3 comments about Jadeclaw: Anthropomorphic Fantasy Role Playing.

1. Okay, let's get something straight here. If you're not into the whole furry thing, your opinion of this game may vary. If you hate the whole area (too much Doug Winger?), I suggest you avoid this game.

   That said, Jadeclaw is nonetheless one of the more entertaining RPGs I've played in recent years.

   The setting is Zhongguo, a rich nation based heavily on medieval China and populated with anthropomorphic creatures. Using the same ruleset from the Ironclaw RPG, Jadeclaw fails to streamline a clunky system, yet pulls out plenty of new tricks to keep the game entertaining.

   The dice system's flaws really show in combat - you roll to-hit, and your opponent rolls defense. If you get the higher score, you have the chance to do damage -- but your opponent gets to roll a Resolve check to prevent the damage. The endless chain of dice rolls, coupled with the bonuses and penalties applied to them, makes combat go even slower than it does in the typical RPG session.

   Nonetheless, the variety shown here is impressive. Nearly 30 different races can be chosen, each one built from a system that, despite the difficulty of combat, makes it quite easy to add new races that were not listed.

   Also a wonderful feature are the martial arts: easy-to-purchase Gifts that can do anything from let you parry twice with a sword to leap over your opponent's head and attack him from behind. And that's just the basic ones!

   The introductory adventure that comes with the game leaves something to be desired, although it's not too difficult to link it into an overarching storyline. However, the lack of supplemental adventures all but demands a talented GM.

   Overall, Jadeclaw is a game that, although difficult to learn, is different enough to capture your attention and good enough to keep you entertained.




2. Before I get into this I need to state that the ONLY reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because the book doesn't go into GMing enough IMO. It doesn't go into how a good GM is orgnized or how to make good quests or any of that. Because of this you need a good (and probably experienced) GM if you are going to get into the game enough to love it before you quit because of frustration with a new incompetant GM. If you are going to be a new GM and have never been in charge before then I would recomend that you pick up the 3e. D&D DM book and read the sections pretaining specifically to how to make quests, how to make rulings, and how to keep orgnized.

   Other then that one point I cannot express enough what a wonderful system this is. It is much easier to learn then every other pen and paper RPG I have seen yet. It goes into detail where detail is required and moves on when the point is made.

   There are MANY races to play and unlike D&D it doesn't get bogged down in too many details on the races. It gives the benifits and harms of each race as well as a breif outline of what they are like. No name outlines, no complicated benifits or harms (for the most part), and most of all the format is clean looking and keeps things down to as few words as possible without making things over simplified.




3. If you don't like the whole Furry thing at all then you will not like this product (just felt like I needed to say that first). As you may have guessed from the title this is an Anthropomorphic setting. For those of you who don't know what that means then let me tell you. Anthropomorphic deals with animals that have human like traits (intelegent, walk on two legs instead of all fours. Those sorts of things).
   
   A second thing that I would warn people who are new to P&P style RPG's is that this really needs to go more into how to DM (another reviewer already went into it so I will leave it there).
   
   I have played a lot of D20 systems and the system used gets around a lot of the set backs in them. Basically, for most everything you do there are multipule dice that you roll (how many and what size depends on your skill) and the highest result determines what happens. Another thing is that all dice rolls will be opposed. Sometimes your opposition is as simple as the difficulty dice (determined by how hard what you are trying to do is) while other times it is rolling against someone elses skill dice.
   
   There are many races and a large selection of careers. There is a ready made world that tells you the basics of the world and lets you fill in the rest as you wish (there are more details about the world on the company's web page if you want to go DL them).
   
   The biggest problem with the book is that from time to time I find problems with spelling or orgnization. For example, I have looked at the book cover to cover because there are refrences made to guns in the book, yet no information other than that about guns.

5 comments about Magic in the Shadows (Shadowrun RPG).

1. Magic in the Shadows, while long overdue, is most definitely worth the wait. It's a little dry in places, but anything with this much information and rules clarification is going to have that problem. Overall, the book is well worth cover price because of its excellent organization and clear writing. Shadowrun's magic system needed a major overhaul, and this does the trick beautifully. An absolute must-have for anyone, player or GM, who deals with magic in Shadowrun Third Edition.



2. Looks like FASA got their act together for this book and really gave what both players and GM's can use. The background information is clear and concise, the game effects are balanced and well-thought-out, and the new rules enhance the depth of the game. Clearly worth the money.



3. Heh. I remember my troll mage. He kicked so much, well, you know. And to think, that wouldn't have been possible without this book. So wonderful. Magic becomes so much easier with the updated rules. And rules for making your own spells? Exquisite. Although some of the combinations are so powerful that my GM disallowed them. Dam. Ah well. Anyway, the point is that I can assure you that if you're playing a magic user in Shadowrun 3rd Edition, you'll want, nay, you'll NEED, this book. Get it. Now! Enjoy!



4. I remember when I first played Shadowrun how much of a pain using magic was. Fasa has finally come out with a much needed update for the magic system. This is an excellent source book that expands the system for magic and makes it very easy to use. No longer is magic confusing and hard to understand; now it is a breeze to play a magic using character in the Shadowrun world.



5. Shadowrun, despite being my all-time favorite gaming universe, was a complete money drainer, with an excessive amount of supplements to purchase in order to flesh out your campaign.
   3rd edition and its updates however, seemed to consolidate and condense better, focusing on game mechanics and rules rather than pictures and colorful quotes from fictional characters.
   
   Magic in the Shadows is no exception, as it compiles all three previous magic books, updates their mechanics, and also introduces new 3rd edition magic rules, skills, and abilities. Although the 3rd edition books are not as colorful or fun to read as previous books, they do a much better job of actually providing rules and mechanics to streamline your game.
   This book is a must have for anyone with "awakened" characters, because it covers the rules for initiation, a process that makes a magical character uber-powerful.

5 comments about Wild Arms: Unauthorized Game Secrets (Secrets of the Games Series.).

1. Grea



2. IT helps out with everything but some of the minor information is WRONG. It will get you through the game. No pictures (disapointment).



3. This book was excellent with the monster and spell guide but it got you stuck in a few places. Still, with the help of this book I got ALL the secrets, beat the ENTIRE game, and as such I recommend this book to ANYONE who likes Wild Arms.



4. All I can say is, when you enter an area and the book tells you to go left, when infact you should be going to the right.. that is a problem. This book is a waste of money.. get the Dimension Publishing Wild Arms guide... it's much nicer, completely detailed (maps too ;) and more worth your money.



5. I own every Wild Arms game there is. I have strategy guides for all of them as well. (Who has time? I work for a living)
   
   I already owned the Official Strategy guide and practicaly used it to death, when I decided to buy this one just to compare. The official strategy guide wins hands down. This strategy guide has NO pictures. Only paragraphs explaining what to do. And they don't even explain very well. Also this strategy guide has NOTHING that isn't in the official guide. The official strategy guide has pictures that show you where to look for chests. This guide only provides a list of items that can be found in that area. If you aren't really a strategy guide person and you like figuring everything out for yourself, then feel free to use this guide. I will probably be selling mine soon.

No comments about Wraith Recon.

5 comments about Battletech 15: Close Quarters (Battletech).

1. The first time you read this book , you may feel that it is yet another Battletech novel with lots of combat and nothing that makes it stand out from the rest of the crowd other than it is told from the perspective of a non-mechwarrior. Read it again. I did'nt get it the first time but 'Close Quarters' has a deep inner meaning . It is a story about duty.Cassie's duty to the regiment , Lainies duty to the Oyabun and so on. It is similar to Bob Charrette's 'Wolves on the Border' in it's Ninjo / Giri focus . I would recommend this to anyone , even someone who was not a Battletech fan.



2. Are you a woman who wonders, what is all this about. Need some insperation for that female character and you don't want to follow the basic great looker mech warrior. Read this book. It was one of the first B-Tech books I read and it was great. The story kept me waiting for more. Infact, if your reading this Keith, when is the sequal. Well written with a good storyline, interesting characters and lots of action.



3. Milan in _Close Quarters_ gives perhaps the first best characterization of those people living in the Battletech era. The similes and metaphors are totally in-character to the setting, not relying upon contemporary comparisons to make the reader understand. However, while this might normally prevent a reader unfamiliar with the setting and some of the major characters, I think that the preentation is such that even a newcomer could understand without trouble.
   
   My beef is with the characters. The main character is entirely too superhuman in her abilities. Not only is she the best scout and tactician of the regiment, she is also the best hand-to-hand fighter and the fastest runner and everything else. Her only flaw is a lack of emotion, which is the only aspect of her character that might be considered to change during the course of the novel. She becomes friends with people she normally would not, but her growth I feel is very limited. Also, the other characters are either two-dimensional or cliches, like the unit commander grief-stricken over a family-member's death and unable to function to the commander's son desperate to earn pop's approval. Those elements reduce the quality of the overall work. There is the standard combat scenes which are not as good as others in the Battletech series. Also, the story does not really seem to impact the big picture, just those involved directly in the story. In that respect this is not really a "core" novel in the series and is not terribly essential to the overall comprehension. However, as noted above, the perspective of the characters and setting in this might be the best to this point in the series.



4. 2.5 stars.
   
   Close Quarters is a solid, easy-to-read story, better written than most Battletech novels. I gave it a low rating because I've read much better books, but I did enjoy it. Close Quarters scores points for originality; not often can I read of cowboys and Indians battling samurai in massive robots. It is a fun book with colorful characters, exciting spy work, martial arts combat, and well-described `Mech battles. However, it elicits little emotional response, and is frequently cliché and overdramatic.
   
   Camacho's Caballeros make their debut in this novel. The Caballeros have much more grit, flashiness, and character than most groups in the Battletech universe; only the Clans are more interesting. The Caballeros hail from the Trinity Worlds, called the "Southwestern Worlds," which were settled by people from Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Mexico. The worlds are poor, unindustrialized, agricultural, and unburdened by strong federal enforcement, so the citizens are little different than their pre-twentieth century ancestors. They herd cattle, wear spurs, and speak Spanish or Southern-drawl English. There are proud land-owning, macho cowboys, poor hillbillies, and Norteños, which are apparently northern Mexicans. They also include Indians such as Pueblos, Apaches, Navajos, Kiowas, and Comanches; the Caballero chief medical officer is curandera Doc Ten Bears.
   
   Camacho's Caballeros are piously religious. Interestingly, they integrate the widely varied religions within the regiment. In the violent Caballero culture, religious leaders must earn respect, so Catholic priests, Protestant pastors, and Rabbis fight as `MechWarriors. One `MechWarrior frequently receives visions of the Virgin Mary.
   
   The Caballeros are rowdy and unruly. They routinely fight each other, breaking noses and bones and drawing knives, but they do not hold grudges. They have a macho, male-dominated culture, but they respect women talented enough to rise up into officer positions. They strut into bars and try to start fights with locals. Off-duty, they have little respect for authority as they raise hell, but during battle they show discipline. They admit several times that their `Mech shooting skills are poor, but they are natural pilots; just as their ancestors were born horse riders, their generation are born AgMech pilots. When training against each other in mock `Mech battles, they charge each other and brawl, punching and kicking the enemy machines. They stick together against the outside world and consider their unit an extended family.
   
   Milán develops several characters very well, though the others have no depth.
   
   The story revolves around Scout Lieutenant Cassie Suthorn, by far the most interesting character. As a young child, invaders attack her world; her father, a local officer, fights them and dies. Cassie watches as a `Mech demolishes her home, leaving her with a fear and hatred of `Mechs. She later hits the streets, where she becomes a criminal scam artist. She trains in martial arts, growing into a tough self-reliant killing machine. Later she joins the Caballeros as a Scout. Despite being a woman and foreigner, she is one of the most respected members of the Regiment, responsible for a long list of `Mech kills. Milán did a good job of mixing her strength and independence with fear and loneliness.
   
   Camacho's Caballeros receive a garrison contract from CEO Chandrasekhar Kurita, another intriguing character. Though Kuritans are supposed to be rigidly self-controlled, callous to their subjects, and obsessed with power, Chandresakhar is obese, prone to small vices, capitalist in a conservative culture, and kindly. Some of Milán's more sophisticated thoughts come through in Chandresakhar's dialogue: "The Combine's weakness has always been that we viewed trade as an adjunct to war, all too often practicing it in a way indistinguishable from conflict. Our reputation for double-dealing and outright piracy is appalling." His combination of intelligence and innocence make him interesting.
   
   The plot incorporates shadowy conspiracies and interesting mysteries. Without revealing the plot, I'll say that the power players include the Caballeros, Chandrasekhar, the ISF under the Smiling One, yakuza, some royalty, and representatives of at least three major groups outside of the Combine. Shifting alliances and distrust keep the story from turning dull, and there are some decent plot twists.
   
   Close Combat features better combat than most Battletech books. It places more emphasis on martial arts and commando battles than on `Mech battles. Milán described hand-to-hand combat in an intense fashion, taking the time to detail each move. In the commando segments, Milán explains Cassie's reasoning for her tactics. The `Mech battles involve innovative stratagems. Milán gives intense details of shots being traded and `Mechs maneuvering. At the same time, he describes the flow of the larger battle as units probe and fade.
   
   I found the descriptions of the Draconians rather silly, and I do realize that the Combine was fleshed out before Milán started this book. It's ridiculous that DEST operatives, the best trained Special Forces in the Inner Sphere, still use swords in 3056. Supposedly they easily cut through combat armor, but clearly these obsolete weapons are only used because fans think swords are cool. It seems cartoon-like that the Combine is a realm of Yakuza crime syndicates, samurai, ninjas, and sword-play.
   
   Close Quarters has little emotional impact. Milán includes the technical elements of a dramatic story, but does not use subtlety to develop empathy. Like a soap opera, the characters erroneously think their actions are passionate and epic. For instance, Cassie's friend gives her a teddy bear, and she breaks down in tears. Intellectually, I understand that Cassie is inexperienced with friendship and long-repressed emotions are pouring out, but it's just overdramatic and so I cannot take it too seriously. Characters give short speeches that leave other characters pouring tears. I saw many conflicts of giri, or duty, with sentimentality, but again they did not grab me.
   
   In the end, I am glad I read Close Quarters. It is mildly humorous, and the Caballeros have an easy-going, rollicking, adventurous spirit that I enjoyed. Treat this as a good pulp sci-fi.
   
   -Zach Zelmar



5. The main character is superwoman in the world of battletech. This character is not feasable at all. If I were new to the world of battletech novels this novel would keep from reading
   another.

2 comments about Time of the Dragon (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Dragonlance, Boxed Set).

1. This Box Set attempts to expand on the Dragonlance world by introducing another continent to the world of Krynn. Compared to David "Zeb" Cook's game mastery in the AD&D 2nd edition guide book and the Forgotten Relms setting, this world fall far from the mark. Related to the well known continent of Anaslon in relation of the gods only, this should be considered a whole new world that was linked to the main Dragonlance area by a trecherous ocean voyage thousands of years before the current storyline. If this were a product that was designed to create a whole new world, it would get 3 stars for the quality and throughness...but it suffers mightly by the atemped link to the rest of the world



2. As a big fan of the Dragonlance world, this product provides a fresh look at lands far away from Ansalon and would provide a rich setting for a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. This is a bare bones view of the people and places of Taladas, a second continent on Krynn which has received very little attention or product support.
   
   At times I found myself really impressed with the creativity and inventiveness of the the descriptions of the people and places of Taladas. At other times this boxed set really falls flat due to a combination of poor writing and use of some really cliche and uncreative adventure hooks. If you choose to use the materials presented here for your D&D game, be prepared to put in a good amount of work fleshing out additional details. While there are nice basic descriptions for the cultures and major places of Taladas, the set is light on specific details or maps for most of the important locations.
   
   All in all, I enjoyed this product. There are a lot of great ideas to work with and I recommend this product to any devoted fan of the setting.
   Furthermore, for now it's the only source book on Taladas (besides Taladas: The Minotaurs) and provides all the basic materials you would need to develop the setting further yourself. If you're interested learning more about Taladas, I also highly recommend the excellent Taladas 3 novel series by Chris Pierson.

2 comments about Mutants & Masterminds: Game Master's Screen (Mutants & Masterminds).

1. Beautifull art on the screen. And the charts inside are a must for any serious GM of M&M.



2. Yes, this GM screen has all the useful stats a GM would want on a screen. The artwork is nice too. However the stock it is made of is pathetically cheap. More like a thin index card than a typical GM screen. If you are used to White Wolf, TSR, or Wizards of the Coast GM screens, you will be sorely disappointed.

1 comments about Van Richten's Arsenal (Ravenloft d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. one of the best ravenloft d20 books

1 comments about All Flesh Must Be Eaten: The Atlas Of The Walking Dead.

1. When my husband and I came across AFMBE, he thought he was in heaven. This particular book explores "zombies" (sometimes also old vampire legends) from around the world. What's better than having an endless wealth of knowledge on zombies, huh? When the apocolypse happens. You are not safe anywhere in the world!

3 comments about Exalted BoS 1 Wonders of the Lost Age (Exalted).

1. This book is packed full of incredible devices for any one who enjoys Exalted. The book has a wealth of knolage from the first age as well as the age of sorrows.
   
   The book has a few sections in it that divide the items by uses, that is the only way i can discribe it. There is a giant amount of artifacts that have nothing to do with combat, and then others that are. There is a section on warstriders, basicly single man "death machines" that basicly look like Large Metal Robots.
   
   Most of the items in this volume are very well detailed and all have pictures that show you what they would more that likely look like. I don't like saying that IS what they look like because, well, this is RPing people, things change by a player/GM's perception.
   
   Anyway, enough of my ramblings, This book rocks and has items that range from pens to armor to boots to Royal Class Warstriders. This book is about gear in the world of Exalted.
   
   P.S. It looks like there is going to be about 4 more of these books. My best guess is that one will be for Sorcery, but that is just one book. If you think of anything else, post it here to give me some ideas on the other ones.



2. Ah, magical artifacts...and when they're technomagical artifacts, all the better. This is a very imaginative collection of items--combat and noncombat--for Exalted Storytellers to tempt their players with, or to equip opponents with. Vehicles (for getting around the enormous distances of Creation), armor and weapons, battlefield equipment, and a great many things to make life easier (or in some cases, much harder). The section on warstriders is particularly tasty.
   
   This book also expands the Exalted backstory, letting us know how magical-technology developed and was used in the goldan age of the Solar Deliberative, and how it has fallen to its current state.
   
   There are only two things keeping this from getting five stars: First, I was hoping for more detailed rules on artifact construction, to help me figure out exactly how many background points an item is worth. Second, I was *really* hoping for a lot more Sorcery spells! As in the 1st edition, the 2nd Edition core rules have only a few spells, and you would think the first Book of Sorcery would rectify that. Nope: this volume has only artifacts.
   
   For what it is, it's great. We'll just have to wait for a later volume to get those spells.



3. Ok the idea to divide the book in 5 aspects that are the Maidens purviews was an excellent move. The one that came with that idea is a genius, really. I thought something like that and when I saw it done, it was WOOOOOAW.
   
   The idea to have technomagic is great. Final Fantasy inspired no doubt.
   Creating some sorcerous craft as to be able to manufacture scientific advanced gadgets also a clean move. That they can be repaired and maintained and have high-level power in exchange of certain rituals, oils, reargents and periodic tune ups is great idea. The warstriders rule.
   
   The idea of been able to have Genetics and mutate life is also a nice idea, yet it lacks many more examples, many more rules and somehow needs more clarification cause somehow I felt it small in comparison to all the combat-related artifacts.
   
   The book has over 100 examples ready to use and also ready to tamper with and even enahcing and mixing em.
   
   A must have in the Exalted collection.
   Worth every cent! [or peso]