Pathfinder Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Roleplaying Game, Modules Subscriber. Pathfinder Society Member. 2,135 posts (2,136 including aliases). 6 reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 1 alias.
I bought the full set (brick/case/collection). I'm impressed.
>The quality and detail was better than any other minis
>The design choice in the sclupts were excellent
>Many miniatures like the dwarf, the black dragon, and the lich are truly inspiring. That is they evoke a sense of adventure just like the PAIZO game does.
>The set was nicely distributed so I got all of them, with doubles in areas that make good sense for a gamemaster.
>Unpacking took a while, but I put on a little Bob Dylan and spend a few hours relaxing and opening and admiring each one.
>The collection as a whole, reminds me of that feeling one gets when looking at great fantasy art e.g. the brilliantly colored venomous snake, the sharpness of the large spider's recoil as if to launch webs, and the rugged cloak on the frost giant, all made me imagine dungeon-like scenes where these minis would live.
>The cost was bearable. I'd saved up for this case, and I have no regrets on the cost. (I decided to support my local FLGS.)
>Some of the minis actually look "real" i.e. they're more than representations of the monster, the actual pose along muscular detail give many a life-like quality.
>The functional use/value of this set is very high, and good choices were made for this "first set"; I honestly cannot wait for the next one.
>I liked the distribution of the small to mediums, and have a formidable goblin troupe along with the rest. I never thought I would actually "want" more goblins in my collections, but you've got to see this little critters. PAIZO (JJ) has re-innovated the goblin from simple cannon-fodder to something devious, mischevious, and cunning.
>The Manticore was created mythologically "correct". Although I enjoy TV show deviations such as the abstract Manticore in the Merlin series, I cannot help but appreciate the incredible authenticity the Pathfinder Battles minis posses!
>One last thing I noticed was the awesome realization of the original artwork from the Bestiary. The style of the Pathfinder RPG game milieu is completely fresh, yet authentically familiar to the 35+ year history of fantasy role-playing. In this way I have both familiar and new, like attending a Sting concert.
>One final point: The succubus. The succubus. The succubus.
- Negatives: a couple have a slight cartoon-like quality that I don't prefer, yet find artistically done. Just as sometimes the art in the Bestiary itself has this slight quality. Its still high quality, just a slightly different style (which might actually appeal to a lot of folks, so this isn't much of an issue.
- More?: the only thing that could make my experience with the Pathfinder Battles minis better - is if I had more of them, and more of the Pathfinder creatures reimagined from the Tome of Horrors. That is, while I really liked the wolf and the gnome, I cannot wait for the Slurk and the Tentamort!
Imaginative, colorful, and immediately useful, this exempliary tome provides GMs with new inspiration for both new and old monsters. Key features that impressed me were the immediate usability of the tome, appropriate challenge rating assortment, the reviving and rejuvenating of old mythical and historical game beasts, as well we their incredible art and well designed descriptions and stats. This is a MUST HAVE in your Pathfinder games, but anyone leafing through the book will find it compelling and desirable. Ideas for whole adventures can be derived from just casual glances at individual creatues, and all of them combined make for a high quality monsterbook that GMs and players will enjoy. Outstanding work, once again, PAIZO!
For as many five-star ratings I give for quality products, this one is 1-star to 2-stars at best. I perceive poor production value and misfitting parts along with conceptually poor design in terms of usability.
I won't be contacting the company with ideas, but think its fair to suggest to peers to avoid this item.
Disassembly is also not possible once glue must be used, and no indication is given on the product that glue is required.
Highlights include:
>Quick, fast, easy to read, master, and run this module from minute one.
>Layout deserves a trophy! Open it up and it falls immediately open to the stapled middle, revealing the dungeon map and great artwork. Functionally, this module layed-out with the user in mind, for example: bold stat block headings, concise Pathfinder RPG defense, offense, statistics sections and clear treasure/development/hazzard/XP/CR ratings/creature #s in bold, making this product very easy on the eyes of young and old gamers alike. The inside covers along with all art throughout is simply the very best and delivers the emotional feel of the world's oldest roleplaying game.
>This is the first Pathfinder RPG adventure compatible with v.3.5 and it absolutely thrives at this. My entire collection is instantly compatible.
>Story selection including the adventure summary and introduction are written concisely and effectively for both novice GMs and expert GMs to grab and use, yet it possesses all the quality of depth we've come to expect from PAIZO over the years. As the first ever Pathfinder RPG module, Bulmahn delivers, and even more powerfully (if you can imagine) than he did with Hollow's Last Hope.
In sum, this review is one of the best rpg modules ever designed--an immediate classic belonging with the hallowed ones we revere and respect. Yet, everything I see is fresh, new, exciting, and immediately satisfying.
Crypt of the Everflame, right down to the font and color selection of its title, is everything you would want from the world's oldest roleplaying game, and delivers a completely new, incredibly smart, sophisticated, and lavishly produced rpg module experience.
My family pack of Combat Tiers, by Tinkered Tactics, arrived recently. They were packed safely for shipping from PAIZO, and were easy to assemble. They are designed with ease of usability in mind. As a gamemaster for over 25 years, it is a joy to have this well-engineered system of 3D combat tiers after all these years. The pieces are made of durable plastic and assemble quickly and easily. Each 5 and 10 foot increment is readily seen, and thin black lines provide quick height assessment at-a-glance. The base is sturdy enough to hold several tier platforms above it, along with combat miniatures. The strong but clear plastic material also manages to fade into the background for a stunning visual appearance of whatever is flying or hovering above.
I recommend getting the Combat Tiers Family Pack. I rate this product with the highest available rating. Its modular design enables the gamemaster to adjust any combat, round-by-round if needed, quickly and effectively for brilliant "realism" at the fantasy game table. Worth every cent of the investment. Built-in grids make movement and aerial combat easy, elegant and fun.
Just last night I used the Gamemastery Spell Template: Spell Radius Package in my home game. An evil fiendish gnoll master wearing a necklass of fireballs spelled certain doom for the party. That's when the wizard aimed a spell directly at the necklass. When the item failed its save, all the fireballs exploded. As a DM, I reached for the template. With ease and excitement I placed it down, revealing the wizard PC was just outside the range. 10d6 was quickly avoided without missing a beat of the excitement using the red Gamemastery spell radius template. I give the product 5 stars!
Posts
