5 comments about The Draconomicon (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. i am satisfied with the product and the delivery. Everything was good!



2. Let me start this review by saying that this book is beautiful. The full color images throughout almost make it a coffee table book, and it is hard to NOT give it five stars just for those images.
   
   But this book IS a roleplaying game supplement, so it has to be judged on more than just its pretty pictures.
   
   Content in this book can be divided into three primary areas: General dragon information, player information, and DM-specific information.
   
   - General Dragon Information. I truly have mixed feelings about this area. Dragon anatomy diagrams, descriptions of their senses, and the dragon language dictionary are all very interesting and worth an initial reading. Some of the other information, including history and religion, is disappointing - not only does it conflict with previously established sources, but it also doesn't fit with the "theories" that most people have about dragons (according to the Draconomicon, dragons die of old age, they worship strange gods, etc, etc..).
   
   - Player Information. The sections of the book featuring player information truly shine. There are new feats for those that often deal with dragons, a good selection of new spells, intriguing new prestige classes, and numerous new magical items. The section on dragons being player characters, however, is too short and not particularly useful.
   
   - DM Information. This is where the product once more falters. The new draconic monster section is all right, and the section on dragon feats / dragon prestige classes is also moderately interesting (though extremely limited in usefulness unless you are running a dragon-only campaign). The various additional rules and the sample NPC dragons weren't particularly captivating. The pantheon section and the dragon twilight section will not be accepted by many fans as those sections conflict with previously established content. Mongoose Publishing's "Slayer's Guide to Dragons" (written by Gary Gygax) contains better dragon rules and DM information, in my opinion, and should be considered if that is the only reason you are buying this book.
   
   In conclusion: rating this book is extremely difficult, and depends on the desires of the consumer. On content alone, I would only give it 3 stars; when the incredible artwork is also factored in, it gets 4 to 4.5. For those that don't particularly like dragons or don't think they'll deal with them beyond one or two in an entire campaign, this product is a bit of an overkill - use the Monster Manual instead.
   
   Side Note: Those interested in behind-the-scenes industry comments and barbs should check out the deity "Garyx" on page 33.



3. This is a great sourcebook for inspiring GMs with ideas of how dragons behave. It even offers an article on each of the "major" dragon types (the chromatic and metallic dragons.) That having been said, I was a little disappointed that it didn't mention (not even in passing) any of the other kinds of dragons in the D&D setting.



4. I dont belive until today i dont have the book in my hands, really Im scare because is the first time with this kind of articles, need an explication about this item, dont have notices about this problem, Im really hungry.....



5. Have been holding off buying into new 4.0 edition. But have been loathe to invest any more dollars or shelf space into 3.5 supplements. However, after paging through this one at the local book store I picked it up any way. Am a few readings in, and am glad I did.
   
   This book provides, as the name would suggest, a comprehensive delve into how dragons can be fit into your campaign world. And since dragons will be with the game as long as there is a game, I found it worth the coin. There are extended sections on the psychology of each species. Invaluable for roleplaying encounters that live up to the dragon's immense NPC potential. There's also a load of combat oriented mechanics to flesh out the dragon's terrifying natural abilities. Though rooted in 3.5 these could also be updated, and provide plenty of inspiration. The inclusion of a quick snapshot for every age category of every dragon is a little dense, but I found myself still enjoying the snapshots.
   
   All in all, a worthwhile purchase for any DM. Especially if you can pick-up a used copy at a discount.

No comments about Secrets of Morocco (Call of Cthulhu).

5 comments about Heroes of Battle (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Rules Supplement).

1. Generally speaking, I dislike books that have adventure ideas and other DM material. Usually I am just looking for the 'meat' as in new monsters, spells, feats, etc...This book was an exception. I wanted to take the campaign in a little bit different direction than the norm, and thought a battlefield oriented game might be novel. This book has quiet a bit of ideas for adventures and scenarios related to large scale warfare. I found the sample ideas to be both creative and interesting. I would definately recommend the book if you are going to run that type of game. If you don't plan on running that type of game this book will have much less value to you.



2. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks there's nothing more epic and exciting in a RPG than war. Well this book does a pretty good job of laying the groundwork for a campaign based around battles. It's not all straightforward battlefield stuff either, a lot has to do with different tactics during war.
   Things like cutting the enemy's supply lines, battlefield espionage, siege weapons, arrow volleys, etc. It also has what is definitely the best and simplest system for battlefield morale that I've seen (and it's compatable with the D&D miniatures rules) and explains how Leadership and one's rank in the military play into things.
   Most of the feats and prestige classes are boring (though the combat medic is excellent) and some of the spells are very interesting. Overall it is an excellent resource.
   The only reason I am giving it 4 stars is that it's all very situational, and in a standard campaign none of this will get used. For a campaign that involves medieval warfare and big battles, it earns its pricetag, which I can say for less and less of WoTC's product line of late.



3. This book has been vital to my weekly D&D game. The book rises and falls on the idea of epic clashes between giant armies that your players influence. The Victory Point system is increadible, it has really helped my players to get into the game. It lets even low level charactes feel that they are vital. It is easy for the players to fall out of the spotlight in a giant army, this book makes that a thing of the past.
   
   The prestige classes don't over run the book and that is a rarity in some of these supplements...a welcome rarity.
   
   A surprising aspect of the book is the appendix which gives you monster stats for monsters of different ranks. (Orc general, drow priestess)
   
   This book is almost as important as the Player's Handbook if you are running a war themed campaign.



4. It's a fine complement. There is a lot of rules you can take out of military context and use it in a regular D&D game, for example arrow volley... never again understimate the goblin archer team.
   The Feats sección is commited to the main theme but I don't see it like a fault. The prestige classes are enjoyable.
   A good work.



5. I didn't know it. I've substitute improvisation, miniatures rules, everything in its place. I didn't know this gap existed in my gaming repertoire before this book showed up on my doorstep. It was only when I opened it and skimmed the table of contents for concepts that I suddenly realized that this was it. The book I was waiting for. I almost didn't want to read it. I have no particular history with David Noonan, Will McDermott or Stephen Schubert. Maybe I've read books by them before, but they've never appeared on my radar. Wizards can put out some uneven stuff, so I wasn't sure if I even dared read it. I mean, here's a book I didn't even know I waited for and when it shows up, Bruce Cordell had nothing to do with it.
   
   I skimmed it once very quickly. I'm a bad speed reader, but I can get the general gist of a book fast. What I found prodded me to go onward, so I started snatching at random bits that seemed to solve long standing problems in my games. I read more carefully now, probing, sussing out potential problems, trying not to get my hopes up.
   
   So what was the answer? Did I like it? Well, to know that you'll have to skip to the end. I'm not sacrificing my own sense of drama for someone I haven't even met.
   
   You know, even though this is a review, that last line begs for an emoticon.
   
   Ah, well, you'll just have to take my sly humor as read and push on. You really have no choice. Go ahead. Keep reading. I dare you.
   So the book starts with your standard chapter one fare. This is a book about adventures on a battlefield. What does that mean? Well, you know. Adventures. On a battlefield. We're in chapter one, so we'll go slow, but try to keep up. (My sarcasm).
   
   So we talk about pacing, planning a campaign, general advice. Nothing here is earthshattering. Most of it is guidance in subjects like how to handle downtime in the middle of Agincourt. How militaries are organized. What a Frenchman originally meant when he called someone a "lieutenant."
   
   From there, we move on to chapter two, and the book begins to pick up. Here they teach you how to design a battlefield (they start with remedial studies) then move on to flow charts. Now the flowchart idea for an adventure isn't exactly earthshattering, but just glancing at their two example flowcharts is enough to set straight any confusion you have about what a battle might look like from the POV of a few confused characters. Personally, this was the single biggest advantage of the book for me. Suddenly I can see clearly why so many of my past battlefields lacked luster.
   
   The chapter doesn't end there, however. Next it teaches you how to build the enemy army in 60 minutes. Then it talks about encounter maps. Then it introduces the concept of victory points and explains how to use them to influence the battle.
   
   Basically, you predetermine the battle outcome. This is what will happen if the PC were never even there. Then you base a best and worse case scenario on how much you think the PCs can matter in the battle. Then you use their victory points the PC's earn on the field to determine where in that specturm of possible outcomes the battle eventually falls. It's simple and its elegant and there's nothing about the system that is tied to the D&D rules. That's the biggest beauty of the book. So much of it could be used with any game system.
   
   Next we have chapter three. Here we explore specific battlefield encounters with examples. Then we have specific example units. Then we discuss experience. So this chapter is only useful to you if you play D&D, but honestly, you got almost everything you needed in chapter two. We're into bonus material now, and we're only up to page 62.
   
   The next chapter is a mix of D&D specific info. You could adapt some of it to other games of course. It has rules like how to handle siege engines and aerial bombardment and arrow volleys. We also deal with morale checks and commander ratings and radii, but after that we're into non game-specific materials again.
   
   The chapter introduces a way to abstract strategic advantages to help determine who has the upper hand on the battlefield in the big view. We get into specific victory point allotments , how many points to assign to cutting a supply line, for instance. Then we wrap up with a method of handling battlefield recognition such as promotion and medals.
   Chapter five deals with the military character. Now, if you've read any of my reviews, you probably know I'm going to be upset by all the prestige classes. You're right. WotC is out of control. We need to have an intervention.
   
   The rest of the chapter is various D&D specific rules. We treat with skill applications and new feats. The best section of this chapter are the teamwork rules. In too many games, you send your characters to some sort of training an unless you want to force the players to multiclass into a level of fighter, assuming they have the xp. You really gain nothing from the experience. I've always hated that. The teamwork rules, however, fix that. These are specific tasks and abilities that require no allocation of precious character advancement resources like feats or skills. Do you want the benefits of training as heavy cavalry? Well assuming your team leader meets his prerequisites (some handle animal, some more ride, mounted combat and trample) and the team members all meet their minimum requirements as well (A single rank in ride), the characters need only train together for a time. After that, they can act as a unit and gain benefits such as stopping opponents from avoiding your overruns. One of the nice bits in here is that each teamwork benefit has a list of tips at the end. These alert the DM to potential rules he might want to brush up on or things he might want to consider. Some of it is obvious, but it's nice nevertheless.
   
   Next we have the obligatory chapter on magic, which was fine (spell glut is almost as bad as prestige class glut, though). The book then wraps up with sample armies, sample soldiers and battlefield steeds.
   
   You skipped to the end, didn't you? Well that's all right. I loved this book. At least a third of it is useful in any campaign and much of the rest can be converted with a little work. This book might not have as big an impact on your campaigns. Maybe you've been doing fantastic battlefield adventures for years. But if you haven't, this book can help remake your game. I'd recommend it for anyone whose game, even now, has the dark and fervent whisperings of war.
   
   Now go back and read the rest of this review.

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!

2 comments about Legacy of the Force Booster Pack: A Star Wars Miniatures Game expansion (Star Wars Miniatures Product).

1. High quality minies from the Legacy series comics, as well as the Legacy of the Force series of books from DelRey books. Most characters have been created to some degree of acuracy. Some characters from other story arcs have been included, which doesn't make the most amount of sense, considering the fact that they do not show up in either the books or the comics. It would have been nice to see characters from the Dark Nest trilogy, seeing as how mostt of those characters return in the Legacy of the Force series to reprise their rolls.
   
   I find it disapointing that there are no large or huge size minies included like a Krayte Dragon, or a chiss Claw craft... It would have also been nice to see a "ships of Legacy" pack too fill in what's still missing from the RPG saga edition books.
   
   There are a few beautiful minies, but at the end of the day you are left unfofilled.



2. This latest set introduces some more veteran versions of our favorite characters, while introducing some new faces to minis.
   
   The faction that seems to benefit most from Legacy is the Galactic Alliance. Kyle Katarn is just a beast, especially if you include Spirit Luke. Cade Skywalker from the Legacy comic makes a very strong mark on this game.
   
   This is not the best set to start with, but is a very good set to tide us over until the Knights of the Old Republic set that comes out in August.

3 comments about Changeling Rites of Spring (Changeling: The Lost).

1. This has been by far the best non-core product I have ever owned produced by white wolf. 'Rites of Spring' introduces ideas for over all theme and light implementation. It caters to a Story Tellers need to tailor personal stories with suggestions on optional rules, motifs, and even guidelines for presenting description of the fantasy environment that the Lost inhabit. If you own the Changeling: The Lost book and feel as though you need an addition to be comfortable running the world then this book is an excellent tool to have available. The book also includes some suggestions on merits and alternate contracts to play with as well.



2. A must for the consumate Changeling fan. This is the glamour, powers book for the limited run Changeling rpg series (5 or 6 books I believe).



3. Changeling the Lost(CtL)is what's called a limited run. There are so many titles in the line and then it's done(but is it?). Anywho, ROS has a lot of new merits for the game and alot of clarification of the rules and ALOT of alternative rules for things in the Main Rulebook that needed fixing like the making of Pledges.

5 comments about Races of Eberron (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement).

1. Races of Eberron has added depth to the new races presented in the campaign setting plus offers insight into the standard races from the PHB and their culture (per the Eberron Setting). It also offers new spells and racial feats.
   Races of Eberron is great for those playing in the Eberron campaign setting or looking to spice up another setting.



2. If you are playing the Eberron campaign it will really help you get into the head of those races you are.



3. This product details the four new races introduced in the Eberron Campaign Setting (hereinafter "ECS"): the Kalashtar, the Changeling, the Warforged, and the Shifter. While it clearly has a strong Eberron focus, the stats for these races along with their feats from the ECS are reproduced here for any DM who wants new races without having to purchase the ECS. Discussion on inserting these races into more traditional fantasy worlds is presented as well.
   
   The book falls flat in a variety of ways, however. The racial write ups are the height of bland, saying very little that a person of average intelligence would not naturally realize. While there are occasional gems in the race write ups, such as the discussion of different philosophies among the changelings, even those interesting bits of insight are repeatedly used until the reader is tired of them. The racial setting material adds extremely little to the Eberron setting, though it may be of more use to a reader who is completely unfamiliar with Eberron.
   
   New feats, spells, prestige classes, substitution levels, and other mechanical additions are presented. They're a mixed bag. Many of the feats and prestige classes do a good job of expanding on the potential conceptual focus of the existing races. The racial substitution levels are likely the best part for many gamers, though some of them do very little to change the base class.



4. The Races of Eberron supplement is well-written, well-organized, and contains a relatively extensive set of information for anyone interested in incorporating the new races presented in theh Eberron Campaign Setting into any generic campaign. The information is complete, and the book does include feats and other means of specialization for each race that cannot be found in the Campaign Setting.
   Depsite all of these plusses, though, the supplement suffers from trying to fill a niche that has already been filled. I had a chance to read both of this product and the Campaign Setting before I purchased them, and though I did purhcase both I feel a bit ripped-off. Like I said, there is enough new content in the Races of Eberron supplement that it was worthy of purchase, but this book is another entry on the list of Wizards' attempt to make us buy the same material twice. It's a frustrating trend that I see developing.
   Like I said, the book is worth buying, but it gets four stars because I do not feel that the new information is worth the full price of admission. I would buy the Campaign Setting first because for $10 more you get a great deal more material that you can also integrate into any generic campaign with a bit of imagination.



5. Races of Ebberon is an excellent resource for the Dungeons & Dragons Ebberon campaign setting. It gives players more backround information on the various races and power groups to take role-playing to a new level. This book also introduces new feats and spells to take your character in new directions.

4 comments about Second Sight (World of Darkness).

1. Second Sight is a great book to use with any WOD setting. It has some really nice rules for psychic abilities and "low magic" that is nowhere near what a true WOD Mage can do.
   
   Both systems are very simple and very well designed. The following is a bit of technobable, and if you're not a WOD gamer, it may not make much sense. There is a new Trait called "Supernatural Advantage" which takes the place of Blood Potency, Gnosis, or Primal Urge. The characters will some times add this to dice pools and use it to combat the supernatural equivalents of the other gaming systems.
   
   After that, the psychic abilities and magical powers are all merits. In the psychic camp, there are four main categories: ESP, mediumism, psychokinesis, and telepathy. There are plenty of powers under each category.
   
   Low Magic allows you to play a Thamaturge (not a Mage), and it is broken down into multiple traditions: ceremonial magician, hedge witch, shaman, taoist alchemist, and vodoun. Again, all the individual powers are merits, and again there are plenty of them.
   
   The only drawback is that there isn't a very big section of baddies in the back. I'm fine with that, but if you include one at all, make it thorough. A nice section on artifacts and items would have been a plus.
   
   This is truly a five star book for WOD. It's as thorough as Armory is (and far, far more packed with abilites than the weak Ghouls book is). If you're planning on including a psychic or a mundane magician in your games, this is a great book. And at Amazon's price, it can't be beat!



2. Second Sight gives World of Darkness fans the opportunity to play characters in the same vein as The Dead Zone, The 4400, the lower key mystics of early Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, and other similar entertainment. A lengthy list of psychic and magical abilities, along with traditions and general plot hooks with a horror bent, are presented. Due to the high cost of many of these abilities this results in a system that is good for characters that are mundane folk except for one or two supernatural tricks.
   
   In addition to psionics and magical traditions the book focuses on horrors beyond space and time similar to those mentioned in various H.P.Lovecraft publications. Such horrors get a lengthy discussion, and rules for the cultists serving them are presented.
   
   While the book states these abilities are not meant to be mixed with other types of supernaturals, such as vampires or werewolves, there's nothing here to prevent a buyer from doing just that. Whether you're looking for new powers to tack onto your Mages or a tool that will let you run a cabal of mystics dedicated to taking down the corrupt mayor of their town this product has a lot to offer.



3. Great resource supplement for mortals who possess supernatural gifts. This book is for the new World of Darkness game and offers powers to make your mortals a bit more edgy. This book is getting reprinted by White Wolf (release date October 15, 2007). So dont pay the outrageous $84 that some sellers on amazon are asking for.
   
   This is probably one of the most popular World of Darkness supplements.



4. Basically it's a poor framework for introducing mortals into the WoD. But instead of trying to make a solid and robust frame for how Mortals could investigate, explore and maybe even survive after having discovered how the WoD 'really' is, WW took an easy solution and came up with.. tadaa: mortal superpowers (psychics) that allows "Mortals" to deal with the WoD almost on equal terms.
   
   This is actually revealed in the description of the book, but nonetheless i feel disappointed as i thought it would also contain elements on how real mortals could cope with WoD. However a mortal isn't (in my book anyway) a real mortal/sleeper etc, once she gains supernatural powers.

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

1. 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.



2. 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!



3. 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.



4. 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. OK, my 1st all time favorite is probably DC Universe d6 system, but for a simple and generic Supers game, I would say this is tops. My 3rd all time would be TSR's old Marvel system. Now allot of good reviews have been done already, so I'm not going to repeat them here. I got this to run with my two sons, they like easy systems and when I heard all you needed was a d20, well that was great, my youngest son has a heck of a time playing games with different types of dice needed to make rolls with, it starts to confuse him ("roll 2d6 for damage.....huh?, no thats a d8 son"), its a great fast action oriented game with no hit points as well, great for kids and old adults....The creation system could use a little streamlining with less skills and fewer feats and the powers could be a bit more descriptive, but overall that does'nt take away from the games simplicity, thats why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars.
   A third edition with less skills and feats would be great.

3 comments about Book of Spirits (World of Darkness).

1. Book of Spirits is a information tome and antagonist book meant for all games within the World of Darkness. To my knowledge, it should be useful in mortal, Vampire and definitely Mage games. I cannot say about Werewolf since I don't follow that, but the authors seem convinced that this will supplement not replace Werewolf books on spirits. References to Werewolf books in this one would seem to indicate that Werewolf books have more detailed and specific information on spirits than this. This book tends to be fairly general about spirits, establishing a level from which storytellers can build specifics.
   
   The introduction as usual sets out what the theme and mood of the book is, though the authors don't exactly do this directly. Rather, they point out that they decided to make the Shadow Realm a mad, dark reflection of an already dark setting. They claim that it should be 'easy enough' to make this spirit world a bit brighter, but personally, I find that this book follows a common method of the World of Darkness: the darkness is greater not because of what they put in but what they take out, and that is harder to counter. Anyway, the first chapter sort of continues with setting the theme and mood, as instead of going into specifics of the spirit world, it recounts stories of how ordinary mortals have been made contact with that world, and sometimes also how the material world has affected the spirit world. It is basically story hooks and background info, and it also establishes a minor theme of the book: including things from Werewolf and Mage that can be used in other games without the fine details from those games.
   
   The second chapter gets into the fine details. It defines the spirit setting. It begins by giving rules on how the spirit world and the material world affect each other, then moves into the points of direct contact between the worlds. Throughout this chapter and the next there are plot hook sub bars and three or four little descriptions of some specific thing for story use. There are locations, but also urban myth type rituals that may give some knowledge or access to the spirit world or other things. After contact are details on travelling and surviving as a mortal within the spirit world. Then comes a general description of the spirit world, various places unusual even there, and descriptions of what is found in the Shadow of urban areas and of natural ones. It is a huge chapter. This might be a good time to mention that White Wolf is no longer putting extensive bookmarks in their ebook versions, and if any book needed more than just chapter bookmarks, it's this one. Eventually, it gets to the fine details of spirits. This whole section is still conceptual, not game mechanic specific. It sets out the life cycle of spirits, defining why they live as they do. It is another long section, but White Wolf sum it up with the phrase "survival of the fittest". This is one area where I find it difficult to adapt to the setting. To me, the natural and therefore spirit worlds should define that phrase in the sense Darwin actually meant, that a creature that survived was fitter than one that got killed. White Wolf uses the phrase in the social darwinist/eugenicist style usually restricted to humans: kill others before they kill you. The spirit world is truly an ugly, brutal place.
   
   After this come two chapters on game mechanics. The third chapter is about merits, mostly for ordinary mortals, that allow them to interact with spirits. For some reason these new merits all have built-in drawbacks. It is a strange addition to the game, especially since the merits seem to mostly be about making it easier for spirits to torment those that have them before getting to the drawbacks. There seems to be little incentive for players to pick any of these new merits. The chapter also has an extensive collection of cursed items tainted by the spirit world and some new fetishes and rites for Werewolves. There is an optional new Discipline for Vampires, that gives them ability and incentive to deal with spirits. Also, while the rites are Werewolf-only, the fetishes can be used by anyone (anyone gullible, in one case).
   
   The fourth and final chapter at last sets out the game rules for spirits. This deals with everything: gaining and spending Essense, the use of Influences, and of course the Numina spirits have. The Numina listing is a mix of things from various previous games with new ones (I presume some are not in previous Werewolf books). Following that are many examples of the various types of spirits. Most of them are quite weak so that the storyteller can expand and adapt them, but a few are strong and good examples of developed spirits. That said, back in the intro it stated that weak spirits are still a big challenge for characters other than Werewolves or Mages. This section includes people that are ridden by spirits, from people as living fetters, to the types of roaming spirits that possess people, to the Claimed. The combinations are as usual quite strange and intriguing.



2. This is a really nice extension to World of Darkness, It's really recommended for NWoD:ers who like me, like horror tales then hero-tales.



3. Although it's met with mixed reactions, this book fills a much needed roll in the new World of Darkness. As the name might imply, it covers spirits... and all things related to them. Only instead of being focused on a particular gameline like, say Werewolf: the Forsaken, the information is much more general and can easily be applied to anything from mortals to vampires to changelings or any other monster. As such, gaming groups that don't have access to Werewolf or Mage (both of which already contain extensive information on spirits) will get just as much usage out of this book as those that do.
   
   The first chapter opens up with Invisible Lore, detailing how spirits interact with mortals and the mortal world, and how human perception color encounters with these alien beings and abstract representations of concepts. It includes a number of sample characters who, with only a little work or re-imagining, could easily be used as NPCs in any game. You've got people who have encounters with djinn, devils and even UFOs, a 'good ol' boy' who thinks he's communing with ghosts of former Klansmen and pagans who think they are paying homage to the Old Gods, monsters under the bed and Hermetic occult systems trying (unsuccessfully) to learn about the Shadow, and folks who inadvertently have become beacons to the spirit world. Even suggestions on how to incorporate tainted locations or use the material with Hedge Magicians from Second Sight. Very good stuff.
   
   Next it moves on to detailing the Shadow itself, and it's denizens. For those who don't have access to Werewolf or Mage, it fleshes out (and expands upon) the material from those books, explaining what the Shadow (spirit world) is, the Gauntlet that seperates the two worlds, Verges, Loci and Blights, and how the Shadow differs from the deepest wilderness to the heart of the urban jungle. Not only this, but it gives some sample locations to use in your games, and methods for mortals (and vampires, etc) to cross INTO the Shadow, and the dangers of doing so. Moreover, it also gives details on how to flesh out spirits and information on their predatory spirit-eat-spirit hierarchy. Great stuff for any game, but the most valuable part is that it includes information on how many supernaturals and their powers interact with the Shadow. That alone is a huge plus for the book.
   
   From this, we jump to a chapter crammed full of useful mechanics. The book includes several new Merits and a couple of Flaws for any games, be they mortal or supernatural, dealing with spirits and the spirit world. Werewolves and Mages aren't left out, and in fact, the former get a couple of new Rites and Fetishes, while the latter get some new Artifacts. Cool but not ground breaking. But for integrating Vampires... well, theres a whole new Discipline called Blood Tenebrous, designed specifically for interacting with the spirit world. Although it is assumed to be a rare Discipline that theoretically any Vampire could learn or develop, the book also mentions it would be appropriate for a Mekhet bloodline (which is not explored further). But the real juicy part here? A new type of Merit - Cursed Items. These are objects that have absorbed spiritual resonance over time, usually quite bad, and can create certain effects... always with some drawback. Think of the monkey's paw or bargains with the djinn and you've got the right idea. Again, very cool.
   
   The final chapter, which is probably the biggest in the book (and justifiably so), deals with spirits themselves. It contains detailed character creation rules for spirits, much moreso than Werewolf or Mage have given, including making them powerful appropriate to their rank and designing their bans, and the Numina. There's easily 60-75 Numina listed in the book, expanding greatly on previous material, so even Werewolf STs will get quite a bit of use out of this chapter. Moreover, theres also a 'spirit bestiary' detailing various things you can throw at your players. Of course this includes some things you'd expect... nature spirits, elementals, spirits of abstract concepts like gluttony and envy. But theres other stuff too. The Hammerbull was freaky, and the idea of elementals of void/nothingess was brilliant. It also includes a fair number of Claimed, mortals who have been taken over/possessed by spirits. And not just humans either, but also animals and inanimate objects. Alot of twists here.
   
   I think alot of people running Werewolf or Mage games might, understandably, be somewhat apprehensive about this book. Nonetheless, it greatly expands upon and clarifies the previous material on spirits, so Mages and especially Werewolves might get even MORE use out of this book than mortals, Vampires, Prometheans, etc. There are alot of twists and cool ideas that break outside of the box, so it'll keep them on their toes. Even so, the other game lines will still get alot of usage out of this book too. In fact, given that they are much more limited in their interactions with the spirit world, it may even make them that much more horrific. Pretty much anything you could ever want to do with spirits is covered in this book, and better still, theres alot of inspiration to use too. Its an essential book for any World of Darkness games.