2 comments about Secrets of the Unicorn (Legend of the Five Rings).

1. The secrets of the Unicorn clan are not really revealed in this book. There are no fascinating conspiracies unmasked, there are no shameful hidden agendas revealed. It is largely more information about the clan of the Unicorn with a few teasers. Even the chapter dedicated to the secrets is generally lacking in any significant secrets. Granted, there is an updated history of the clan and a few new schools (which merits the two stars), but overall, the main thing that this book provides is a bit of fiction about the families, one new family and a lot of useless information about vassal families and their holdings within the Unicorn lands. Do we really need to know landmarks and cities belonging to each family? Spare yourself the mediocre fiction and the boring content and skip this book. Instead buy the 2nd edition Way of the Unicorn, set in the d10 pre-Day of Thunder era. You can do your own conversion to d20 if you prefer that system. Trust me, Way of the Unicorn is far superior to Secrets.



2. A lot of people seem to have the misconception that the secrets books for each of the clans are supposed to offer every hidden agenda idea held by each of the clans. THis is not the case, and for most rolplayers should not pose much of a problem. The secrets books are continued supplements to the Way of series of 1st edition l5r. The book is presented in both d20, for marketability to d&d fans, and 2nd edition d10, for playability of l5r fans. The only improvement any of these books could offer would be an update of old techniques and skills from the way of books to the 2nd edition l5r system. Oh and all that "mediocre fiction and the boring content" as the previous poster so eloqunetly put it is a great way to familiourize yourself with the setting and goings on of rokugan. Great for players and gms who want more depth to their rpgs and a little less hack and slash treasure grabbing.

2 comments about Diablo II: To Hell & Back (Dungeons & Dragons Accessory).

1. As an avid Diablo 2 fan I have anxiously awaited this new release in the Diablo storyline modules. The description of the product as covering the entire Diablo 2 game from Act One to Act Four merely wetted my appetite for more. Imagine my dissappointment to find a product containing poor guidelines for encounter levels, recycled artwork, pages of filler (repeated monster descriptions from Diablo 2: Diablerie,) and typos so obvious you would think that this was rushed into production and not seen by a proofreader. Any adventure whose pricetag is 50% higher than the price of the core books should be stunning in content and form, presented without errors, and be clear in the descriptions of game mechanics. I have only the highest praise for all the changes made to the new edition of the rules. The sliding exp scale, rewritten character classes, and the smoother combat all add to the enjoyment I and my players experience in our weekly sessions. The first Diablo adventure had us playing 8 hour marathon sessions each night for almost 2 weeks. Perhaps my expectations were too high for this product, but it is disappointing in falling short of the standards I have seen in other books recently. I am sure that any inconsistancies in the rules contained in the product will be brought up in a forum either on the web site or in Dragon Magazine, however nothing can take away from the flow of a session as greatly as a player stating "... but I read online that ..."



2. This book was poorly made, not worth your money. i don't know [who] wrote this but he really needs to go back to english classes. The book was not put in order. They just took the diablo II computer game and put it in a book without worrying about the rules of 3rd D&D.

   Do yourself a favor...Don't buy this book!

No comments about Fane of the Witch King.

1 comments about Dark Awakenings: Guardian (d20 System) (Dark Awakenings).

1. I haven't ran this adventure, but I did read much of it. It's very well done but as mentioned by other reviewers the level of detail is too much. Many times when using a store bought adventure you want to skim it and then pick up the details as you go but with this it's impossible. The funny thing is that you can go online to their website to get even more information. The story is interesting but not complete, you'll need the second module to resolve everything.
   
   The CD was a very nice touch. I've often longed to be an artist just so I could draw out scenes to show my players.

No comments about Munchkin Cthulhu 3 The Unspeakable Vault (Munchkin).

5 comments about Palladium Books Presents: Heroes Unlimited.

1. Palladium's contribution to the 'superhero boom' that hit the RPG industry a while ago, and one of the most durable. If you know the Palladium system, you'll find this a doddle to use, and the combat system has been expanded considerably (rules for vehicle and arial combat). The 'power category' system works well (mutants, aliens, cyborgs, psychics etc) and the skill selection system is realistic for a present-day setting. With a little imagination, the rules give the ability for almost any kind of superhero to be (re)created.

   Bad points. Firstly, some sections are badly worded. For example, the Robotics section is extremely confusing and the cybernetics listing contradicts itself, giving different listings for the same item. Also, despite a 'Mega-Hero' option, there are few facilities to create powerhouses on the level of Superman or the Incredible Hulk. I can see how something like that would have been open to abuse, but the option would have been nice. And the magic listing is somewhat truncated, though this is rectified in a later sourcebook.

   Aside from those gripes, I recommend it. It may be intimidating for those new to roleplaying or the Palladium system, but few games have the sheer possibility on offer here.




2. The original Heroes Unlimited was published by Palladium books way back in 1984 amidst a wide selection of Super Hero genre RPGs.. 2002 and this game is in it's third incarnation while others of it's type have faded into the past. The game is cohesive and features Palladium's universal rule system, the first of it's kind back in the 80's (yes, even before GURPS), so it is compatable with every other game in the Palladium Megaverse. Aside from covering every main type of super hero, anti hero or villian, from aliens to super sleuths; Heroes Unlimited provides a loose framework for creating the entire campaign environment, including quick roll tables for Non player characters and words of advice in how potential game masters can breathe life into thier creations.
   Why buy this book?
   Two words : It works!
   You are buying a reliable product that is supported by Palladium Books ... with an active message board, numerous fan sites and frequent releases of supplimentary titles (such as Villians unlimited, Aliens unlimited, Heroes unlimited G.M.'s Guide and more planned this year).. HU2 is here to stay.



3. What Heroes Unlimited lacks in diversity and customization (point buy systems have this staple pretty much cornered) it makes up for in overall playability and dozens of raodblocks to game abuse. Don't misunderstand, any game can be min/maxed, but the Palladiums strict class system makes it much more difficult that games with more freedom.
   
   This is a great game to introduce players to (I, myself, started with Ninjas & Superspies back in the late 80s). It is great as a standalone book (in fact, the sourcebooks are mostly fluff, the game just doesn't need anything else).



4. For one, the company is almost bankrupt and out of business. Two, its a terrible game. If you want to play a great heroes game get Mutants and Masterminds.
   
   I bought this and returned it. Save you money for quality material.



5. When i saw this book, i think i first saw it advertised in a comic book(dont remember) but i was already into D&D and warhammer-- i had been looking for a good RPG with superheroes, cause heroclix and such just dont cut it....so, i read up, tracked this one down to amazon, and i wasn't disappointed....i has an exact idea in mind for my hero and creating him was FUN, it took about an hour or more to round everything out, but now im burning up the dice as a crazy hero stuntman, trained and mastered in mechanics, robotics, piloting, and weaponry...now, some parts got alittle confusing and had to be ironed down....like the time frames, i understand it should take alot of imagination, but with several minds all trying to imagine the same thing, it wont be the same exactly...and this makes for alot of OOC banter....perhaps with more play skill will dispatch this. I AM THE NIGHT! ::is gone::

No comments about BLACKMOOR Dave Arnesons Blackmo *OP (Blackmoor).

1 comments about VII (Vampire: the Requiem).

1. Do you want paranoid players...or maybe a bloodthirsty killer running around your game, or how about a twisted family affair is dating back thousands of years? If so this is the book for you. You get three different versions of VII in this book to mix match or ignore as you see fit.
   
   The first grouping of VII is of biblical proportions. "Vampires" decended from the fallen city of Gommorha. They are very similar to the Assamites in the Old WOD. They we kill everyone they cannot convert to the "faith". Oh and did I mention the demon involved?
   
   The second group a weird Russian "family" that's been hunting vampires for centuries. Complete with several "seperate" clans, more like bloodlines but hey, each with their own idea of how best to rid the world of vampires.
   
   Lastly you have a paranoid's wet dream with the X-files inspired VII. Are you a sleeper or one of the awoken? If your answer is yes to either don't let anyone else know.

3 comments about Exalted Players Guide (Exalted).

1. I picked this book up for the Merits and Flaws section, a favorite of mine from all of the previous White Wolf games. What I was treated to was an onslaught of additional ideas, rules, and setting aspects denser than any RP book I've ever read.

   Not only do players get their merits and flaws, but a host of completely new character models. Children of spirits, fae, demons, ghosts, and even other Exalted. Mortal heroes and thaumaturgists (the new term for mortal sorcerers). Complete rules for the Dragon Kings, semi-Exalted humanoid dinosaurs from the ancient past. And each one of these comes with at least a few additional charms, merits, spells, what-have-you.

   If you're looking for additional inspiration for your Exalted game, this is the place to look! There are ideas in here for dozens of campaigns. I can't even imagine using all of it at once.




2. This book details a lot of useful extra things that can be used in an exalted campaign. You need to the Exalted core book to play, so people who are new to pen and paper RPG's should pick that up first. Also, if you are new to pen and paper RPG's, you need to pick up a couple hand-fulls of ten sided dice to play.
   
   This book details a lot of merits and flaws that can be used when creating your character. It also details a lot of other options besides the Solar Exalted that you can play as or use as Non Playable Characters (NPC's) to progress the story (The God Blooded, Mortal Magicians, and The Dragon Kings.) There are a few expanded rules, the most useful being an alternative way of going about combat and a few expanded social rules. There is a lot more besides the above, but the above is probably the most useful.
   
   Now for the bad things about this book: there is no index, that makes finding things a pain and is especially bad if your in the middle of a campaign, and the character sheet at the end isn't all-inclusive to the characters listed in the book. For example, if I wanted to make a Dragon King, it won't have any easy places for me to list his abilities, as they are not charms and work more like attributes. You can still list them under backgrounds however, so it's not like you can't use the sheet at all, there is room to fit everything, you just have to improvise a bit. It's nothing terribly major, but it keeps me from giving this a five. All in all, if you want to expand your game, this is probably one of the first books you want to get.



3. don't even try to get a game going on without this book. its got all the info you and your players need to know. it has an expandable character types, kung-fu, weapons stats, majic and spells,The dragon kings and there mysterous element based powers,a more expanded look at the realms, and fleashing out that character just becomes a hell of a lot easier,and without a doubt ,tons of more stuff. it your a player, you need this book ,if just to get your gamemaster by his sack. if your a gamemaster, its good to get a jump on your PC's,and besides you gm's might find that something special to terrorize your PC's with. its got goods on artwork and its a really cool read if you just wanna bone up.
   enjoy and happy shoppen.

1 comments about The Assassin's Handbook (d20 System) (Master Classes).

1. While entertaining, this book's core class - the 20 level Assassin is not balanced. The concept of gaining a critical "kill" attack at 2nd level and every 4 levels there after is simply too powerful - Most Gms will have to find ways to work with\around that ability to tone it down. Not only that - but there are a few critical typos - the Maximize Poison and Empower poison feats read Exactly the same - and I am sure the authors intended these to work similarly to the mage version - but gave no reason Why they should work that way - what about an Assassin allows him to make a poison any stronger than he normally would - let alone what the feats do?
   Personally, I wanted more rationalizing, more depth and more useful tools. If you are a new gamer looking to play an Assassin this might be the book for you - but personally, I think you need to wait on a more balanced and complete book, or even a good chapter in another book, on Assassin's before spending your money on this. In reality out of it's like 66 pages - only 20ish of them are useful, the rest is fluff.