5 comments about Deities and Demigods (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement).

1. If you wish to put Deities into a campaign that you're running, this is the best book to use to do it with.



2. this book has my favs.they inculde:
   bahamut,lolth,garl,timat,nerull,and wee jas .(I first heard bahamut can hold his breath.)



3. I had high expectations for the third edition - one would expect that with the third major release, they'd get it right. Sadly, this book is even weaker than the previous releases - it contains fewer pantheons than ever, because of all the nonessential padding given to each entry.
   
   The vast majority of the book consists of statistics for each of the gods profiled. Much space is given to the feats, spell-like abilities, and combat statistics of these ultra-powerful beings - things that will almost never be used in actual gameplay or character building.
   
   Does it matter which "feats" Hermes has? Does it matter which weapons Loki is proficient in? Does anyone care how many attacks per round Osiris has, or what Athena's Constitution score is? Unless you're playing a overpowered "munchkin" campaign, the answer is no; but more than three quarters of each deity's description consists of this sort of useless fluff.
   
   It would have been far better for Wizards to have devoted the space to content that can be used to add flavour to a campaign where these gods are worshipped. There should have been more material about various clerical orders that serve each of these beings, perhaps including rival churches of the same god with long-standing historical grudges (just as there are within Christianity or Islam). They could have given us more information on the history of these gods and the relationships between them - the story of how Odin lost his eye is far more interesting than the list of spells he can cast.
   
   I recommend against buying this book, for players or DMs. Instead, buy any book on mythology, and adapt the ideas therein to the D&D system.



4. This is a really good book if you want to know some background/details on many different D&D deities of many different pantheons. However, I only gave the book 4 stars because it is pre-version 3.5, so you will have a little work to do if you want to use any of the deities' game stats. This is only a small problem that can be fixed, and the flavor it can add to your game makes the book worth it in my opinion. Also, the section on creating deities, while not v3.5 friendly without some changes, is also very useful.



5. This is a great addition to any DM's (Dungeon Master's) collection of resource books. Heck, even the players can hang on to a copy of this valuable tome for their own use. Here is what it entails and how it can be useful for role-playing in the d20 environment.
   
   There are listings for an entire pantheon of deities created specifically for D&D (though they can be easily adapted to any d20 system). This way, the players need not be consigned to the deities already existent in our myths and legends. However, if you want to carry on in that vein, then you are also well-equipped to do so.
   
   There are entries and stats for the following pantheons: D&D (an orginial creation), Norse (Thor, Odin, etc.), Egyptian (Isis, Osiris, Horus, etc.), Greek (Zeus, Hera, Ares, etc.) and a few other random and not-so-random offerings. Also helpful is a section on creating your own deities and even one on how to battle them.
   
   What did disappoint me, though, was the lack of the Lovecraftian deities, the Elder Gods, that was actually printed in the orginial AD&D supplement years ago. I suppose that's a bit of nostalgia showing through, but I feel they could have truly given those entries a great treatment in the new environment. Also, I felt the supplementary sections could have been fleshed out just a bit more. Still, overall, this is a great addition to any d20 RPG that wants to incorporate deities, religion, avatars, demigods, and the like.

3 comments about Fantastic Locations: Fields of Ruin (D&D Accessory).

1. Fantastic Locations: Fields of Ruin is a short but challenging adventure for 4 characters of approximately 8th level. The adventure comes with a booklet, two large, double-sided, full color fold out map grids, and a DM screen with smaller versions of the maps with keys to encounters. The adventure is designed to be played on the maps, ideally with D&D miniatures. The ruins in question are those of the Keep of the Fallen Kings, and ancient fortress controlled by tyrant kings with the aid of a powerful artifact called the "Earthcrown" which allows the possessor to command earth elementals. Many years later an evil sorcerer named Raseris has gone looking for the crown. Several adventure hooks are provided to get the players involved, the main one being a Dwarven Lord hiring the players to find the crown and bring the sorcerer back to atone for his crimes.
   
   Initially the players will travel and explore the area of King's Road which leads to the keep before finally arriving at the ruins of the Keep of the Fallen Kings. The ruins will eventually lead them to the Dungeon of Blood in the quest for the crown and where many dangers await. As mentioned, it's a short adventure, one that can probably be played in one good session or so but that needn't be the end. Much of the dungeon was blocked by rubble and the booklet provides ideas for continuing the adventure into other parts of the dungeon if the DM desires. The booklet also provides some excellent starting hooks for what may lie beyond.
   
   Fields of Ruin is a solid adventure. Well-written and designed. Flexible enough to be played with or without miniatures although using them or some kind of tokens will certainly enhance the game play. Definitely worth checking out!
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson



2. I have to say I was very impressed with this adventure. It is well thought out with a generic enough plot line that you can easily supplement in to any campaign setting. My favorite items are the two double-sided maps that you get. Those are outstanding and a great supplement for adventures beyond this one.



3. This was a nice module, the maps are good for both the material included and for adding to your existing game. The problem with these types of modules is that anyone who has purchased stuff from TSR through the years had come to expect a certain amount of content and playability and the offerings from WOTC just do not match up to what we've come to expect in terms of the amount of gameplay. I'm totally comparing the 80's and 90's to present day, so that is kinda lame within itself, but the fact is that everytime I get one of these new things from WOTC I feel like the gameplay is over to quick. Maybe it's a marketing ploy to get people to buy more products, but really it's just a marketing failure that leaves people frustrated and looking elsewhere for that gaming exeperience. The saving grace is that the writers actually do a good job of presenting some entertaining gameplay, thus the 4 star rating.

2 comments about Circle Of The Crone (Vampire The Requiem - World Of Darkness - WOD).

1. I have been playing White-Wolf's "World of Darkness" games for years, even before the new "World of Darkness" came out. I remember when I first saw the previews for the new "Vampire: the Requiem" and was fascinated by the Circle of the Crone, a faction of pagan vampires focused on tribulation and creation. I've awaited the release of this, the last of the Covenant, books for quite some time, and now that its finally out I can say I am not disappointed. This book lays out the background, beliefs and practices of the Acolytes, and finally fleshes out WHY they do what they do. A much needed book.
   
   It opens up with a piece of fiction focusing on Trey "Loki" Fischer, a signature character from the Chicago setting. I would have preferred to have the "Litanies of the Crone", or some other IC mythology, but the fiction is interesting and does a good job of introducing the Acolytes. We then go on to the introduction, which tries to give an overview of the Acolytes and their beliefs, explaining what they are (and what they aren't). Essentially, they are a network of cults sharing some common beliefs, but with many regional differences. We also get some info on Cruac, and the Circle's relation with spirits. Theres also an interesting bibliography of books on Paganism that can be used as inspiration, though imho it leaves out some key titles (like say, "The Golden Bough", with all the accompanying myths of sacrifice and rebirth). But then, thats just my opinion. On to the real juicy stuff.
   
   The first chapter gives details on the history of the Circle of the Crone, mostly as a network of pagan cults organized by a shadowy figure called the Blind Queen, and forced together by persecution from the Lancea Sanctum. From there, we go on to a chapter of the Circle's beliefs, practices and organization. The roles of the Heirophant and Chorus are explained and expanded upon, alongside less common positions like the Skald (a bard or tale-teller), Valkyrja (warriors), Haruspex (diviners), and so forth. More interesting, there are also mythic roles like the Maiden, the Fool, the Hero, and the Crone. These are more spiritual roles, and each is given examples from various pagan myths the world over. Beyond that, we also get a look at Cruac, the Acolytes' relations with the spirit world, views on tribulation and creation, holy nights, worship and other topics. A new background, Temple, is given, along with a connected Cruac ritual. Essentially, it's a place of worship that functions much as a Haven. This chapter alone should be essential reading for any chronicle involving the Acolytes. However, it also requires alot of work for the ST, since the Circle of the Crone can vary so much from location to location.
   
   Chapter three focuses on politics of the Acolytes, how they find converts, how they seek out tribulation (often through conflict with other Covenants) and how they fit into a given domain. Theres some interesting ideas in here, including the idea of Acolytes creating underground communities. The next chapter focuses on the factions and bloodlines, often a big draw for players. Numerous examples of factions are given, including the People of the Land (small rural covens), the Second Descent (devotees of chthonic gods of darkness), the Hag (vampires who are haunted by nightmares of a Crone like figure), Disciples of the Silence (nihilist worshippers of nothingness), Siapn (violently anti-Christian cultists from South America), Amanotsukai (who follow a corrupted form of Japanese Shinto), Daughters of the Goddess (fanatical feminist Goddess worshippers), and the Semioticians (scholars who study Cruac and other forms of blood magic). Examples of the variations on Cruac practiced by the different factions are given, mostly for flavor. Theres also an Acolyte ghoul family, the Bellsmeade, hidden in there. They are a small, inbred cult of mortals in an isolated hotel, who are taught to worship their creator as a god. Fun stuff!
   
   The bloodlines are really exciting. A bit slanted, but still exciting. Of the five bloodlines, three are Gangrel (my favorite Clan ironically), and three are heavily female focused. The Asnam are a Daeva lineage that consider themselves gods, and have a Discipline that lets them connect with their worshippers (the final level actually allows them to reincarnate!). The Carnon are a lineage of Gangrel who live like pagan rock stars, and usually burn out fairly quickly. They embody the Horned God, and learn Nightmare in-Clan. The Childer of the Morrigan are mostly female warriors, and are a Gangrel lineage with Potence in-Clan and the ability to learn the Touch of the Morrigan ritual without knowing Cruac. The Gorgons are a serpent-themed bloodline of Ventrue claiming descent from Medua, and have a snake-like Discipline called Amphivena. The Mara, or Lampreys, are a lineage of aquatic Gangrel who learn Obfuscate as a Clan Discipline. Once again, variations on Cruac are presented for the Mara, whose rituals are all conducted underwater. It's mostly flavor, but still very cool to work with.
   
   The next chapter explores the magics of the Circle, including the two new Disciplines for the above mentioned bloodlines (Ralab and Amphivena), several Devotions, and a huge amount of information on Cruac. All in all, we get some 25 Cruac rituals, including a few others hidden throughout the book. Information on how Cruac works, alternative styles of Cruac, creating and learning new rituals, and how it interacts with the spirit world is given. The rituals given are incredibly varied. There are rituals for calling upon spirits, divining the future, manipulating the weather, creating gargoyles and homunculi, storing blood in buboes, gaining power through sacrifice, changing one's Haven temporarily, and creating weapons that draw blood from an opponent. Many rituals for Acolytes to play with. The final chapter gives a number of NPCs for the Storyteller to use, including both combatants and non-combatants. Archetypes like Liason to the Lupines, Soothsaying Whore, and Acolyte Sheriff are given, all of which can easily be adapted to any chronicle with a little work. Or serve as inspiration for players, if they are so inclined.
   
   This is ultimately a great book, probably the best of the Covenant books, and it has been well worth the like. I came away from it with lots of ideas for my games. It exceeded my expectations. If you have no idea how to play or run the Circle of the Crone, then this book will help you. It does require you to flesh out how the Acolytes function on a local level, given that they are more a network of cults with a few shared beliefs and practices, but it does a good job giving you ideas to work with. I especially like how it draws upon mythological archetypes and how it details the different styles of Cruac. The factions and bloodlines were pretty interesting too. This book is essential for STs, and for any player who wants to play an Acolyte. Theres just so much useful stuff in here.



2. I have to admit, when I first picked up the book I was full of anticipation. I hadn't really liked the Crones at first, because all I could get out of them was a neo-pagan femi-nazi kind of stereotype. I was hoping the book could expand upon, alter or outright kill those stereotypes and present the Acolytes as something more than what they appeared.
   Boy was I right.
   
   The book is excellent.
   The introduction and intro fiction set the tone for what is to be an exploration of teh darker sides of Vampire. The 3 1/2 pages of introduction does wonders to establish a very different relationship with the Covenant that what lept at me from teh write-up in teh core book, while still being true to what must have been the original vision of the Covenant: Dark, inhuman and primal, yet also divine, pure and natural. There is something ancient to the Crones that none of the other Covenants can muster, something primeaval that hints at forbidden truths and forgotten lore.
   The introductory piece of fiction is very dark and moody, and establishes the Acolytes as more than neo-hippies and feminists. Me like! biggrin.gif
   
   Chapter one discusses the history of the Circle, or as much of it as can be told. Because the Circle is made up of individual cults with differing belief structures and myths, mapping out the history of the Covenant is difficult at best. Instead, the chapter focuses on how teh individual cults rise to power, and eventually fall from grace, only to rise once more. The focus on this aspect of the Circle was very refreshing, and helps establish the Circle as something organic and unique that teh Storyteller can play with and mold as he desires.
   
   Chapter two discusses life (or unlife) in the Circle. The various cults views on Amaranth, Golcond, Torpor and teh Embrace, as well as other subjects, are discussed, and the chapter provides examples of the various rituals, practices and beliefs that cults can hold. Teh adition of example cult rituals and traditions is very satisfying, as St's can copy-paste them wholesale into theri chronicles, or simply take them as inspirations for his own creations. There is also a part of the chapter dedicated totitles and roles more or less common throughout the Covenant. I especially found the archetypal roles of Maiden, Fool, Scarlet Woman, Hero, Mother, Father, Crone and Hermit intriguing and exciting. I lik ethe way they can be twisted to fit nearly any belief structure, as well as the political avenues it opens within teh Circle while still staying true to teh Covenants religious bent.
   
   However, chapter three is where teh book comes into it's own right. It debates Acolytes' role in the politics of the Kindred, and masterfully so. The views and beliefs of the Acolytes color their approach to the Danse Macabre in vary sepcial ways, and it was a joy to realise just how different and alien their mindset is to other, more politically minded Kindred. The way they place their religion above political gain is very unique among Vampires, and it is still made plausible within the world of Requiem.
   The themes of Tribulation and Creation are everywhere in the book, and after a while they become a very natural part of the way I think about Acolytes.
   I found that I especially enjoyed the concept of teh Crucible. Basically, the Acolytes put mortals through extreme tribulation, often in the form of staging extreme tragedy in their lives, and attempt to push them towards enlightenment. This is an act of Creation unliek any other, as it creates true enlightenment. Very cool, very inhuman. Very fitting. biggrin.gif
   
   The Factions and Bloodlines chapter was cool, but not what I bought teh book for. I'm not a huge fan of Bloodlines.
   Still, I found myself inspired by tehfactions and Bloodlines both, and before long I had incorporated atleast one of teh Bloodlines into my ongoing chronicle.
   
   OF the Bloodlines, I especially liked the Gorgons (though I had to think hard to realise I liked them) and the Carnon.
   The factions were very cool. Basically, they are cults like the ones discussed in chapters one and two. They have their own (often very unique) views on their Covenant and their Requiems, and many of them are masterfully written and fit into practically any chronicle. I particularly liked the Second Descent and the Semioticians. I HATE the Daughters of the Godess, but that has more to do with personal opinions than the quality of the faction.
   
   The rest of the book is basically just Disciplines and Cruac rituals and Devotions, as well as some quick-NPC's/character concepts.
   
   All in all, a superb book that redefines the Circle for those who never got them, and provides some solid material to work with for those who did!
   
   I give it eight thumbs up!

3 comments about Champions of Ruin (Dungeon & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Setting).

1. Champions of Ruin is Wizard's newest book in the Forgotten Realms product line. The contents of the book can be combined perfectly with the info found in Lords of Darkness, and the book is also the - dark - twin of Champions of Valor, a sourcebook Wizard's will publish at the end of this year.
   
   The book is nicely edited, and - as usual with Forgotten Realms products - beautifully illustrated.
   
   The book has the usual chapters (like new races, magic, feats, prestige classes and magic items for evil), and also describes evil organisations, places and NPCs (both "normal" level, and epic NPCs). It also includes ideas for using the contents of the book in an evil campaign, or simply in a normal campaign.
   
   The book adresses mostly the Dungeon Master, but players will also find interesting things within. Most probably a player will not want to buy the book for him/herself, especially as knowing the contents of the product too well may ruin the excitement of the game.



2. Champions of Ruin is the newest sourcebook for Forgotten realms. A 160 page book detailing everything you ever wanted to know about playing an evil PC. The book introduces new races, spells, feats, and magic items. The new races are nothing to write home about, with the best being probably the Drow/Demon halfbreed called the Draegloth. Myself, I'm a little sick of Drow...Curse Salvatore for making them so popular and romantic!
   
   The feat section is pretty nice with several new and interesting feats for evil characters tapping fighters, clerics and spellcasters with some interesting feats. There are also over 30 new spells in the book. of course the main thing that players are probably interested in is the new prestige classes. The book has some great new prestige classes that detail how to create the class, it's various features, and advice on playing these characters. Other chapters cover things such as evil places such as temples, shrines, etc...There's a chapter on various evil NPCs as well.
   
   The art is pretty good throughout and I think the book is a welcome addition to DMs and players.



3. Some of the best AD&D campaigns I've run or played in have been 'evil' in nature and as a long time fan of the Forgotten Realms I was looking forward to reading this book. While I wasn't impressed by the content, neither was I disappointed.
   
   After the introduction, where you are treated to a brief examination of the nature of evil (it's pretty simplistic, but sets the tone well), the book breaks down into seven chapters:
   1: Races
   2: Tools of Evil
   3: Prestige Classes
   4: Evil Organisations
   5: Evil Places
   6: Encounters with Evil
   7: Champions of Evil
   
   Chapter one details three evil races: Draegloth, Extaminaar and Krinth. Nothing too flash here. Personally I thought the Krinth were a silly idea and the Extaminaar only slightly less so. Draegloth were kinda cool. I'm not quite sure why the designers decided to use relatively new creatures for this section when you have 3 monster manuals (at the time of this book's publishing) literally packed with hundreds of evil creatures that could have fitted the bill nicely.
   
   Chapter two examines the tools of evil (i.e. magic items, spells and feats). Some of the spells are interesting, but most are obviously reworked from existing spells. The best part about this chapter are the magic items - some very cool toys for evil boys (or girls) are contained here. The feats are...well feats. The game is sooo loaded with feats I really didn't think that additional evil specific feats were necessary.
   
   Chapter three covers the new prestige classes, which with the exception of the Vengence Knight are all good classes and depending on the nature of the campaign all should find a role. My personal favourite (in concept if not game mechanics) was the Thayan Gladiator with the Nightmask Deathbringer running a close second. The Shade Hunter PC was bland and without inspiration (as a side note - the art accompanying the Vengenance Knight was awful). The remaining two - Black Blood Cultist & Justice of Weald & Woe - would be good for solo games, but I can't see them meshing well in a group setting.
   
   Chapter four covers evil organisations and its inclusion is a complete mystery to me. There are several refernces in this book to another book called Lords of Darkness (another FR source book) - which covers in full detail the evil organisations of Faerûn! This chapter is merely a repeat of the information found in Lords of Darkness and a complete waste of space. The twenty pages devoted to this chapter could have been used for any number of other subjects, its not even like the material in CoR is updated from LoD - really disappointing (This alone caused me to downgrade the rating from 4 to 3 stars).
   
   Chapter five examines evil places and delves into the concept of Evil Nodes, which were first covered in the Underdark Sourcebook. I haven't read the Underdark book, but being a fan of the old TSR 'Birthright' campaign world the concept of magical nodes is not new and something that I incorporate in all my campaigns - which I suspect is a default setting for most GM's. Anyway, the rules presented for determining these evil nodes are clear and easy to follow. The chapter then concludes with several evil locations and adventure seeds.
   
   Chapter six is the smallest chapter and details very briefly some considerations that need to be taken into account when planning an evil game - especially how 'evil' you want to go. The chapeter then looks at some notable evil NPC's, giving full game stats and limited histories - there are a couple of really interesting ones such as Damien Krale and Daren Timbide, but the others are all a bit ho-hum.
   
   Finally there is chapter seven: Champions of Evil - which seems to be a rehash of the previous chapter! Granted that the chapter seven baddies are really bad! The first is 32nd Level! Which is kind of silly. If I'm going to have someone that powerful in one of my campaigns, then I don't bother putting stats to him/her (especially since this particular baddie takes nearly two pages to cover all his stats!); then there's Dendar the Night Serpernt with his 1,193 HP! Why bother?
   
   I can see it now - Thom the Unspeakably Violent (a powerful barbarian in one of my campaigns launches a series of furious attacks and inflicts his maximum damage of 88 HP. Cool. Only 1,105 to go. Like I said, silly.
   
   But I digress. On the positive side, chapter seven does explain how these powerful baddies can be used in particular campaigns and what there agenda's and machinations are (reinforcing my point that there was no need to stat them out).
   
   In conclusion, a useful book that is an excellent resource for a GM thinking about his first evil game or campaign and even the most jaded, cynical GM (much like me) will find the odd gem within it's pages.
   
   Enjoy.

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

1. I've used the weapons and culture discriptions in both a game I'm DMing and a game I'm playing, though I have yet to use the new bird-race yet. The flying thing is a little complicated, and their culture makes it harder to use them accordingly as a PC. I may put them in a game some day though.



2. I agree that this book is good for beginners and just another book for veterans, but you can find some interesting things inside that you can certanly use for your character.
   Particularly a feat called Woodland Archer.



3. Great alternative class features for halflings and elves. Raptorans pretty much "pwn". You will FAIL your WILL SAVE if you try to resist this book.



4. I'm a recent Halfling convert, so I didn't like what they did to Halflings by basiclly turning them into Kender Gypsies. Whatever! What it does do is help to explain how the wild races live freely and differently than those city bound folk. Good selection of prestige classes and new feats.



5. Read J.R.R. Tolkiens The Simillarion if you want a way cooler history of the Elves & other fantasy races. This book is kinda wimpy. The editor must of had the day off because the writing goes on and on and is a rehash from previous sections of the book. The basic design/typeography/illustrations are below meager for a rich fantasy book.The illustrations are not that good. WOTC got a sweet deal by hiring cheap illustrators to push this book out the print shop.

5 comments about Dungeons & Dragons Basic Game (2006) (Dungeons & Dragons Game).

1. I recieved this as a christmas gift and I had never played D&D or an RPG before and i was very plaesed with the result!
   I opened the box and the first thing to catch your eye is all the wonderfull miniature each in its own plastic bag(i have ead a review on here about the game not coming with stat cards so you cannot play the D&D miniature warband game but you can download and print these off the D&D site.
   
   The rules:nice and strait forward i understood them very fast(Yes, these are very "dumbed" down rules for all us newbies)i played a few rounds by my self (being teh NPC's and teh PC's just to get a hang of it(with can be fun) and then a round with my older brother who thought it was ok but didnt realy get into it, but the next night i played with my sister and now we have been playing it all the time(people say this is more of a mini battle game but me and my sis had a whole game with no die rolling just good old fashioned RPG-ing)
   and now i want to advance more so I ordered the D&D players kit(the day after i got the basic game of course) wich looks great!
   one of the things i would like better would be to have seperate RPG stat cards for all teh monsters instead of having to flip through teh pages of teh DM book...but thats no biggie.
   
   So I personaly think this is a great game!



2. My son really is enjoying this game. It is a great game for introducing people to the world of Dungeons and Dragons. I would STRONGLY recommend that you have an experienced Dungeons and Dragons person to be the Dungeon Master. The adventure and rules are completely inadequate for a first timer to be the Dungeon Master in that they do not address the various scenerios that arise from the game or give enough background for the adventure. Without an experienced person being the Dungeon Master, the game could end up being a disaster.



3. This product does a very good job of introducing the player(s) to the D&D world. I would suggest it to anyone who has no experience with RPG's and wants to get involved with the granddaddy of them all. It does a nice job of walking the player(s) and the Dungeon Master(DM) through a few scenarios; and is a nice starting point to see if the game will be enjoyable without a high initial investment.



4. I recently bought this game because I wanted to get into D&D and thought this would be a good place to start. It is okay if you have never played before and want to learn alittle bit on how to play dnd but you have to use premade characters and the adventure is short and not that great. I bought the three core rulebooks last night so I could get me and a couple other people into it more and have more fun with it. All together I would recommend anyone that has never played and wants to play to pick this game up. You get some cool miniatures and almost a full set of dice.



5. Review by the purchaser's son, age 14.
   Summary: Get this for the materials (adventures, figures, etc.) Get the rulebooks for content. Roll some dice. Have fun.
   
   Dnd is a hobby that requires a lot of dedication and the purchase of at least three rulebooks at around $30 apiece. Many new players/DMs will not know if they like Dnd enough to purchase the books they need, and this product is a great jumping-on point. It clearly outlines most of the basic rules. The key word there, however, is "basic." The characters that come with this set do not follow many of the rules presented in the Player's Handbook (for example, skill ranks that are absurdly high) and as such, confusion can be caused when the standard rules are incorporated. The six adventures in this book make up a small but high-quality mini campaign, and your players (I speak as a DM) will be hooked. For the best experience:
   1. Purchase the core rulebooks (Player Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual) along with this set. Use the miniatures, adventures, and treasure/experience included in this boxed set, but use the standard rules for rolling up (creating) characters and for leveling up that are detailed in the Player Handbook.
   2. Take the time to fill out character sheets and you will be rewarded. They provides spaces, blanks, and boxes for just about every variable in Dnd, and it's very hard to stay organized without one.
   3. LEARN THE RULES. This is the absolute most important point. Yu don't need to learn about sundering weapons, grappling, bullrushing, and other advanced tactics until you're experienced, but basic rules like skill/ability checks and combat rolls are a must.
   
   Pretty good value for the money, BTW.
   
   REMEMBER: THIS IS THE 3.5 EDITION OF DND. VERSION FOUR COMES OUT IN MAY AND JUNE 2008, BUT THAT WILL NOT MAKE THIS PRODUCT ANY LESS USEFUL. THERE ARE PLENTY OF RULEBOOKS FOR DND VERSION 3.5.

4 comments about Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying - Realms of Sorcery.

1. This is a very good book...in fact how anyone could run a Warhammer FRP campaign without it is a very good question I have to say,but despite it's exhaustive covering of sorcery and how it is seen in the Old World it has one very large glaring fault...
   
   The book repeats itself...alot...it will change the wording,but there is only so many times that one can read that people in the Old World view sorcery as evil in so many different words before it has become redundant.
   
   I truly feel that much of the room within the book could have been devoted to more spells,more information on how the various factions within the Old World view elves and other magic-users that moved about them,and far more information upon the individual colleges.
   
   Beyond this the book is quite good...the layout is good and like all other Warhmmer FRP books that have come about so far it's a treat to read it.



2. The new RoS by Black Library I would rate a 3.5 (okay round to 4) stars. It provides some nice information on magic in the empire and the general feeling of common folk. I enjoyed the information of a college apprentice and how they progress to a Magister. Loved the new careers provide to the Hedge Mage (witch/warlock) making that a viable option. Also Happy that the spell list were expanded a bit. Was happy to see new rules on Creating Potions and Familiars.
   
   Was sort of happy with information on creating ritual magic and the dwarf runesmiths (including the careers).
   
   I was very disappointed in the lack of rituals and even more disappointed in the complete lack of lesser spells. As of now the only official lesser magic spells are those found in the core rulebook.
   
   I was hoping for some information on High Magic (since they had runesmiths), and the possibility of creating magic items and a longer magic items list. After all, there are two wizard careers (Master and Lord) that require the PC to obtain magic items. You'd think that if they don't do much magic items they would put in how one can go about making them (aside from the weapon/armor of runesmith).
   
   Instead of this informaiton, there is an adventure printed at the end of the book. I was a bit angry at this as the adventure took up very needed space on magic rules.
   
   Overall, I do recommend this book and if you plan to do any magic in V2 is a must have along the core rulebook.



3. Well here is Green Ronin's source book for magic in the Warhammer world. It definitely adds to the material covered in the basic WFRP players guide but I was a bit disappointed. I have often felt that WFRP v. 1 needed some good "role-play" spells. Small spells that can make a Wizard far more useful but not devastating, like the old D&D cantrips. They're not here. Magic has, of course, become unpredictable because of the "winds of magic", so spells have become more powerful. (Like Warhammer wizards needed more powerful spells.) GM's beware; you may be snapping pencils trying to match your player group with adversaries. If your wizard makes his roles he may decimate your monsters quickly, and if he doesn't your group may be spending a lot of fate points. Still, there is some good background and a nice diversity of spells. A good addition to this vastly improved roleplay system. WFRP v.2 is far superior to ANY of the editions of D&D. Play it and you'll love it.



4. Needed for the sheer number of spells added. Spells, Runesmith careers, expanded Chaos Manifestation tables, Arcane marks, familiars give the book a 3.
   
   Cons:
   
   - Font is too large. C'mon.. The font and spacing of material reminds me of a padded research paper by a junior in high school. Actual page count is WAY lower (less than 200 pages), if you put this in context.
   
   - too much fluff. I like fluff as much as the next guy, but it gets a little "thick" at times. It's not that bad, but some of it seems contrived at times.
   
   - the adventure included. I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just saying it doesn't belong here. It's taking up space that could have been used for more content. Put 30 page adventures (yes it's that long) in a new book akin to The Restless Dead. Please.

No comments about CBT Technical Readout: 3075 (Battletech).

3 comments about Pathfinder Chronicles: Classic Monsters Revisited (Pathfinder Chronicles Supplement).

1. Too often in fantasy role-playing games, be they Dungeons & Dragons or another system, the most popular monsters end up being little more than clones or parodies of one another. Orcs end up being slightly tougher versions of goblins, and ogres are just bigger orcs. Classic Creatures Revisited seeks to put this problem to rest, and does so admirably.
   
   Technically, this book uses the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons rules. However, outside of a few sidebars, the book is almost entirely role-playing information and adventure ideas, meaning it can be used in any edition of D&D -- or, really, in any fantasy role-playing system. What this book offers is a chance to look at the old standards differently. Bugbears go from being big goblins to the bogeymen that hide under children's beds. Kobolds are sneaky, devious creatures that strike from the shadows using traps and stealth. Goblins are psychotic and dangerous, but somehow cute in their own gremlin-esque way. Each entry has details on a monster's culture, ecology, and how they can be fit into the campaign. While the book is intended to be used in the Pathfinder setting of Golarion, it is almost entirely generic, and can be ported over to any game.
   
   This book offers the most valuable resources of all: the chance for Game Masters to get a fresh look on creatures and new ideas for all manner of terrific adventures. From a player's perspective, it's a wonderful read and a chance to get some insight on some classic fantasy monsters. I can't recommend it highly enough.



2. This book has all sorts of great details on monsters and their cultures. It gives you tons of interesting hooks to use to explain behavior and explanations for various "givens" about traditional D&D monsters.
   
   There are few game mechanics, but the ones that are in the book, such as the feats for bugbears, do a lot to reinforce the background material in the monster's descriptions.
   
   Speaking of the bugbears . . . while its fun to have goblin songs and kobold phrases and even games that ogres play, the bugbears are really inspired in this book, and retain the classic role of the bugbear while putting it in a brilliant, scary context.
   
   Highly recommended for any DM what wants to know why his monsters do what they do.



3. The title of my review is quoted from the back page of this book, and is one I wholeheartedly agree with. I remember the first times I ever played D&D and the sense of danger that came with running into ANYTHING. As time has gone on, many of the 'early monsters' that characters run into become little more than XP generators and necessary filler on the way to the big things.
   
   Classic Monsters Revisited tries to change that by providing more background to some of these classic monsters. First, I'll explain though why the book only gets 4 stars from me (probably closer to 4 1/2, but not close enough to 5 to allow for rounding up). As alluded to above, this book is really about the 'early creatures' that players will run into. So there are 6 monsters covered that are Challenge Rating 1 or lower (Goblins, Hobgoblins, Orcs, Kobolds, Lizardmen, and Gnolls). The rest are the Minotaur, Bugbear, Troll, and Ogre. The emphasis on the 'cannon fodder' races, combined with D&D 3rd edition's method of 'leveling up' the NPC races means that most of these monsters can remain challenging for the players for quite some time. But I wouldn't have minded a slightly more varied group of creatures power level wise (giants replacing one of the others) and even some classic 'non-humanoid' creatures. While their sections could be shorter, coming up with interesting oozes, cubes, spiders, etc would have added some variety.
   
   The above said, I do think this was a great book. There's very little crunch. There are a couple of new feats for one or two of the races, there's the racial template (with usually a few variants described in the rules - though they don't get their own templates, the rule changes to the main template are just described with each variant), and the Orcs get a bonus for fighting within range of their 'battle standard'.
   
   Instead you get an Overview, Ecology, Habitat and Society, Campaign Role, and a section on where they are found and what they tend to be doing in Golarion (the 'Pathfinder' campaign setting). Some of these are more interesting than others. My favorites were the Goblins (a strong touch of "Gremlins" was added), Bugbears (they get a bit of Freddy Kreuger + Monster in the Closet or Under the Bed), Lizardmen (they feel a bit Native American or Aboriginal), Gnolls (loved that the worst crime a Gnoll can commit is forcing another one to actually do work) and Kobolds (the weakest of the races seem to have the best work ethic). Even though I liked the racial backgrounds for Minotaurs and Trolls, it feels as though it would be pretty hard to create an adventure where the characters would find out that information and where it would be important other than them noticing that they're fighting all female trolls and younglings, but no adult males. Orcs, Hobgoblins and Ogres felt pretty traditional except for the strong penchant for torture and cruelty by Ogres.
   
   The book itself, if you have yet to pick up a Pathfinder product, weighs in at a pretty slim 64 pages for the price. However, the text is pretty dense, the writing is quite good, and every page is glossy and full color.
   
   If you're expecting crunch, you won't find it. If however you're interested in adding a bit of zest to the old first level recipes of "Some Kobolds here, Goblins here and an Ogre or two in the final encounter", this book might very well be just what you want.

4 comments about Warhammer RPG: Tome of Salvation (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay).

1. Before Tome of Salvation the Gods in Warhammer universe had meat mostly around the gods of Chaos. The ruinous powers and their followers was so well developed that it was leaving all the other gods in a secondary role at best (except maybe Sigmar and Ulric, but what the players had at their disposal was still far from what have been dug about the Chaos gods). The background about the Classical Gods (Verena, Shaylla, Sigmar, Morr, etc) was so thin that it was not appealing for the players to take these gods as a key stone around which a character could be built. The book Tome of Salvation comes to fix this by adding content to the Classical Gods. It goes even further by providing matter concerning the role and the importance of faith in the Old World in general. It defines the life of a priest and how each differ according to the god they worship. It explains how the common folks and nobles deals with the Classical Gods, the superstition and the ancestor spirits. The book provides also information concerning the minor gods of the Old World. It deals with the issue of the outlawed gods, such as Khaine and Gunndred, outside the famous Chaos Gods. It gives also some information about the Gods of the other races (Dwarf, Elf, Halfling) and how their faith differ.
   
   If Tome of Corruption is essential to Warhammer by the review and the information it give about the influence and power the Chaos have in this universe, Tome of Salvation marks an important turning point because it come to add content and depth to those who are benevolent. It comes also to offer an alternative to those who are evil in intent but who do not worship or rely on the faith for the Ruinous Power.
   
   For the numerous topics this book explores and develops for the first time, it is doomed to become a classic for the world of Warhammer.
   
   
   Here is the Table of contents:
   
   Chapter I: A Brief History of the Cults of the Empire.
   
   Chapter II: Old World Cults
   
   The Cult of Manann
   The Cult of Morr
   The Cult of Myrmidia
   The Cult of Ranald
   The Cult of Shallya
   The Cult of Sigmar
   The Cult of Taal and Rhya
   The Cult of Ulric
   The Cult of Verena
   
   Chapter III: Folk Worship
   
   Noble vs. Folk Worship
   Minor Deities
   Ancestor Spirits
   Superstitions and Folk Customs
   - Magic and superstition
   - The Evil Eye
   - Variations in the Folk Customs
   - Prayers and Holy Sayings
   - Showing faith
   - Venerated Souls of the Empire
   
   Chapter IV: Extremes of Faith
   
   The Reasons Why
   Motivations of the Truly Pious
   Major Fanatical Sects
   - Manann
   - Morr
   - Myrmidia
   - Ranald
   - Shallya
   - Sigmar
   - Taal and Rhya
   - Ulric
   - Verena
   Acts of Faith
   -penance
   -punishment
   -sacrifice
   -service
   A Temple of Flesh
   - Abstinence
   - Mortification
   New Careers
   Tensions Between The Cults
   -theological differences
   -behavior
   -personal differences
   
   Chapter V: Other Gods
   
   -Gunndred
   -Handrich
   Foreign Gods In The Empire
   Dwarf, Elf, and Halfling Gods
   Gods and Monsters
   Outlawed Gods
   - Outlawed or Chaos?
   - Khaine
   - Other outlawed gods
   - False beliefs
   The Dark Gods
   
   Chapter VI:Festivals, Holy Days, and Rights of Passage
   
   The Imperial Calendar
   Holidays
   Rites of Passage
   - Pregnancy and fatherhood
   - Birth
   - Dooming
   - Quickening
   - Marriage
   - Divorce
   - Journeyman's Release
   - Soldier's Day
   A Sample Town's Year of Festivals
   
   Chapter VII: A Holy World
   
   Places of Worship
   - Shrines
   - Temples
   - Monasteries
   The Monastery of the Dark Maiden
   Holy Sites
   Pilgrimages
   The Road to Couronne
   
   Chapter VIII: The Life of A Priest
   
   To Be A Priest
   A Priest For Every Occasion
   Different Paths
   - Manann
   - Morr
   - Myrmidia
   - Ranald
   - Shallya
   - Sigmar
   - Taal and Rhya
   - Ulric
   - Verena
   - A wandering life
   The Laity
   I Need A Priest!
   
   Chapter IX: The Holy Warriors
   
   Crusades
   The Holy Orders
   - Knights of the White Wolf
   - The Black Guard
   - Knights of the Blazing Sun
   - Knights of the Everlasting Light
   - Longshanks
   - Knights Griffon
   - Sons of Manann
   - Other orders
   Templar Careers
   Hammers of Righteousness, Shields of Faith
   -new weaponry
   -new armor and clothing
   Men of God, Men of War
   
   Chapter X: Miracles
   
   The Book of Prayers
   Divine Magic
   Divine Lores
   The Wrath of the Gods
   Optional Rule: Mark of the Gods
   Relics
   
   Index
   
   (I only included the "-sub category" on an entry of the table of contents when I thought it could help to define it more specificly.)



2. I personally think that this book truly helps give new life to the world of Warhammer. Other books list gods and pantheons and what spells they get and stick to that. But this book gives you important holidays, gestures, minor local gods, people's feelings, different orders and radical beliefs, how other's see elder races's gods, etc. It actually gives you the means to show why religion is more than just a skill bonus or special power. These are gods who are prayed to when the people are troubled, who races and kingdoms go to war for, and who willingly (or unwillingly) die or be executed for. It shows once more Warhammer's dedication to a roleplaying game.
   
   And yes, there are still very, very cool new rules, careers, and spells and such. Very sweet book.



3. Classic RPG. I prefer this game to AD&D. Game mechanics are more simple which makes it quicker to learn. The career advancement is much more interesting and I like being able to build your characters statistics in a more intelligent manner. Unfortunately most people are sheep and unwilling to give most other games a chance. If more people who play AD&D would give this game a chance and play a few sessions of it, I know there would be less people playing AD&D.



4. Tome of salvation (ToS) offered me a great and in-depth insight into the mechanics of religion in the Warhammer Fantasy universe. ToS lets you understand why the inhabitants of the old world embrace religion and also has a very detailed section for each faith. Its very interesting and Iam very happy i purchased this title. I highly reccommend the ToS to experienced and hardcore readers of Warhammer Fantasy that crave for more knowledge about the old world.
   
   Overall, Illustraions are great and a great read - 5 stars.