3 comments about D&D Miniatures Starter Pack.

1. I give this three stars because of the packaging isn't as good as the packaging for the previously Entry Pack. Also, the stat cards for these minis are easier to read and the quality is okay. The rulebook is a must have because it has the updates to the Miniatures Handbook. I haven't played the game yet but it looks easy to play.



2. I have to say I was very impressed with these miniatures. They are highly detailed, durable, artistic and colorful. I like the fact that lead is no longer used in minatues, as it is poisonous and not very durable. These plastic figures are fully and beautifully colored, so no painting is required! Each set is different, containing (sort of like collector cards) common, uncommon and rare figures. A collectors list is included. My set had a dozen figures, including three uncommon and one rare figure. Most of the figures in my set were fighter-types, but it did also contain several monsters.
   The box set also contains a full sized play map, which is a grid of stone (pictures) which resembles a dungeon floor. It is about two feet by three feet, and can be used for dungeon combat. Six cards are also included with dungeon settings and walls, do add a little more detail to your battles.
   Also included are stat cards, with statistics for all the figures. I'm not going to use these, but they could be fun.



3. As one of the previous reviewers pointed out, there is a large single sided, black and white dungeon tiles fold out;like a folded square poster. It's bland and generic IMO but it is extremely useful; if they only included two! or three, or four.. Very useful since u can 'decorate' them according to your party's visual range.
   
   Furthermore, the included terrain tiles(postcard quality) are also single sided, exactly 5X8, and all have different settings. You can't really play on them as they are so small/limited. They serve as a visual aid.
   
   You get 12 miniatures w/ corresponding stat cards(normal)
   
   The rundown, out of the entire collection, 30% ~ 40% stand for 'player' characters; humanoid NPCs, etc. So u might end up with 4 'player' characters like me; it depends on what you're hoping for. The Good!! Large Miniatures(2X2). The Bad, you'll always get the bear; a wolf would've been much better.
   
   For those of you looking to buy your first set, i would recommend the Basic Set(not this one) as you get more, non-randomized, miniatures, solid/set-in coloured tiles, and THE set of dice(expensive if bought seperately; generic ones too).

5 comments about WoD Tales from the 13th Precinct (World of Darkness (White Wolf Hardcover)).

1. Great stuff. No supernaturals overwhelming the precinct. Most of them are just humans, but many of them have glimpses of the supernatural. Excellent material about how the police works, blending everything with the supernatural in a consistent way. The mood is great also.



2. This book is nice and inspiring if you want to run a campaign with police in USA. I'm not from US so it gave me a lot of information. It covered police training, the different departments of law enforcement, had system and rules for CSI things, some police equipment.
   
   It has a ready to use police station with npc's and such. The NPC's are ok, but not great. The story ideas in the books are not worth anything. I give it 4 because the NPC's deserve a 4, and the story ideas deserves a 1, the rest of the book deserves a 5



3. This overall was a pretty good book and like most World of Darkness material put out by White Wolf it was packed with Information and Ideas.What I liked most about this book is the "Sample" Precinct that takes up about 1/3 if not more of this book. They have put a lot into the NPC characters, which are ready for use upon opening the book.
   The book itself is not essential to have for a WOD game, but is filled with a lot of practical real life applications of Law Enforcement, which DM's and Players either abuse or fail to put in. Anyone whom has played WOD has either been or had someone in their party that practices reckless abandon and can kill whomever they want, even police. Now one thing which I think needs to be said, and lets give our "boys in blue" some credit. If you kill a Cop you become a "Cop Killer" in the eyes of all other Law Enforcement and you have just signed your name up for a Lawful Version of a Lynch Mob, this book addresses this beautifully.
   I would recommend this book if you want your players to remember that they still are vulnerable even with all there supernatural powers, and to give a much more Real feel to Law Enforcement in your game.
   I also enjoyed the Merits; especially one, which specifically is meant for those, characters who want to be cops and the Status/Connections that go with it.



4. This book provides all the facts you need. Although it does get a bit bogged down in the fine details it is perfect for any Police related character or story you might need expert advice on.



5. There aren't many products that I would recommend as essential for every game, but TALES FROM THE 13TH PRECINCT is one of them. Vampires, werewolves, mages, and (especially) mortals break a lot of laws in the course of a game. Sometimes it's breaking and entering, sometimes assault and battery, sometimes even murder (and almost always some gun law violations). The World of Darkness is a world of shadows, and a realistic police presence is necessary to keep PCs operating in the shadows. Absent men with guns keeping order, supernatural games can devolve into superpower games, with no check and balance on player actions.
   
   Besides serving as a restraint on the excess of supernatural games, the police force is an excellent way to introduce mortals to the World of Darkness. It is in the job description for law enforcement to stick their noses into dark corners and investigate strange noises, with enough backup and equipment to have a chance of surviving, but not so much that you're not afraid of what you might find.
   
   The content of 13TH PRECINCT is presented in the context of an individual police precinct, set in a non-descript midsize city. Chapter 1 covers the building itself, how it is organized, and details that a visitor might notice. Chapter 2 covers the law enforcement officers themselves; how they train, what jobs they do, the proper protocol for responding to calls and the paperwork afterwards, as well as detective work, evidence handling, and questioing suspects. This chapter is essential for presenting a competent front when a storyteller has the police riding the PCs; otherwise, it looks arbitrary and unfair to when you insist later that the policemen read the PCs their Miranda rights afterall when it comes up in court.
   
   Chapter 3 is a biography of many of the important NPCs in the 13th precinct. One is a werewolf, one is a psychopath, and one is undead. The rest have their own secrets too. What these characters lack in universality they make up in portability; just drop a ready-made NPC when you need a cop, detective, or janitor cultist. The fourth chapter contains story seeds; I thought it original to include two perspectives, one from the PCs as police or an alternative if the PCs are on the same side as the perpetrators.
   
   A mini-chronicle is included, where the PCs have to investigate a series of occult crimes leading to a spirit possession, while remaining on the right side of the law. Nothing too original.
   
   Overall, a very useful book to have when your players' characters break the law, or need its help. It also is a great setting for mortal characters to be introduced to the World of Darkness.

2 comments about Hero's Guide (Star Wars Roleplaying Game).

1. To be perfectly honest, I hate Star Wars. I think the movies [are bad] and are completely uninteresting. But this book is a different story altogether. It brings to life what the movies can't. The writing is superb. Highly Recommended!!



2. In a very basic sense, the Hero's Guide is like an advanced expansion of the Revised Core Rulebook, but it's much more than that. The main purpose of this book is to provide tools for the player- and it definitely delivers. Gamers looking for long sections of background and history are advised to go elsewhere, but considering all that it offers, I'd consider this book a must-have for any serious player.

   First off, the Hero's Guide follows in the high-quality style of other recent products such as the Ultimate Alien Anthology and Coruscant And The Core Worlds. Like its cousins this book is full-color and hardcover. One immediately notices the large amount of original artwork and still photos. The main index is organized alphabetically by topic, which makes finding most things mercifully simple. This book is well presented, easy on the eyes, and fun to read, but of course that's not why it deserves a spot on your bookshelf.

   This book is simply filled to the brim with a vast array of new game rules and character options.

   The main standouts are the chapters on Feats and Prestige Classes. In terms of Feats, over 120 new feats are offered, including feats for six distinct martial arts disciplines as well as feats depicting the seven forms of lightsaber combat. There is also a wide selection of faction-related feats. With such a wide selection even the pickiest player should be able to find something that fits his or her character.

   Players will also like the selection of nearly 30 new prestige classes. Many of them are tied to specific factions, and some are definitely harder to qualify for than others, but they represent such a wealth of progression options that just about anybody should be satisfied. The full list includes: Chief Engineer, Infiltrator, Loyal Protector, Martial Arts Master, Master Duelist, Outlaw Slicer, Priest, Sharpshooter, Treasure Hunter, Antarian Ranger, Black Sun Enforcer, Black Sun Vigo, Master Spy, CorSec Officer, Corporate Troubleshooter, ISB Special Agent, Crime Broker, Mistryl Shadow Guard, Lord of the Expanse, Rebel Organizer, Sienar Engineer, Baran Do Sage, Matukai Adept, Zeison Sha Warrior, Espionage Droid, and Berzerker Droid.

   Noticeably absent are the Jensaarai Warrior and the Dathomiri Witch, but at least the Jensaarai has an official entry in Dungeon Magazine 98 (Polyhedron 157).

   The Hero's Guide also showcases the concept of character archetypes. Basically, an archetype is a multiclass character that replaces certain class features with ones that better fit a desired character concept. This sets a welcome precedent: if it doesn't fit, change it!

   Also introduced is the concept of Sympathy. Sympathy is similar to and works in conjunction with Reputation, but it only applies when dealing with members of a faction with which you have Sympathy. Unlike Reputation, however, Sympathy can go up or down based on a character's actions.

   In addition to all this there is a chapter devoted to character creation, another that discusses new uses for existing skills, a selection of new equipment (including the long-awaited rules for cybernetics), a chapter on new combat moves, a chapter that discusses the Force, and finally a chapter devoted to Droids.

   After having read through it several times, I simply can't find a bad thing to say about this book. It may very well be the best SWRPG sourcebook published so far. Hats off to the authors and the entire team who put it together.

   And if you still aren't satisfied, the Star Wars RPG section of the Wizards of the Coast website has a web enhancement for the Hero's Guide that includes even more archetypes and prestige classes.

2 comments about DORK TOWER V Understanding Gamers.

1. I was very happy when this new Dork Tower collection came out in paperback. I was not as happy after reading it. Sure, it has the usual cast of characters and the same witty style as the others. Certainly the jokes and stories are as good in the other volumes.

   In fact, some of the stories and jokes ARE in the other volumes. A large section of this book reprints the Lord of The Rings stories from an earlier volume. One stip is even duplicated from this volume! That's right, one of the strips is included twice! It is almost as if the author is succumbing to his own jokes about variant covers.

   The new material was quite good but there just wasn't enough of it. I especially like the opening section that tries to explain what gaming is all about.




2. John Kovalic's Dork Tower has been one of my favorite comic books for some time now. He has managed to take Characters that could have easily been stupid and cliched and turned them into real people with real emotions and problems that any of us can relate to. Even the goofiest character in the book, Igor, is shown to have uncommon courage and compassion when called for, and an unwavering loyalty to his friends that some of us are never even lucky enough to find in the real world.

   This volume, like "Livin' La Vida Dorka" (volume 4) takes a break from the regular Dork Tower storyline to present "Understanding Gamers," the brilliant one-issue special where Kovalic explained the mindset of those who live to game. It connects to even a non-gaming reader and shows that gamers aren't quite the freaks they get portrayed as, especially in comparison to even some "normal" folks. The rest of the book is full of other strips and specials, some that even a regular visitor of Kovalic's website such as myself may not have seen before.

   There is a little duplication from previous volumes with some of the "Lord of the Rings" strips, but as Kovalic himself explains, that's because he reprinted the "Lord of the Rings" Dork Tower special in its entirety here in this volume.

   You don't need to have read the previous Dork Tower volumes to read this one, but you're cheating yourself if you don't. This is one of the funniest comic books on the stands today.

5 comments about Plot and Poison: A Guidebook to Drow (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. Just reading the discription, and looking at the cover has me excited about getting this book. My group of players are usually up to there necks in drow intrigue. So this should help flesh out our adventures nicely. Not to mention that on occasion, I have a drow player character.



2. This is a good source of material to create either your own drow characters or a group of marauding villains. The first chapter gives you details for making them "real". It includes sub-races, being a drow elf,and a history from their point of view among other things. It also has alternate natural spells for YOUR drow elves. ie fire spells to replace what they normally start with. Chapter two gives a pantheon of gods for them to worship(no Lolth).Chapter three gives you new and old creatures of the underdark. It includes a template for drider characters and of course drow elves as well. Chapter four has prestige classes. Includes a new kind of bard called the deepsinger and something for every other class as well. The last four chapters detail spells, equipment(repeating hand crossbow), skills, feats, and magic items. All in all this is a wonderful source of ideas and can help fill in the blanks for your own band of merry marauders.



3. Whether you're a casual fan of the Dark Elves or a long time lover of the Drow this book will have something for you. It grants amazing insight into playing this mysterious race as well as presenting a mind numbing number of options for character customization. From prestige classes(such as the mutating Creature Cultist to the demanding Dominant) to sub-races(such as the barbaric Drey and rules for creating Half-Drow of any race) to martial art styles, new magic spells and domains and finally new magic item descriptors and even a new magic item type(the verminous magic item which are magic items created from living verminous creatures). One of the few books I feel warrant a "must have" status.

   The reason I drop it down to 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the header font type they use. It's a bit difficult to read. Aside from that this is simply a superb book.




4. I was really torn to buy this book, I bought a drow book from one company before and it was terrible. So I was alittle afraid to buy Plots and Poisons but because it was Green Ronin's and I always am impressed by their products I decided to go ahead. All I can say is that once again Green Ronin put out a book that takes a wonderful creation to greater heights. For the first time in a while I am afraid for my player's character and they should be too.



5. Once again, WotC's D20 system claims another casualty. This book carries on the crass misportrayal of the Drow as a race of dominatrixes in Boris Vallejo strap outfits, whose primary vise of their universe is sexual perversity. They mutilate the Drow pantheon, and while much of the artwork is indeed beautiful and well-done, there is a particular emphasis placed upon depicting pointless nudity and fetishist situations. Much of this book, I found sickening, and it wasn't the graphic descriptions of violence.
   
   That said, there ARE some useful things in the book, like a description of Drow name honorifics, and some of the aspects of society have thankfully not been tampered with by the fanboys. Some of the subraces are interesting, particularly the Drey, and the martial arts styles are a blast. Just.....avoid the bits about the Drow society centering around leather and whips, and please keep the mind out of the gutter.

2 comments about Caverns of the Snow Witch (Fighting Fantasy).

1. While I can't put this FF book in the same category as Deathtrap Dungeon or Moonrunner, I would definitely put it in the top 10 (out of the selection that I've read).

   You start out this adventure as a mercenary working to protect a caravan but soon must scout out the terrain ahead (leading you to the Caverns of the Snow Witch). What began as a simple scouting mission turns deadly as you fight for your life to defeat the snow witch and escape her minions. After escaping her labyrinthe it turns into a race to save your own life in the rough country surrounding her mountain. You'll battle many different frozen and undead, as well as several more well known FF monsters.

   What I like most about the FF series is that many of the fantasy adventures are set in the same game world. So its not uncommon to have books make short references to each other: I know there's a short reference to Firetop Mountain in this book. Other places I've seen mentioned include the city of Fang, Port Blacksand, and Fire Island. Its a minor feature that adds a lot of flavor to the overall series.




2. This is definitely the most horrible book i have ever read.....

2 comments about Wilderlands Of High Fantasy (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Campaign Setting).

1. The greatest fantasy role playing setting ever published gets a good dusting off with this re-release. Stays true to the original, yet adds 'flesh' to many of the items (towns, villages) which were merely mentioned in the original. Still, like the original, the key to this set is that the individual GM can (and should) add further custom detail to these settings and events to easily come up with unique and fantastic adventures.
   
   If you've never gamed with anything but canned, 'read-the-boxed-text' settings and adventures where everything is dictated down to the NPC conversations, you really owe it to yourself to buy this, study it, and treat your gang to a new way of gaming. This is what D&D was originally intended to be.
   
   Biased? Yes. I was as contributor (I do not receive compensation, so increased sales do not benefit me). But there were many, many contributors, chief of which is the original material and new bits added by Bob Bledsaw, founder of The Judges Guild. This set stacks up against any fantasy campaign ever published. Do yourself a favor and buy it now before you're spending 5 times as much to get it on eBay in 5 years.



2. Got this boxed set for christmas and I think its the best gift I have received in a couple years :) I have been burned out over the regular D&D campaign settings for a while. This settings a breath of fresh air. Greyawhk was fun (loved the 1st ed. boxed set) Ravenloft was exciting for awhile. Forgotten realms drowned me in expansions and boxed sets so much so that I do not want to ever play or DM the setting any more...
   
   This boxed set has a 1st ed of AD&D feel with some Robert E Howards Conan thrown in, along with elements of what made Greyhawk, spelljammer and ravenloft so interesting. If you loved the old B2 keep on the borderlnds dungeon for D&D this setting has that same feel to it. Pretty much this set contains a ton of information and yet the DM has a lot of room to add or change what and where they want. You can fit in stuff from other settings and not have to worry about something not fitting in. Somewhere it can fit in. Like the city of waterdeep from forgotten realms? You can find a spot for it somewhere and will have to make few changes. Like the ravenloft monsters or some of the places detailed from that setting? It can fit in pretty easily. Its a big area covered in this setting and theres room to add what you like and take out what you dont. What I really love is that there are no powers that be in the setting. Elminster will not show up and tell characters to stop it or go do something. No circle of eight is gonna manipulate events. The whole setting is very much a "bordlernads" wilderness. There are towns and cities around but there is no all powerful ruler to enforce their will. Characters in this campaign are pretty much on their own for good or ill. no powers that be will come save em or save the world from some big bad baddie.
   
   
   I really like this campaign setting a lot and can't wait to start using it.

5 comments about Ex Machina: Tri-Stat Cyberpunk Genre.

1. Having been an avid roleplayer for over 18 years, games have come and gone, some good, some bad, but most are about the same. This book, and the system that governs it is simply different. The boys and girls over at Guardians of Order (the publisher), really must know what they are doing, because when I started to read the Ex Machina book and the Tri-stat dx system core book, it was like a breath of fresh air was put back in my gaming enthusiasm. Honestly speaking, my desire to game anymore has been diminishing for about 5 years now do to the same old storylines and boring systems that I have been using form the beginning, but the Tri-stat system is so unbelievably flexible and simple, and that it takes away all the limits that are imposed upon other cookie-cutter systems. Not to mention, that once coupled with the inventive and wonderfully written ideas and settings that are contained in this particular tome, you have a combo that really is exciting.
   
   The Ex Machina book is loaded with information and comes with four, yes thats four, different settings to run your cyberpunk dreams. Keep in mind that these are just examples and you can easily create one of your own, if properly motivated. Excellent writting, unique points of view, and vivid descriptions make this book a home run for anyone looking for a change to a better way of doing things. Buy this book and support a company that obviously is more interested in thier work than the bottom line, as they give the core rules for free on thier website!



2. If you break the book up into two sections with the first being the rules and the second being story, I give it a 1 for the first and a 4 for the second. The rules system is heavily weighted towards stats with no balance in numbers, A super master in one skill can be beaten by a novice as long as the novice has higher stats. In addition, just about everything costs character points. Want a car? It'll cost you. Also, as a cyberpunk game, it should be saying something about programming and using the net beyond what it does. It says nothing past a few pages of hacking and virtual usage. Finally, to quote the game itself, "cyberpunk is about brand names". You expect "Zeise" eyes and "Kono" monoblades. You get none of this. No brand names, no special equipment, it's all up to you to build it. Very poor in my opinion.
   The second part is almost all story in 4 different 'worlds' and while it is an interesting read, it falls down due to the first part being incomplete.
   I'm not sorry I bought it, but I would rather not have paid as much as I did.



3. This whole system (Tri-Stat dX) is a great open rules system, what the other reviews may say about rating it a 1 don't do it justice, it is a critically acclaimed system used for Silver Age Sentinel's and BESM (Big Eyes Small Mouth) Game systems, it is worth looking into just for that, what makes this book a definate buy, is the settings, which are inventive, and breath new life into the cyberpunk genre, not all of them are for the faint of heart, and are very gritty, most being negative-utopia's. I recomend this to anyone who is into the cyperpunk genre.
   5 out of 5



4. Ex Machina Review:
   Ever look at Cyberpunk games and think, ?Oh ma Gosh! Like, gag me with a spoon, like, this is so like yesterday.? Let's face it, the genre is so Big Hair, Culture Club, Japan Inc, Duran Duran, Ramones, and leg warmer'd out it's just sad. I look at Cyberpunk and I think; ?why is there an image of Richard Simmons sweating to the Replicants in my mind??
   
   So why am I looking at a new Cyberpunk game, when I have this bias that the genre is, in essence, a deader horse than the Japanese economy? Largely because this game seems to agree ? this is the cyberpunk genre, and you will recognize it fairly quickly upon opening the book, but it is the genre as we see it in today's science fiction, and not trapped in the 80s like older competing games and some of the other new rivals. Nor is it, thankfully, like another current competitor has been described to me; so obscure that you just can't wrap your head around what's going on and how to play it.
   
   The book is split into sections for the genre history, the game rules, running and playing the genre, and finally ? four complete and separate settings with entirely different themes. Most of the past Cyberpunk RPGs gave you a single predetermined setting around which the entire game revolved, so this itself is something of a notable step in a new direction.
   
   There may be sixteen chapters to Ex Machina, but I'm going to cover it by the major sections.
   
   The Genre Section:
   In the genre section we get a ten page introduction into the history and themes of the Cyberpunk genre, starting in its pre-roots of the seventies, moving into the labeling of the genre around the time of Gibson's Neuromancer, and eventually wrapping up with the modern 'post-Cyberpunk' genre.
   
   There is some coverage of how the genre has been forced to change with times ? after all much of what 80s Cyberpunk considered radical is part of the mundane reality of today's world ? Wireless, Hand held Computers, Sprawl, the Net, Genetically modified foods, Globalized Mega Corporations, lessoning of nations and nationality ? or are experimental but real such as Cloning, optical computers, synthetic but real diamonds, single molecule machines, and Neural interfaces. Modern Cyberpunk still looks to the dark side of tomorrow, but the tomorrow of today is not the tomorrow of yesterday.
   
   From there we get a bit on the dX game engine Guardians of Order uses as one of its two house systems, the usual 'what is roleplaying' commentary, and a brief intro on each of the four settings. These intros wet your taste for what is to come, although the IOSHI entry is so vague as to leave at least me completely confused yet throughly intrigued ? seeming to talk about skill chips and split patents rather than the society thus resulting.
   
   Tri-Stat rules for the Cyberpunk genre:
   Tri-Stat has managed to solidly establish itself as -the- dominant cinematic rules light RPG. All past Cyberpunk games have been neither of these two factors, which brings us to a natural point of suspicion about this new RPG - are we looking at a bag of apples trying to be oranges?
   
   I'm going to try and show that while it may be the ideal game of apples, it has managed to conquer the realm of oranges as well - that this has ended up as the the best take on a Cyberpunk rules set I've seen to date despite some problems I did end up having with it. As for my ability to compare, I had R. Tal's Cyberpunk 2013 within days of its release, I had a similar jump on for Cyber Hero, Shadowrun, GURPS Cyberpunk, and even ICE's Cyberspace. I went through the 80s, and for Science fictions fans, the Cyberpunk genre was our pet rock and I admit I was there with everyone else.
   • Tri-stat has a very simple core - you have three stats, Body, Mind, and Spirit. In any task you roll two dice and hope to get under a number determined by your value in those stats plus whatever skill is relevant. Further rules allow for opposed rolls, degrees of success, and so on. Injury is a hit point system, and damage is always going to be ACV plus 25, 50, 75, or 100 percent of some number - barring critical hits, where ACV is more or less your 'base to-hit' number.
   • Characters are built on points without classes or levels, and a defects system exists to give you more points by defining weak points in the character.
     
     The skills list is large, and has specializations to give it further focus - if you know law, you could then specialize into a field of law. Guns, a type of gun. Etc.
     
     Characters get their real game mechanical depth from a system of 'attributes' which functions as a combination of perks, powers, special gear, and other unusual abilities. On first glance many of these will seem out of place in the Cyberpunk genre. Attributes such as Mind Control, Healing, and Creation (creates objects) for example, on the surface take leaps of logic to fit in. However note that what you are looking at here is a 'game effects' system ? where you take attributes and assign to them a special effect. Mind Control might have limits to be a drug induced effect, while Healing and Creation might represent nanites. Caution should be used by a GM with the attributes section. Tri-stat does not 'game balance' its meta system all that thoroughly and you can easily build game breaking concepts ? such as a Special Attack with both Accuracy and Autofire combined with Combat Technique: Accuracy. Taking both types of accuracy thus enables a character to Trick Shot an Autofire attack and possibly do hundreds of points of damage every round reliably if the attack's base damage is high enough (such as being to deliver 10 hits every round of a 20 point attack ? the second lowest setting). This may be seen as a system buster by some ? a reason to avoid tri-stat ? however this lack of strong built in balance also allows you to simulate many more unusual concepts. Provided you have a GM who pays attention and players willing to compromise, the balance issues can be easily governed and you will be able to reap the benefits of so open a game engine.
     
     The attributes section also contains a list of tri-stat dX attributes not found in Ex Machina ? many of these, such as Teleport and Pocket Dimension are obvious, but others such as Computer Scanning and Owns Big Mecha seem as if they really should have been in the list. Computer Scanning I could understand from looking it up in Silver Age Sentinels ? it is something of a short cut to getting data out of machines that runs right past the difficulty of breaking into a secure system. Owns Big Mecha however, seems to me the ideal way of representing vehicles, and without explanation for its cut I was left a bit confused.
     
     An explanation for that does come somewhat in the templates section. Templates are prebuilt packages to shorten the work of character creation, and one of them -The Teleoperator- suggests using Item Of Power to represent vehicles. The templates are used to give us professions, non humans (such as androids, bioroids, AIs, and so on), and cyberware. I'll cover cyberware under gear, as for the other templates each is built as a list of things you apply to the character, a total point cost, and notes on customization. The list includes all of the 'basic assumptions' of the genre as classic Cyberpunk understands it, with more templates in the four settings for less common ideas.
     
     Finally in character generation we have the earlier mentioned defects. GURPS and Hero players will know these as disadvantages. In tri-stat they -usually- each come on a scale of one to three and are bought either for specific attributes or the character in general. Some of them are specific as in GURPS, such as Phobia, and others are more general like in Hero, such as Restriction. The chapter begins with a discussion on their role in the game, and guidelines for the limits of how many of them you can get (normally from 3 to 5). Taking them will normally give your character 1 to 3 more points each, and given that the norm of Ex Machina is a 75-100 point character, they will not be a major part of your point total ? viable characters can thus be made without them, much like in Mutants and Masterminds rather than what you see in GURPS or Hero.
   • Combat ? or, is this Video Game Cyberpunk?
     I've heard it said that tri-stat doesn't offer enough tactical options to make for exciting game play in combat. On the list of facts that agree with this the game has only three stats which all play equal importance in combat accuracy and damage, only four stages for damage (25, 50, 75, or 100% of maximum), and movement does not require a play mat ? in fact with fast enough characters it can become awkward. Countering the claim however is a list of maneuvers and modifiers about as long as that seen in d20. It is a hit point system, but there are optional rules for tracking impairment from injury. Armor stops damage, and there are no hit locations though called shots can be used to target specifics. On the downside the team attack from Silver Age Sentinels is not in this game, but it really doesn't fit the genre anyway. The system is cinematic and not exactly all that gritty. It's lethality will vary depending on gear and attributes chosen. It is probably not as lethal as R. Tal's Cyberpunk 2013/2020, but more lethal than Shadowrun 1.0 (but not 3.0).
     
     Consider the average character will have around 80 health points [(Body + Soul) x 5], and that the average gun does 13-14 damage per hit [ACV 8 + 62.5% of 8 or 10]. It will take about 7 hits to kill.
     The 62.5 I got from assuming that most hits will do 50% or 75% of max, only every now and then will you get 25% or 100%, and very rarely a crtical (200% once every 64 attacks).
     
     On the other hand, a character with martial arts is likely to do the same damage (massive damage level 1), and if they have a cyberarm, 5 more than that per average hit. A ranged character could in theory also get massive damage to reflect a marksman, and without such melee is more than likely going to be the most lethal option present.
     
     To the rescue on this built in lack of danger to combat comes the shock system ? whereby if you take more than a certain amount of damage in a single hit you go into shock for a while and become a sitting duck. Coupled with this is a system whereby the same amount of damage will cause you to start bleeding out and eventually die if you do not get medical attention. On downside of that is once you start bleeding you will ALWAYS need surgery or eventually die.
     
     Even with the variety of maneuvers, the shock system, and the options for injury there are still very few variables to track, so it does play fast, and you will rarely get bogged down in book lookup during combat.
     
     Now consider the classic test from Shadowrun 1.0 ? can Mary Joe NPC kill herself? If a typical human takes a light gun, puts it to her head and shoots, what will happen in Ex Machina? In the real world this is usually instant death. In Ex Machina Mary is likely to have a Health of 40 and do 12 damage ? assuming she can hit with a total attack aimed called shot (a roll of -4 or less on 2d8 - so she can only shoot her head if she rolls a 2 unless the GM gives her a difficulty modifier or assumes no roll needed). Even with a critical hit she will still be alive. She will however, critical or not, exceed her shock value and thus begin to bleed out - hitting zero in 28 rounds (~ 2minutes 20 seconds). In addition if you use the optional injury rules she will have trouble not going into 'shock' and thus being unable to act for a few rounds while bleeding out. Otherwise if she makes a shock roll she will still be free to take actions during this time ? such as drive to a hospital and get patched up. The saving grace on this comes if she has, as suggested on page 84 for henchmen, the "Not so Tough" defect. If she had it at 3 BP, even a non critical could kill her in one shot given the rules for Catastrophic damage. So Mary Joe can commit suicide, but only if she is a henchman will she go down fast.
     
     The choice to use or not use the injury rules will play a large role in how deadly the system plays out. If you want gritty and brutal use them. People won't die instantly, but they will wear down very fast. You could also consider lowering the points given to PCs, or assuming the Massive Damage attribute is common to anyone who makes heavy use of guns. The system at its default is fairly cinematic and non lethal to PCs and major NPCs, but turn on the right options and you can make it deadly.
   • Gear
     The technology chapter starts with looking at the hard science versus dramatic and technology advancement level of your setting and using this to consider what is likely to be easy or hard to find, if at all. Next we get information on setting up background technologies ? power sources, the state of biomedicine, and nanotechnology. Then come the goods. Ex Machina traces gear not with cash, but in an abstraction through the Gadgets attribute. Each rank in Gadgets lets you have a number of gadgets ? minor and major. Minor gadgets are things somewhat hard or expensive to get, and major gadgets are things usually illegal, restricted, or otherwise very difficult to acquire. Normal everyday stuff is Mundane, and your character can have as much of that as you can explain away. In Ex Machina, you do not have to track how many pairs of underwear you bought, or even your cellphone / PDA, but you do have to track your gun, your wheels, and your grenade launcher. This is another aspect of the cinematic nature of the tri-stat system and honestly ? it is a welcome relief. Most newer modern and future age games are moving on to abstract wealth systems, but players of older Cyberpunk games are all too used to tracking their Japan Inc. dollars for every little toothbrush (more than likely you didn't actually go that far down, but officially you were supposed to)... The gear present in the book is fairly standard stuff for the genre today. If you haven't updated your understanding of Cyberpunk since the 80s, some of it will seem advanced ? such as having cellphones so cheap your character can strap a few thousand onto himself as a fashion statement, or having a Net that allows for wireless access. Yeah, its about time the future caught up with 1995. You get a good solid list of toys for your characters here, but you will need several ranks in gadgets to get more than a small selection. A lot of things which are Mundane are simply not listed, so a downside is that you don't have a style and fashion list like many other Cyberpunk RPGs did. The vehicles section, after giving us a list to buy in the normal manner presents an optional system for buying them as 'items of power,' and notes this can be used to for powered armor suits as well ? and then gives a few examples of such. That one is is probably most likely to see use among the anime crowd, but it is nice to see the idea handled.
     
     I'll step back for a second and look at Cyberware ? unlike other gear cyberware is acquired as if it were a template of attributes. You pay points for each bit of cyberware that has an actual game effect. Biotech works much the same. By contrast Wetware ? skills and personas on chips or copied into implanted hard drives are handled using the Gadgets method of other gear. Nothing in the system makes the acquisition of Cybernetics dehumanizing (about time too), nor does anything prevent the adaptation of subtle or minor cyberware. Tri-stat's attributes are something of a meta-system for building powers, and you can thus put in just about anything. The text of the chapter also covers designing new Cyberware, customizing what you have for 'off-brand' goods, the medical process of installing cyberware and biotech, fire sharing your wetware, recording your memories and uploading your mind.
   • Networking ? or, the bane of Cyberpunk gaming
     Nearly every system for handling networks in past proved to be a failure for players. Usually on the end of leaving the group sitting around while the GM handles some video game like abstraction for the one or two members who operate in a cyberspace written by people who've never been online.
     
     Ex Machina does present such a system for those who want it, but it also presents a second system rooted more in researching passwords, doing online research, stealing personal data chips, and doing actual 'hacking.' This can be done at the keys or neurally, and either way it works through skill checks to find and manipulate data while avoiding detection and security. There's no iconic interface, no game of Pac-Man.
     
     The second system is that iconic system created by early Cyberpunk authors who had no computer knowledge, and yet now popular with the public imagination of gamers ? even as the rest of the world gets online and finally realizes how silly it was. It works as a massive 3D world laid over the real world where you wander around with your avatar battling other avatars and will seem familiar to fans of the 80s RPGs. Game effects wise it reminds me of the method used in Cyber Hero ? you use a dimension hopping power placed into a device and an assume an alternate form with a new set of abilities once there. The system in Cyber Hero was amazingly unpopular with Hero fans of the day, but this system looks to be handled a little better. It still suffers the classic problem of sidelining the other players ? unless you run the VR side by side with the real time (as in how it works in the IOSHI setting). Me, I intend to use the first system, the one based on advancing actual real understandings of computer technology into a neural interface.
   
   GMing the Genre:
   Chapter 12 of the book discusses GMing Ex Machina, and begins with the usual stuff about being interesting, making campaigns and adventures, handing out experience, and thinking of themes. There's a very activist stance taken here ? the book not only suggests you cheat and make house rules, it declares that doing so is the only way to be a good GM; ?If you want your players to think you are the best Game Master in the world, you only have one option: cheat, and cheat often. ... there are no rules about 'being fair'? (p. 145). Most of us know better than to say something like that ? the world is full of a variety of different styles and some of them fudge the rules, some don't. Whether or not they do is not the best way to judge their success. Beyond that, the other advice is good. If you find yourself liking Ex Machina or any other RPG from Guardians of Order and this statement on rules is a little heavy handed for you this company is probably going to end up being a frustrating experience. Whenever rules are incomplete or fail in some test the usual response is to suggest ignoring them without explaining their normal application or even how best to judge when to do this. Unfortunately the same response tends to follow when the rules -are- working, but you don't understand them... It's a good rules set, and a design group with good ideas, but they have a frustrating way of presenting themselves. If you're a Dramatist GM this is perfect for you ? it works great if the goal is an engaging story -above- all else. If you're a Gamist it might work for you if you have a good sense of when to change rules for gaming action / challenges, but can blow up on you if you misjudge it or are inconsistent. The Simulationist GM however, is likely to find this stance very difficult ? the perspective would seem to be that modeling a system to accurately simulate the needs of the genre is the wrong approach, that Simulationist gamers are in error in their style choice.
   
   One actual issue I do see with the game is in the advancement system. It is slow, possibly painfully so. Roughly speaking you will get about 1.1 character points every 4 sessions. It will take about a year of weekly play to go up by 1/7 of your character's original points, with that total you will be able to perhaps buy about 3 ranks of attributes assuming the average costing attribute. From a GMs point of view ? you should thus make sure starting characters have enough points to completely capture the character concepts from day one, and assume points from experience only work to address how that concept changes, albeit slowly. That, or up the amount of experience you give out ? a common solution chosen by GMs of other tri-stat games if the online forums for them are indicative of any real world trends. Most people online give an advancement point or two per session and not every few sessions. I think I've seen as high as five in Silver Age Sentinels threads. As play of Ex Machina spreads the online community will probably come up with a norm for this issue, and I look forward to seeing the readers of this review in those discussions when they do come about (in other words, I'm telling you to get involved).
   
   The next 5 pages of this 12 page plus 2 page art spread chapter cover GMing the Cyberpunk genre in particular as opposed to GMing in general. How to handle a genre has always been a strong point of tri-stat games ? with long and detailed essays on the topic ? and this book is no exception. We begin with an essay on what it means to be marginalized, to face prejudice, to refuse the system or try to reform it, and how protagonists become empowered. A very common complaint about Cyberpunk gaming is that it captures the Cyber and the Punk, but misses everything the two words combined stand for. This essay is where Ex Machina seeks to help you run a Cyberpunk game and not a Cybered Punks game. After this we get essays on overcoming human limits, getting style down, and examining core elements of the genre. You get to look at grunge, the value of an information culture, branding, corporate power, the lack of clear evil, shifting cultures, lost data (I read a New York Times article on this just the other day in fact ? a prediction that the information age will actually lose mass amounts of data from conflicting storage standards and decaying media ? but the note in Ex Machina is more about the ease of digital secrets getting around when you do something as foolish as drop your keychain drive by accident ? as any resident of the Silicon Valley can attest, the plot that begins with ?you find a memory chip sitting left on the table in the cafe by the last guy...? is not all that absurd, in fact that chip is sitting on my desk right now), and the general ubiquitous nature of tech. A sidebar covers organized crime and the section ends in a short inspiration list.
   
   Finally we get 3 pages on new ways to handle your gaming fix. Here the book covers setting up a website, using email, running a game in email or chat, lan-party gaming (have the players bring their laptops), convention gaming, keeping things simple, sharing Gming, and even going freeform. This is all handled with a series of short essays that more wet your tastes than give you the full tools to do what they suggest. It is still a very handy section though ? and the information it imparts should lead you in the right direction for whatever fix you choose.
   
   The Four Settings:
   The book jumps right in, with the next four chapters each giving us one setting. Now don't think you're being shortchanged a complete setting here ? this stuff starts on page 158 and the book goes out to page 343 before it finishes with the settings. At two columns and a small typeface you're getting more out of each of these than most Cyberpunk games gave in their core rules for their one single setting. Each of these settings comes from a different author and thus has a different writing style ? from not only each other but the main book as well. This can at times be a good thing or a bad thing depending on which writer you find clearest or most organized to your way of thinking.
   • Heaven Over Mountain
     The premise here is a giant biotech beanstalk going from ground to orbit, with cities all along the way. The Tower of Babel made real in Columbia. We start with a history of the project which at times reads like a Libertarian manifesto ? but this is fiction, and in fiction we make an assumption and go with it ? such as the idea that corporate openness would end oppression and corruption. Aside from that little cheap shot from the political scientist in me the premise is really novel and I found myself really liking this setting. It isn't very dystopian however, unless you consider the presence of Chinese, still under what looks like the same government, to itself be a nightmare. After the history we get a layout of the elevator, from the basic manner in which it works to a guide to the cities along it ? each with its own distinct theme, and then a little bit about space beyond and the problems society has faced in making use of it. From there we get notes on major players in the setting and how they work together or against each other's interests, a little bit on the nature of living in an artificial world, and some current events you can use. After that we get a look at campaign themes from the point of view of being visitors, residents, specialists on hire, or drifters (people living on the outside of elevator). Finally we have some game elements specific to this setting ? a chart on the status of different technologies, some elements of biotech, a few near space vehicles, and optional rules for culture shock and stress
     
     Heaven Over Mountain is likely to be more of a social game of intrigue and culture themes than an action game. You can stage action along the elevator, particularly with specialists and drifters, but it is not the focus of the setting. This one is the setting for exploring the idea of alienation in a future perhaps outpacing the people occupying it. It lacks much of the dystopian character of Cyberpunk, there's no great failing in the society, mankind has not been forced to give up its soul to a dark future, in fact it looks as if the elevator is going to eventually lead to a capitalist's paradise. That said, shake it up a bit and you can find a campaign in there. After all, not telling us the horrible truth and injustice behind it all doesn't mean it isn't there ? just that you won't have players coming in and meta gaming a foreknowledge of it.
     
   • Underground
     Underworld is entirely the 'dys' side of dystopia ? this isn't paradise lost, its hell found. The idea is that a US acting on a fear of terrorism has taken over every 'rogue state' it could find and orbitally blasted anyone complicit in aiding those states (read as: anyone who asked questions). Then in the guise of democratization they moved in American megacorps for reconstruction and put the locals under their thumbs. Special economic zones were created to promote capitalism (Wait, weren't we talking about democracy? What does capitalism have to do with that? - or so the European might ask... before the US bombed his cities out of existence for raising the question). Left to their own devices, the corps have turned these special walled off cities into 'workers paradises' (read: life is cheap, and you're cheaper). In many ways what this gives you on the inside is something like what 80s Cyberpunk gaming often delivered ? roving street gangs, remote corps, nameless scenery people, and PCs as bottom feeders in a game of survival.
     
     The Underworld is essentially a corporate run prison labor camp, and if you think that idea is absurd you have not been paying attention to how the prison system already works in the USA and how we already structure some of our overseas worker camps (particularly in Latin America at present). Underworld simply takes that and couples it to our current idea of security over freedom and extends the two out to their logical end point.
     
     The whole world is not this way, in fact outside of these 'secure economic zones' the world might be a paradise of luxury for any ally of the US (or not), and soon to be occupied and converted over or bombed out of existence for anyone else.
     
     The setting presents this basic picture, then moves on to a number of people living within it at different levels ? showing us first the type and then a sample or two. We get worker drones, drifters, corps, security, media, organized crime, gangs and so on.
     
     The biggest complaint I have over this setting deals with timeline issues. The Underworlds have been in place for decades, six to be exact, one note even mentions great grandparents of current adults having been born in them ? but the power corps used to make them was put into law by the current president. He head of security in Underworld 9 (the location we focus on, built over a city in occupied / liberated Thailand) has held his position for four years, during which time he put down a major revolt that happened seven years ago... There's a lot of this sort of thing in Underworld, and it jars at times even if none of it is actually major or relevant to the likely PCs.
     
     Outside of the that the setting is novel in its utter desperation and hopelessness. There is no way out of Underworld ? not even in a body bag (in fact you're more likely to be eaten than recycled). This is a setting about pure survival on the margins.
     
   • IOSHI
     The name of this setting is likely to result in it being claimed by the Sailor Moon meets Akira crowd, but with luck the rest of us will be able to stake a hold on it as well ? because at least to me, this one looks to be the diamond in a pack of gems for those who can wrap their heads around it.
     
     The introduction to IOSHI is perhaps the most confusing bit of text in the entire book; ?The development of human knowledge is strictly limited by the sophistication of the techniques used to organize and convey that knowledge. Thus, oral tradition gives way to writing, private collections to libraries, digital libraries to the web, and finally the worm to IOSHI ('the well')? (p. 247). My response to that amounts to ¿Que? It is not helped by the intro blurb at the beginning of the book; ?IOSHI conveys knowledge in the traditional fashion: datajacked into a two-level personal library stored on a chip in one's brain. It serves as a significant boon to anyone who can afford personal or professional access. ... IOSHI is a patented technology. Getting to the state of art isn't just a matter of money; it's a matter of legal entanglement... usually a few hundred corporations own very small pieces of you? (p. 11). This all very nice and interesting in a confusing sort of way, but it still doesn't tell me what the setting is about. This one will take reading in depth, and I will try to give you the theme in plain terms.
     
     The basic premise seems to be a post-national world defined by interest groups and mobile workforces rather than nations and loyal wage slaves. The philosophy, or discourse behind this is a socio-economic construct called 'Sparta.' A person might move thirty times in a month, work for dozens of different corporations and never seem ill at ease about any of it. Life is online in every sense, with an iconic net (IOSHI) overlaying the physical world and itself seeming more real that reality ? the apartment next to you might be a foreign place listed as far aw
   
   
   
   • Plain and simple, this sistem rocks! A bit difficult at start, due to massive details on each stat and its usage, but when you get it, a whole new world of opportunities lies at your feet! I was a big fan of Cyberpunk 2020, but now i would NEVER came back to that sistem, now that i know of Ex Machina.
     A little defect: there is no charachter sheet, you gotta do it yourself. Do'h! :-/
   
   
   

5 comments about The Sunless Citadel (Dungeons & Dragons Adventure, 3rd Edition).

1. My group and I are all in our 30's. We're gamers from the old days who decided to give 3e a try. As the DM, I was very pleased with this module. My players were, too.

   First, I was pressed for time before our first sitting and knew there was no chance I'd have time to read two new rulebooks *and* compose my first dungeon in 15+ years, so buying a ready-made adventure was a necessity, not a luxury.

   Second, even if I'd had time, I wouldn't have wanted to start off with a module of my own creation the first time out of the gate with the new rules. The odds were too high I'd make it just about any degree of difficulty other than the right one. So, again, a pre-made module seemed a good idea to get used to the new rules and give me an idea what to do to make my own later without making them either too easy or impossibly hard.

   Third, I needed to be able to have a fairly easy time running a game with a new set of rules unfamilair to us all *and* running the adventure at the same time. This module was very nicely balanced, giving my players ample oportunitys to try out their various skills and included an abundance of rules tips and assistance for me.

   In short, this module met all of my needs very nicely. It gave the characters a couple of decent hooks and some mysteries to solve, gave each of them several ways to be involved throughout, and allowed them to use a number of different gameplay approaches (rather than just hacking-and-slashing) so that it stayed interesting. Meanwhile it gave *me* lots of help and several interesting NPCs to play for them while still allowing me to do some creative DMing as I went. I was entirely satisfied and my players had a great time without ever feeling like they were being led by the nose or were on rails.

   Also, because it's nicely ambiguous about the larger questions and gameworld, I am able to integrate it seamlessly into the ideas I have for where I want to take their campaign. My only complaint would be that Oakhurst, as other have noted, seems like an afterthought. More detail there - especially the same kind of attention to NPC characterization that the dungeon itself has - would have been appreciated.

   All I really hoped for when I bought this - the one option available for a brand-new set of characters - was an adequate starter module that would get my players and I back in the groove after all these years. What I got was considerably more. The gameplay (some fighting, some puzzle-solving, some diplomacy, some sleuthing) provided a nearly perfect start to my campaign and matched the tone I wanted to set exceptionally well. I would not hesitate to recommend it for others just starting with the new rules, whether they're brand-new to gaming or old-timers coming back after a long hiatus.




2. This adventure is a great way to learn how to first play an RPG and get the feeling of DND. It has great adventures and was well thought out. The rules kind of slip off the train track for a second, but they get right back on. The game is fun and exciting. It will definately help you get out of your shell if you are a shy person.



3. This was a great module to introduce myself (as the DM) to 3rd edition gaming rules.
   The adventure can fit well into most campaign settings and was interesting to play with my group.
   I had to make some modifications to make the adventure a little more difficult at points (upping the hit points and AC of some key monsters), but it was easy and made the adventure more fun to play!
   The side bars were also very helpful for the DM. I also purchased The Forge of Fury and my group is still engrossed in completing the mission.



4. I used to play D&D many moons ago (and, no, I'm not going to tell you just how many, but it was a lot). I now have teenagers who wanted to try it. This adventure was a GREAT teaching module for my kids and their friends. It has pit traps, trapped doors, ambushes, riddles, more than one way through the dungeon, bits of treasure all over, and many different types of monsters. Beginning players CAN get through with hack 'n' slash, but they will be healthier (and richer) with a little thought and planning (and, duh, using Listen and Search, before and after entering a room and fighting a battle).
   
   I found this adventure very well crafted (and I enjoyed the little bits of humor included for the DM). I think players of any experience level would enjoy it and new players would find it a very good way to start.



5. Note that this review will contains a few tidbits that might be considered spoilers, but if you're a DM who's contemplating this purchase that shouldn't be a major problem.
   
   I'm new to Dungeons & Dragons and DMing, so I decided that buying a module for our first adventure would be advisable, until I have enough experience and confidence to create my own campaign.
   
   Although it is slightly outdated (being based on 3.0 rules rather than 3.5) it does not seem to conflict with the revised rules in any serious way, as far as I can tell.
   
   As a site-based adventure (the site being the titular Sunless Citadel) most of the content in the module is devoted to the subterranean structure itself and almost no attention is given to the nearby town of Oakhurst and the surrounding environs. A little more detail in this area would be very nice, but it isn't missed too much.
   
   The citadel itself doesn't fail to please. It's got a little of everything that you'd want in a good low-level dungeon, a cool little backstory involving a dragon cult (unfortunately relatively little of this backstory is directly available to your PCs, so you may want find wants to drop more hints and clues about its history if you think that is something they'd enjoy), a war between goblinoids (making diplomacy with one faction an option) and your obligatory sinister antagonist. There's traps, puzzles and secret passages ways. Your players will contend with a variety of threats including the aforementioned goblinoids, as well as the local vermin, the odd minor demon or two and even a dragon wyrmling.
   
   One thing I'll note is that the adventure does seem a bit light on treasure for the players. I ran through the module and totaled all of the items and coinage up (including hidden treasures, enemy gear -- most of which isn't worth bothering with, potions and magic items) and the ballpark estimate I came up for if the PCs scraped the dungeon clean ends up at about 1/2 to 2/3 of what the Dungeon Master's Guide (3.5) recommends for a party to get from encounters in the course of achieving their 3rd level (which is how far this module will take the PCs), if that.
   
   Perhaps the worst thing about the loot allocation (in my opinion) is that a large percentage (almost half) of the value of total loot is tied up with two particular items that make up the whole dungeon's hoard. This is the sort of thing that the DMG also advises against, as it makes fair loot splits between the players somewhat difficult. For a low level adventure in particular, I would prefer a more even loot spread.
   
   The light treasure isn't a completely bad thing though. It gives you liberty to drop in a few items that you think you characters will like without necessarily overdoing it on loot -- just be careful and reference the pertinent sections of the DMG.
   
   There are a few errors and inconsistencies. The goblin chief should have a higher CR and his encounter should have a higher EL. A few monsters should have higher or lower attack bonuses, save DCs, etc. Mostly minor stuff, but there is no good errata available online that I've been able to find.
   
   My group is only about 1/3 of the way through the module so far but I think everyone is enjoying it. I'll probably get the "sequel" to this module (the Forge of Fury, which one of the treasures in this module vaguely hints at, though it isn't documented as such for the DM) while I work on writing my own adventure.
   
   A good buy for a beginner DM.

2 comments about Citadel of Fire (Judges Guild).

1. A great module! Better than the original. Lots of high powered magical encounters. An adventure to be remembered!



2. I purchased Citadel of fire because I simply didn't have the time to write my own material; all work & no play makes me a very dull dungeon master. I thought that I was going to be getting a module that was going to need a lot of tailoring; however I found this module easy to drop into my current campaign. Well written & chucked full of combat. I personally like to run a game surrounding more role-play, but Goodman Games is more of a hack-n-slash based system, which works out great because now I'm finding that my troupe likes the change of pace. A great module and easy to run.