5 comments about Monster Manual II (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement).

1. A good book for its time, but DMs should take note that this book is dated. Monster description blocks are not 3.5 compliant. This means that the monster's Base Attack Bonus is not clearly listed, nor is the Grapple bonus (although most Swallow Whole descriptions define this variable). Also, Damage Reduction has changed significantly, so be prepared to make some on-the-fly adjustments. Otherwise I would say that this book is very usable at all levels.



2. Some interesting new entries in the D20 universe such as the infamous gem dragons :) but the format is still 3.0e and starting to show its age, very difficult to use any of the LA's PC possible entries...

   Save this purchase for last for the completisits out there after you have the MM, MMIII, and fiend folio in your collection. Actually after that I would probably recomend others still before the MMII, notably the advanced bestiary from green ronin which contains more interesting and up to date material than the aged MMII here.




3. When I first got the book in the mail I was a TINY bit disappointed in the size, expecting a book the size of the Monster Manual 1, but when I looked through I was presently surprised. It has some very interesting new creatures (Dinosaurs, Gem Dragons, and Phoenix caught by eye when fist browsing over the Table of Contents) and the layout is great. A perfect amount of tables, neat spacing, and beautiful pictures make the book easy and fun to pick out monsters or look through when your bored. Though it does pull slightly away from the "old school" fantasy setting of goblins, orcs, knolls etcetera, it's a great book for DMs that want to make campaigns more interesting and for players intrigued by cool new monsters.



4. this book is very god because it has creative monsters in it. And also a lot of templents. Well worth the price.



5. As with most Monster Manuals, the larger more creatures you have at your finger tips, the easier it is to keep your players challenged and keep the game fun with a variety of opponents.

5 comments about Magic of Incarnum (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. When it comes to supplement books to the Dungeon & Dragons game, players and Dungeon Masters alike must learn to pick and choose their battles. I say this because while many D&D books can prove to be quite viable in introducing new material into the game (e.g., new spells, character feats and options, monsters, and adventures), others can be a tad redundant and perhaps even useless to a given campaign. Luckily, Magic of Incarnum--released back in the September of 2005--is of the former eventually and not of the latter, as the idea it introduces into the core D&D game is one that neither TSR, Inc., nor Wizards of the Coast had ever tried before until this past year.
   
   See, Incarnum is the soul energy that manifests itself within living beings. Anyone and everyone who either lives in the present, has ever lived in the past, and will soon be born in the future has a touch of this substance within them, although certain beings are more blessed by and intuitive about it than others are. The human-born azurin, for instance--one of the four races introduced in Magic of Incarnum--are especially aware of that which composes their very essence and utilize it in their careers as adventurers, aiming to either right the wrongs of the material world or subjugate the masses to their will to fulfill more malignant objectives. Similarly, there are the wild, gray-skinned dusklings, whose ties to incarnum blesses them with an innate knowledge about it and the knack for manipulating the energy of their spirits in an effort to mimic the powers of mystic beasts via the Totemist Character Class. The final two races presented in this manual--namely, the rilkans and the skarns--are offshoots of an ancient reptilian race called the mishtai that, when they existed, aimed at attaining "perfection of form" via a philosophy that espouses both physical and mental discipline and development as well as the use of incarnum. Unfortunately, the mishtai failed in this well-meaning yet lofty goal of theirs and eventually became extinct, hence spawning these two peoples and the bitterness they have toward one another as the result of the polar opposition of their general personalities (the nimble rilkans being friendly, outgoing, and daring and the skarns being studious, strictly disciplined, and somewhat scornful of those races they think are beneath them).
   
   More important than the new races, however, are the three Character Classes this book introduces, all of which allow participants to utilize incarnum to aid them in their adventures within their home realm. The aforementioned Totemist, for instance, uses incarnum to forge different artifacts of magical power called Soul Melds that enable her to mimic the properties of the many magical beasts that populate the typical D&D world, from unicorns and blink dogs to manticores and chimera. The Soulborn, in contrast, uses his inner soul energy to bolster his martial prowess and smite those who oppose his moral philosophy, which can be noble or wicked in nature. Finally, the incarnate--the book's focal Character Class--is the very embodiment of law, chaos, good, or evil for her people and is the most adept of the three Classes in using incarnum to form Soul Melds that bolster her fighting skill, rend her foes asunder, or aid her and her fellow adventurers in various other ways. There are also plenty of Prestige Classes for PCs to attain once they reach higher levels, such as the noble Incandescent Champion, the arcane Soulcaster, the mage-hunting Witchborn Binder, and the sinister Necrocarnate. Throw in fifteen keen new monsters, numerous spells and psionic powers for magic- and psionics-wielding PCs (including the Incarnum domain for clerics), a full list of Soul Melds for incarnum-wielding characters, numerous additional feats for PCs and NPCs alike, and three campaign adventures centered around the presence of incarnum, and you've got one impressive book.
   
   To summarize, while there exists the occasional Dungeons & Dragon supplement that just doesn't live up to its potential, there also exists that one manual that proves its worth within every page. Such is what Magic of Incarnum is in its success to provide D&D players with a new take on their favorite pencil-and-paper role-playing game. Indeed, it's the one book by Wizards of the Coast that gets one thinking in more ways than one, which is precisely what an RPG supplement is supposed to do. If you can find this manual, grab it. It's worth every penny!



2. I found the Magic of Incarnum full of interesting alternatives to a purely magic based RPG. While I dont think incarnum should be a replacement for magic in any game, some of the feats, monsters, and prestige classes could give your character a little something extra next time you game.



3. I rather enjoy the idea here. I'm not quite sure how to use it since I've not gotten past the play testing and theorycraft end of things right now. but from what I've seen so far it feels abit like psionic and magics love child. I recommend the product for any advanced dmer who's fed up with the innate imbalance of spells per day. (I've got my own spell casting system that works.. ) I'm not sure where this falls in my systems scheme of things yet, I'm still testing it against the 'default' rules. Once I have a better of idea of how things fall in mine I will comment then about its balance.
   
   but so far so good. the only thing I -don't- like here, is that it seems abit ripoff ish of the force. which is ok.. but does it all have to glow blue? *L*



4. The introduction of Incarnum can be a very rewarding experience. It's a different system of power for your NPC's and PC's alike, and can break up some of the tedium of basic spell-casting.
   
   My biggest problem with the book is tied in with one of my favorite parts of it: the acknowledgment of Psionics. I love the fact that these systems, independent as they are, were given feats to marry them into an altogether new, and exceedingly fresh character build. However, the Prestige Classes have an overt lack of any psionic-based progression. There is an incarnum/divine class, and an incarnum/arcane class, but there is no incarnum/psionic class. Arguably these would be easy to create independently, but I was sorely disappointed. It was as if this slight nod in the direction of Psionics was all they could afford.
   
   Overall, this is an interesting read and I would love to have it dropped in on any campaign that I play in. If you're merely looking to augment the magic in your game, I wouldn't recommend buying this; If you're looking for an all new system of power, akin to the parallel between magic and psionics, then this is for you.



5. I've had this book for quite a while now. It's not yet seen any use in our game. I thought for sure this would be a useful resource...boy was I wrong. Ouch and ick.

5 comments about Serenity Role Playing Game (Serenity).

1. The Serenity ruleset is actually quite sensible, although the avoidance of the d20 -- while understandable -- flattens out PC skills at the high end. It makes for easy and straightforward character creation, and the use of "Plot Points" strongly encourages cinematic play.
   
   Unfortunately, our view of the 'Verse is limited to what we've seen in the show and film; consequently, gamemasters are somewhat expected to work within the show's framework -- Western outlaws in space -- and not step too far outside that remit.



2. This is a great RPG
   
   If you roleplay and like Firefly / Serenity you will love this.
   
   Can't wait for more books to come out.



3. While I haven't had a chance to play it just yet, the book itself is very informative for anybody interested or obsessed with the Firefly universe. I'm very excited to try it out.



4. This game is very well written with the entire text in the general spoken word style of "Firefly" and "Serenity". The system is different, but still pretty intuitive once you look at it. There are 2 sample crews (of course, one is that of Serenity herself) and a number of ships Alliance and privately-owned. If you're a fan of the series and even somewhat interested in RPGs, you're very likely to enjoy Serenity RPG.



5. Much like the show this game seems to be getting looked over by way to many people. I've been into RPG's for 20+ years, starting like many with Dungeons and Dragons, and I think this is easily one of the top game systems in the market.
   
   Many games are either complex to the point of aggravation or so simple as to be lackluster and rather insulting to the intelligence of the player. This system is simple, but simple in a way that makes sense. Chambers and Weis created a game that allows players to build a character as basic or as detailed as they choose to make it. The rules for how the character are streamlined so as to keep things easy to figure out, thus avoiding slowing gameplay.
   
   One of the biggest ways this is accomplished is by over complicating formulas. In this game you don't roll a die (or dice) add your skill bonus, add in your attribute modifier, add other superfluous bonuses and situational modifiers and then you know what you roll. In this game you take your attribute die and your skill die and roll those adding in only the rare outside modifier. And, rather pointedly in my opinion, the one die type not used in this game is the D20.
   
   As to the game setting, if you've seen the show then you know what you are getting into. It is a sci-fi setting with strong "wild west post civil war" tones. It's not high tech in the vein of Star Wars or Star Trek. Most guns are still ballistic. Lasers are just to expensive to produce and maintain. That said, the game is so flexible that it is easily molded to each game masters vision, even to the point of abandoning the lush setting provided. That may be the only advantage to the show not getting the proper respect it deserved at FOX. The setting is wide open to explore.
   
   As has been said by many others, if you are a fan of the show the background info in this book is worth the price. If you are a fan of RPG's, especially sci-fi games, then this is a worthwhile buy. If you are a fan of both then you are doing yourself a disservice by not buying this book.

5 comments about The Red Hand of Doom (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Adventure).

1. I, as a DM, thought this adventure was amazing. Epic, well-done and well-put together, with a really interesting storyline and a good variety of monsters and battles. The climax and conclusion were amazing---they have such good mechanics for doing a battle for an entire town, and the concluding dungeon crawl was appropriately awesome for the high-level characters that have come out of this module by that time.
   
   However, my players had a few issues that they brought up with me. First, they thought the free-form nature was too much. Let me explain... they felt that there definitely was a "right way to go," but that they were left on their own to find it, so they had to rely on NPC hooks and (in one player's words) "being led around by the nose by the DM." I strongly suggest giving the players a patron who directs their actions, making them more of a special task force than a bunch of adventurers who happen to wander into the middle of an invasion and just so happen to run off in the direction necessary to stop the invasion four or five times in a row.
   
   And on that last note, you really have to integrate this adventure into your campaign, otherwise the players will not care about the vale that they're saving at all. One of them suggested just leaving and letting the goblins take over the vale; now, this isn't practical because then there would be a nation of bloodthirsty hobgoblins with demonic support ready to march on the _world_, but that is not clear at all from the first 2/3 of the adventure. Especially since the players really didn't care if this town fell or not, it was a bit of a problem.
   
   A final problem is that goblins and all their associated monstrous foes just aren't very exciting enemies. You kill goblins at first level, so a goblin army---while certainly a problem---doesn't _feel_ like it should be a big deal for even 5th-level characters. Now replace them with aberrations with mind flayer leaders, or some kind of psionic threat, or perhaps an army of awakened constructs, or... then it might be cool. But the PCs really didn't get much out of taking on an army composed mainly of CR 1/3 baddies, and that seems quite understandable.
   
   All this can be fixed with some work on the DMs part, and I do suggest doing that since the whole adventure is a really well-done framework. I am considering using this in an Eberron campaign I'm running now (a new group), with the following changes:
   * The goblin threat is replaced by the Lord of Blades, who has achieved the ability to create a warforged army that is seeking to destroy all of human civilization and replace it with a warforged-supremacist state.
   * The PCs are special agents of House Cannith, which understandably feels responsible.
   * Dragons (who are the rare, high-level baddies of the horde to supplement the goblins) get replaced by abberations being summoned from Xoriat, or perhaps demons/high-level undead/a psionic threat like the quori.
   * The war becomes part of an even larger context in which the Mark of Death is returning, with the Blood of Vol having forged an uneasy alliance of convenience with the Lord of Blades to use the warforged's kills as undead-creation material.
   * Many of the characters' favorite locations are destroyed or seriously threatened---I'm thinking of starting the campaign out with a large, well-coordinated warforged terrorist attack on Sharn that leads to the imposition of martial law and concentration camps for warforged.
   
   So with changes like these (adapt for Forgotten Realms or your own campaign setting) I think you can use the RHoD's very good core framework and plot sequence, while fixing the problems that my players had.



2. I haven't yet had a chance to run the adventure, though I look forward to doing so. I love the usage of Victory Points, and the rules are clear enough as put forward in the adventure to not require Heroes of Battle. I found the plot comprehensive and believable, the presentationw as excellent. All in all, I very much like the adventure, and I can't wait to run some PCs through it.



3. From the begining of this adventure the heroes are running to save the realms from an invading horde the likes that haven't been seen since the fall of the gods.It is one of the best and most harrowing adventures I've been through in a long time.



4. The Red Hand of Doom is one of the better campaigns wizards has released. It is very long and drawn out and the new "Big Battle" system displayed in the heroes of battle book is used. The new encounter layout is kinda there but not really. Statistics for each encounter is in the back of the book but there is no info on Tactics with them or map layouts. The Artwork for the book is fantastic. The overall Quest is based around the son of a dragon and his army attacking some frontier lands in order to...well no real spoilers here so buy the book and run the campaign. It can be placed in any of the 3 campaign worlds wizards offers and there is info inside telling you how to do it. It can also be slipped into any campaign with ease. The outlying areas are fleshed out and the maps as well as statistic blocks can be downloaded from wizards web site. Do yourself a favor if your a dm looking for a good campaign and buy a copy of "The Red Hand of Doom," especially now that it can be had for really cheap used. There's no excuse not to own this instant classic.



5. While this can be considered a campaign (it took my crew a year to complete it, but we started off at 1st level and worked up to the main plot) this adventure is simply the best I have ever run. I loved the open concept, epic battles and interesting characters and villains. My players did not feel railroaded at any time but neither did they feel it was a cakewalk. My only suggestions are firstly, that DM's let their players know they will not have a lot of downtime to create items so avoid those feats until after the campaign. Secondly, DM's need to prepare and understand the tactics and intelligence of the main characters. Many of the villains escaped and came back as secondary foes later on in my game. If your party kills a dragon the first time they see it...they were super lucky or you as a DM screwed up.
   Finally, there are countless plot hooks that you can use at a later date. Many of the opponents were defeated but not killed in my game and alliances between the good PC's and evil villains were an interesting roleplaying aspect.
   In the end, we relied heavily on miniatures to help visualize battles and I scanned and enlarged the many maps provided into full sized (to scale) battle maps that the players were in awe of. This is truly an A+ adventure and I would run it again, anytime. Enjoy this book!!!

5 comments about GURPS Basic Set: Campaigns (4th Edition).

1. 
   The "Gurps 4th Edition" just fixed all "Gurps 3rd Edition" weakness. The two books are so great. The color and hardcover look and feel are some big diference between the books and the the old versions.
   
   The bad comercial thing: are two books, and you need to have both if you want to be a Game Master.
   
   The "Characters Guide" have lots of resources to make a rich character and the "Campaigns Guide" have a good Game Master stuff.
   
   If you want to have some good RPG System, well, you need to buy "Gurps 4th Edition", but you need some time and practice, cause the game system is so rich, then the rules number is high.



2. An awesome upgrade to GURPS 3rd Edition. Full colored and illustrated book, some new rules added and some old rules banished, creating a better balanced and understandable system.
   Five stars again to SJG.



3. GURPS is one of the most, truly, generic systems around... and that's no suprise since it's the first. In this fourth edition, SJ games brings to bear their 20+ years of experience with this system and delivers an excellent addition to the GURPS line. The system is fully able to be employed in any genre from fantasy, science-fiction or horror and it flexible enough for even the most creative of gamers. If it has any weaknesses they would be:
   1. too many options: some gamers might be overwhelmed by the number of options available. Keep in mind that the game can be as simple or as complex as you like.
   2. all of the "flavor" is on you: GURPS (since it is generic...duh) is not set up to convey flavor through the design of its character sheets, the naming of abilities or the graphics in the books. Flavor is ALL up to the game-mast
   
   ... on the otherhand, perhaps those are strengths.



4. I've been contemplating the purchase of this book for a couple of years now, and finally broke down to make the purchase. The physical object itself is a thing of beauty. It has the lovely full color design and quality printing and binding that past purchasers have come to expect from GURPS products.
   
   This isn't a product for somebody who wants to buy it and run a game the next weekend. GURPS itself is less a game than a toolkit for making your own game. Once you have the rules, you need to either create your own setting and character archetypes (what GURPS calls templates), or you need to purchase one of the many game world books published for use with the game. Fortunately the book provides a lot of good guidance and examples. The published material that describes game worlds is also excellent. The high quality of this supporting material is what helped me decide to purchase GURPS Basic Set: Characters, Fourth Edition and GURPS Basic Set: Campaigns (4th Edition).
   
   Given that caveat, I recommend this product for any gamer who wants to expand their gaming into new directions. There's nothing revolutionary here, but this toolkit gives you what you need to produce any other kind of game that you want to play. You might want to play ghost hunters right now, but in six months you can switch to a space opera, and six months after that to cape-wearing super heroes. And for any of those options, you can purchase additional supporting material, or just wing it on your own. The number of games you get by purchasing this one set of books makes it an excellent bargain for the serious role player.



5. Been a long time GURPS fan and I think the 4th edition is absolutely great.

5 comments about Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Rulebook (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay).

1. Warhammer Fantasy is an angry game. The setting is bleak and forlorn and the system is very lethal making the lives of characters nasty brutish and quite short. Characters are as likely to die of disease or mishap as they are of a sword in the chest and dying of old age (anything over 30) is practically unheard of. Instead of strong kings and a centralized government the Empire, such as it is, is a patchwork of independent kingdoms with a weak emperor chosen by each of the electors. Religion, unlike many other fantasy roleplaying games that skirt the issue, is a very powerful force in the kingdom that is at the same time one of the most unifying and dividing forces in the Empire.
   
   Gods and demons, or at least demons, are as real to the backwards, superstitious denizens of Warhammer Fantasy as they were to the backwards, superstitious people of the 14th century. Magic, while legal under license from the Empire, is hunted down and exterminated as heresy and chaos corruption.
   
   Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay has one of the best system-setting matches. Everything is based off of a percentage or D10 roll, armor provides damage reduction instead of making you harder to hit. Landing a good solid blow can lop off an arm, leg or outright kill. Magic is very powerful and consequently very dangerous - spells are only slightly more likely to work than they are to backfire with disastrous consequences.
   
   The book itself is mostly mechanics - there is only a chapter or two of setting information provided. While this might seem to short shrift the setting the concentration of rules here makes later books more able to focus on the setting rather than simply serving to add only more rules to the game.
   
   WFRP is historically inspired fantasy at its finest - hard-bitten, dark, depressing and violent. Hero is a relative descriptor even in the face of villains that are absolutes. WFRP is a much needed injection of bile in a hobby choked near to death with stale heroics.



2. A Fantasy role playing game from those whacky guys that made Warhammer 40K. As a consequence, this is much grimmer, nastier and dirtier than some of the fantasy roleplaying games out there, so if that is not your thing, and you want a more lighthearted high fantasy type of approach, then do not get this game, you likely will not enjoy it at all.



3. I was worried when they announced a second edition of the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay rules. Part of the appeal of the WFRP rules is that they are so simple, and I feared fiddling could only make things more complicated. But now, having played several sessions with the new rules, I can honestly say that the changes were a great improvement. They managed to keep the simplicity that encourages role-play over power-gaming while cleaning up some of the more clumsy elements (the magic system is a notable improvement). The same career system is in place, but the careers choices have been balanced well enough that there's a good reason to choose any of them, unlike the old rules where some few careers were hardly worth considering.
   
   Someone who has never played before and doesn't know the rules could have an entire character rolled up and ready to play in as little as 30 minutes. The entire process is die rolls, so you don't have to make decisions that require knowing the rulebook, like when you have to choose skills or spells in other games.
   
   The history of the world is quote a bit lighter than in the previous rulebook, and in my opinion easier to read. Where previously even though it was interesting it was pretty dense and dry, but the history has been rewritten now to be a bit more interesting and relevant for the players.
   
   They've removed a few things that used to be included, for instance in the back of the book there used to be maps and images of common buildings but that has been moved to a supplementary book (the Game Master's screen, I believe). That's unfortunate but I can live with it.
   
   If you're used to playing with more complicated rules, like d20, Rifts, GURPS or similar, I highly recommend trying out the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay system. See what it's like not having to worry whether your mace does more damage than your longsword. In WFRP the story and the lives of the players are the focus, instead of the rules. Less "roll-play" and more "role-play".



4. Long-time gamers searching for a change of pace should definitely take a look at Warhammer Fantasy RPG's unique setting and d10/d100 system. I enjoy it much more than your typical d20 system, and the Old World "low fantasy" setting feels more gritty and realistic than your typical D&D game. You don't have to worry about picking the right class and skills, either; your starting profession, skill set, and gear is a package mostly determined by the dice and you take it from there. Since everything is based on D10 and percentage rolls, it's easy to determine your character's limitations and strengths. This makes a campaign easy to get started, even for new players that don't know all the rules since game play is very intuitive and moves along smoothly. Experienced GM's- give this one a try. Fun alternative to your d20 games, and it's also a great way to introduce new players to RPG's. The book itself is very high-quality and gorgeous. There's enough information here to put together a variety of campaigns and there's so many careers and paths to take your characters that you'll never be at a loss for something new.



5. As an avid AD&D player, that has also sampled other RPGs with friends, I enjoy Warhammer immensely. This is a concise core book that is great for players and DMs alike. Being used to a D&D type of world, it's hard to get used to the idea that magic is ultra rare and frowned upon due to Chaos. But, that's a great twist with this game. Those of you looking for a difference RPG system to try, I'd highly recommend this one. The core book is a must of course. ;)

5 comments about Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement).

1. Outside of the campaign setting books, their hasn't been much quality descriptive material from WotC. Generally, have stuck to mechanics and this has worked well from them. Honestly, when I heard of this book I assumed it was going to be another hodgepodge of feats, spells and PrCs glued together by some "generic to the point of being antiseptic" fluff. It, for better or worse, is not.
   
   What this book gives you is a short primer on Demons and what they are about, some demon related mechanics, some setting information on the Abyss and some new monsters. This would all be good except there is so little of each that the book really doesn't get the job done. We sort of get the reverse of what was expected, a hodgepodge of description glued together by random mechanics. This is not to say the book is without charm. Some of the monsters of interesting and some of the description is inspiring, but it is extremely lean on content in an already thin book.



2. i dont do reviews but this book has plenty of 411 for player and dm
   alike



3. Demons just aren't that complex. Lots of stuff here if you like demons. If you're not going to run a campaign centered around them, skip this. If you're going to run a game centered around them, there are new demons here, updates to old ones, history, etc.
   
   The cover on mine was upside down.



4. If you are a DM of higher level games and need some seriously nasty beasties to toss at your adventuring crew, then this book will foot the bill.



5. This book is very useful. Anyone facing the forces of chaos and evil (Or running them) will find this useful. Also, finally there are good stats for yocholols for 3.5e.

5 comments about Mutants & Masterminds: RPG - 2nd Edition.

1. Although I'm not very fond of the d20 system, this rulebook makes a remarkable exception. The writers have wisely simplified the system, removing "hit points" and all the "levels" and "classes", what makes the game faster and gives the characters much more width.
   
   I must admit that most of the new things this system offers, are not really new. I believe many concepts have been taken from one of the finest rule systems ever created, FATE, including the Hero Points, the easy damage track, and some details that fit very well in this version of the d20 system.
   
   The way it deals with the powers, a typical problem in super-hero RPGs, is very good, and the book provides a huge array of powers and very well balanced through the "Power Level" of the character.
   
   The last remarkable issue is the Superlink license, which allows anyone to publish easily, and with the authors approval, any kind of material. Great adventures and settings are available really cheap (about $5) in PDF, with a lot of quality.
   
   Overall, a very good book with a lot of fresh ideas. Great system, great design, and great art. Only a tiny complaint, it takes a considerable effort to make the first couple of characters.



2. The M&M 2nd ed. book is simply an amazing RPG. Using a point build system, it allows for complete freedom to create and customize not just your character, but also their individual powers. You can also faithfully recreate virtually any superhero or anime character if you wanted.
   
   The "balance" in the system between powers is remarkable, considering the freedom given to character creation, and how insanely powerful some comic book villians can be.
   
   I do have two complaints however.
   All the freedom to create your character almost encourages players to make characters that try to abuse the point system, tacking on flaws to reduce power costs, while trying to circumvent the negative effect of the flaw in some way. Though the system is very good at making power flaws exactly that, there are a few small holes that, baring omnipotence on the part of the creator, are bound to crop up in any RPG.
   
   I strongly recommend that any GMs using this system have their players flesh out their character concept BEFORE letting them see the power list or even open the book, as I find this makes for more exciting and "theme based" characters, rather then "functionality-utility-handle-any-situation" characters.
   
   My other complaint is that an average toughness character or villian can easily roll poorly on a "toughness save" (a roll to resist damage) and be knocked out in one hit, as if they had a glass jaw. Since the system uses a d20 as the main (read: only) dice type needed, the roll obviously ranges from 1 to 20, with an equal (5%) chance to roll each number. Since degrees of success/failure on a toughness save are determined in increments of 5, a low toughness character can roll a 20 and laugh off an attack, while a much tougher character can roll a 1 and be severely hurt or knocked out by that same attack. The same holds true for attack and defense, though to a lesser extent. As a house rule, I have been experimenting with rolling 3d6 for attack and toughness rolls, giving a range of 3-18 and making the rolls more consistent (a much higher probability of getting average rolls rather then extremes).
   
   In conclusion, I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone who enjoys superhero RPGs. In 9 years of GMing I have yet to find a superhero system I like better, and I look foward to a possible future edition.



3. I can't believe how great the Mutants & Masterminds RPG is! I have played all sorts of RPGs for ~20 years, and this one is truly special. The Freedom City sourcebook for M&M is one of the best RPG products, of any type, that I've ever owned. Great job, Steve Kenson; great job, Green Ronin!



4. For those of you who remember the original Marvel Super Heroes Roleplaying Game and the DC Heroes RPG, this is their progeny. Take the best elements of both systems and put them together and you have Mutants and Masterminds 2nd Edition. It is, by far, the best superhero roleplaying game I have ever played! Religiously faithful to the comics genre and ALL its myriad facets, I would dare say it has a scope as far and wide as comics itself...which means ANY genre you could name could be faciliated by this system...ANY genre. Mutants and Masterminds is simply the best out there.



5. I think M&M Second Edition is by far one of the best RPGs I have played in a long time. I run a lot of games myself for D&D 3.0-3.5, Star Wars RCR and Saga Edition (Saga being the current one), and even Stargate on occasion. But by far M&M gives anyone cracking into it the first time a awesome setting with almost no limits.
   
   I say almost because there have to be some limits to your character's powers and abilities, otherwise the rest of the players or the game itself isn't fun any longer. But I don't have to worry about going with one of the pre-made supers in the book, or any classes. However one thing I love is there are those pre-made characters or arch-types that you can look to for inspiration or ideas. The system is so free you can take those arch-types apart and redo the stats to fit your idea as well.
   
   For me I started playing D&D in second edition, fell in love even more in 3.0 to 3.5 editions. Been gaming ever since, and the bottom line is I have played many games, many systems, and had lots of fun. But by far this is the best RPG to be a super hero hands down.

5 comments about Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. If you are a cruel DM (at times) then this is the book for you. Nothing like a trap door to Hell to get your adventuring party set-up for a TPK. In all seriousness, this is a great source for Devils in any DM's line-up, I am glad I picked it up.



2. This book is a very good addition to any D&D campaign that plans on traveling to the Outer Planes, or fights extraplanar threats on a regular basis. The maps of the nine layers, and the detailed write-ups of the unique leaders of each of the layers add to it's usefulness. The extra devils are also useful to allow for rotating of devilish threats.



3. This book gave great inside views into hell. It gave the facts on how hell lives, sleeps and breaths, along with the ArchDevils to go with it. If your planning on running a adventure in hell for a duration of time i suggest this book.



4. Well, I have to congratulate Wizards for adding another great book to the list of accessories. Our group runs several high level to epic level campaigns and this is a must for anyone who wants to involve the Blood War and the politics and intrigue of hell to your campaign. The new stats for the all the major players are here along with prominent followers and factions for each lord. There are many new feats and skills specific to just these planes as well as a few new presige classes that you can use for PC's and NPC's. The other great things is the plethora of roleplaying ideas for each of the nine hells, including cities, landmarks and many maps to really help you flush out your campaign. Things like this and other information make it a must for your collection so that when your party meets Mephistopheles, its an experience that they will never forget!



5. This book is all about Devils and the Plane where they reside. I mean all about them. In my mind there are three really fantastic masterminds in Dungeons and Dragons: Dragons, Mindflayers and Devils.
   
   If you're looking for content you can use all the time, then this isn't the best book for you. Go look at the compendiums or the Complete books. If you want villains and powers to tie together an entire campaign from level 1 into epic, than this is for you.
   
   Included inside is a very nice tale of the creation of hell and the devils that can be easily adapted for your home brew world. Then theres feats, spells, prestige classes, descriptions of the layers and lots of new devils.
   
   Again I must stress that the prestige classes, feats and spells are really geared towards either serving devils or fighting them. This book is a commitment to a devil themed campaign. It does so beautifully.
   
   With the help of this book, my main villain just became a pawn in planar politics. My PCs have lots of options, on how to progress forward. I've got lots of ideas and environments for epic feeling quests before we get to the main devils. I highly reccomend it.

5 comments about Lost Empires of Faerûn (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement).

1. I always loved the 3.5 (3.0) Forgotten Realms accessories, but I must say that this book is perhaps the best in the series.
   
   This books gives you a +10 competence bonus to your Ancient History(Faerun) skill, as it offers you in-depth knowledge on almost all of the great empires of the past. You can learn all, about the great elven empires, about the history of the Sword Coast, about the phaerimm manace, etc.
   
   Also, you will find some great feats, prestige classes and spells in the book. Some of them are not really for players, but for the DM (and to the NPCs). Players will also find it interesting, if for nothing else, then to add some flavour to the game.
   
   I found it also great that young DMs get some help in a separate chapter to create adventures based on the "ancient theme". Of course, even old DMs, like myself can learn a lot from it.



2. I greatly looked forward to this book and was not disappointed. The Forgotten Realms is extremely rich in history that has been developed over the long years of its publication and this is truly a comprehensive source of that. The authors have touched on just about every area I can think of and they have done it well.
   
   The book is divided into several sections, each dealing with a different geographic or cultural area. For instance, one section deals with the crown wars (wars between elves almost exclusively) and the elven nations involved (which covers a large area of Faerun) while another area covers the North and includes detail on several elven realms that had little part in the crown wars. They have timelines for each section of the book.
   
   To be clear though, these histories are given not as a tool to play during those times, but as reference points to incorporate the locales of these ancient empires into the current timeline and an existing campaign. They bring the histories up to the current timeline and give you a good idea of what is going on in the ruins of these empires and the doings of the decedents of these empires.
   
   On top of all of this rich history and information is a great deal of good crunchiness. There are several prestige classes, all of which seem well balanced and a great section on new spells and magic items. They even have specifics on mythal creation which is just plain cool to me. Going back to the integration of the past to the present, there is a section about Hellgate Keep and there they specify magic items of goodly races know to have been lost by fallen heroes there (items from the PGtF and this book).
   
   All in all, a great tool for ANY dungeon master running ANY Realms Campaign for its information on ruins (dungeon - hint, hint) and its balance of historical information and crunchy bits. By far one of the most useful Realms products for any edition.



3. Very well detailed and has a great amount of information that can be used in adventures. I would give it 4.5 if I could because of the usual lack of REAL MAPS that Wizards of the Coast seems to neglect. Great book though and a must have for DM's and Players in the forgotten realms.



4. If you're interested in the history of Faerun, this is a excellent book. It goes into great detail and has a lot of extras, like relics and historical weapons. Great art and a good read.



5. I found this title the best supplement ever written. That says a lot, since this series has been around since 1987. At last, in one volume, the history of this magical world is laid bare. I have speculated and wondered in the past why the world is like it is. This volume has given up most of those secret! I stand in awe of most of them. This is the flower of Realms lore. Most are not intended for most gamers. I read the novels and continue my illustrations outside this "gamers" world.
   
   I can only say that the Forgotten Realms have come alive at last with a rich and frightening history in its past. Long live Netheril!