5 comments about Unknown Armies (2nd Edition).

1. This game is well worth it, and that's putting it mildly.

   The game's mechanics are simple whether you play street, global, or cosmic, and the fact that you're not limited by JUST what's in the book as far at character types makes it take your creativity to a whole new level; the only limits here are those of your imagination, and what your GM will allow. Over all, the game strikes me as a combo of Mage; the Ascension, Call of Cthulu, with a healthy dose Jung,(the man, not the game:) thrown in.

   The trick here is that the simple game mechanics may not work for game players who come from "traditional" statistic laden systems that simply require a dice roll to solve most problems; players must think originally, creativly, and the game indulges you to go places that some folks may fear to tread, so it may not be for everyone. It'll be a grand and enjoyable challenge for both GM's as well as players.

   Myself, I like it a lot, as it challenges more than just a few traditional ideas about life, the universe and everything; be prepared to be changed by this game, if ye dare!!!




2. It isn't often that I can read an role-playing game cover to cover and find that the game is playable and it reads well. Unknown Armies, UA, is a fantastic game with ten gaming ideas for every paragraph.

   The system is a simple percentile system but the system is elegant, letting the player characters flip numbers under certain role-playing situations. It plays dramatic and fast.

   The combat chapter begins with ways to avoid a fight. Then it launches into the way combat works. Beautiful.

   Magick is brutal and extracts a price.

   The world is fun and has a captivating cosmology while still allowing the DM and the players to make some choices about how the world really works and the headlines of the paper are fine adventure fodder.

   I cannot stress enough how well written and fun this game is. I have both played and run it. Please pick it up and find out for yourself.

   The works of Tim Powers are where many of the metaphysical ideas of the game come from. Check out his novels if the game appeals to you.




3. If you're a roleplayer, and you're tired of the same-old stuff, give this a look. The first edition of Unknown Armies was good, but the 2nd edition is much improved--the elegant rules are somewhat simplified and easier to grasp now (and thereby more elegant). The book is organized more logically, and the writers provide much better information on how to run a campaign, giving this book a lot more direction.

   It's a very setting-specific game: It seems that the world we know is full of secrets, and when you start to learn of some of them, everything changes for you. That in itself isn't original, but the details often are. The "feel" of the game is that choices have consequences.

   The rules focus properly on role-playing over rolling dice. Character generation is fast and simple, with only 4 characteristics, and no definitive skill list (players can make up their own skills, subject to GM approval). Combat requires only two rolls per round: initiative and a single attack/damage roll--whether you hit and how much damage you do is resolved in the same roll. There are three different and fascinating systems of magic, all easy to use, believable within the context, and highly flexible. The "sanity" rules are an improvement over the already-good Call of Cthulhu rules.

   A comparison to Call of Cthulhu is apt--both Tynes and Stolze have written quite a lot of Call of Cthulhu material in the past, and it seems almost a cliche now that so many people who read this book immediately start to think of how to incorporate Call of Cthulhu into it. But while there are many correspondances, at their hearts, Unknown Armies and Call of Cthulhu are opposites, and merging them is a difficult (but worthy) task. CoC is about a nihilistic spiral into madness and death; Unkown Armies is about desire, hope, and what you'll do to get them--and the consequences of your actions. As dark as it can be, Unknown Armies is set in a human-centered world; CoC is set in an alien-centered world, in which human hopes are utterly irrelevant. Both are wonderful games.




4. Unknown Armies is the game that brought me back as a RPG enthuisiast. When the first edition of this game came along I had grown tired of the overly popular games such as Dungeons and Dragons and all the World of Darkness games. I read an online review of Unknown Armies and its intrigued me so much that I got the game. I read it over and instantly was drawn in. Unknown Armies seemlessly blends its setting and its system. Its truly a character driven game where the beliefs (obsessions and passions) of the characters can affect the outcome of the game and the success of dice roles. The modified percentile system that the game uses works great and stays in the background, not intruding the roleplaying and plot development. Tynes and Stolze created a unique cosmology that sets UA a head above the rest of the modern occult, horror, and conspiracy games that are out there. The 2nd Edition of the game corrects a couple of bumps in the system such as spending experience points. More importantly the 2nd Edition sets the framework for very exciting and interesting UA campaigns. This is the best modern setting RPG out there and I am serious in saying that it has the potential for being the best paper-and-pencil RPG. I hate to use the words "instant classic", since that is such an oxymoron, but this definitely will be a classic of RPGs.



5. This is one of the most fun RPGs I've had the pleasure of GM'ing. It's dark, fun, sometimes humorous, and overall a blast to play.

4 comments about Lancea Sanctum (Vampire: The Requiem).

1. This book details the covenant Lancea Sanctum- its history, the reasons why Kindred join it, the roles of the clans in the covenant, how one joins, its relation to other factions in the World of Darkness, and various in-covenant factions, bloodlines, and heresies.
   
   I actually delayed buying this book because of the heavily Christian flavor to the book, so I was very surprised when I actually went to my local game store and thumbed through the book. It presents a truly diverse and changing (as much as anything Kindred-related can be "changing") covenant with as many iterations as their are Bishophrics (essentially parishes, each city or area with a different one.)
   
   Get this book even if you are turned off by the apparent Christian flavor of the book. You won't be disappointed- there is something in this book for every player or storyteller.



2. I am a member of the Camarilla and that is why I only gave it three stars, for none camarilla members I would give it four.
   First of all, the book is wonderful for making a character for the sanctum or running a campaign around it. I was a little disappointed with the Theban sorcery section, white wolf behind well white wolf decided against putting the Theban Sorcery rituals from nomads and coteries in it so the chapter really isn't complete. White wolf cares to damn much about money and not enough about gaming, but to be fair that greed is how the new system came about and it is far superior for player versus player style games. The reason I lowered a star is that all the good rituals past two dots are high approval for camarilla games, and that urks me.
   The Bloodlines in this book are horrible. The Ventrue bloodline is decent but its extra discipline is no fun. The Meket get a blood line that should be a flaw in and of itself and the other three clans get to piggy back on the Davea line that although the Davea are the parent clan anyone can join.
   Skimping on the cheese aside, this books does have an extremely good insight into the inter workings and view points of the Lancea sanctum, and if you would enjoy a view into those working this is a good book for you. If you are the type that wants new bloodlines and extra cheese you may be disappointed by this book.
   Also the artwork in this book is awesome in my mind.
   Oh and before I forget I would like to send a message to white wolf because I am sure someone from the group looks at these review; PUT A FREAKING INDEX IN YOUR SUPPLEMENT BOOKS, YOU CHARGE ENOUGH FOR THEM YOU CAN AFFORD THE EXTRY THREE OR FOUR SHEETS OF PAPER YOU CHEAP CHILDREN OF UNWED PARENTS!!!!!



3. Lancea Sanctum presents the religious Covenant of vampires dedicated to preying on humanity and fulfilling the role God has chosen for them. A lot of detail is presented on the structure of the Lancea Sanctum, from the role a typical ancillae plays to how the Covenant relates to other World of Darkness entities. Factions, Bloodlines, Disciplines, and new Thebean Sorcery rituals are included to add mechanical support to this broad take on one of the oldest vampiric organizations.
   
   Unfortunately, Lancea Sanctum speaks far too much in vague generalities and adds little new and interesting material to this Covenant. The rites, prayers, and roles observed by members are simplistic modifications of existing church roles that any Storyteller could easily invent. The history of the Covenant starts out interesting, but quickly degrades into a historical survey of questionable use. Finally, the new game mechanics (Bloodlines, Disciplines, etc.) are sparse and largely flavorless.



4. LANCEA SANCTUM is a sourcebook for the roleplaying game VAMPIRE: THE REQUIEM by White Wolf. It is meant for both players and storytellers, to provide information on the vampire covenant and religion, the Lancea Sanctum. The covenant is one of the most important groupings in VAMPIRE: THE REQUIEM, because membership reflects a philosophical choice by the characters rather than the vagaries of circumstance. Of all the covenants, the Lancea Sanctum maybe the most important because it will likely be the first the characters encounter and the most different from their initial impression.
   
   Many, if not most, players will have played the introductory scenario "Mary's Childe" and the Lancea Sanctum is an integral part of that scenario. It is also likely to be misunderstood; the Lancea Sanctum borrows heavily from Catholic imagery and rituals, but demands that its adherents admit their damnation and act accordingly. It is a vampire religion, that worships God by putting the fear of Him into mankind. A book like LANCEA SANCTUM provides useful information to both players and storytellers on this misunderstood but pervasive group.
   
   The introductory fiction for LANCEA SANCTUM is very interesting - the paper is very distinctive, meant to resemble vellum (I think), and the font is made to resemble illuminated script. It also does an excellent job of setting the mood for the covenant; religious fanaticism and monstrous power. The first chapter describes the history of the covenant, specifically its founding and spread throughout the world. Of course, it is written from the perspective of the covenant itself, which gives each covenant book its own flavor and allows competing history with no "canon" that must be followed.
   
   The second chapter is a large one and deals with night-to-night unlife in the covenant. I felt that this is one of the most useful aspects of the VAMPIRE supplements. What motivates an undead monster? What do they do to fill their time? What do they believe in? Thinking about these questions seaprates the roleplaying of a vampire and roleplaying a superhero who gets bad sunburn. LANCEA SANCTUM dewcribes the contents of the vampire religion's holy book, "The Testament of Longinus", the different creeds that define denominations within the Lancea Sanctum, offices, titles, and positions within the covenant, and how each clan can serve within the covenant. It also lists rites, rituals, and holy days for the Lancea Sanctum (which if nothing else, give the PCs the sense that there is something going on in the world besides their personal issues).
   
   The third chapter describes how vampires relate to each other within the covenant; how new vampires are recruited and inducted, and how neonates, ancillae, and elders serve the religion. The following chapters describe factions (which one might expect, given the splintering of real-world religions), bloodlines (which aren't spectacular), bloodline disciplines, Theban Sorcery rituals, and sample characters. The Theban Sorcery section is very interesting, as it suggests that new rituals are hidden throughout the world, and that understanding of the symbolism is provided when the need arises. It's an interesting interpretation.
   
   Overall, I thought LANCEA SANCTUM to be the most useful of the covenant books, in that it described something that is difficult to generalize from human experience (vampire religion) but that has specific and well-known attributes (dogma, rituals, holy days, etc.) Every PC will probably encounter the Lancea Sanctum as a backdrop of midnight masses and vampire evangelists. PCs don't even have to belong to the covenant to go to a mass, which allows even greater exposure to the material in this book.
   
   The only real downside to LANCEA SANCTUM is how closely it apes Christianity and historical development. Besides the main Lancea Sanctum denomination, which models Catholicism, there is an Anglican branch, a Baptist branch, and "Unitarian" branch, a Jewish branch, and an Islamic branch. Why not just have competing covenants based on Judaism and Islam, instead of shoehorning them into the "religious" covenant? Why would vampires reinvent Anglicanism? Also, the "Testament of Longinus" is clearly modeled after the New Testament, with gospels, apostolic acts, epistles, and an apocalypse. It comes across as parody rather than convergent evolution. However, these points don't detract too heavily from a great roleplaying supplement.

5 comments about Ghouls (Vampire The Requiem - World Of Darkness - WOD).

1. This book is a great supliment for Vampire: The Requiem. It includes creation rules for starting ghoul characters in a World of Darkness chronicle.
   
   This book is a must for V:tR fans. There are many interesting supliments to ghoul characters, including ghoul family lines (much like vampire bloodlines), and even ghouled flora and fauna.



2. This is a very interesting, informative and entertaining read on ghouls. Especially good are the sections on ghoul families (expanded upon in the covenant books) and how to create/maintain a ghoul character.
   
   Recommended, even if it's a pretty specific subject matter.



3. Ghouls is a supplement for playing the daylight servitors, bodyguards, street informers, thugs and muscle of immortal vampires. Usually a vampire needs servants that can operate during the day, providing eyes and ears to the goings on of the mortal daylight world. However, being that vampire blood is highly addictive and carries with it mystical properties, playing these characters poses great role playing challenges to any troupe or chronicle. Overall, I'm glad to say that Ghouls is an excellent sourcebook on including ghouls in a chronicle that addresses most of the aspects of ghouls that Storytellers might be concerned with, and a few they might not have thought of before.
   
   The introduction of the book, as you might expect, gives an overview of what Ghouls contains. I found it odd that two paragraphs are devoted to explaining the World of Darkness, as though Ghouls might be someone's first WoD book. Also, in a section entitled "Ghoul Myth and Fact," which is said to be a "summary of the basic facts of ghouls existence," the author appears to be working from notes from the original WoD, as according to this section drinking three times from a vampire automatically makes someone a thrall, making no mention of how it is still possible (with good dice rolls) for someone to resist the Vinculum. Being in the primer on what it is to be a ghoul this mistake stands out quite a bit.
   
   The first chapter of the book discusses how it is a person becomes a ghoul, how disciplines work for ghouls, the way the various clans and covenants look at ghouls, and gives a look at animal ghouls, plant ghouls, and ghoul families. Consisting of 50 pages, this chapter is very, very good-except for the first 11 pages, which were so bad I had to put the book down every page or two, and seriously considered asking someone else to review the book, fearing the rest of the book would be like this.
   
   These 11 pages, covering what it is like to become a ghoul, how disciplines work for them, and how the clans see ghouls, do have a few nice bits. Mention is made of how ghouls feel real emotions, unlike the hollow echos that vampires have-a nice idea from the rulebook that I haven't seen addressed in any other supplement. And the threat of disease being transferred to a ghoul from a master is handled well, and little bits (such as how the temperature of a vampire's blood is cooler than a human's) can easily add to a chronicle's atmosphere.
   
   The second chapter concerns the creation of a ghoul character. New merits and derangements are included here, as well as rules on exactly how Disciplines use by ghouls differs from that of their vampire masters. One thing different from the Vampire rulebook is that here ghouls start with two points in Disciplines, to reflect characters created with the rules here are to be more experienced beings.
   
   Some space is devoted to explain the ghoul life, combining role-playing advice with the rules system that ghouls work from, and it's entertaining and helpful read. Even such things as the limits to enhanced vitality that come from ghouldom are covered, with explanation of how disease affects a ghoul; those thinking ghouldom is a cure to their physical ailments will be in for a shock.
   
   The subject of ghoul bloodlines is then covered. A portion of the section is devoted to the game system for both conception and maintaining a ghoul pregnancy. On the one hand, I like this being here so that once a Storyteller decides to allow players to try and create a bloodline there is an impartial rules system for these things to occur. On the other hand I crack up every time as I read over the charts and imagine telling a player "Well, you did synchronize your attempts at conception with her ovulation cycle, but she has the Protean discipline, so you end up getting no bonus dice on this conception roll."
   
   Further detail is given on the five ghoul families mentioned earlier, and each family has its own unique weakness and strength, such as reduced experience costs for certain merits or a mandatory derangement. I had a few minor quibbles with these descriptions, such as the Alley Men existing in large numbers as to be found worldwide, given the problems in ghoul procreation, and the Crassus are mentioned to have some choice in who their undead masters are, which goes against their earlier portrayal as slaves without rights to those Kindred who get to own them.
   
   The chapter rounds out with a little more on animal ghouls and lacrima, with rules given on how each clan's plant ghouls produce a different type of lacrima. It's interesting, but still doesn't do enough for me to be impressed by the plant ghouls.
   
   The third chapter of the book is devoted to storytelling ghouls. Covering such topics as the nifty things ghouls can do during the day for their masters and how to properly roleplay the Vinculum, as well as ways Storytellers can work ghouls into their campaign in ways other than having their players' vampires using them, this section is another excellent read, even if the idea does come up at one point that all ghouls voluntarily choose their state.
   
   The fourth chapter of the book has some ghouls a Storyteller can drop into their campaign. The problem of how to assign dots in the Retainer Merit based on how powerful a ghoul is brought up, but sadly is answered with the reader being told that no game mechanic exists to quantify it. You can tell me all the dice pool modifiers that can apply to trying to get a ghoul pregnant, you can't set up a rules system for this?
   
   
   The last chapter covers creating ghoul families, formulating a background to them, their unique flaws, how they might be structured, etc. This section wasn't as interesting to me as the previous chapters in the book, and I found myself flying through it as I read.
   
   I would like to comment on the art of the book. Other than the cover I felt the artwork of the book was of a consistently high standard, keeping in tune with the subject material and being consistently well-done throughout.
   
   All in all, I think Ghouls is an excellent addition to the World of Darkness. It gives a lot of useful advice, both rules-wise and setting-wise, and after reading it I feel very comfortable allowing my players to have ghouls in my chronicle.



4. I have often thought that the VAMPIRE lines can lapse into treating the stars (the vampires) as humans with super abilities and a few tough super vulnerabilities. Ghouls, that is the human blood slaves of vampires (think Renfield serving his master), serve as excellent foils for the inhumanity of vampires. The mistreated ghoul, the mentally abused ghoul, the tortured and mutilated ghoul bring into sharp relief the fact that vampires are no longer part of humanity. Just as people have few qualms about the suffering of lower life, so too vampires use people as servants, blood donors, and as one-sided relationships to staisfy whatever lingering human needs a vampire still experiences.
   
   Make no mistake, there's some really debased content in this book. It describes how vampires interact with and treat their blood-servants, which includes torture, mutilation, emotional sexual and physical abuse, and any other kind of messed up abuse you can imagine. I think the authors successfully portray the ghouls as victims so that the readers identify with the ghoul's suffering rather than the vampire's power trip.
   
   The core-book explains the mechanics of a vampire making a ghoul, but GHOULS also describes how to make ghoul characters. The idea of playing a ghouls game is an interesting one. There's also plenty of information on how the different covenants and clans view and treat ghouls, how to make bloodlines of ghouls, and how to play games using ghoul characters. There is also information on creating ghouls of animals or plants (!)
   
   So, I found this to be a very interesting supplement. Beyond the role-playing aspect of creating ghouls in-game, there is also playing a game where some or all are ghouls. I had never given it much thought before, but playing ghoul characters seemed like an interesting twist on the game (and this part is very well documented). All the parts on mistreatment of ghouls seems very useful to me in portraying the vile depths to which vampires regularly sink. Vampires seem much more monstrous to me now than before I read GHOULS.



5. It is not the most necessary book in the V:tR series but it does show Kindred in a much darker light and gives much more details about ghouls.

5 comments about Enemies and Allies (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. I was excited at the prospect of getting this book but when I opened it, I was dissapointed by its contents. I was expecting rules and guidelines as to how to create balanced and proper NPCs but rather I saw a lot of missmatched classes, especially with the "monster" types like Mindflayer Assassin (huh?). In short, I was expecting a lot from this material, hoping this would help me create NPC's (enemies or allies) using sound guidelines but rather the entire booklet is just full of silly and ridiculous samples.

   If you're not feeling creative, then this might help you. But, if you need to make a perfect villain or ally in your campaign, then stick with your own imagination and it might save you a few bucks!




2. I've been playing D&D now for about 14 years, off and on. When I started getting interested in the 3rd edition, I bought the ENEMIES & ALLIES book on Ebay with the thought in mind that since it was new, I could get it for a reaosonable price and sell it here on Amazon.com if I did not really like it. After flipping through the book, then later reading over it, my first impression was that it was basically "AD&D's The Heroes Lorebook" or "AD&D Dragonlance's Unsung Heroes" remade for the third edition campaign. Not so. It provides TEMPLATES as well as INDIVIDUAL non-playing characters who can easily be modified to your campaign and dropped into the setting. I have decided to keep the book because it provides me with interesting suggestions for characters that I can use to interact with my player's characters within the game. Also, the artwork is excellent and the written content is interesting and amusing enough to hold attention while you read - which I find to be a huge merit. It's a good tool to have on hand, and a useful addition to your trove of 1e, 2e, and 3e D&D books. :)



3. I expected the suppliment to be a good resource to MAKE NPC's...instead, much if it is hashed together people that I wouldn't put in any of my campaigns even if I was desperate enough!!

   And a little pet peeve of mine; whenever I open a book, I expect at least DECENT pictures that portray the characters (like in Forgotten Realms...well, not all of them) or at least a caption telling me what's in the picture. Okay, I can see the "Iconic Character" NPC's in the back, like Lidda and Krusk and can identify them, but the rest...some I had to guess who was who (The Circle of Green being a prime example...i'm still trying to figure out which female is which).

   And, I know this is a "Basic" suppliment, but was the budget for the book artwork that bad?? Looks like the "Iconic Characters" chapter blew the budget, while the rest are hardly recognizeable. And why the small ammount of pictures? The Iconic Characters would've been worth it for the pictures alone; seems they shafted the Elves, Half-Elves and two of the three "Religious" characters for the others. The others...from passable to pure...pure...you get the point.

   Only buy if your desperate...




4. I read this book and couldn't help but chuckle a bit. Being a long time fan of RPGs (D&D 1e-3e, Paladium games, Shadowrun, Gurps, Warhammer, WoD..) I read this book with a cynical feeling of "well duh!"

   I think most of the DMs that are up to buying this book (ie: Have all the other required tools for the job) should most likely NOT need this resource. It spells out some NPCs for you that really didn't need spelling out, and takes away what little creativity the module-only DM had left.

   Personally I am not a module-bible DM, and use them only from time to time as a jumping off point, but the utter lack of originality that would send someone out looking for this title absolutely blows my mind... I pitty their gamers.




5. NPC books are a common find in roleplaying games - from Advanced Dungeons and Dragons to Shadowrun, practically every RPG has released them for their systems. Because of this, consumers tend to expect one or more of the following in such a sourcebook: extremely interesting premade NPCs, rules/mechanics for creating new NPCs, and statistics for established (read: popular) NPCs. Enemies and Allies has all three of these aspects, but doesn't do any of them well. For example...
   
   - Premade NPCS. The first fifty pages are devoted to presenting premade NPCs in two formats: "typicals" are generic archetypes of that group and "specifics" are named members with their own personalities. The archetypes lack any sort of "sliding scale" mechanism that would make them useful beyond their presented CR (level) - a burglar is always a CR 2 rogue unless you take out your PHB and DMG and figure out what new skills and stats they would have at CR 5 (what's the point of having pre-made NPCs if you still have to do a lot of work to make them useful?). "Specific" NPCs are more useful and have adventuring hooks, but the vast majority simply didn't capture my imagination in the slightest.
   
   - Mechanics for creating new NPCS. The supplement has a page and a half devoted to rules for creating "The 1-Minute NPC" and that is exactly what you get - a few skimpy tables that will result in one-dimensional NPCs that don't have most of their statistics attached. This product could have provided a million more options for better NPC creation (even if it wanted to stay in the 1 minute format), but in the end we get next to nothing.
   
   - Established NPC statistics. This book contains the stats for all of the "iconic" characters in the Dungeons and Dragons books. Who are the iconic characters? Those are the class "examples" drawn into all of the core D&D products (at least one for each of the core classes). Want to know what skills Lidda the Rogue or Tordek the Dwarf Fighter have? They're in this book! Plus, their skills are presented at every five levels (5,10,15,20) in a sliding scale that was ignored with the previous NPCs. There's no other background information on these characters, however - no personality traits, history, or ideas as to what motivates them. Because of this, the "iconics" remain icons rather than functional characters that can be used in a game.
   
   In the end, this book was not worth purchasing and wasted a great deal of its potential.

5 comments about WoD Changing Breeds (The World of Darkness).

1. Overall I was pleased with this book. The content is well organized and it was interesting to see what white wolf did with the various changing breeds and integrating them into the nwod.
   
   I was pleased with the new format for creating the changing breeds and the inclusion of so many of the breeds in one book. I had honestly expected there to be less breeds in the book but I was pleased that there were a fair amount contained within.
   
   You'll find good writeups on the bastet, gurahl, ananasi, nuwishi, and others. The weretigers have better stats now than the werelions, but that's just a problem because I prefer playing werelions. However, I will say that I think this book is a definite improvement on stats and mechanics from the previous edtion.
   
   I do have a pet peeve with white wolf over the lack of a character sheet in the book. This isn't so much of an issue for me right now because I'm creating npcs to interact with the characters and it's easy enough to use the npc stat block for that purpose. It is however annoying when the gm is dealing with a group of players who are new to the nwod and wod in general. It's just nice to have that character sheet there to help them through the learning process.
   
   As of this writing I was told by white wolf customer service that the basic nwod character sheet will have to do. Hopefully the exclusion of character sheets in their products is not a trend being set, as I think this is a bad decision.
   
   To me, a character sheet is a basic element that should be included in a book where characters can and probably will want to create characters.



2. I'll confess, I was fully prepared to dislike the bejeezus out of this book. I'm not a big fan of the expanded archetypes concept (though I do think Werewolf: the Forsaken is a brilliant game on its own merits), but given the sheer importance of the idea, or at least the potential importance, I decided to give its presentation a chance.
   
   And... I didn't hate it. *gasp!*
   
   Don't get me wrong; I didn't come off reading this book a changed man in the core regard. I still don't like the expanded archetype model (especially not for the new Werewolf, as a setting), but if it was going to be done -- and let's face facts, it was *going* to get done -- then this was a noble effort at doing it well, or at least fixing some of the mistakes of the version produced for Revised.
   
   If you're thinking of running a changing breeds game, give it a look. If you're not, you should probably take a pass, as there's nothing in here for you. If you're all but settled on the idea that you *are* running this material, then (and only then) is this potentially worth the buy. But at least I can say that there is a situation where it's worth buying. And I'm always happy to relate that fact loudly whenever I can.



3. Were-wolves, were-boars, were-eagles... African witches who take the shape of hyenas and leopards, clever tricksters like Coyote, men who swim with sharks and crocodiles, the centaur and satyrs of Greek myth. This book takes the nigh universal concept of shapeshifters of every stripe and runs wild with it (pun intended). It is most assuredly not a supplement for Werewolf: the Forsaken, but it does share some thematic elements with that game. Of course, you could just as easily use it to come up with ALTERNATIVE werewolves. Or even RIVALS to the Uratha if you desire. What sets it apart from other books, like 'Skinchangers' or the material from the end of 'War Against the Pure' is that it has rules for entire societies of creatures that aren't Werewolves, and indeed may even interact with each other.
   
   The book gives some basic rules for running Changing Breeds, basically presenting them as humans who were... changed by feeling the pulsing, primal heart of nature awaken within their soul. The book gives some broad overviews of how Changing Breeds interact with each other, animals of their species, mortals and even other supernaturals. There is a very strong theme of man vs. nature, with some strong environmentalist and New Age elements thrown in, so if that sort of thing annoys you, you might want to ignore this book (or skip over the culture sections). But really, the material in the book is broad enough and full of alternative possibilities that you can use it to run anything from remote jungle jaguar tribes in the Amazon basin to gangs of urban street dogs in the inner city to even foxes and cat girls within the 'furry' subculture. And yes, I DO find the latter example silly, and probably wouldn't involve it in my games. But thats just me; whatever floats your boat I guess.
   
   Mechanically, the Ferals are all more or less designed along the same base. Much like Werewolves (and spirits) they have Harmony as their 'morality stat,' along with Essence (spiritual power), Feral Heart (their 'power stat' which limits how they can use Essence), shapeshifting which triggers the Delusion and gives physical benefits, and even vulnerability to silver. They also have a form of status called Respect, which is similar to Werewolf's Renown. And furthermore, they also have Accords... sort of castes like the Sun-Chaser (tricksters), Wind-Runner (shaman) and Heart-Ripper (warrior). Again, this is similar to Werewolf's Auspices, but a little more broad. A Heart-Ripper can be anything from a savage man-eater to a passionate seductress, for example. But what sets Ferals apart is that they have a whole bunch of animal themed powers and tricks, as well as some new Merits, designed so that you can create any sort of animal-man hybrid that you could ever want. Want your creature to have venom, or breath underwater? Sure. There are even special surprises for 'trickster' themed creatures in the spirit of Reynard the Fox, Br'er Rabbit, Anansi or Raven.
   
   The remainder of the book is really dedicated to a bunch of pre-written Breeds, societies of shapeshifters that have developed around a particular species or type of animal, along with some guidelines for creating your own Breeds. Most are regionally or culturally specific, in no small part because some draw on local folklore, but also because it wouldn't make sense to have them run around all over the place being too common. Leopard men are spooky in the heart of the Congo, less so in downtown New York. The great part is, you'll certainly get some usage out of these, whether you allow them as selections for players in your game, decide to involve them as NPCs, or simply use them as inspiration for creating a Changing Breed more appropriate to your game. Its a pretty good bestiary.
   
   So... what sort of critters can you expect to find here? Some will be familiar to fans of the old changing breeds of Werewolf: the Apocalypse, re-imagined for the new World of Darkness (and often made much cooler). Others are brand spanking new. They have the Bastet, or were-cats, which include the Rajanya were-tigers of India, Balam jaguar gods of Central America and the clever Qual'ma Ni lynx shaman. The Royal Apes include the Hanuman Brahmins of India, Sun Wukong martial artists of China and witch apes of West Africa. There are were-hyenas, were-dogs and even the vargr (an alternate take on werewolves) who run with the Pack, elk men and centaurs (yes, centaurs!), were-bears and the web-spinning were-spiders. There are also Land Titans, the were-elephants and were-rhinos of Africa, India and Southeast Asia. And the ever Gothic were-ravens, Aztec hummingbirds, were-bats, warrior eagles and occult Strigoi owls. My personal favorites were the Laughing Strangers... tricksters who take the shape of foxes, raccoons, hares, possums and the like. The last few pages even mentioning obscure 'shadow breeds' like the Satanic goat-folk, dolphin changers, were-crocodiles and even shapeshifters who become swarms of insects!
   
   Theres more than enough material here for any game that details shapeshifters, whether the exotic beasts of non-western legend or even alternate takes on werewolves. While it certainly can stand up on it's own merits, this book works VERY well when used in conjunction with the material published in 'Skinchangers,' already a diverse exploration of shape-shifters, in addition to the stuff from the back of 'War Against the Pure.' Still, either way, its well worth the buy in my opinion. I also greatly appreciated the fact that the authors mentioned artists like Azam Ali, Dead Can Dance and Emilie Autumn under 'Recommended Listening' in the intro... Its almost like they looked at my iPod or something. Very ironic, but cool. :-D



4. I was really surprised with this as its actually very good. Gives lots of interesting character shape changer options. It worked for me, anyway.



5. New World of Darkness pulled me in again where the Old World of Darkness couldn't. In combining that old splats for alternate were creatures into a single volume and giving rules for creating your own, White Wolf eliminates the need to own about ten or so books to run whatever were you like.
   
   As with Changeling: the Lost, there are typos, and I can mostly make it what is intended. The single star lost is for those typos where I can't figure out what the authors intended and for the inexplicable changes in font size in the middle of a description. Well, that and presenting organizations as breeds. I'm all for having organizations, but they should be entities unto themselves.
   
   This book really makes me want to play or run a were adventure.

No comments about Pathfinder #11 Curse Of The Crimson Throne: Skeletons Of Scarwall (Pathfinder; Adventure Path).

5 comments about Myst: The Book of D'Ni.

1. I read this book at a very young age, probably around eleven or twelve, and it has stuck with me ever since. I've probably read it about twice. The hardcover edition is amazing, with fully designed pages and everything, it really helps the enviroment of MYST sink in. Summaries of what happens in this books are in other reviews, so I wont bother with that here.

   Out of all the other MYST books, I always thought that this one was a best one... But it is unlike the other two in subject matter and basic concepts. At it's heart is a "what price will you pay for perfection? and would you throw it away if you had to?" sort of story that might be a little heavy handed... But if you enjoy the videogames a lot (and this was before Riven) then you'll love this one. Locations and things described in this book have stuck with me for the last six years.




2. Though I enjoyed reading, Myst: The Book of D'Ni, there are a number of problems with the story. The book itself is rather pretty physically, with gray parchment-like paper and embossed cover. It is well written in the general sense of being easy to read, having good dialogue, and a smooth flow throughout. The main problem with the book is that not much happens in the first two-thirds of it. Not until then does the primary crisis of the book appear. Prior to this there are a few minor challenges and even the death of a colleague. But the death is treated rather cursorily and the poor person makes his exit from the story without much memory of him afterward. When the crisis does come it isn't all that unique and Atrus, the main character, never seems to be in serious peril through most of it. The one or two points at which he, and his party, seem in danger of their lives the authors let them off the hook rather too easily. Those might not seem criticisms at all to some. David Gerrold's advice to writers in, Worlds of Wonder, is appropriate here: "[challenges/crises] require that the person at the core of the story grow teeth big enough to chew [them]." That is also how the reader grows. Atrus never really seems to have problems big enough to be interesting, or worthy of stretching his abilities to the utmost, until the end of the story. Even then the situation never really feels out-of-control - partly due to the fact that the crisis is somewhat of an overused device with the rather predictable "surprise" setbacks. I don't mean to be too harsh. The characters are likeable, and sometimes memorable. If you are interested in light reading, I could easily recommend this book.



3. Not usually a fan of video games, I was at first reluctant to read this book. However, I'm glad I did. It is a beautiful story, involving moving themes and wonderful insites into civil rights issues. Both well written and well paced, the book ranks as one of the best I've ever read, along with Tehanu (Ursula LeGuin) and The Time Traveller's Wife (Audrey Niffenger). It shows a stroke of brilliance not demonstrated in either of the other two books before it, so if you could not stomache the second (as I couldn't), still read this one.



4. Before I got down to reading this book not too long ago, it had been just sitting in my bookshelf. I've owned all three Myst novels for however long they've been out and while I read the other two years ago, I never touched this one. I think the description on the back cover threw me off. Maybe it just didn't sound interesting to me. I don't know. What I do know is that I really shouldn't have passed it off all this time because as I discovered when I finally did read it, there was an adventure lying in wait that I had been missing out on the whole time.
   
   Yes, I guess you could say the plot starts off slow (or is non-existent in the beginning). The same could be said in The Book of Ti'ana (my personal favorite of the three). But quite honestly, I never felt it. I have a great love for everything Myst, and so from the first page, I was in it for the duration, regardless of how dull it was. It really does get good, though. They return to D'ni and begin exploring the Ages within recovered books. This in itself is quite the adventure, since the possibilities are endless. And then, once they discover Terahnee.... well, let me just say it only gets better from there.
   
   This novel is an adventure, and I'd highly encourage anyone interested in reading this book to do so.



5. With the title "The Book of D'ni" and the last book, "The Book of Ti'ana", I half expected them to go even further back in D'ni's history. Maybe a story about the inception of D'ni! Which, that would be a great tale in itself. Despite this expectation, and not getting it, this still ended up being, probably, my favorite in the trilogy. "The Book of D'ni" picks up where "The Book of Atrus" leaves off and brings us into a world of struggle, rebuilding, and astonishing beauty.
   
   I will make this an uncommonly brief review because this book just grabbed me at every turn I do not want to give away much of anything. Basically Atrus has learned a great deal more about D'ni and its writings. With some natives from other ages he's seeking to, essentially, rebuild D'ni to its former glory, much like his father Gehn was trying to do, rather unsuccessfully by himself. While they were clearing away debris in one area they uncovered a sealed library that must've been there about as long as D'ni has. He had people look through them to see if any of the Ages seemed stable and decided to go visit one. I'm going to leave it there, the mystery and beauty will give away far too much of the story line.
   
   I think readers will be very pleased with this book because it is everything we love about Myst. It has the beautiful worlds, the mysterious intrigue, everything we could possibly want! At this point I could only hope that this would be a continued novel series, but as I write this in June, 2008, that doesn't seem to be the case. A "Book of Miriam" was supposed to be in the works and we got a taste of a first part in the Limited Edition version of Myst V: The End of Ages. So the series was intended to continue! Unfortunately I recently found that "The Book of Miriam" has been pulled and it will not be released. I can only relay how dismayed I am and I will still hold out hope that someone will pick it up and eventually publish the book. With the success Blizzard's video games have had in the world of novels, why can't Myst, a game about books, maintain a solid foothold for the reading public. These three books are held in very high acclaim by readers and fans, so it only seems prudent to me that one should continue with this amazing storyline. That's my piece, if you're already a Myst fan I do not think this book will disappoint in the least.

5 comments about D20 Weapons Locker (d20 Campaigns: d20 Modern).

1. In reading about one weapon i found it contained numerous innaccuracies. If i had time to read more and if the authors data continued as it did for the M-134 it would have about the same use for this as a comic book. As a guy who maintains and operates the M-134 "minigun" i found the info he supplied laughable.



2. 
   Oh yeah. Guns. Guns. More Guns.
   
   You gotta love it!
   
   What I liked most about this book is the fact that it provided context for the guns. Need to know what type of rifle a Chinese army regular carries? How 'bout an FBI special agent's sidearm? And what does a Serbian anti-tank specialst lug around? Sidearms, rifles, sniper rilfes, submachine guns, machine guns, anti-materiel rifles and grenade launchers (I think I got it all).
   
   This book has everything you need and context for all of it.
   
   It will add a dose of realism and flavor to your campaign.
   
   I highly recommended you purchase this product.



3. Look at it this way -- I don't even play D20 Modern and I bought this book. There's a wealth of information on numerous guns, presented not only in a graphically neat and enjoyable way, but easily accessible. This is an excellent supplement for any modern-era RPG, D20 or no. A good investment.



4. In this book you can find most of the weapons you're likely to come across in everyday life. The additional section at the end of the book explaining which weapons are typically carried by different law enforcement agencies around the world is quite useful, but I would have liked to see it expanded, and made a little less US-centric.
   
   If you're after a specific weapon not listed in the book (one of my NPCs carries a South African pistol that isn't listed) you can always compare the weapon to one of those that is available and use those stats.
   
   Altogether a handy compendium, but as always more detail would be better.



5. I am rather surprised at the quality of this supplement, especially when compared to the other books in the series. This book is well presented and attractive when it comes to the actual book, layout and art. But is also full of errors and repeats, you could just as easily buy a copy of Janes and use comparable stats from the campaign book. If you simply must have a D20 weapons guide Ultramodern Firearms is much better. And The Modern Arms Guide for Spycraft is also very good, with statistics that are a big more on the realistic side and it covers more weapon types than Weapons Locker or Ultramodern Firearms.

No comments about True20 Adventure Roleplaying Revised Edition.

2 comments about Knights of the Grail: Guide to Bretonia (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay).

1. A solid book detailing Bretonia. A must have if you plan to run a game in Bretonia, or you want to play Questing/Grail Knight. (Think French + Arthurian) Buy it if you've got the money, and enjoy these types of books. It's good, but not a must have.



2. While I am a big RPG fan, this was my first regional sourcebook for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP) and I was very impressed. The writing was clear as well as fun and gave a great overview of the kingdom and its history (~30 pages), regional profiles complete with a detailed sample inhabitant (~45 pages), as well as career information (~15 pages) and a short adventure (~13 pages). Consistent with WFRP being a "grim" world, Bretonnia is far from an idyllic place. The peasants are oppressed, women are treated as second class citizens, and even when well meaning, the nobles leave a lot to be desired as administrators.
   
   The supplement includes a good selection of Bretonnian careers, e.g. Battle Pilgrims, as well as detailed starting racial features by Dukedom. However, its main focus is adding a lot to the knight career path for those choosing to be from Bretonnia. Many might find this career path - Knight Errant, Knight of the Realm, Questing Knight, and Grail Knight - more satisfying than the existing - Squire, Knight, Knight of the Inner Circle career path. I liked the various "knightly virtues" the supplement included and the overview of the grail quest.
   
   One thing I always need is a good map and there is a nice one present for the whole realm as well as the individual provinces or dukedoms when they are discussed. My only complaint is that there isn't a scale of miles so it's impossible to calculate distances with any precision. This seems to be a common issue in the WFRP universe.
   
   The supplement included an adventure introducing characters to all levels of Bretonnian society and the best and worst of its nobility. I especially liked how the adventure included statistics for both starting and experienced characters. While an experienced GM could easily make adjustments, as someone just starting out this was very helpful.
   
   Printed in the EU.