3 comments about Vampire Bloodlines 3 The Chosen (Vampire Bloodlines).

1. I bought this book primarily for one reason, the Sangiovanni Bloodline. Being that in old world of darkness the Giovanni were one of my favorite clans I wanted to see how they were treated in the NEW world of darkness. I have to say, this is the only bloodlines book I've bought and I love it (I've read or borrowed the others, but never felt compelled to buy them). It has taken some of the old clans and re-invented them as bloodlines that make the originals seem like kiddie vamps. This book gives you the following bloodlines:
   The Agonistes (Mekhet historians and keepers of memories of elders)
   The Baddacelli (blind Nosferatu monsters of purest night)
   The Duchagne (sensual Daeva power climbers)
   The Noctuku (Nosferatu monsters who hunt the kindred)
   The Rotgrafen (Ventrue sea explorers and voyagers)
   The Sangiovanni (incestous, inbred necromancers of the undead)
   The Taifa (Iberio-arabic gangrel hunters)
   California Xiao (eastern Daeva bloodline)
   Taipan Xiao (eastern Deava bloodline)
   The Yagnatta (Russian Nosferatu bloodline)
   
   Also a treatment of bloodlines in the Vampire Requiem game.
   
   Overall I think this is the best bloodline book published yet.



2. I wanted to like this book. I really did. When I heard the publisher's gimmick -- that it would let fans write up those bloodlines the game's authors introduced in the corebook -- I crossed my fingers. I knew that the possibility existed for either a landmark RPG supplement or one of the bigger disasters in White Wolf publishing history. Unfortunately, what we got is closer to the latter than the former. Much closer.
   
   Some of the individual ideas are intriguing, but I'm left wondering what the authors who actually created these bloodlines had in mind when they created them. It's clear that nobody involved with this effort so much as consulted the creators, and I think it's evident that the book suffered greatly for it. The corebook had been out for over three years by the time this book hit stores, and for those who were already working with their own ideas of what these bloodlines might be like, my advice is to take a pass on this book and continue using what you've been working with. You won't be missing much.



3. This is a great supplement. I am a fan of the Bloodlines books,and looked forward to reading this for that reason, but also because it is written by fan submissions chosen from a writing competition. I was very pleased with the writing and felt it to be on par with the other books in the series, as well as the entire game setting. I found it to be very cohesive, and didn't seem as though written by the many different authors that in fact did contribute. As far as content, the intriguing nature of most of the Bloodlines generally appealed to me, including a few I found particularly fascinating, such as the necromancers. Recommended for fans of the series and the setting itself.

3 comments about *OP L5R RPG Emerald Empire L5R Companion (Legend of the Five Rings).

1. This book is a very good supplement. As other books of L5R The Roleplaying Game 3ed (Legend of the Five Rings), it's very complete and has a lot of information in it. It talks about different aspects of the Rokugani society as: customs, armies and war, agriculture, training dojos...
   
   It isn't really necessary to play, but you won't regret to have it if you decide to buy it.
   
   Recommended purchase.



2. A great additon to an excellent setting and system. I love the setting info and great mechanical additions as well. A great supplement to the Core book.



3. This book offers a comprehensive view to some of the subleties of the the Emerald Empire and specifically a closer look at the Emperor's center circle. A great supplement for the L5R campaign or Samurai enthusiasts.

5 comments about *OP Laws of the Night Revised (UnlimiEd) (Mind's Eye Theatre).

1. If you like V:tM and you haven't bought this book yet, hie thee to a bookseller (or click somewhere around here) and buy this.

   The LotN 3rd ed are a huge improvement over 2nd ed vampire. These rules make running or playing in a LARP easy and fun.

   fNord.




2. This is the new edition for minds eye theatre covering vampires in the world of darkness. A must for any vampire fan or live roleplayer, since it contains the core rules for play and all the information needed to set up or play in a game. For experianced players, the system has been revised and while broadly similar to previous editions, the changes made have been heralded as improvements over the faults in the 2nd edition rules. In brief, the best larp system's newest edition, which is an all round improvement on previous editions. Essential.



3. Those of us with a long history in the live-action roleplaying genre remember the days of "Masquerade." I myself own every version of every Mind'e Eye Theatre product published, and one can easily see this book's vast improvement over the original game. The disciplines are certainly much improved, and a good stab was taken at Mob Challenges.
   However, I feel the need to point out a few problems with the book. More than afew exist, but I'll get back to that.
   Firstly, Storytellers and players should make perfectly clear which rules they'll be following. Make notes of specific pages, as the book is ridden with contradictions.
   Secondly, rules vagaries still exist everywhere. As though contradiction wasn't bad enough, the rules thoroughly fail to cover even the most likely permutations. While White Wolf has a long history of "purposeful vagary," this might sometimes be qualified as sheer laziness.
   Lastly, it should be pointed out that while the rules allow characters to be much more powerful overall, this is totally untrue in crossover games. The new Laws of the Hunt Revised allows mortals to out-Trait 11th Generation Kindred. Think about it for a minute.
   
   In summation, this is an excellent book, but I must suggest that anyone running a game using it make very clear which rules and permutations you're using, and allow players access to your notes on Discipline use. My organization produced four pages of vampire system specific rules modifications and additions as well as a 53 page rule book covering the basic systems like Abilities, damage and Merits & Flaws. While this may not be a requirement of your game, some notation is almost certainly needed in any environment.
   
   NOTE (circa 2005)
   
   Alas, White Wolf has decided to pare down their offerings as their user base has sharply declined. In so doing, they made this book, and all others of this generation obsolete. They will not, of course, be supported in any fashion. As with all things, the World of Darkness declines.



4. Laws of the Night contains just about everything you need to run or play in a Vampire LARP. I say "just about" because the number of contradictions and vaguaries make house rules a necessity. However, if you're a creative soul, I've found that this is really the only book that you truly need. If you're prepared to deal with situations that the rules don't cover and are capable of covering interpretations of the book's many contradictions, then you'll be fine.

   It's fairly well-written and not too hard to reference. The photographs for the book leave a good deal to be desired. The models and scenes are corny and are a great source of amusement, but do little to contribute to the feel of the game.

   If you're interested in LARPing, then pick it up. The mechanics are useful to know and can cover a wide number of games, not just Vampire. However, if like me you collect roleplaying games as interesting reads I'd pass it by.




5. This is my primary sourcebook for the game because it is concise and easy to use, and a load of fun!

No comments about Classic Battletech Total Warfare (Classic Battletech).

1 comments about Illuminati Bavarian Fire Drill.

1. It delivers as advertised. The new groups are a blast, and the addition of artifacts add a great dynamic to the game. If you are an Illuminati fan this will keep it fresh.
   
   I wish there were some more Illuminati organizations but this is easily overlooked with all the other groups and artifacts.

3 comments about Scarface: The World is Yours (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Good game. Very similiar to the Vice City Series. I downgraded it one star however because of the language. It is awful! And there is no option to modify it like some games give you. Even as an adult I was offended.



2. this gude book has help me a lot for the scareface game and figuring out missions very helpfull:)i love playing scareface the world is yours game!!!



3. The guide was definately helpful in getting me through this game. You can get through it on your own, naturally, but this gives you the quicker ways to make it through missions. As well as all the extras about what buying exotics does to your score, how femmes work, the best weapons to have, etc. I am happy with my purchase and am still working on finishing the game, but I am sure I wouldnt have gotten this far, this quickly, without my book. If figuring it all out isn't really your thing, get the guide!

5 comments about Fortune-telling: Book And Card Deck.

1. I got this set for 15 bucks at a local store cause I wanted to start fortune telling. It was worth the money, it comes with a little palm reading book that tells you the basics, a full set of tarot cards and a booklet that tells you what they mean and a very nice, durable (and pretty) cardbord box with little indents to store it all in. I got the set for lack of anything better around I thought "hey a tarot cards a tarot card," later I learned I was wrong, you're suposed to pick a set that calls to you. After seeing a few sets of cards, I like this one the best, it's not the most detailed (The backgrounds are black) but the colors are bright and vivid, really lively and the art style is very fun. It suits me well, however if you want to get really good at reading I sugest you buy another book, "The Illustrated Guide to the Tarot" by Naomi Ozaniec is helping me out a lot (though I haven't finished it yet)...



2. They only show you one very basic card layout in the booklet but you can look up more complex ones online. The palm book left something to be desired but did a pretty good job giving the basics. Good for beginners. I really like this card set, it is simple but colorful and full of meaning, rather like me.



3. Hello, I bought the 1999 copyright of the miniature cards about 2 years ago, my first set seen and bought out of curiosity. Just last week I laid out all the cards, Major and Minor, in numerical order and found the TEMPERANCE and TOWER cards sharing the same number: XVI, TEMPERANCE should be XIV. An obvious printing error, I have not personally brought this to the attention of the authors but am hoping others like myself realize its numerical misprint. All The Best.......



4. little deck,most probably because i like the illustrators work. i like her art in the Portable Voodoo,also. it is a simple,elegant little deck with a whimsical,playful attitude.unpretentious & quite usable.maybe not a deck for the more serious,but excellent as a first deck or for a young person.



5. quick delivery, wonderful starter kit for beginners. includes everything you need to accomplish your mission. wonderful also as a gift.

1 comments about WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 Signature Series Guide.

1. Delivery was quick. The manual is in good condition. It was a little bent and wrinkled in the back but, it was like new otherwise. I am pleased with the purchase.

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

1. This book is a great resource for any lover of Faerun and the Forgotten Realms. The background on the human subraces adds some great flavour to the Forgotten Realms! The feats and prestige classes are good. And the information about the different races of Faerun is also very helpful (particularly about the planetouched - tieflings, genasi, and aasimar).



2. It should be called SOME of the Races of Faerun. The book offers a great deal of information, however it leaves gaps here and there just so it can fill them through another volume. For the price tag of this book I feel it is a bit incomplete. It could contain a lot more info on a lot more races. If you're only looking for general information on the most prominent races of Faerun, this is for you. However it should not be considered THE source of info, as it is anything but complete and thorough.



3. This book contridicts the Forgotten Realms book written by Ed Greenwood. The elves inpertcular.
   The book is put together well, but WoC should get their sources straightened out before they publish them



4. This book is quite useful.
   It expands on some races and reintroduces some old classics. like the Winged Elf, the water elf, the Wemic, and the centur.
   
   However it also just copies the entries for dark elves and planetouched races basically straight from the Forgotten realms campaign settingbook.
   They could have used the space a little better instead of repeating races that 97% of us have access to. (If you have an interest in this book then its pretty much fact that you already have the Forgotten Realms Campaign setting).
   
   Some of the region feats are nice and the a couple of the prestige classes are going to appeal to my players so for that regard it was worth the purchase price.
   
   Summing up it gathers all the races from the Realms campaign setting and adds in some new ones. Mixes in some new feats, some old ones tweaked and a few prestige classes.



5. Let's face it, Forgotten Realms is huge. It's hard to get your mind around so many lands and people.
   
   But this book ties everything together so well, giving you the big picture of Faerun. It really tries to cover the different aspects of each race, their history, their origin, and their ties to everyone else. From the role playing perspective, this is a must. Games are full of humans, elves, and dwarves and this book lets you fill in all the details needed to make the role playing seem real.
   
   I really love the human section of the book. Humans of Faerun have so many different personalities, appearances, and styles in Races of Faerun. You can actually play a person with his or her own culture and have interact with another human with completely different customs, heightening the realism.
   
   Other than the Forgotten Realms Core book, this is the only FR book that I would give 5 stars.

5 comments about Magic of Faerun (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. MoF is excellent. I've played D&D through its various incarnations since 1977, and the Forgotten Realms since the early 80's. The price tag was a bit high, so I took a peek at a friend's copy first. What I saw convinced me to buy it.

   The spells and cleric domains add a lot of dimension and color to D&D3e. I was expecially interested in the new prestige classes. A couple of them seem better suited to NPCs, such as the Master Alchemist and the Mage-Killer, but the write-ups are balanced and well thought out.

   The magic items chapter is quite good, too. There is a lot of flavor added to the list, and not simply more powerful items, or more ways to cheat the rules. Too many past supplements from the previous versions of AD&D have introduced items and spells far too powerful for most campaigns. This supplement is very well balanced.

   The feats are good, too, Spell Thematics especially (but get the errata download from WoC!).

   My only disappointment was there weren't very many monsters, but that wasn't the thrust of this supplement, so my disappointment is very minor.

   Overall, this book is worth the price, and very handy for both players and DM's who want a better understanding of the magic of Forgotten Realms.




2. This simply is more meat, more flavor, for the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting - and of exceptional quality.

   MOF knows the importance of discussing the more aesthetic points of magic in the Realms, shows many intriguiging prestige classes like the Master Alchemist and Mage-Killer. It also has many spells and magic items that contribute to a true Realms feel, using the names and based on the history of powerful characters or events of that world. For example, powerful magic rings created for the great military commanders and soldiers of Cormyr, and new magical enchantments for weapons and armor such as Impact - a version of Keen that exists especially for increasing the critical damage potential of bludeoning weapons - and Magic Eating.

   Highly recommended supplement to the FRCS that will see a lot of utility by both players and DMs who enjoy the high-magic world of the Realms.




3. You know, I didn't really mind paying for this. Sure, it's overpriced, but it's darn useful.

   This book is, rather obviously, intended primarily for Forgotten Realms. I still think that the setting is on the rather obnoxiously silly side, but the material is more or less first-rate, and thus easily stealable for better d20 settings.

   The meat of this book is the massive number of new spells, a great number of which are useful. There's Speed Swim (1st-level spell, gives a Swim speed of 30), Hunter's Mercy (ranger spell, 4th-level, if the arrow hits, it crits), and the utterly awesome Wieldskill (1st-level spell for clerics of Gond, gives +10 competence bonus to ANY skill, or a half rank in one skill you don't have, *or* any feat). All classes get good spells, and some are multi-use; Mace of Odo, for example, can be used for damage or to block incoming spells.

   You'll also find a good chunk of the book devoted to the various methods and practices of magic in Faerun, including sample temples, mage guilds, mage fairs, and odd schools of magic. These are okay, but not particularly great.

   There are also nifty prestige magic-based prestige classes, like the mystic wanderer, mage-killer, and the Harper Mage and Harper Priest. There are mostly okay, though some are too dependant on the setting to be useful elsewhere. The Guild Mage of Waterdeep is an almost exact copy of the Mage of the Arcane Order from Tome & Blood.

   Magic items and stuff are also well-represented. There are a great many new weapons and armor enchantments, as well as specific varieties of items. Some aren't particularly useful; the Rod of Cats springs to mind as one of the more pointless items (yes, darkvision is nice, but there are easier/cheaper ways of doing that...). The magical materials available are greatly expanded, including special weapon/armor materials and gems that enhance spells. Last, but not least, you'll find a selection of monsters and templates that appear in the setting.

   All in all, this is a pretty decent book. The production value is very high, and they obviously put a lot of effort into it. If I liked Forgotten Realms at all, it'd get 5 stars.




4. Overall i think this book did a pretty good job of introducing Faerunian magic and a brief background. There were interesting prestige classes, feats, skills, and other extras that i felt were a very good addition. The only real problem, and i think it's a big one, is the fact that after having initially bough the Faerun World book, and THEN the Magic of Faerun, there were many spells in the first book that were NOT in the Mag. of Faerun!! I felt like the writers should have placed all magic spells from the Faerun World book into the Magic of Faerun spell list. It only makes sense. Had i known this i might not have bought it. It pisses me off that much.



5. This was actually the very first FR book I bought featuring the new d20 ruleset and my collection has grown from there.
   
   While 'Magic of Faerun' contains alot of useful information it also contains, like alot of the WOTC product, alot of unnecessary fluff. So what are the actual contents?
   
   Chapter 1: Understanding Magic - This chapter covers the primary deities who have magic as one of their portfolio's. There is also a couple of pages devoted to discussion on the various types of magic (i.e. Dead, Wild, Shadow).
   
   Chapter 2: Magic Variants - This chapter delves into some of the more obscure matters related to magic - such as Elemental magic, Elven magic, Gem magic. There is also a lengthy discussion on Mageduel's. Then there is a brief discussion of Rune magic and Spellfire. The chapter ends with a small section on the concept of 'Spellpools' (an excellent concept - but not as detailed as they could have made it - making it a missed opportunity).
   
   Chapter 3: Practitioners of Magic - This chapter is devoted to those d20 staples 'Feats' and 'Prestige Classes'. When I first bought the book I thought "Great!"; but having seen how bloated the gameline has become with 'Feats' and 'Prestige Classes' I now look at them as mostly unnecessary. Whereas once upon a time, being a War Wizard of Cormyr or a member of the Guild of Magists in Waterdeep would have been a character concept, they have codified them (and many others) into the ruleset which IMHO detracts considerably.
   
   Chapter 4: Places of Power - This chapter's name says everything really. The chapter details such things as 'Mystic Maelstroms', 'Sparks' and 'Fey Mounds'. It also discusses at length topics such as how Nature is venerated, and Places of Prayer, Bastions of the Arcane and the silly concept of MageFairs (what's the point of adventuring if you can buy your magic items? Like I said, S - I - L - L - Y).
   
   Chapter 5: Spells - This chapter deals with the real crunchy stuff, spells. Eight pages of new spells (in list form), broken down by character type (i.e. Assassin, Bard, Blackguard, etc). To my way of thinking there are already hundreds of spells avaliable and so the inclusion or exclusion of these few is not going to affect the average campaign. However, what I used these spells for was for a mystery factor. I didn't let my spellcasting PC's know about thses spells and only unleashed them in very select circumstances...like the excellent 'Gutsnake'! or in a different campaign I used them as 'undiscovered' spells - when a spellcasting PC wanted to create a new and unique spell I would use this list (once s/he had outlined their general thinking) to suggest some.
   
   Chapter 6: Magic Items - This chapter deals with the second favourite PC topic. This is an excellent chapter that features hundreds of new items, from swords through to rings and potions to artifacts. In addition to some really excellent and well-thought out items, there are lots of plain silly and overpowered items - but there is certainly enough to keep any player (or GM) very happy.
   
   Chapter 7: Creatures - This chapter details three new creatures and three new creature templates. Nothing really WOW in this chapter, although the 'Crossroads Guardian' is an interesting creature as is the 'Magister' template (templates being much more role-playing orientated rather than 'Prestige Classes').
   
   Overall, a very useful book, packed full of ideas, seeds and general information. Probably the best part is that this book could be used in just about any fantasy setting, for example, I'm using the 'Spellpools' concept - although I've expanded it considerably - in a new 'Birthright' campaign.
   
   Enjoy.