1 comments about Babylon 5: The Final Flight of Santiago.

1. This 2258 scenario typifies the "one-time" scenario. It focuses on the B5 mainstays of diplomacy and skullduggery around the president Santiago saga with little room for other expansion or play on the B5 station itself. Altogether this is a unique one-time product that should stand well by itself and your are thus forewarned of its limited play nature. I liked reading it and think it would make a fun aside from the usual action scenarios of a (2nd ed)B5 campaign. Also there is some interesting stuff about Mars in this one and it includes its own characters for use.

1 comments about Babylon 5: The Galactic Guide (Babylon 5 RPG).

1. I ordered this, thinking it was a guide to the series in the same vein as guides for Star Trek or Star Wars. I discovered that it is a guide to a Babylon 5 role-playing game in which I have no interest. It's still informative and entertaining, but not as much so as I was expecting.

5 comments about Iron Kingdoms Character Guide: Full Metal Fantasy, Vol. 1 (Iron Kingdoms).

1. My favorite d20 product thus far ! At least until the World Guide appears. Slick presentation, beautiful artwork, and a completely original idea.



2. I love the Iron Kingdoms and you may say that there are comparisons to Eberron but all I have to say is that Eberron never did anything like this for me! I love the feel of The Iron Kingdoms and to me that is very very important.



3. Okay since everybody has written alot about the book already I'll give the "bullet points." The book has a very diverse feature of races which I found as a breath of fresh air. The rules and added classes are well written and easy to understand. The new weapons and armor are interesting along with a truck load of information of the iron kingdoms. I'd say it even rivals Forgotten Realms in history and culture. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is due to magic creation section, you thought the DMG was tough this took me about a 5th reading and compairing the two books to figure it out. This section of the book was the only unflowing part but other than that I would HIGHLY recommend getting this book.
   
   If your looking at Eberron I'd look here first. Eberron doesn't even come close!



4. From scanning the reviews, I think everything I would say has already been said. This book has been the most enjoyable d20 sourcebook I have ever read. The artwork is fantastic and the content is awesome. For a rule/source book... it's a page turner. Well, page turner in a role-playing gamer way. Odd to say that, but there are various devices throughout the book that keep you interested - adventure hooks in sidebars, enlarged quotes and narratives, and really great, off the wall ideas. The paper is thick so the book looks incredibly thick; print is unfortunately in black and white (off topic: the Warmachine tabletop books (printed in full color) from Privateer Press are on par if not better than Games Workshop's tabletop books). I only noticed slight problems in some character class modifications detailed; otherwise the book appears to be spelling-, punctuation-, and grammar-error free.
   
   I finally found a campaign setting as immersive and interesting as al Qadim... I am once again excited to DM.
   
   Highly recommended.



5. Iron Kingdoms Character Guide: Full Metal Fantasy, Vol. 1 is packed to the brim with great rules and source material for the Iron Kingdoms campaign setting. The book has been laid out in an easy-to-read and easy-to-find information format. This book covers all the essentials in rules supplements to really give your campaign that "Full Metal" feel.
   
   This book was also designed to go with Volume 2 to create an 800 page arsenal of amazing background information and rules for Iron Kingdoms.

5 comments about Jonny Magic and the Card Shark Kids: How a Gang of Geeks Beat the Odds and Stormed Las Vegas.

1. I'm not really one for books about Poker and games, but i read the last book by this author, Masters of Doom, and I saw a review of Jonny Magic in the New York Times book review that seemed interesting so I picked it up. I really loved it! Great characters--Finkel is a classic, and the story reads like the most gripping fiction. David Kushner's writing style is humorous and riveting.I think this should be a movie or television show.



2. Jon Finkel was an overweight, middle school nerd who was bullied, laughed at, and ostracized until he found his calling in a fantasy game called Magic. Magic combines the otherworldliness of Dungeons and Dragons with complex elements of card play and has become a cult game with tournaments of its own. In Jonny Magic and the Card Shark Kids, David Kushner follows the transformation of Finkel from teenage geek in the throes of Magic mania into a thin, sophisticated and extremely wealthy professional gambler who joins the highly successful blackjack counting team known as The Lawyers. The true-life story traces Finkel's evolution from bully magnet to World Champion Magic master, to card counter and shuffle tracker, to sports bettor, and onto the World Series of Poker. Throughout his adventures, Finkel is accompanied by the so-called "Card Shark Kids," a strange mix of misfits and brainiacs who find a sense of belonging through the addictive escape of Magic and carry that into the gambling world.
   
   Kushner does an impressive job of providing condensed explanations of such wide-ranging gaming concepts as the underlying premise of Magic, the mathematical foundation of card counting, and sports betting theory, while keeping the reader engaged in Finkel's ongoing tribulations and triumphs. Interwoven within the biography is also an intriguing account of Dr. Richard Garfield, the inventor of Magic, who would be a worthy subject for his own story.
   
   Ironically, the story's pinnacle comes via the success not of Finkel but of David Williams, another Card Shark Kid and Magic enthusiast, who claimed the 3.5 million dollar second prize of the 2004 World Series of Poker. Although Finkel is having success at poker tournaments, he doesn't yet have the crowning achievement to capture a literary climax to his own journey, so Kushner sneakily manipulated Williams' victory as if it was connected to Finkel.
   
   What is particularly revealing about Jonny Magic from a game player's point of view, is that it provides an unexpected answer to the question, "Where are all the young guns of poker gaining the championship qualities to end up as final table tournaments players?" Apparently, a surprising number have been Magic players from a young age -- honing the essential qualities of discipline and emotional control long before tackling the intricacies of poker. And if Magic is far harder to master than poker, as Finkel suggests, Magic players would have a distinct edge.
   
   Yet, while Finkel's tale has the makings of a fascinating read, Kushner's book isn't as emotionally gripping as one might expect from a biography about a man's metamorphosis. Even when Kushner describes a young Finkel as afraid to go to school because of such humiliating experiences as being urinated upon, the reader might wish he had a deeper and less cliched reason to root for the game-playing underdog, who we really don't get to know at any more than a surface level.
   
   Certainly, if the inside life of a professional gambler intrigues you, Jonny Magic will satisfy some of your voyeuristic curiosity -- but be forewarned that at least half of the book is focused on Finkel's life playing Magic, and not on how he later accumulated his ample wealth as a professional gambler. If you're a Magic player, this might light your fire, but if you're not, you might be tempted to skip ahead to the casino action. Whatever else the book accomplishes, it does confirm one thing most professional gamblers already know: that brains are always a frontrunner over beauty when it comes to making money and overcoming the odds.



3. I didn't know anything about the game of Magic, but basically read this book for the Blackjack card counting story and the poker story. Very easy to read and interesting. I read it in 2 sittings and wanted to read more. Interesting to find out about other poker players that were into the game magic, thunder keller and david williams. Great book, highly recommended by this card shark...



4. I admire David Kushner's writing skills - he can tell a good story and seems to do the needed research. I loved his "Masters of Doom".
   
   "Jonny Magic" is the story of Jon Finkel, who transformed himself from being an overweight, bullied teenage nerd who could play a great game of Magic into a 20-something millionaire who mastered the casinos and could play a great game of Poker. He lost weight, rode the crest of the (still) current Poker phenomenon, and belongs right up there in the "Useless People Hall of Fame" along with various winners of reality, survival, and celebrity programs. Finkel became successful at something of no real use to society. And Kushner misses that aspect of the story. It's not that Finkel didn't have great talent, and he did accomplish something admired by many. Kushner tells that story, although - as others have observed - the book lacks drama, and is actually a little boring. But just ponder the difference between the "two Johns" in "Masters of Doom" and the "one Jon" in "Jonny Magic", and you have the makings of a really interesting story. Still untold.
   
   A lot changed in the few years between the era of "Masters of Doom" and that of "Jonny Magic". Finkel's life says much about the world we live in today. It's really unfortunate that Kushner is not taking the lead in writing about this, since he has been commenting on parts of it for the past dozen years, and should have some perspective by now. There is room for good journalism in these topics, and I think Kushner has the skills to produce it. Instead, he settled for a quick write about a hot topic, once again repeating the pattern of "Wow - look at this - a genius nerd becomes a success and has the last laugh."



5. I don't play cards. I can't imagine playing all day, let alone all night.
   A good day for me is getting muddy on a mountain bike. I like shooting through rock gardens just shy of the disaster threshold, and climbing until I feel sick. So it came as a surprise that Kushner's prose carried me away into this world of Magic players. Their awkwardness and their lack of social skills triggered painful flinches. Night after night I looked forward to Kushner's tale, his guided tour of the back rooms of game stores, to the awakenings of young boys finding their niche, and their transformation from misunderstood geeks to heroes. Their journey to manhood.
   The story has energy and organization. Kushner starts out in the passing lane, weaving his tale through obstacles with toe-taps on the break and precise jerks of the steering wheel. You ride shotgun through the maze of an unfamiliar world with it's vivid scenes, and three-dimensional characters.
   Johnny Magic is in the casino doing the mental gymnastics of a small fleet of mortals, managing the complexities card-counting in one part of his mind and the dance of appeasing the pit boss in another. He teases invitation to "the back room for a little chat". Send in the thugs stuff. Physical danger.
   And there is our former geek, stone faced and cool, playing his part, an actor in a play of his own making. The stakes are real-real money, real danger. As I read, the tension builds. Leave the table I think, I have got to stop reading, big day tomorrow. Johnny stays at the table, his play scrutinized by the pit boss, a thug in an expensive suit. Johnny keeps playing cards. The chips pile up. I loose sleep.

No comments about Star Wars Jedi Academy: A Star Wars Miniatures Booster Expansion (Star Wars Miniatures Product).

5 comments about Dragonball Z: The Anime Adventure Game.

1. I personaly like the book.It has the most oraginal and ostanding ideas i have ever seen.The book is good for all Dragon Ball Z/Gt fans.(I woulden't recommened it to new comers though)You have to get into the book and know at least part of the story line.When the book arrived i was over joyed and started reading it right away.If you have qusetions about the book contact me at THESUBLAW2@aol.com.The book is somewhat hard to get a hold of.You can get it here,Barens and noble or Comic Heven.I hope this helps you if not just e-mail me and i will try to help.



2. The overall idea of a DBZ RPG is good, and the system posited here works pretty well. However, the rules listed in this book are full of contradictions and many things are left unexplained. Currently, the book is most useful as a reference to the English version of DBZ as it gives info on all the characters (major and minor) in the Saiyan Saga (which is before trip to Namek). The game itself needs some work, so don't buy this if you expect to learn it quickly. Your best bet is to wait for the Frieza Saga book coming out soon, which hopefully will have rules errata for the main game (or maybe rewrite the whole thing).



3. The game is great,but you will have to read the instructions 3 or 4 times to fully memorize the rules the authors are geniouses and I cant wait for the freeza saga.DBZ fans will be amazed while RPG fans will have loads of fun.



4. They lacked in a few areas. I understood everything in the first read. I have found that over all, this is a near-perfect game... therefore I gave it a near-perfect score.Thankfully they made some revisions in the Frieza Saga book. I can't wait for the Trunks book to be out (Supposedly last week of September).



5. Introduction: Firstly let me begin by saying I only recently got the book, so I haven't really had time to read everything in extreme detail. Now for a review, not hard, overall its a good book with potential. But I'll explain in more detail ...
   
   How does the book span out? The book like other anime based role-playing books starts by explaining parts of the anime bit by bit before moving on into actual game rules and mechanics. This will be quite helpful if your planning on using the base characters and locations from the series, otherwise it might just end up a base for creating you own. It could end up as a reference more than anything else.
   
   The book only really gets into the main mechanics around half way through, it starts with combat and how that works and goes to other things like powers and training. After its done with the bulk of the rules (which you will need to read more than once) it then moves onto some nice pointer tactics for battle situation, and even a short demo battle to give you a taste of what it's like during combat. This part of the book is good, not many faults on first glance.
   
   A good thing about this book is it ends with some help on creating your own sagas and making campaigns, as well as some rules you might want to use in your games to keep them going smoothly. It really does try and help you create your enemies and settings as much as possible. This is something other game systems might try selling that as a separate book (not going to name and names).
   
   Good points with the book: The strongest part of the book is really how well its been done. The makers could have gotten this very wrong, dull rules or unneeded complicatations but it seems it hasn't. The rules are faithful to the series and allow you to have the right Dragonball Z feel to your game. All this on my first read, several reviews make the same point and I now understand why.
   
   Also the obvious reason why the book is good; its Dragonball Z in proper role-playing form!
   
   Problems with the book: The first is really the amount of actual game content, or rather the lack of content. The book itself seems rather short (around 144 pages) and considering about half are filled with information rather than rules this lets the book down slightly. Adding to this the book only covers the Saiyan Saga (which might put some people off if you like the higher powered Sagas). This is ultimately going to irritate you, and that leads you onto the next problem; once you get this book you WILL want the others. "That's not a bad thing ..." I hear you say? - It is when it means forking out even more money for the books, and the hardest part; finding them. Yes, the other books (two others right now) as I found are quite hard to find. I eventually found them, but not for a cheap price.
   
   Apart from than that my only problem is the obvious; bugs in the system. Like every role-playing system this one has it's problems, not that I have noticed any yet, but from reviews of the book I have seen suggest this book has some teething issues that are later sorted in further editions of the game. Another reason why you will want and possibly need to get the further editions to the game.
   
   Conclusion: I know it might look like I'm being pretty negative, the bad points are a lot bigger than the good in my review but despite that I stand by saying the book is a great role-playing game. Not without it's problems, and yes it had more potential and I'm sure it will reach this when I receive the other books and read through them all. Right now I'm happy with the book, It's got a lot of great features and interesting possibilities and it`s looking to be a lot of fun, keeping in mind it's bad point I strongly recommend this to any keen role-players that are interested in Dragonball Z looking for something new and fun.

1 comments about Dungeoncraft (Legends & Lairs, d20 System).

1. This book is okay, it certainly has alot of unique information one is not going to find anywhere else. There are some interesting prestige classes, as well as some new feats and equipment (skip-shot arrows: they bounce off walls and negate dex bonus to AC! fun for rangers). Also some wacky ideas for cool dungeons like the Great Machine and a huge carcass the party can walk around in. All the stuff is pretty cool, but if you're not in a dungeon, well then you'll probably have no use for this book. For a exclusive dungeon-based campaign, where the characters NEVER see the light of day, this is the perfect book.
   Otherwise, I'd have to say that the few non-dungeon related things that can be cherry-picked from the text aren't really worth the price.

No comments about Arachnid Army Book (Starship Troopers) (Starship Troopers).

No comments about Breath of Fire II: Authorized Game Secrets (Secrets of the Games Series.).

No comments about Dark Ages Mage Grimoire (Vampire).