4 comments about L5R Creatures of Rokugan Third Edition (Legend of the Five Rings).

1. This is the book of monsters for AEGs Legend of the 5 Rings RPG. Note, that while previous L5R books were done in a dual format of D20 and AEG rules, this book is all AEG rules. If you have the D20 Creatures of Rokugan book, you should be able to establish a conversion base with the monsters that are in both books.
   
   While this book does have a lot of creatures in it, the book fails to follow the most fundamental rule of a monster book, "Good Art and Lots of It". The majority of the monsters of this book are not illustrated and those that are, well the art is not that good. When you are dealing with exotic creatures like Oni, the demons of Japanese mythology, you really need pictures to visualize them. Considering all the art available from the L5R card game, the lack of monster pictures here is strange.
   
   The book does have very good sections on the Naga, serpent people, and the Nezumi, rat people. These sections provide everything you need to play these races and takes up about a third of the book. The rest is an alphabetical list of the creatures, monsters and spirits of Rokugan and while they are described in detail, most are lacking illustrations.



2. I am an avid table-top role-player, mainly using the standard d20 rules with the occasional vintage version of TSR's Marvel Super Heroes. But this system is great!! Combat is vicious, but not the overriding element in the game. It is a more social game, forced role-playing instead of roll-playing.
   
   Overall, I recommend it to anyone looking for something new to try!



3. This volume is an exceptional addition to the L5R game, and well worth the purchase. It includes many creatures only seen in the CCG, and that alone makes it valuable.



4. As far as supplements go, Creatures of Rokugan is pretty useful. The first few chapters deal with rules for playing spirits of various realms (including animal spirits), naga, and nezumi. Animal spirits are fairly well-done and appealing; they aren't extremely powerful, but have a number of very useful abilities that make them excellent additions for any group. Naga and nezumi have been updated and seem somewhat expanded compared to their earlier incarnations in the game; nezumi especially are very detailed and have a lot of style behind them.
   
   After this come the various creatures, and there is no lack here. Instead of a "Shadowlands On Parade", we get a bit more diversity. Keep in mind, of course, that oni, gaki, and other hostile beings are more plentiful, but a clever GM will find plenty of extra creatures that should help them come up with some good ideas.
   
   Is the book perfect? Sadly, no. I regret to inform you all that AEG seems to stubbornly refuse to proofread their work, or even run their text through a spell-checker. There's a lot of somewhat poor flavor text, and misspellings are so common that they'd give a teacher fits. Normally, I'm not really concerned with such things if the rules are sound, but several of the people who work with AEG have been in the business too long to be making these kinds of mistakes, and one would have hoped they'd have at least bought a copy of MS Office or something that can help them avoid the more obvious mistakes with nothing more than a few mouse clicks.
   
   If you can overlook the poor writing quality and consider that you are buying this book to flesh out the land of Rokugan with more than just humans, you are definitely getting your money's worth. Just don't bring a lot of expectations to the store (or website) you buy it from.

5 comments about The Standing Stone: An Adventure for 7th-Level Characters (Dungeons & Dragons Adventure).

1. I ran this adventure as a DM. Its usable, but pretty poorly written. It contains some good storylines, but they aren't developed well. It leaves a lot of work for the DM if you want this module to be worthwhile.



2. A usable module, but mediocre at best. Thin plot. Not a whole lot to it.



3. This adventure is a great one.Very good elements of surprise and mystery.My gaming group normally gets sidetracked with jokes and stuff like that.With this one they didn't at all.I love how they split it into scenes.It allows alot of thinking and hack and slash isn't as fun.For any DM who likes having fun adventures, (everyone) buy this.



4. Overall I found this adventure interesting. The plot is good, couple this with some twists and turns and it can really keep players going in circles and second guessing themselves.

   One of the other reviewers has some good points regarding one of the plot points and the elves. Although the elves actions are understandable within the story given, running them along those lines could cause the PC's to never quite figure out what is really going on.

   I question the level rating of this adventure. It is rated for a group of 4 7th level characters. There are 2 encounters that are extremely difficult if run as the adventure describes (one EL 12, another EL 13). My group of 6 10th level PC's had a hard time with the final battle. There was over 100 HP damage done to the mage and the party was almost out of spells. Nearly all the PC's had significant damage. If it wasn't for a counter spell, and a very lucky attack roll much of the party would have died. I'm not so sure a 7th level party would have survived this encounter.

   Like I said above, overall I found this adventure fun to run, and most importantly the players had a good time. If you are looking to add some role playing to your game, this adventure provides ample opportunities.




5. A month after beginning the module, my group is still talking about it. My friends have stated that the mystery and role playing aspects in this module led to intense discussions regarding moral choices and decisions.

   Unlike a dungeon crawl, this module is a bit more openended after the party eventually arrives to the village, and as the DM, it provided me with some opportunities to spur thought about exactly what the group was really accomplishing. Since my group never follows the delineated path anyhow, and muck around with things unforeseen by module creators, this was the type of storyline that allowed them to excel at their craft.

5 comments about Secrets of Japan (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying, Modern Era).

1. Secrets of Japan is a new supplement for the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game that moves the setting into the present day and to the far east of Japan. This massive supplement is actually larger than the actual Call of Cthulhu game book, which should give you some idea of just how thorough and comprehensive it is. It covers virtually everything that the original book did but slanted towards play in Japan. Author Michael Dziesinski begins with an introduction to Japan, its people and culture. It's this milieu which makes it unique from the original game which while providing information for playing in the modern day, was still heavily slanted towards play in the 1920's.
   
   All aspects are revisited including character creation, occupations, which include many new ones such as Bushido "The Way of the Warrior" which certainly gives some punch, or kick, to PC's. There's also many new skills, magic, and of course, being in a modern setting, weapons and vehicles to utilize. Dziesinski goes so far as to provide the scope on how PCs find themselves in Japan to begin their investigations, assuming you're not using characters born and raised there. This is an interesting approach as you do become a stranger in a strange land, which certainly adds even more mystery to the game.
   
   There are lengthy sections on religions and cults and other shadowy organizations and how they all interact with the Cthulhu Mythos. It's very well thought out and harkens back to yellow menace pulps of the 30's and 40's. Several new monsters, elder gods, great old ones, etc, are included. In addition, there are new, complete adventures included as well as a couple of dozen adventure hooks and ideas that the Keeper can build on. The depth and scope is quite staggering. That is the book's greatest strength and perhaps its greatest pitfall. There's a LOT to try and absorb and you have to wonder if players are going to want to invest the time to learn this new setting. There are great ideas here and it's certainly possible to run a campaign using just the ideas that fit you and your players, and adding more detail as you go along.
   
   Ultimately it will be up to the Keeper to decide how much to use. There's no shortage of source material, that's for sure.
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson



2. Secrets Of Japan: Surviving The Mythos In Present-Day Japan by Michael Dziesinski, et.al. (1568821565, $34.95) is a guide to roleplaying in modern Japan: a survey of the underworld of Japan which serves as a battle-ground for primordial entities. Japanese cities and suburbs receive histories, roleplaying insights, and extensive links to Cthulhu in this guide for Cthulhu roleplayers in modern Japan. Packed with black and white artwork and complexity: a 'must' for serious Cthulhu roleplayers.



3. Chaosium shows why their Call of Cthulhu line is considered to have the best supplements by both old and young turks in the game industry. This book is exceptionally well-researched and written; any gm interested in running a game in Japan or using Japanese mythology in a rpg would do well to have this book. I'd recommend it to Keepers, period; it encourages you to think about the Mythos and its relationships in a new light the way that the tragically underrated Creature Compendium can.
   
   I recommend Secrets of Japan to every Keeper out there without hesitation.



4. Japan is a natural setting for Call of Cthulhu. It is a place absolutely festering with monsters, beasts, ghosts and horrors of every possible nature. Combined with a long history and an enigmatic culture, the possibilities for adventures in both modern and past times is boundless. And with Lovecraft's fear of what lies under the sea...why, any trip to a sushi restaurant could be a sanity shattering experience.
   
   Michael Dziesinski has put together a tome. "Secrets of Japan" is a thick book, and the author was sure to pack in as much as possible from his considerable knowledge. The first section, Atmosphere, provides a crash-course in Japan both ancient and modern. Politics, social life, technology...everything you need to give your game the appropriate mood. Other sections detail more specifically game-orientated information, including secret societies and power groups, new skills, magic and characters. The final section contains some very short scenarios, and a collections of scenario ideas. Due to the depth of "Secrets of Japan", it would be great to see a companion volume of scenarios for those who don't really have the time to home-cook their own.
   
   The format of the book also keeps in mind the various way people view Japan. He has a tongue in cheek comic strip running through the book called Cthulhu Sushi which is very funny. A certain giant green famous monster of filmland makes an appearance, although slightly altered. There is even a short section on running Call of Cthulhu anime-style, which made me do a sanity check when I read it.
   
   However, for all of its excellence as a Call of Cthulhu game book, no one should mistake "Secrets of Japan" as anything like an authentic book on Japanese society and folklore. Although Dziesinski deeply mines the rich history of Japanese monster tales, he freely molds them to suit the game, something leaving little resembling the original beast other than the name. He also makes some mistakes in his Japanese translations, specifically in his section titles "Cultural Lexicon", where he attempts to show aspects of Japanese society using the language. This is no terrible error, however, as it doesn't affect game play in any way.



5. This is the most comprehensive Suppliment for Call of Cthulhu...especially for the Secrets of "" line they have. Thicker than the core book and is literally a better reference than my Japanese language books. The scenarios in the book are ok but don't take advantage of the source they draw from. The author takes various different angles to develope styles of play within the game and can expand from the basic Lovecraft style. You can even involve Delta Green type of flavor from this book. Even though it does not come straight out and say Delta Green. I think some players and GM's may be intimidated by conceptualizing a Secrets of Japan game but I found my players quickly picking up things during the game because of how much Japan oriented stuff we are exposed to in the media. The material is for the modern time and not for the 1920's as most of CoC is based in.
   It's very well put together but is a big read if you don't know too much about Japan. It's well worth the price and invaluable resource for any GM.

2 comments about Nyambe: African Adventures (D20 System).

1. As the first campaign setting I ever played in was loosely based on the African-like Chult, I thought this would be a cool book. However, the writers dropped the ball on this one. The new characters races are just renamed rehashs. He dismisses the classic classes and instead make new classes that could have easily been simple modifications of pre-existing classes.
   
   The main asset to this book is new feats, clerical spheres, and monsters, but they do not make this book worth the full price. This is a bargain bin buy, nothing else.



2. Being a veteran Dungeon Master, I have sent my players on fantastic quests in Faerun, had them combat Sith Lords in the Star Wars universe, and even sent chills down their spine when I confronted them with the hellish things that inhabit the World of Darkness.
   
   Searching for new material to give my players an enjoyable experience, I stumbled across "Nyambe" and decided to give it chance. Africa hasn't been exactly been a popular setting for fantasy role play-which is sad considering the country's rich history and legends-and I wanted to give my next campagin a more exotic feel. But when the book arrived, I found its contents to be satisfactory and not spectacular.
   
   The prestige classes are merely renamed versions of the standard DnD archtypes. The cosmology of the world isn't explained. The history of the continent feels as though it was taken from the Kingdoms of Kalamar. The spells are not different from Faerun, and the monsters are too few for a book of this size.
   
   Although "Nyambe" does contain an interesting section on Orishas, this does not remedy the problems that run rampant throughout the rest of the text.
   
   I sincerely hope that Atlas Games thinks about reprinting "Nyambe" and adding more to it. This would actually make a phenomenal fantasy setting if it was done right.

5 comments about Vampire Bloodlines The Legendary (Vampire: The Requiem).

1. What can I say, when I reviewed Bloodlines: The Hidden I said that if Legendary was even half as good as it, I would be pleased. Well, this book blows The Hidden out of the water, completely. The descriptions to the new bloodlines are more in depth, even more elequent, and extremely informative. The added Disciplines are a major plus, and even the illustrations are remarkable. The introduction does state that the bloodlines are "legendary" due to certain stories, not because they maybe over powerful (although a couple of them are extremely powerful). The "legends" that come with the bloodlines are in depth and descriptive, and they truly do make the bloodlines what the book titles them as. This book is a must have for anyone who runs a World of Darkness game. And those players who wanna sneak something unique into the game, this is what you need. The introduction also leaves it up for yet even more Bloodlines books which is some what disappointing and exciting. Again, I reiterate what I have said before, White Wolf knows how to market well, and yes, with these two books, I would buy everyone that comes out after them.



2. I love to make wacky, "out there" characters, and I was hoping that, with bloodlines: hidden being mostly unimaginative templates, I had high hopes for the Legendary. And I was disappointed. I know that many complained about the brevity of the Bloodlines listed in Hidden, and that Legendary was trying to overcome that. However, when most of the fewer bloodlines in this book, less than in hidden, are ridiculous and just plain gross, and not the good kind of gross either. I think my biggest disappointment was the lack of Tremere, which I was hoping would be in this book. There ARE a few exceptions, that are better than even those in (the good ones) in hidden, but overall, it was a disappointment. For those who want more story about a bloodline, this book doesn't disappoint.



3. Well I had initially bought this book in the hopes that it was on the same level as Bloodlines the Hidden, but this book fell short of what my hopes were. There were only a few intresting bloodlines that really stood out to me that I think I'll use in my chronicles. However to start with, the opening story that was put into this book was lacking and wasn't really that good, in fact after reading it I went back and reread another one of the better ones in the books (that being the Lancea Sanctum and Bloodlines:The Hidden). The only Bloodlines that really stood out to me are The Children OF Judas, a group of Deava who were born out of Suicide, The Galloi, a group of horrificly beautiful Nosferatu, The Macellarius, A group of Gluttonous Ventrue who weigh 300+ pounds and can eat human, werewolf, vampire or any other flesh, And Finally the PLayers, a bunch of Mekhet who get off on being the stereotypical vampires (they have the nicknames of: Wannabes, Posers, and other less printable names. And there character concepts made me laugh!. The other down side was the lack of Gangrel and Nosferatu bloodlines (it seems as though those are few and far between anyway) If however you really need to add more bloodlines, then Buy Bloodlines:The Hidden, thats the better book. However if you TRULY need this book, at least buy it used to save you some heartache and wallet ache out of the dissappointment you'll receive.



4. Bloodlines: The Legendary presents nine new Bloodlines for Vampire: the Requiem, all focused around the theme of "legendary." Think more in terms of urban legends than epic Bloodlines and you're on the right track. The Bloodlines here are creepy and odd, the sort of Bloodlines vampires whisper about and give a wide berth. Stories of their odd powers and often horrific origins precede them and, in many cases, make it difficult for the Bloodline to interact with Kindred society.
   
   Most of these Bloodlines are, however, very playable which is a strong mark in favor of this product. Additionally, their histories and the bits of fiction and rumor associated with them are all very well done. While it is a small number of Bloodlines, each one is given enough attention that they feel very cohesive and escape some of the vagueness often found in other Vampire products.
   
   [...]



5. I don't know what it is with White Wolf but they seem to be having a really hard time coming up with bloodlines that players will actually want to play as. This book is filled with interesting possibilities, but they are ultimately largely used solely by the storyteller to make colorful NPCs, as the majority of players don't really see much appealing in the chapters. My favorite bloodline out of this book is the "Players," where their disciplines are geared toward pretending to be something they aren't, which I find appealing from a player character standpoint. Otherwise, though, the book's use has been largely limited.

2 comments about L5R RPG Art Of The Duel (Legend of the Five Rings).

1. This is a very good addition to the Legend of the 5 Rings RPG. It focuses on dueling, the normal way one defends his or her honor. It covers alternatives to the sword; magical duels, martial arts, courtier contests and even using games like Go or Shogi.
   
   It looks at how each clan views duels and how they carry out dueling, including the Shadowlands. There are temples and dojos that teach dueling and new techniques to learn.
   
   Now unlike previous L5R books that were presented in a dual D20/AEG format, this book is exclusive AEG 3rd edition. But since most of this book is color commentary, the little RPG aspects can easily be converted over to D20.



2. All the duelist crunch you want, and none that you don't. L5R rocks your socks, go buy it!

2 comments about The Authority: Role-Playing Game And Resource Book.

1. If you're a fan of the Authority or into Supers RPGs then how can you NOT buy this book? This is one thick book. In it are write ups of all the main and supporting characters from the Authority comic by DC along with a time line and overview of the comic series.
   The book uses a varient of the Tri Stat system using 12 sided dice instead of the 10 sided dice used in the Silver Age Sentinals book or the six sided dice used in Big Eyes Small Mouth.
   This book is ALL you really need to GM/ Play in an Authority game. It would help if you have read some of the comics, but is not necessary. The book lists all the powers, skills, etc to make up a character for play. The art in the book is taken from the comic and is very fine. GOO does a fine job in the art/ layout of the books they publish and it certainly shows here.
   I am looking forward to the follow up Stormwatch book.



2. This was a great RPG and the book is very nice as far as organization and content. Really too bad the company publishing it went under due to currency exchange problems.
   My one complaint about this book is that the binding is not as strong around the some of the pages that are of a smoother material. Not so much that they'll fall out, but that section can detach from the spine.

5 comments about Book of Challenges: Dungeon Rooms, Puzzles, and Traps (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. I realy like the artwork and the level of detail of the different traps that are described.
   So for that part, the book is surely worth your money.

   However, there is no rules on trapconstruction (sure they are in the DMG and "Song And Silence".
   The traps you find have no calculated prices.
   The advice on building puzzles is nice, but building a puzzle that fits in your campaign still is up to your imagination.
   Some of the traps are smart, but all in all, I feel this book does not offer you anything.
   As a DM setting up traps is the fun and joy of the game and if you need this book to do that, I think you should consider asking one of your players to take over DM'ing.
   After all, what is being a DM about besides setting up traps and "ugly" encounters?

   The content of the book would urge me to give it one star only, but the pro's mentioned in the first lines have raised it to two..... (doubt doubt doubt doubt....)




2. The format of the book is less useful. I was expecting something closer to a Monster Manual but for traps, and I was disappointed. Each "challenge" is formatted like a mini-encounter rather than a single trap or puzzle explained. Some challenges are 2-3 pages long. I prefer a bit more quick-use format structure so I can just pull out the encounter and plop it into my adventure just like a monster from the Monster Manual. I prefer Traps & Treachery by Fantasy Flight Games which has that type of structure.



3. I purchased this book hoping that I would be treated to something along the lines of an updated Grimtooth's. What I got was a mixed bag of good advice for building your own traps and challenges, coupled with traps that fell far short of that advice. Some of the challenges are so poorly worded that you have to read them two or three times to figure out what the text is actually describing. The figures vary from very well annotated to not anontated at all. The solutions to the puzzles are frequently ones that even experiences D&D gamers would never think to try, because they suggest utilization of abilities in a manner other than they were intended. Setting all of that aside, there is a bigger problem: most of the traps make no sense. Who would have built such ludicrous mechanisms? Who would have populated them with such an odd assortment of creatures? How do such creature survive if they depend upon PC adventurers wandering into these traps as their sole means of food?!? Aargh. It comes down to this: if you were a wizard powerful enough to build some of these traps, you would have used your powers to build better ones. Summary? Good advice, but I wouldn't bother with the traps.



4. this book turned out to be nothing of what i expected. i expected it to be a book of traps and various kinds of challenges in it, to give ideas to DM's who need a little help from time to time (as we all do). instead, what i got was a book that has four examples of particular challenges for various level of characters. i thought this limited the use of the book tremendously, and hence has been the book that i least spent time reading and using.



5. I thought this book would be chalk full of traps and challenge ideas for dungeons/caves etc, but it turns out to really just have four examples of setting where there are challenges. So you buy a book, to possibly place four ideas in your adventures and that's it. It is the worst buy I have ever made for a role playing acessory.

3 comments about Magic: The Gathering -- Official Encyclopedia, Volume 1: The Complete Card Guide.

1. Very nice book if you're curious about older cards. I liked getting a chance to see all the old cards together, to see some some cards I'd never seen before because they're too rare.



2. Volume 1 covers 4th Edition, Chronicles, Ice Age, Alliances, Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Legends, The Dark, Fallen Empires, and Homelands. There's also a section devoted to discontinued cards (leading off with, of course, Black Lotus and the original Mox cards). Cards that were removed but reintroduced before this book was published are not listed as discontinued. A page near the end of the book displays 6 of the most significant promotional cards that weren't just previews of upcoming releases.

   Each set of cards covered 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 Mirror Universe figures prominently for Legends, along with "The entire R&D team would have to be hit by a bus before we'd reprint Mana Drain.") The introductions are generally pretty entertaining and provide an informative overview (including descriptions of storylines that were added or updated by the release being described).

   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 presents "Misprints and Oddities", such as the Wyvern cards. (Errors in text are covered either with short errata for the individual cards, or in "Overlong errata" for text errors that were to big to include where the card was described.) The book concludes with a "Deckbuilders Indexes" section, as in the later volumes of the Magic encyclopedia.




3. I've had this book for years. I took it off the shelf and brought it over to an RPG game at a friends house. Just so I could do some causal reading. Everyone wanted to see the book. Even people who don't play Magic the Gathering (MTG).

   If you collect magic cards, or play - these books are an excellent resource. If you want to see what the older cards look like, they are in this book.

1 comments about Spawn Of Azathoth: Herald of the End Of Time (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying).

1. Chaosium has a reputation for producing some of the finest RPG adventures and "Spawn of Azathoth" for the Call of Cthulhu game is no exception. Originally released in 1986, this world-spanning campaign of nine linked adventures set in the 1920s places the players' investigators into a cruel catch-22 of cosmic proportions - literally. Circling around the Earth is a piece of the god Azathoth - its spawn, as it is generally known - that appears to be a twin dark star circling our own sun. The spawn has caused mass destruction on our pale blue planet for eons and will do so in its future. Once the investigators are drawn into adventure's plot they discover that there are individuals and groups that either want the spawn of Azathoth to destroy the Earth, or that want to save humankind from its ravages by putting them into a form of magical suspended animation. Neither prospect is very promising for the fate of humankind, but like all good investigators, they must take action to help the better of the two.
   
   The nine adventures in this 200-page book are fairly short, probably only taking one or two evenings to play. The two starting adventures take place in Providence, Rhode Island. From the there the players are free to go on adventures set in Montana, Florida, the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean, in the Dreamlands, and finally in Tibet for the grand climax of the campaign. Additionally, there are numerous handouts for the players - 45 in all - that serve as clues to help out the investigators.
   
   My only problem with this Chaosium product is its poor graphic design - unusual for a company that has been a touchstone for quality for so many years. The location maps have been crudely rendered on some sort of basic computer publishing program and they have a slightly blurry look about them as if the were a copied from a photocopy. Likewise, most of the artwork is amateurish and crude, and those that are not (presumably some of the art from the original issue) have the same blurry quality about it that plague the maps.
   
   Like most classic Call of Cthulhu adventures, "Spawn of Azathoth" does not disappoint. It has both mundane and exotic locales, bizarre creatures, well-developed personalities, and great plotlines. This second edition expands and updates the original 1986 issue, but since I've never seen the first edition I do not know what changes and additions have been made.