3 comments about Conspiracy X 2.0 (Conspiracy X).

1. I bought the original Conspiracy X book several years ago and greatly enjoyed the backstory, which details a decades-long battle between two super-secret United States shadow organizations, called Aegis and the National Defense Directorate.
   
   This book has it all: three races of aliens, cryptozoology, psychic, and supernatural phenomena, all lovingly detailed against the backdrop of recent US history.
   
   This playing of the new system (Unisystem) is hampered by the layout, however. There are a lot of rules which are in seemingly random places, and this results in a lot of flipping back and forth in the middle of a game session.
   
   The art is hit-or-miss, but the nice binding, cover art, and compact size are a plus. I still can't wait to see what hte next book in the series, the alien sourcebook, brings.



2. I've been playing Conspiracy X since it first came out (I think) in 1996. If you're a fan of The X-Files, this is the rpg for you. Dark conspiracies, government coverups and an impending alien invasion makes for a great setting. I've found that this is one of the easiest rpg's to play, as it encourages great roleplaying.
   
   The new book is a great improvement over the first edition, and the Unisystem is a good set of rules. The quality of this product is top notch in all aspects.



3. The 2.0 version don't differ much at all from the first, except that the book is smaller and has some new cover/interior art. The content/setting is basically "X-files gone RPG", which is good I guess. But here you can play the "bad guys" if you want, i.e the infamous men in black etc. Lots of cool gear and equip. , characters and some decent rules. The main flaw is the crippling layout.
   
   While the art that starts each new chapter is great (though the minor art on most of the common pages is simple and cruddy), the textlayout and parting of different topics is much like as if the town drunk with poor eyesight had been hired to do it. You can NOT, and will not, get a grip of the wholeness quick and intuitive (or find specific parts) unless you struggle and sloowly read it cover-to-cover thoroughly.
   
   It aint supposed to feel like your scouting through a damp and misprinted copy of the yellow pages, its supposed to suck the reader in and make you immersed! The story and setting, and...stuff...is great as mentioned - but the layout needs a major overhaul.

2 comments about Ogre Book.

1. This is The Ogre Book, Second Edition. Back in 1982 the original Ogre Book was billed as the first book ever written. The Second Edition allows more articles to be written in the same vein and quality as the original book. It allows Steve Jackson to revisit the older articles and reflect how 20 years of history and gaming have changed his original perspective - if at all. The orignal articles, when needed, have been updated both to the current rules set and the currently developed Ogre Timeline. Finally, and rather importantly, it brings back into print the original articles that have become classics in Ogre literature. It gives me chills to read "The Four Howizter Defense" one more time.

   Do you get this book if you have the original "Ogre Book?" Yes. The additional material and the modifications to the articles are worth the price. Steve's historical comentary is also reasonably good. It's a great book. Why "only" four stars? Well, Steve, you could have made the book's binding a bit better, at least on mine.




2. SJ Games has done gamers a favor by republishing the OGRE line. If you stick to the paper games, you can pick up the whole lineup for about ..., including this book. Basically, it is a collection of short fiction, strategy, and variant articles for use with OGRE. It will enhance your play of the classic futuristic war game and set your brain ticking about making up your own counters, rules, and maps. In no time at all you will be hunched over MS Paint on your home PC, asking your wife, "which shade of brown looks more deserty?"

1 comments about Starship Troopers RPG: The Arachnid Empire (Starship Troopers).

1. For fans of the d20 Starship Troopers roleplaying game, this volume was very much anticipated. Sadly, like most situations where you wait and wait and the anticpation builds for a certain product, the end result is usually disappointing, which was the case with this book.
   
   Whilst I appreciate that the writer(s) did not want to prescribe too much detail, thereby limiting creative GM's games, the book tries to tackle an immense and extremely important topic and then condense it down to 160 pages. What results is a middle of the road offering that ultimately poses far more questions than answers.
   
   The book is broken down six chapters: 1 - The Arachnid War, 2 - Planets, 3 - Warfare, 4 - Society & Physiology, 5 - Sub Species and 6 - Bug Central Charlie Victor.
   
   Chapter One doesn't offer anything that a fan of the game doesn't already know; although it does give a nice blow-by-blow account of the Klendathu invasion.
   
   Chapter Two describes the planets that make up the Arachnid Quarrantine Zone - but only in the most superficial manner and this for me was the most disappointing part of the whole book, especially since this is the essence of the entire book. Additionally, the map provided bears no relation to the one provided in the base rule book and clearly shows only a small portion of the AQZ (again very frustrating!). Why this is so important is due to the fact that mankind supposedly first encountered the Bugs on Pluto in the Sol system. Given the Arachanids apparently haphazard colonisation process, described in a later chapter, logic would dictate that this would mean that there would be a trail of colonies from the Alpha Hydrae system (Arachnid homeworld system) all the way to Pluto. However, the writer has decided that the Arachnids are in nicely enclosed little corner of space...which begs so many questions, such as if they are enclosed in a nice little corner of space, why did they travel tens of thousands of light years to the Sol system to populate a freezing plantetoid on the fringes of the system?
   
   Chapter Three describes how the Arachnids conduct warfare across all three dimensions, all environments and takes special note of how the arachnids handle various MI incursions into their territory. Again, some interesting points, but its mostly been covered in previous publications.
   
   Chapter Four describes the history of the arachnid species, life-cycles, society etc. This is an interesting chapter, because most of this stuff is only hinted at in previous publications. I think the only glarring omission here is the fact that there is no discussion on the 'Arachnid Empire', is there a Queen of Queens that directs the Arachnid colonisation process and direction? The book states that new colonies generally only occur when an existing colony gets to big and so Arachnid spawn is fired off into space...and yet somehow in this chaotic and seemingly random process some spawn managed to reach Pluto??? (re my point about no coherent trail of colonies from the AQZ to Pluto) - it's these sorts of inconsistencies that ultimately make the book very ho-hum instead of WOW!
   
   Chapter Five details the myrid sub-species of Arachnids and goes to great length to show how adaptable the Arachnids are. This is generally a 'crunchy' chapter with lots of game stats for the various bugs. There is only one silly entry, which is the 'Control Bug'. These bugs are supposedly meant to latch onto the back of a target's neck and inject their proboscis into the character's brain thereby controlling the target's action. Nice concept. Then it comes unravelled. Firstly, the picture shows the control bug to be about as tall as a standard human's mid calf and has a length of about a standard size 10 human foot. Under the bio report it is described as having a weight of 25 Kgs! Can you imagine a 25kg bug the size of half a human leg going unnoticed as it controlled the actions of a MI Trooper (ignoring for the moment of the impracticality of it hanging off the back of the neck)??!?! Again, simple silly stuff that really detracts from the book. Then there's the transport bug, which takes silliness to a new level...
   
   The final chapter showcases what is meant to be an entire bug colony! Wow, that would be cool....except it goes nowhere acheiving this lofty goal. Instead we get a two-dimensional schematic of PART of a standard bug colony, with the warning that due to the size of bug colony's it's impossible to show it in its entirety! But isn't that what was advertised? This gripe aside, the text for this chapter is actually pretty good - it details the main parts of a standard colony and then shows what kind of resistance a MI unit can expect in each part and level of alert that the colony is at.
   
   The book then finishes off with a range of new missions, that are generic in nature. Players familiar with the base rule book missions will find these missions familiar in their layout. The beauty of these missions is that (except for the first one) are all lethal and make for some great game sessions!
   
   Overall the book barely scrapes in at three stars - but there is enough in it to make it worth purchasing.
   
   Enjoy.

1 comments about Mythos Limited.

1. MYTHOS is a collectable card game from Chaosium, the makers of the CALL OF CTHULHU role-playing game and publishers of many Cthulhu Mythos books. Like the role-playing game, the card game is based on the works of H. P. Lovecraft and others who have written stories using HPL's invented mythology and history.

   You may find that this item is out of print, as MYTHOS was not a huge success for Chaosium, for all that it is a very entertaining game with a solid core of fans. But you may be able to find some MYTHOS cards in the Auctions section.

   MYTHOS requires 2 players, each of whom builds a "Story Deck". The goal is to either be the first to complete your story/adventure or be the last to run out of "sanity points". Decks are made of cards in the following categories: Adventures, Allies, Artifacts, Events, Locations, Monsters, Spells, and Tomes.

   Like many a collectable card game, players choose from among a wide variety of cards, available in rare, uncommon, and common distributions. There are about 1,000 cards available to MYTHOS players, though the Limited series covers only 200 of them, and a given starter deck, such as you're considering here, has only 60 of those, with a certain proportion of rarity but otherwise randomly mixed. You also have a choice of Investigator cards in the greater game, only one of which is included in a starter deck.

   MYTHOS provides ample opportunity for strategy, creativity, and surprise. After they've bought additional cards, players can mix and match them (and trade them) to create "theme" decks (for example, based on a particular Lovecraft story or involving a particular region such as the invented towns of Arkham and Innsmouth, or just based on strategies such as rapid win or opponent-stalling). Play involves both trying to assemble the correct items to complete one of your Adventures and trying to thwart your opponent from doing so. Play is fairly rapid, each player taking turns playing single cards, and a game (divided into rounds) typically lasts no more than 20 minutes. So it makes a great lunchtime pastime.

   The art on the cards is a mixture of original art and art taken from various Chaosium publications. The cards are sturdy and attractive, despite the rather shocking purple of the card backs. In addition to playing, one can also collect the cards for the art.

   In addition the Limited series, there is also a Standard edition which contains two preconstructed decks with appropriate cards and Investigators, along with limited edition expansion sets such as "The Dreamlands", "New Aeon", and "Expeditions of Miskatonic University".

   I've managed to collect all the cards to date, but I prefer to play with them than to keep them as collectables. This is the game I wish had existed when I first found Magic: The Gathering. I give it 4 stars only because the rules are a little too complex, even compared to MTG.

   But, hey, it's a Cthulhu Mythos card game! How can you go wrong?

2 comments about Dragonlance Bestiary of Krynn Revised (Dragonlance).

1. This is by far the most comprehensive bestiary EVER!!! The writers' knowledge combine with their vivid writing styles to make a book that will have you looking under your bed before you go to sleep



2. A wonderful resource for anyone interested in the world of Krynn, especially those running a game set in the world. It provides an array of choices for creatures unique and native to this campaign setting for those DMs wishing to use creatures native to Krynn instead of those generic creatures from the Monster Manual series.

No comments about Cannibal Sector 1 - The Kingdom of Death in the World of Progress (SLA Industries) (SLA Industries).

5 comments about Pojo's Unofficial Guide to Neopets.

1. *ahem* The book is better then you think. Such as, some of these comments are utterly bogus.
   
   'And if Yukio wrote the intro, why not just go to PPT.com?'
   
   Because Pink Poogle Toy is commonly spyware and trojan ridden? Next comment!
   
   'I've been playing for almost 2 years and can tell you everything you want to know about the place.'
   
   Can you tell me you actually bought this book, or have you never even looked at it?
   
   'As for TCG, there are free guides on both Neopets AND Wizards!'
   
   But these are different guides, writen by different people. Not to mention, they give a different view on the game.
   
   'Why pay money for a book when you can get all the information and help you need for free right online? :P'
   
   If someone doesn't have a laptop, this is a portable small (yet helpful) Neopets website.
   
   Also, don't pay attention to someone who can't spell the word 'waste'. A little bit of offense.
   
   'THIS WOULD BE A COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY(NO OFFENSE TO THE WRITER)'
   
   How could this possibly be 'no offense to the writer'? Sorry, had to say that. And why are you shouting?
   
   'Personally, buying unofficial stuff is dumb, and everything ought to change by the time its out.'
   
   Well, this person does have a point. Stuff has changed since this was released, and this is the one advantage a help site has over this. And why do you think buying unofficial stuff is dumb? 'Oh, nobody knows anything about the site except for the creators, so unofficial stuff is dumb.' For that reason? THAT is dumb.
   
   Anyway, on to the book review.
   
   The book is filled with wonderful artwork by many varying artists. It gives nice descriptions of each pet, and is small and easily portable.
   
   It gives an entirely new look at the TCG, liking some cards I'd never expected to be good, and hating some many others think are great. As a TCG fan, this interested me quite.
   
   The book has some fun facts, and a very nice foreword. Really, this book is better then all these book bashers think.



2. I learned the complete basics to surviving in the Neopian world by just using the help of other players. Many have created their own websites with help, cheats, and many other things to help newbies out. I suggest trying that out before actually buying this book.



3. This is a great book for kids and adults who are members on the site.



4. I, a 1year+ player found this book a learning experiance, so people should lay off the low ratings. This is a good read for anyone who plays Neopets.



5. Many of my fellow reviewers have excellent points...
   
   It is true, all of the resources you could possibly need for "success" on Neopets can be found on countless fan-sites, magazines, and even on the Neopets site itself.
   
   However, what you will find in Bill Gill's guide is a very neatly-collected version. No longer will you need to bookmark numerous pages, constantly having to flip between webpages. And, in all truth, that isnt a problem for some of us. But for others, with more sluggish computers, it is inevitably a /pain/.
   
   -An asset to Neopians? Absolutely.
   
   -An interesting take on several different aspects of the game? Most definitely!
   
   -Could you find the information in the book by web-surfing? Yes.
   
   But all in all, this guide can be a great help to countless fans of the Neopets world.

3 comments about *OP Kindred of the East Companion (Kindred of the East).

1. finally, the many questions left unanswered in KoE have been answered in this supplement. yet, many more questions surface. this supplement adds a whole new depth to playing kindred and allows for a greater diversity in gameplay.



2. This is essentially a player's guide for KoE. It has 4 more dharmas to follow if you didn't like any of the 5 in the KoE book. It also has about 9 extra disciplines for kuei-jin to use. In addition to that it lists disciplines to the 9th level. So, if you are the only kuei-jin in your group or all of the others play with power characters, you can survive. Also, it gives information on dhampyrs and yulan-jin. There is a lot of valuable background information, too. There aren't many questions left after reading this book.



3. I would not call this book a must have for role players, but as a storyteller particularly interested in crossover it provides most useful tools. Here are included extra disciplines for the Kuei-Jin toghether with a better explanation of what happens with those who do not belong tho Kuei-Jin society per se. Namely the akumas (as called by other Kuei-Jin). If you are a storyteller and you're thinking of getting Kuei-Jin into your chronicles, then this book would be of great assistance, though not essential.

3 comments about Libellus Sanguinis 3: Wolves at the Door.

1. I was nerviously awaiting this book. I had hoped byond hope that it would give a better representation of my favorite clan in the Dark Ages setting than the original Clanbook for the modern setting. Needless to say I purchased the book as soon as it was available, and I was taken away as I dove into the first section. I feel in love with Clan Gangrel all over again. The feel of the introductory tale gave both the feel I believe is Dark Ages and the smooth but violent purpose of nature's predators of the night. The rest of the book also holds the World of Darkness's history from some of the farthest points from the Dark Ages eurocentric world. Tales and truths decorate the Assimites' Islamic culture as well as the the Setites' Egyptian name-based society. The book was wonderous, but it was all icing on the cake for me after the woodland feel of the Gangrel world. Now all I have to wait for is the forth book in this series so I may know more about the feud between the Gangrel and Ravnos.



2. Continuing WW's Libellus Sanguinus series, which details three Dark Ages vampire clans per book, this book details the three non-European clans in the Dark Ages setting. Essentially, each book is a mini-clanbook, covering the clan's history, outlooks, practices and disciplines during the Dark Ages. Considering that my favorite clans are covered in this book, I found it very exciting.
   After an introduction saying what is in the book and why, we get to the first section, "Animals", which covers the feral and animalistic Gangrel barbarians. Probably the shortest book in this collection, it goes from the Gangrel's distant roots on the steppes of Central Asia to the Dark Ages, covering the Gangrel's outlook and practices like the revel and the survival test new embraces are subjected to. A brief section on views on other Clans and the wild places in Europe is followed by a section full of game mechanics, from wilderness oriented Merits and Flaws to new Protean and mixed discipline powers. It closes out with two new bloodlines (Greek Gangrel and the Mariners), brief mention on the "animal forms" that different Gangrel might assume and a few sample templates. There is also a "dark secret" concerning the Gangrel's connection to the Ravnos.
   Following this is the chapter on the Assamites, which did quite a bit to clear up old stereotypes. After a really cool fiction piece, we get to learn about the Children of Haqim, from their homelands in Arabia, Persia and North Africa to distant Iberia, Byzantium and even into India, Asia and Africa. This is followed by some info on Alamut, Haqim's whereabouts and other clan specific info, as well as a nice section on the Clan's relatiosnhip to religions (and Viae). No longer is the Clan stereotypically associated with Islam, but now with many religions from Christianity and Judaism to distant Eastern religions to the ancient faiths of Greece and Persia. After getting Haqim's Laws (the Assamites code as it were) and views on other clans, it also goes into detail on the three Assamite castes: the Warriors (not just assassins, but also soldiers, judges, hunters and strategists), Sorcerers (specialists in Mid-Eastern magic) and Viziers (scholars, theologians, politicians and artists), as well as the clan's organization and secret societies.
   Some really neat mechanics (like the Multicultural Merit, Quietus powers and some more info on Assamite blood magic) were included, as well as really original character templates, like th Sea Witch and the Reluctant Crusader. The Assamite's "dark secret" involves the Clan's connections, real and imagined, to the Hashashyinn and is a suprisingly clever twist.
   The final chapter, "Serpents", focuses on the Followers of Set, and finally connects them to Egyptian magic and mythology. The Setites are presented as crusaders on a holy task, no longer mere tempters and corrupters. And they don't believe in Caine like other vampires, literally believing in Egyptian mythology and religion. The Setite backstory goes that they believe they are liberating man (and vampires) from the oppressive tyranny of Ma'at (law or balance). Info on the Setite's history, doings in Egypt and beyond, as well as the schism between the older Egyptian priesthood and the younger Decadents (primarily in Byzantium and Europe) were also really neat.
   There were also plenty of mechanics for running Setites. Aside from the Merits and Flaws, there was also more information on Setite blood magics, including a new Path. There was also a new Via (Via Serpentis), designed off attaining the "original" or "natural" state of man, and it is presented as the ORIGINAL Setite Via. Pretty cool stuff. The character templates weren't bad but didn't particularly interest me. The dark secret for the Setites, involving a dark conspiracy concerning the Assamites, Setites and Baali, was pretty neat, but not really unexpected. Overall, this was an excellent book and a long needed overhaul for all three Clans really. Check it out, even if you don't use the Dark Ages setting.



3. Good source book for clans Gangrel, Assamites, and Followers of Set. Had new merits and flaws like nameless, pied piper, lokis gift. New higher level disciplines for protean, also has Assamite sorcery, and a new discipline for Setites calledimmanence of set...but its really setite sorcery.

2 comments about Mutants & Masterminds: Game Master's Screen (Mutants & Masterminds).

1. Beautifull art on the screen. And the charts inside are a must for any serious GM of M&M.



2. Yes, this GM screen has all the useful stats a GM would want on a screen. The artwork is nice too. However the stock it is made of is pathetically cheap. More like a thin index card than a typical GM screen. If you are used to White Wolf, TSR, or Wizards of the Coast GM screens, you will be sorely disappointed.