DriveThruFiction.com
Browse Categories
$ to $







Back
pixel_trans.gif
Other comments left for this publisher:
You must be logged in to rate this
pixel_trans.gif
Firefly Role-Playing Game Corebook
by Ron M. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/21/2014 14:50:46

Not a bad book, although the GenCon Pre-order's art was more impressive. I'm still waiting on my Hard copy to be sent to me....



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Firefly Role-Playing Game Corebook
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruFiction.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Firefly Echoes of War: Wedding Planners Cortex Plus
by Jamey J. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/18/2014 17:57:35

Once again the pdf was very well done. The is a good game.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Firefly Echoes of War: Wedding Planners Cortex Plus
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruFiction.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Firefly Echoes of War: Wedding Planners Cortex Plus
by Caleb D. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/18/2014 13:06:54

Loved it. Great adventure for one of my favorite new rpg systems.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
Firefly Role-Playing Game Corebook
by Stephen S. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/06/2014 09:23:38

The much anticipated Firefly-RPG is both excitingly innovative and disappointing. The book is laid out focusing on stories, including a highly detailed account of each of the shows fourteen episodes used as flavor text and to highlight the rules and how one can use them to achieve the feel of the iconic television show. This was a brave work given the cult following of the show. PROs: The basic rule system is simple, and elegant. All actions with potentially bad consequences are resolved in the same basic way. The player and opponent roll off using a dice pool. The pool can be modified in a bunch of ways, but all of them are intuitive. Players has considerable control of the narrative using plot points and a variety of rules relating to their simple character sheets. There are countless examples in the text of how to resolve various scenarios. Also present are dozens of archetypes, distinctions, and ships to satisfy the players. The rules eschew the asset management crunchiness of damage tracking, money and equipment. Thoughtful insights on how to construct adventures and develop backgrounds. The rules, examples, and suggestions for creating distinctions and triggers are well written and clearly laid out to give flexibility AND careful guidelines for keeping play balance. CONS: Unintuitive organization, reminiscent of Old White Wolf games buries many of the actual rules deep in the narrative of the episodes. No index to track down relevant rules. Many scenarios have a variety of methods for resolution, and similar scenarios may be described differently in the episode guides. This flexibility offers a variety of tools, but leaves the GM in the unfortunate situation of having to generate house rules for a number of pretty common situations (assets, complications, teamwork, low stakes actions, big damn hero dice, and situation traits to name a few.) The idea of using the familiar show episodes to explain rules is a great one. More attention though should have been put to (a) be consistent with the rules, (b) explain when they were fudging things to make the rules fit the scenario, and (c) explaining the game mind set versus the story telling of the show. A good example of the latter problem is the description of the Janynestown episode. The translation of the story into games mechanics is relatively sound (except for one rule violation) but it never admits to the great fiction. That story would almost certainly not arise in the way they describe it. A GM and Player would have had to plan out the entire central point Jayne's previous visit well in advance, they pretend that it could have been a happy accident of a botched die roll. The episode guide and associated rules sections could have been more effective if they owned the deceit that any attempt to translate the show would be implausible. My main issue with the game is just that they don't seem to want to admit that it is a game. There is little attention to the sorts of things players are wont to do. A good example is using the environment and strategy. The catch all rules mechanism for this is using a plot point to create an asset. Mechanically this is rarely a good use of plot points, but it is encouraged throughout the text. The problem is that, in the absence of using plot point there is little incentive to use strategy. There is no rules point in seeking cover in a combat if you don't want to spend a plot point for the Asset cover. That said, scattered throughout the text and heavily used on the forums, are little tweaks to accommodate these alternatives. The GM can grant assets as rewards for good play (but is cautioned to do so sparingly), one can use other incentives to reward clever thinking, and good role playing, but again these are presented as options or house rules. There are numerous mechanisms to do this, but no effort was made to suggest what might work better, encourage good story telling, or keep game balance. Overall I get the impression that the Rules are better described as Tools. They are good tools, but only for a GM who is willing to invest heavily in working out the consequences of their application OR unconcerned about consistency and fairness and willing to play fast and loose. I think the designers had the latter idea in mind when they designed the system. It does beg the question, if the rules literally don't matter, then why have them at all?



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Firefly Role-Playing Game Corebook
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruFiction.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Firefly Role-Playing Game Corebook
by John g. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/05/2014 00:06:04

I got to pre order and play this game at Gencon 2013. It was a great game then. I now own a copy of the PDF, and am setting up a campaign here in town. I have played serenity, and this is a different, updated, and way more in depth version of that wonderful game! They have done so much work to develop an entire Verse. The cortex system as always is close to flawless, and has super smooth game play, great for any beginner while allowing itself to be open and sandbox-y for any long term, veteran filled, campaign. And if that's not enough they have gone OVERBOARD with their character development. Yeah sure play as the original cast, but really they didn't stop there. They have core, boarder and special characters to choose from and work with, more then I care to count! This they either went crazy an made stuff up or got fox to deliver more information then I can take in. The planet systems, back stories on different players, how the worlds interact! It's crazy! Thanks MWP, you did good... real good!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
Firefly Role-Playing Game Corebook
by Franklin H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/02/2014 16:00:12

Wonderfully edited and presented core rulebook using the proven Cortex Rules Engine. I missed the Serenity RPG but the Firefly RPG is evidence MWP is serious about giving the 'verse the love it deserves this go around.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
Sete-Ka's Dream Quest
by Piotr C. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 01/30/2014 13:04:34

It is a quite nice, young adult novel/game, very similar to old Endless Quest books. It is a bit short - only 46 separate entries, 22 of them being The End. There is a route to finish this gamebook reading only 6 entries (and answering a riddle)!



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Sete-Ka's Dream Quest
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruFiction.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Castlemourn Cortex Quickstart
by michael l. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 12/24/2013 20:22:19

Best explanation of basic rules ;attacks,actions,casting,armor,defenses,damage,etc.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Castlemourn Cortex Quickstart
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruFiction.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Firefly Echoes of War: Freedom Flyer
by chris m. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 12/20/2013 12:06:31

A well made episode like the others, well worth your money!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Firefly Echoes of War: Freedom Flyer
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruFiction.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Leverage: The Quickstart Job
by David v. H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 12/13/2013 12:41:28

For someone who really likes the TV show and enjoys Role Playing the Leverage: The Quickstart Job gives you everything you need to play a fun game as if you were the Leverage Crew. It also give you a idea as to how the game system works and if you would be interest in the full rule set. I highly recommend the item.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Leverage: The Quickstart Job
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruFiction.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Leverage Roleplaying Game
by Tony K. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 12/07/2013 01:33:41

Weis Productions have an incredibly good Talent. They can create a great RPG from an existing property and have it moulded perfectly to that properties world. Leverage is no exception.

The Leverage system is all about 3 things. The Same three things that define the show and make it stand apart from the others. A Good Caper, A Team of 5 people with specific skills who get a chance to show off their skills every episode and Flashbacks being used as a tool to wow the audience, create a good twist and progress the story in exciting ways.

The Book devotes a HUGE section of it's pages to telling the Fixer (the Game master) how to run a good caper. From how to structure the session like a TV 5-part Act, How to create good villains and how to challenge every Team member. A lot of games fall down with weak GM sections, Not this book. I could recommend a GM buy and read this book just for the Fixer section of the book.

Giving each player a Role and letting that role have it's own abilities may sound a bit like using 'Classes' but it isn't. If you make a Hacker he still has to decide which other roles he could perform in a pinch so he might be a Hacker who can fight, a Hacker who can out-think or a Hacker who talk his way through anything. And the best part is that it's the Fixers JOB to give you opportunities to shine, and sometimes the opportunity to do things other then what your best at!

Flashbacks are the most unique part of the system, because they allow players to almost re-write the session. Normal if a player forgot to grab the security codes to get inside the building he would have to convince the GM 'Well obviously I would have thought to do that' - Not in Leverage. Instead the Player creates a Flashback scene where he DID grab the security codes, and the Fixer might ask for a roll or create a complication as a result. Flashbacks mean the Fixer doesn't need to worry to much about accidental Barring the PC's way when he creates a cleaver obstacle, because a creative player can add resources using a flashback!

My only criticisms is that the game is /A specific to one contemporary genre, so it's not to easy to use for other games. B/ A little light on the rules side. However if you DO want to tailor the game to another setting look at other Weis games (especially the core Cortex rules) for an easy solution. As for the light rules, that just depends on what your players like, For me and my gamers.....it's pretty perfect.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Leverage Roleplaying Game
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruFiction.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
The Lost King - Star of the Guardians Vol. 1
by Jean-Michel G. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 12/02/2013 00:00:00

Very bad story, poor reap of Star Wars. Main characters are all jerks and you don't want any of them having their way. By the time you are in the middle of the book you won't have any sympathy for them.

Spoiler When I say reap of Star Wars see this: Star Wars universe: A Republic, guarded by an order of mystical knighst with strange powers, betrayed by the best of their and make an Empire and an Emperor instead. This book universe: A Star kingdom, guarder by an order of mystical knights with strange powers, betrayed by the best of their and make an Republic and a President fot life instead. Spoiler



Rating:
[1 of 5 Stars!]
The Lost King - Star of the Guardians Vol. 1
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruFiction.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Leverage Companion 04: Hollywood Hacking vs. the Real World
by Thomas B. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 12/02/2013 00:00:00

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: You can either get the PDF for $2.99, or you can get the compilation of ALL the Companions in a print or PDF compilation at RPGNow. The Hollywood Hacking Companion mostly covers the artistic license that TV and movies tends to take with Hacking (like people blowing up stoplights by hacking into them, or the antiquated idea that you have to keep someone talking on a phone in order to trace them). It does a pretty good job of straddling the line between "Don't do what they do on TV because it's silly" and "we're just giving you information so someone a bit more knowledgeable than you can't just call your bluff". A handful of Hacking related Talents are included, but they aren't limited entirely to Hackers. One Talent, for instance, is Mastermind-based and allows you to exploit people who are working off of Hollywood Hacking assumptions. Another one is nice, arrogant trick a Hacker can pull out at the last second. Why didn't they do it earlier? Duh, they were dumbing it down for the rest of the crew.

WHAT WORKS: The extra Talents are always fun. The writing is nice and breezy without turning into a technical lecture.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The Companions are all fairly "niche", with this one being especially so.

CONCLUSION: With the Companions now collected into Companion Volume 2, it's worth reading the material as part of the larger compilation if nothing else. As a standalone PDF? Not the first purchase I would recommend...but the Talents alone make a nice addition to a larger product.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Leverage Companion 04: Hollywood Hacking vs. the Real World
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruFiction.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Leverage Companion 05: Tropes Vs. Leverage
by Thomas B. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 12/02/2013 00:00:00

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: As above, you can get it as a single PDF or part of the Companion Volume 2. The purpose of this Companion is help out a bit with defining a character by making use of different archetypes. About 15 archetypes are provided, with descriptions and advice on combining each archetype with each of the five Roles, as well as a Talent that fits each Archetype. Maybe your Hitter is a Mama Bear (or Papa Wolf), maybe your Hacker is a Romantic, maybe your Thief is an Artist, maybe your Grifter is a Rebel and maybe your Mastermind is an Architect who has built each of their plans off of the backs of their last ones.

WHAT WORKS: A real simple way to get a starting point for your Leverage characters, using common archetypes as the core concept (combined with the Roles, obviously). Some of them are truly inspired, as are their related Talents (like an Architect getting a bigger Asset die when using a Callback, since they are building to these moments).

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Some of the combinations don't fit so well, and at times the writing seemed to struggle to define the Archetype/Role relationships without repeating the same ground. Several of the pages carry the footers from the Hollywood Hacking Companion, which presumably got brought over in formatting but never changed.

CONCLUSION: A very useful Companion for those struggling with character creation, or for those who are maybe looking for inspiration for a unique spin for their next character. I also appreciate the fact that there's an attempt at backing these decisions up mechanically, with the inclusion of Talents. A good, well written companion piece to the Leverage rulebooks and supplements.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Leverage Companion 05: Tropes Vs. Leverage
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruFiction.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Leverage Companion 06: KRYPTOS
by Thomas B. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 12/02/2013 00:00:00

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Available in the same formats as above, Companion 6 takes your Leverage game from the Populist Revenge business and into the realm of Espionage (and Counter-Espionage). This includes advice on changing up the roles (Hitter to Wetworks, Thief to Acquisitions, Mastermind to Handler, etc). This is even a recommended mode of play for Single Player games (James Bond or Jason Bourne, anyone?) While these Companions commonly offer new Talents, this one also offers new rules, such as resisting Interrogations, handling "Gadgets", and even an "Enhanced Flashback" mechanic that allows the Agents to throw the trust of each other into question.There's even a few campaign set-ups, including an amusing one set in a retirement home for secret agents. An Instant Mission Generator replaces the Job Generator from the Leverage core rules, so you can generate spy-appropriate missions on the fly.

WHAT WORKS: Well, I love random generators, so that's a win right there. There's lots of good information in a small package to tweak Leverage from its default mode of play and into spy games.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: A few spy-related Talents would have been great. Mentioning the Trust mechanic before the section that actually introduced it was a little counterintuitive, but not a huge problem given the size of the product.

CONCLUSION: If you're going to write a niche product like this, present the information as usefully and as compelling as you can. This book totally hit the mark in that regard, giving you the necessary tools to turn Leverage into a spy game with a small package. I always like extra options for Talents, so the book lacking those is disappointing. That said, it's a well-written, micro supplement that was released with a very clear goal that it accomplishes admirably. A great pick-up if you want to diversify your Leverage campaign options.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Leverage Companion 06: KRYPTOS
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruFiction.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Displaying 76 to 90 (of 324 reviews) Result Pages: [<< Prev]   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 ...  [Next >>] 
pixel_trans.gif
0 items
 Hottest Titles
 Gift Certificates