No comments about Dungeon Crawl Classics 55: Isle Of The Sea Drake (Dungeon Crawl Classics).

5 comments about The Caverns of Kalte (Lone Wolf, Book 3).

1. This is without a doubt that I say, "This is the best lone wolf book I've ever read!"



2. The Caverns of Kalte is yet another of the many great Lone Wolf books from Gary Chalk and Joe Dever. This "episode" is set in an icy waistland called Kalte. You are sent to track down another of the Darklords minions and bringing him to justice. I have been collecting these books for seven years and I have never gotten tired of reading a single one of them! I suggest you read one too, you will become addicted like me.



3. Joe Dever's 'Caverns of Kalte' is the third gamebook in the fantastic, legendary Lone Wolf series. Following the demise of Zagarna, Lone Wolf is set upon a mission to bring Vonotar the Traitor - renegade Magician - to justice. However, Vonotar has found refuge within the icy wastes of Kalte, a hard, merciless wilderness. Where even the ferocities of nature are against him, Lone Wolf must brave the inhabitants of Kalte then steal himself into the magician's fortress. A great sequel to end the legacy of Zagarna, despite it being a part of the Lone Wolf Novice series (books 1-5). In particular, I found the Ice Barbarians a superb feature to this gamebook.



4. You guide Lone Wolf into the icy desert of Kalte to capture Vonotar the Traitor-the very man who betrayed Sommerlund to the Darklords, and gave the evil creatures the information to bring the destruction of the Kai-your brethren! It is a matter of revenge as you penetrate the the stronghold of Kalte and its inhabitants-the Ice Barbarians! However, Vonotar has become the Brumulmarc of the Ice Barbarians, which translates to him being the king, so it is a quest to avoid as many barbarians as possible, and bring the foul traitor to final justice-banishment from Magnamund to an alter world! Hey, sounds like a great opening for another adventure...



5. After getting the legendary Sommerswerd in the previous adventure you set out to the icy world of Kalte to kill Vonotar the Traitor. This adventure is extremely fun and there are many battles - mostly with Ice Barbarians! This adventure also contains one of my favorite items, the Kalte Firesphere. While not a necessary item for the future, it definately comes in handy.
   
   My only problem with the early books is that once you have the Sommerswerd the next four or five books have simple battles. Almost every monster yields an 11+ combat ratio because of the incredible +8 Combat Skill. Even with the ease of the battles, this is probably my favorite book out of the first five.
   
   Finally, Joe Dever has authorized the free distribution and licensing of his Lone Wolf series which are available online. This resource has the unabridged editions which makes it great. I will not give out the URL as part of the reviewers agreement but with a little searching you should be able to find it. However, I am still a fan of reading the paper version.

2 comments about Shared Fantasy: Role Playing Games as Social Worlds.

1. One of the most comprehensive books on the phenomenon of role playing games as they emerged in the 80's, it explores the social psychological implications of playing these games, the personalities attracted to the games and the structure of the games themselves. I used it as a primary reference for my thesis 11 years ago and I believe it is still relevant now, even with the preponderance of computer role playing games. Although, the interactive, cooperative element of sharing fantasy around a tabletop may have faded...the same sharing takes place across continents through cyberspace.



2. One of the most comprehensive books on the phenomenon of role playing games as they emerged in the 80's, it explores the social psychological implications of playing these games, the personalities attracted to the games and the structure of the games themselves. I used it as a primary reference for my thesis 11 years ago and I believe it is still relevant now, even with the preponderance of computer role playing games. Although, the interactive, cooperative element of sharing fantasy around a tabletop may have faded...the same sharing takes place across continents through cyberspace.

2 comments about Handbook House Davion (Classic Battletech).

1. Very good book, a great history tool for those who are battletech fans and those who are also fans of House Davion.



2. THIS BOOK WAS NOT TO BAD. I WAITED A LONG TIME FOR IT TO COME OUT. I AM STILL WAITING FOR THE OTHER GREAT HOUSES BOOKS.

No comments about Chilling Tales (Ravenloft Adventure).

3 comments about X-COM UFO Defense: The Official Strategy Guide (Prima's Secrets of the Games).

1. I was a little thrown off by the author's admission that he never really sat down to play the game until he was offered the chance to write this book. (This was before he became the lead man for the X-Com series) My initial thought was that it should have been written by someone who had played and loved the game since the beginning. That aside, he did a decent job.

   However, having played the game for several years before reading this book, I found that I had difficulties in locating the information I wanted. Some of the tables and charts that seem like they should be grouped together are spread out - thus making me hunt for them.

   As for the content of the book itself, it has *nearly* everything you could ask for. The small amount of expert advice in the back may or may not be useful but it is the only strategy tips available, and I noticed a few errors thoughout the book (nothing major, however). At times I find that a lot of pages go by before some useful information turns up. Too much talk about what the game is doing and not enough strategy tips for my tastes. I don't think the book needs to be as thick as it is.

   Bottom line: The info is in there. Sifting the proverbial wheat out of the chaff is another thing altogether.




2. Great Stratigic guide for those who can't realize that you must stay close to cover etc.



3. Very helpful for those who have never finished this game. I still haven't but some day when I retire...

5 comments about Blood Magic: Secrets of Thaumaturgy (Vampire: The Masquerade).

1. As an Elder of Clan Tremere (-or just a long term Tremere player), I was very pleased to see this new teatise for upcoming apprentices (-White Wolf publish a book dedicated to Thaumaturgy). This book isn't merely a long list of new and revamped rituals and paths (although it had its share),it is an explanation of what is unquestionably the most complicated discipline. I found the history of Blood Magic to be well thought out, as well as the discussion of "how it works". All in all, a MUST READ for any Tremere (-player, as well as anyone fond of thaumaturgy) apprentice.



2. This is an excellent source for new Tremere players alnog with old ones. The information about the workings of Thaumaturgy in this book is excellent and it provides you with the things you need to properly be a true Tremere. There is info on Necromancy and Koldunic Sorcery also but since this is a book on Thaumaturgy the other two are not described in such depth as Thaumaturgy was.



3. A book detailing the complex discipline of Thaumaturgy has been long needed. This is a really good one and while it doesn't solve all the problems created by the past handling of Thaumaturgy in VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE, it goes a long way toward clarifying and further developing the discipline.

   The book discussed the history and theory of vampiric blood magic. We learn that it predates the Tremere, for example, and hear about basic principles of magical workings. There is discussion about the difference between a Tremere vampire and a True Mage (metaphysical, mostly, and assumes familiarity with MAGE- for more practical instructions on vampires and mages, see VAMPIRE: STORYTELLERS HANDBOOK), how non-Tremere might learn Thaumaturgy and some examples of arcane tomes. Most of it is clearly explained (with few exceptions like the unnecessarily ambiguous section about the difference between spirits and demons).

   There are welcome sections outlining the Koldunic sorcery of the Tzimisce (finally!) and voodoo-derived traditions of Necromancy. Both the Assamites and the Setites have their own traditions of blood magic, detailed here. There are paths derived from Alchemy and Kaballah. Biothaumatugy is recycled from SECRETS OF THE BLACK HAND.

   Unfortunately, while the material introduced here is superb, the book doesn't pull together the various little bits of Thaumaturgy scattered between VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE and VAMPIRE: DARK AGES. It just once again gives us more and better. It would have been nice, for example, to have an appendix showing which previously introduced paths and rituals are in which books. Furthermore, some storytellers seem intimidated about Thaumaturgy and disallow it as "too complicated". Step by step instructions (and a pep talk) might have been good, too. I should mention also that this book is about vampiric blood magic ONLY- no numinas or hedge magic more appropriate to allies like ghouls.




4. I will rarely say in these reviews on Amazon.com that that "only X type of person should read this" but this review is one exception. I think this book has so much information, so many great ideas and guidelines, and clan background that it is really only useful for storytellers and maybe wouldbe writers who like the "world of darkness". I think a player would get a lot of ideas, many of which would not be compatible with a story from this book so the best way to combat that and still allow Tremere and other magic using Kindred to develop would be for storyteller and player to look at this book together. I think it does a good job of detailing how to design paths and rituals, a sample worksheet might help in this regard, but also in talking about the limitations of the practice of bloodmagic.



5. This book is a confusing set of devices and instructions for players and storytellers alike. It is hard to read and equally hard to understand--i found my High School government textbook easier to read than this. However, if you do want to give you Tremere scorcer/witch a bit more depth i would recomend this book, and its companion book.

5 comments about Tarot Deck & Book Set for Dummies.

1. Ms. Jayanti is big on the history of tarot cards and obviously a psychology buff. She interprets the cards as a psychologist might see Rohrschach ink blots. "I don't work with the tarot to predict the future," she says.

   Tarot is a great teaching tool for substance-abuse counselors, according to this author. She lets the client do the interpreting of the cards as pretty pictures, much as a psychiatrist might ask a patient to interpret ink blots.

   This author calls it a "fallacy" that some think tarot readings help you find out about your future.

   To her, the cards are merely a symbol system that can assist you in understanding yourself -- and you can forget about predictive readings for others. "Lighting candles or saying prayers" to her is "just plain ignorant."

   I'll take a book that tells me how to read the cards. If I want psychoanalysis, I'll go to a psychiatrist.




2. Everyone should be aware that the book that comes with this set is an abridged version of Tarot for Dummies. It contains 100 fewer pages than the original and is missing Chapters 10-12, 14-17.



3. I bought this book because it came with standard rider deck, exactly what I wanted and as a beginner. I have no complain for the cards, but card interpretation in the book is somewhat different from other source and I am going to buy another book 'learning tarot for beginners' to make sure I learn about tarot. The book is thinner than full dummie version, which is good enough. I would recommend people to buy the set if you never owned tarot, but suggest to read other books for deeper understanding.



4. i have recently gotten into witchcraft and wicca, and the tarot also called out to me. so, i decided to buy a beginners tarot deck, and found this one! it's really great. i've already read for other people, and i only bought it last week! this book and deck set ROXORS!



5. This product came quickly and promptly. It was exactly what i was looking for. It is the perfect set for beginner and experienced tarot readers alike.

1 comments about Pathfinder Chronicles: Rise of the Runelords Map Folio (The Pathfinder Chronicles).

1. This product provides all or most of the maps found throughout the Rise of the Runelords adventure path. They are basically HIGH quality copies for handouts to players, leaving out many of the DM details the players don't need.
   
   The maps are also usable separately. Just fill in the locations for your own adventure.
   
   I was actually rather surprised to see how useful I found this product to be. When I first opened it I thought without hesitation that this was a great add-on for running the adventure path. If you like lots of 'extras' to go with running your adventures, you will probably find a lot of use for this.

2 comments about The Blessed Isle (The Compass Of Celestial Directions, Volume 1).

1. I find the material in here greatly surpasses the original Realm material in the first edition "Exalted: the Dragon-Blooded". Foe me, the Realm is a much more real, living, breathing place. Between this and "Manual of Exalted Power, the Dragon-Blooded", we much more of Dragon-Blooded and Realm society. I even have some sympathy for the Dragon-Blooded, in that they are acting in accord with deep-seated beliefs in what they believe to be the best interest of all Creation.



2. A book with lots of useful information, of which about two thirds can be found in a more generalized form in the Dragon-Blooded book, or even the Core book. We do get a lot more detail about certain locations, and the description of the Imperial Mountain was particularly intriguing. My game will have to visit the lost capital of Meru now.
   
   In general, I'd recommend this book if your campaign is going to the Blessed Isle for a long time (read: focused on it), and then only for Storytellers, as any necessary info for playing a Dynast or Lookshy PC can be gleaned from the Dragon-blooded book.
   
   JT