1 comments about City of Peril (Dungeons & Dragons Accessory).

1. This set includes four great maps to use with the Dungeons and Dragons game and the D&D miniatures game. It also comes with a module detailing four scenarios (one of the best modules from the "fantastic locations" set). Still, the rules for miniatures combat in one of the maps (Thieves' quarter) requieres some special rules errata only avalible through Wizards' web site. This map in particular is a great setting of rooftops and streets but it has raised debate for those playing ranked tournaments in it. Still, if you're running city encounters, this is a great way to set up the confrontation.

3 comments about Magic: The Gathering -- Official Encyclopedia: The Complete Card Guide, Volume 5.

1. This book is an essential piece of work for the player who wants to know the newer cards. The cards which are coming nowdays are very complex and it is important that you have a reference so that you can get an idea of what you might be facing and to use this information to get ideas on how to stop or counter it.



2. Frustrated collectors have long valued these books as a way to see full-color reproductions of those cards they haven't acquired yet. Deckbuilders love the indexes found in the back of these books. As usual, the front pages have nice historical details on Magic as a whole, and each section has details on that particular set. Recommended highly.



3. Volume 5 covers Magic: The Gathering Starter Level Set for 2000, Mercadian Masques, Nemesis, and Prophecy. I wish the powers-that-be would get their act together and collect everything to date into a single volume. Instead, as usual, this volume only deals with expansions released since the previous volume of the encyclopedia.

   Before launching into the expansion chapters, the usual introductory material includes a Magic timeline, including the 'for beginners' decks (e.g. Portal), the basic sets, and the expansions. This volume has been padded a little with profiles of 3 of the artists, including some alternate sketches of various cards, e.g. Grim Elf of Vengeance, which was pulled from the Unglued set as *too* grim and vengeful for that expansion.

   Each set of cards covered in Volume 5, as usual, is provided with an introduction, describing any new twists added for that set (including new types of decks that came about as a result), and any famous (or infamous) cards in that set. (A blowup of the artwork of Lin Divvi, Defiant Hero appears in a sidebar for Nemesis, "This Rebel's Too Cool for School".) The introductions provide an informative overview (including descriptions of storylines that were added or updated by the release being described). (Volume 1's introductions were more entertaining, due to the much higher number of problem cards in earlier decks.)

   The individual cards for each set are listed in alphabetical order; they're shown at about 3/4 actual size. The versions of Magic that included those cards (at the time of printing) are specified, as well as any errata. The card lists' images are enough to hold the attention of even a casual collector, since the flavor text is legible and the artwork is printed well.

   After covering the individual sets, the book gives an overview of 1999 World Championship decks. Three pages near the end of the book discuss, respectively, Misprints & Oddities (such as the alpha-version Orcish Oriflamme with a casting cost of 1 rather than 3), Promotional Cards, and Playtest Cards. The book concludes with a "Deckbuilders Indexes" section, as in the earlier volumes of the Magic encyclopedia.

5 comments about Lords of Darkness (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Setting).

1. Truth be told, you probably have enough information in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting to pass through or conduct simple quests with regard to most of the evil groups of Faerun. All of the organizations in this book are mentioned, with varying detail, in the campaign. They are also described in Forgotten Realms novels, so if you have read a great deal of those, you might not need this accessory.

   If you want to get into real detail with the powers of darkness and haven't read that much fiction, then this is the book to have. Even if you have done your homework, there's quite a lot of original material in here. As an example, if you'd like to actually visit the City of Shade, Lord of Darkness contains a wealth of information about how you would describe it. The campaign provides more simple demographics and locations than in-depth detail, so this is most welcome. There are also new encounters, weapons, and spells for the organizations, as well as some pre-made dungeons to explore. Specific points of interest in lands held by the enemy are also noted, as well as details on particular leaders of each order.

   In all, every major evil organization is covered, as well as a host of lesser ones. Lords of Darkness has enough info about how they operate and what they look like to give a DM totally unacquainted with the FR setting the capability to correctly portray enemies and guide adventurers through enemy territory.




2. Wonderfully put together, beautiful maps of the bad guyz' hideouts you can use for anything, the organizations and details on the NPC's can likewise be used with other side treks, etc. I personally look forward to using the Cormanthor Drow Elves and the Cult of the Dragon in my campaign.



3. Good detail and a great number of organizations makes this a decent addition to anyone's FR library.



4. This is one of the FR books you should own. It's excellent, has lots of great prestige classes, depicts major and minor evil organizations in Faêrun, and also describes each organization's most important sites (with site maps and their respective keys, and NPCs). This is really useful, you can insert these sites in any adventure, in any geographical site in the realms, and build an adventure around it. Also, great spells and magic items. You won't regret buying this book, it's simply great!



5. This was a relatively good book, in terms of the FR accessories. Some of the art seemed half-assed (not bad, just rushed), but its the book's content that really shines through here. As a FR Dungeon Master, i had plans to incorporate some evil organizations from what i learned in the Book of Vile Darkness (BUY IT! It's the best D&D book to date), and this book helped a lot.Aside from giving me some solid info on the organizations and characters i had planned on using, it also gave me some ideas for the campaign and quests, among other things. My only big complaint? The PRICE. i didn't get it on Amazon, because i hate waiting for anything (i want everything yesterday, if possible), and it was 24 bucks. Jesus! For a 150-page paperback! Other than that, it's a great book, and a very useful one for FR.

3 comments about Fantastic Locations: Hellspike Prison (Dungeon & Dragons Roleplaying Game: Rules Supplements).

1. This is a premium product from Wizards, again showcasing the major changes since buying-out TSR. The packaging is great: shrinkwrapped, with an outer cardstock cover, great cover art by Francis Tsai; interior cardstock is a color repro of the four miniatures maps included in the module. As alluded to, the module also includes four full-color maps of Hellspike, printed on bonded, heavy gloss paper. These look good, and are great for use with miniatures and as a imagination booster. The text of the product is well-written, informative and interesting to read, with great, atmospheric B&W interior illustrations that borrow from the surrounding text (not just cool art that has nothng to do with the story, as in some old TSR works). A great bonus is a collection of encounters that can easily and creatively be combined by a DM into a short adventure; the encounters are designed for 9th Level PCs, but a good DM can adjust to allow for lower-level players. The text is a short 16 pages, but the maps are worth the additional four dollars (over a typical module cost of around ten bucks). I bought this at a hobby shop at 10% off; but it's discounted pretty steeply here at Amazon, and costs the same as a standard module. All told, a fun product. I run my own brand of D&D gaming, based off the 2nd Ed Rules (1989), with selected changes found in the new 2000+ (3.0, 3.5) rules. Works great all the way around. To run this accessory/module you must have a Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide. Players DON'T need to buy this, or similar products; let your DMs buy these things, and you'll enjoy the surprise of new discovery as you play in a 'Fantastic Location!' The Monster Manuals are pretty cool, but with some imagination you can make your own monsters, or download some cool critters free off the internet. There are a few Hellspike-specific monsters included in this product, but not enough to really play an adventure. PS: I don't work for WOTC; this is an honest review.



2. The adventure is not all that great but the mini maps are excellant and you can use them for just about anything. I run an Eberron game and needing a cave with some lava running through it makes a great place for a trek into Khyber to a fight for the hard to find Khyber Dragonshards.



3. Call me a throwback but I miss the days when TSR would at least try give you more bang for your buck. This set consists of nothing more than a 16 page book, poorly concieved and written, and two doublesided maps. There is nothing here that could not have been included in another set. Instead someone in marketing had the idea of squeezing even more money out of us clueless gamers- and so they did. I have maps. I have a monster manual. Therefor I didn't need any of this, especially not for this price. It simply makes more sense to convert second or even first edition modules to third and don't waste your time on this drivel.

5 comments about *OP Werewolf: The Apocalypse 2nd Ed (Werewolf).

1. The dark force known as the Wyrm stands poised to strike down all that is left good and decent upon Gaia, the Mother Earth. Now only the Garou, shapeshifting werewolves with mystical powers and deadly strength, can stand against their assault and prevent the Apocolypse. From the company that brought you Vampire: The Masquerade comes Werewolf: The Apocolypse, a storytelling RPG of the end times and the battle of survival. Play as a Garou from one of thirteen tribes who must battle against twisted, corrupted minions of the darkest force in existence, the Wyrm. Like Vampire, this game is based in the same World of Darkness that is a mirror of our own world. Unlike Vampire, Werewolf is a game of the brutal reality that the world is coming to an end. And with so few protectors left, will the Wyrm succeed in destroying everything?



2. Werewolf:TA is a great book, and adds alot to the World of Darkness. The Book is well written, and can hold its own next to Vampire:TM. The Systems of the Game work like in Vampire:TM, and people can smoothly go from Vampire:TM to Werewolf:TA without much problems...People may cry that the Garou(Werewolves) are too strong, but in fact they are only powerful in combat. Sure even a Elder Vampire could fall to a low ranking Garou, but a Vampire with a Discipline that allows mind control of a target can make the mightest of Garou fall before him. If you are looking for a Game that has bloody Combat and Great role-playing, this IS the book for you. I plain on giving out a few copies as gifts myself.



3. First, I'd like to say that Werewolf is a very well fleshed-out and detailed book. That being said, I will now justify why I gave it two stars. First, there's the Crinos form. In legend, werewolves (-tigers, -leopards, etc.) simply transformed into an animal...The whole idea of the "wolfman" was created for old movies when the special effects weren't good enough to effect a man-to-wolf transformation on screen. So the whole idea of the Crinos is really quaint and ridiculous. To say nothing of how powerful the Crinos form is... Second is the whole organization Werewolf society and symbolism. Although the werewolf comes from primarily European myths, werewolf society is organized into something akin to Sub-Saharan African tribalism. The werewolves are separated into tribes. (This idea also perpetuated the concept of splitting each supernatural species up into "clans","tribes," etc. which would continue ad nauseum for every World of Darkness game.) The werewolves also worship "Gaia," the great spirit of life and the Earth (who they serve primarily by killing things). I know that African cultures also had their werecreatures, but the combination of horrific monsters with primitive pantheism results in something not horrific at all. Lastly, and worst of all, is the combination of the werewolves' powers and their typical attitude toward other World of Darknes supernaturals. As a whole, they hate vampires, most mages, many wraiths, and sometimes changelings. Granted, it is indeed possible for other World of Darkness supernaturals to defeat werewolves. I don't believe that they're as overwhelmingly powerful as some have claimed. But the werewolves' first and foremost characteristic is their ability to transform into huge, stomping monsters, and their driving goal is to fight the "Wyrm," great spirit of evil. This is most often accomplished by ripping up evil monsters, usually including other supernaturals. The fact that werewolves are wired for combat together with the simple "good vs. bad" or "Gaia vs. Wyrm" plot makes for a very hack'n'slash and munchkinish game.



4. This has to be the most incredible book ever written... at least as far as rp books go. I spent some time playing Vampire and Changeling, but neither of those sucked me in and intrigued me like Werewolf does. There are those who bitch and moan about the werewolves being too powerful, and how they are not true to folklore and myth... as for the former: The Garou are MEANT to be the as-kickers of the world of darkness! It's that simple! THAT'S why any leech worth his corpse keeps his ass inside the city! Besides, who cares about historic accuracy? This is, quite frankly, much more interesting.



5. Of all the games which have been released about the WoD, this is the one which attracted me the most. The idea of playing a dying race which, rather than being defeated by big bad monsters, are being destroyed because of humans, really appeals to me. Granted, in the beginning storylines will be difficult to make( well, I struggled) once you make the first you'll love this game forever!

2 comments about Dice Changeling.

1. Woaw. This dice really are awesome.
   Nice, beautiful and so changeling.
   A must have for avid fans.



2. Unlike some of their previous creations, these dice are attractive and easy to read. Kudos. They also fit the color scheme of Changeling: The Lost nicely.

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).

3 comments about GURPS For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies)).

1. After having read the lackluster reviews of D&D for Dummies, I was a bit hesitant to purchase this title sans any exisiting reviews, however, I took the leap anyway, and was not dissapointed.
   
   The first thing you notice when you open the book is the great three-panel double sided pullout cheat sheet containing a ton of information that is invaluable to have at your fingertips during play! This alone is worth almost the cost of the book, and for new players gives them their options in a succint little package.
   
   The book basically appeals to two audiences: Players and Game Masters and the six sections of the book are divided amongst the two.
   
   PART ONE introduces GURPS and gives a player tips on how to come up with the foundation of a character, that is the concept and role the character will play in the story. This information is applicable to any role playing game, and the advice is clear and uncomplicated. This section continues on to describe how to use the GURPS rules as the building blocks of the character, not by teaching the rules or by repeating the rules (you need the GURPS books for that) but by telling you how the different elements work in the game and interact together. In other words, they tell you how to use the game mechanics to recreate what is in your imagination. Its almost like having an experienced player actually helping you through the process step by step, explaining what each thing in the rulebook REALLY MEANS and how it will REALLY WORK (or not work). You are told how high is high, and how low is low.
   
   PART TWO builds on Part One by going into more detail on magic, powers, technology, and non-humans. This section is basically a much deeper exploration of all the different ways the elements of the game (advantages, perks, talents, skills, etc) can be put together, and how each one works. The authors also provide insight on how to use the different game mechanics to achieve the vision you have for your character, and the possible ways to get there (as there is usually more than one).
   
   PART THREE gives solid advice on role playing, again, relevant to any RPG. Combat is explained, with very detailed information given to how different elements works together in combat and how combat flows in GURPS (which can be much different than other RPG's). I would have liked to have seen more information regarding the various reach ranges, because they can have a major affect on swords and sorcery type games. The combat chapter teaches you how to choose armor, what choices there are in combat and more importantly, why you would want to choose certain options, when and how to defend yourself, and how to make wise weapon choices. In fact, there is an excellent chart describing what the solid weapopn choices are for each character strength level. This is perfect for those countless times I have heard players say "What weapon should I choose?". There is a great section on how to solve common combat problems (too many opponents, can't penetrate armor, etc) and a section on how best to use healing magic. This section also describes good ways to keep track of all the information used in GURPS.
   
   PART FOUR is where the Game Mastering (GMing) section begins. This section and the next should be read by every GM, no matter what the game they run. I've been GMing and playing for almost 30 years, and I found the advice in this section and the next to be invaluable. Part Four describes how to be a GM, gives an EXCELLENT chapter on how to design an adventure with an example of how that would play out.
   
   PART FIVE describes how to build the campaign, that is the world, or epic, or whatever that will be the focus of why the story is, what the story is, and why are the players even creating characters to begin with. The advice is once again solid, and while there are references on how to use GURPS, as in Part Four, the information is applicable to any Role Playing Game/GM.
   
   PART SIX are three short chapters containing the authors' preferences for spending points, their top ten favorite advantages, and top ten favorite disadvantages. There was to be a chapter on the "10 skills no PC should be without" but it was apparently cut. Seeing the chapter released in electronic format would be a great addition to the book.
   
   Overall, this book is a "must have" for anyone even contemplating playing or running a GURPS game. New players will find the answers and help they need to bring their imagination to life, and old veterans will find an angle they hadn't thought of. The GMing section really could have been "Game Mastering for Dummies", because the tips and advice here go beyond what do do in GURPS. I wish I had seen this advice when I first started GMing oh-so-long-ago. This book should be considered the third of the core books (Characters and Campaigns being the first two) and is a book no gaming library should be without.



2. It's a great view of role playing in general. GURPS is already an easy system, and GURPS For Dummies makes it idiot proof. A must for folks playing or running GURPS games.



3. GURPS is already a great system, but the massive volume of data can easily overwhelm someone, especially if this is their first RPG. GURPS for Dummies provides the perspective needed to digest and begin taking advantage of this great system. Be aware that several important source books have been released since the publication of GURPS for Dummies, but the consistency of the GURPS rules don't significantly impact its effectiveness.

5 comments about Magic The Gathering Advanced Strategy Guide: For Advanced and Expert Magic Players.

1. I won't waste much typing on this review. The title says it all. With about 3 new Magic editions released since this book was published, don't waste a cent on this stinker (8th Edition due out in July 2003). It was great when first released, but thye need to get on the ball and write a new one.



2. I won't waste much typing on this review. The title says it all. With about 3 new Magic editions released since this book was published, don't waste a cent on this stinker (8th Edition due out in July 2003). It was great when first released, but thye need to get on the ball and write a new one.



3. This is one of the only real strategy guides for Magic that I could get my hands on when I was still starting out. Written by one of the great masters of the game, Tim Deopulos, the book gives instructions on the more advanced aspects of the game, including tournament formats, deck history, tips and tricks, and even bluffing advice. In my mind, it acts as mostly as an "advanced rulebook." However, it is now six years old. The game changed so much since Tempest was in Standard, which seems like ages to any Magic player now (Honestly, since when did you play Tempest Booster Draft?). This was even before the Sixth Edition rules upheaval, which tried to simplify the game not only for newcomers, but also for tournament players. Due to this large expansion of the games rules, this guide is now a relic of a forgotten time; when the Auratog deck was still considered a cool idea (I remind you that this is before Urza's Saga) and when Standard was still fresh out of infancy. So, in conclusion, it was a great buy way back when, but now it's just part of the discount section, along with the Homelands boosters and The Wheel of Time CCG.



4. When I was a serious tournament player I met Mark in Lincoln, Nebraska. Mark is a friendly, intelligent, and generous person. He's a great example of someone who found what he was meant to do in life. Mark is committed to the game and sharing his knowledge, which he demonstrated when I saw him in person. He also imparts his knowledge to fellow gamers in this well written book.
   
   Obviously, the book went out of date (in a sense) soon after it was published. However, it contains a treasure trove of knowledge for the serious player. Magic is about strategy first and tactics second. Of course the game will change as WOTC develops new cards and different rules. I particularly liked the rigorous way the book delineates how to create an effective tournament deck. Mark also gives great tips about how to analyze new cards (how will that ever go out of date?).
   
   I disagree with the foreward of the book - it states that anyone can become a great magic player with enough hard work. I've been around and I know that some people are naturally talented at Magic playing and will be better players than everyone else. However, using the book's advice will probably result in more wins for the committed student and player of Magic. econ



5. A very good book on Magic strategies, but keep in mind this book was made in 1998 when Stronghold first came out, so this information is a bit dated. Obviously this means that some of the strategies have long ago lost popularity, or have no bearing on the current set's strategies. Another problem, is that some of the individual card descriptions for the Stronghold set are wrong (ie Flowstone Hellion is not a flying creature!). But outside of that, Mark Justice is an excellent old-school Magic player and if you play with older cards, you should definately read through this book.

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.