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

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



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



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



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



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

4 comments about Exalted 2nd Abyssals (Exalted Second Edition).

1. Exalted Abyssals is a well written book with a good deal of wit. It is clear from the beginning that White Wolf wanted to make these characters more playable, so their moral ambiguity is certainly played up. The text itself is set up much like the past books in this series, giving an intro to the history and world of the Abyssal, followed by a character generation chapter and then one explaining the traits in more detail, a chapter on new Abyssal charms, a chapter on Necromancy and technology ("necrology"), and finally a Storyteller's chapter.
   
   The general information this book yields is useful. Granted much of this is either rehashing what was already discussed in the Second Edition base book or further explanations, the Neverborn are better explained as is the Underworld. I would have liked to have seen a new map of the Underworld included in this book as it was in First Edition, or even a map of where the Deathlords' lands are. Such things exist on-line, though that is not always an acceptable option in the middle of a game.
   
   The artwork is up to Exalted standards, and the comics have a very dark humor to them. As my friends and I pealed through the pages, we found ourselves chuckling on a regular basis at some of the more disturbed bits of evil. Make no mistake that this book is dark, and should have come from the Black Dog press at White Wolf. Brief nudity is in this book, though only a minor amount (no more than in the core book). The blackness of the book is pretty intense, which can become training on the eyes. Everything is black and dark gray, so you will occasionally have to squint to see what you are reading or to fully see what is in the picture.
   
   If you have a gamer who tries to pull Mr Welsh style stunts in your games, do not give them access to this book. It is full of devilish ideas that, while funny, are fairly asinine. That is a major feeling one gets from this game.
   
   Gripes about the book are pretty small. In general, the Abyssal Exalted seem pretty confining to play. When reading the Dusk caste, for example, the author all but shoves down your throat that you are an uncontrollable psychopath who must kill every living thing she sees. Exalted has usually been good about not making those kinds of comments limiting play-style, so it was a little disappointing to read. It felt like they were sucking some of the fun from the character creation process. Aside from little problems such as that, the book fits in well with the rest of the game. Again, it is not that suggestions are not good for character concepts, but telling the player they must strictly play this did not seem right.
   
   In the end, this book is incredibly useful for both ST and player, though for most games this will likely become a book for generating NPCs rather than something characters will make a regular use of. That is, of course, you are playing a rare Abyssals game. Get the book. Read the book. It at least has pretty pictures.



2. Everyone wants to play the villain, even if they won't admit it. Manual of Exalted Power: Abyssals, gives players of Exalted Second Edition that chance. The characters are created from warped, twisted Solar Exaltations that are possessed by the Deathlords, who rule the Underworld. While the players can do a game dealing with their character's evil, there is also the option of an Abyssal being able to redeem themselves and becoming a true Solar once more, not that this would be easy, of course. New charms, spells and Necrotech (creating weapons and such from body parts) are in here as well as details on nine of the thirteen Deathlords (the other four are for the Storyteller to create). The book is dark in scope, considering its subject matter, and deals with mature themes that might be disturbing to some (Remember, if you're easily offended, you don't have to read it).



3. I've been waiting for this for a while. I was depending on my 1st edition copy and the Storyteller's Companion to make my Abyssal work. This book does a great job of clearing up everything about resonance vs. limit and other aspects of the rules that are different for Abyssals. If you want to run an Exalted game with a dark tone, or just have some interesting antagonists or player characters this is a must have. The only gripe I had is that I liked the artwork for the first edition a lot better.



4. Exalted Abyssals (Exalted Second Edition)
   
   This is an amazing corebook. Period.
   
   Has a lot of ideas, potential, cool Charms (although most are Mirrors of the Solar Charms) and good view of what the Deathlords are, their plans, metaplot, ideas, vague description of their places and all. Clean, intelligent, more stuff is revealed in this book, several new things that was not said in the first edition, plus necrotech stuff, ideas for playing with other types of Exalted and great illustrations.
   
   It is a MUST buy for the Exalted fans!

5 comments about Star Munchkin.

1. This is a very subjective review.
   
   The game system is pretty much the same as all the other Munchkin games. Get to level 10, get the treasure, stab your buddy etc...
   
   The only reason for the lower than usual review is I'm not enamored with the genre, sort of like Munchkin bites, it's just not my kind of theme. If outer space antics are your style then you will enjoy this game much more than I did.
   
   My son has Every verison of Munchkin (except blender) and this and Munchkin bites are the two I pass up whenever possible.
   
   The game likely deserves another star but I just don't enjoy it enough to give it.



2. Munchkin won best original game in 2001. And Star Muchkin (The game you are looking at) won it in 2002. And Munchkin Fu won in 2003!!! (Do I have to say anything else!???) Out of the 3 I'd say Star Munchkin is my least favorite. I didn't say I didn't like it though. I still LOVE this game just not as much as Munchkin and Fu. But w/ the Star Munchkin expansion it is even better w/ even more laughs. I would recommend all or any of these games to anyone!!!



3. Like the others of the Munchkin Series, Star Munchkin features wacky and lovable art while lampooning roleplaying games and gamers. Obviously the most distinctive feature of the game is its science fiction-oriented comedy. The art and flavor text of the cards take jabs not only at Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Gallactica, Red Dwarf and others, but also at general science fiction themes.
   
   Game play is slightly friendlier than the original Munchkin. The traps and class abilities of the original allow for much more fierce competition, a dynamic that is somewhat muted in Star Munchkin. Despite my love of sci-fi, the mechanic of the game that has made this my favorite is the "-aser weapons." We're familiar with lasers, and phasers, but Star Munchkin has allowed us guns that are razors, spraysers, masers, dasers, and so on. Any weapon ending in "-aser" can be combined with any other weapon ending in "-aser" allowing the bonuses to stack. This is worth several laughs around the table when you are wielding a "maser-daser-shmaser-bobaser-banannafanafofaser-laser."
   
   Star Munchkin is great game play for anyone who enjoys either science fiction or roleplaying. Everyone else may enjoy the fun of the game, but will likely miss the genre specific jokes.



4. Star Munchkin was the first Munchkin game I've played. I would say it's much more forgiving and not as broken in comparison with some of the other Munchkins. It's your standard card game D&D sandbox. Lots of parodying and silliness. Definitely for players that like to collaborate and backstab people. Some strategy involved, but largely luck and ganging up on people.
   
   I think it has a lot of replay value and can be pretty fun. Just like in a MMO, you collect items and fight battles. Not a very unusual game which I would normally rate at three stars, but the high replay value makes me give it an extra star. Note these cards are basically normal playing cards, so they will get worn and damaged like normal playing cards.



5. This game is more fun the more players you have. It is fully compatible with all the other Munchkin games.

5 comments about Defenders of the Faith: A Guidebook to Clerics and Paladins (Dungeon & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. i got this book for a paladin so i was really disappointed. the only good parts was the section on dragon mounts. but this book has great stuff on clerics, i look at them in a whole new light now. but if you want paladins, back order Dragon #199



2. i got this book for a paladin so i was really disappointed. the only good parts was the section on dragon mounts. but this book has great stuff on clerics, i look at them in a whole new light now. but if you want paladins, back order Dragon #199



3. I am referring to the Complete Guide to Paladins for 2nd edtion. That book had far more material in greater depth than Defenders does. Again, this book also seems underdone, like so many 3rd edition books. The most useful material was the section describing how the faiths of specific alignments, and deities, work. As for the rest, it is "overbalanced". Most of the feats are so "balanced" as to be worthless, as are the prestige classes. The kits found in the Complete Guide are better, I think, with real balance, not +'s and -'s canceling each other out. The organizations listed were a little better, but again, the Guide had more interesting ones. Although I have focussed on Paladins, the same holds for priests. The Complete Guide to Priests wasn't that good, so I can't recommend looking for it. Overall, I wouldn't bother buying this again just four about 10 pages of useful material.



4. In building my D&D library, I asked friends about these paperback guidebooks to the various classes. They told me to instead purchase the "complete" hardbacks now currently out. While the hardbacks may have updated 3.5 rules, they are also much more costly and filled with, in my opinion, rarely useful extras. If, like me, you're simply looking for something a cleric and/or paladin might want to see when leveling up during a campaign, I would highly suggest this book.



5. I've been playiong LARP as a Paladin for like a decade now, and I already got the overpacked second edition typical paladin described in the player's handbook. Plus with the 2nd edition Complete Paladin's handbook, it explains a day in the life of a stronghold or church paladin you can pick from. The Paladin is probably the most over rated class there is, because it's way up there in chain of command, while simply serving as an upgrade of the battle mage kit. I've heard a paladin described as a backup priest, shopkeeper, high class warrior, and missionary. I picked a stronghold paladin, it is a lot easier to play. You get a squire to do your household chores at high levels. I picked a true paladin, the one described in the Player's handbook. I didn't know the Knight class described in the Player's Handbook II existed until I looked it up online. The Paladin serves as the party's arcane and divine spellcaster with a limited selection of spells each day to pick from. I heard third edition goes up to level 30, but hopefully it is similar to the retro midevil 2nd edition. It's all right there in the 2nd edition paladin's handbook, just simply an upgrade of the battle mage kit. You acquire spells through prayer. Screw the pen and paper, I do Larp.

5 comments about Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-playing Games.

1. Dungeons & Desktops is a comprehensive and thorough history of the Computer Role Playing Game genre. It's basically a more fleshed out version of the author's earlier four-part series on the Gamasutra website, maintaining the same format of dividing the games into different ages (Dark, Silver, Gold, Platinum) and devoting some time to each game, explaining key gameplay features, release information and sometimes the author's thoughts on the game's merits.
   
   The book's greatest strength is in cataloging both well-known and obscure games in the genre and explaining how each was innovative in some way or representative of a trend in the genre. In this way, the book gives a fairly good outline of the history of this wide-ranging genre. Even hardcore fans of the genre may be surprised by some of the very early examples Barton was able to unearth. As the book moves into the more familiar modern age, it becomes less interesting in this regard.
   
   Although the book covers an impressive number of titles, there were spots were I felt the writing was bogged down by the repetitive nature of looking at game after game, a result of being an expanded Web feature article. Although Barton pauses at times to discuss major trends, I thought this was inconsistent, and the bulk of the book reads like Mobygames summaries of dozens of games. At times, I wanted more about the people behind the games, and voices other than the author's to break up what amounted to a series of opinions on various games.
   
   This isn't helped by some questionable choices in organization and selection. A thorough look at console games like the Final Fantasy and Zelda series should have been reserved for another book, while Gothic, a well-known modern PC RPG series, gets nothing more than a few paragraphs as a footnote to the downfall of the Ultima series (ironically, the author states that the series has been unfairly overlooked). There are also issues that arise from attempts to lump the games into different "ages." Why one game is listed in one age and not another isn't always clear, and it leads to a confusing chronology.
   
   I spotted a number of minor errors in the text, mostly related to chronology. A few examples: Oblivion was not released simultaneously on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Also, Vampire the Masquerade was released before Half-Life 2, and was the first Source Engine game released. While these may be minor, it left me wondering how many more I didn't catch. Also, the printing quality of the screenshots leaves much to be desired. Most look like dark blotches.
   
   Barton's articles, from which much of this book comes from, are still a great read and catch nearly all the key games in the genre. I felt that this book did little more than add games that are of far less importance, and therefore of little interest to most readers. This book may be valuable for those who want a very comprehensive catalog of computer role playing games, but I would recommend that most readers stick with the free online articles.



2. I ordered Dungeons and Desktops hoping for some insight on the development of the computer RPG genre. Unfortunately, after slogging through 436 pages of disjointed, superficial game summaries, I had gained insight only into the book's low quality.
   
   To start, the book has all the professionalism of a photocopied high school book report. Besides being littered with typos, the writing is bland and clichéd: "We've got a lot of great CRPGS to cover in this chapter, so let's ready our trusty Longsword +3 (+4 vs. critics) and charge into the fray!" The book's screen captures are mostly dark black rectangles with some light black highlights, which is a shame--half the captures look like they're supposed to be title screens, and I really wanted to learn more about video game title screens (as opposed to, say, video game interface and mechanics).
   
   A similarly high-schoolish aspect is the footnotes, which are rare and whimsical. Chapter 8, for example, describes 50 games in 63 pages. Just about every description includes a judgment on the game's quality or a sweeping assertion that "most critics liked this" or "few fans enjoyed that." The entire chapter, however, has footnoted references to just five outside sources. (My favorite is on page 268: It basically says, "For more information on BBS door services, see the Wikipedia article on BBS door services.")
   
   The chapters themselves are organized roughly by game release dates, and they read like detailed descriptions of an Excel Spreadsheet. They feature summaries of the hackneyed plots of game after game after game, even though most of them are just "Go rescue this magical artifact from Lagoth Zanta or possibly another monolithic evil whose name would also earn you 86 points in Scrabble." Also included are lists of each game's character attributes: This one has strength, intelligence, and dexterity; that one has power, wisdom, and quickness; and another one has energy, understanding, and agility. Fascinating.
   
   One solution would have been to focus chapters by themes (say, the evolution of RPG storytelling, or the development of magic systems). The lack of such insightful organization might have been forgivable, however, if I could have trusted the book as a source of raw information. But when reading about games I had played, I frequently got the feeling that the entries were written after skimming the aforementioned Wikipedia. For example:
   
   * The author says that the game play of Secret of Mana is similar to the game play of Final Fantasy except for the battle system. This is like saying oranges taste similar to apples except for their orange-like taste.
   * After describing the first two Zelda games, the author says the third allows the chance to collect heart containers on the world map, as if that feature weren't in the previous two. He makes a similar statement about the Dragon Warrior games and battery back-up.
   * The author spends a quarter of his Quest for Glory II review describing how each class has various humorous career paths. For example, he mentions that fighters and wizards can become combat instructors and computer programmers, respectively. However, none of these "career paths" are actually in the game: they are just a throwaway gag in the manual.
   
   In all, the stunning depth of research made me wonder why I had paid to read one gamer's ramblings on what he liked and disliked about every computer RPG in history. I have the Internet for that. In fact, a lot of the book is just copy-and-pasted from the author's articles on gamasutra.com (where the screen captures are much clearer).
   
   I suggest spending your money on an actual game instead.



3. I would hesitate to call this book a history of CRPGs - a chronology would be more appropriate. Barton is comprehensive - every major CRPG from the inception of the computer is covered, but as another reviewer pointed out it is more of a collection of review summaries - I would liken it to Maltin's capsule reviews of films.
   
   The organization into the different ages is intriguing, and aside from the nostalgic look at games I had forgotten about, it the best part of the book. The author does not do enough to flesh out the trends, technologies, people and other aspects that may have gone in to the different ages. They are all covered piecemeal with the review capsules, and this hurts the coherence.
   
   The jumping from capsule review summaries to personal opinion is a bit awkward as well. I would have liked to have read more of the author's opinions - they were the on the whole more interesting than the reviews themselves.
   
   The decision to include a bit on console RPGs without deviating from the spirit of the book was a good one.
   
   All that said, for those of us who lived through the entire period and remember seeking out judgment day, getting eaten by a grue, or fighting vorpal bunnies it is a trip down memory lane and a nice reference volume, just not the most coherent read-through.



4. A was pretty excited when I heard about this book. Being a very specific topic its rare to find books as this. The book is basically structured as a quite complete enumeration of CRPG grouped by 'ages' or periods of time the author has indentified. Sadly, I miss a more coherent view of the whole. I mean, instead of a gripping CRPG industry story the book looks like an encyclopedia of games, a kind of scholar work. If you are more interested in the people and the context behind those games than the games themselves, I would recommend 'Dungeons and dreamers'by King Borland instead.
   Anyway a good reference book.



5. Dungeons & Desktops is a very rich and detailed look at the history of computer role-playing games. Matt Barton takes us on an extensive journey, beginning with the genre's roots in tabletop games, to its early years on mainframes and BBSs. We're then given a tour of some of the most beloved CRPGs of all time, such as Richard Garriott's Ultima series (a personal favorite) and The Bard's Tale. Barton even explores Japanese console RPGs, as their explosive popularity with gamers in the 90s has had an acute effect on modern CRPGs. The book concludes with the future of CRPGs in the form of persistent massively multiplayers, such as World of Warcraft.
   
   What makes D&D (hah!) a treasure is that Barton doesn't just pay attention to the hits and genre influencers, but also the misses, such as Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor (which Barton calls the worst CRPG ever) and games which never got their due, such as the great Planescape: Torment. The MMORPG section could have used some better fact checking (e.g. EverQuest's realm is called Norrath, not Narrath, and Asheron's Call 2 was shut down years ago), but otherwise the book is quite spot on.
   
   Fans of gaming history will really appreciate this book and may rediscover some long-forgotten classics. I know I have. If you'll excuse me, I need to go play some Universe.

5 comments about d20 Future (d20 Campaigns: d20 Modern).

1. Very nice addition to the D20 modern ruleset. D20 Modern was somewhat of a hard transition from D&D but definately like the ruleset and the differing type of play.



2. The design layout is sharp, yet the functionality is unhindered. There are so many treasure troves in this supplement, and so much info, you could play for weeks straight and not get to use all of it.



3. The product is very good and very helpful in future campaigns in d20 modern.
   The resources and the various tech levels are very precise and do not lack any imagination.
   I really enjoyed reading the book and it filled me with a whole new ideas for my modern campaign.
   I think it really deserves the four stars.



4. This is another great D20 supplement, as usual well laid out, with good presentation and art. That being said it is also a very niche book like D20 Past. If you are planning to run a D20 campaign set in the Future it is for you. If not it is probably not worth picking up just for the casual read. The rules are interesting and explained well and the quality is everything you would expect from the WotC D20 line up.



5. This book is a reasonable place to start for a future based d20 campaign. However, it has some problems. Its view of technology advancement is unreasonable. Its discussion of starships and their propulsion systems (especially FTL travel) is lacking. The biggest offender is the section on cybernetics, which is just too short and doesn't have reasonable limits for what characters should be able to do (d20 Cyberscape : A d20 Modern Supplement (d20 Campaigns: d20 Modern) has a much better discussion).
   
   That said, I needed this book to get started with a future campaign. The changes you have to make to a standard d20 setting are just too massive to undertake without *some* guidance.

5 comments about d20 Apocalypse (d20 Campaigns: d20 Modern).

1. D20 modern takes on the post apocalyptic thing, again. The cool side of this is that, like all official d20 products I have seen so far, you are given options... Choose the nature of the apocalypse and have fun. Three possible apocalypses are detailed - judgement day/left behind stuff, "rise of the machines", and the typical post atomic holocaust stuff. On the down side, the actual rules are a bit skimpy, though it is refreshing to see someone try to approach the genre from a wide open perspective.



2. As stated before, this book is a bit skimpy on the details. What has disappointed me was the fact that many of the rules and tables needed to use the book are NOT included. Example: radiation rules..."please see D20 Future". Some new mutation examples were given but 75% of the rest are not included. Only buy this book if you already have or are planning on purchasing d20 Future.



3. I love the genre this supports, it has a great set of information, kinda redundant in some things, kinda vague, or at some points complicated, but overall, a very nice supplement to any and all collections.



4. Just what I needed to get the creative juices flowing! A definite buy if your looking to run anything like it.



5. I really enjoyed this supplement. Like much of the d20 Modern rules and setting supplement, Apocalypse uses a fair amount of humor - both for presentation and within the actual content. The book offers two sets of things: new rules and options for playing a d20 Modern game in a post-apocalyptic setting; and several sample settings and apocalyptic events. The rules are adaptable to any setting you would want to create, and I think expand very nicely on some of my favorite aspects of the d20 Modern game. The philosophy of the whole ruleset is to provide a simple mechanic that effectively and elegantly emulates a real-world event, structure or process, without having to reenact every aspect of it. The basic rules do this best with the wealth system. The Apocalypse rules offer systems for barter and trade (assigning items a point value) that accounts for the end of the world (basic value is based upon food and fuel). Supplements to this system allow you to trade is collections of parts, which very effectively streamlines the repair and craft skills while successfully emulating a real world system. This system allows you to operate your game and gameworld without the rules getting in the way. A simple system can be expanded infinitely. On the whole, you don't need to waste time on seeking out the carburetor for a '67 Chevy, but you can make that quest if it becomes necessary, etc.
   I won't take much time on the settings, because they are brief to begin with. However, I will just note that I really like them. I have not used them in my games but each provides a number of settings, classes, organizations, NPCs and monsters that can help you expand your game and inspire your own setting. None of them reflected the exact setting I have wanted to use in running a game, so I have harvested them for their good points and added my own flavor. But each is an excellent starting point for a new campaign, for sure.
   Overall, I have really enjoyed this supplement. It represents all the things I really enjoyed about d20 Modern: the elegance of the social rules, the interchangeability of parts (my campaign drew from this book, d20 Future and Urban Arcana) and the talent of the creators and writers. It's a real shame that this system has not been better supported by Wizards of the Coast.

5 comments about Promethean: The Created (Promethean).

1. Promethean The Created is a new hardcover book for use with White Wolf's mega-popular World of Darkness RPG, and represents a broad new canvas for fans of the game. Promethean offers a new type of character to build and play...soulless corpses, reanimated with life and representing pure Greek Tragedy in their scope, or pure gothic horror...or maybe even both to players. The book bases its background on the myths of things such as the Frankenstein monster, golems, and other such constructs. First, the book does a fantastic job of providing background on these creatures as well as source books and films, giving payers a wide array of options. These created need not be pieced-together bodies of corpses. As pointed out, even creatures such as DC Comics' The Swamp Thing are considered a created being.
   
   Chapter One is vital and provides the player and GM with the setting and background for Prometheans. This is very key as the background of these characters is perhaps more important than any other type of WOD character. All manner of sample Prometheans and methods of creation are included...from alchemical to electricity to primordial beings. You'll find yourself mesmerized for hours by the depth of research done by the game designers. I'm not sure how much of this will ever be used, but it makes for interesting reading nonetheless.
   
   After you've read about these various types of constructs, chapter two will not get you into the character creation phase. Let's just say there's a heck of a lot more to do here than rolling a few dice. Select the character's attributes, skills, specialties, features, and various advantages. There are some excellent examples provided to get players moving in the right direction in creating their Prometheans. There's a boatload of skills and powers with which to equip your character. These include various uses of fire and electricity, but also subtler mental powers as well. This is one of the very best sections in the book and one of the best such sections I've ever read for any RPG system. The amount of detail that the eclectic nature of the promethean abilities is stunning, and even a bit intimidating.
   
   Succeeding chapters deal with Promethean antagonists and storytelling, as well as the Promethean condition and how they affect those around them. The book is capped off with a lengthy appendix. There is so much in this 280 plus book that it's impossible to cover it all in this review. Suffice to say this is one of the most richly detailed RPG supplements I've seen in quite some time. The book is accompanied by the usual outstanding art that you've come to expect from White Wolf.
   
   This is a grand new book in the World of Darkness mythos that opens up a whole new landscape for its fans.
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson



2. It was very quick to arrive, however it arrived in a overly big box for the book, but it arrived in the condition of which they told me that it would be in. And I was very pleased. But next time maybe a smaller box would be better for the book so it wouldn't flop around during transport.



3. Now THIS is a game for the new World of Darkness
   
   Yeah vamps are OK and so cliche in movies, wolfies are crying for been Forsaken, mages take time and a lot of experience to learn their stuff, meh... PROMETHEANS are REALLY looking to become human!
   
   How many settings talk about been human? About wanting to get a soul? About to learn how to be something they were and that the animals, people and even Earth scorns for been a blasphemy against natural life?
   
   Yes you also have powers and can become a deadly machine, but in the end the Pilgrimage takes you through Milestones so your Pyros can get purified with the Azoth that lives in you and you can create the Lapis Phillosophorum: a Soul. All this means that you travel to learn what you need to become human. A true human not an animated corpse.



4. I enjoy the WOD and most of it's associated products on the whole i find the production values higher then wizards of the coast. I have purchased all the other supplements for wod and while i still value changeling as the best I very much enjoyed promethean. The idea of the golem and frankenstien appeals very much especially since a great many of us feel misunderstood at some time or another. the book is well layed out and a joy to read I especially like the opening piece as i believe it really captures the feel of the game. This book will appeal to those who value a strong story line set in a world like our own but whose darkness is personified in various supernatural species. But be forwarned the tone of this game is all about isolation and loneliness in an attempt to garner enough good karma to become human and while we can relate many gamers might not like the idea of playing a character who is reviled by everything and everyone. overall high production value, well thought out and an entertaining system of tranmutations. this tome can be mixed with the others but on the whole promethean don't really play well with others even their own so the story teller might have to make some modifications to make this one work.



5. Had to pick this up with all the buzz on what an excellent game this is. Basically you play a Frakenstein type creature, a golem as such who is questing for mortality and a soul. This book uses the World of Darkness rules set, so you need that book to play this one. This game is also a limited run game, which means that besides this core book and the 4 supplements there are not going to publish any additional expansions. Also, when it goes out of print it will probably be gone for good, so probably best to snag your copy while its available (although you could buy it on electronic pdf).

5 comments about Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement).

1. First, the obvious. This book, being the second in the series of Environmental supplements, follows the same format as the first book, Frostburn. It covers the environment, new races, classes and feats, equipment, magic, monsters, and adventure sites. I find it good that WotC is formatting its books in a common structure.
   
   The Environment section is missing a few important things though. It touches on volcanic areas, but the rest of the book mostly focuses on deserts. It seems the volcanic stuff was either added in as filler, cut out for space, or the sections were written by different people. Its not clear whether this is supposed to be the "Hot Environment" book or just the "Desert" book. Also, there are a few notable environments missing. The plane of Mithardir in Arborea is totally missing. And it would have been nice to see a mention of Athas, the desert world of Dark Sun.
   
   The new Asherati race seems very derivative of the D'Resh characters from Magi-Nation, from the physical appearance/description to some of their peculiar talents. The Ashworm Dragoon prestige class evokes visions of riding the sandworms in Dune, though its hard not to find similarities to that epic. Most of the other prestige classes are interesting, and can play very interesting roles in a campaign.
   
   With the equipment, we have the hydration suit, a derivation of the Dune Still-suit - perhaps a necessity, but still pretty obvious. There are also obvious versions of real-world items such as suntan lotion or crude oil. The sand vehicles - desert variants of sailing ships - are good additions. But I would have liked to see more originality here.
   
   The monsters have a good variety of challenges. A new (deceased) race called the marru are mentioned in several monster descriptions, though not in a lot of detail. Desert varieties of many creatures (dust hag, sand dragon, dry lich, etc.) are complimented by other novel creatures. But again, there are some hidden derivations. It is difficult not to compare the saguaro sentinel to any number of other cactus creatures which have appeared in anime, gaming or so forth. But the Sand Hunter is clearly derived from Vernor Vinge's Tine race from A Fire Upon The Deep.
   
   I have no problem with people creating derivations. Its common enough in gaming, but it would be good to see credit given. I would suggest a list of references to other material in the future. This would not only credit ideas, but it would also let gamers find good extra material and ideas for campaigns.
   
   There is still a wealth of information here, and I can say the book is a valuable resource for GMs who want to run desert campaigns or adventures. While not quite up to the standard set with Frostburn, its still a solid supplement



2. After Frostburn, which is a very similar book which I liked, I expected this one to be good too. I was wrong. Let's face it, we buy the supplimental DnD books for feats, prestige classes, spells and a few quirky magic bits. Most of the rest of these books are pretty poor. Once in a while the author takes the theme to another level, which I think they did with Frostburn to some extent, and Libris Mortis too. Sandstorm is almost a waste of time. The races, prestige classes and quirky magics are horrible and almost useless in any campaign. A good part of the feats are the same. And there isn't much mentioned on desert themed campaigns to complain about. "sigh". I'd recommend buying something like Heroes of Battle instead.



3. I'm a big fan of the Frostburn, Sandstorm, and Stormwrack series. If you're not planning to DM, the books provide interesting alternatives for your characters. If you DM and plan to do your writing for the campaign, these books are an excellent way to add flavor to your campaign. My favorite aspect to this book (and all of the environment books) is, not surprisingly, the guidance it gives in creating the relevant environment. Unlike one of the other reviewers, I view the prestige classes, feats, etc. as secondary. The point of this book is creation of waste environments, and this book is superb for that.



4. Make no mistake, sandstorm is a book about SAND. There is a discussion of volcanoes "hot" environs in general but they are little more than footnotes. Those seeking cultures and what not from Al-Qadim, or who are looking for Fading Sun (or whatever the old TSR official Psionics campaign was) classes, materials, and what not will be sorely disappointed. They could of EASILY bundled it up in this tome but they didn't. The book does cover many types of arid wasteland, describes the geography and of each and how you would determine what is what. They introduce a few new races for campaigns taking place in deserts (though not for Al Qadim or Fading sun as was said). I almost never use or allow races from splatbooks but I did like one of them. The class variants were purely to make the characters more survivable in a desert as were the prestige classes. This book really isn't for players. Where this book really shines is in it's adventures (three are included). Finally I have adventure ideas in deserts FOR ANY LEVEL CHARACTER!



5. Anyone who's read one of my reviews of a Bruce Cordell product has probably come to expect a certain amount of praise. Sandstorm, the first in a series of D&D supplements to deal with setting as environment as opposed to setting as community, has three authors listed on the cover. Bruce R. Cordell, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes and JD Wiker (look, someone besides me eschews punctuation after an initial). This book is a relatively strong product which is undermined more by the Wizards of the Coast vision of Dungeons and Dragons than its specific content. The details are interesting and relatively well-written. Some of them positively capture the imagination. However they are crammed into a certain framework of design that has plagued all D&D books for a while now. This is the first time I've reviewed a book with this structure, so bear with me if I vent just a bit.
   
   The first chapter of this book is the strongest. It deals with the waste itself, and let's face it, you're buying or not buying the book for this chapter. Here we deal with the realities of the waste. Heat. Dehydration. Survival. First this chapter addresses the real threats of a mundane waste, such as sand and the elements, the effects of glare and wind. Then the chapter veers off into the fantastic, things that could only be found in a magical world. These include everything from planes of fused glass to semi-sentient dunes, to ghost voices, to special poisons and diseases. Finally it ends with a description of the different styles of waste, complete with a list of features and the percentage of the area that would be dominated by those features.
   
   Now the book lives or dies on this chapter, and I think it lived. It's interesting and it stimulates the imagination. It hands the DM practical information as well as a launchpad into the fantastic. Honestly my only real disappointment with this chapter is that they included those percentages for the terrain features of the different types of wastes and didn't take that any farther. Honestly, how hard is it to jump from there to a full-blown mini-table. You could use it that way as is, but you'd have to count down the chart to make it work and only a slight massaging of the data could have made it so much more useful.
   So that's it. Now you know whether or not you want to buy the book. "What about the rest?" you ask. "Is the rest of the book just filler?"
   
   A lot of it is, yes.
   
   Let's look at the rest of the book chapter by chapter.
   
   Chapter 2 is races, classes and feats. Now I have to admit. The very title of this first section makes me want to chew out my own tongue. I mean, honestly. When did someone decide that they needed to add a new race or two in every book. I've been gaming for years and some of my worlds have been around from the beginning. Am I just going to pop in a new race with every supplement? It would turn my campaigns into a joke.
   
   The first part of the race section is just so much wasted space. It introduces two new races, just as you'd expect. The first look like gray aliens from UFO abduction stories spray painted a pleasant deep tan. The second are a race of desert goblinoids that have names and culture similar to Native Americans. I mean really.
   
   Evidently the handing over of Dark Sun to a web presence precluded the inclusion of Muls and Half Giants. I can understand that, but as for the rest?
   
   After this, the chapter becomes more useful. It takes the standard D&D races and discusses how to treat them in a waste environment, complete with a few swapped out abilities. The section on classes are much the same. This is how a supplement should handle races and classes. It came as a certain relief.
   
   Next we come to Feats, and this is as interest section. It has a nice selection of feats but the main feature in the introduction of Touchstone Sites. These are ancient locals with which a character can bind himself. Doing so grants the character certain powers, both basic and advanced, that go hand in hand with his connection to the site.
   
   My only problem with this section is a bit of murkiness about what happens when you take the feat to bond with multiple sites. In one place, it says that you can only have one of the basic abilities at once and must sacrifice it when orienting on a new site (by going there and recharging your vital energies.) A bit lower it says that you never lose these basic abilities. I think they changed to rule during an editing pass and missed one of the references. It's happened to me so I understand it, but that doesn't help you. You'll have to look for errata.
   
   So I've already chewed out my own tongue. Next comes the section that makes me want to swallow it whole. Prestige classes. I thought these were a great idea at first, but now the glut of prestige classes has made them lose almost all meaning. In addition, the lack of any real game balance from one to another has made them an absolute nightmare to include in any game. This is the perfect example of a good idea that someone tried to take out for a ride only to find that they had to run it around and around and around, digging a trench like poor, enslaved Conan.
   Sort of like I just did to that simile.
   
   All right. So if I had my way, I'd never see another prestige class outside of a very specific setting situation (such as the various knightly orders of Krynn). That being said, I can grudgingly admit that maybe they aren't that bad in this context. A waste is completely alien to the climate of most fantasy. If they call me tomorrow and tell me they'd already decided against putting anymore prestige classes into their main supplements, but they couldn't see a way around it in this book, I'd forgive them. Is my phone ringing? No. I don't think it will, either.
   
   Okay. So I made it past that section of the book without letting my own frustration get the better of me. It speaks well enough for the book.
   Next comes equipment. This section has nothing spectacular about it. They ripped off Dune still suits here, but they really probably needed too (they ripped off worm riding in the previous chapter). Let's face it. Dune has done more to shape genre perceptions of the waste than perhaps any other work in history. Don't think of it as theft. Think of it as homage.
   
   Magic is also a fine chapter. Here they treat with new types of spells, such as those that cause dehydration. They to a fine job of adding new deities and domains to deal with life in the waste. I liked it.
   
   Chapter 6 is all about monsters. They could have snuck Muls and Half Giants in here and satisfied everyone, but alas, I'll have to go online for them. Again, I was fine with this section on waste monsters. If you run a waste campaign, you'll probably spend most of your time in this section, so they gave it just under a third of the book. Considering how tired monster sections are becoming in D&D books, I think they did an admirable job.
   
   The final chapter contains three adventure sites, about twenty pages of what are essentially mini adventures. I was rather pleased with this section, because it speaks to a need in the audience. Whenever a new book comes out, everyone in a gaming group who likes the work becomes excited to add the new content into their games. I remember in the old days of 2nd Edition. When the Complete Fighters book came out, we started a new campaign of all fighters. When complete Thieves came out we did the same. We'd learned our lesson by the time Priests came out, if I remember right. We probably went back and started a new campaign of all fighters.
   
   But I digress.
   
   This section is fine. Instead of causing a rash of new campaigns and hundreds of illegal downloads of PDF versions of the old "I" series of modules, here we have the bones of three adventures. Twenty minutes of thought and a DM could easily dress them in the duds of his own campaign. Then the players can get the sand and the dust out of their system and make an informed decision about whether to continue gaming in the waste for the long term.
   
   So, honestly, if you feel like gaming in waste environments (even in the planes), this book is probably worth your money. Does it have problems? Yes, but really, these aren't problems with this one book, but with the design philosophy of Wizards. If these elements don't bother you in other books, they probably won't bother you here. If they do bother you in other D&D supplements, well you've either stopped buying them or you've learned to deal with your frustration.
   
   So in short, considering the structure imposed by Wizards, this is a fine work. Not the greatest achievement in Wizards history, but I'm happy to add it to my library. Now, let's get Cordell back to solo projects. I have games to run.

5 comments about Player's Guide to Faerun (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Accessory).

1. A USEFULL GUIDE FOR FAERUN PLAYERS
   
   This book contains 3 specification
   - 3.5 Updates of FR Realms Campign Setting
   - A gathering book from other FR Rule Books
   - Some new addition things
   
   The most important thing of this book that is care us; it is a gathering guide book from main books of Forgotten Realms. (FR Campaign Setting, Faiths & Pantheons, Races of Faerun, Magic of Faerun) This Guide takes the important things for players from these 4 books and collects together. It is a Summary of them.
   
   Player Guide to Faerun includes nearly all things for Forgotten Realms players. The players can find necessary knownlodge for their characters in one book. But if they wants more details and other specific things they should to have ektra books.
   
   The main reason for to get this book is; The standard Faerun Players may use this book without need the other books. They may take only two book to games; The Players Handbook and Players Guide to Faerun. This may be second main book for them.
   Also, they can create their characters and play after for dont need the FR Campaign Setting.
   
   It is only few new additon things whose is not other books. So dont think to buy for only new additions.
   
   If you thing to have minimal number books to play in Forgotten Realms, you should buy only two books; FR Campaign Setting, Player Guide to Faerun. (After to have 3 core rule book of D&D)
   The players who have other FR books, they may also get this book if they want quick summary guide under their hand during their games.
   
   Includes the Collection of these:
   Races, P.Classes, Skills, Feats, Domains and Spells, Magic Items, Epic Levels.
   
   This was my fifth FR book, I have had before these books; FR Campaign Setting, Faiths & Pantheons, Races of Faerun, Magic of Faerun, but I want to take this guide also because I want a usefull thin guide for bring it to games. Sometimes it is some difficult to look and find your needs other 4 books, it may took time.
   
   I recommended this book for Players of Forgotten Realms Players, but not for any DM. It is a Player Guide like name. And I repeat this; it is a summary book for FR players.



2. I'm always a little leary about buying "Player's Guides" since I'm a DM most of the time, but this one was almost necessary to correct the errors and region system in the original Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (Dungeons & Dragons). Also upgrades spells from the Magic of Faerun! Very cool and worth every penny I spent so far.



3. This book was well worth the money I spent, it was delivered to me in quick timing, and was in almost perfect sondition.



4. Player's Guide to Faerun is a very good FR supplement, but it lacks any information on the facts that happened (are going to happen depending on the year your campaign is going on) after the Year of The Rouge Dragons. It focus a lot on the planes other then the material plane and prestige classes, but not much on geography and politics between the realms.



5. This is a usefull book for those useing the Forgotten Realms as there campaign world. It has info from the main capaign guide and other books to help the players. I also use it for other games when I am looking for races, feats etc.