2 comments about Libellus Sanguinis 4: Thieves in the Night.

1. White Wolf does it again - the fourth book in their Libellus Sanguinus series offers intriguing new information on the Vampire clans in the Dark Ages, interspersed with myriad tales, myths, tidbits that can easily spawn 100 new story or character ideas. This book details the history and status of the Malkavian, Ravnos, and Nosferatu, shedding much-needed light on the intricate inner workings of these clans. All new character templates offer some fresh ideas on who might find their way into these cursed brotherhoods, and the resource information is a must for all Vampire storytellers, whether playing Vampire: the Dark Ages or Vampire: the Masquerade.



2. Three clans seem to stand on the very fringes of Cainite society. Not because they are lone wanders like the Gangrel, nor because they follow a path of corruption like the Followers of Set. These Cainites are the margin simply because they are too difficult to control or deal with. The Ravnos follow a path that only the gypsy can fully understand. Nosferatu cling to the shadows, shunned due to their appearance. The Malkavian are avoided for they are fully mad and seek to know "Why?" By far these are three of the most difficult clans to play because of their marginality. This volume lets players know the deep intricacies of each clan and how each survives the Long Nights while being almost shunned by mortal, and Cainite.

   Ravnos are fueled with the blood of wanderers. They move where ever their winds or whims take them. To many they are seen as a nuisance, or even worse as vagabond thieves that or only good for execution. How little they see this clan may be more closely knit than all others because of their treatment. How few notice these Cainites are everywhere. They can walk around as if unnoticed because all others wish to shun and avoid them. The Charlatans are masters at deception, and their section serves to illuminate the vast ability at trickery they possess. Their chapter holds not only more Chimestry abilities, but also a new background to help a Charlatan avoid prying eyes of mortal, Church, or even Cainite.

   Next are those atrocious looking Nosferatu. Each carries an ancient curse to twist their bodies into monsters while also twisting their hearts into something else. Nosferatu are the less seen and less understood of the thieves. They possess powers to communicate over distances that boogie the mind. They almost have an Internet before electricity is even discovered. This section delves into their advances in Obfuscation as well as giving more backgrounds for the Nosferatu to cultivate his or her network of information. No secret will ever be safe with these Cainites around.

   The last clan in this volume are the Malkavian. Just as a Nosferatu is twisted and deformed on the outside, the minds of the Malkavian are likewise twisted. Each Madman sees the world from a very different point of view. This section takes their madness out of the comic realms and puts the dark edge that they have always had back into the clan. Instead of lunatics running around the street dressed as clowns, these are brooding, plotting, methodical Cainites. Each seeking answers to an age old question, yet never finding what they need. This chapter expands their knowledge and power letting players fully enjoy the painful madness of these tortured souls.

   In summary, if you need to create memorable characters from the margin, this is the book you need. The clan specific applications of disciplines will grant fresh life to overused, well-known disciplines. Adding this to any core books can only help increase the dynamics of a game. Enjoy, and just keep asking yourself... "Why?"

5 comments about Hardwired: The Sourcebook (Cyberpunk).

1. I thought I had read all the sf/cyberpunk worth reading when I picked this book up off a going-out-of-business sale. I was drawn into Williams world - complex, believable, character-driven - and surprised that I could be surprised. I read others and it wasn't a fluke.



2. This is one of the early cyberpunk style novels, and a fun one. A man
   and a woman, with appropriate technological enhancements like sockets
   to connect to computer networks, scary weaponry implants in the throat,
   and other such fun toys, must try and resist the nasty depradations of
   the ridiculously wealthy corporate Orbitals.
   
   It ain't fun to be on the dirty, nasty ground, but it is an action story.



3. Walter Jon Williams may have set this novel in a world first created by Roger Zelazny in DAMNATION ALLEY, but Williams takes that world to another level here, developing it and refining it, its geography, history, and scope, into something that is entirely this author's own.
   
   HARDWIRED tells the exciting stories of the pilot of a futuristic aircraft and a sort-of female hit man, both in a futuristic cyber-era in which everyone is very plugged into a virtual world of extreme connectivity, and most of the earth is controlled by the Orbitals--people who live in floating cities surrounding the earth.
   
   HARDWIRED could be considered a difficult read for anyone not already familiar with the modus operandi of cyberpunk sci-fi, but for anyone willing to commit themselves to it, the book offers a future that, for the most part, actually seems possible, seems believable.
   
   Walter Jon Williams is a great writer, and he does a terrific job here with a unique cast of characters, some really bizarre ideas, and the daunting task of fully realizing a sci-fi world you can really lose yourself in. His descriptions of a futuristic New Mexico--and of a world in which your enemies fill the sky and can drop asteroids on you if you don't do what they want--are top notch and visually solid.
   
   This is visionary work, ahead of our time, and definitely ahead of its time (1986). Read it, and be rewarded.



4. This book is William Gibson meets Mad Max meets Blade Runner. Excellent writing. Great world building. Awesome actions scenes and fast moving plot. Ten stars. Heretical, but its better than Neuromancer.



5. I remember this book very fondly... It was an easy, exciting read, and I read it at the peak of the whole cyberpunk craze... I was playing the RPG Cyberpunk 2020, I was one of the few people I knew at the time that had a personal computer, and, the reason that the book was different for me, I lived in Tampa, FL... The book takes place there, at least for a while (been 20 or so years since I read it, so I don't have it fresh in my head...), and there is references to places I went on a regular basis. That made the book much more real to me, as I could imagine vividly the locales (destroyed as they were in the book), as I knew exactly what it looked like in real life. I think this is due for a re-read...

1 comments about Classic Battletech: Combat Operations (FPR10979) (Battletech).

1. This book has little to offer the casual player or those who only play in tournaments or pickup games, but to those who hold long-term campaigns or want to hold games on a multi-planatary scale (from a small district to Inner Sphere level conflicts), this book has a lot going for it. From rules for a game along the lines of Risk or FASA's long out of print Succession Wars, military unit formation and maintenence, producing infantry teams, to preparation for battles from any time (data including military equipment from the original Star League to post-Federated Commonwealth Civil War) this has a lot of useful info for those who want to go beyond single battlefields. However, for the more casual player, owning or having a friend who owns it is quite useful, especially for the complete factional unit list, including when certain units were developed, convenient for setting campaigns in times other than the current fiction and story arc.

1 comments about Warhammer Armies: Orcs & Goblins.

1. Despite the fact that the picture for this book shows the current Orc Army book, if you look at the product details it says October 2001. This listing is for the old Orc Army book. The rules in it are hopelessly out of date, and it should not be used.

5 comments about Spycraft Roleplaying Game Version 2.0.

1. Having just recently having had a chance to pick up this book I was very pleasently surprised. It was amazingly put together. The art was very likeable and fitting with the concepts being brought forth. This is THE d20 book for rules on anything modern or future, bar none.
   Loved the green and gray color scheme too but I'm a sucker for green.
   The content was polished and easy to read and quite fun.
   
   If there can be a complaint it's that the gear section has a steep learning curve but other than that I loved the book. Very well done.



2. One thing I was able to pull from this game is an amazing amount of detail. For someone used to the D&D system of skills this was a major change. I find myself rolling fistfulls of dice any time my agents wish to preform the simplest of tasks. Rolling fistfulls of dice that is after I look up what they have to roll in the first place.
   The skill system got a major overhaul and I am not sure it was for the best. The skill list itself was condensed however the skills now are simply catagories for which the old (and some new) skills reside. For example: Acrobatics has taken the place of the old skills: Balance, Jump, and Tumble and put them all into one category. They also add Falling and Skydiving checks to the mix. Each of these subskills has their own rules and require different checks and synergy bonuses. This seems like a lot to keep track of.
   The other major change from the first game is the expansion of the chase system. One of the best things about version 1.0 was that the chase system was the best in any game bar-none. In the new system they have not changed the system they have expanded it. The chase system (manuvers for predator and prey) have been expanded to use the same system for Hacking, Infiltration, Interogation, and Seduction.
   Overall the premice of the game is good, however I think that the experience is being brought down by the weight of the system.



3. Spycraft 2.0 is the one and only modern era RPG book that anyone would ever need. Contained in its 400+ pages is basically every rule and situation that could ever arise in a modern day game. Though this game works exceptionally well for an espionage style campaign, there is absolutely no reason why you need play a spy.
   
   The system for designing NPCs is perfect. With one easy set of rules you can make hordes of the lowest level scrubs who will be blown away en masse by your players or the most tricky and long lived villain who will become memorable to your players...all by adding qualities. Very cool! Plus, its a snap to figure out how much experience each NPC or challenge yields.
   
   There are a few drawbacks to this book. First off, the gear section is poorly organized. The mere fact that the caliber charts for the gear is on a different page than the stats for the gear is incredibly aggrivating.
   
   There are a huge amount of feats in this book...that allow for incredible character customization. My only problem is that like gear, they are hard to sort through.
   
   Dramatic Conflicts might be my favorite part of Spycraft 2.0. With one system that emulates interactions between a predator and a prey, the system models car chases, brainwashing, interrogation, infiltration, manhunts, and even seduction. Basically, each round of interaction, the predator and prey pick opposing strategies and reveal them using appropriate skill roles. They're like little many games that spice the game up with variety.
   
   I'm not sold of the art in the book. I preferred the gritty black and white sketches in the original to the more cartoony, anime-esque illustrations in this one...but they do work.
   
   In conclusion, the game system is incredibly well designed...and that makes up for any shortcomings in the books overall presentation.



4. LOVE IT !! Can't beat it! It's the best modern/spy rpg ever made so far. End of discussion!!



5. I had first heard of Spycraft from gamers I knew back when only the first edition of the system existed. However, as I already had other campaigns going, I brushed it off without too much thought.
   
   Then late 2007, I saw the second edition of Spycraft at a Powell's bookstore. Curious, I read it over. Pleased by the bevy of information and options available to me, I bought it and took it home. I've been hooked ever since.
   
   ---
   
   So, what IS Spycraft 2.0? To sum it up, it's a set of rules to run adventures in a similar vein to "24", "Mission Impossible", the James Bond films, "Tears of the Sun" and other mission based stories. There is control (which represents any kind of agency) that supplies the player's characters with their objective critical information and gear. Then, they go out, complete their tasks, face various complications and generally save the day.
   
   Now, while you can easily adapt the rules to run a free-form modern day adventure (outside of a governmental/military/etc hierarchal command), it isn't explicitly listed in the book and will take a little creative thinking to fit in some of the options like Gear feats.
   
   Practically everything is covered in this book: from chases, to hacking, to brainwashing, to weapons and various attachments, to various martial arts styles, to lasers, to super gadgets, a system to create villains that can easily be disposed of or be long-lasting memorable foes, vehicles and vehicle combat...suffice it to say, there are too many options to list here. To it's detriment, however, a great deal of the information can be hard to find, and even the index isn't perfect. While a recently available online version of the book has fixed this issue to an extent, it still contains several glaring omissions.
   
   The book itself (2005 AEG version) is very well constructed - the binding is thick and durable and the pages are of good stock. I'd recommend you pick that up and download the errata (a document which addresses mathematical errors among others that were in the initial printing) instead of going with the Craft Games 2006 re-issue (which is of weaker construction).
   
   If you want even more options for the characters, i'd recommend you purchase Crafty Game's PDF "Back to Basics" that converts character archetypes from the system "d20 Modern" to Spycraft rules - these are broader in theme compared to the default classes such as "Soldier" or "Scientist".

2 comments about Sim City 2000: Authorized Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides).

1. I've been into Sim City 2000 since I was a little kid. I love all the Sim games, they're so great! They make you think and manage everything, from towers to towns. Sim City 2000 is one of my favorite Sim games, and this book had it all. From cheats for nearly every computer, how to manage traffic, and tips for choosing power plants, this book was really, really good. Now, Maxis is not only doing great in the computer business, it's doing good in the book business!



2. I believe this book is a must for the the Sim City 2000 player because it covers all the basics of the program. I even learned some things about Sim City 2000 that I never knew. It helped me a lot.

No comments about *OP World of Warcraft Monster Guide (Sword & Sorcery).

No comments about The Quintessential Elf II - Advanced Tactics (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1 comments about *OP Lair of the Hidden (Vampire).

1. I'm really sad to see this book is no longer available in amazon, In case they bring it back, or you locate it elsehow, know that this is a rare book even for a company with such high quality standards as white wolf.

   It is a story of a cabal of vampires in their search for the inner peace of Golconda. Ancient, all of them, they had known Saulot personally and witnessed his elevated state. Ever since, they are bent on the path of achieving Golconda.

   Their search led them in ages long past to a castle in Transylvania. There they awakened a terrible secret that has haunted them ever since, keeping them virtual prisoners in a forgotten land. They are Inconnu of another time, lost in the quest of a cure long forgotten in the Time of Judgement.

   The characters are to find this group of vampires and find out about some of the most intriguing sides of the curse of immortality. The issue of Golconda and the [sect known as] the Inconnu have never received adequate treatment.

   The characters hidden within the castle are some of the most interesting methuselas ever created by White Wolf. They have strong, complete and absolutely believable personalities. They are locked in a grid of relationships so complex that a whole appendix of the book is dedicated to showing graphic relationship diagrams! And all from part of a grand story with epic proportions and dark secrets to discover. Oportunities for strong stories are endless in this book.

   For people that play crossover chronicles from Dark Ages to Modern Times, this adventure will have several added bonuses. It draws heavily from both times, and although it is set in modern age Transylvania, old timers will have quite a few interesting memories come up...

   5 stars it is from me.

No comments about Hackmaster: The Hacklopedia of Beasts, Vol 8.