The following review was originally posted at Roleplayers Chronicle and can be read in its entirety at http://roleplayerschronicle.com/?p=19870.
A glistening silver chalice, delicately crafted and possessing an airy lightness, lies within a frayed hempen sack. A fist-sized blue-green stone with tiny red flecks. A scuffed and well-worn text written with manticore blood ink on fine linen paper… Masterwork Bongos? All these and more can be found among the random hoards that await within this release from Raging Swan Press.
OVERALL
While short, this is a strong edition to any GM’s resource library. In addition to providing tables for generating loot as well as descriptions for each item in the hoard, the basic rules for appraisal and magic item construction are included. Furthermore, several hoards contain items that are all thematically related, a scepter, a crown, and royal robes for example.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
The book is up to Raging Swan Press’s usual standards, which look back, artistically, to older RPG products. It is black and white, free of unnecessary ornamentation, and is quite legible. Overall, an elegant package in PDF or printed form.
Mechanics: 10 out of 10
The format of the entries is easy to use and the mechanics are organized in a consistent fashion. After the name and description of an item, it is followed up by rules for appraisal and magical item construction, as previously mentioned, verbatim, allowing quick reference during play.
Value Added: 9 out of 10
SWtHLA falls just short of a ten in Value Added because it only goes to level seven and can only be used with the intended ease for one third of the standard twenty levels. One might combine hoards to increase their level value or make other adjustments to change the values of a given hoard. I hope they release another book that contains hoards of higher levels. Additionally, all the various items can be used independent of the hoards as general descriptors.
Overall: 10 out of 10
This book rocks. While I love writing descriptions and noodling around with treasure, I certainly appreciate having someone else do the work for me. As I said, I hope they produce more of these books for higher levels, or even just books of descriptions of items. This is my second review of a Raging Swan product and I hope to have the opportunity to review many more.
The following review was originally posted at Roleplayers Chronicle and can be read in its entirety at http://roleplayerschronicle.com/?p=19450.
Ithmar Adlard, Emmi Keto, Cassander the Gentle, Luciana Numidicus, Gorm Skull Splitter, Hanish of Girsu, Sunilda the Weaver, Clovis of the Teutons, Kifi of Nuweiba, Mathfrid of Lorsch. Do you recognize these great names? No? That’s probably because I just generated them using Raging Swan’s name generators, So What’s the Human Called, Anyway I and II, two 13 page books loaded with tables for historically accurate name generation.
OVERALL
Not being a historian of any kind, I cannot attest to the historical accuracy of the lists. More important than the historical reality of the names though, is that they do allow you to create names for a variety of cultures that have identifiable differences and distinct characteristics. That said though, the real strength of this product lies not in its content, but rather what you do with said content.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 8 out of 10
The layout is clean and simple with readable fonts. Unfortunately, plain is the word that comes to mind when assessing the appearance of So What’s the Human Called, Anyway?. The lack of artwork and preponderance of charts reminds me of a statistics book. However, it’s a name generator, not the catalogue of works at the Prado and the format allows for name generation quickly and efficiently. Additionally, Raging Swan is known for simple, elegant layouts. I expect it just doesn’t work as well aesthetically for a product like this.
Mechanics: 10 out of 10
The mechanics work exactly as intended and generate tons of different names using two percentage rolls, one for first names and one for last names. If you have a die roller you can speed it up, and if you made an app for that you could do it even faster. Those aren’t really mechanical considerations however.
Value Add: 10 out of 10
While the books are both positioned as name generators, their utility extends well beyond that. It can be used to generate a name for anything. Need a town in an Egyptian setting? You are covered. Need a list of the professions of the businesses on the street? You’ve got that too. Want to instantly have a set of names that define your orc baddies as being a culture apart? Done.
Overall: 9 out of 10
I think So What’s the Human Called, Anyway? is a great product. As I mentioned, the utility extends way beyond simply generating random, culturally-appropriate names for NPCs and I have no doubt it will be making regular appearances when I plan campaigns or build characters. I really do wish it was just a tad more interesting to look at though.
The following review was originally posted at Roleplayers Chronicle and can be read in its entirety at http://roleplayerschronicle.com/?p=19450.
Ithmar Adlard, Emmi Keto, Cassander the Gentle, Luciana Numidicus, Gorm Skull Splitter, Hanish of Girsu, Sunilda the Weaver, Clovis of the Teutons, Kifi of Nuweiba, Mathfrid of Lorsch. Do you recognize these great names? No? That’s probably because I just generated them using Raging Swan’s name generators, So What’s the Human Called, Anyway I and II, two 13 page books loaded with tables for historically accurate name generation.
OVERALL
Not being a historian of any kind, I cannot attest to the historical accuracy of the lists. More important than the historical reality of the names though, is that they do allow you to create names for a variety of cultures that have identifiable differences and distinct characteristics. That said though, the real strength of this product lies not in its content, but rather what you do with said content.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 8 out of 10
The layout is clean and simple with readable fonts. Unfortunately, plain is the word that comes to mind when assessing the appearance of So What’s the Human Called, Anyway?. The lack of artwork and preponderance of charts reminds me of a statistics book. However, it’s a name generator, not the catalogue of works at the Prado and the format allows for name generation quickly and efficiently. Additionally, Raging Swan is known for simple, elegant layouts. I expect it just doesn’t work as well aesthetically for a product like this.
Mechanics: 10 out of 10
The mechanics work exactly as intended and generate tons of different names using two percentage rolls, one for first names and one for last names. If you have a die roller you can speed it up, and if you made an app for that you could do it even faster. Those aren’t really mechanical considerations however.
Value Add: 10 out of 10
While the books are both positioned as name generators, their utility extends well beyond that. It can be used to generate a name for anything. Need a town in an Egyptian setting? You are covered. Need a list of the professions of the businesses on the street? You’ve got that too. Want to instantly have a set of names that define your orc baddies as being a culture apart? Done.
Overall: 9 out of 10
I think So What’s the Human Called, Anyway? is a great product. As I mentioned, the utility extends way beyond simply generating random, culturally-appropriate names for NPCs and I have no doubt it will be making regular appearances when I plan campaigns or build characters. I really do wish it was just a tad more interesting to look at though.
The following review was originally posted at Roleplayers Chronicle and can be read in its entirety at http://roleplayerschronicle.com/?p=19271.
Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands is a location-based adventure module for Pathfinder. It is designed for 1st Level characters to be brought to 3rd Level if the entire keep is purged of threats within. The adventure has an old-school appeal with a romp through the entire keep, above and below ground, similar to a dungeon delve. The biggest difference here is that the encounters are defined from room to room, although random encounters are possible.
OVERALL
Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands is an excellent location-based adventure; not only in design but also in flavor and layout (layout of the adventure, not the publication.) It’s an excellent introduction to a lengthy campaign for those who enjoy this style of game-play. It creates the ultimate campaign starting point and launchpad, with campaign hooks included in the publication.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
Raging Swan Press is known for their simple yet extremely effective and efficient layout and format. Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands is one of their best products yet, if not the best. The flow of the publication is incredibly smooth and any GM will find it extremely easy to run the adventure. One of the factors that make it so easy is how detailed each encounter is in terms of tactics, environment, and scaling. Additionally, there are some beautiful illustrations that create a lot of visual appeal for important locations. Topping it all off is an old-school style cartography showing off every room and area of the adventure module.
Storyline: 8 out of 10
Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands has very little storyline involved while at the same time it has three different mini-storylines framing the different aspects of the keep. The three storylines frame the keep’s original purpose (along with its downfall) and its current residents. These mini-storylines are not designed to develop throughout the adventure as they are simply given purpose in the beginning and their outcomes will be decided by the actions of the PCs. The keep’s ultimate storyline is that of the PCs and how they view the keep. If they clear it and walk away, then the keep’s storyline ends there.
Desire to Play: 9 out of 10
As far as playing a location-based adventure, Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands is an excellent choice and filled with details and possibilities. The GM can incorporate the keep in a number of ways, gauging the response of the PCs and how they view the keep’s future use. As far as using it as a launching point for a lengthy campaign, it’s a fantastic way for the PCs to get their feet wet while providing a base of operations should they deem it worthy. Essentially, Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands can serve a number of purposes besides just being a location-based romp through this broken down keep.
Overall: 9 out of 10
Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands is an excellent adventure in terms of quality of design and possibilities for use. Every single room within the keep is extensively described and detailed, making the GMs job much easier, and the flavor of which change or grow as the PCs get deeper and deeper into the adventure, which avoids the feeling of repetitious or mundane. Don’t expect the same old thing when you enter a new room, because you will possibly be very surprised at what you find.
Have you ever wanted to let the player characters run rampant through a cave or cavern but didn’t have the time to prep the possible adventure? Caves & Caverns is here to save the day! As another supplement in the GM’s Resource line of Pathfinder supplements, Caves & Caverns contains everything a Game Master needs for a dive into a series of caves and caverns without all the prep work. The only thing you need to do is draw the map and apply the options available within. It is the ultimate tool for the GM who wants to be ready for any decision the characters make.
OVERALL
The GM’s Resource series is the perfect set of supplements for the GM that doesn’t have enough prep time, whose player’s like to make unexpected decisions, or is simply too lazy. Caves & Caverns is the ultimate addition to that line, giving you a single focal point for those adventures that reach the depths of the dark places. With Caves & Caverns, you can take many of those other GM’s Resource supplements and create an even larger setting (in and around the caves and caverns) along with add interesting, 3-dimensional creature characters and warriors. If you ever suspect your players will decide to take their characters into the Ebon Realm, you need Caves & Caverns, or at least you really should get it because it could make your job that much easier.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 9 out of 10
Raging Swan Press is known for their simple yet effective publications that exhibit very high quality. While there are a couple “gotchas” here and there, overall Caves & Caverns follows the same quality level as previous products. Stats are always extremely easy to read, the content is presented in an easy-to-understand format, and excellent illustrations are contained within. For this particular product, layout is very critical considering the high amount of mechanics being provided and it definitely does not let down.
Mechanics: 10 out of 10
Caves & Caverns is stuffed with mechanics. While the stat blocks are beautiful and crunchy, it’s the Features section that really stands out. Combat is just combat, and to battle your foes in a boring, plain “white” scene does not make for memorable games. The Features section alleviates this by presenting a number of mechanics to flavor the character’s delve in a number of ways from the floor to the ceiling and everything in-between.
Value Add: 9 out of 10
Caves & Caverns is filled with value for creating those memorable adventures through the Ebon Realm. The one small issue I found is that the span of Encounter Levels is too great. Ranging from 4 – 12 is a great variety, but almost too great. Characters of higher level may get bored with lower encounters while lower characters will be caught fleeing too often. It may have been better to focus more on one or two encounter level ranges, such as 4 – 6 and 10 – 12, by dividing the encounters for each range instead of spreading them throughout the entire range of 4 – 12. One thing to note is that lower level encounters can be scaled up by adding certain features, but it may become a bit overwhelming. Scaling is provided for each encounter +/- 1, but to go further than that will require more GM interaction.
With that in mind, Caves & Caverns is filled with value and lots of encounters and stat blocks for the GM to use for virtually any adventure. It ultimately becomes how far the characters want to go and how many times you decide to roll on the Random Encounters table, that’s what will define the adventure.
Overall: 9 out of 10
Caves & Caverns has a very focused purpose: to help quickly generate adventures through a series of caves and caverns with detail and flavor. It does this very well and if that’s the type of adventure you want to run, there’s little reason to look elsewhere. While it may not be a key part of your storyline, it could make for an excellent side quest.
Claws of Pelazin is an adventure module for the dark, epic fantasy setting Realms of Twilight and designed for characters of 1st – 3rd Level. While not necessarily an entry-level adventure, although it could be used that way if the adventuring party is big enough, it makes a great starting point for players who are new to the setting or even this style of setting. It features some of the dark themes within Realms of Twilight along with highlighting the dangers of living within its lands. Even though it’s only the second adventure module published for Realms of Twilight, Claws of Pelazin continues taking the setting in the right direction, giving GMs and players a true feel for what the world is about.
OVERALL
Claws of Pelazin carries a lot of value considering its published adventure material along with the source material. While GMs will get the most out of the product, there is information for players as well considering the worship of Pelazin and the location of the village and Trackless Jungle.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 9 out of 10
Silver Crescent Publishing continues to produce quality products with a pleasing format and layout that are not only highly effective but very easy to read. The stat blocks look fantastic and the illustrations are beautiful. Add to this a map of the end scene makes for a wonderful publication. They stop there though, because within the source material section there is a map of the applicable village including descriptions for all the important locations.
Storyline: 8 out of 10
Claws of Pelazin has a good, solid storyline that develops well throughout the adventure module. This story is very direct, almost too direct, and distinctly leads the PCs from the beginning of the adventure to the end. There is little room for wandering and there may be too many ends that are properly tied. This is a big reason why it would make a good starting point for further campaigns.
Desire to Play: 10 out of 10
For those already playing Realms of Twilight or looking to start, Claws of Pelazin is a good starting place. Not simply because of the interesting storyline or assortment of investigation and combat, but also because it gives a deep look at the setting and its dark appeal. It’s as close to dark fantasy you can get using an epic fantasy setting. The details of the village are enough to use just the setting of the adventure for other adventures or campaigns.
Overall: 9 out of 10
Claws of Pelazin is definitely a recommended adventure module for Realms of Twilight. If you don’t like running published modules, then there’s enough source material and NPCs here to create a number of possibilities. It is a good, solid adventure in a wonderfully detailed village surrounded by land filled with adventuring potential.
The Secrets of the Gunslinger is an all around, value adding Pathfinder supplement adding to the gunslinger class found within Ultimate Combat from Paizo Publishing. Instead of focusing on a single aspect of this new character class, the supplement expands upon multiple aspects, providing loads of new material for players and GMs to choose from. The Secrets of the Gunslinger is the perfect companion to the gunslinger class.
OVERALL
If you plan on playing a gunslinger, there’s no reason why you wouldn’t want The Secrets of the Gunslinger. It takes the basic options and template and expands upon them for the purpose of creating even more unique characters and allowing player characters to properly distinguish themselves form their compatriots, especially if they too are gunslingers. There’s even an archetype for worlds without gunpowder so they too can use the gunslinger mechanics.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 9 out of 10
Rite Publishing has established a good quality publication template seen before with The Secrets of the Gunslinger following suit. There are some excellent public domain illustrations depicting some classic-themed pirates/privateers to correspond with the theme of the supplement.
Mechanics: 10 out of 10
Considering all the mechanics are designed around the gunslinger character class, the entire supplement successfully presents a host of new options to correspond with the core mechanics. In addition, the archetypes and feats present a number of new ideas to correspond with the gun-toting hero that can use a gun like a ranger uses his bow.
Value Add: 10 out of 10
The Secrets of the Gunslinger is the perfect add-on to Ultimate Combat’s gunslinger class. In addition, there is the monster template for GMs to use besides simply creating gunslinger humanoid NPCs. From cover to cover, this supplement is filled with valuable mechanics.
Overall: 10 out of 10
A definite must have for any gunslinger character. New archetypes presenting not only the new templates, but interesting directions to take the gunslinger class. New feats to round out the options available to the characters along with creating new potential for settings that directly incorporate these types of characters. It’s truly the companion to the gunslinger class.
While I like the simplicity of the pyramid and the use of shadows and highlights to define height, it would definitely benefit from some type of wall between the different levels to add depth to the 2D perspective. It’s not easy creating a 3D environment from a 2D drawing especially when each level of depth is connected to the each lower and higher level. But to add that many shades represent the different levels is amazing. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen so many shades of “sand” in my life…
While it’s use may be limited, it would make a great centerpiece for a desert-themed encounter or some type of “King of the Hill” combat. The 1″ grid is fairly obvious, but is still hidden enough to be useful for many different systems.
Dim Spirit continues the Curse of the Golden Spear campaign across the lands of Kaiden, an island fraught with horror and asian folklore influence. The storyline picks up exactly where it left off with the underlying plot of part 1 coming to fruition. The player characters are thrown deeper into the lands of Kaiden as they learn more and more about what lurks across the island. However, I do not want to spoil anything.
OVERALL
Part of what makes Curse of the Golden Spear so enticing is the uniqueness of the Kaiden setting. Dim Spirit accentuates that setting by expanding upon those living across the land, friendly and unfriendly. The campaign turns more into survival than just fantasy and the players will have to think quickly and stay on their toes.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 8 out of 10
Rite Publishing has an excellent track record at publishing high-quality products. There are several little things (and a couple obvious ones) in Dim Spirit that stray from that track record. For example, I find two of the stat blocks within the Appendix to be much easier to read than those in the main content and a couple of the illustrations overlap the page’s frame. However, do not let these little things detract you from the content and beautiful illustrations found in Dim Spirit. There are five maps that I absolutely love, especially the 3-d rendered map of a small village in the woods. The bestiary illustrations are even more beautiful than the maps and really bring the appeal of this horrific setting to life. The main content is easy to read with a simple and solid layout and presentation.
Storyline: 9 out of 10
The Curse of the Golden Spear storyline becomes the overarching storyline within Dim Spirit rather than the direct storyline. Dim Spirit brings out more of the setting as the player characters move along in that overarching storyline. You get a new look at what’s possible in Kaiden including a new race and playable class archetype (found in the appendix). The storyline continues to move forward as expected, but this deeper connection with the setting gives the setting itself more depth adds new value (and potential) to the campaign (outside of the given storyline). It essentially becomes part sourcebook as well.
Desire to Play: 9 out of 10
For those looking to continue the Curse of the Golden Spear campaign, Dim Spirit is essential. Additionally, those looking to expand on the content they have surrounding the Kaiden setting would benefit from Dim Spirit as well. What could be considered as side-adventures really play into the setting’s design, regardless of the campaign storyline, which I see as the true motivator for those wanting to play Dim Spirit.
Overall: 9 out of 10
Dim Spirit is not only an excellent addition to the Curse of the Golden Spear campaign but is also a great book for GMs looking to use the Kaiden setting for adventures and campaigns of their own. There is lots of source content embedded in the campaign module; not just bestiary but also maps and locations of interest.
Minotaurs of the Black Hills is another Tribes supplement for Pathfinder detailing the black hills, the minotaur inhabitants and their winged masters, the Yith. It contains an excellent amount of source material along with the applicable in-game stats to easily place this tribe into your own adventure or campaign or use them in conjunction with The Lonely Coast.
OVERALL
Minotaurs of the Black Hills is another great addition to the Tribes line of supplements for Pathfinder and more importantly a great tool for any GM to have. These minotaurs make for great encounters for mid-level characters seeking a challenge other than the norm.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
Raging Swan Press always has a clean and simple layout and presentation in all of their Pathfinder products. Minotaurs of the Black Hills follows that standard perfectly and includes some excellent illustrations depicting these minotaurs and, more importantly, a beautiful hand-drawn topographical map of the black hills.
Mechanics: 10 out of 10
Keeping in the Raging Swan Press traditional Tribes style, Minotaurs of the Black Hills not only contains stats for the different minotaur builds but also includes new feats, spells, and magic items. Almost as an added bonus, you get the mechanics for the Yith master race of the minotaurs.
Value Add: 10 out of 10
The most valuable part of the Tribes series of supplements is their effectiveness for GMs in a rush, in need of random encounters, looking for new source material, or those that are just too lazy. This is due to the fact that the encounters are fleshed out and contain scaling options plus each creature contains all applicable stats. It should be noted that the black hills contain all applicable terrain stats as well.
Overall: 10 out of 10
The Tribes supplements from Raging Swan Press have a definite purpose that they not only continue to fully support, but continually get more valuable with each subsequent release. The minotaur is an excellent creature to throw at a group of adventurers and now you can do with with more life and depth. I may be slightly biased, but the way these creatures are brought to life and given purpose is an excellent concept for an ongoing series of supplements.
Foundation Transmissions expands upon the core mechanics presented within the Thousand Suns core rulebook. It presents new tool-kits for creating great new things to add to your adventures and campaigns plus new options for running military-inspired games. These tool-kits coincide with how the game is designed, as a sandbox with plenty of options. While it may sound a bit cliche, Foundation Transmissions is the ultimate sourcebook for anyone playing Thousand Suns.
OVERALL
Foundation Transmissions is an excellent combination of direct mechanics and tool-kits for adding new goodies to your game. The weapons, armor and robot tool-kits are excellent for players looking to really add their own flavor to the game and the addition of scheming allows you to look beyond combat. For GMs there are pre-generated planets and a new race. For everyone, there is a new look at creating teams that include characters of different ranks, something you would expect a space exploration team to have. It truly contains all the right mechanics and tools needed for long-term Thousand Suns campaigns.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
Rogue Games has a tendency to create simple books with a clean layout and presentation. They are easy to follow and pleasing on the eyes when reading. Foundation Transmissions sticks to those principals with its high-quality publication and even higher quality presentation. It is the presentation of the mechanics that truly stand out, although the illustrations help as well. Not only is it a great tool-kit, it’s a concise and fully detailed tool-kit that doesn’t require interpretation. There are many possible approaches to take for a tool-kit oriented sourcebook, this one definite took the right path.
Mechanics: 10 out of 10
Foundation Transmissions is all mechanics, pretty much. Each section contains its own set of mechanics being introduced or expanded upon compared to the core mechanics. The true perfection of these mechanics is how they are put together when using the tool-kits. There are so many options that you may be afraid of bloat. However, everything is presented in a standard and fairly generic method that the options don’t become bloated and you can see how much effort was placed on balance. When creating your own weapons and armor, you want to make sure you can easily match up your description to those of the tool-kit (and thus the given mechanics). Foundation Transmissions does this beautifully.
Value Add: 10 out of 10
If I could rate this higher, I would. However, 10 is the highest so I’ll stick to 10. From the mechanics and presentation, Foundation Transmissions is all value. There is literally something in it for everyone. You want to design your own weapon? Now you can. You want to design your own armor? Now you can. You want to design your own robot sentinel? Now you can! This is the perfect book to be married with the core rulebook, that’s how valuable it is.
Overall: 10 out of 10
Foundation Transmissions is an awesome sourcebook and tool-kit collection for Thousand Suns. It really sticks to the basic principal of presenting a sandbox setting with lots of flexibility. Especially since the core rulebook is filled with tool-kits as well. This is a definite must have for any Thousand Suns player.
Realms of Twilight is a unique and complete setting for Pathfinder featuring a world lost in an everlasting twilight. This twilight is a result of two seemingly apocalyptic events that threw the entire world into a state of disarray. The aftermath of these events has created a world filled with darkness, dangerous areas of wilderness, a quickly changed landscape, and multitudes of societies whose people have never seen the sun (only the eldest remember it).
Silver Crescent Publishing has taken the concept of epic fantasy and spun it in a very new direction. While many epic fantasy settings are designed to prevent the worlds destruction, Realms of Twilight places players in the middle of a world where the destruction occurred hundreds of years before. Now the people are left with surviving and finding a way to bring the sunlight back to a seemingly dismal world. It is not only truly unique, but an excellent twist of the genre. One should keep in mind that while the world is lost in the never ending twilight, the setting is not dark fantasy. There are dark creatures and difficulties abroad, but horror is not a factor and the PCs should have no problem facing down those who lurk in the shadows.
OVERALL
I’m a big fan of unique settings, especially ones that take traditional ideas or genres and twists them about. The reverse ideals of Realms of Twilight make for a new and interesting way of approaching adventures and campaigns. The only thing left now is to see what direction Silver Crescent Publishing takes the setting and how they put it all together in published adventure modules. I recommend Realms of Twilight for those looking for a new epic fantasy experience.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 6 out of 10
Indy publishers often surprise me with how well they pay attention to the quality of their publication. While I don’t find the presentation order of the book to be ideal, everything is grouped together to prevent having to spend a lot of time flipping through the book (character creation for example). The opening half of the book has a great layout filled with fantastic maps, easy to read content, and a minute detail like the page frames containing different pattern designs in each chapter. However, somewhere in the middle of the book this layout begins to change and pieces fall apart. The book changes from fully justified to right justified and back to fully justified. In addition, some of the character creation pages could use some layout tweaks here and there to make them more visually appealing and keep with that ease of reading. Upon reaching the bestiary, the layout quality improves and the stat blocks look great.
Mechanics: 9 out of 10
The setting itself is extremely well developed and filled with new mechanics. This not only covers the twilight cursed world but also a handful of prestige classes that correspond to the setting, a new Combat Alchemist class, a complete new set of deities, new equipment material, new magical weapons, and new races. There are other mechanics associated with these as well including spells and abilities. Not only is everything properly described and detailed, but they are very interesting and can make for great new PCs. My favorite of all these are the new prestige classes and races because they fit very well within the fluff and feel of the setting.
Desire to Play: 8 out of 10
One major factor driving a GMs desire to use Realms of Twilight or a player’s desire to immerse themselves in it, is its unique design. It primarily takes epic fantasy and turns it on its head placing the PCs in the midst of adventure after the world has fallen on perilous times. There are new races to choose from and new prestige classes as well. However, the one thing Realms of Twilight neglects is to address how other races and archetypes are directly involved in the setting or by providing even minute mechanics to make them distinct PCs. While this shouldn’t deter ones desire to play within Realms of Twilight, it may require the players to spend more time developing their character’s through standard game-play (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing).
Overall: 8 out of 10
Realms of Twilight is an excellent setting filled with a great amount of fluff and dimension and a completely different take on the epic fantasy genre. The direction the setting takes is unique and fresh and filled with loads of potential. While great adventures can easily be created, a grand campaign to restore the sun to the sky is not only epic in nature but filled with role-playing potential and devastating combat. An absolutely grandiose feat!
101 Monster Feats is the next entry into the options category for creating characters (this one happens to be monsters) within Pathfinder. It allows a GM to have more options during character creation or new feats to use for creating unique and alternate versions of existing bestiary. This is a great tool for any Game Master looking to add more flavor and depth to their encounters or if they’re simply looking to create their own bestiary.
OVERALL
I am a big fan of options. I think it makes for much more interesting games when players are faced with bestiary that is a little more flavorful and avoids becoming dull or redundant. Supplements such as 101 Monster Feats help make those encounters more interesting or at the very least, different. Instead of simply running into the same foe you’ve met a dozen times, now they have their own tricks and have learned from their previous mistakes… just like the PCs!
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 9 out of 10
101 Monster Feats follows the standard, high-quality publication template that other Rite Publishing products utilize. It is very easy to read and the 101 feats are listed in alphabetical order. There is not table of contents but the PDF is fully bookmarked making it very easy to navigate (which is actually easier considering it’s a PDF format). There is an assortment of illustrations, although for this type of supplement they are not necessary, but do add a nice visual appeal. The true quality comes from how well the feats are presented and how easy they are to understand.
Mechanics: 9 out of 10
There is a definite variety of feats being presented here, and all have their place. They appear to be well-balanced and Rite Publishing has gone as far as meshing some of the feats together (giving additional value to those presented). There is a large number of new feats along with a collection of “greater” and “improved” versions of other feats. All-in-all, it creates a great collection of options for creating different bestiary, especially if you want to take existing ones and make them a little stronger.
Value Add: 9 out of 10
The basis of this value add only considers Game Masters who wish to do more than just use the standard bestiary guides and templates. What 101 Monster Feats does is provide more tools for the GM to use to make their game unique or more difficult. In addition, you can take recurring monsters and add “greater” or “improved” versions of feats to show that they too have grown stronger as the days go by. The one and only thing I found that slightly hinders the value is the ultimate variety. A lot of these feats seem to be designed for use with more prominent monsters and I would like to have seen more variety. However, there is still a large amount of variety for use with numerous types of monsters.
Overall: 9 out of 10
For any Game Master creating their own bestiary, 101 Monster Feats is a very valuable took to add to your kit. It’s concise, easy to use, and flavorful. Using this is bound to keep your players on their toes.
Rods of Wonder is the next Player’s Resource supplement by Raging Swan Press for Pathfinder. It is designed as a quick and complete reference for player’s who wish to use a Rod of Wonder or a similar item. The stats and options herein are presented in a concise manner and full of flavor. If you want a Rod of Wonder, there’s no reason not to use this supplement.
OVERALL
It’s often hard to rate a product that is short. However, when everything you need to use the supplement is presented so simply and in a format that is extremely easy to read, the overall value of the supplement is worth way more than its length. Simply put, Raging Swan Press has made it extremely easy for you to use a Rod of Wonder by removing all the hassle.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
As with all Raging Swan Press publications, Rods of Wonder contains an easy-to-read layout and simple presentation. Due to its size, this supplement does not have much content to rate. However, it manages to do such a good job of keeping everything simple and concise while keeping each set of mechanics on a single page for quick reference and use. In a way, the layout and presentation make it more desirable to use.
Mechanics: 9 out of 10
Rods of Wonder does a fantastic job of presenting not only interesting (and sometimes humorous) effects for each detailed rod, but it does an excellent job of creating a variety of effects with a mixture of possibilities. This keeps the detailed rod from seeming boring and keeping each rod from being significantly different from one to another. The actual mechanics themselves are quite creative.
Value Add: 9 out of 10
Rods of Wonder is a very straight-forward supplement. It presents options for creating a Rod of Wonder, Bewilderment, Marvels, and Wonderment. This includes the d100 options and the intelligent rods. However, each mechanic is presented and players wishing to add different flavor or options would either need to do it on their own or use this as a launching point. In that regard, it works as a quick reference and a template to use for your own creations.
Overall: 9 out of 10
Even as a simple supplement, Rods of Wonder is a definite must have for anyone wishing to use one of these rods. Print it out and slide it into your character folder for quick reference, that’s all you’ll need to do! All the work has been done for you.
The Gift is a questing adventure module for Pathfinder set in the Asian fantasy horror setting Kaidan and designed for four characters of 5th Level. The adventure is filled with combat and a nicely paced storyline that fit in directly with the Kaidan setting. The Kaidan setting is extremely unique being a land filled with wandering spirits, creatures of Japanese folklore, and wicked humans. The horror elements of the setting are well-developed and integrated smoothly into the background, encounters, and the overarching storyline.
OVERALL
The Gift is an interesting and well-developed adventure module placed in a truly unique setting filled with horrific elements. It would be almost pointless to use it as a stand-alone adventure and sets the stage and initiates the quest throughout The Curse of the Golden Spear campaign. While it is combat-heavy, it is written with a styling that makes the encounters unique and interesting while continuing the story in a forward direction. And to top all of this off, you get maps and battlemaps to boot!
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 9 out of 10
The Gift has a very smooth layout and presentation, flowing perfectly from beginning to end. There are lots of great illustrations but more importantly, there are some beautiful maps and battlemaps associated with the various encounters and areas. This really adds not only to the visual appeal of the module, but also to its ease-of-use. The high-quality of the publication does a good job of leaving you to want to finish the campaign series.
Storyline: 8 out of 10
The storyline is fairly solid and integrates well with the various encounters and overall purpose of the quest. However, even better than its integration with the adventure is its integration with the setting. This storyline does an excellent job of bringing out the Kaidan setting in many different ways. This includes the overarching storyline and the smaller bits-and-pieces scattered throughout that are integral to individual encounters. It should also be noted that it flows superbly from beginning to end without creating gaps or confusion.
Desire to Play: 9 out of 10
Considering The Gift has a large amount of combat encounters, it is not hack-and-slash. To avoid the quest from feeling repetitious, these encounters are quite different from one to another. They range not only in their setup and purpose, but also their style and storyline impact. In addition to the mechanical elements of the quest, the setting is unique which means you won’t feel like you’re playing an adventure you’ve played before.
Overall: 9 out of 10
The Gift is a very good and very solid adventure module. Even better, it is an excellent setup to The Curse of the Golden Spear campaign series. The Kaidan setting really comes alive and this is only the first module. One of my personal favorites is how the ideals of reincarnation work within the setting in how a body can be stolen by a wandering soul or that a body can be an empty shell and thus be acquired by a nasty elemental spirit instead. It’s a very interesting concept and executed wonderfully.
Colonial Gothic is an alternate history setting powered by Rogue Games’ 12° system and placed within the backdrop of the American colonial period. The historical aspect of this setting is mired in supernatural and magical superstitions with inherently paranoid inhabitants. Colonial Gothic turns all of these superstitions and beliefs into a reality thus creating a surreal setting filled with the legends and fictional writings of the time or pertaining to the time.
These writings are turned into the horror found throughout the setting, along with a few Lovecraftian themes thrown in for added flavor. This period of time is already rich with history and filled with significant events that campaigns and adventures almost write themselves. Add to this a rules system that makes combat brutal, role-playing interesting, and covers lots of ground without worrying about the little things that can slow down a more convoluted system.
Just imagine running through town looking for George Washington while hunting a vicious vampire just outside the city limits. Will you change society or will you help save the day?
OVERALL
With an historical setting that was mired in superstition, supernatural paranoia, and vivid fictional writing, Colonial Gothic does a fantastic job of giving that surreal feeling of horror within the dangerous New World. Game-play can range from cinematic combat to interesting role-play with mechanics that are very intuitive to giving players the true feel of the setting, while keeping things from becoming mundane. Even with the the noted confusions during Hero creation, once game-play begins, things should move swiftly and keep players involved.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 8 out of 10
While the included content and illustrations do an excellent job of creating the setting, the multiple locations for defining the mechanics and their conflicting explanations can make reading through the book a bit difficult and slow to start. Once you get past that, the presentation flows smoothly and is filled with valuable source material.
Mechanics: 7 out of 10
The Character Creation mechanics are sometimes confusing and lend themselves to a bit of abuse. This can possibly be resolved through better explanations, more use of examples, and a better definition of terminology used throughout. The overall game mechanics, however, are fantastic and very fitting for a horror-based setting, especially when set within the colonial era of America.
Desire to Play: 10 out of 10
The richness of the historical aspects of colonial America could easily make Colonial Gothic desirable to those interested in playing within an alternate history. The horror added to the historical setting create an environment that is highly conducive to a possible endless number of hours of diverse game-play and very dynamic campaign settings.
Overall: 8 out of 10
What makes Colonial Gothic so appealing is the setting and how it works with the given game mechanics. It keeps with the style of horror-style combat being brutal and unforgiven while keeping with the cinematic appeal many players desire. The simple 2d12 roll-under system can create faster game-play without having to remember a multitude of different roll-types using an endless combination of dice. I recommend Colonial Gothic for anyone looking to move away from the often typical Fantasy and Sci-Fi settings and place themselves within a history rich setting filled with possibilities.
At its core, the Expert core rulebook adds to, builds upon and expands the core mechanics found within the Basic core rulebook. In actuality, Expert allows players to become master of their own domain, literally. And with this kind of power comes new responsibilities and threats that affect a much broader spectrum of people and places. To coincide with this new found power, Rogue Games has created a whole new set of mechanics that deal with encounters (as a backdrop primarily) on a much grander scale.
While ruling your own domain sounds like a lengthy lesson in paperwork and number-crunching, it is more of a purpose for new adventures and extended campaigns rather than what you should deal with from game to game. Just don’t start neglecting your people. Thinking of this, Expert is appropriately titled as these mechanics are not meant for new players or short adventures. They are designed for long-term campaigns and players looking to take their game to a whole new level. But this is not the only value within the book as there are plenty of new mechanics available (such as arcane spells) for newer players, adventures and short-term campaigns. Expert brings a new level of gaming experience to Shadow, Sword & Spell where the possibilities are virtually endless!
OVERALL
While the Basic core rulebook introduces and brings you into the system, Expert shows a whole new way of taking advantage of it and being able to truly create any type of gaming experience desired. This ranges widely from simple adventurers questing across the country to lords controlling a domain filled with a population of thousands. While it’s called Expert, there is something in here for everyone including arcane spells, new creatures and a sandbox setting. If you enjoy playing with the core mechanics from Basic, I highly recommend getting the Expert core rulebook and diving into the new mechanics, even if you don’t use them all.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
Rogue Games continues to publish high-quality products, and with each subsequent publication the quality gets better and better. Expert has a great layout and presentation and reads smoothly. I like the sprinkling of illustrations throughout the book, especially the creatures. One thing I haven’t noted before but need to point out is how well Rogue Games utilizes their publication format. Expert is a digest-sized book and each page is well-filled with content and illustrations. Basically, Rogue Games does an excellent job of adding as much content as they can without producing an excessively large book.
Mechanics: 10 out of 10
While many systems have third party supplements that bring in some of the various, large-scale mechanics, Expert actually brings them into the system directly with balance and purpose. While you may not use them, they are a wonderful way of expanding the potential of your campaigns and providing a gaming experience that is completely new and exciting! And to balance these mechanics, and balance the overall value of the book, there is still plenty of new or expanded mechanics and material that motivates one to use what’s found within (such as arcane spells and the setting). Expert does an excellent job of creating a setting designed for use with the core mechanics and providing a host of new gaming experiences to be had with the large-scale mechanics. Basically, Expert is filled with new and expanded mechanics and they all flesh out beautifully within the systems’ core mechanics.
Desire to Play: 9 out of 10
For those playing Shadow, Sword & Spell already, Expert is a fantastic addition. For those who desire a pulp fantasy system, Expert really enhances the ideals set forth in the Basic core rulebook. For those looking to play the most epic-level of campaigns where the sky is the limit, then Expert is an absolute must. But for those only looking to play simple adventures, Expert is probably not necessary (unless you plan on using the setting and creatures). I can think of multiple reasons why this is a great addition to Shadow, Sword & Spell and the only reason I can find for not using it is because it may introduce things that you just don’t need in your standard adventures.
Overall: 10 out of 10
I have one major reason for giving a 10 out of 10 rating: Core mechanics (non-third party) rarely covers mass combat, the art of trade and being able to run your own domain. What makes this even more powerful and desirable is that these mechanics are balanced (compared to the core system) and simple to game-play. The setup may take some time, but I wouldn’t expect otherwise. The possibilities for new, unique adventures and campaigns grows significantly when you take these large-scale mechanics into consideration. For instance, you can run an adventure that pins your characters as rulers, leaders and heroes of a massive army against the oncoming undead army that will stop at nothing to destroy your way of life. I’ve said this before with Shadow, Sword & Spell, but there are mechanics that allow the players to help create, shape and influence the storyline, adventure and campaign. These new mechanics follow that same appeal of the system. Players become a much bigger part of the game instead of simply taking the role of player characters.
Shadow, Sword & Spell is a blend of pulp action and fantasy mechanics, or simply put pulp fantasy. The action centers around the characters and the individual encounters they experience rather than experiencing a grand quest to save the world. The pulp aspects of the game blend bits of adventure, horror, and Earthly experiences while the fantasy aspects bring in ideals of magic and unearthly creatures. Rogue Games has learned and grown throughout their core releases with Shadow, Sword & Spell displaying a definite maturing of publication quality and core mechanic explanations.
The setting has many adventuring possibilities filled with great investigations, dynamic encounters, believable characters, and plenty of thieving and character growth. The 12° system developed by Rogue Games truly comes to life in these colorful but possibly excruciating battles which can find the adventuring party either coming out on top or limping off wounded and insane. With so many possibilities, it’s a great break from the typically found epic fantasy settings and systems.
OVERALL
Overall I really like the deviation from standard epic fantasy into something more gritty and focusing on individual characters and the encounters they experience. The Basic book contains enough information for players and GMs to get involved in the setting while leaving plenty of room for those wishing to expand their gaming experience with the follow-on core rulebook.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
Rogue Games has demonstrated a definite maturing of their ability to provide quality products not only in description but also presentation. They continue to produce high-quality publications with an emphasis on usability and easy understanding. The improvements to mechanics explanations, examples, and illustrations should prove that these products will continue to get better and better with each subsequent release.
Mechanics: 9 out of 10
I find the 12° to be much simpler and easier to use than other fantasy-based systems and it truly shines within the framework of Shadow, Sword & Spell. The implementation of these mechanics should provide quality gaming experiences with quick and easy play. The incorporation of social mechanics provides more options for those who want more role-playing experiences while easily being removed without detrimental effects to those who wish for more combat style experiences.
Desire to Play: 9 out of 10
Rogue Games continues to produce games that deviate from many of the typically found settings currently published providing new options for many gaming groups. Instead of simply changing the same settings with new mechanics, Rogue Games provides a whole new gaming experience that many may find a desired change from their current games. This setting is very conducive to different styles of gaming improving it’s re-playability and offering new opportunities even within similar adventures or campaigns.
Overall: 9 out of 10
Shadow, Sword & Spell does a fantastic job of bringing to life a pulp fictional writing experience on your tabletop. The exclusion of the heroic feel means PCs can be as cruel or lawful as they like without deviating from the ideals of how the system is supposed to feel.
The Cursed Chateau is a horror-infused, retro fantasy, location-based adventure module designed to be compatible with any old-school class-and-level system. It is designed for 4 – 8 characters of 4th – 6th Level and contains stats that are meant to be broad for compatibility with many systems. The adventure pins the PCs in a nasty little game of investigation and survival while attempting to succeed in the adventure’s hopeful outcome. This module is filled with twists and lots of nasties and should keep the players on their toes, as long as they realize how success is achieved.
OVERALL
The infusion of retro fantasy and horror is done perfectly. Obtaining the great riches can come at a heavy cost with plenty of secrets hiding in the shadows. It’s a great adventure module for dropping into a campaign or running by itself. Although if you’re not careful, this adventure could cut your campaign short.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 8 out of 10
The Cursed Chateau contains Rogue Game’s simple and easy-to-read layout and presentation with a smattering of interesting illustrations. These illustrations are disturbing and twisted and fit well with the setting, but I found a couple of them didn’t match the descriptions in the content. This may be done deliberately and are meant as an enhancement to the content rather than a visual display of the description, but they definitely help in depicting the scene being portrayed. The presentation of the content is very well-done and the NPC stat blocks are all easy to read.
Storyline: 8 out of 10
The storyline has a properly developed background and a definite end-point, however the storyline in-between is a bit vague and is presented as story-points rather than a story that flows from beginning to end. While this allows the PCs to move through the location as they please, I had to go back-and-forth between points to piece things together. This does create a very flexible storyline and allows the game-play to dictate the details.
Desire to Play: 10 out of 10
This could be a very interesting adventure module to run multiple times. Not for the sake of succeeding each time, but for the fact that your party may fail the first couple times and the players may want another crack at it. It’s a great combination of “dungeon crawl” and investigation, brought together in a fairly Lovecraftian style.
Overall: 9 out of 10
I definitely recommend running this adventure module. Not only as an old-school styled module but also as a horror-themed module for any compatible game system (or one that can become easily compatible). With its possible high-level of difficulty, its bound to keep your players guessing and each and every turn.
New France is a campaign setting sourcebook for Colonial Gothic bringing 18th Century New France into the system. New France (the area) covers much of Canada and the central portions of the (current) United States from Quebec to New Orleans. New France expands the Colonial Gothic system from just the thirteen colonies to all the areas controlled by France and those subsequently taken over by British forces.
New France does a beautiful job of expanding the overall Colonial Gothic setting and really provides a 360-degree look at the areas of New France (the area) including the major colonies, organizations, important characters, and much more. While there isn’t nearly as much folklore within New France compared to the thirteen colonies, there are plenty of opportunities for great adventures and epic campaigns. Maybe your players will find the famed, lost treasure of the Templars.
OVERALL
New France is a wonderfully done setting sourcebook. One of the best parts of this book is the large assortment of illustrations showing the locations of all the places noted within the book and some that are only briefly touched on. I also find the NPC descriptions and adventure seeds to be very valuable and great adventures can easily be created around them. The only thing I didn’t find was a hidden, in-between the lines, storyline that could be developed into a full campaign. However, there are definitely enough seeds and ideas that can be pieced together to create a number of interesting adventures.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
The layout and presentation are the typical high-quality for Rogue Games and especially Colonial Gothic. However, the numerous illustrations (mainly the different maps of the areas) really make this sourcebook shine. Not only do they look great, but they are key in understanding where these cities, forts, and territories lie compared to modern day United States and Canada. Second only to Boston Besieged (so far), this is one, very beautiful publication.
Mechanics: 7 out of 10
There is a bit of a shortfall when it comes to the mechanics of this sourcebook. While there is a wealth of source material, it’s mostly presented from a historical point of view with very little twists and turns using a Colonial Gothic fantasy and/or horror influence. Much of what colors the Colonial Gothic system is folklore, but I don’t see that within New France. The adventure seeds that are presented throughout are great adventure ideas and bits and pieces to campaigns, but there is very little Colonial Gothic colorization. I would have liked to see more fantasy and/or horror thrown into the mix giving the setting a Colonial Gothic appeal. With that in mind, the mechanics that are present make great additions to the system for bringing in more of North America into a possible adventure or campaign (especially for creating campaigns).
Value Add: 9 out of 10
There is a definite need to expand the Colonial Gothic setting further from just the thirteen colonies. Part of this is the ability to bring in more ideas while another part is giving the players the opportunity to expand their adventures. Any setting sourcebook that expands multiple aspects of the system’s main setting is very valuable. New France does not let down.
Overall: 9 out of 10
New France is a definite must have for Colonial Gothic Game Masters to not only expand their setting, but also to add new adventure seeds, important characters, more Native tribes, and especially new conflicts between the various colonies within all of North America. For players, there are a few things they will find valuable such as the additional options for character creation and the ability to create new backgrounds. However, much of the content is geared toward the Game Master.
Boston Besieged is a combination release for Colonial Gothic. Part of the book contains a sourcebook for Boston during the Boston Siege of the Revolutionary War. The remainder of the book is dedicated to the Boston Besieged adventure, the first part to the Flames of Freedom campaign. Boston Besieged takes historical events surrounding the Revolutionary War and gives them a Colonial Gothic twist by allowing the heroes to not only become a part of the events, but the reason the events were possible. This adventure really allows the players to get fully absorbed into a slice of history that was a major turning point for America.
Boston Besieged is not only a fantastically written adventure module, it is a 360-degree look at one part of the Revolutionary War and how Colonial Gothic can become (or is) a part of that history and possibly affect its outcome.
OVERALL
Boston Besieged is an absolutely epic adventure to an even more epic campaign. Not that the size is epic, or the combat is epic, but what the heroes are doing is epic in nature. Boston Besieged takes actual historic events (or at least speculative events) and gives them a Colonial Gothic twist filled with fantasy and horror. Boston Besieged is a perfect example of how to make Alternate History truly shine.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
Rogue Games’ publications always seem to follow high-quality layouts and presentations with great supporting illustrations. Boston Besieged is beautifully laid-out and its presentation is superb. The adventure flows wonderfully from beginning to end and I never had to flip back to a previous page. The illustrations are fantastic, especially the map of Boston in 1775. Even the cover looks great in a simple sort of way.
Storyline: 10 out of 10
This is one of the best storylines I’ve ever read. Although considering that it takes place during an actual historical event and places the heroes within its midst, affecting the outcome. The siege of Boston during the Revolutionary War really comes to life with wonderful Colonial Gothic twists and turns that should provide for hours of superb game-play.
Desire to Play:10 out of 10
Adventures within Colonial Gothic can take many different directions from alternate looks at historical events to simple adventures through the thirteen colonies. Being able to go toe-to-toe with some of the largest figures in history is something miraculous. To become a part of the Revolutionary War, this is what Colonial Gothic is about. All player’s should become a part of this campaign and create their own little mark upon the world and further the patriotic effort.
Overall: 10 out of 10
Boston Besieged is a definite must have for all players and GMs. Players will find an abundance of usable information considering background, connections, allies and characteristics that can be applied to their player character within the sourcebook section. GMs will find a historical look at Boston that they may not have considered with the start to an epic campaign. Rogue Games really spend their time making this one perfect.
Gazetteer is the quintessential colonial America sourcebook for Colonial Gothic. It states, quite simply, what has been going on within the different colonies throughout the course of colonization up to the Revolutionary War. At its roots, Gazetteer seems like a historical book, but when you read soak up the content, you realize that it’s filled with adventure seeds, major characters, major encounters, campaign frames and background information that makes for great game-play. The key is to take the information and translate it into in-game situations. In addition, the Flames of Freedom campaign finds its beginnings within this sourcebook.
OVERALL
I will admit that I was very skeptical when starting to read through Gazetteer. I was confused by the lack of Colonial Gothic content while, at the same time, being intrigued by all the historical source material. Then I read through the adventure and it all came together. Colonial Gothic is not just a game about fantasy and horror during the colonial period of America, it’s also about immersing the players in historical events that were not as they truly seemed (or rather how they were documented). While reading through the adventure, I began to realize that creating an alternate history in whatever fashion desired is a key part to Colonial Gothic. This allowed me to look at the content in a different way. These are events recorded in history and as the GM, you can create the why, how, and what and then allow the PCs to determine the outcome. However, if it wasn’t for the adventure, I may not have made that connection and may have struggled to find the source material within the historical information.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 8 out of 10
The Colonial Gothic line of publications from Rogue Games always has great layouts, presentations and illustrations. While Gazetteer generally follows this, I feel there is too much white space and an example of how to translate historical facts into Colonial Gothic fiction would be helpful. There are not many illustrations within the book, but then it doesn’t really need it. As a gazetteer of each colony, a map is often all you need. All-in-all, it’s a great looking publication that follows the fantastic presentation methods found throughout the Colonial Gothic line.
Mechanics: 7 out of 10
While there are no direct in-game mechanics introduced within Gazetteer, the publication pinpoints historical information that is useful within the given mechanics of the Colonial Gothic setting. Again, this is not obvious at first and requires a bit of translation. But once you do some quick translation and get that “ah-ha” moment, you’ll realize how much content is presented within that can take full advantage of the Colonial Gothic mechanics. However, it’s the translation part that may trip some GMs and make them wonder why this content is useful. Again, an example would really help to make that leap from simple historical facts to in-game content.
Value Add: 9 out of 10
I will make this statement quite boldly: Once you figure out how to use Gazetteer, you will realize how valuable it is as a sourcebook. There is a plethora of information that can be used in a number of ways throughout a variety of adventures and campaigns. From the mundane background of your non-player character to framing a full campaign, Gazetteer really covers a lot. And I recommend reading through the adventure module at least once if not twice to fully understand how that information becomes valuable.
Overall: 8 out of 10
I’m a big fan of source material that gives GMs the freedom to use that material in any fashion they see fit. But often times source material can become buried within itself if it is not obvious how that material translates into in-game effects. While Gazetteer is filled with fantastic source material, it definitely did not feel that way at first. But give it a second look if necessary and start reading between the lines to find the true value of that material. It is, in my opinion, a very valuable sourcebook for GMs, especially those who need some ideas for writing their next adventure.
Centaurs of the Bleak Moor is the next TRIBES supplement from Raging Swan Press and fits together with the subsequent publication Minotaurs of the Black Hills. Its designed in the traditional format of the TRIBES line and is written generic enough to be placed within virtually any setting. As the TRIBES line follows through from release to release, it’s nice to see that some of the more ignored creature races are being expanded upon, giving them new life and depth.
OVERALL
One of my favorite things about the TRIBES series of supplements is that they’re not strictly focused on providing you with new creatures to add to your games. They create fleshed out creature races with purpose, depth and a community of their own. They also provide a purpose for that creature races existence including why, how and where they could be encountered as opposed to simply “being there” for the purpose of combat. For all those looking to add a centaur creature race to their game, Centaurs of the Bleak Moor should be the top on your list of supplements to get.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
As always, Raging Swan Press sticks to a high publication quality within their TRIBES series of supplements, but this is pretty much their standard. I do want to point out, in addition, that there are some awesome illustrations in Centaurs of the Bleak Moor. I love the centaur illustrations and the hand-drawn map of the Bleak Moor is beautiful!
Mechanics: 10 out of 10
The TRIBES series are filled with great looking stats whose mechanics are perfectly inline with what the supplement is trying to convey: a series of centaur stat blocks representing various warrior types and applicable weapons, feats and abilities. But as always, what often sets these mechanics apart is how well they’re presented and how easy they are to read. Add in the range of CR from 3 to 7 plus two creature characters at CR 11 and you have a lot of usable centaur warriors.
Value Add: 10 out of 10
With 8 new centaur stat blocks, 2 creature characters, class features, feats, spells, magic items, and encounter examples, there’s loads of value here! Pending you’re looking to add more centaurs to your game.
Overall: 10 out of 10
I may be slightly biased because I really like the TRIBES line of supplements, but they always offer lots of great information for the given subject at a fantastic price! Centaurs of the Bleak Moor offers lots of great centaur variations, the environment of and around the Bleak Moor, and lots of new Pathfinder material to enhance your game geared toward the listed centaur tribe.
Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade claims itself to be a “Action RPG of Martial Arts, Mysticism and Rebellion” and truly sticks to that description. The setting is influence, quite obviously even, by traditional Asian themes such as Taoism (Yin and Yang) and ch’i (qi). However, the setting itself is unique (although influenced by Asian legends and folklore) and contained within its own world filled with ninja and a seemingly large empire. Traditional fantasy themes are replaced by those of martial arts philosophies and cinematic fiction. The setting, and much of the mechanics, is also influenced by martial arts Anime creating a seemingly over-the-top effect filled with kick-butt ninja action!
Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade is powered by the Dynamic Gaming System. A basic roll-over d20 system where bonuses are added from a characters attributes and skills and then compared against a fairly standard target number (doesn’t float around as much as THE d20 System). The system utilizes only a single d20 with in-game mechanics based upon bonuses and penalties instead of using different dice for each roll. After learning how the mechanics work (as noted later on), it almost seems as if the system was built around the non-stop, martial arts action prevalent throughout the setting. Game-play should be very dynamic, interactive and filled with ninja action!
OVERALL
One of the strongest points of Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade is how the mechanics can replicate high-action, cinematic combat (common to many ninja-themed movies and Anime). If you’re ever looking to replicate this type of gaming experience, then this is the game for you. The setting is very focused upon the atmosphere it’s trying to create (that of the latest war referred to as The Ninja Crusade) and characters are bound to find themselves wholly absorbed into that setting. As stated before, the game is very dynamic and very interactive.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 8 out of 10
The chapter-by-chapter layout and presentation is very smooth and well done. Along with lots of great looking illustrations, the publication quality is high. However, the overall layout of what order the content appears could be improved upon. I found myself skipping ahead to Character Building to make sense of the Clans section (where the in-game mechanics for choosing a clan are found). While seemingly minor, I found myself not fully understanding the first two chapters due to a lack of knowledge concerning how to create a character. Once you get past this hurdle, everything flows well and the content is very easy to read. This content is also done in a very concise manner which meant I rarely found myself misunderstanding what was being presented. Much of this is easily overlooked when you see the illustrations and how awesome some of them are. While they have a bit of an Anime feel, they are definitely fit perfectly with the settings theme.
Mechanics: 9 out of 10
I love how the mechanics fit in so well with the martial arts, action theme. When you think of a cinematic fight between two ninjas, it’s a constant exchange of blows – actions and reactions. The choices you make effect the length of time your action and reaction requires. The seemingly more difficult the move is, the more time it should take. And as opposed to simply taking turns, a single round is interactive in which all characters are performing moves instead of simply waiting until your opponent resolves all their actions. Another big plus is how the mechanics are tailored to fit the theme of the setting (such as wushu replacing magic). Character creation is fairly straight forward but the number of character bonuses and penalties can be a bit daunting. There are a lot of bonuses/penalties to calculate outside of a simple bonus-to-hit or bonus-to-damage. There are bonuses/penalties for the different combat moves and opposed checks and it becomes a bit much. You don’t want players to worry about too many mechanics during game-play. However, this fairly minor and the system still works wonderfully with the setting’s theme.
Desire to Play: 9 out of 10
For a game focused on high-action martial arts, there’s no need to look any further than Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade. Many of the Asian themes and influence come through quite nicely and the interactive turn sequence means that combat should never be dull. Many of the stereotypes surrounding ninjas and their high-velocity combat is felt within the mechanics (especially the fighting styles in chi). This is a definite, solid action system that keeps all players involved in every step of that action.
Overall: 9 out of 10
With solid mechanics, an interactive system that reproduces cinematic action and a fully fleshed out setting, Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade is an excellent choice for fun-filled action adventures. Those who enjoy Anime and ninja-clad movies should get plenty of enjoyment out of this game. Those who enjoy high-action, cinematic combat will also get lots of enjoyment out of this game. There’s even opportunities for long-term campaigns pinning the PCs in a struggling rebellion against a repressive empire.
The Island Cave is a fairly simple battlemap that can easily be used within any genre. Using a 1″ grid, GMs are presented with a small portion of an island with a couple caves that leads into two small caverns inside this island hill. The Island Cave is hand-drawn and uses a 3D perspective looking from overhead. The map isn’t terribly large but can be used for a variety of purposes.
OVERALL
The Island Cave contains fairly standard terrain for an island. The caves are contained within a hill that gives way to simple grass that flows all the way to the water. Scattered throughout the grass are some bushes and a large tree near the top (of the battlemap). A footpath leads from the water to the entrance of the cave. The cave leads into the hill and splits off into two mid-sized caverns. There is an inconspicuous water inlet off to the side with a cave that ends at the wall of the cavern. I’m sure this can be used as a secret entrance into the cavern or maybe a hidden path for quickly escaping with your treasure!
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
Rite Publishing has done an excellent job of overlaying the grid so that it only covers the areas where its necessary. There is an overview page with the grid and .jpegs are included without the grid (and another .jpeg with the grid). The battlemap is divided up very well between the multiple pages and avoids cutting important features down the middle (such as the main cave entrance). The battlemap is in full-color and a black-and-white version is included for printer-friendly use (although it truly looks better in color). The biggest positive note on publication quality is how the battlemap is divided between the multiple pages. Cutting a major feature (or room) in half makes for a poorly put-together battlemap. The Island Cave completely avoids that.
Visual Appeal: 8 out of 10
While battlemaps may look wonderful when using the right software, there’s something to be said about a great hand-drawn one as well. The 3D perspective really comes through and you can really see the outside walls of the cave/cavern complex and how the island flows down to the water. The battlemap is truly a piece of art. However, there is a large tree at the top of the battlemap which really looks out-of-place. After looking at it numerous times, I have a difficult time understanding how the tree is positioned. It looks as though it’s laying flat and partially hanging in the water, but the limbs look like they’re the wrong direction. If it’s meant to be rising out of the ground toward the sky, then the 3D perspective did not come through. Obviously something like this is left to GM interpretation, but I still find myself a bit confused. But when it comes down to it, the artwork is very visually appealing and pleasing to the eyes. I don’t think it would look as good if it was done using standard map-making software.
Desire to Use: 7 out of 10
The map definitely has multiple uses (although it may not make as much sense in a sci-fi setting). While it’s use may be more valuable within a fantasy, pirate or historical setting, you can still find a myriad ways to use it. I also find the side entrance to be a great addition. The only problem I can see is that with the grid, the cave pathways to the caverns seem too small. The caverns themselves are plenty big, but there are a couple spots in the cave paths that are tight and would seem difficult to traverse when you’re fully loaded with armor. This may have been done purposefully or it could be a simple oversight, but I would prefer caves that are wide enough to traverse (from a flavor and role-playing stand-point). I would also prefer there be less unused space and maybe some caves that lead away from the opposite sides of the caverns. Basically, when you get to the cavern, there’s no other caves, just a wall. Even adding another cave that trails off the end gives the GM something to use for the next part of their adventure, otherwise it seems like a one-time use.
Overall: 8 out of 10
The Island Cave is a beautifully drawn map with a very well-placed 1″ grid. By not specifying exactly what’s in the caverns or defining the surroundings, GMs can use it for a variety of settings and systems. I’m a big fan of hand-drawn maps as they’re not hard-edged and seem more natural (compared to real life) than one made with computer software. This is artwork and the 3D perspective really comes through.
101 Alternate Racial Traits presents users with new possibilities for what type of unique character they create. These new racial traits take the place of (most of them) one or more racial traits from the Pathfinder core rulebook. These new traits allow players the flexibility of creating a character similar to what they had envisioned. 101 Alternate Racial Traits truly puts creativity in design back into the players hands by allowing them to create the character types they really want without unnecessary racial traits.
OVERALL
More options! Many of us yearn for more options. To create a character that is truly unique and conforms to the background that you have envisioned. That’s what 101 Alternate Racial Traits is about, the ability to create the character you want to create. Instead of racial traits that are useless, unnecessary or just don’t work with what you want, you can now maximize your characters abilities. Or at least come closer to maximizing their abilities. Even with 101 traits, you can probably find 101 more.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
101 Alternate Racial Traits is very well organized with a clean presentation and simple layout. Rite Publishing has a habit of creating high-quality publications and this is no different. Some illustrations are sprinkled throughout, but a supplement like this doesn’t really need many. What it does need, and definitely has, are easy-to-read entries that are also easy-to-find (when reference back through the material).
Mechanics: 10 out of 10
I love the variety of new racial traits, especially the different bloodlines and supernatural abilities. Sometimes you feel like creating a stereotypical dwarf, and sometimes you feel like creating one with your own vision. While 101 Alternate Racial Traits may not give you every option you’re looking for, it definitely gives you plenty to choose from. Even if you don’t find what you want, you can use these new traits as a template for creating your own.
Value Add: 9 out of 10
I am a big fan of supplements that provide more options during character creation. It’s very easy to take the easy route during character creation by building a typical adventurer with the given racial bonuses and penalties. This could be the equivalent of creating sub-races or just creating a flavor for your adventurer that corresponds with the background they created (or want to create). The only problem with more options is finding the right ones to choose. While this may seem a daunting task for many, it can be well-worth the time spent.
Overall: 10 out of 10
Supplements that enhance character creation (by offering more options) is worth purchasing. The key to 101 Alternate Racial Traits is the sheer number of new options you are given (including racial traits for a half-drow) that make it even more worth purchasing. If you’re looking for an easy way to create unique characters, this supplement is for you. If you’d rather keep with the standard options, then you won’t find much value within the supplement.
Villains is the next supplement in the GM’s Resource series for Pathfinder. Each supplement is designed to put game material into the GMs hands for quick and easy reference. Villains features a grouping of villains and some possible minions that could accompany them. Each villain is presented as a full NPC with plenty of color, depth and pretty much everything a GM would need to drop it into their adventure or campaign.
OVERALL
The GM’s Resource series of supplements from Raging Swan Press is a great set of publications for GMs who are pressed for time or short on ideas. Villains supplies the GM with a great amount of NPCs and associated minions along with plenty of background and adventure seeds to go with it. GMs should be able to create numerous encounters, adventures or even campaigns with some of the simplest material found throughout. A definite must have for the GM who needs a little guidance.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 9 out of 10
While Villains follows a similar layout and presentation as previous Raging Swan Press products, the minions section changes the typical presentation slightly and is different than most stat block presentations. The villains have illustrations for each while the minions do not (as they are fairly standard and designed to be flexible). The content is a great concept and I really like how the NPCs fully match the illustrations.
Mechanics: 10 out of 10
Villains really takes advantage of the flexible character creation (and NPC creation) system within Pathfinder. It truly allows you to create virtually any type of character imaginable with a variety of abilities (considering the multitude of combinations available). While there are no new mechanics introduced, Villains definitely allows the GM to quickly take advantage of the core mechanics without having to spend a lot of time doing it.
Value Add: 10 out of 10
Most of the value add within Villains does not include the stat blocks. The greatest value is the flavor text, plot hooks and background information surrounding the different NPCs (especially when including the minions). With this information, a GM could easily create an adventure or encounter or even slide it into an ongoing campaign as an integral part of the storyline. GMs that are really creative can take some of the backgrounds and turn them into launching points for new campaigns. The fully fleshed-out stat blocks and minions are really just a bonus.
Overall: 10 out of 10
Villains is another great supplement from Raging Swan Press. While its use is seemingly straight-forward, there are so many other possibilities besides just creating encounters or adventures using the given NPCs and their minions. Raging Swan Press does a fantastic job at presenting stat blocks and this publication is so easy to read and follow. Regardless of what you use it for, it’s definitely a high-quality product with a myriad of uses.
Dark Oak is the latest adventure module from Raging Swan Press taking place (loosely) within The Lonely Coast setting and designed for Pathfinder characters of 5th Level. Dark Oak refers to a tribe of lizardfolk led by a now evil druid dwelling within a fairly massive cave lair (along with the other tribe members). The adventure is a fun little “dungeon delve” into a large cave network filled with lizardfolk of the Dark Oak tribe. While the adventure is written as a fairly standard adventure, it can also be used as a sourcebook for the Dark Oak lizardfolk tribe.
To add to the value of the adventure module, it also comes with pre-generated PCs, a beautiful map of the lair, and a couple of magic items. Overall, the adventure is well-detailed and written all for a great price!
OVERALL
Dark Oak is more than just an adventure module, it’s a deeper look into the Dark Oak tribe including a few creature characters and a number of creature stat blocks. The adventure is written very simply to allow GMs to use it in multiple ways. There are lots of little bonuses contained inside including scaling and a great-looking, hand-drawn map.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
Raging Swan Press always produces high quality products. With a fantastic layout and presentation and plenty of great looking illustrations, Dark Oak does not stray from that standard. There is always a great amount of valuable content presented in a way that is easy to read and visually appealing.
Storyline: 8 out of 10
There is a definite storyline leading throughout the background of the adventure module and the adventure itself has a purpose, or at least a direction. However, there is very little storyline throughout the actual adventure and the ending is loosely defined. This method of development allows a GM to place the adventure within the midst of an ongoing campaign or as part of a longer adventure. The background defines why the creatures and creature characters are there and why the PCs would need to face them. The rest of the story including why the PCs are needed is left up to the GM. As a side note, the adventure doesn’t always need a storyline as it can be used simply as a one-night game session.
Desire to Play: 9 out of 10
I like the way the adventure module is written and it’s a great quest taking on all the different Dark Oak tribe members. It’s reminiscent of old-school dungeon crawls but with a bit more definition and purpose other than hack-and-slash and gather the treasure. The majority of the adventure is focused on combat and exploration of the caverns. This may not be ideal for all gaming groups but should appeal to those looking for this type of gaming experience.
Overall: 9 out of 10
Dark Oak is a great, short adventure module for Pathfinder. It can be easily used as a side quest, inserted in-line with a series of other adventures, or even an integral part of the storyline by using the given background and the Dark Oak tribe. It’s filled with options and lots of source material besides being written as just another adventure module. Unless you’re looking for a role-playing focused adventure or one with little combat, I recommend letting your PCs run through these caverns.
Half-Goblins of the Tangled Wood is the next supplement in the TRIBES series for Pathfinder, published by Raging Swan Press and set within The Lonely Coast setting. This supplement is similar to the other TRIBES supplements with one slight change, there is more focus on the Half-Goblins race/bloodline and less focus on their surrounding environment. Instead of creating a single Tribe/Clan of a typically mundane creature race, the Half-Goblins are introduced as a new, complete bestiary that reside within the Tangled Wood area of The Lonely Coast.
OVERALL
The TRIBES series of supplements is a valuable series for almost any Dungeon Master. Not only do they breath life into mundane creatures, but the introduce new versions of these bestiary or introduce new ones. Half-Goblins of the Tangled Wood introduces the Half-Goblin bestiary and not only brings it to your game, but gives the DM multiple versions and a few fleshed out NPCs. Add to that some new feats, spells, and equipment and the DM finds themselves with a wealth of new material at a great price.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
Half-Goblins of the Tangled Wood utilizes a small change to layout by moving the encounter stats to the locations where they correspond to the different creature stats instead. This helps to bundle all the applicable mechanics together instead of flipping back-and-forth to find the creatures that correspond to the encounter given 6 pages prior. Everything else follows the typical high-quality of all other Raging Swan Press products, especially the great looking illustrations and the fantastic looking map. As always, Raging Swan Press makes stat blocks very easy to read.
Mechanics: 10 out of 10
The spread of creature stats is quite vast and even includes 4 creature characters. But the true mechanics that shine is the introduction of the half-goblin creature race which not only includes the basics of ecology, society, and traits, it also includes information about their bloodline, tactics, player characters, names, and a small sampling of lore. This supplement is one of the most complete supplements that focuses on a single creature race.
Value Add: 10 out of 10
The value add is in the new mechanics, allowing the DM to incorporate an entirely new creature race into their adventure or campaign. The 4 creature characters drastically add to this value too.
Overall: 10 out of 10
Half-Goblins of the Tangled Wood is definitely the best of the TRIBES supplements I’ve read (so far). Not only does it incorporate a new, easier to read layout, but it is stuffed with variations on the new half-goblins race including creature characters, feats, spells, items, and encounters. While you may come to expect this, based upon previous supplements, there’s no shortage of great content.
Lizardfolk of the Dragon Fang is the next supplement in the TRIBES series for Pathfinder, While its a continuation of the series, the presentation is different than the most previous few supplements. As opposed to taking a single creature and giving it a “society” to be a part of, Lizardfolk of the Dragon Fang is a mish-mash of different lizard-type creatures. The supplement spends less time looking at the background of the group and instead details different warrior and spellcaster with a range of ratings and a grouping of powerful NPCs. To add to these creature stats is a grouping of new feats, spells and magic items.
Lizardfolk of the Dragon Fang is a great addition to the TRIBES series of supplements, although it carries similar qualities to that of the GMs Resource line. Instead of running static encounters with boring and mundane creatures, this supplement adds depth to the ranks of those creatures, gives them some type of purpose and brings in a powerful leader.
Lizardfolk of the Dragon Fang is a great tool to enhance or add dimension to an encounter the GM has already constructed. The supplement gives the GM more options for lizard-type creatures with various CRs and a (small) pool of leaders to choose from. While the group itself contains a listed background with characteristics, the are more of a “plug-in” creature group rather than a main focus for an adventure or for creating the framework of a campaign. It’s a valuable tool when it comes to creating more interesting encounters.
Fellowship of the Blackened Oak is the next in Raging Swan Press’s line of GM’s Resource supplements for Pathfinder. Unlike some of the other supplements, this one is more than just a resource. At its roots is a group of seemingly different characters allied with an obsessed wyrm seeking her birthright. At one end is a group of NPCs or Pre-generated characters for use within virtually any adventure or campaign, while at the other end is the framework of an entire adventure or launching point for a campaign. This supplement is very similar to the TRIBES line of supplements in that it takes a 3-dimensional look at seemingly mundane NPCs and turns them into characters with depth like a standard PC.
The obsessed wyrm is almost comical in nature as to how she won’t give up her search to find and claim her birthright. This creature is presented in a similar manner to the other characters with a fully detailed background, applicable stats and everything one would need to bring the character to life. All together, this GM’s Resource is one very valuable supplement for an extremely reasonable price.
Fellowship of the Blackened Oak is a very valuable supplement. Not just for the content but for the sheer number of opportunities that are presented to a GM to create interesting encounters, great adventures and interesting campaigns. It really takes a 360-degree look at a group of NPCs that can be implemented in a number of ways. They could simply be encountered on their own, used as main antagonists, combated as a group or become the source of a delve into the birthright of their wyrm ally.
For GMs looking to grab some quick information to add, enhance or build upon their adventures or campaigns, Fellowship of the Blackened Oak is a fantastic source. Everything about this supplement feels complete; the content covers almost every known aspect of this group of allies.
Rite Publishing recently sent me a free copy of their Heroes of the Jade Oath BETA edition for Arcana Evolved. What I thought might be fantasy adventuring in Asian lands turned out to be much more grand and dynamic. Heroes of the Jade Oath is much more than adventures in Asian lands, it is a fully-involved setting, built from the ground up using Asian influences and themes that create an entire Asian-inspired place where everyone and everything is a part of the landscape. Rite Publishing took many of the standard Epic Fantasy races and classes and molded them so that they look and feel as though they properly belong within the Asian-inspired setting. In addition to races and classes, new religions have been created using Asian inspiration, such as Buddhism and Shinto, along with mechanics that correspond to the different types of philosophies found in Asian lands, such as Confucianism and Taoism.
Heroes of the Jade Oath could be considered as more than just a new setting. It is more like a re-tooling of the standard (or typical) Epic Fantasy system and conforming it to different methodologies and mechanics. Through these efforts, a truly rich and flavorful Asian Fantasy setting has been created, placing the lands of the Jade Oath within their own world separate from the many Epic Fantasy settings that have been around for years. It should be noted that the version I was sent is the BETA version and not the final OMEGA version. Rite Publishing has informed me that the OMEGA version will incorporate updates from playtesting, another round of editing, an overhaul to the equipment section, additional artwork and a Pathfinder version. This review will take these into consideration and they will not be considered when determining the ratings.
OVERALL
Heroes of the Jade Oath is a great setting. It contains a wealth of background content and each area within the lands are fully detailed. The races and classes have (primarily) all been altered with Asian influences in a way that truly makes them a part of the setting instead of foreign adventurers in an Asian land. The religions really come to life along with the Asian philosophies and even zodiac signs. The equipment listing is filled with samurai and ninja-inspired weapons and armor round out the experience, bringing it to life.
Overall Rating: 9 out of 10
Heroes of the Jade Oath is a fantastic setting that could be considered a whole new system of its own (minus the core mechanics from Arcana Evolved). Everything about it has been designed and developed from the ground up using Asian themes and influences. It’s rich, dynamic and filled with dimension. Above all, it’s completely unique in every single way, giving players and DMs a new experience with lots of possibilities and great adventures to be had.
Figurines of Wondrous Power is the latest Player’s Resource supplement for Pathfinder. It’s a collection of magical figurines ranging in price from 3,800 gp to 28,500 gp all with variable powers and advantages. Each one is fully presented with detailed descriptions, stats and alternate names for use within different cultural settings.
To set these figurines, when in animal form, apart from other figurine transformation, ideas such as quirks and command words are presented plus mechanics for creating intelligent and cursed creatures. The PDF is fully bookmarked and comes in at a mere 16 pages for easy and quick reference.
Raging Swan Press creates many great supplements with simplicity and focus. They take seemingly mundane things and turn them into something fantastic with depth and character. While the supplement is limited in its capacity, Figurines of Wondrous Power does an amazing job of bringing new options and understanding to everything presented within.
Once again Raging Swan Press has created another fantastic Pathfinder supplement and another fantastic Player’s Resource. Figurines of Wondrous Power not only focuses on a single, seemingly mundane grouping of items, but takes them to another level of game-play with new options, characteristics, names and other ways to add color. The illustrations are the perfect way of finishing off the supplement with visual representations of the figurines so that all player’s have a sense of what they look like.
Coliseum Morpheuon is more than just an adventure module for Pathfinder. It is an entire setting taking place on the Plane of Dreams, written adventure, possible mini-campaign, and possible full campaign setting. The setting is beautifully detailed with an excellent array of adversaries, NPCs, plot-hooks, encounters, and the Gladiator events themselves. The publication is filled with fantastic illustrations, maps, and an easy to read layout. Even if you don’t use the Gladiator events or the overall Gladiator games, the content is filled with so many more ideas that you are almost getting 2 full publications in one with loads of potential for exciting adventures and thrilling campaigns.
The Coliseum Morpheuon Gladiator events are written for 16th – 20th Level characters and could be thought of as a playground (not just a sandbox). There are given events that are supposed to occur at given times, but the time in-between can be spent playing anywhere throughout the playground doing virtually anything the GM or players can imagine.
I can’t help but say great things about Coliseum Morpheuon. The publication is very professional and I absolutely love the illustrations. New mechanics, setting details, new adversaries, new NPCs, and maps, this publication has it all! There is so much value found throughout that no matter what you don’t want to use, there is bound to be piles and piles of information that you will find very useful.
Overall I highly recommend Coliseum Morpheuon. Not only for the Gladiator events but for the wealth of source material presented throughout. Along with this there are great new mechanics for GMs and players alike pertaining to the Plane of Dreams that could make any adventure or campaign more colorful. Rite Publishing has done an excellent job of bringing together a collaborative publication that can serve as a sourcebook, adventure, mini-campaign, or full campaign.
Troglodytes of the Tentacled One is the next supplement in the TRIBES series of supplements set in The Lonely Coast setting. This particular supplement is dedicated to a single tribe following an elder being illustrated in the style of H.P. Lovecraft and filled with new options for creating its troglodyte followers. The content delves into an immense amount of detail from ecology and religion to tactics and encounters details.
Raging Swan Press never ceases to amaze me with their publication quality and easy-to-read presentation of the content along with great looking illustrations and a lot of new stats. Each supplement brings about an in-depth look at a typical creature from Pathfinder making them 3-dimensional and filled with new options.
I’m a definite fan of the TRIBES series of supplements for Pathfinder. These supplements do a superb job of taking a normally mundane creature and turn them into a society with depth and purpose. Instead of encountering the same old bestiary from adventure to adventure, GMs can create a more role-playing styled encounter with all sorts of questing options and further details for campaign development. Troglodytes of the Tentacled One doesn’t sway from the regular series of TRIBES supplements and actually creates a more in-depth look at the troglodytes tribe as it only introduces a single tribe (as opposed to two or more). With the inclusion of only a single tribe, many more details can be introduced with a lot more stat blocks and creature character builds.
I highly recommend Troglodytes of the Tentacled One for any GM that wants to enhance their player’s experience by bringing in colorful bestiary rather than the simple mundane creatures that often found throughout. It’s a great addition to the TRIBES series of supplements and The Lonely Coast setting, but more importantly it contains a great set of new mechanics for encountering troglodytes anywhere.
Antipaladins is the first in Raging Swan Press’s GM’s Resource series of supplements for Pathfinder. This first supplement features a listing of antipaladin NPCs ranging in challenge rating from 3 to 15. But this is more than simple character sheets with a few fleshed out details. Antipaladins fully details 7 NPCs including their description, background, personality, mannerisms, distinguishing features, weapon, adventure seeds and applicable stats. Each antipaladin has an associated illustration that corresponds to the descriptions provided.
This first supplement in the GM’s Resource series is a great way to give veteran and newbie GMs the ability to quickly bring things to the gaming table without having to worry about a lot of preparation ahead of time. This can be critical for spur-of-the-moment needs or even adventure or campaign design. The supplement is so simple but thorough that it exceeds many expectations.
Antipaladins is a highly valuable GM resource utilizing a high quality layout and presentation. Each NPC is properly described and detailed and loaded with further ideas. I am truly excited to see future releases within the GM’s Resource series and highly recommend their use.
For any GM looking to create a new adventure or campaign or simply looking to expand upon the ones they’ve already created, the GM’s Resource series has lots of potential. With the first release of Antipaladins, no GM should be let down.
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