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Snowy Scenes
Publisher: Philip Reed Games
by Steve D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/13/2022 21:50:28

Like others in the map-like range, this is primarily a source of random tables. The front side is decorated with a snowy scene and some nice frozen/wintry accent art. The whole is given over to a 4d12 table of encounters to spring on players in wintry environs. These encounters are a mix of creature encounters and travel hazards.

The back is a single table as well, with a short section providing advice on using random tables. The table on this side is meant for a 2d20 roll. The results are leas about travel hazards and more about creatures one might encounter in a frozen area. Some of them are living threats, some need rescue, and a few are already dead and not animated. There are a few, even on this side, which lead to other encounter areas.

Evaluation I have some affinity for snowy encounter -- I just like them and so I might be biased, but this is my favorite of these supplements. It's got a lot of longer entries which for me means more inspiration for the actual encounter. There are neat ideas here and while some are familiar, others are very creative.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Snowy Scenes
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Creator Reply:
Thank you! I am also a fan of winter adventures, so this one was a blast to work on.
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Dungeons, Useless Ideas
Publisher: Philip Reed Games
by Steve D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/13/2022 21:48:46

Like the other products in this non-series, this one features a number of interesting quotes and accent art pieces. The bulk of the actual content is a series of random tables which offer suggestions.

Speaking of suggestions, the author suggests you put a check next to items you've used in this "worthless work" or perhaps keep a journal. If instead there were notes about outcomes, you might just increase the value due to the marginalia.

The charts sometimes have single-line descriptions and a few are paragraph based. Included on the front side are a d20 of paragraphs for random encounter, a d10 for paragraphs describing what's behind the door.

The back includes a d14 of additional encounters, 3d6 for inhabitants of the dungeon in paragraph form, and single line entries with 6d6 creatures in the dungeon, 3d6 of NPCs, and 3d6 of wounded monsters.

Both sides are liberally scattered with reminders that this product is worthless.

Evaluation Despite its own hype, there are a lot of fun and useful ideas here from an orc with a sword through it's thigh to a young lady in a bloody dress who has just cut the head off a goblin. These kinds of things have the potential to really engage players and become more story hooks than random encounters.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeons, Useless Ideas
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Mimics, An Unnecessary Work
Publisher: Philip Reed Games
by Steve D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/07/2022 09:05:28

This is a 2022 release from Philip Reed who self-published after fund-raising on Kickstarter.

Presentation The presentation here is nearly unique. The whole is fairly graphically intene and double-sided. It's full color and large print. It's more readable than most maps.

Content Like others in the map-like range, this is primarily a source of random tables. Both sides have tables, quotes about mimics from various sources and some very appropriate accent art.

On the front side, we get an overview of the content which includes a d13 table to make your mimic magical, a 4d6 table to decide what the mimic is imitating, and 3d6 for some additional forms which one might find a mimic using. There's also some advice on the use of system-less supplements, like this one.

The back has two big things. One is a d20 chart with paragraph-length entries describing locations where one might find a mimic and what that mimic is up to. The second is a three room dungeon which stars a mimic and some other creatures who he's allowed to move in with him. There is a map, a key, and a history.

Evaluation This is a lot of fun and some nice ideas for a sometimes typecast monster. It's nice to see different ideas to enhance mimics and their role in a game. The dungeon is short but evocative although there's probably too much history for a three room dungeon.

Overall, this is a great collection of tables about mimics. It is well-written and creative.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Mimics, An Unnecessary Work
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Creator Reply:
Thank you!
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Luchador: Masked Men of Mexico
Publisher: Spartacus Publishing
by Steve D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/06/2019 23:14:02

This is the first supplement for Luchador which contains no new rules. Instead, it is a true source book for a fictional world of Mexican luchadors. There is a lot of background information here and there are also designer notes explaining why and how some of the decisions in the book were made.

It starts off with a general description of the wrestling scene in fictional Mexico, encouraging GMs to set the players up as local heroes in their hometowns who perhaps wrestle most often in their hometown gym. There's also some suggestions for local play. This is followed up with a section suggesting that the GM be careful about incorporating real people and places into the game for fear of complications when players might know or learn more about those locations than the GM. The author also points out that some things are less believable when the details start in the real. There's also some advice on adventure design which mostly suggests making sure you've focused on the characters fighting the bad guys.

There's a section which updates the sample characters used previously in the game. They are updated with 25 experience and the use of new rules which appeared in later volumes. There are four of them and not only do we get the updates but also the rationale behind each update and some notes on the rules used. It's a nice primer on the rules changes and using experience points.

The next section covers some of the larger promotions (organizations) in wrestling. This includes the downfall of the Legends of Lucha Libre as well as groups which formed to fill the gap like Steel Cage Xtreme and Open Wrestling of Mexico. Each of these latter groups has a short list of members and some suggestions on their matches and activities.

The next section talks about The House of a Thousand Masks which is an organization aimed at keeping alive the legends and traditions of the true Lucha Libre. This section includes information on a number of former and current wrestlers who are involved with the House.

The last section forms the bulk of the book. It is a listing of enduring villains, those that have been around for awhile and would make good adversaries and masterminds for plots against the players. There are nine enduring evils and a few more lesser evils. Most of the evils are single wrestlers but a few are groups.

Evaluation This is a great supplement for Luchador. There are a lot of great ideas here, the sort of ideas and background that could help a GM launch and maintain a long-running campaign.

The wrestling groups are great and also provide a good esxample for a GM who wants to create new leagues. The sample NPCs help to free the GM from the tedium of creating a lot of NPCs for players to encounter.

The designer notes are interesting in that they help provide grounding for the GM in how to make such decisions in their own creations.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Luchador: Masked Men of Mexico
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100 Corpses to Find in a Dungeon
Publisher: Azukail Games
by Stephen D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/30/2019 12:28:03

100 Corpses to Find in a Dungeon is a 2018 release from Azukail Games. It was written by Adrian Kennelly and the cover is by Lord Zsezse Works. It is intended as a universal supplement with a strong fantasy focus.

Presentation This is a 15 page pdf laid out in portrait format. The layout and editing are both excellent. There are 3 pages which aren't content (title, cover, and an ad each one page) and the rest is the list of 100 laid out as a numbered list of paragraphs.

Content This is similar in design to many of these supplements created by Azukail Games; there is a short explanation of how to use the supplement and then many pages of numbered items with a bold title and a brief descriptions.

The titles are very short and so not always evocative, but the descriptions make up for it. There are two parts -- first a description of the corpse and then an explanation (or possible explanation) for the corpse and its appearance.

A sample entry might read: "Gassed. The skin of this corpse is bright red, so bright it is almost glowing, and a swollen tongue protrudes slightly from its mouth. A suitable skill check will reveal that the body has fallen victim to some type of toxic gas." There is a lot of room for the GM to set up more from this -- was it a trap, a spell or something else? Is the trap still active or the caster still present -- what sort of trap or person was it? There's a lot to build from here.

Evaluation This is a fun product. There are a wide range of creative ideas here from the types of corpses found (not all are human) to their condition and their apparent cause of death. There is much to build on here and the product does a good job of inspiring GMs.

I think this is worth the price of less than two bucks for the pdf.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
100 Corpses to Find in a Dungeon
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100 Creepy Things and Events to Encounter Outdoors
Publisher: Azukail Games
by Stephen D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/30/2019 12:26:20

100 Creepy Things and Events to Encounter Outdoors by Azukail Games is a 2016 release intended as a universal supplement. It was written by Adrian Kennelly and the cover and backgrounds are by Lord Zsezse Works.

Presentation This is a 21 page pdf with one page of a cover and about 1/2 page of credits. The rest of it is content. The layout is portrait and most of the content is laid out in a single three-column table. The editing is excellent and the layout is clean and readable.

Content The monograph has about one page of explanation of how to use the content and then the rest of it is the content. The explanation talks about ways the various table entries can be used and suggests ignoring results that don't make sense or fail to fire the imagination of the gm.

The entries themselves are laid out in three columns: a number from 1 to 100, an event, and then a column for details. The events are in a wide variety of categories from objects, sounds, atmospheric phenomena, weather, creatures, or places. Some are meant to be directly observed while others are on the edge of observation or just a feeling the players get. For the most part, they are hooks -- there aren't a lot of details about what comes next once the players start to investigate. A sample entry might be number 23 Falling. In this one, a player suddenly has the feeling that the path they are on is shifting from horizontal to vertical and that they are about to fall off it. There isn't any further explanation for this, but players are likely to want to figure it out -- the GM will need to help them examine what's happened and come to an understanding.

Evaluation As with any project of this side, some of the events are less interesting than others and a few are downright boring. Of course, every reader will probably create a different list of which are the best and worst events. That's to be expected and it's part of what gives the product its charm.

This is a good product with a lot of ideas to help spice things up. It's about $2 at Drive Thru RPG and preview provides a decent idea of what you'll be getting.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
100 Creepy Things and Events to Encounter Outdoors
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That's a Rich Tale
Publisher: Onyx Path Publishing
by Stephen D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/30/2019 12:22:25

That's a Rich Tale is a 2018 release for Pugmire as part of the Canis Minor program. The author is Crystal Mazur who is also the editor and publisher.

Presentation This is a five page pdf with a full page of cover and another page of ogl declaration. The layout is clean, but the editing is weak. There are some typos, but more importantly there's about a half-page of content that is duplicated.

Content The blurb for this product describes it as "This short introduction to The Salty Dog sets up a for a great short adventure for first time adventurers or Guides who are new to Pugmire." It doesn't really deliver on that promise.

There's about 2 pages of content once you ignore the half-page of duplicated content. There is a fairly detailed description of the Salty Dog tavern and some of its patrons. There is a mystery when one of them loses a game of poker and storms out of the tavern. Eventually his poker buddies decide to go look for him and they recruit some strangers (the party) to go find him.

They learn that the medallion he lost was given to him before he lost his family and he believes it's cursed. He doesn't know much about the amulet or where it came from.

While some look for him, the others speak to some retired adventurers at the tavern and learn more about the history of coins like the one he lost (the coin is at the tavern since one of his friends won it). There is somewhere nearby, but very dangerous, where medallions can be found.

Another stranger offers to sell them a map to the location where the medallions can be found and hints that there might be a relic of man there as well.

This set up consumes about 85% of the content of the adventure. The next section explains what happens if the dogs choose to follow the map. That section is about one-half of one page or about 1/8 of the total pagecount of useful content. There are almost no details of what will be found there. A description of the difficulty, an object that could be found, and vague warnings about the Unseen.

Evaluation I really can't recommend this. There is very little here to actually form an adventure from and the product devotes way too much content to the hook and not enough to the actual adventure. That doesn't even consider the carelessness of repeating about half a page of the content in a very small product.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
That's a Rich Tale
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Madame Mombi's Forbidden Tomes
Publisher: Fat Goblin Games
by Stephen D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/29/2017 18:35:43

Madame Mombi's Forbidden Tomes is a 2012 release from Fat Goblin Games. It is intended for use with Pathfinder. The author is Doug Lilly and the cover is by Rick Hershey.

Presentation This is an 8 page pdf in letter size. It contains two illustrations -- the one on the cover shown at right and the Fat Goblin Games logo. The text is black on a light grey background and is laid out in a fairly standard two column format. The editing and layout are clean if not particularly visually exciting.

Content Of the 8 pages, 6 are given to content. The first page includes a brief bit of fiction as the introduction and a the credits. The final page is the OGL declaration. The rest of the PDF describes 10 unique tomes with magical properties; some of them have spells while others reveal other potential magical secrets.

The books as described take a variety of formats, some of which are pretty unconventional.

The Baseborn Lover is presented as a play for five participants and includes lines for each of them. At the conclusion, the worst actor is put to death. Studying the play takes a week and requires a knowledge roll; because the book is presented as part of the Shadows over Vathak setting, there is the possibility of a loss of sanity. Success allows the character to learn the formula for two second and five first level spells.

Songs of Aegis is a collection of children's poetry. The poems are written to encourage children to live according to the tenets of the Church of the One True God. This book takes a week to study and also requires a knowledge check. The successful reader can learn to cast two third, four second, and five first level spells. They can also learn Benevolence of the Flock which grants bonus hit points to character's healed by a priest of the One True God.

The Right to Resist is a flexible book whcih can be tied to the owner's limbs to help hide it. The book is filled with marginalia from later owners and so has many authors. The book has an arcane mark which might reveal the owner to authorities. It takes 2 weeks to study and the caster can learn four third, four second, and five first level spells. They can also learn Defiant Stand which allows the character to upgrade the damage dice of a spell by one step.

Penitence and Mastery is part diary and part scientific journal, it was written by a cambion alchemist. The topic of the book is his belief that he was a terrible monster sent to punish his mother and his ongoing attempts to become a true monster. It takes 2 weeks to study this book and it can cost a lot of sanity (2d6). The character can learn a third level, three second, and four first level spells all of which grant the caster monstrous abilities. There's also a preparation which grants bonuses when using mutagens and penalties for not using them often enough.

Case Study, Patient #27705 is a collection of papers in a loose leather cover. It coudments the attempt to treat a mental patient and ends abruptly with no sign of the patient having made any progress. Studying it takes 2 weeks and may cause 2d6 sanity loss. Characters can learn two fifth, four spells each of second, third and fourth, and five spells of first level. There's also a boon which allows the character to dump some sanity loss on someone who fails a save against the character's enchantment spells.

Flight from the Filth Reaches describes the escape of a group of svirfneblin escaping from some Old Ones. The book is charcoal gray leather and the cover has bite marks. The interior pages appear blank but the letters have been pressed in as if by a quill with no ink. Studying the book takes two weeks and can cause 2d6 sanity loss. It teaches a lot of spells: four sixth, four fifth, four fourth, four third, four second, and five first level spells. There's also a preparation which allows the character to double his move for one round and make the terrain behind him difficult. This boon does 2 points of temporary Con damage.

Untitled (or The Book of the Harvest) is a collection of bound tattoos taken from living subjects and preserved. This book has a cov er made of bones and must be carefully opened or it falls apart. It takes 2 weeks to learn its secrets and can cause 2d6+1 Sanity loss. Characters can learn four spells each from levels four through seven, five at level three, four at second, and five at first. Resistance to Transformation allows the character to return to his normal form one round after being affected by a polymorph spell.

It Hides Behind the Stars is a study of the constellations which predicts that a change is coming to each of them soon. No one knows why these changes will come. The book takes 3 weeks to study and costs 2d6 of sanity. It teaches thirty-three spells of up to eighth level. There is also a boon called Ghastly Premonition which allows the character to avoid sanity loss by reducing the roll of the dice.

A Look Beneath, a Treatise on the Necessity and Merits of Vivisection provides details on the inner functions of many creatures but also has information on necromancy and undeath. It carries a disease which those studying the book could be infected with. It takes 3 weeks and can cause 3d6 of sanity loss. Successful study can teach the character 34 spells of levels one through nine. There's also a preparation, Transient Organs, which allows the character to avoid some critical hits and precision damage.

The Hypostatical Golden Fragments is a book written by a heretic priest who sought to become a God himself. It is considered a sin by the church of the One True God. The book contains knowledge of many spells; 39 spells of levels 1 through 9. Insightful Preparation allows the caster to cast a prepared spell as though it were quickened.

Evaluation First the confession, this is the exact sort of product I love. I love the notion of unique books and tomes with secret knowledge. I like that each book has a unique perspective from the author to the descriptions of the books and their contents.

There are a few knocks, but they are minor: because this uses the Vathak setting, it uses Sanity Loss as a mechanic; absent that setting the limitation is meaningless. A few of the spells to be learned are also included in that setting and so full use of the book probably requires owning the setting book. Likewise, some of the books mention specific groups and histories which are unique to that setting and so some of the impact is lost without using that or knowing the setting.

With those things noted though, it's still a pretty interesting book. These new magical tomes are interesting with good stories and the spells and boons/preparations are nicely tied thematically to the contents of the book. Overall, I think this is a pretty good buy and I like having it my collection.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Madame Mombi's Forbidden Tomes
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Pip System QuickStart
Publisher: Third Eye Games
by Stephen D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 07/24/2017 19:04:12

The Pip System QuickStart is a 2017 release from Third Eye Games. It was written by Eloy Lasanta and features a cover by Gunship Revolution.

Presentation This is a 20 page pdf in full color. It has a page for a cover, one for credits and a back cover. The rest is content. The layout is clear and the editing is top-notch. This is easy to read and easy on the eyes.

Content This is a quickstart and so it's not a complete game. It is comparable to many other quickstarts out there in that it provides a summary of the rules, a sample adventure, and some pre-generated characters to tackle that adventure.

The book does not include character creation rules. Instead it focuses on what happens in a role-playing game, how tests, combat, and challenges are resolved using the PIP system. There's a section on Fortune and how to use it and a brief but comprehensive glossary of game terms. This short explanation of the rules takes about 6 pages in all with a few pieces of artwork.

The next section is the introductory adventure "The Crash Site". The adventure is set in The World After, a post-apocalyptic setting. The players are gathered around a campfire swapping stories when they see a group of planes fly by under enemy fire. One of them goes down and the others continue. The players decide to investigate the crash site to see if there is anything they can scavenge, an important part of life in The World After.

The adventure is laid out as a series of challenges, each of which describes an obstacle and the difficulties the players will face in overcoming it. This part does a good job of illustrating the ways characters can try to overcome problems. It also includes some nice tie-ins to the skills and abilities of the included pregenerated characters and ends with some notes on where things might go after the adventure. This section takes about seven pages.

The final section is for the pregenerated characters. There are six of them, each presented on it's own page. The characters run the gamut from a bad ass bounty hunter to an escaped prisoner and a noble magician among others. Each of them pregens is unique and each of them has a defined goal and enough background to help new players bring them to life.

Evaluation This is a really good quickstart. It has enough of the rules to whet your interest without spending too much time on details you'll never use. It reflects the highlights of the system and accents the focus on getting players up and running quickly.

The included adventure is a bit of a railroad, but it would be difficulty to produce anything else as part of a 20 page quickstart. It does offer multiple ways to solve many of the challenges and allows every character to shine in its own way. It's a well-designed trip and that's good for a quickstart where there's a chance none of the players is familiar with the rules or how to play an RPG.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Pip System QuickStart
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Mythic Minis 89: Clever Combat Feats
Publisher: Legendary Games
by Steve D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/13/2016 22:20:07

Mythic Minis 089: Clever Combat Feats is a 2016 release from Legendary Games. It is a supplement for Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. It was written by Jason Nelson and Alex Riggs. The cover is by Lance Red. It is part of the Mythic Minis series.

Presentation This product is a 3 page pdf. It has a color cover. The additional pages feature the cover image ghosted. The content is in sepia tones and the print is on the small side. The layout is comparable to similar products from Paizo Publishing.

Content This entry in the series covers feats suitable for swashbucklers and similar characters who rely on speed and grace rather than brute force. it provides 9 new mythic feats on a single page. The feats are all mythic extensions of feats originally found in Ultimate Intrigue.

The 9 mythic feats presented here are But a Scratch which allows the character to use the feat on ranged attacks as well as melee and has the chance to leave the shooter shaken; Cat and Mouse doubles the character's bonuses when attempting a riposte; Circuitous Shot allows the character to bounce a shot off one object per mythic tier; Clambering Escape allows the character to impose penalties on those they reposition using this ability; Cunning Intuition allows the character to ready a full round action; Fencing Grace allows the character to use the ability with any one-handed weapon and they gain the advantages of this ability even when using two weapons; Martial Dominance allows the character dominate multiple creatures based on his attack bonus; Ranged Feint allows the character to use a ranged feint to deny him his Dexterity Bonus to any attacks, not just his; Ready for Anything allows the character to take a full-round action during a surprise round or to use a mythic point to grant a surprise round when there wouldn't have been one.

Evaluation These are the feats of the swashbucklers! There are feats here to avoid damage, to make yoru foes look silly in a fight and to flat out embarrass people with how slow they are by comparison. If you've always wanted to play Zorro, the Grey Mouser or Cyrrano, these are some of the feats you need.

I recommend this for anyone who is interested in swashbuckling play. The price is right and so are the feats.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Mythic Minis 89: Clever Combat Feats
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Cthulhu Hack: From Unformed Realms
Publisher: Just Crunch Games
by Steve D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/07/2016 21:04:07

First things first, Paul offered me a free copy of this product, but after I read it, I went back and paid for it. I expect to make use of it in a few different ways and the price wasn't exactly going to break the bank anyhow.

The charts here are well-organized and useful. They include some options you'd probably consider mandatory for a horror game (like tentacles) and some things you might not have thought of (like acquired - a creature which steals limbs from previous victims). The same goes for several of the other categories. Some of the categories go pretty far-afield, like creatures which excrete urine or semen at will, but honestly those are both pretty horrifying.

For myself, I kind of see a couple of places where I can use this quickly. I'm running a Champions game were some of the villains are playing with magic they don't really understand. Using these charts to generate the creature will make it easy for me to then stat out the character. With the release of Horror Adventures for Pathfinder, there's going to be even more call for creatures and this might help me make them.

Overall this is a great collection of tables with some very inventive options as well as some of the expected options. It's a great product and I'm glad Paul suggested I check it out.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Cthulhu Hack: From Unformed Realms
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