5 comments about Monster Manual: Core Rulebook III (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. If you like D&D this book will be plain old nerdy fun. For the best monsters to fight and funtastic battles this is a good one.
   
   I bought this book for my boyfriend's 25th birthday. He wants to try his hand at DM-ing a game this summer and of course you'll need a monster manual. Ah, the memories.



2. Everything was here faster than all other orders and in great shape!!!



3. The Monster Manual provides hundreds of monsters, ranging from classic fantasy standbys such as orcs and goblins to downright bizarre creatures such as the digester and rust monster. For someone who plans on running a game of Dungeons & Dragons, it is an essential collection of some of the best monsters in the game.
   
   While the revision of the 3rd edition D&D rules was poorly received due to its release only a few years after the original 3rd edition core books, the Monster Manual is definitely an improvement over the original. That's not to say that the original was lacking, but the revision provides more monsters, more templates, and an overall better layout than its predecessor. More creatures equal more mayhem, which equals more fun in most D&D games. With so many monsters, one can play D&D for years without exhausting all of the options available in the core books alone.
   
   Like the other 3.5 core books, however, the Monster Manual does have its share of weaknesses. Specifically, the rules for improving and advancing monsters are not very well presented, making altering a monster more of a process of guesstimation than anything else. Also, unlike the excellent Monstrous Manual of 2nd edition, this volume contains very little on the way of ecology or personality for the monsters. We don't know how a beholder or a displacer beast acts when they are on their own without adventurers harassing them. Instead, each monster is essentially a piece of art with some combat statistics next to it. True, that's probably most of what you'll need in a D&D game, but it would be useful to have some information for gamers whose role-playing desires extend beyond combat.
   
   Overall, the Monster Manual is the essential tome of critters both malevolent and benign for your D&D game. Despite its warts, it is an improvement over the 3rd edition monster book, and provides enough information on its own to keep adventuring groups everywhere busy for quite a while.



4. As one of the core books for D&D 3.5 this a must for DM's and players. The only reason I don't give the book 5 stars is because there should have been a better index and the few typos should have been fixed after the 1st printing. But, to have the iconic monsters to use or study in you're 3.5 campaign you have to have this book. Buy it now! heh :)



5. I recently set up a Dungeons and Dragons group and I was having a bit of trouble coming up with different creatures (as far as what their stats should be and what type of attacks/spells different creatures have). The Monster Manual lists several different creatures and any stat that you will need to fight them. It has everything from how they attack to how strong they are (challenge rating). Definitely an invaluable source for Dungeon Masters who are starting out or even seasoned Dungeon Masters. It also teaches you how to eventually make your own creatures or characters so that you don't even need the book anymore.

No comments about Player's Handbook 2: A 4th Edition D&D Supplement (D&D Core Rulebook).

5 comments about Star Wars Gamemaster Screen (Star Wars Accessory).

1. Starting with the bad: The lack of a chart listing damage dice for common weapons is a major oversight, particularly considering that the climb and persuasion skills each get their own table here, not to mention two entire tables devoted to how hard it is to break various objects.
   
   I give it points for being a sturdier GM screen than I expected, being made of much thicker cardstock than most screens I've used. I also like that it is shorter than most other screens, making it both easier to peek over and not being an intimidating "wall" between you and your players. The art on the front of the screen is attractive, and the whole thing has a kind of glossy laminate that will help stand up to wear.
   
   I would like to give it three-and-a-half stars, but three isn't quite fair.



2. This installment of the Star Wars GM Screen has great photos and art work but still delivers the information needed to run a game session with minimul book, rule checking.



3. The Gamemaster Screen for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game is the ultimate tool for all Gamemaster's telling the adventures to their PCs. With stats for attacks, ranges, actions, force powers, force points, experience points awards, attitude steps, deceptions, DCs, and other great stats to help the GM from constantly having to look through the books to play through the adventures he or she sets for his or her PCs. This is a good buy for GMs that would like to have all the stats he or she needs at a glance and also to keep some or all of their dice rolls a secret to the PCs. A great buy for players of the Star Wars RPG.



4. I don't understand. Wizards of the Coast had months to do this properly, sure the material of the screen is great, the horizontal format is great too, and all the tables that were chosen. But why didn't they do a decent art for it? The main focal point of the screen is some 10 year old drawing that represents a nobody in terms of Star Wars universe... that's a big mistake, but, the overall result is pretty good, except for that minor thing.



5. This game screen is great. Nice finish...missing a few tables that would have been nice but overall a very good product.

5 comments about D&D Miniatures Game Starter (D&D Miniatures Product).

1. My friends and I used to play the pen and paper D&D game as kids, but as adults now, we don't have time to gather for long gaming sessions and read the latest RPG rules. Still having the urge to get some fantasy gaming however, I picked this miniature starter kit a few weeks ago and tried it out on my friends, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was a hit, even with the most skeptical. Not in depth as the full fledged RPG game, but offers some quick and strategic fun.
   
   Firstly, I was surprised at the quality and value of the starter kit. It comes with everything you need, like nicely painted miniatures, nice stat cards describing your miniatures abilities, dice, damage counters, full color rulebook and colorful maps, at such an affordable price. The rulebook was easy to understand and we quickly tried out the quick battle, and then moved on to the standard rules. My first friend I played it with didn't have any D&D experience, but he had no problems learning. The second friend I showed the game, had D&D experience, although from way back from the 2nd edition days, was able to pick up the game rules even quicker.
   
   I found out online that this starter kit is a new version using the updated rulebook, called the Dungeons of Dread rulebook, which is the same name as the booster pack that was released at the same time as this new edition of the starter kit. This new rulebook streamlines the game and makes it faster and easier to learn. This starter kit has new stat cards that are designed with the new rules. As a benefit, these news rules tie the miniature game closer to the upcoming new 4th edition version of D&D role playing game. I don't play the RPG game myself, but having had a lot of fun with the miniature games, I've been thinking of looking into it.
   
   My friends and I got addicted and looking to expand our armies (called warbands), we eventually bought some booster packs from the Dungeons of Dread booster set, which come with the updated stat cards to use with the new rulebook. If you buy any booster packs pre-Dungeons of Dread, you can download updated stat cards at the publishers website, Wizards of the Coast. As of this writing, Desert of Desolation and Night Below boosters have their stat cards are available online, with Unhallowed to be available sometime in May/June 2008. It was announced that all the older expansions will have updated stat cards in the future as well.
   
   If you've been waiting like I have, this is a great time to jump in with the new rules and a nice set of miniatures. You don't need a lot of space to play so and it's easy to carry around. I've also heard of veteran collectors buying multiple copies of this starter pack as the miniatures only are available in this starter pack and not in any booster pack, and since they have some nice abilities, they are very worthy to have multiples of, if creating your own custom-built warband.
   
   The only negative I see is that I could see myself getting tired of this and maybe wanting to move into something more in-depth like something from Games Workshop, like the classic Warhammer 40k series or popular Lord of the Rings miniature game, both which offer deeper rules but also more time commitment. But for right now, this is suiting my friends and I well. This could be also good gateway to the more advanced games I just mentioned, or perhaps into the wonderful D&D RPG game itself.



2. This is the first miniature set I ever purchased. The minis are really fine, there are 4 maps on two big paper (front and reverse side) and a little book with all the rules to start playing.
   I suggest to everyone who wants begin to play.



3. After many different expansions, the D&D miniatures comes to a new edition. There is necessity for this? I think so, after 13 expansion booster packs, two actualizations, the game was in necessity of a new edition. Now, the combats run much more smoothly, with more balanced creatures, new ways of forming your warbands (rules like Factions adds more of D&D lore to the game), and the compatibility with the new D&D 4º Edition. The minis have all great looks, and do their job, being it D&D minis or Roleplaying. The site of wizards have the actualized rules to download, and they are updating the old expansions (although, I wish they could do it with haste).
   A great way of enter in the world of D&D Minis!



4. A great gift, playability for kids and adults. The advanced rules can let adults throw in some tactics. The basic rules work great for kids (mine and 6 and 8) and provide a great excuse for some basic math practice. Well quality package, definitely recommended.



5. I've bought these miniatures to play Dungeons and Dragons RPG. It just not good for playing the RPG, but the miniature game is very interesting. It's like combine a chess game with a Magic: the Gathering or Yu-Gi-Oh trading card games. It has a good strategy.
   
   The miniatures are cool, well painted and full of details.
   I really recomend for fans of wargames and RPG games

5 comments about Dungeons of Dread booster (D&D Miniatures Product).

1. I was looking for something to add to my order to recieve the free shipping and saw this item at a 40 % discount from what I would have to spend at my local hobbie store. It filled my needs wonderfully. Thanks.



2. The figures in the new booster have greater detail and more accurate paint jobs than in previous packs. I've had good success in getting new figures in each pack. The creativity of design is fun to see - armor and shields have terrific detail and patterns, wings are better textured and even the ugliest beasts have vivid color and character depth.
   
   Particularly good, in my amateur opinion, are the Angel of Valor, Ascendant Hellsword, and the Bugbear Headreaver (holding a reaved head, of course). Even the orc raider has a battered shield.
   
   The new packaging makes it easier to get everything out, but it is extremely difficult to open the boxes without completely mangling them.



3. D&D miniatures have a new look. And I don't like that look. They are using a new glossier paint scheme. I find it to be very fake enamel-like paint. What happened? I also found the sculpts on this set to be uninspiring. And this is the first full set for the 2E mini rules and for the 4E RPG rules. Yet there are no dragonborns but plenty of tieflings. Odd. Overall, I would say to order individual minis that you want from various places instead of getting a random booster.



4. I ordered 12, "assuming" that I would get a sealed box (that's how many come in a box). But Amazon sent me one from one box and 11 from another, and I ended up getting two of the same rare because of it.
   
   So the savings is not worth buying here on Amazon, if you are a collector and want to get whole sets. But the product itself is great if you are into D&D or D&D Minitures games.



5. I started playing d&d minis right when Desert of Desolation first hit the shelves. I loved it, and immediately stocked up on Night Below, Unhallowed, Blood War, and Dragon Queen. When the new rules came out with Dungeons of Dread, I was a little trepidatious but have been won over by the way that they streamline game play and make the game more accessible to new players. I mean hey, my girlfriend is now a hard-core player and she is not the, ahem, D&D type.
   
   I will say, though, that more than a few of the miniatures leave A LOT to be desired. In the older sets, miniatures were finely detailed and many had very interesting, dynamic poses that really brought a feeling of story to the game. New Dungeons of Dread pieces like the Bulette or Silver Dragon bring some of that back. But the majority tend to lean toward the monochromatic and plain, or the down-right poorly designed. The Orc Raider is so bland that I can't even bring myself to use it for role-playing purposes. And the Mind Flayer, one of the most feared creatures in the D&D universe, looks like he had bad nail polish spilled on him. All in all, this is a great game and the new sets are bringing some really great stuff to the table. The original early sets were also a little lacking in the mini dept. and so I am hoping that the cool cats at Wizards are slacking on the sculpts until they see what kind of reaction the new game gets. If you're wondering about the game, get it. I am sure good things are on the way.

2 comments about Lost Caverns of the Underdark: Dungeon Tiles 5 (Dungeons & Dragons).

1. Not every encounter occurs in a manufactured dungeon or crypt... what about natural caves? This product provides the tiles for those encounters... and they fit nicely with previous tile sets as well! My game player's were pleasently surprised when I brought out these tiles... they added a wonderful new flavour to the game.



2. ... if, that is, you want to set a role-playing adventure or miniatures skirmish in a cavern complex. As with all of WotC's Dungeon Tiles line, the tiles are make of sturdy material like that used for board game boards, and the artwork is very attractive. Thus far, "Lost Caverns of the Underdark" is the only WotC Dungeon Tiles release that actually specializes in caverns, though some of the flavor pieces from other sets can be used in the caverns with little difficulty. You get ordinary cavern floors as well as pits, columns, pools, and other such hazards. I recommend this product.

5 comments about The Dark Elf Trilogy, Collector's Edition (Homeland, Exile, Sojourn).

1. I cut my teeth into fantasy with these same books when I was a kid. My wife had never read them so I bought the set for her. She devoured them. All three books are complete page turners. The Icewindale Trilogy that follows this set is the same way. IMO the author goes downhill after that. This set is a must-read though.



2. Loved this trilogy enough to share it with a friend or two as a gift.



3. The Dritz stories are my favorite among R. A. Salvatore books. I never get tired of reading them.



4. These are by far the best fantasy books Iv ever read.....Read all 3 of them straight through, read through breaks, and lunch at work. Stayed up to the wee hours of the night, I just could NOT put them down. You will NOT be disappointed in these grab yourself a copy NOW!
   Drizzt fan for life!



5. I've been an avid follower of Robert Salvatore's work since I was 10 or so years old. I am now 18. Though I am limited to just reading a few authors of the Forgotten Realms world (just started reading Ed Greenwood's books), I see Salvatore's books as my favorites ever. It was because of R.A. Salvatore's "The Crystal Shard" that I made the decision of wanting to become a writer, so I am indebted to this talented man.
   
   Anyway, I own most of his books from Echoes of the Fourth Magic to the installments of Corona and to the Collector's Editions of Drizzt's adventures thus far. And for the listing of my favorites I'd have to say this Collector's Edition as a whole is my 4th favorite.
   
   When I first got into the worlds of reading and the world of Faerun, I picked up the Icewind Dale Trilogy and was blown away. I still think that The Crystal Shard is THE best work of R.A. Salvatore. Knowing that there was going to be an origin story for Drizzt Do'urdon I saved up my allowance(I was young, maybe like 13?) for many weeks, and then I preordered each book as it came.
   
   Let me review each book on its own then I'll give the master review.
   
   Book #1: Homeland
   For me this was a very important read, and Salvatore did not let me down on this one. I felt the character of Zaknafein was the strongest in the whole book, and though Drizzt's journey from boyhood to the nearly-invincible fight we know him as is very interesting and kept me turning pages, I felt that other drow were quite flat. Matron Mother annoyed the s**t out of me for she's just the evil drow stereotype. (Which occurs a lot in these books because thats all Drizzt interacts with in this one. I felt that Salvatore could've made the characters more dimensional like Jarlaxle or the Faceless One.)
   Action sequences thrilled me and I was on the edge of my bed when I read the last couple chapters.
   The cons with Homeland was that, yeah, I felt that the drow could have more tweaking and be more interesting, but no matter; Salvatore accomplishes this with Legacy of the Drow books.
   
   Book #2: Exile
   Exile is my favorite out of this trilogy because Salvatore does much better with the characterization as fresh faces come into the fold, and old ones actually find a voice thats interesting. I especially love the journey that we take with Drizzt as he discovers more about himself and finds morals and values. The action in this is much more realistic and Drizzt is seen to be vulnerable which makes for a fun read.
   
   Book *3: Sojourn
   Okay, okay, before you fan boys say that this is the best Drizzt trilogy let me tell you what I was hoping for in this trilogy after reading the MUCH better Icewind Dale trilogy. For I was disappointed.
   As I read the books of the latter trilogy I wondered what went through Drizzt's mind as he came to the surface and how he came to meet Bruenor. This book does not live up to my expectations, though it is still entertaining in its own right. It's good but not great like Exile or heck Halfling's Gem.
   After reading this specific book a while ago, I felt Salvatore was quite rushed with this one. The story itself is what I expected, but the interaction between characters was bland at times. Catti-brie wasn't boring as a younger version of her dwarf-raised self, but she wasn't grand. Only Bruenor and the bounty hunter Drizzt faces are the grand new faces. Don't get me wrong action is still good (not as good as Exile though, or Homeland) but the execution of this important cornerstone of Drizzt's life seemed so rushed that I was thinking, "What? That's it?"
   I felt Salvatore could've done more to flesh out the characters that we've come to know and love.
   
   
   THE MASTER REVIEW
   
   As a reader of R.A. Salvatore, I'd say this is a must-have collector's edition.
   As a reader of fantasy, Drizzt's story is one of the best out there.
   But as a fan who has followed R.A. salvatore as a writer. This is NOT his best work for Forgotten Realms. Of course this is a must-have to enjoy the story of Drizzt & CO., But to get more into the characters I'd suggest Icewind Dale trilogy as it is much more interesting and I felt all ranges of emotions while reading that.
   
   Otherwise this book is fun, worth the money, and has you cheering for Drizzt the whole time, but for me I'd recommend it with a bitter taste in my mouth because of the disappointment Sojourn left me. Only to those who wish to know the origin of the beloved Drizzt Do'urdon.
   
   
   Elsewise start with Icewind Dale trilogy to see the reason why fantasy-fans love Drizzt Do'urdon.

5 comments about Ruins of the Wild: Dungeon Tiles 4 (Dungeons & Dragons Fantasy Roleplaying Accessory).

1. Adventures take place on the way to the dungeon and back as well as inside it. these tiles come in handy for outdoor ambushes and encounters.



2. I hate these sealed package products, especially when you can't find what you're buying. This is for all you other folks like me.
   
   What you get in this pack are six double-sided pages of thick cardstock with a plasticy finish. No adventures or anything else--just map bits. Some of them are cut into 2x4" or 2-8" strips, with other bits that have groups of boulders or other terrain on them. The idea is to mix and match them Tetris-style to make a variety of maps. Presumably you could also use them with another forest map, but the thick stiff cardstock makes it so they wouldn't blend well--it's really thick. You could still make color copies of them though, cut out the bits you want, and keep the originals pristine for future use.
   
   Another problem is that about half the cards are dominated by pretty exotic stuff that would be less useful for general purposes: an 8x8 circle of druid stones, hunting lodge floorplan, campsite or big round room filled with hay and bones. The campsite is alright, but the others are way too specific for my preference--determining the adventures you can do rather than giving you tools to run the adventure you want. Now there's still plenty of good stuff. Just about everything that is strange or difficult to use has some perfectly normal foresty grassland on the opposite side--and there's enough variety to the cards that you could just lay down the forest tiles, rotate and swap them periodically and you'd be fine. There are a couple of strange ones that would be a little tough to use in a normal game, like a gargoyle statue, a graveyard, a gypsy wagon, a giant's thighbone, scattered adventuring gear, a full giant's skeleton, a wrecked wagon, and...horses?? More of them are perfectly good and useable than that are odd, however.
   
   One big advantage of the cards is that because they're in peices you can move characters along, laying cards down in the direction they move and pulling away ones where they've been. Especially if you buy a few of the same pack of map bits you could fill a full table with forest terrain and flip some cards over and switch them around and the characters could explore forever. It's a novel idea and I like it.
   
   It really is a lot better than I was expecting. Certainly my first review of them was a bit unfair. I actually hadn't turned the tiles over to see that they were printed on both sides. Yeah, that made a difference. Boy, do I feel kinda' dumb.



3. Good, solid tiles. Bought them for my husband for a stocking stuffer gift. He loves all of these tile packs, and make for easy detailed map addtions without drawing scribbles on your battle mat and having to explain they're trees. Stairs? there ya go. This set even comes with horses on 10x10 squares, perfect for standing your D&D mini on to make him or her mounted. This is a great series, and I highly recommend them.



4. This is a great product. The heavy, coated cardstock really makes it easy to pick up the tiles. I use the Ruins of the Wild quite often in my D&D games. My only complaint is that we need more variety. I hope they make a second set with more wilderness tiles.



5. These tiles are great, this is a must get tile set along with the rest of them. I would not pass any tile set up they are just great and easy to drop down and speed up the process. Another great thing is the fact that they work just as well for 4th as they did for 3rd edition.

5 comments about Complete Champion: A Player's Guide to Divine Heroes (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. I quite like Complete Champion, which offers more depth on the major D&D religions, some cool feats and alternative class features, spells, and magic items. I didn't think too much of the prestige classes, but I rarely find prestige classes very compelling. Then again, I thought the "Shadowstrikers" have a very cool flavor: sort of a military alliance between the churches of Pelor and Heironious out to save the world. The Summon Holy Symbol and Metal Fang were a couple of handy spells that, upon reflection, should've come out years ago. The new feats include Domain Feats, each one associated with a particular domain that the cleric has to have to take it. The new reserve feat associated with healing (Touch of Healing) could revolutionize how some parties approach healing between battles: so long as you keep a 2nd level or higher cure spell in reserve, you can slowly heal your buddies up to half their total hp without casting a spell or expending a charge off a wand. (The feat is particularly useful for druids and bards.) The Holy Warrior feat is a personal favorite (constant boost to damage, but you need access to the War domain). An earlier review suggested that the book is only helpful for paladins: I couldn't disagree more. There is a divine-style alternative class feature for every class: the ones for ranger I thought were cool, and there are options for fighter and monk that enable them to align their weapons/unarmed attacks without needing a cleric to cast Align Weapon. Most of the magic items work for anybody, although some are only for druids, clerics, or paladins. The rules for joining church organizations, whether or not you're a cleric or paladin, have some neat little benefits: I thought the 1st rank benefits for followers of Moradin (+5 movement for only 500 gp and some easy criteria) is a good example of something any dwarf would appreciate. All in all, I really liked it.



2. While I really enjoy the concept of the domain devotion feats, there just did not seem to be very much to this book. They have interesting variants, but I wish they had more prestige classes in it.



3. I was a little disappointed that this book wasn't more like the Complete Scoundrel. I thought it would be the Scoundrel's complete opposite, much like the Book of Vile Darkness and the Book of Exalted Deeds.



4. Complete Champion works best if you're campaign is set in Greyhawk and/or prominently features the core 3.0/3.5e D&D gods. It's also the most DM-centered of the "Complete" books, which are generally thought of as extensions of the Player's Handbook (PHB). While there are new feats, prestige classes (11 of them, actually) and spells, the rules for creating church affiliations and holy sites take up quite a bit of the book. While players might join one of these organizations, it's the DM who'll get the most out of this information.
   
   Affiliations were introduced in the Player's Handbook II (PHBII) as a way of providing rules and benefits for characters belonging to various organizations. You don't need the PHBII, however, as rules for building your own church affiliations are provided in the Complete Champion. Affiliations are useful because they provide criterion for characters to rise up in the ranks of a given organization (in this case, a church) and provide increasingly valuable benefits for doing so. While all the churches presented in the book are of non-evil Core/Greyhawk deities, there are brief descriptions for the evil Core/Greyhawk deities, as well. Furthermore, rules are given to allow you to create a church affiliation for nearly any deity you choose based on their prominent domains.
   
   Among the usual selection of feats are a new type called Domain Feats. These feats, which can be taken by any character, are each based on one of the core domains from the PHB such as Air, Destruction and Travel. These Domain Feats provides an ability, often only usable once per day, based on the powers associated with the specific domain. This provides a fun, if not always balanced, way to provide non-divine classes with the blessing of a deity, which I like, but there's certainly nothing to keep a divine class from taking these feats as well.
   
   Many of the prestige classes are based on the Core/Greyhawk deities, as well. Pelor has the Shadowstriker and the Shadowspy which are both tied to a Pelorian church affiliation called Pelor's Shadow Guard. While this might sound counterintuitive for a sun god, the description of the affiliation does a great job at explaining how these prestige classes came to be. There's also a prestige class for Hextor (Ordained Champion) and another (The Sancctified One) which can be taken by Ehlonna, Kord, Olidammara or Wee Jas, providing differing abilities for each.
   
   The new spells favor the cleric, but there's quite a few new things for paladins, druids and blackguards as well. There's even a few new spells for Adepts (the NPC class), which is something I haven't seen in a while. On average, the spells are 2nd-4th level spells, but clerics receive a few 5th-7th level spells, too.
   
   Of the new items presented I particularly enjoyed the special holy symbols. These are masterwork holy symbols that each have special powers relating to the Core/Greyhawk deity they represent. There's quite a bit of variety here and these items are relatively inexpensive having more value in terms of status than monetary worth.
   
   The final chapter covers divine quests and holy sites. Again, this is probably more befitting a DM than a player. While players who worship a certain deity will certainly want to visit the holy site and gain the favor of their gods, this material is better served in the DMs hands. Still, these can add a fun touch to any Greyhawk campaign.
   
   Overall, I think this is a great book and I intend on using the church affiliation rules to build my own churches and expand those of the other deities in my Greyhawk campaign. If you're running a 3.0/3.5e Greyhawk campaign or favor the Core deities, this book can definitely help mesh the rules and rewards of belonging to a church to the concepts and flavor of serving a deity. If you don't have any use for the Core/Greyhawk gods, then this book will be of significantly less value to you and I suspect that may be why it's received such low ratings overall. I'm sure I'd like it a lot less if it featured Forgotten Realms or Eberron deities, for example.
   
   So, if you like the Core/Greyhawk deities and want to find ways to make them more interesting to their followers, pick up Complete Champion right away. Otherwise, you'll probably be disappointed. But me? I think it's quite good.



5. All in all this isn't a bad book, it just lacks a certain level of applicability to any campaign not using the "core" deities as detailed in the PHB. More or less all of the fluff and a good deal of the crunch in this book seems to take that as a given. All in all I have been impressed with the Completes series - I was dubious of the "second round" but after Mage and Scoundrel I was generally impressed. This one seemed a far cry in utility compared to the others in the series. It has a handful of useful rules items, but all in all this isn't a great book.

5 comments about Dire Tombs: Dungeon Tiles (Dungeons & Dragons).

1. Dire Tombs is a great addition to a DM's arsenal of props and tools for the tabletop D&D game. If you liked the other tiles in this series you will enjoy and make great use of these.
   
   Of particular note: This set is a different color than all the previous grey stone colored tiles. These are a desert tan kind of color offering an exploring the pyramid kind of feel.



2. This is the third set of Dungeon Tiles I've gotten and this is my favorite one so far. While the other tile sets I've seen are fairly generic in terms of dungeon dressing, this one throws in things like skeletons, mummies and coffins. Good for a quick dungeon crawl you throw together.



3. I've purchased all of the dungeon tile sets and this is my favorite one so far. Unlike the underdark set, this set contains a lot of nice big rooms - something I really need for a good encounter. It also contains far fewer small pieces - pieces I rarely use.
   
   Because the color of these tiles are unique, you may want to purchase more than one set. They won't work too well with the other sets so you'll want plenty of pieces to build whatever dungeon you want.
   
   The best way I have found to use these tiles is with a large poster board and some poster sticky putty. Sit down at a nice big table, lay out your dungeon on the poster board, and when you have it where you like it, use the putty to stick it to the board. Change it around whenever you wish and be sure it won't shift on you while you're actually playing.
   
   Within a day I had a nice dungeon built and an entire scenario written around an ancient tomb cracked open by a vile snake cult. I can't wait to play it out.
   
   After figuring out my poster board trick, I'm now a lot happier with dungeon tiles than I was previously. I recommend the purchase.



4. This could very well be my favorate of all the dungeon Tiles sets released to date. However it does suffer from the fact that it is a different color then most of the rest of the sets (DT1, 2, 3 and 7)
   Depending on what you are looking for this could be a good thing if you want to give the impression that this area is a slight change of pace from the regular look of your dungeons.



5. I have found this to be a very well put together game accessory. The tiles are of high quality; good artwork, nice and sturdy. A welcome addition to a D&D game.