dealt with.

If you like spooky, haunted places to investigate, this work will give you hours of fun at the expense of your characters: all in the very best horror story style. Very effective and atmospheric...

Beginning with the tagline 'Because every blade should tell a story' this work lays out details of an armoury-full of distintive and interesting weapons, the sort that any hero worth his place in a bard's repertoire should aspire to wield.

There's a table listing the weapons in value order, from a mere snip of just over 4,000gp for a glaive-guisarm called Horse Daughter's Kiss up to a staggering 175,000gp for Ice Queen, a spectacular sword magically-forged from a single piece of steel. Each weapon then gets about a third of a page to itself, with necessary game mechanical details, a paragraph giving its history and another with a vivid description of the item... and a full-colour picture. A reasonably tech-savvy GM could no doubt extract the pictures if he wants to display them to characters picking through treasure hoards or receiving rewards from grateful potentates - despite the 'price list' at the beginning, these are not the sort of thing you pick up at the corner weapons store!

Several of the weapons are truly unique, not just in terms of story or even powers, but having been crafted to original designs. For example, a pair of hand-blades were created at the behest of a halfling monk who worked as a chef - and Slicer and Dicer bear a passing resemblance to something you might chop herbs with in the kitchen! Or if you really want strange, how about an axe which can change from throwing-axe to great axe according to its wielder's whim...

There is plenty of scope here, from something unusual to spice up a treasure hoard - and give the characters something to research - to inspiration for a whole campaign revolving around one of thse unique magical weapons. The stories are self-contained enough that they can be dropped into your existing campaign world with minimal changes if so desired. Even the mages and clerics might be interested, and those characters who use edged weapons will be eager to get their hands on any that they hear about! A fine example of how to devise individual, interesting items.

This magnificent book of bling dives straight in with a table listing the rings available herein, including cost and random rolls to allow them to be chosen as minor, medium or major treasure items. A side note mentions that if spells from either the Pathfinder Advanced Player's Guide or Rite Publishing's 101 Spells series is used in a ring's creation, enough information is supplied here so that you don't need to rush out and buy that book just so as to be able to craft the ring you want!

So, straight on then to an alphabetical listing of the rings. Each follows a standard layout that makes it easy to find the information you want, starting with what aura is discernable and the ring's CL. Other technical information includes cost to make as well as a purchase price/value, the slot it occupies in use and weight (negligable); and the other requirements - feats and spells - to make one for yourself. The body of the text describes both what the ring looks like and what it does - both as an 'in character' account of what you'll experience when its activated and in game mechanical terms.

There's quite an intriguing range of rings, mostly with powers that will come in useful during combat. Others are quite wierd - a ring of foul flavour makes your flesh taste so bad that any opponent with a bite attack really, really doesn't want to bite you twice - but at the cost of wearing a ring that looks (and smells) like it's made of rotten meat! And of course, you have get bitten once for the creature to realise just how nasty you taste. The ring of retaliation is possibly more satisfying, if anyone attacks you whilst you are wearing it, you promptly get an attack of opportunity against whoever had the temerity to hit you.

As well as being handy when you decide that there's going to be a ring in your next treasure hoard, these rings may perhaps be the talk in local arcane circles leading a character to seek to purchase or make one (or have it made for him), some might prove suitable rewards for a high-ranking cleric or noble to bestow on a worthy follower... and there's enough displayed on how they've been put together that should you have a different effect that you'd like in a ring, it ought not to be too difficult to make it so.

The introduction explains the concept, a series of short inter-connected adventures designed to occupy an evening's play, centred around the Great City (mapped in beautiful detail by 0one Games) and somehow connected to a significant event. Which of course, is not yet explained, even to the GM!

Moving swiftly along to this adventure, the pilot for the series, we hear that - for the moment - things are quiet in the City, with little more than youthful high jinks to disturb the peace... but even those can lead to trouble!

The plot centres around an investigation of a band of smugglers. Several reasons are provided to get the characters involved, from doing their civic duty (with the added bonus of payment) to dealing with the competition to their own nefarious activities! A spot of asking around, and a beggar who'll do virtually anything for a hot meal, and they will soon be set on the right track.

Everything is beautifully described, with those delightful little details - like a cheesemonger who 'corrects' his coffee so often he's normally drunk by the time he closes his shop for the night - that help you bring the alternate reality of your game to life. This goes far to overcoming the linear nature of the starting phases of the adventure, and the blatent 'even if you succeed in this skill check, certain things will not become known' which forces a brawl irrespective of how the characters might have handled it were they allowed. Later events allow more leeway, with some of those encountered prepared to fight or negotiate depending on how the characters decide to approach the encounter, whilst the claustrophobic situation and growing environmental danger allow you to build tension to create a moment that the characters will remember for years to come.

Whilst this is an atmospheric introduction to what may well become pivotal events, it is a bit thin for even an one-session scenario, perhaps it would be best presented almost as an aside during other adventures with its true significance only becoming apparent later. For indeed. this puts the characters at the beginning of events that will change the Great City forever.

Archtypical bad guys, the evil counterpart to that goody-two-shoes the Paladin... but don't feel sorry for the seven to be found in these pages, as plenty of love has been lavished on developing them into well-rounded villains all ready to give any good-aligned party a run for their money.

Just as a paladin is a shining example of devotion to his deity, so is the antipaladin. The difference is the nature of the deity that the antipaladin venerates and serves... and often, the precise way in which he serves and what he does in the course of such service. Even they probably see the 'evil' in what they do, in what they are working towards - it's certainly clear to the rest of us - and yet they press on, often motivated by selfish ends like personal power and other rewards, rather than pure love for their deity.

The work begins with brief details of three such objects of worship, a trio of demons whose intent is to ruin, defile and destroy. These are Arachne, Lamashtu and Pazuzu. Whilst each is a well-rounded and developed being, none is tied in to anything else and so fit well with the stated purpose of providing a framework of evil to use in your own campaign world - be it homebrew or based on a published one - without difficulty.

So, on to the seven fully-developed antipaladins that form the core of this book. In a departure from the usual multi-level presentation for which Raging Swan Press has already made its name, each is presented at but one level, you will need to take the individual who happens to present the appropriate challenge for your characters - or wait until they reach the right level for the antipaladin that fits in best to your needs. This latter may make for a better game, if you already know who the high-level Bad Guy is, seeds and subplots based on what he's up to can be woven into your campaign well in advance of his actual appearance. Or he may pop up occasionally long before the characters are in a position to deal with him, messing with their heads and their plans and giving them even more incentive to gain the power and resources necessary to give him the comeuppance he so richly deserves!

First up, a mere beginner in the evil stakes, a 4th-level antipaladin who's only just begun to slide to the dark side having been thwarted in love and lacking the emotional maturity to deal with it. Finding a book about the demon Arachne, she now lives in hope of attracting the demon's attention and favour by her deeds, manifesting this in the shape of becoming a serial killer. Plenty of atmosphere and development here, and several ideas for how your characters may encounter her.

She's followed by a young man whose descent into evil is fuelled by resentment: having embraced the life of priviledge that noble birth bestowed upon him he found that the quirk of fate that made him the second-born saw him sent off to become a priest without the option, where he was expected to live an austere life alongside fellows whose lesser birth led them to regard it as luxury, and study with those he considers to be of lesser intellect. No wonder when he found forbidden reading that promised to lead him to power and riches that he embraced it! He's now busy carving out his own domains, aided by a bunch of goblins - and again plenty of ideas are provided to bring him to your characters' attention.

Next, at CR 7, comes a half-elf who has been driven to despair and turned to evil following the suicide of her parents: she now believes that life is cruel and will always end badly... and doesn't mind helping it along a bit. A talented bard, she sings and tells tales of how ugly and nasty the world can be, and collects materials in a big book that she always carries with her. Her dark and dour performances elicit mixed reactions and frequently lead to trouble.

This sad tale is followed by an outcast duergar, chipping in at CR 9, a cruel follower of Lamashtu, drinking his victim's blood and storing their skulls in his personal shrine to his demon mistress. Next is a barbarian woman determined to lead her tribe to greatness, no matter what harm she does along the way. And she is followed in her turn by a drow who had an unauspicious start in life - thought to be stillborn, he was about to be hurled onto a funeral pyre when he cried out. A weak and sickly child, he developed an unhealthy obsession with poisons along with a devotion to Arachne, whom he credits for his preternatural stealth and the other abilities that make him a notable assassin.

Finally, at the dizzying heights of CR 15, we meet the most tragic of all, one who fell from virtue as a proud example of all that is best of the paladin, whose staunch defence of her realm against darkness was brought low by exposure to an evil artefact that corrupted her very soul.

It is of such as these that epic campaigns can be forged... or memorable battles against evil that are more incidental but still of significance within your alternate reality. A fine example of well-crafted villains that are not just 'evil' but who have their own backstory and reasons, often tragic ones, for how they are the way that they are.

The introduction to this work explains not just the pivotal role of dragons in fantasy role-playing, but that with systematic advances that allow for varying ages and sizes, dragons can now be presented at a range of challenge levels appropriate to any group of characters! Much of the ground-breaking work and number-crunching has been done by the people maintaining the D20PFSRD website, and they have been kind enough to allow their work to be used here. Excellent cooperation in the true spirit of the game! The good news is that this is just the first dragon book planned...

So, this product is all about black dragons. They live predominantly in swamps and marshes whatever size or age they happen to be. They are solitary in nature, liking caves beside (or even under) fetid pools in which they wallow in mud and dirty water... but can have some interesting items in their hoards, should you find a way to get at them. Their preferences for treasure tend towards that which does not rot (so coins, gems, and metal artefacts predominate) while they do like their food, shall we say, well-aged... rotten, if you prefer.

The bulk of the book is taken up with stat blocks for black dragons of all sizes and ages from mere wyrmlings little larger than a cat (and presenting a CR of just 3) up to a great wyrm with a challenging CR of 19. Each one comes with plenty of detail including a run-down of likely items to be found in its hoard, as well as combat tactics and variations galore. The hoard data comes with gp values, making it simple to swap things around without destroying balance, and there are also suggestions as to how the dragon may actually use some of the things he's got, rather than merely sit around admiring them. A section called 'Upping the Ante' gives ideas of how to make each dragon a formidable, thinking, opponent; while there are suggestions for variants on the basic build as well.

All in all, this is a tremendous resource if you want to challenge your characters at any level with a black dragon specifically... or if you are building an ecology in which black dragons feature, or intend one to be a recurring enemy - or even acquaintance - growing in capability as the party progresses and becomes more powerful.

Specifically designed as a one-shot adventure - or perhaps a convention game - you would need a very strong reason, a compelling backstory, to make this encounter work convincingly in an established campaign. Of course, if your campaign world includes some kobolds who have had it up to here with pesky meddling adventurers (or even your players in particular) the rationale for them having set up a death trap becomes clear. Because that's what this is. It is an excellent adventure for those who are combat-oriented and enjoy a good brawl with hordes of determined and inventive foes (not words often associated with kobolds, but these are exceptional ones!).

The premise is simple: a group of kobolds have had enough of being the butt of adventurer jokes and target of their "let's clear the monsters out" raiding, and have created a killing field staffed with kobolds who quite frankly don't expect to survive, but have an eye to becoming heroes of kobold legend for evermore. The encounter proper begins as the characters enter some twisty little lava tunnels within which kobolds are known to lair... but should your characters need more reason that that to go in (if they do, you might be better off running something else for them...) a bit of background in the shape of a lonely outpost of a township is provided. The characters happen to be there - on their way someplace else about some other business, or it may be a regular port of call for them - when an aggressive band of kobolds mount a hit and run raid, shouting threats about future raids as they depart, and naturally the townsfolk turn to obvious adventuring types to deal with them. And you're off...

This is a scenario designed to be run at a smart pace, both on the tabletop and in the alternate reality inhabited by the characters. No time for taking a rest break, or even to draw breath: one in to the tunnels event piles on event, brawl follows brawl at breakneck pace. Possibly literally. Narrow twisty lava tunnels barely five feet high, a very claustrophobic place in which to give battle, particularly for Medium or larger characters. If fighting unusually disciplined and determined kobolds under such conditions was not enough, they have prepared a goodly number of traps as well! The final cavern is big enough to stand up in, complete with the 'Big Bad' ready to rant at his victims and a truly nasty surprise ready to unleash...

Much of what is going on is keyed in to the GM's map, and the rest is described succinctly in a clear text that will enable the adventure to run smoothly and at the pace intended without need to hunt for anything, especially if you run adventures off a laptop, as it's printed in landscape. All the monster stats are collected on a couple of pages after the text, which works in this case as the same creatures pop up frequently. However, detailed encounter location notes are separate from the trap information - the same traps are used in several places - so some preparation will be necessary so you know what you need to use when.

As well as the marked map, a second unmarked one is provided along with a series of map tiles suitably scaled for use with miniatures that cover the entire complex. The unmarked map is of little use, as the whole point of such a twisty, enclosed maze of passages is that you never really get an overview of it, just seeing the bit in front of your nose - i.e. the map tile that's in play at the time. The map tiles themselves are admirable for the purpose - quite claustrophobic sitting here at the computer flicking through them, never mind in the heat of the game. A large number of 'standees' for the hordes of kobolds you'll need are provided, useful as even if you do have kobold miniatures in your collection, most of us don't have that many of them!

If a relentless meat-grinder of a dungeon death-maze appeals to your group and gaming style, this is a good one. If your characters enjoy more than fighting, or you want them to have a good chance of surviving, this may not be the best choice... yet could prove a refreshing change to a campaign in which there is more conversation than combat.

Figurines of wonderous power have been around since the earliest days of role-playing, but seem to feature far more often in game books than in actual games. They are basically quite simple in concept, being a small statue of an animal which can be commanded to activate, to become that animal. But simple things can be the hardest to cope with in terms of game mechanics, and these are no exception, requiring careful preparation to understand how they operate and what their full capabilities are... until now. This product lays out detailed information about each of the nine varieties known, with separate descriptions and stat blocks for each one, no fumbling your way through tables and lists of exceptions to find out what the one you (or one of your players if you're the GM) is trying to use can actually do.

But this is not a dry collection of statistics, it's replete with neat embellishments such as quirks the GM may assign to the figurine - such as being flatulent or always hungry when in animal form to having a maker's mark on its backside in statue form - and suggested command words for causing the transformation. There are even several lists of alternates to the standard figurines depending on what part of the world you happen to find one. Desert dwellers, after all, are familiar with different animals than people who live underground or underwater, and when a craftsman settles down to make a figurine it's likely that he will craft a creature with which he is familiar. Even if you are content to stick with the basic figurine types you can ring the changes by using a broadly-similar yet different animal as a basis - just pick one of the same CR and eqivalent capabilities and you will not need to make much effort to have a figurine distinctly different from those that even the most knowledgeable player can recall.

Normally, the animal form of a figurine of wonderous power is not sentient, having merely the intellect of a normal animal of that species... but there are exceptions. Rules are thus presented to enable figurines to have at least a modicum of consciousness above the animal - perhaps, as is suggested, the figurine was constructed to house the spirit of a wizard's familiar or druid's companion. A few rare specimens may actually contain the essence of a druid seeking to retain his connection with nature after death or something else of that kind, and you will have to determine how much of his past he recalls, and how reconciled he is to his present state. And of course, you occasionally encounter a cursed figurine, by malicious intent or merely due to a botched creation. Perhaps the figurine does not function underground, or it only obeys if commanded by an individual of a certain class or race...

All these suggestions and variations discussed, we move on to to the complete write-ups of the standard figurines in a form suitable to print out and tuck into the folder of the character possessing the figurine as a handy ready-reference each time he wishes to use it. This section rounds off with notes on saddles and other equipment which you will need to have if you want to ride your figurine when it's in animal form.

This is a handy product to have if you have found - or purchased - a figurine of wonderous power or if, as GM, you want to introduce one into your game. Reading it might well spawn ideas that might prompt you to use one as treasure or even as the focal point of an adventure. It even just about serves as a scholarly tome for a character wishing to research this particular magic item preparatory to making one or out of general interest!

Louis Porter's NeoExodus setting is repleate with exotic races, and here are a selection detailed for those who'd like to play one of them.

Jumping straight in, we begin with the Cavians, who look a bit like humanoid rats. A mysterious race, known in legend but having been missing from Exodus and just returned to the disquiet of many, they are powerful psionics who can 'see' thoughts. The majority live as part of a hive mind in constant mindlink with a community of their peers, but characters are more likely to have left it, a state known as 'severed' and which leaves the Cavian feeling as if something is missing from his life but freeing him to be capable of more creative thought than those which are mind-linked.

Next come the Cyneans, who are crystalline beings of immense strength both mental and physical, with a particular affinity to magic. If that's not weird enough for you, try a Dalrean, they are sentient and self-mobile plants! They photosynthesise and communicate with one another by releasing spores, while spellcasters sprout brightly-coloured floral spellbuds.

Ferocious and primitive, the Enuka are superlative hunters and warriors due to their predator nature, with male Enuka bearing ox-like horns. Many display great variation and mutations are common, creating beings that are exotic indeed. The Prymidians, on the other hand, are scholarly creatures who are intensely curious about, well, everything; but they are no geeks, they are powerful and often arrogant, with a masterly command of language and excellent communication skills. Despite delighting in learning other peoples' languages, they are remarkably secretive about their own. They've devised some fascinating linguistically-based spells too, from causing everyone to speak in incoherent babble to enhancing a target's language-learning ability.

Then there's the P'Tans. Created - yes, actually made - to serve the First Ones as a slave race, they have been made capable of reproduction and those who have escaped cherish their independence and freedom dearly. They are physically powerful, with well-muscled and toned bodies covered in short cat-like fur. They wield strange shadow lightnings, a by-product of the process whereby they were created.

Finally come the Sasori, who have the appearance of humanoid scorpions. They can be secretive but adore information, seeking it out whenever they can although sparing in giving it out especially about matters they regard as personal such as their religious practices or even their full names. Their table manners don't bear thinking about, and their blood is poisonous, bad news for any creature that bites or attempts to eat a Sasori!

Each race is well-illustrated and, although each is exotic and strange, sufficient detail is provided - both mechanically and in flavour text - for an adventurous and strong role-player to take the role on. Excellent if you want to play something really different, or if you want to present your characters with a truly alien race to encounter, even if you are not using the full NeoExodus setting.

What is more mysterious than an Oracle? It is the turn of the Oracle character class to come under the microscope: no mere list of feats but a detailed look at the potentials and options available to players who fancy being an Oracle.

We begin with an overview of the class as a whole, discussing the salient points of an Oracle. It's an interesting class, a spontaneous caster but divine rather than arcane (the answer to those of us who mutter that surely our deities would never let us choose the wrong spells for the day...), with many opportunities for the role-player as they tend to be good socially as well as with that air of mystery! Speaking of mysteries, your choice here sets the flavour of the whole character, affecting him in terms of game mechanics as well as laying the seeds for role-playing and characterisation. As they are so important, there's a thumb-nail sketch of each one, to aid your choice based on just what kind of oracle you would like to play. Oracles are well set up for defence, if offensive capability is desired crafty choices of mystery (Battle is good, or an elemental one) can prove an advantage. Oracles will tend to specialise in something, but that thing they can generally do very well indeed.

On to the feats, a full 30 of them. Many can, of course, be taken by any character although they are aimed at oracles. Some present novel variations to combat - for example Armed Touch Casting allows you to extend the range of a 'touch' spell by using a melee weapon to deliver it, with the added bonus of doing the normal weapon damage as well as whatever effect the spell has! (Shades of a wizard I knew back in AD&D days, who delivered shocking grasp down a staff carefully prepared with bands of copper along its length.) A grumpy Oracle might enjoy the Mystic Retribution feat, which allows you to lash out with residual magical energy at anyone who disturbs your concentration whilst you are spellcasting. And for those who want to take the title 'oracle' literally (and whose GM agrees) there's a Prophetic Dreamer feat, as well as the ability to make ordinary divination spells more effective. Overall, the feats are combat-oriented, and careful choices can enhance your Oracle's capability considerably. There are interesting notes about the inclusion and design of several which make fascinating reading especially if you enjoy devising your own feats, giving you points to ponder.

Finally, the suggested 'builds' taking your Oracle in a path from 1st level depending on what you intend him to become as he gains more power. The options presented are a Visionary Healer, the Phoenix and the Savage Seer. The Visionary Healer is better than most clerics at healing, and adds the divinatory powers and other abilities of the class, definitely a good build for a strong role-player who cares about the people encountered in his travels, or seeks to champion the people of a township in which he settles. The Phoenix utilises the elemental power of fire, and can do damage any pyromanic would be proud of, while having considerable social skills - well beyond the "It was on fire when I got here" that most use to evade responsibility for the blazes that they have caused. The Savage Seer is a battle-monster, dealing tremendous amounts of damage with both weapons and spells. Great potential for a memorable character in any of these, or inspiration in planning your own career as an Oracle.

Well up to the standard of earlier books, and invaluable if you want to play a well-developed Oracle in a lasting campaign.

I was puzzled when I first picked this up... you see, at the time the TV show Leverage had not made its way 'across the pond' to the UK. A little background about the nature of the show, its basic premise, would make what is intended as an introduction, a taster, for the role-playing game a lot more accessible.

That said, presentation is quite beautiful and you're swept right into things, with talking heads (unfortunately unlabelled - I like to know who's talking to me!) explaining the background of the task that is to be undertaken. This is followed by a single-page primer on how the rules work, laying out the basics extremely clearly, if in a rather casual tone. The core mechanic is a roll using dice based on the relevant attribute and skill for whatever you are undertaking, against a target or against a similar roll from someone opposing you. If the character fails, he not only does not succeed but some complication arises that will require him to rethink... and even if he succeeds but one of his dice rolls a 1, something else goes awry in that carefully thought-out plan! In a game based on the concept of con men competing against each other, that's a neat twist. However, the character's player gets a Plot Point which he can use either to add extra dice to a roll or to create an Asset - perhaps an improvised tool or event that proves advantageous - thus continuing the entertaining contest feel.

So, on to the plot itself. The scenario dives right into the thick of the action, moreover the way that the characters intend to carry out their tasks is predetermined. This can make for a dramatic and flying start to the game, but allows little time for players to get a handle on their characters - who are, of course, the ones from the TV show. If you know the show and the personalities of the lead characters well, it's not so much of an issue.

Events are presented very clearly, with extensive notes for the GM explaining what checks are needed when and what the results mean in light of the ongoing plot. Whenever the characters have to decide how to approach a problem, the options available and how they should be resolved are given. Even a novice GM could run this with ease.

The whole style of the adventure has caught the spirit of the TV show well, the convoluted plot and counterplot nature of events in a typical Job (i.e. episode), and even if you do not watch the show it is not to hard to follow. The endgame, with a complex series of individual 'flashbacks' to introduce actions which go towards dealing with the final plot twist, is a bit hard to understand and might be difficult to introduce to your players without railroading them, but again fits with the overall look and feel of the show.

The pregenerated characters come next, the Leverage Crew in all their glory. Again, it's better if you know them already from the show, but you can cope reasonably on these descriptions alone if you have at least grasped the concept of a bunch of crooks using their talents towards beneficial ends.

Overall, it's a good introduction to the game but relies too much on knowledge of the TV show to make this something that anyone could pick up and enjoy. Watch a few episodes first, and if watching it makes you think it would be fun to role-play, pick this up and see if it works for your group. You'll probably then be scampering off to purchase the full game, but at least you will not have wasted too much if you don't like the rather structured style of play. Personally I feel 'quickstarts' ought to be free, at least in PDF, to promote the game proper and give people a chance to try before they buy the corebook, but if you know you like the TV show this is worth a look.

The first thing, after Raging Swan's usual boiler-plate, is a very comprehensive - and hyperlinked - Contents page. Wish everyone was as meticulous in setting up their PDFs. As a bonus, a bit of leftover space is filled with a poem about this bunch of troglodytes, naturally this has been committed to my bardic memory forthwith!

Troglodytes are primitive folk by definition, but this tribe are more so than most. They are held in thrall by an aboleth who has convinced them that he is the very embodiment of the evil deity - a tentacled demon - that these ignorant and superstitious troglodytes worship. They live deep under a remote rocky island off the shore of the Lonely Coast (or, of course, any suitable shore in the campaign world of your choice), venturing out on rare nights to practise strange rituals. The rest of the time they dwell in a vast underground city built in ancient times by, well, they certainly don't know. They fight ferociously if you intrude there, although as to do so you have to get through narrow, dank and tricky passages and tunnels it's difficult to imagine just why you would!

After the troglodyte society, customs and home have been described in evocative detail, on to a collection of feats, mostly combat-related, and some cleric spells used by this tribe. Mind you, the Cavern Stride feat would be of use to anyone who likes going spelunking in the course of their adventuring, troglodyte or not. The spells include some which allow the caster to age his target prematurely for the spell's duration, an unusual combat tactic! Making magic items is far beyond these sorry creatures, but they have found a few interesting ones which are detailed next, being used as badges of office by the tribe's leaders.

Next come some encounter ideas. You might be unlucky enough to meet them on one of the rare occasions that they come above ground to look for food or sacrifices, or while you are exploring underground. Or you might be really unlucky and encounter their aboleth master. He's CR 9, so you'd better be good or you will soon be dead. There is plenty of detail on both him and his troglodyte minions, far more than mere stat blocks alone, to aid you in running any encounters. The work ends with a new template, the degenerate creature, which allows you to portray the decaying remains of any race.

While these creatures and their home are well-detailed and presented clearly so that they would be easy to run, there is no real reason for anyone to want to go and visit them... and they do not venture far even when looking for surface dwellers to sacrifice or eat. But if your characters do encounter them, a memorable meeting it will be!

The Editorial opens with the promise of a great treat: Wolfgang Baur's own home campaign is to be written up for publication! Apparently Kobeck is part of it, but the rest of the setting is now to be subject to the Open Design process and brought into the light of day. Wolfgang's words show his excitement... now I'm looking forward to it as well.

And so to the first article, Ecology of the Gearforged. They started off as an act of desperation, Kobeck's craftsmen and wizards collaborating to create something, anything to stave off the House Stross forces during the rebellion that saw Kobeck free - but they have matured to more than mere war machines. The price is high, to make a gearforged someone living has to abandon their flesh and see their spirit, their soul transplanted into a living construct which although powerful, tireless and long-lived is limited in many important ways: no sense of smell or taste, unable to cuddle up to someone, love becomes an intellectual pursuit. The Ritual of Soulforging is explained in detail, along with the mechanics for both the Pathfinder and D&D 4e rulesets. If successful, the new gearforged can be played as a character; if not you may have a ghost or a wraith on your hands. Assuming success, we then find out about the appearance and components in a typical gearforged, including the incredibily useful 'memory gears' that store the memories these creations accumulate - effective, gearforged remember everything! They also share knowledge with a devotion bordering on the religious. Some stick to basically humanoid form, others go for bolt-on accessories. Then there's a look at their faith, they all revere Rava, the Gear Goddess, whilst many still hold true to whichever deity they worshipped before becoming gearforged: however most are not particularly devout. Their place in society is explored, as well as the nuances of their everyday life. People who keep pet rust monsters are unwelcome visitors! Overall, if you fancy playing a gearforged or they feature much in your campaign, there's plenty here to bring them to life.

Next - and this is a sneak view of some of Midgard's lore - comes an article, Odalisques and Assasins: Courtesans of Zobeck. Here we learn about the practice of the 'oldest profession' and how a well-trained courtesan can provide a lot more than a quick roll in the hay. Ambassadors, assassins and more have all got their start as ladies (and perhaps gentlemen, too) of negotiable affection. Connoisseurs of the courtesan's art have much to revel in here, as the styles and nature of the entertainment provided in different parts of Midgard are detailed. Many practitioners include Bard amongst their classes, as skill in performance or storytelling often enhances the entertainment that they provide. Sorcerer and Rogue are also popular. Rules additions include adding the art of conversation to the Perform skill, those Bards who take it gain extra options for class abilities, likewise there are other options for those who choose storytelling as a Performance skill. There are also some new spells, which could become quite amusing - enhancing your beauty or causing a target to become obsessed with you! Or perhaps you'd like to craft the magic item called a Pillow Book - not as you might imagine, the Karma Sutra but a collection of salacious gossip about notable individuals. The article rounds off with feats, weapons and mundane items that may also be of use to the professional courtesan.

This is followed by an interview with Robin D. Laws, who has written or contributed to more games than you can shake a stick at, and still delights in it all. An interesting approach has been taken, in not just talking to Laws himself but gathering thoughts from several others with whom he has worked over the years. This neatly reflects in Laws's own words as he talks about the meticulous structural planning that underlies his work. Fascinating stuff!

Next, a treat for Pathfinder players, a collection of magic items collected from entries in Paizo's 'RPG Superstar' writing competition. Revel in the delights of the Cacophonous Monkey, which looks like a wind-up toy but animates to enhance bardic performances... and if that performance doesn't go to plan you might care to use a Snapleaf, a one-off aid to running away which activates both invisibility and featherfall spells. There are 10 more innovative items, many of which could inspire a whole adventure or provide hours of innocent fun for the GM if not for the character who has them - actually, they're all of the useful and beneficial nature, a refreshing change from the cursed items that frequently see the light of day.

There's a whole lot more - see my full review here - for both Pathfinder and D&D 4e... although a lot is applicable to any system provided you're happy writing your own mechanics!

Overall - as usual! - it's a fascinating collection of ideas and inspirations, all easy to incorporate into your campaign and even better if you use the Zobeck (soon to become the full-bown Midgard) setting. Kobold Quarterly is still what a role-playing magazine ought to be.