Today we have the pleasure to present you our review of Beyond the Storm, the first official expansion manual of Vulcania, the Italian pulp-steampunk tabletop RPG. First of all we want to thank Mattia Arnaudo and Simone Raspi, authors of the game, for having sent us a physical copy of the manual.
If after reading this review you would like to add Vulcania – Beyond the Storm to your collection, you can buy it from Gear Games‘ store at a costo of $44.99 for the physical version (including PDF) and with a complimentary double-sided map. Alternatively, for $19.99 you can have the sole digital version.
I also remind you that in order to appreciate this product you need the Vulcania basic manual.
Review of the Handbook of Vulcania – Beyond the Storm
Let’s get things straight right away. From an editorial point of view, Vulcania – Beyond the Storm is a great job. A large format volume, hard cover and glossy pages that would look good on any shelf. The style is the same as the basic manual of Vulcania, both in terms of graphics and illustrations. It is definitely a nice manual, one of those that make you want to leaf through its pages when you see it. It is, in summary, satisfying.
The deliberately excessive “cartoon” style of the Vulcania – Beyond the Storm art helps to immediately immerse yourself in the atmosphere that the authors want to convey. Jacopo Tagliasacchi and Sabrina Normani worked on the cover, Lodovico Sartirana and Virginia Chiabotti on the inside pages. And everyone did an amazing job! Some artworks more similar to sketches may also be children of the need to cut production times and costs, but they are perfect to increase the feeling of holding a travel journal.
What Awaits Us?
145 out of 280 pages are dedicated to the setting. A rather important number, and in fact there are definitely many new features. As usual, our reviews are without spoilers, but I can still give you some small hints.
Vulcania – Beyond the Stormdoes not delve into the contents already exposed in the basic manual of Vulcania, as is often the case with such a supplement. The authors chose instead to shift the focus of the game to Letvia, the New World. This is not the space to dwell too much on the setting of Vulcania. For those who don’t know it, the continent where it is set is divided into six Isonations. Veterans from a period of war, each bears the scars that have made the profound cultural differences even more evident.
Latvia is a completely new continent for adventurers to move around. It is inevitable that exploration has a leading role, but this absolutely without setting aside the political aspect. This is still a fundamental element of this game.
The New World
In the world of Vulcania the “bubble” was a very important invention. It is a device that allows you to wrap a flying ship or a submarine, characteristic means of transport of the setting, in a protective sphere. Thanks to it you cancross the Barrier unscathed, albeit with some risk. This is the stormy area that divides the Old World from Latvia; an area unviable until the commercialization of the bubble took place.
This event has sparked the fiercest competition between the Isonations, who race to grab the largest possible slice of land in the New World. But obviously they have to deal with the colonies, now separated for decades in the Isonations, and with the indigenous populations of the island.
It is an unbridled competition that binds the two worlds of Vulcania in a double thread, further intertwining them with the economic interests of the Monopolies. These non-state organizations, with their technological innovations, manage to move the strategic objectives of the entire civilized world at will.
Review of New Character Options of Vulcania – Beyond the Storm
Obviously Vulcania – Beyond the Storm makes available to the players a series of tools suitable for exploiting the new part of the setting. It does this mostly through new character options. The most evident are certainly the new Origins of the characters and the new Arts.
The new Origins allow you to play characters native to Latvia. They are six, like those of the Old World:
Devas are thugs who do not respect any authority that is not imposed by physical force. Their brown complexion takes on bluish shades as the years go by due to the dyes with which they cover themselves.
To’al are their close cousins with a more peaceful disposition and arboreal tradition.
Shanos, dark in complexion but with golden hair, are warlike nomads who reject the comforts of civilization.
Velven are the natives of Latvia who most closely resemble the inhabitants of the Old World; they represent the ethnic group that controls the largest territory.
Pale and sinewy Aurox only recently emerged from their underground hiding places, after centuries of self-isolation; often they are wild to the point that the manual itself calls them an extreme choice to play.
Zaltac are the brown inhabitants of the northernmost region of the continent. Known for their wits, they are completely dedicated to the cause of their people’s freedoms.
More Tools for the Players
The new Origins aren’t the only new features. Surely what will intrigue the players the most are the new Heroic Arts. Vulcania – Beyond the Storm in fact allows you to go beyond the rank of Veteran; it does so by presenting new combat or professional arts and redesigning some of the basic manual. This will allow your adventurers to deal with the threats of the New World.
Obviously there is a lot of new interesting equipment and also the rules concerning flying ships. If in Vulcania they were iconic, their central role in the exploration and colonization of Latvia make them essential. From this point of view the manual provides a good choice of customization options.
The book ends with a small bestiary, quick and practical to consult, including both monstrous creatures and possible human opponents. It is part of a section specifically dedicated to the master, full of advice but above all with a series of elements ready to be assembled for the construction of game scenarios.
A Big Step…
Vulcania – Beyond the Stormdoesn’t just show the lore, it tries to bring it to life. Each region described has not only the classic paragraphs on history and culture, but also hints of adventure; never unnecessarily verbose, they are tidy information and above all always useful for the game. Small narrative interludes are frequent, often alternating with paragraphs dedicated to prominent NPCs of the setting. All with the extremely pop and full of references style typical of the game.
The will to give a more narrative cut to Vulcania can also be understood from the new rules. In fact, a faster character creation method is proposed, supported by the possibility of adding characterizing details; the manual in fact introduces what motivates the hero and what upsets them, also trying to add mechanical tools to exploit also the mostly descriptive elements.
… Sometimes too Far
However, we cannot speak of a real narrative revolution. Surely these are very useful tools for the entire game experience; however don’t expect them to transform Vulcania in a game focused on introspection; the impact they have on the mechanics is very small. We are talking about a game that was not based on such mechanics. The effort is certainly to be appreciated, and certainly a welcome addition to the game; the result in practice will however belimited. And rightly so, for a game that wants to be pulp-steampunk.
On the other hand, in my opinion even the continuous pop winks in the manual, in the long run, end up being a bit idle. It is undeniable that this is a characteristic and expressly desired trait of Vulcania, already present in the basic manual; according to my opinion, however, I think that polishing them would have made them more effective, without affecting the style that the authors want to convey. In general it is a work that would have achieved even higher results with greater attention in the editing phase, rather than in writing; in particular, a product of this editorial level would have benefited from greater care in the use of punctuation.
Conclusions of the Review of Vulcania – Beyond the Storm
Keep in mind that I’m talking about possible improvements, not crucial flaws. Gear Games have done an absolutely amazing and incredible job; to the evident passion they have added an absolute professionalism. In this way they created a manual that manages to carry Vulcania at a further level, talking about both themes and mechanics.
If you loved this TTRPG, Beyond the Storm it is an excellent opportunity to deepen and expand it. For those who haven’t read Vulcania yet, this is certainly an excellent opportunity to start doing it.
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In this review we want to tell you about Epigoni, a mythpop RPG by Nicola Santagostino. Just the author and the publisher, Nessundove, we want to thank you for sending us a copy of the game.
Anyone wishing to buy Epigoni, can find it on BackerKit; the PDF is available for 17.50 euros, but it’s also included in the purchase of the physical version, for 35 euros. In both cases you will find free Notti Mitiche, an appendix that creates a new game scenario and provides various ideas.
Review of Epigoni: the Manual
First things first, let’s start from the handbook. Even if in a small format, slightly larger than an A5 sheet, we are still talking about a volume of 306 pages. The paperback cover is therefore easy to manage, and the flaps help to consult the manual without damaging it. Mythic Nights has instead a smaller foliation, 68 pages, but since it is an attachment it is decidedly more than substantial.
The manual, though paperback, is pretty solid; Nessundove knows how to work on its products and isn’t afraid to prove it. The layout is in one column and, given the format, maintains high legibility even from mobile devices; the narrative parts instead, given that each chapter is opened by a highly evocative short story full of lore, are in two columns, with a black background which increases the detachment from the more purely “technical” part.
In general, it is really good work, practical to read, and very clean. The illustrations are on average of very high quality, even if some are more beautiful than others. Dutiful applause goes to Alessia Sagnotti, illustrator but above all art director, for having managed to give a single and coherent theme to the entire volume. The yellow-gold manages to stand out with the black and white of the illustrations and in general of the pages in a unique way, underlining the other elements and enlivening a volume that otherwise would have been a bit too flat.
What Game Are We Playing?
Challenge Fate to find out who you are
These words open the volume of Epigoni, but it is not a cliché or a generic premise. Fate is the main adversary that the player characters will face in Epigoni. Fate is not an NPC; it’s not even a sentient adversary in the strict sense. We, therefore, need a small premise on the characters themselves.
In the words of its author, Epigoni is a mythpop game. This is because the intention is precisely that of creating a great shared imagination, in which everything that is an “idea”, everything that is a story, acquires a conscience and consistency. Beyond the Veil of Maia, ancient divinities, the idealization of historical figures, mythical creatures, and actual embodied concepts weave their own plots. A dense world, in which favors are used as currency and interests intertwine, creating a network of contacts, alliances, and information in which the Epigones move.
Sons of one of these figures called Entities, the Epigones are creatures of the material world but are also able to move in that of Myth. And this is where Fate intervenes. Each Epigone chooses an Archetype, the ideal figure he wants to become; instead for him, fate chooses a Stereotype, the degeneration of the identity of the Epigone himself. A flat and depersonalized figure, completely taken by his role; and lost in it. But be careful: Fate is not an element of the game plot. It always remains external to the narrative, however central to the character.
Struggling Against Fate
Fate is moved by the narrator, and effectively acts as the opponent of the player characters. It is not, as mentioned, a sentient creature. The Epigones frequently face the creatures of myth, which draw on mythology in the strict sense or pop culture (hence the definition of mythpop game). But regardless of the stories they are involved in and their cut, Fate is their ultimate adversary. It is Fate that wants to snatch their will and personality to make them become Empty.
Analyzing the fight against Fate requires a brief overview of the game system. The core is very simple and refers to the Copperhead System created by Santagostino with Antonio Rossetti. The character sheets do not have statistics, but a series of descriptive elements inherent both to his worldly life and to his life beyond the Veil. When Epigones take on a Challenge, the amount of all items on the sheet they can use determines their Rank, which is compared to the Challenge Rank itself.
A number of eight-sided dice equal to two plus the difference between the Epigone Rank and that of the Challenge Rank are then rolled. If the latter is positive, the player can choose the two highest results; if it is negative, he will have to choose the lower two. Depending on the outcome the action will be a failure (or a success but with negative implications), a partial success or a complete success. The system is articulated on a series of more complex cases, but at its core, it can be summarized as follows.
Review of Epigoni: Win or Lose
Well yes, in Epigoni you can win. Or lose. Not in the traditional sense of the term, but you can lose the challenge against Fate. It is in fact possible to appeal to it to automatically overcome a Challenge, when necessary; in this case though one step closer to the Rewrite. A process divided into eight phases that leads the Epigone to get closer and closer to the Stereotype that Fate has decided for him. Conversely, when a Challenge is considered a Stage, a turning point for the character, a Fateful Challenge can be declared, which if won allows you to advance along the eight steps of the Path.
Rewriting and the Path are two opposite processes. By completing the first one, the character becomes a Vacui, a puppet of Fate. Completing the second instead the Epigone completely frees himself of the prophecy that hangs over him, returning to a normal human being, although able to see beyond the Veil. So as said, in Epigoni it is possible to win or lose; not winning the game itself, of course, but the fight against Fate that hangs over the character. And the whole meaning of the game is based on this struggle and its result.
A Delicate Game of Balance
Epigoni is a captivating and highly interpretive game. It echoes a lot of references to pop culture, even more than to mythology which is also a stronger theme. The influence of the works of Neil Gaiman, especiallyAmerican Gods, is not bulky but oozes evident from every page; and draws a smile with the description of the Boons as the currency of the Entities, a cornerstone of Vampires: The Masquerade.
However, these are never passive suggestions; they are all extremely alive elements within the game. Posted to be exploited and not just to make a good impression with cultured quotes. The hooks are never lacking, which is not a given in such an introspective game. Of course, we are not talking about perfection; Epigoni has some flaws, related to the nature of the project. In my opinion, the manual gives way too often to the temptation of overly sophisticated language; it is fine in the narrative passages but would have greatly benefited from a drier if not downright schematic style in the more technical passages. And in the long run, the simplicity of the mechanics could risk turning into little depth, becoming repetitive.
By the way, Epigoni is, as mentioned earlier in this review, a Kickstarter game. And we are not talking about a pre-sale passed through crowdfunding but about a real Kickstarter. It is a project that the author conceived, wanted, and developed with his strength, with the technical support of Nessundove. So we talk about purely editorial defects, perfectly normal and in line with the game, which in any case is not designed for extremely long campaigns: sooner or later all the Epigones have to deal with what Fate wants to impose on them, by evading or giving in to it.
Review of Epigoni: Cues
Nearly a third of the game manual is devoted to solutions for the storyteller. In addition to the canonical series of tips and instructions on how to prepare the game, there is a ready-to-play setting full of ideas. Gods of London provides a setting, precisely that of London, which allows you to immediately identify with the context of the game. All Entity factions in play in the metropolis are presented; from the Mab (a play on words between “Queen Mab”, the fairy queen, and the “Mob”) to the Merrymen, Robin Hood’s cheerful cronies. Or the Big Bad Company, the idealization of the great oppressive corporation, and the Sons of Camelot, the knights of the Round Table in motorcycle gang sauce. Maybe the Lost Saints of St. Patrick, of Irish origin, or the XMas Inc which has claimed all that is Christmas in a commercial key.
Each of these cues has a description of the faction involved, its business, and an adventure proposal, divided into three acts. Also given the purely narrative nature of the game, one must not have in mind the classic adventure “à laD&D“. These are very generic tracks, where the technical data sheets of the Challenges and Entities faced are accompanied by passages at a very high level. After all, this is precisely a characteristic of Epigoni: the game is always held at a very high level, without ever addressing the individual elements of the setting in too much detail, to allow each table to set the game well on their needs.
Mythic Nights: an Appendix of Epigoni
Complimentary with the manual Epigoni is the free appendix Mythic Nights, both in digital and physical format. Basically it is the equivalent of the third part of the manual, which however focuses on a local scenario. In fact, if in the basic manual we talk about London, Mythic nights describes the Italian Entities and above all the factions into which they are divided, in constant struggle with each other.
The scheme is exactly the same, where the Narrator will find the Arcana, the incarnation of the Tarot themselves, and the literates of the past (it is important to underline that in Epigoni, historical figures are not real people, but the embodiment of their figure in the collective imagination). The Giovinastri and the Vecchiardi, progressive and conservative forces of the Bel Paese. And finally Guitti and Mestieranti, traditional figures of Italian culture. And for each of these teams, there is an adventure proposal divided into three acts.
It’s an exception Between Scilla and Charybdis, an adventure written by Matthew Dawkins. Calling the mythological figure of Poseidon into play, Dawkins writes a decidedly more complex adventure, in which the Epigones are called to follow a story that develops in many more steps and, above all, they have to face a series of choices.
Review of Epigoni: Conclusions
As you can see from this review, Epigoni is certainly a very particular role-playing game, which escapes many of the more classic schemes.
It is proposed with extremely light mechanics but seeks great narrative and interpretative depth. Epigoni was born as an author’s project but developed with various professionals. Yes, it certainly has its flaws, but at the same time, it tackles the central theme decisively and courageously. Above all it proposes a style of play that will appeal to lovers of urban fantasy, but doesn’t end there; indeed, it would have cutthroat competition if it did. But by shifting the focus to the fight against Fate, yet making it internal and completely detached from the plot, he achieves an insight that creates a game worth watching.
If you love contemporary stories and the stylistic code of Neil Gaiman, and if you are looking for a game that is not crunchy at all, Epigoni is something that you definitely want in your library.
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In this review we want to tell you about Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound. We thank Cubicle7 for providing us with the digital version of the Core Rulebook and its Starter Set.
Anyone wishing to buy them can find them for sale on the Cubicle7 website. The Core Rulebook is available for 49.99 euros, or 26.99 euros in the digital version. A Starter Set digital copy is instead available at 13.99 euros.
Before starting the review, a necessary premise. Soulbound carries on itself a twofold important legacy. On one side, Age of Sigmar is the miniatures game weblog Games Workshop succeeded the better known brandWarhammer Fantasy. Over the years it has gained its own hard core of fans, but the transition from the grim fantasy of the original game to a decidedly more epic fantasy step has been poorly digested by many. In a specular way Soulbound happens to Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, a role-playing game that in its genre, precisely the grim fantasy, has been appreciated in various editions.
The advice is to avoid comparisons. Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay they are two profoundly different games, which offer different experiences. They are not interchangeable, but they can both be used for adventures that propose a different version of the Realms. It is no coincidence that Cubicle7 currently carries out both lines. And those who follow the world of wargames will know that the rumors about Oldhammer, the new version of the old Warhammer Fantasy, are increasingly concrete.
The Corebook
Four simple words: this is top qualiry. 352 pages full of content, a complete rulebook and a playable setting. The volume is complete with all the mechanical part and tries to give as wide an overview as possible of a decidedly stratified setting, an aspect that we will deepen at a later time.
The layout is very clear and yet it has its own strong imprint, but what is most striking is the quality of the artwork. Superb, with a strong stylistic unity, they make leafing through this manual a real pleasure. Feeling that is strengthened even more with the physical version. The volume, with a slightly smaller page than the classic format, is solid and imposing. The format is the same as Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay It is Warhammer 40.000 Wrath & Glory, of which you can find our review. They are satisfactory manuals, there is no better way to define them.
Review of the Setting of Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound
Perilous adventures in the mortal realms. So says the subtitle of the Core Rulebookclearly visible on the cover. We will avoid dwelling too long on the setting, because it is definitely known for the wargame from which it was born; but some remarks are in order.
The Mortal Realms are a land constantly at war. From the Ashes of the Old World (most familiar to players of Warhammer Fantasy) the god-emperor Sigmar founds a new one, but cannot drive out its chaotic forces; in an attempt to fight them, he steals the souls of the dead to create new warriors, the Stormcast Eternal, who constantly return to battle. But this annoys the god of the dead, until then his ally against Chaos, further upsetting the balance of the Mortal Realms.
For those with some knowledge of the universes of Warhammer, Stormcast Eternals are one of Games Workshop’s best commercial gimmicks in recent years. Greeted with a fair bit of understandable wariness, they’re pretty much the fantasy version of the Space Marines. And over the years they have become one of the strong points of Age of Sigmar.
The Playing Characters
As anticipated, we do not go into too much detail, but it is important to know that the players will find themselves in a context where war is the order of the day. “There’s only war”… warmer. There are four main factions; the PCs belong to the Alliance of Order, which opposes Chaos by entrenching itself inside immense fortress-cities.
It is possible to play characters of various species, besides human. There are three aelfir dynasty: the Lumineth are the classic high elves, the Idoneth Deepkin instead they are inhabitants of the abyss. It is also possible to play the classic Dark Aelfir, rejoined the Order Covenant and no longer adversaries. The Duardin are divided into between the classic dwarven lineage and the Kharadron, with very strong steampunk nuances. Sylvaneth are instead taken from the more classic tree-men and dryads of the old editions, arboreal but sentient creatures.
Review of Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound: the Bounds
A peculiarity of Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound are the aforementioned Stormcast Eternal, souls of ancient warriors reforged precisely in the storm, and destined to be reincarnated every time they die to resume the battle at the price of a little of their own humanity. To fully understand the Stormcast Eternals it is necessary to explain another peculiarity of the game: the Flame of the Soul.
It is a common resource of dice from which each player can draw to perform heroic deeds, also introducing limited aspects of shared narration. Each character also has another individual resource at their disposal, Courage, but the Flame of the Soul has a much more important narrative value, and is directly influenced by the fate of the world. The Flame of the Soul represents the sacred bond that unites the heroes, the one that makes their mission so special and that will guide them towards the salvation of the Realms. Or that he won’t be able to save them from bankruptcy.
Stormcast Eternals are virtually immortal characters, though that doesn’t come cheap, and they start the game with more experience than most, reflecting their somewhat divine nature. But being bonded to Sigmar, they cannot be bonded to the rest of the party. This results in not being able to use the Eternal Flame. This mechanic creates very interesting ideas and group dynamics.
Game Maths
Character creation is not modeled on a class, but entrusted to a certain number of points to be distributed. It is not a complex undertaking because the regulation is full of options, but at its core it is extremely simple. There are only three basic stats and one skill pack, which also includes combat skills; the sum of these determines the pool of six-sided dice to roll in a test, with success on 4+ modified by the master. It is important to note that the master can establish both the difficulty of the action, i.e. the value to be achieved for success, and its quality, i.e. the number of successes required.
It is also possible, indeed fundamental, to customize your character with talents. These can also be used to access magic or to choose a blessing, a single miracle that the character can perform by addressing their patron deity.
A creation system like this can throw off players who are not familiar with the dynamics of the game, therefore however, there are typical archetypes for each species, where the margin of customization is reduced but there is the guarantee of a functional PG.
Review of the Modular Content of Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound
The Core Rulebook it is completed by everything necessary: tables of weapons, insights into religion, magic and main cities, lists of spells; plus a series of tips for novice masters and a bestiary sufficient to face a first game campaign.
Overall it presents itself as an excellent RPG for an epic fantasy that is rather traditional in spirit, but with elements heavily borrowed from more modern RPGs. It’s not that easy to survive a fight, and the Soulflame is not only a mechanical asset but also an interpretive one.
The manual only explores the characters related to the Covenant of the Order, but Cubicle7 has already published various other material that allows you to play the Covenant of Death (undead, undead everywhere) and the Covenant of Destruction, for lovers of Orks classics. A modular structure that allows, as the game grows, to enrich the options both for the players and for the master.
The Starter Set
In the Starter Set who sent us Cubicle7 you can find the introductory adventureFaltering Light, set in the city of Brightspear; to which an additional in-depth study module of its own is dedicated. Our review is as usual without spoilers, but we can anticipate that the adventure is perfect for getting familiar with both the mechanics and the setting. By moving their characters first through the streets of Brightspear and then in its dungeons, players will be able to practice the rules. At the same time the need to reactivate an ancient realmgate, a magical portal, and to counter the forces of Chaos will also allow a progressive but deep immersion in the heart of the setting.
The in-depth module also allows you to develop other adventures in Brightspear and is accompanied by various maps of both the city and some of its key locations for the adventure. The whole is completed by two reference documents (on the rules and on magic), some tokens useful for monitoring some elements of the game and a set of pre-generated characters.
Final Thoughts of the Review of Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound
All in all, Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound it’s a great RPG. It could have some filings, for example the combat statistics could give up some atmosphere to be managed in a more pragmatic way; this would be feasible using practical numerical modifiers rather than qualitative degrees expressed in words. But it is nothing that is not easily overcome after a first impact.
It’s not a game for everyone, but it will becertainly appreciated by lovers of an epic fantasy and deliberately over the top. And it certainly should be approached without having in mind Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, because it is something completely different. But for those who appreciate this type of game, calling it recommended is simply an understatement. Clean and fast but deep rules, for a game in perfect balance between classicism and modernity.
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Once again we thank the Italian duo of authors, Marco Bertini and Marco Fossati, this time for sending us a digital review copy of Undead Monsters. The volume is a small bestiary for D&D5e. As the title suggests, the theme are the undeads. The two authors prove to be among the best content creators in their sector: compact and very focused supplements, but highly useful in any themed campaign.
Undead Monsters is available in digital format on DMsguild, as many other works by Bertini and Fossati. It can be bought for $4,95. For the lovers of digital platforms, this bestiary is on Fantasy Grounds for $7,50.
Review of the Volume Undead Monsters
Undead Monsters offers 28 pages full of content. There are neither introductions or premises, nor particular tables. Only twenty-one undead creatures to populate any campaign, presented alphabetically; plus a single table listing them in Challenge Rating order.
Like many other works by Bertini and Fossati (Acererak’s Guide to Lichdom and Born to Be Kobold, for example), Undead Monsters has been realized with the free tool Homebrewery, assurance in offering an accurate replication of the layout standards for D&D5e. The DMsguild formula allows you to use illustrations by leading authors in the fantasy and role-playing publishing scene, while keeping the cost very affordable. From time to time this can feel like something you’ve seen before, but certainly the talent of names like Dean Spencer or Wayne Reynolds compensates more than generously.
It’s Raining Undeads
As anticipated, Undead Monsters is a thematic bestiary, which presents 21 new undead creatures. Most of them (seventeen) are equal or below Challange Rating 10. There are only three that exceed this level: the Giant Undead, the Many-Eyed Zombie and the Skeleton Warrior. With the addition of the advanced version of the Vrykolakas, a creature presented in this same manual that normally has a Challenge Rating of 7.
Despite the compact size of this supplement, it has been created with undoubted care. There is no particular lore, also because the creatures are not boud to a specific setting; although it must be said that the Banedead, as the name suggests, is thematically related to the deity of Tyranny of the Forgotten Realms. Yet, despite this theorical “lack”, the strong point of the creatures presented is precisely that of having a strong characterization.
Review of the Creatures of Undead Monsters
In addition to the aforementioned Banedead, which is precisely a creature that immolates itself in a necromantic ritual in the name of Bane, the Baneguard is also dedicated to the tyrant, conceived more as a servant. For the rest, the manual presents various types of undead; skeletons (flaming or not) and zombies, but also ghouls, variations on the vampire theme and completely original creatures.
Among the most interesting is certainly the Coffer Corpse, the result of an incomplete necromantic ritual in search of an ultimate end that is impossible to reach. The Ghostly Horde has the very interesting concept of being a sort of swarm of incorporeal ghosts completely dedicated to a cause, usually originating from the remains of an army that died in battle.
Moreover, the Screaming Ghoul is a remake of the traditional ghoul, just like the Lightning Zombie is a remake of the traditional zombie. The Spectral Mage stands out because, unlike the others, has a usually evil, but non-binding alignment.
Conclusions
One would risk wasting far too much time discussing the creatures presented in Undead Monster, but it would spoil the pleasure of reading. As anticipated, each of them has a simple but solid characterization; and as in all the supplements published by Bertini and Fossati, they are flexible and adaptable to any setting. The material is certainly congruous to the price for which it is offered, with all its pros and cons.
But in the end it is above all the pros that weigh in the balance, because it is extremely useful content. If you need to introduce some threat that straddles the line between life and death into your campaign, Undead Monsters is perfect. But it is also absolutely useful for giving a boost of darker and horror tones to the narrative. In general, as these two authors have accustomed us, it is absolutely recommended material.
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Today we want to thank the award-winning company Bertini and Fossati for sending us a digital review copy of one of their latest works, When Magic Goes Wrong … . These authors already created many other manuald for D&D5e. So, You Walk Into a Tavern, Born to Be Kobold e Quest Spells & Other Divine Magic are just some of their works that we have already covered. Specializing in accessory material for the fifth edition of the most famous roleplaying game in the world, they have now focused on magical items with… manufacturing defects.
The manual is 16 pages long, a fair foliation for its price. Like everything for sale on DMsguild, this is an hanbook published under Community Content Agreement, therefore licensed to an original publication that contains material under Wizards of the Coast copyright. The layout was done with Homebrewery, the online platform that guarantees the fifth edition standard.
This handbook cover and the internal artwork are of the highest level, again thanks to the DMsguild formula, which allows you to use the work of professionals in the sector while keeping the costs of the manuals accessible. The result would not disfigure in any digital archive, not even in that of the most demanding Dungeon Master.
Quirks
The manual focuses on “quirks”, literally the oddities of magic items. The assumption is as simple as it is intriguing: as the title of the volume says, when creating a magic item not everything necessarily goes smoothly. There can be a whole series of drawbacks that can alter its magical properties, with unexpected effects. Using the additional rules outlined in the manual, this happens at about one in ten magic items.
The handbook is mainly composed of tables, which are used by the Dungeon Master to create a magic item with quirks in a few steps. In the first chapter are the tools to determine the cause of this error and the way to analyze it. Some quirks are in fact obvious, others require specific investigations. Others can only be noticed by actively using the object in question.
It is important to note that an object with a quirk “compensates” for the random component by reducing its rarity by one step. All this contributes to making the effect in play more balanced, without sacrificing the unpredictability that distinguishes this supplement.
Review of the Items of When Magic Goes Wrong …
As expected, much of the manual is made up of tables that allow you to randomly assign a quirk to an object. A clarification of the authors: a quirk is not always fitting to the selected object. In that case the suggestion is simply to roll again one of the 20 possibilities offered by the table.
Armor, potions, rings, scrolls, weapons and shields. And then wands, staves and rods. Concluding of course with more generic wondrous items: even the most demanding Dungeon Master has plenty of choices, in case the die result doesn’t satisfy her. Keep in mind that quirks do not have exclusively negative effects; of course, since these are unpredictable they are mostly impediments. But some can also have effects that enhance an item unexpectedly.
Remedies and Complications
The final chapter of When Magic Goes Wrong … is about the consequences of owning a magical item created with a quirk. A character can in fact try to remove it, facing expenses and a specific ritual, but the result is not guaranteed. In case of failure, in fact, it could permanently destroy the properties of the object.
Or even get a specific complication. Trying to get a quirk removed something can go wrong, and the last table in the manual indicates random events that can happen in 10% of cases. The object can be stolen, arouse unwanted attention from a spellcaster, be considered a relic by some cult or, more classically, attract the interest of an extraplanar creature.
Conclusions of the Review of When Magic Goes Wrong …
Bertini and Fossati’s supplement is rather compact and extremely focused. Like many of the works of the two Italian authors, it is not a universal manual, but it introduces extremely interesting options into the game. Any campaign, regardless of its duration, would certainly benefit from it for variety.
The quality of the work is very high; its price / quality ratio also, because for any Dungeon Master it is always interesting to have the possibility of adding new options at such a low cost. This is another highly recommended supplement for anyone who wants to introduce a new variable to her game, the effects of which can be extremely rich in plot hooks.
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This is our review of Death in Space, a minimalistic roleplay game (a modernization of the OSR genre) in which you can live a deep space horror experience.
First of all we want to thank Free League for sending us a digital copy. The two authors of the Stockholm Kartell (Christian Plogfors and Carl Niblaeus) in fact publish under Free League Workshop, the label that the Swedish publishing house reserves for independent game designers. If the Stockholm Kartell sounds familiar to you, it is because we are talking about the creators ofMörk Borg. One of the most revolutionary phenomena in the world of tabletop RPGs in recent years. If you don’t know what we are talking about, you can read the our review. A little spoiler: saying that we just liked it would be an understatement.
If after this review you want to try Death in Space, or if you blindly trust Stockholm Kartell and Free League, you can find this manual on Free League store at a cost of 298 crowns, just over € 24.
Review of the Death in Space Manual
Like all of Free League products, the quality of Death in Space is very high. A solid and compact volume, 136 pages with a valuable bookmark that underlines the attention to detail that the publishing house has accustomed us to. As for aesthetics, we are on a even higher level. Anyone who has browsed through Mörk Borg or its rich supplements knows how important graphic construction is for Stockholm Kartell. Important but never pointless: each page has a well-kept aesthetic to be perfectly functional to the game.
Browsing Death in Space means immersing yourself completely in its setting just at a glance, even before reading. A minimal graphic style, black pages with white text and each chapter with a bright color to replace the bold font, dosed with extreme care. The result is easily readable, with all the advantages of a minimal style; but the impact is absolute, and the feeling of getting lost in the dark page is somewhat reminiscent of that of those who look out into the void of space.
The illustrations are not many, but perfectly functional to the game. Mostly they resemble blueprints of spaceships and space stations. Some of them portray PNGs, some creatures of the deep space. The fundamental concept, however, is that what is presented in Death in Space must be imagined, but not fully understood. The effectiveness of the narrative is thus maximized: we could hardly depict the horrors of the Cosmic Void with the same effectiveness with which we would imagine them.
Review of the Death in Space Setting
The setting of Death in Space is very rough; a deliberate choice, it is evident. You will find game ideas rather than a real well-articulated setting. What the authors particularly care about is defining the mood of the game and the atmospheres and themes to be explored in the game.
The setting is obviously the remote space. In the Tenebris system, which still suffers from the effects of the 20-year Gem War, a drifting humanity tries to survive as best it can. Smugglers, explorers, miners, cultists. Everyone is looking for something that allows them to improve their standard of living a little. Getting your hands on a huge amount of Gems, fundamental material for the advanced technologies that allow humanity to dominate the galaxy, is certainly the easiest way.
Short-distance travels are carried out aboard spacecraft. Long-distance ones, on the other hand, take place thanks to a technology that humanity has found in space, which allows jumps from one structure to another, located at distances otherwise insuperable even with cryogenic sleep. Human beings gather in more or less cohesive communities. Survival is not just an individual matter, but a social one. Whether in colonies, man-made stations, trading towns or mines, human communities are few and with the looming feeling of the Void ready to devour them.
The Basics of the Game
The game we are talking about is very close to the OSR, the Old School Reinassance games, and maintains many fixed points of the genre. Many random tables to carry the game forward, high mortality, extremely concise rules. The claustrophobic atmospheres certainly contribute to reinforce this impression. Death in Space, however, also winks at more modern mechanics. In particular, the mutations caused by the cosmic void give a particular flavor to the game.
You can also fully manage your own hub. Whether it’s a space station or a spaceship, the rules allow you to customize it to your liking. And possibly also face a space battle, with precise rules of engagement over various distances. Obviously, every new option or maneuver requires energy, so this becomes a crucial element of Death in Space. To have a hub capable of making a difference, energy supply is essential.
It is clear that we are talking about a game with extremely harsh rules. In true OSR philosophy, the dice rolls are few and the math very basic. A 20-sided die is added to the score of the relevant characteristic: Body, Dexterity, Savvy or Technology. Particularly favorable (or unfavorable) situations are resolved with the advantage (or disadvantage). An increasingly popular mechanic, which allows you to roll two dice and choosing the best (or worst) result.
What to Expect from the Game System
As expected, Death in Space is very rich in tables for random effects for many different circumstances. Traps that can be found in clusters of space wrecks, for example; or effects that cosmic void can have on characters. In true OSR style, even character can be created randomly. And with surprising results.
As anticipated, the basic mechanics are deliberately skinny. They are enriched by the hub management system, the rules for space travel and those for spacecraft combat. Resource management becomes a fundamental factor at play. Consequently, the focus is on survival and exploration.
The game world is outlined in a very thin way, we have already said this. But there are enough references to reconstruct its history. Very useful are the references to the main factions that you can meet during your travels. Extreme philosophies and religions, often with disturbing features, manage to make even more overwhelming your sessions of Death in Space.
Welcome to the Ring
As an addendum to Death in Space there’s a introductory adventure. The characters here enter the Ring, a cluster of hubs that has become a human outpost. People of all kinds frequent the Ring and aggregate into factions of all kinds.
The party is introduced into an already partially evolved situation. Our reviews avoid spoilers, but we can tell you that the sector of the Ring in which they go is disputed between two factions. Each manages resources that are useful for both the sector and the characters. The adventure does not follow a predefined event pattern. Indeed, more than adventure, it would be correct to call it a scenario. The characters become new actors on the stage. How all the elements made available to the game master will evolve will depend on their choices.
Conclusions of the Review of Death in Space
At first glance, Death in Space is striking because of its style; thanks to its format, its graphic and its layout. It is a small volume that is clamoring for a place in our bookcase. A nice collector’s item and Stockholm Kartell has accustomed us to this kind of works, after all. But in addition to the brilliant idea, there is a solid development behind it. While maintaining a minimal ruleset and setting, the style of Death in Space is not limited to aesthetics, but is reflected in the gaming experiencetoo.
However it is not suitable for everyone, certainly. First make sure your players have no problems with claustrophobic atmospheres or with a sense of dejection in front of something too much bigger than them. But if this kind of rolistic anguish is what they want, you can’t miss this work!
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In this review we want to tell you about Ruins of the Lost Realm, a setting module for The One Ring. The second edition of the highly acclaimed role-playing game dedicated to The Lord of the Rings delves into the lonely lands of southern Eriador. Over a period of renewed attention to the Tolkenian work, we thank Free League for providing us with a digital copy of this volume.
You can find the manual for sale on the official Free League store. At the price of 398 crowns, just over 36 euros, the physical version is available. Along with the whole range of products and accessories for The One Ring created by Free League, of course. If you are interested in the game but you don’t know it yet, you can read our review before going on.
Review Ruins of the Lost Realm: the Handbook
The manual is adequate to the very high standards that Free League has always accustomed us to. 127 pages laid out neatly without sacrificing style: each one recalls an ancient tome, perfectly matching the vibes of the game. The illustrations (by the team of artists that includes Antonio De Luca) are a delight for the eyes; and above all, they perfectly give the reader the atmosphere that the text wants to convey.
The maps, of which the manual abounds due to the nature of the module, are simple but very clear. And they manage to be an added value from an aesthetic point of view, because they really seem taken from the game context. This is a work that from the first glance denotes not only its graphic care, but also the attention paid to the atmosphere. After all we are talking about of the perfect marriage between RPG and Tolkien and the atmosphere is everything.
A Dutiful Premise
After Arvedui the North-kingdom ended, for the Dúnedain were now few and all the peoples of Eriador diminished
As anticipated, the manual expands the setting to southern Eriador. But with a fundamental premise: it is an area whose history is not among those to which Tolkien has devoted the most attention. Too often at the margins of the narrative (focused on more important events), the region has just a few references in the original work.
For this reason Gareth Harnrahan and his team of authors decided to include a lot of original material in this supplement. Obviously these are ideas designed to offer a gaming experience that is absolutely compatible with the vibes of Middle-earth. In addition to having a precise fit with its lore. But it is important to know that Ruins of the Lost Realm, when necessary, is forced to add material not present in Tolkien’s books, not even in those published posthumously.
Review of the Contents of Ruins of the Lost Realm
The manual is divided into three main chapters.
In Fog over Eriador the most important places in Eriador are presented; vast wildernesses and cities, dwarf halls and ruins. Enough for any kind of adventure.
A Gathering Storm is instead the chapter dedicated to the presentation of the threats that can be found in these territories. They are many and well diversified: an inexhaustible series of ideas. Note that each opponent (and each faction) has its own history with relative chronology. Since here too there is original material, the authors created alternatives potentially in conflict with each other: it is up to the game master to choose the version that he deems most appropriate for his campaign.
Landmarksit deals with “landmarks”; locations more restricted than those of the first chapter, in which you can move with relative ease. Each of these landmarks, a hallmark of The One Ring, offers what you need to lead an adventure of its own. A complete package of maps, hooks and NPCs ready to use, already placed on the map of the region.
Finally we find a short appendix with optional rules, and a series of errata tablesfor the basic manual of The One Ring.
Fog over Eriador
The first chapter of Ruins of the Lost Realm opens with a description of the city of Tharbad; an outpost that almost forgot its glory days, now struggling not to vanish entirely. It is an ancient place, dating back to the First Era, constantly on the verge of vanishing. Yet today a new Captain has claimed it, trying to bring it back to its ancient splendor. Articulated and full of hooks, Tharbad can be a refuge as well as a pitfall for heroes. And it can offer a game that goes from the dark alleys to the courtyard with surprising ease.
The Swanfleet are swamps inhabited by savage men, driven from their ancestral lands when the Numenoreans needed new territories to escape the grip of Sauron. It is a land of contradictions, hard and inhabited by tough people, but at the same time able to provide hospitality and solidarity to the most unfortunate.
Lond Daer is a settlement that, over the centuries, has known as many fortunes as misfortunes. After being forgotten for a long time, it is returning to shine, especially thanks to the commitment of Nimue, its new ruler. Few shining buildings and many others decidedly more humble, Lond Daer lives to the rhythm of the tides; and when the waters recede, the mysteries of the ancient kings re-emerge.
Review of the Other Locations of Ruins of the Lost Realm
Harmlet’s Dwarf-halls are the great underground halls that the dwarves have chosen to inhabit under the Blue Mountains. Once the iron mining veins have been exhausted, they started to look for gold. And the dwarves, you know, have a particular weakness for sparkling metal.
Three other locations close the chapter. The Ruins of Cardolan, a third of an ancient kingdom now forgotten, hold ancient memories and not all are pleasant to bring back to the surface. Eryn Vorn Forest is one of the last green areas that the men who came from the sea failed to dent, also because it is protected by the mysterious and dangerous Tree Men. Finally, the Lone-lands of Minhiriath are close to the inhabited lands of Bree and the Shire; but these wastelands are not entirely uninhabited, and Rangers constantly guard their borders to prevent the dangers residing there from spreading elsewhere.
A Gathering Storm
The first threat presented in Ruins of the Lost Realm is the Black Numenoreans. Those who succumbed to the Enemy’s lure and became first allies and then slaves still inhabit these lands, and carry out Sauron’s plans with meticulous efficiency. Commanders and soldiers of this dark lineage are presented with compelling factsheets and stories, ready to serve as a backdrop to an adventure as well as a complement to a more articulated and planned campaign.
The White Hand of Saruman is perhaps the most particular faction among those present in the game. This is because the sorcerer is not yet the adversary that the heroes will face at the end of the Third Age. He is certainly on the verge of becoming one, but he is still on the side of Good. At this moment Saruman can be as much a mentor to the group as a hindrance. He has his own agenda, and he has no hesitation in pursuing it, but at the moment he just wants to understand the Enemy’s weapons to fight him, not to increase his own personal power.
The Dunlending are instead the members of a nomadic barbarian population. Violent slavers, in recent years their raids have become increasingly aggressive, pushing again as far as the city of Tharbad. Ivoch the Boneless, their current King, has been characterized since childhood by his tenacious ruthlessness, and there is no chance of making him desist from his intentions.
Finally, there are other threats presented in this chapter, to which less space is dedicated but not for this reason to be underestimated. Greyflood’s water serpent, for example, or the spirits awakened from their graves north of Minhiriath. The mines of Moria still hold their secrets, and the decline of these lands now seems impossible to stop.
Review of the Landmarks of Ruins of the Lost Realm
The third chapter of the manual offers twelve ready-to-play scenarios. Their structure is similar: each of these “landmarks” is presented first through the rumors that circulate about it, and then through the historical knowledge that one may have of the place. After these two introductions of purely in-game knowledge, the manual presents the background of the scenario, deepening its history and all the events that determine its current development. Then we can read about the locations, which are described with essential but not poor traits, and accompanied by an abundance of maps.
Finally, the plot in progress in the landmark and the possible problems that can be encountered are analyzed. Special text boxes tell more about the NPCs to meet or some particular aspects of the region. Particularly in some landmarks it is possible to find characterizing elements of the setting, such as the famous Palantir brought to Middle-earth by the Numenoreans. Then ancient restless ghosts, which cannot always be faced; or in any case, not always doing it is the right choice. On the contrary, beasts distorted by the powers of the Enemy are adversaries that can only be killed, beyond any form of redemption.
Lost elves, greedy dwarves, humans sometimes proud and sometimes corrupt, violent orcs and even an heir to Ungoliant, the monstrous spider servant of Morgoth. The Landmarks of Ruins of the Lost Realm represent the spark that allows you to transform the scenarios presented in the first section of the manual into a real Adventure, as intended by Tolkien.
Conclusions of the Ruins of the Lost Realm Review
The One Ringis a unique game. Free League means quality, but also in its catalog this roleplaying game takes a position outside the box. The type of adventures proposed is in fact the most classic possible in fantasy, the heroes fighting against the signs of the advancing darkness. And they do it in very traditional adventures, including dungeons and maps. Yet for mechanics and style of approach to the game, it is at the same time a game with an extremely modern design.
No contradictions, just a very remarkable result; Ruins of the Lost Realm helps take it to the next level. The original elements inserted in the narration do not spoil the Tolkenian atmospheres at all, on the contrary they respect them perfectly. They allow you to explore the same themes in new stories, giving great importance to the heroes’ decisions. Once again, Free League gives us a gaming experience that is absolutely highly recommended for everyone.
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Today we bring you the review of Warhammer 40,000: Wrath & Glory, the RPG inspired by one of the most loved three-dimensional wargames of all time. Published in original by Cubicle7 and brought to Italy by Need Games, it aims to act as a bridge between two worlds that have always been in contact. On the one hand role-playing games, on the other miniatures (from Games Workshop). Has Cubicle7 succeeded in the enterprise? Let’s find it out. Certainly they can’t be blamed for lack of experience. In addition to Wrath & Glory, they already created other remarkable RPGs, such as Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play and Age of Sigmar: Soulbound. There is a lot of creativity here!
What Are We Talking About?
For those unfamiliar with it, Warhammer 40,000 (or 40k) is a miniatures game set in the 41st millennium. Strengthened by inspirations from cornerstones of space opera such as Dune, it draws heavily on various suggestions. We are talking about a sort of futuristic technological middle age, but there are also references to sci-fi classics such as Alien. All with superabundant touches of Gothic mysticism, at full blast: the spaceships seem more cathedrals than vessels. And above all, the most iconic miniatures of the game, the space marines: almost two and a half meters of muscles stuck in an armor of ceramite and plasteel, with the heart of a warrior monk.
Are you confused? It’s normal. The game is the result of a series of suggestions that intersect and overlap, based on a boundless lore developed over the last 35 years. The risk of creating only great chaos (no pun intended) was very high. But if Warhammer 40k has stood up solidly for so long, even surviving the fantasy version of which it was initially just a rib, there must be a reason.
Warhammer 40,000 – Wrath & Glory Review: the Manual
The volume is really valuable. Almost four hundred pages, a solid and robust manual, one of those that will withstand the worst attacks of aliens and heretics. Perhaps even the most careless players. Thick paper, very high readability. The illustrations are of a higher level, they seem to capture the reader and catapult him, willy-nilly, into the 41st millennium.
Wrath & Glory: the aesthetics of the volume already suggests which direction the game will take. A series of epic clashes between characters driven by a fervent and unstoppable faith. The care that has been put into the creation of the volume is very high, and impeccable.
Mechanics: Wrath…
The main theme of the game is also and above all reflected in the mechanics. Basically these are very simple. A pool of dice is rolled equal to the sum of characteristics and skills involved, plus any bonuses. You get one icon for every 4 or 5, two for every 6; if the number of icons reaches the difficulty set for the action, the test is passed. Each skill has several examples of uses and relative difficulty, in order to help the master.
The Wrath is determined by a die of the pool, which must be of a different color, and represents the heroic inspiration of each character. If the rage die rolls a 1, the action will face complications, regardless of whether it is a success or not. If he rolls a 6, the action will grant glory, and in the case of an attack it will be a critical hit. The Wrath is also a resource that the PC generates by reaching personal goals, which allows him to overcome what he normally perceives as his own limits.
… and Glory!
The Glory is a pool of dice common to all the PCs, obtained with the 6 rolled with Wrath die or sacrificing the extra icons. Glory is a fundamental element in the game, because it allows the characters to chain their efforts, achieving otherwise unthinkable results. A mechanic that rewards teamwork as much ongame as offgame, without breaking the narrative too much as happens with similar systems.
Then there is the Ruin, the counterpart of Glory available to the Game Master. There are also a variety of combat options, rules for mechanical implants and for managing the touch of Chaos on the characters. Surely these are options that make the game more complex and require the game master to pay close attention during the session. But in general the mechanics remain straightforward and simple. An advice? A few bookmarks, or some notes that refer to the right pages of the manual for the key elements of the game, will speed up the narrator’s work a lot.
Warhammer 40,000 – Wrath & Glory Review: Game Features
Anyone who has played previous role-playing incarnations of Warhammer 40,000 knows that the setting was divided into various games that shared settings and mechanics, but were not compatible with each other. In Dark Heresy you could play the inquisition, in Rogue Trader the crew of a ship, in Death Watch the space marine and so on.
In Wrath & Glory, on the other hand, every Archetype that can be chosen by a character – 27 in total, divided among Humans, Astartes, Eldar and Orks – falls into one of four Tiers. At each Tier specific threats are faced; the transition from one to the other requires a lot of experience to be accumulated, which is also used for an Ascension. A sort of step forward that will also allow you to deal with threats designed for higher-tier characters.
In addition, miniatures lovers will recognize some characteristic elements transposed into this ruleset. The traumatic injuries, for example, or the suppressing fire. Small goodies that make fans feel more “pampered”, and characterize the game more.
The 41st Millennium
The Warhammer 40,000 setting needs little introduction. In a world where futuristic technology has a strong analog flavor, humanity is guided by what remains of the God-Emperor. The goal of the Empire of Humanity is the galaxy, and eradicating the presence of the xenon scum, the aliens; and fighting against heretics and Chaos, a primordial force shaped by the lowest instincts of sentient creatures, generating traitors and demons.
A very vague smattering of a very vast lore; yet the manual manages to summarize it very effectively. Especially putting it in context with a single system, Gilead, where conflicts are on a controlled scale. Gilead has its own factions and NPCs carefully described. And thanks to the Cicatrix Maleficarum, a gash in the universe that makes travel and communication impossible, the game is well circumscribed. However, this does not prevent the game master from using the material at his/her disposal to make the players experience adventures throughout the (un)known galaxy.
Warhammer 40,000 – Wrath & Glory Review: Final Thoughts
Warhammer 40,000 – Wrath & Gloryis not a game designed to be “light”. Powerful psykers capable of wreaking havoc on entire cities, Orks who constantly desire to go into battle. Inquisitors who can’t wait to set fire to heretics, and Space Marines genetically perfected who sow death in towering armor like angels of war. And more, such as chain swords, power weapons, psionic blades and biomechanical grafts.
This game is designed to leave the mark, and to do it without compromise. The characters are individuals out of the ordinary, who perform extraordinary feats or bring extraordinary ruins to a world constantly on the edge of the abyss. Warhammer 40,000 – Wrath & Glory demands that you make a difference even when overwhelmed by a sense of impending doom. And it does so with all the style that has always distinguished the 41st millennium.
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Today we are pleased to show you the review of Era the Consortium, by Ed Jowett. First of all we want to thank Shades of Vengeance for providing us with a physical copy of the corebook, in softcover version. Era the Consortium is a sci-fi RPG, with original setting and rules.
A particular aspect of Era the Consortium is that it is a multimedia project; in addition to the basic manual and the various expansion modules there are in fact several comics. In general it is therefore possible to play a well-rounded, ever-expanding setting. The latter is in fact the strong point of Era the Consortium, widely developed and designed to be playable in every aspect.
Review of Era the Consortium: the Volume
Era the Consortium has 292 pages; the paper is quite thick, helping to make it particularly bulky. Overall the binding is also quite robust, but we are talking about a particularly large format manual with softcover. And the flexible cover not only fits poorly in such bulky volumes, but it does it even worse when it comes to a tome that requires frequent consultation. In short, the manual is solid, but to better survive the hands of the players we recommend the hardcover version. By the way you can choose between the cheaper and the sturdier version, and choosing is always great!
The internal illustrations are of a good standard. Besides being an author, Jowett is also the art director of Era the Consortium; and has beautifully harmonized the style of the various illustrators. Unlike the art sector, however, the layout has some issues. The choice of keeping the text in a single column on such a large volume is really impractical and makes reading more difficult. Keeping the page border with a different frame for each chapter is certainly a practical choice, but having used different motifs the final result is not beautiful when the manual is closed.
The choice to use flow charts instead of the more classic examples (after the explanation of many rules) certainly has its charm, especially for a sci-fi game. The problem is that it becomes a cumbersome solution, and often even inconvenient since to consult many diagrams it is necessary to rotate the manual. More classic examples would have been less suggestive, but certainly more practical. In general, the manual would have benefited a lot from greater care, thinking a little more about who would use it and less about making it particular.
The Game Setting
The setting is the real strength of Era the Consortium; after all, it occupies the first 135 pages of the manual. The connection is perhaps a bit pretext; the way in which humanity has completely lost memory of the Earth and its past is really an unnecessarily forced passage. From there however the contents improve, offering many interesting ideas. Era the Consortium deals with a large historical period (more or less 500 years), mostly described through stories and accounts that make the reading more appealing: otherwise it could have been boring and it would not have been easy to keep the interest of the reader high. And it’s not just about the background. Era the Consortium was conceived to be playable in all its historical phases; an interesting approach, which allows you to make each campaign unique.
The consequence that makes it even more interesting is that Era the Consortium allows you to play various types of science fiction. So you can face the exploration of unknown planets, the confrontation with alien races or the conflict with them, situations that are more purely warlike. There is also space for cyberpunk, even if mostly that with social implications: in the world of Era the Consortium mega corporations rule the society. Transhumanism finds little space, left almost entirely to some bionic enhancement. Maybe a pity, but it must be said that there are already other games that do this task in an excellent way. Avoid something redundant has therefore been a smart idea.
The Protagonists of the Adventures: the Characters
Character creation is quite simple. First of all you choose one of the four main races, compatibly with the historical period you want to play. Importantly, the expansion manuals add many new species, but the corebook is perfectly sufficient for playing Era the Consortium; the other volumes, however, introduce new options and varieties.
Humans are, as can be guessed, the simplest race to approach, and certainly the most widespread. These are the descendants of the inhabitants of the Earth (past of which they have no memory) who expand in space regulated according to the consortium will.
The Elutians are a kind of alien squid, graceful and intelligent creatures; to interact with other non-aquatic species they move in synthetic bodies, which replicate the appearance of a human being.
The Ximians are insectoids that only vaguely resemble a humanoid figure. Strong and resilient, they have a penchant for scientific studies, and for decades they have been enslaved by humans after a conflict. Their freedom is a relatively recent event.
Finally, the Vilithii are a sentient plant species with moderate mutation abilities, perhaps the most “alien-minded” race.
Review of Era the Consortium Rules
Era the Consortium rules are pretty simple, with a blatant inspiration from the Storyteller System used by the World of Darkness. There are no character classes, just backgrounds, and the development is free. Points are used to “buy” attributes, which determine their secondary statistics, and skills. The flexible skill system is interesting: you can use them with various attributes, as long as you find a consistent use. It must be said that the pool to choose from is a bit too small. It becomes difficult to characterize the characters well, when you have skills with too many uses.
The underlying mechanic involves rolling a pool of ten-sided dice equal to characteristic plus skill. Actions difficulty determines the minimum value to be obtained on the roll, the number of successes obtained determines the quality of the action.
The fight, unfortunately, gets a little too crunchy to my taste. Nothing impossible to manage, but it certainly reveals how Era the Consortium is a game with a bit dated conception. To try to make this approach versatile for the sci-fi genre that characterizes it, it ends up creating many complications. It is no coincidence that a considerable portion of the manual is dedicated to equipment and vehicles. Not to the point of becoming fan service, but certainly some more universal and leaner application rules would have improved the overall work.
Conclusions of Era the Consortium Review
Ultimately, Era the Consortium is not a game so innovative as to change your life, but it is not to be discarded either. Aside from these flaws, many could be unhappy that it looks like a large sci-fi patchwork. Both the setting and the rules are original; in both cases, however, there are many sources of inspiration that are too much evident for the lovers of this genre. A science fiction enthusiast will surely notice many elements already seen elsewhere. Similarly, an experienced player will surely find himself smiling at the mechanical similarities with other games.
However, Era the Consortium deserves respect. Precisely this being a job of cut and sew makes it very adaptable, covering that slice of sci-fi games that are not particularly popular. That is those with a more generalist approach, not aimed at creating a gaming experience particularly focused on specific aspects. If you are passionate about science fiction and are looking for a game that allows you to vary between the various subgenres, Era the Consortium will certainly do its job; in this way it will guarantee you hours of fun at the gaming table.
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Today we want to show you to the work of RN Estudio, creators of the miniature series called Mythexplorers 4, protagonist of this review. This product is for those who want to take the hobby of modeling and miniature games at an advanced level. RN Estudio deals with sculpture and 3D printing, resin models, crowdfunding management and, of course, painting miniatures. Their motto is to provide a friendly and high quality service, with free shipping all over the world.
We received a set of various miniatures; the studio specializes in fantasy, and has given us the opportunity to evaluate very different subjects. If this review intrigues you and you would like to try RN Estudio products, you can visit their official store. You will find various sets of miniatures. The most interesting ones for me are Mythexplorers, 32mm resin pieces, designed for both role-playing and collecting. Post Apocalyptic covers a more niche sector and comprehends also resin pieces. You will find 75mm miniatures and busts too. And, of course, you can ask them for custom projects.
Review of the Mythexplorers 4 Sets by RN Estudio
We met RN Estudio through two of its major projects in the recent past. The KickstarterRN Estudio 3 New Fantasy Football Teams, linked to Mythbowl, one of the studio’s main projects; that’s a football game with fantasy creatures, with some references to the more famous Bloodbowl. Several teams are available: the barbaric Celthunder or the elusive Rodents, the Ceratops saurians or the Amphibians reptiles. And then Reapers, Revenants, Ancestrals and various other teams, which bring the most famous races of fantasy imaginary to Mythbowl.
The other project, also funded through Kickstarter, isMythexplorers IV: RPG miniatures. Which allowed to expand the RN Estudio offer with miniatures designed explicitly for fantasy role-playing games. We received some miniatures that belong to this set. So we asked two of our friends, Jacopo Deidda and Andrea Rebella, to paint some of the minis. We thank them for doing some tests, to give an idea of how they react to color.
Models Analysis
The miniatures are very nice. The subjects are quite varied, and allow some flexibility. Especially when used for role-playing campaigns. For board games and wargames the other lines of RN Estudio are certainly more suitable. In any case, they are enough to cover a little of all the classic archetypes of the genre. Modding lovers can have fun customizing them further.
The models are quite solid, without too fragile joints that could be damaged in shipping. They are fairly detailed, but not too much; this certainly allows you not to have to choose too elaborate color palettes. Of course, those who love the more detailed miniatures might suffer a littlefor this reason, but this is a great compromise compared to other simpler products. The non-smooth surfaces have a good texture, and the grooves are well carved, helping to give a good depth to the model.
Conclusions of the Review of Mythexplorers 4 by RN Estudio
In a market that is growing but also saturating rather quickly, RN Estudio decided to produce high quality miniatures. The range offered is still rather limited, although it is compensated by the possibility of ordering customized models at low cost.
Overall, their miniatures are quite satisfying; for this category they are of very high quality, and are able to satisfy the needs of a wide range of players. The range of models is periodically expanded, allowing ever wider choices. They are also quite satisfying to paint, which is not so common. Definitely miniatures with an excellent price / quality ratio, which will help you expand your collection!
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Today we want to thank Fumble RPG e MS Edizioni for sending us a copy of Knights of the Round Academy, of which we are pleased to offer you our review. After the great success of the Kickstarter campaign, the new role-playing game by Claudio Serena arrives at our gaming tables. We were very curious to try it: the expectations were not disappointed. Knights of the Round Academy focuses heavily on the gameplay experience, which will transform players into young mecha pilots.
The game is available on the Fumble RPG official store. 45 euros for the physical version, 20 for the PDF. You can also downloadKnights of the Round: Shonen; it is a digital (and completely free) stretch goal of the Kickstarter campaign that lets you go beyond the borders of the academy.
Review of the Manual of Knights of the Round Academy
Let’s start from a fundamental premise: Knights of the Round Academy offers a gaming experience inspired by mangas. We will see later which mangas, but this is also reflected in the style of the volume. It is made of 353 pages in pocket size, compact and solid. Fortunately with hard cover. A manual full of illustrations, which winks at JRPGs. The pages are in fact presented in a way that almost resembles a screen. There is a lot of free space on the page; this certainly makes the consultation easier. Maybe the volume could have been condensed a little more, but overall it’s a nice solution.
The artistic direction is also by Claudio Serena, assisted by Claudio Pustorino.The manual is colorful and bright. Its illustrations are not very detailed, but that’s right: they reflect the manga style present in every aspect of Knights of the Round Academy. Don’t misunderstand me: they are well made, but they have that Japanese style that can make them seem a little too “simple” compared to other manuals. They must be contextualized: they serve to immerse the reader even more in the game.
I appreciated the presence of a sensitive reader, Marta Palvarini. For who doesn’t know it, sensitive reading is a phase of verifying the text, to make sure that there is no offensive, misleading content or that perpetrates offensive stereotypes and representations. A very useful practice that is slowly more and more widespread.
Manga Vibes
The setting of Knights of the Round Academy is deliberately outlined only briefly. The author has in fact focused much more on what he wants his game to convey. So the experience at the table is based on what are the typical traits of three types of manga.
The Real Robots, in which the mechas are perceived as real means of combat. This manga genre deals very closely with the war theme, usually focusing on how much war is a pain for all the factions involved.
The Shonen, or the manga of action and adventure reserved for a younger audience. Where the figure of the hero and the fighting scenes are as important as the values of friendship and mutual trust.
Finally, the School Drama, the classic stories with a school setting. The slice of life and romance are the dominant themes, even if always declined on the main themes of the game.
In general, the game is designed to be played in such a way as to replicate the atmospheres of manga and anime. The best way to face Knights of the Round Academy is to play characters with showy reactions and who indulge in unstoppable monologues. Acts of heroism and adolescent embarrassments, childhood behaviors that alternate with reflections on the atrocities of war.
Review of the Setting of Knights of the Round Academy
As mentioned, the manual does not go into much detail about the setting. The world of Brit’an has been colonized a long time ago by the human race, which came to the planet with huge spaceships that cannot make the reverse journey. The Breath of the Dragon, that is a specific radiation created by the nanomachines used for the terraforming of Brit’an, constitutes a precious energy resource. And where there are resources there are conflicts, especially between Bret’on and Sax’on, the two main human ethnicities. The great wars of the past belong to history, but the Knights, the battle mechas, have not been abandoned. Not everyone is in fact satisfied with this condition of peace.
You don’t need to be an expert on Matter of Britain to notice the first assonances. Knights of the Round Academy is heavily inspired by Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table, albeit in a manga reinterpretation. Whether you play a one-shot or an entire campaign, this game lets you play military cadets, Knight pilots trained as soldiers from childhood. School rivalry is as important as the duel against the enemy, in some contexts even more. But always remembering that feelings and emotions always prevail over realism, in stories that recall the Arthurian epic.
Review of Knights of the Round Academy: the Characters
Players have a wide range of possibilities to customize their characters.
First, you choose one of seven Bloodlines, each offering four abilities to choose from. The Avalons are the very first settlers to arrive on Brit’an, modified by the Breath of the Dragon to the point of integrating perfectly with the planet; their appearance has radically changed, making them resemble classic elves. Human beings may be Bret’on of the kingdom of Kamel’oth, rich and highly progressive; they can come from the Saxon empire, vast but poor in resources and technologically backward; or they can come from the orbiting spaceships that are still inhabited by the descendants of the first human Settlers.
Dragonborns are children of humans who have been in too much contact with the Dragon’s Breath, remaining contaminated by it; they are born already mutated, in part similar to the Avalons but impetuous and showy. The Andruid , on the other hand, were created in a laboratory; partly biological and partly synthetic beings, they exploit the Dragon’s Breath to live. They were developed to replace the Knights in battle, but now they are recognized as living creatures in all respects. Finally, Sidhe is the only playable Bloodline native to Brit’an; changeable and elusive both in attitude and appearance, they have a strong connection with nature, and especially with the animal world.
The Knights: Merging Cores and Frames
To proceed with the creation of your character there are still several elements. So each player must choose a Core. It is the element that animates the character’s energy and that binds her to her Knight. It can be an elemental force, but also a type of energy, a physical phenomenon, a feeling. There is no predetermined list: any principle that can be the source of inspiration for the skills and characterization of a cadet is an excellent Core. The character’s Soul, on the other hand, is a synthetic definition of his ego, of what most represents her; it is the trait least subject to change of all.
The Core determines what the Knight will be able to do, along with its Frame. This is the configuration that the mecha assumes, which gives the character a specific role during a fight or in non-combat situations. Reconnaissance, espionage, front-line or ranged combat, defense. If the Core determines the nature of a cadet’s abilities, the Frame is how he expresses them when aboard his Knight.
The Fruits of Training
There are 15 Jobs to choose from: they represent the skills of the character and the player has to choose among four abilities for each one. The Alchemist is a researcher of the Breath of the Dragon. The Augur, on the other hand, tries to understand it by merging with it. Instead the Cadet is a blank sheet, which can still develop its skills in any direction. The Champion fuses swordsmanship and magic to find the best possible application of Breath in Battle, while the Paragon focuses on combat to exorcise all evil and defend Brit’an.
Obviously the Hunter hunts preys, but is also an agent of justice. The Jester, with his ability to soften situations with irony, plays a vital role in the morale and mood of the group. Moreover we can find the Seeker, who is constantly on the move, looking for precious artifacts from the ancient era. The Slinger focuses on ranged combat, staying in the rear to cover the backs of the teammates, while the Squire practices to provide them with support. The Summoner is an expert on creatures that live in the flow of the Dragon’s Breath, capable of summoning them and even invoking the abilities of a defeated opponent.
Then the Tactician is an expert in strategy, able to analyze a situation and overturn it according to tortuous and articulated plans. The Templar is the last bastion of the kingdom, the one who willing to the extreme sacrifice protects him from any threat. The Thaumaturge is an expert on the Breath of the Dragon, but unlike the Alchemist they use their knowledge not for research, but to offer spiritual support to their companions. Finally, the Tinkerer is the one who takes care of maintenance, repair and upgrade of the Knights.
Review of the Game System of Kinghts of the Round Academy
There are many other details to add to your character, but we leave you the pleasure of discovering them for yourself. What should be emphasized is that Knights of the Round Academy was born from a hack of Not the End, another small masterpiece created by Claudio Pustorino. Although the game mechanics are different, the guiding principle is the same. The character sheet is not in fact composed of numerical values, but qualitative ones. Instead of the classic scores, there are traits, which describe a character’s inclinations, abilities, training and character aspects, rather than quantify them.
When he must pass a test, the player rolls a number of d8s equal to the traits he can call into question (maximum 6d8). He adds 1d12 if he is piloting his Knight, 1d12 if he uses his Frame and up to other 4d12 using his Limit Points (more on that shortly). These are the Positive Dice . Each Threat faced has a Difficulty ranging from 0 to 6; each Difficulty point transforms the dice in the pool into 1d6, starting with d8s. For each Trait that the Threat can invoke in turn, these dice will be further transformed into d4. These are the Negative Dice.
For each check, the player selects the highest result between the Positive Dice and the Negative Dice. A success, or a result of 6 or higher, is enough to succeed; an additional success allows the player to add an additional effect to his action. Failure implies that success also generates a consequence, a complication at the will of the narrator. Two failures mean a dangerous situation, without the action being successful.
Limit Break
There are many ways, mechanical and narrative, to influence the outcome of an action. The most immediate, however, is the expenditure of the Limit Points. Each cadet has 8 available. They allow you to add d12s to your pool, to modify the results of some rolls and to activate certain abilities of the Job, the Knight or the Bloodline. Limit Points are one of the most heavily borrowed concepts from manga, and represent how much the character strives to reach his full potential. Its limit, in fact.
However, abusing Limit Points is dangerous. When the eighth is consumed, in fact, a condition called Overload is reached. In this state, all successes and failures are considered triumphs and disasters respectively; the equivalent of critical successes and failures. Once the Overload limit is also exceeded, the character is off stage, unable to influence the story until he has recovered. The only way a character can die in Knights of the Round Academy is to be off stage and be in a position of risk, without anyone being able to save him.
Review of Knights of the Round Academy: Narrative but Cumbersome
As anticipated, there are several additional mechanics that can affect the tests. In general, Knights of the Round Academy has a deeply narrative system, like Not the End of which it is a direct descendant. It also features shared narrative mechanics, albeit very limited. Yet the game mechanics are quite cumbersome. Calculating the dice pool requires several operations, and quantities of dice that are as satisfying as they are bulky. And if you have reread the explanation more than once, it is because it is not a particularly intuitive system.
Of course it should be noted that it is a system that is easier to apply than to explain. And that in general the Knights of the Round Academy does not require too many dice rolls; on the contrary, we are talking about a game that recommends making a test only when its outcome can have a dramatic impact on the scene, positively or negatively. However, it is a bit strange to think of a game that is at the same time so strongly narrative, and has such complex mechanics.
Tips for Mastering
A large portion of the manual is dedicated to the narrator. The setting, as mentioned, is not fully explored, but there are some useful hints on how to build each useful location. Above all, the manual helps to visualize a campaign as if it were an animated series. Timing, narrative rhythms, even how to set up some “filler episodes”. Everything refers to the world of anime, of which Claudio Serena turns out not only to be an encyclopedic connoisseur, but also an excellent analyst.
But the most important thing is that every single element is not described just to enrich, or to give an example. Each paragraph dedicated to the narrator is a small lesson on role playing. On how all the elements that are included in one or more game sessions must have a specific weight and objective, always aimed at obtaining a dramatic effect on the characters. Claudio metaphorically enters the manual to explain what a role-playing game is for him, helping the most inexperienced storytellers step by step but also providing excellent tools for the most experienced.
Conclusions of the Knights of the Round Academy Review
Despite the ever-increasing popularity of the manga and anime market, the role-playing games that use them as open inspiration for an original setting are not so many. Knights of the Round Academy doesn’t just do this, it offers a game of enormous depth. Important themes and passionate characters. Hours to spend at the table with a system designed to ensure maximum identification; as mentioned before, we will have to get used to making different calculations, but the result is exciting.
Knights of the Round Academy collects inspiration from very different manga, at the two extremes of which we could putGundam andRanma 1/2. And it allows you to play all the nuances between these two extremes, recommending that you always put emotions before everything else. An example of a game that puts itself at the service of what it aims to create and arouse. And it does it perfectly. If among your childhood myths, heroes of adolescence or companions in adulthood there are the cornerstones of Japanese animation, you can’t miss Knights of the Round Academy!.
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This is our review of Strata, the expansion manual for Spire: the City must Fall. First of all, thank you Isola Illyon Edizioni for providing us with a copy of the manual. Isola Illyon is working on the Italian localization of Spire: the City must Fall, the role-playing game originally published by Rowan, Rook and Deckard Ltd.
You can find a copy of the manual on the official store. Strata is available at a cost of £ 30.00 in physical version or £15.00 in digital version.
If you prefer to read up on Spire first: the City must Fall, you can take a look at the our review. We liked it so much that we voted it as the best setting at our 2020 NDU Awards. Kudos to the authors Grant Howitt and Christopher Taylor.
Review of Strata: the Handbook
Strata follows the same editorial style as Spire: The City Must Fall. This means a very clean, almost sober manual. A robust and manageable volume of 241 pages, pleasant to have in your library and above all extremely full of contents. There are no more half-page illustrations: they are replaced by text boxes that deepen elements of the setting.
But this does not mean that the artistic aspect is worsen. Spire is characterized by a unique and recognizable artistic style. Illustrations with clear and strong colors, without shades. Full-page drawings in a style that recalls the works of Mike Mignola, where the goal is not realism. Th sensations aroused are much more important. And it perfectly works. The illustrations are simply amazing. The layout is also very clear, making it very easy to consult.
In the Secrets of Spire
Spire is an impossible city: decrepit, mile-high, wicked and wretched, glorious and profane. Within its crumbling walls, cruel High Elf overlords rule the subjugated Dark Elf race, denying them every freedom.
Not having the task of explaining the mechanics and the setting, Strata can go into the detail of this obscure city. So we can grasp many new aspects inherent in this place inhabited by Aelfir and Drow, to the point of becoming an almost indispensable manual to fully appreciate Spire: the City must Fall. The complexity of the setting is fully enjoyable, acquiring a new three-dimensionality. The core of Spire is made of the controversial choices that lead the Drow to acts of terrorism. And only with Strata we become aware of what degeneration they have to face.
Our reviews are always spoiler-free. Just know that some Aelfir, once they have gained immortality, have their arms removed. This is to show that they do not need them: servitude will provide for their needs forever. In Strata we have a measure of what the Drow have to endure. And only when we can get to justify an act of terrorism, because of such attitudes, we can really get into the spirit of the game.
Content Review of Strata
The manual opens with two new character classes. The Inksmith is an assault journalist. Her abilities are a mixture of social skills and magic; a professional daredevil that alternates between the lounges of the rich side of Spire and its more infamous alleys. Her actions may appear inconsiderate, but she always fulfills his purpose: to channel the zeitgeist of the city into her articles, transforming them into the most powerful of spells.
The Shadow Agent is instead an infiltrator. A classic spy who steals identities, apparently. But she is much more than that. In fact, her abilities go far beyond the camouflage. The deeper she immerses herself in her new identity, the more she empathizes with it. At her final step, the Shadow Agent literally becomes other people. A risky job, but extremely valuable for the Cult and for those who fight for the rights of the Drow.
The manual also contains Extra Advances. Cults, associations, alliances. The dense network of relationships on which the game hinges brings developments that can also be reflected in the character sheet. These Advances are in fact scattered among the various chapters of the manual.. The choices made in game by the characters will allow them to acquire skills related to the factions with which they choose to side. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that this can only benefit you. For every faction you support, there will be at least one other that you will antagonize.
A Plunge into Drowpunk
Drowpunk, in Spire, is an Aelfir counterculture that leads the young offspring of high society to adopt a lifestyle akin to that of their enslaved cousins. And what Strata proposes is then Drowpunk. The manual presents an in-depth study of the areas of the richest and lowest Spire. It then continues with the presentation of ten ready-to-play scenarios.
But what makes each chapter truly precious is the daily experience it reveals. The Aelfir and Drow cultures, together with sporadic elements of human and gnoll origins, outline the colorful habits of the vertical city. Reading Strata allows you to really understand how life is in Spire. Certainly having a description of the most important places, NPCs and faction situations in each district is helpful; but understanding the existence of a Drow in Spire is what gives this manual a unique value.
Review of Strata: the Districts
The section of the manual dedicated to the setting opens with an overview of the luxury districts of Spire. Amaranth, former site of the Drow governments, now completely cannibalized by the Aelfir. The Ivory Row, once a cultural center and now divided between three different contenders. And the Silver Quarter, where money decides the fate of those who own it, but even more of those who have none.
In the lower Spire we find the industrial district of the Works, infested with the toxic plague of lampblack and carbon white. The Garden District, the only source of supply for the city; where the vegetation must be continuously controlled, or it would end up swallowing the whole Spire. And finally the Perch, a precarious shanty town in which powerless and forgotten divinities are worshiped and exploited.
The description of the districts delves into both the NPCs who control them, and the factions that have their interests in the area. However, there are also insights into the Aelfir families and the importance of their culture of masks. And in the paragraphs dedicated to equipment, the gems stand out; they are an ancient Drow technology that is implanted in the body, bringing benefits almost as great as the risks associated with it.
Ten Ready-to-Play Scenarios
The most substantial part of Strata is the one made up of ten scenarios, which take place in the previously described districts. Scenarios, not adventures. In fact, no precise sequences of events are told. The manual outlines factions, relevant characters and critical issues. Key or trigger events are being suggested, of course. But on the one hand, it is up to the master to decide how to use these elements; on the other hand, the players will have complete freedom on how to move. I say “scenarios” because there is nothing predetermined, only an environment in which to move.
Eye of the Beholder is the most disturbing scenario. The characters are asked to introduce themselves to the party of an Aelfir artist and release her masterpieces. These are drow servants undergoing extreme surgery that crystallized their expression to always show the emotion decided by the mistress.
In Home Is Where the Hatred Is, the Cult’s goal is to eliminate Qiliza, an Alefir matriarch who harshly rules the entire family, to the point of keeping everyone under blackmail. The treatment for the Drow servants can be easily imagined.
Bisquiet offers one of the most controversial scenarios. The characters are in fact sent to verify the loyalty of the owners of a particular place. Loyal to the Cult, they have infiltrated the Aelfir society so well that the other Drows begins to question their loyalty. To what extent are those who have earned better living conditions still willing to get involved in the fight?
Review of Strata: A Descent into Aelfir’s Madness
In The Fall of Glasshelm, the fantasy-punk traits of Spire are taken to the extreme. The characters find themselves fighting against Glasshelm, precisely. A real estate company that seeks to carry out a real work of gentrification. Obviously with methods that are anything but clear.
Better the Deviloffers a variation on the theme of fighting the Aelfir. In fact, what’s worse than having to face a ruthless opponent? Fighting a ruthless opponent that belongs to your own people.
The Forgottenis the most touching scenario in the entire manual. It deals with the theme of disability, which unites the characters in the defense of the only refuge that in the very poor Pilgrims’ Quarter offers hospitality to those in difficulty. A theme so universal that it even surpasses the very strong racial differences of Spire: it is the only scenario in which it is possible to play a human or an Aelfir.
In Ironshrike the characters have the task of destroying the district that brings the same name. This area of Spire is a deputy to commerce brought to paroxysm, to the point of becoming a parody of an unbridled social Darwinism. The Aelfir use this market to publicly introduce anything that could further destabilize the Drow society. And the cult wants to put an end to this practice.
Mature Contents
Sulphurus Presses introduces a management aspect to the game. The cult’s goal, through the characters, is to create a newspaper that supports their cause. And in the meantime damage the Aelfir propaganda newspapers too. The regular alliance system Spire is expanded, creating an interesting,even if cumbersome, journal creation and management mechanic. So the most important newspapers in Spire are shown too.
Lines in the Dirtis the scenario in which the characters have the most to lose. The Aelfir maneuvers in fact directly affect the community in which they live. And although it is in Derelictus, the poorest district in Spire, it is still their community. This scenario is particularly centered on the human relationships of the characters.
The final scenario in the manual is Dark Harvest. The plot takes place in the Garden, for once away from the oppressive urban environment of Spire. But even here, the characters will face the oppression of one faction and the fundamentalism of another one.
As you can guess, these scenarios all deal with very mature themes. Mutilation, abuse, disability, alcoholism, slavery; and this is just to name a few. The authors are various, and each one has given her scenario the editing that she found most suitable. But they all specify which are the themes that will be touched in the course of the game. They are all extremely interesting and delicate. A discussion between players is always crucial when approaching a game like Spire: the City Must Fall.
Conclusions of the Review of Strata
Spire: the City Must Fall is one of the best games produced in recent years. Whoever writes this review learned to love it. And Strata is a very precious manual for Spire, to the point of being almost indispensable. The in-depth study on the themes developed or mentioned in the basic manual is priceless. And so is the attention to readers; at the end of the manual, some Kickstarter backers were rewarded with the publication of a cult created by them.
As you understand from this review, Strata is a top product. It is often a punch in the stomach (in a good way); it manages to create genuinely disturbing sensations. If Spire isn’t a game for everyone, Strata even more. It could be said that it is a manual not suitable for susceptible people, but it wouldn’t be true. The gaming experience is so intense and extreme that you have to have the desire to actively recreate certain scenarios. Victory will almost always be denied, and almost always bitter. But Strata will make you dig deep inside yourself that you will know some aspects of you that you didn’t know to have.
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Today we want to show you this review of Ruins of Symbaroum. First of all, we thank Free League for providing us with the complete bundle reserved for the backers of the project. This adaptation Symbaroum for D&D 5ehas been as much anticipated as it has been talked about. Many were concerned about the spirit of a game with deeply dark tones and severe mechanics as only the Swedes know how to develop them. Worrying it didn’t fit right in Dungeons & Dragons, whose approach has always been deeply heroic.
If you appreciate Ruins of Symbaroum, you can buy it on Free League’sofficial store. The whole bundle is about 115 €, but you can buy the manuals individually.
Mattias Lilja, one of the souls of Symbaroum and of Free League itself, had already explained to us the reason for this conversion. You can listen to the interview on our YouTube channel. He has dedicated himself to this project personally, and this in itself is a guarantee.
But the aim of this review is not to answer this question. We will take care of reviewing Ruins of Symbaroum. However some references to the original game will be inevitable, and certainly there will be room for this question as well.
The Reveiw of Ruins of Symbaroum Review: Contents
The bundle is more than satisfying; after all, Free League has always accustomed us to very high standards. We got to see the three basic manuals: Player’s Guide, Gamemaster’s Guide and Bestiary. It is important to remember that to run your games you’ll need the Handbook ‘s D&D 5e, as with all of the OGL games.
We were also able to evaluate the very useful Gamemaster’s Screen and the GM Screen Booklet, with a practical introductory adventure suitable also for novice players as well for masters. The Artbook completes the whole bundle.
Anyone who had the opportunity to view a Symbaroum or Ruins of Symbaroum manual knows what a dedicated Artbook means. The illustrations are just perfect. The apparently imprecise, extremely rough line perfectly renders the sensations aroused by the setting. Martin Grip did an amazing job; he did not just illustrate a manual, he transposed an entire setting into images.
The Handbooks
Unlike other settings for D&D 5e, Ruins of Symbaroum chooses to deviate from the “standard” layout of the fifth edition. Rather keeping the one from Symbaroum. A choice that highlights the desire to maintain a strong link between the two versions of the game. Underlining that the change in mechanics is aimed at widening the audience of potential players, not at distorting the gaming experience.
Of course this affects the readability of the manual. It doesn’t compromise it, but it certainly makes the reading a little less easy. On the other hand, it makes the identity of the manual much stronger and more recognizable. Overall, the manuals still meet the very high standards that Free League, and make a good impression on the shelves or in the digital archive of any collector.
The Review of Ruins of Symbaroum: The Setting
Our reviews are strictly spoiler-free. But a few notes on the setting of Ruins of Symbaroum are a must; especially considering that this takes up the setting of Symbaroum in an absolutely faithful way.
As Mattias explains, Free League games are always structured around a basic conflict. Ruins of Symbaroum, like its predecessor did, focuses on the conflict between nature and civilization. Characters must extricate themselves from the clash of two civilizations. On the one hand Ambria, a civilized nation that is occupying the territories north of its ancestral lands, devastated by a war with powerful sorcerers. On the other, the barbarian tribes, living in harmony with nature.
The only embankment between humanity and the ruins of Simbar, the ancient imperial capital, are the forest of Davokar and the elves of the Iron Pact, who have sworn to defend its borders to prevent men from bringing destruction to the world again.
New Mechanics: Corruption
In Ruins of Symbaroum, subversion of the state of nature brings corruption. A disease that afflicts the environment as much as living creatures, transforming them in the body as well as in the mind. As the corruption unfolds, the affected characters become more and more monstrous, until they completely lose control. And this obviously also applies to the player characters too.
There are many ways to acquire corruption, but the most common one is by casting spells. Alteration of the natural state par excellence, magic increases the temporary corruption of a character; if the latter exceeds a certain threshold, it becomes permanent. And it’s never a good thing.
The Review of Ruins of Symbaroum: Player’s Guide
This is the manual you need for the conversion between Symbaroum and Ruins of Symbaroum. Here the setting is presented. Recent history, a hint of geography, the main factions that influence the game world. In particular, the manual tries to convey the atmosphere of the game. To pass what are the peculiarities that should make Ruins of Symbaroum to other settings for D&D 5e.
The new races of the character are introduced. Humans Ambrians or of barbarians. Goblins, Ogres Trolls, three different stages of a whole biological process. The Elves, the merciless keepers of Davokar. The Changelings, elves hidden among the humans since birth, who partially assume their traits, and the Kidnapped Humans, who replace them in the ranks of the Iron Pact. Finally, the Dwarves, mysterious creatures immune to corruption and devoid of a true soul, and the Undead, a recent phenomenon capable of returning from the grave with an intact mind.
New Character Options
In Ruins of Symbaroum, the character race has two peculiarities that differentiate it from other settings for D&D 5e. First of all, each breed has a series of dedicated backgrounds, called Origins. Secondly, the hit points and hit dice that are acquired at each level up are determined by the race, and not by the class. An interesting idea, which however flattens the game in practice.
As a matter of balance, all races have the same hit die, with the exception of the goblins; Trolls can roll two times the dice to determine wounds, but have no bonuses if they choose the average result. Too bad, it sounds like a missed opportunity.
Very important are the character classes, different from the core ones of D&D 5e. This choice is limited, but the subclasses are quite abundant. The players of Symbaroum will recognize the various professions distributed between Captain, Hunter, Scoundrel and Warrior.
Mystics deserves a separate mention. If in Ruins of Symbaroum the subclass becomes strongly characterizing in general, the flavor of the Mystic is in fact profoundly changed. Choosing between Sorcerer, Wizard, Theurg and Witch radically changes the approach to the character and the cultural matrix of his approach to magic. Artifact Crafter, Symbolist, Staff Mage and Troll Singer are characterized even more specifically: it is impossible to choose a subclass just for a mechanical matter. It is always a choice deeply linked to the character to be interpreted.
The Review of Ruins of Symbaroum: Game Master’s Guide
If the Player’s Guide is packed with many character options, the Game Master’s Guide is perhaps the Ruins of Symbaroum most content-packed. A very useful resource starting from the advice for the master. Fundamental for those approaching the place behind the screen for the first time. But also an excellent resource for the most experienced players.
The guidelines for the master occupy the entire first part of the manual, which then continues by expanding the elements of the setting already mentioned in the Player’s Guide. But going much deeper. Three locations are described with great care, paying close attention to all possible game points, centers of interest and the various factions that move there. Thistle Hold is the frontier town, the starting point for any expedition into the Davokar Forest. Yndaros is the capital of the Ambrian empire, born on the ashes of a city of barbarians whose tribe has been exterminated. Karvosti is instead the seat of the only central authority recognized by the various barbarian tribes, where the interests of these and the Prios church conflict.
There is also space for insights into the Underworld, the subterranean realm where trolls reside, and where the most deeply corrupted creatures lurk. It is not overlooked Yonderworld, the plane of existence from which corruption originates and the nature of which scholars have questioned for centuries. There is also a hint of the Spiritworld, a plane not designed for the player characters, but on which some suggestions are launched for possible developments for high-level campaigns.
Tools for Masters
If what has been written so far is an excellent source of inspiration, the Dungeon Master’s Guide continues with material useful for managing the campaign. The chapter devoted to the Davokar expeditions, perhaps the central theme of Ruins of Symbaroum, is extremely valuable. It allows you to manage any aspect of the expedition, giving flexible but punctual references for every detail, both upstream and downstream of the exploration phase.
A series of optional rules allows you to expand the regulated aspects of a chronicle; they range from the rules for pitched battles to those for managing an estate. Passing through traps, ceremonial magic and chases. There are also a series of tips dedicated to how to structure an adventure, a chronicle or an entire campaign, for an overall perspective. A chapter to read even for those who are not planning a Ruins of Symbaroum campaign, adaptable to any role-playing game.
Finally, the manual introduces Blight Night, a very short adventure for early career characters. An extremely linear story yet at the same time full of ideas, it focuses a lot on the suggestion and difficulty of the clash. Excellent for introducing Ruins of Symbaroum even to novice players, despite the complexity of the topics covered.
Review of Ruins of Symbaroum: Bestiary
If I have to say the first word that comes to mind when browsing through the Bestiary is as simple as it is disarming: beautiful. The illustrations and layout are eye-catching, even more so than in other manuals. Many of the creatures have an “in lore” description, excerpts from a pseudobiblion incorporated into the setting.
The manual is divided into three sections. The Hordes of the Eternal Night gathers unique or intelligent creatures, capable of developing an entire culture. Beasts & Monsters, as the title suggests, collects creatures of more “banal” use, grouped into macro-categories. Abominations, aquatic or amphibious creatures, flora, herbivores, predators, arachnids, undead and winged creatures. Finally the last section, Adversaries, presents all the PNGs that can be used as opponents; also in this case it presents them sorted by groups, so that you can always choose the faction that best suits the game in progress.
Conclusions of the Review of Ruins of Symbaroum
Surely, Ruins of Symbaroum is an ambitious project. Bringing such a successful game into the world of D&D 5e is no small feat, and with not a few risks. This brings up a question. Was there a need for Ruins of Symbaroum?
Strictly speaking, no. Symbaroum is a complete game, with a dry, fast and deadly system, perfectly functional to the game themes and the setting. So no, there was no “need”. But it is also true that the game has not been distorted as many feared. Ruins of Symbaroum isn’t as lethal as its predecessor, but it doesn’t make life easy for playing characters. The game experience comes out basically intact, if you have the courage to close your eyes and ignore “D&D 5e“.
If, on the other hand, you don’t already know Symbaroum, you can only fall in love with this adaptation. The game ideas are many, allowing you to manage adventures, chronicles and campaigns in an extremely versatile way. Yet the central themes of the game are never lacking, they are breathed in every single page of the manuals. For those who love dark fantasy, the exploration of an openly hostile world and settings full of conflicts that are anything but trivial, Ruins of Symbaroum is simply a must have.
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This is our review of Creatures: Netherworld and we would like to thank Studio Agate for sending us a digital copy. It is a rich bestiary designed for Fateforge, a very successful setting created by the French studio in 2019. We are talking about D&D 5e, therefore a product under OGL. Fateforge introduces new mechanics and new approaches to the game. Creatures: Netherworld exploits them properly. Although it has original material that can also be included in other campaigns, it is highly recommended to use it after having at least explored the core manual of Fateforge.
This manual was born thanks to the great success achieved with a Kickstarter campaign, rich of ditigal stretch goals.
Review of the Creatures: Netherworld Manual
The volume is impressive. 399 pages, which maintain a good compromise between a legible layout and the attempt to recreate the look of an ancient tome. We’re talking about a bestiary, but the manual doesn’t focus solely on monster stats. On the contrary, it is full of suggestions on how to best use them and on what role to assign them in a campaign. There are also several lore insights. Many pages contain “inserts” from books that should exist in the setting; in this way they allow us to deepen what the characters can know as well as what the players can know.
Its artistic aspect is very satisfying. Joëlle ‘Iris’ Deschamp and Nelyhann, the authors, took care of the artistic direction together with Delphine ‘GinL’. The result is a manual that already speaks in pictures. The style of the vast audience of illustrators is extremely harmonious, and manages to give a “fairytale” touch to each page; at the same time Netherworld, the subterranean kingdom of Fateforge, is a place that is home to horrors of all kinds. And this horror imprint is very present.
An (Almost) Modular System
A rather interesting feature of Creatures: Netherworld is what the authors call a modular system. Perhaps this definition is a little too bombastic, but it is certain that they have created an interesting system. The manual has in fact ten different symbols, which can be found next to various text boxes. Each symbol indicates specific characteristics of that paragraph. Elements that can be integrated into the game or that you can choose to ignore, depending on the desired experience.
Whether it’s rules or setting elements, the symbols indicate whether using them will make the game more action or more horror; more challenging, focused on intrigue or mystery. In addition, some indicate more precise elements, closely related to Fateforge. Among them the Awakening, a prerogative of this setting; a kind of epiphany necessary to be able to use magic. Another one is the Corruption that can devour a character from the inside, and the Sublimation, a specular condition that we will explore further on.
Finally, the manual allows you to choose how much space you want to give to magic within your campaign. And one last symbol indicates what the original material created for Fateforge is. Many monsters have just been contextualized, but the adaptation work has been very precise and valuable.
Review of the Character Options in Creatures: Netherworld
The first part of the manual is dedicated to the fauna of the Netherworld. In particular, the first chapter introduces the playable races, specifying the peculiarities for which they differ from the counterparts of classic D&D 5e. The Drow are definitely an unmistakable trademark, although they differ greatly from the classic evil dark elf stereotype. Same goes for the Duergar; practitioners of forbidden magic and masters of technology, the two bloodlines they divide into are among the most advanced in the Netherworld.
The Sidhe of the Depths are creatures of fairy ancestry; sometimes born from the soil itself, they have a greater awareness of the world, more than of themselves. The Simmaiens, derogatory defined Grimlock, are instead the first inhabitants of the subsoil; accustomed to darkness like no other, they are blind but not to be underestimated for this. The Svirfneblin, the Deep Gnomes, are like Drow and Duergar natives of the surface. However, they have adapted to the subsoil to the point of becoming the best guides available.
The second chapter continues with useful resources for the Dungeon Master. The “tunnel fighters” are more in the perspective of a classic bestiary. We also find groups of NPCs belonging to the lineages presented in the first chapter, to be used as opponents in the underground.
Threats from the Underworld
Creatures: Netherworld continues with three chapters dedicated to the inhabitants of the underworld. The first two focuses on the creatures that originate from it. There are a lot of great classics such as slime, fungus and swarms. And in general a good amount of monsters adapted from D&D 5e. But there are also original creatures created specifically for the world of Eana, where the adventures of Fateforge take place. Among them we can find the Pale Dragons, creatures of enormous power, reduced to a kind of deformity by their underground “exile”.
The manual then continues with a series of creatures that can be summoned or created through rituals. Their presence in the Netherworld has now become common. In particular, the Shadow elementals have chosen it as their home. Here too we find a good mix of original and re-adapted creatures. The latter prevail, but always with excellent writing; you never get the impression that you are reading a copy and paste of the Monster Manual.
The first part of the manual ends with an overview of Blackwater, a plane partially superimposed on that of Fateforge from which the aberrations originate. The Aboleths are certainly the most “famous” monsters of this chapter. But in general there are many threats that should not be underestimated. Aberrations can have three different origins. They may have come from Blackwater, trying to spread into the Netherworld. They may be native to Blackwater but materially born on Eana. Or they may be the result of the manipulation of other aberrations and held at their service.
The Canker
The Canker is a force that deforms life itself. It is responsible for the corruption brought to Eana. More generally it is the main adversity in the world of Fateforge. The Canker destroys all that is alive. And where it fails, it corrupts it. The life forms corrupted by the Canker are deformed and monstrous. Above all, they are the prime vehicle for corruption itself.
The manual presents a first introduction to the Canker. But let’s not go into too much detail, to keep the review spoiler-free. The dynamics of the setting and the mechanics to interact with it are presented. Especially those who create the Ravagers; they are the servants of the Canker who spread its destruction in Eana.
The most traditional way Ravagers present themselves is as distorted and violent creatures. Beasts or so, their very shape reflects the suffering of corruption. This is a threat that far exceeds that of more traditional monsters. Between monsters, unique creatures and specific archetypes, you have a lot of choice. Of course there is always a focus on how the Canker uses his Ravagers as a conduit.
Sublimation
Sublimation is a process similar to that of corruption, but extremely rare. It happens only under certain conditions, and only on certain creatures. Here too, we don’t go into too much detail to avoid spoilers; in any case Sublimation is a much more treacherous and subtle process. The creatures that are victims of it do not in fact become deformed monsters. On the contrary, as the term sublimation itself suggests, they come out improved; a clear example are the centaurs, often allies of the peoples of the Netherworld.
The subtlety of Sublimation is exactly this one. Those who are victims are not aware of it, and are convinced that they are acting for the best. But their very existence is a subversion of the state of nature. Inevitably, Sublimation leads to the advance of the Canker, albeit with less clamor.
Conclusions of the Creatures: NetherworldReview
What Studio Agate proposed was not a simple project. A manual based mainly (but not only) on the revision of non-original content; all strongly influenced by the setting of Fateforge, which is not the simplest. It is a setting that brings very complex (and often potentially heavy) themes to the game table. The system of symbols certainly helps to modulate the experience, but always within the limits of its characteristics.
Creatures: Netherworld is a perfectly successful manual. The contents are abundant and always clear, and above all they never lose the focus of Fateforge. Surely these are contents that need the core manual of the setting; but for those who have already loved Eana’s atmospheres, it is an essential volume.
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Today we want to present you the review of Nightfell, the highly anticipated setting for D&D5e made in Italy. First of all we thank Mana Project for providing us with a very, very rich bundle.
If this review should make you want to buy Nightfell, we suggest you to visit the official Mana Project store. An anticipation: defining it “recommended” is not enough!
The bundle is definitely rich. It obviously starts with the Basic Manual, which presents the setting, the character customization options and the new original mechanics. The Bestiary collects a series of new monsters, themed with the setting and also inspired by Italian folklore.
The Book of Adventures is, as the name suggests, a collection of adventures, playable as a single campaign. Moreover The Death Eater can serve as a corollary. The bundle also includes the character sheets of 16 pre-generated characters and 10 digital maps. In order not to miss anything, we also have the original Nightfell soundtrack and a beautiful Nightmaster Screen! Another accessory is the official dice bag of the setting: two d20s and seven d8s with the moon phases. In addiction tThe last thing is the practical spell cards.
Review of the Manuals of Nightfell
Let’s be clear: the quality isn’t high. It is very high. The volumes are solid, the pages thick, the covers sturdy. The layout maintains the classic D&D5e, so these volumes are extremely practical to consult. But what is jaw-dropping is the quality of the illustrations.
Since the announcement of the Kickstarter, Nightfell has immediately shown to pay particular attention to the artistic sector. After all, Mana Project has accustomed us to very high standards, just think of Journey to Ragnarok or Historia. But with Nightfell Angelo Peluso, who is the artistic director of the project and part of the team of illustrators as well as author, made even better (as you can see in the immages included in this review). These volumes look good even in the most ambitious collections.
From the point of view of the realization, the only drawback of the Nightfell is the number of typos, rather abundant. Unfortunately, crowdfunding projects often have to deal with rather tight deadlines, this is undeniable. But considering the majesty of these volumes, I really had to point these oversights out.
The Core Handbook
“Thou wilt tip the balance, since on thy actions fate lies for what is left of us all.
Be steady in front of darkness, do not let thy heart cede, and may the moon lead thee through the silent lands of the continent.”
Our reviews are strictly spoiler-free, but we will try to give you a precise idea of what Nightfell offers. The game presents itself as “a fantasy horror setting, a grimdark world under the influence of the moon”. This is because on Iùrmen, the game world, there is no normal alternation of night and day. When the moon disappears from the sky it is not replaced by the sun, and where a fire is not lit the world plunges into absolute darkness. Darkness in which the Echoes of Death thrive and spread, a dark reflection of the Primes who created the world.
In the world of Nightfell , characters don’t go on adventures. The most cynical may seek to enrich themselves, the most perverse may seek new power in the Echoes of Death. But for the most part, the game will be about the line between survival and the relationship between darkness and life. The light of the moon gives respite, but the heat of the sun is no longer even a memory.
The Nightfell Review: A Complete Setting
In the Core Handbook the entire story of Irmen is presented. Parallel to that of Sidìr and Ènferun, the sidereal plane from which the world of mortals was cut off and from which the Abyss, on the contrary, invaded it. Between myth and actual history, it is possible to discover what took away the sunlight. And what that implies for the characters.
The geography of the game world outlines all the main regions and their main centers of interest. The manual does not go into too much detail, from this point of view. But there is no lack of more than enough ideas to make the most of each environment presented.
On the contrary, what we focus on most is the cultural aspect. In a world where darkness turns to night, religion becomes a fundamental element. Whether it is venerating the moon goddess or perpetrating ancient traditions, trusting in the now vanished Primordials or belonging to pagan cults. Not to mention far more sinister religions, cults of the dead and the veneration of the Echoes of Death.
Four human lineages…
The world of Nightfell is populated by bloodlines specially designed for this product, protagonist of this review. So the races are all strongly characterized to exploit the main themes of the game.
The Anireth, or First Men, are the involuntary responsible for the Last Sun, the event that led the Enferun to superimpose itself on Irmen. Although many of them are blameless, they bear the weight of these actions. And even if they are the progenitors of all other human lineages, the prejudice against them conditions their actions.
On the contrary, the Ejre, or Primievals, have an extremely strong bond with the energies of the earth. They belong to a Druidic culture which makes them the main bulwarks against darkness.
Even the Garnar, or Alperns, are not exactly champions of civilization. This barbaric population lives in the northern mountains, even colder since the sun was literally destroyed. Marked by an ancient curse, in the light of the moon they reveal a bestial nature.
The Gray Folk is perhaps the population that most seems the classic humans of D&D5e: among all the peoples descended from the Anireth, in fact, they are the most varied and versatile. The name of Gray People in fact comes from the mixture of colors of this people, which in fact makes it devoid of a specific color.
… And More Exotic Ones
The Ishdrim, the Overseas People, are the only humans on Nightfell not descended from the First Men. Closely related to Hollon, the deceased Primordial who was the sun of Irmen, they weave their elegant spells with a natural affinity for fire.
The Krampus are the only playable lineage originating from the Black Mirror. Wild and brutal creatures, they believe in violence and the pack. Which is strengthened by the internal struggle. Only a few of them dare to turn against this brutal culture, demonstrating unsuspected potential.
The Lyvar, called Night Faelings, are the descendants of a lineage that once belonged to the Little People. Mutated by the eternal night, they are little wary and elusive creatures. Not so inclined to relationships with outsiders, when they manage to open up, however, they demonstrate an out-of-the-ordinary loyalty.
Finally, the Rizadrin are the last descendants of the three lineages of satyrs who were once in contact with the lifeblood of Irmen. The Moon Satyrs are wise yet crepuscular creatures. They were the first ones guessing how the moon would become the fulcrum of living creatures after the last sun, it was they themselves who founded the Lunar Cult, Nightfell.
The Nightfell Review: A Wide Choice
Character customization options are really a lot. First of all, the manual presents 12 new backgrounds, essential to better integrate your character into the setting. Additionally, each class of the core manual has a new subclass to choose from, always deeply intertwined with the world of Nightfell.
Particularly interesting are the new original classes presented. The Lunar Cultist is a soldier who takes sides against the looming darkness; harnessing a mixture of martial skills and knowledge of the mysticism of the venerators of the Triple Goddess, she becomes a formidable ally, or adversary. The Master of Traditions , on the other hand, tries to shed light on the mystery, accumulating notions on any subject; legend, history or myth, there is no subject that she cannot bend to her own profit.
In a world haunted by spirits, the Medium becomes a channel of communication between them and Iùrmen. By allowing herself to be partially possessed by the soul of a deceased, or using it to torment his enemies, her disturbing figure fears few rivals. Finally, in a world deprived of sunlight, the Vampire. Haunted by the light of the Full Moon, he can progressively develop his dark powers in a class path, seeking redemption or, conversely, descent into damnation.
There are also a lot of new items, magical and not, as well as a whole series of new spells, full of the sense of horror and wonder that permeates the inhabitants of Iùrmen.
Review of the New Mechanics of Nightfell
One of the most interesting aspects of the Core Handbook is its original mechanics. Aimed at enhancing the setting and making the oppressive elements weigh even more present, they are a significant added value. These aren’t just gameplay options, they’re part of Nightfell.
Soul Points are certainly the most interesting of these new game mechanics. To represent the psychological and spiritual strength of the character, they can be compared to the sanity points of other games. Special attacks, shocking scenes, or particularly alien creatures can reduce your Soul Point pool; but indulging in abject behavior can also affect it. Once this reserve is consumed, the character is possessed by the Echoes of Death, and only a delicate ritual can hope to bring him back.
Grim weapons are another interesting feature of Nightfell that I want to show you in this review. The more a weapon strikes the creatures of Ènferun, in fact, the more it becomes imbued with their corruption, until it succumbs to it. A Grim Weapon becomes more effective against these creatures, but at the same time its thirst for blood ends up eroding the soul of the wielder.
Finally, the Moon could not fail to have a leading role. The lunar phase under which a character is born, in fact, plays a role similar to a zodiac sign. Not just an aesthetic characterization, but one that directly influences the characters through the results of the risky ritual of Lunar Divination. And don’t forget that the powers of many monsters are influenced by the Moon and its phases.
The Bestiary
A further strength of Nightfell is certainly its Bestiary. Not a simple “accessory”. While the 100 new creatures obviously have all that is needed to use them as dangerous enemies, their best part is their integration into the lore.
The horrors of Nightfell include dragons once dead and now animated by necromantic energies, or their less powerful but no less terrifying descendants. Undead of all shapes and forms, and shapeless horrors from the world of Enferun. Unique creatures or entire populations. Faeries corrupted by darkness and cultists who, instead, crave corruption. And finally the witches, true protagonists of Nightfell.
Each monster or opponent falls into a broader category, and in addition to the stats it has a deep introduction. It contextualizes the creature in the game world. It becomes an element of culture and setting, to the point that the Bestiary presents a whole series of rumors concerning the lore. Some are well founded, some are not. The goodness of the Nightmaster will decide which ones will be heard by the characters.
Review of the Adventures of Nightfell
The Book of Adventures is a collection of six adventures, which can be played separately. But, in my opinion, the best solution is dividing them into two distinct campaigns, which can be linked together. In this way, they allow you to take the characters from the first to the fourteenth level.
Written by different authors, they consequently also have different styles. Not that it’s a problem, in fact it allows you to try multiple styles of play. And to experience different aspects of the world of Nightfell within the same campaign, in a coherent story arc. Surely the most successful adventures are those that leave more room for interpretation and narration; they allow you to better savor the creeping horror that characterizes the game. But action is not lacking, and it is necessary.
The first three adventures of the manual are set in the ice of Alper, trying to face the threat of vampires who take advantage of a world devoid of sun. On the contrary, the other ones move instead in an urban environment, allowing them to explore a more distressing horror, which hunts the characters by violating their own sense of reality.
The Death Eater is a little extra treat, unlocked in the Kickstarter. It can be played at the conclusion of the two linked campaigns of the Book of Adventures, or independently. It will take the characters from the 14th to the 17th level, allowing them to face one of the greatest threats of Iùrmen, the Cult of the Serpent.
Accessories… and such Accessories!
One of most charming aspects of Nightfell is its accessories, as you can see in this review. Well-kept, of great value, they are collector’s items that do not look out of place in front of the magnificent manuals of this setting. Starting with the dice. We speak here of pure collecting. In fact, this is not the classic complete dice set for playing D&D5e. We simply have two d20s, because they are strongly symbolic, and the seven dice with the various phases of the moon; useful but not essential, to play the Lunar Divination. Or to randomly determine the moon phase, always important for the game. They are simply beautiful.
The pre-made character sheets are useful, as are the maps. And the soundtrack is a ten and praise bonus, perfect for making the atmosphere of the game; definitely something not found in every bundle. But the Nightmaster Screen is the real highlight. Robust, practical, it is simply amazing: in its simplicity, there is no better way to define it. Attention, it does not replace the Dungeon Master Screen for D&D5e: it only contains the original mechanics of Nightfell.
The Nightfell Review: Conclusions
At the end of this review, there is a lot to say about Nightfell, and there would be even more. But we need to sum up. And the result is certainly positive. This is an ambitious project. Having an original idea is not easy; making it a product suitable for the market is perhaps even more challenging. Nightfell succeeds, and does so by exceeding the very high expectations that Mana Project had set.
The short timing of the Kickstarter certainly created some problems. In addition to the typos mentioned above, in the Book of Adventures the coordination between the various authors was not perfect, creating an inconsistency between two plots. And between the description of vampires, the rules for playing them as characters and those for using them as monsters, it ends up creating a bit of confusion about how to handle penalties in the light of the full moon.
But these are really small things, in front of such a monumental work. And above all so successful. Nightfell is well written and interesting. Perhaps such a visceral fantasy horror setting may not be suitable for all palates; and certainly to play it by lightening these aspects would be a mortal sin. But if you’re not overly sensitive to these issues, Nightfell is the setting you want to try in your next campaign!
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Today we are pleased to show you our review of The One Ring Bundle, a work by Francesco Nepitello and Marco Maggi. First of all we want to thank Free League for making this rich box set available for us. You can find it on its official store, where you can also individually purchase themanual Core Rules or the Starter Set that make up the bundle. Costing 1184 crowns (about 119 euros), it has an extraordinary an quality / price ratio.
The bundle includes the core manual, the Loremaster screen, the Rivendell Compendium and the Starter Set. In the latter you will find an introductory guide to the rules, the compendium The Shire and the volume The Adventures, which collects five short but very immersive adventures. The game material is completed by 8 character sheets with pre-generated characters, a map of Eriador and one of theShire, 30 equipment cards, 6 cards with synthesis of roles during exploration and combat options.
Finally Free League makes us happy with a dedicated set of dice: two d12s (Feat Dice) and six d6s (Success Dice).
A Courageous Choice
Free League has already shown us that they are not afraid to change the milestones of the genre, as they did with the new edition of Twilight 2000. But in this case they go further. The Lord of the Rings is the reference point for any fantasy fan, like it or not. Dealing with the re-release of one of the games dedicated to it is not an easy task. Let’s find out how Free Leaguedecided to do it.
Review of the Mechanics of The One Ring
The mechanics underlying the game are pretty simple. The characters have three characteristics: Strength, Heart and Wits. This score is subtracted from the value of 20, obtaining the Target Number, the result to be obtained with the die roll. That is 1d12 (the Feat Dice), plus a number of d6 (Success Dice) equal to the score in the skill usable, if there is one. This system, which may appear complex but is actually very simple to use, deserves two reflections.
First of all, it is the most profound change from the previous system. This is because Free League has decided to introduce a “disguised” roll under system: at first glance, in fact, it is a question of obtaining a classic result as high as possible. But since the Target Number is 20 minus the ability score, we actually have a system where the difficulty is intrinsic to the character sheet. A real roll under, which makes the game much more exciting and interesting.
Secondly, even though it is a game with fixed difficulty plus modifiers, like all roll unders, The One Ring offers the possibility to scale the Target Number. In fact, the manual proposes an alternative rule, designed for short campaigns or single adventures that do not involve a long-term progression of the character. It is sufficient to calculate the Target Number starting from the value of 18 instead of 20, to completely overturn the balance in favor of even less experienced groups with fewer prospects.
A Mechanic for Each Game Phase
While relying on simple basic rules, the regulation becomes very complex. The One Ring in fact provides specific phases in which to divide the game, each of which has dedicated mechanics. They are adventure, journey, council (sort of a diplomatic meeting with local authorities), combat and rest.
Obviously there are also dedicated mechanics to determine the value and wisdom of a character, which influence his growth path and his relationship with the Shadow, the evil that spreads in Middle-earth and corrupts it. The calling of the character is particularly interesting. In addition to defining a package of skills, in fact, the calling also determines the approach of the character, and in what way this ends up degenerating if corrupted by the shadows.
Review of the Characters of The One Ring
The callings are Captain, Champion, Messenger, Scholar, Treasure Hunter and Warden. Each calling can be crossed with one of the Cultures that can be chosen by the players. Human beings may belong to the Bardings, the proud men of the north, or to the more conciliatory inhabitants of Bree. Or be a Ranger of the North, with distant elven ancestry and a mission to accomplish. Alternatively, it is possible to play a Dwarf of Durin bloodline, an Elf of Lindon or a Hobbit of the Shire.
There are several other character options customization. It becomes possible to obtain very different characterizations even with a game that offers a package of skills that is not too wide, a very intelligent and practical choice.
Furthermore, The One Ring offers a very interesting insight. The game is very rigorous in tracking the passage of time, and how it affects the character. No one can go on an adventure forever, especially in a world where magicexists but is beyond the reach of ordinary people. However, characters can choose to raise their own heir, who can replace them once they reach retirement age. Allowing the player to continue the adventures of an uninterrupted lineage.
Review of the Setting The One Ring
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them,
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
Perhaps not the most original quote, but undoubtedly the most representative of The Lord of the Rings. This is because pretending to review the setting of The One Ring would be crazy, ambitious and superfluous at the same time. We are talking about the most famous fantasy of all time, the saga that has long dictated the styles and stereotypes of the genre.
We can focus on the game environment, keeping as always strictly spoiler-free. Thirty years have passed since Bilbo Baggins found the One Ring. In this time theShadow has had the opportunity to strengthen itself, foraging its creatures and summoning its servants. The opportunities for an adventurer are many; glory and wealth are just waiting for someone to take the lead. But so do the risks, and death is often not the worst option.
A Flawless Job
Overall, Free League has prepared an amazing job. Ten years later, they made a huge number of changes to a solid game system while managing not to distort it. The “roll under disguised”, the greatest impact of professions on the character, the balance between Shadow and Hope have a modern and fresh design. At the same time, the game maintains a very traditional system, for the most traditional of settings.
Someone could dislike a regulation that marks in such a rigid way the various phases of the game, but in my opinion it never becomes cumbersome. It is certainly a matter of taste, but one thing remains undeniable; the second edition of The One Ring allows you to perfectly recreate the atmospheres conveyed by the work of JRR Tolkien.
A feeling that is also reflected in the graphic aspect of the manuals. The layout is reminiscent of an ancient tome, making reading immersive but never difficult. And the same can be said of the illustrations, which recall travel diary sketches but at the same time are vivid enough to animate the pages, recreating the effect of an illustrated edition of the trilogy. Chapeau to Alvaro Tapia, concept artist of the project.
And let’s talk about the covers and images that separate the various chapters, especially in the Core Book. Martin Grip, whose works we have already admired in Alberetor, The Haunted Waste, does a simply extraordinary job. His “dirty” stroke cuts the pages, attacks the reader and catapults him into confronting the Darkness. On its own, the whole bundle is worth it.
Final Thoughts of the Review of The One Ring
As anticipated in the introduction, Free League decided to take up a very hard challenge with the second edition of The One Ring. They managed to propose smart and impactful changes to a classic game. It seems that in Sweden they are not afraid of anything.
The One Ring is a game that fully meets expectations, offering an experience that fully adheres to the setting and its themes. Exploration, adventure, alliances between peoples and, above all, confrontation with our darker half, how much of the inconfessable we harbor in the most secret recesses of our personality. If you are interested in such a type of game, and you are passionate about simple but deep mechanics, this bundle is absolutely recommended!
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Today we want to show you our review of the Great Wyrms of Drakha. First of all we want to thank Draco Studios for providing us with a copy of this collection of high profile adventures for D&D5e. After a very successful Kickstarter campaign, now the manual can be preordered for $ 40 (just over € 35). Accessories are also available, such as a limited set of dice and STL files for printing 3D dragon miniatures. A very nice job for the game around the table!
Great Wyrms of Drakhais based on Dragonbond, the work of Daniel Servitje. But there is also the work of a wide audience of professionals who have contributed to the development. Moreover the 1408 backers of the Kickstarter are thanked one by one in the manual. A nice attention, for those who have contributed to such an ambitious project. And a great satisfaction to see that it was worth it!
Review of the Handbook of Great Wyrms of Drakha
Great Wyrms of Drakha Handbook is a collection of seven adventures for D&D5e, all designed to take characters from 17th to 20th level. A monumental book, 320 pages paginated that follow the original criteria of the official manuals. Of these, nearly 40 are dedicated to a bestiary. All these features create a solid volume, designed with impeccable professionalism. A beautiful manual, satisfying even just to the touch.
But not just to the touch. The quality of the artwork is very high; despite the beautiful cover, the other content still manages to surprise. It’s certainly true that when it comes to dragons, you really can’t go wrong. Especially when it comes to 50% of the name of the most famous RPG in the world. But Great Wyrms of Drakha manages to take it a step further, bringing small masterpieces to its pages. It’s not just the illustrations themselves, but the design behind each type of dragon represented. Excellent.
High Level Adventures
As anticipated, in this Great Wyrms of Drakha review we talk about a collection of adventures, all for high level characters. The pinnacle of a successful adventurer’s career. Probably I would have appreciated a way to connect them, not to be forced to play them individually. But we are talking about challenging the azhurma, the dragon lords. This should be actually accomplished once in a lifetime. Furthermore, these adventures can become the conclusion of an epic campaign, or fill the void that exists for short but high-level D&D5e adventures.
In addition to the adventures and the aforementioned bestiary, the manual also presents new artifacts and amazing items, purely functional to the story. There are no customization options for the characters, but a completely new mechanic is introduced for the battles against the azhurma. Clashing with the lords of Drakha in their home means in fact articulating the battle in different phases. An escalation in which the combat will become more and more challenging, exploiting the environment also to resort to tricks that distract or weaken the dragon, as well as damaging it.
To make everything even more compelling, Great Wyrms of Drakhadoes not just propose adventures for their own sake, but in each of them he outlines an entire setting, which alone can host an entire themed campaign!
Review of the Setting of Great Wyrms of Drakha
The setting is certainly one of the best parts of Great Wyrms of Drakha. Our reviews are always spoiler free, but we can give you some clues.
Drakha, the Red Moon, is the moon of the world of Rhaava; the most important world of the Dragonbond setting, the Draco Studios project. When Rhaava was younger, its surface was furrowed by Protogons, creatures endowed with such power to mold it to their liking. Among the Protogons it was Kadmos, the Primordial Dragon, who discovered how to increase his breed and frighten others with his ambition. Exile him with his lineage was the only possible solution.
But the offspring of Kadmos are not as dead as might be expected; it colonized Drakha and thrived there. The most powerful dragons have shaped society in broods, passing on their characteristics and ideas in a rather rigid hierarchy. And every 27 years, the Eye of Kadmos opens, and a portal allows them to raid Rhaava. Intelligent creatures that are not immediately devoured to absorb Vaala, the magical energy that dragons lack, are brought to Drakha. Where the best expectation is to become a slave for life.
An Hard Life
For many, becoming dragon food may indeed be a preferable option. In this review of Great Wyrms of Drakha we would like to point out that the draconic society is definitely ruthless. Aiming to be third-class citizens for the inhabitants of Rhaava is already a goal that is difficult to achieve.
The azhurma, the dragonlords, have shaped entire regions according to their will and inclinations. You won’t find the metallic and chromatic dragons you are used to; their characterization, on Drakha, is linked to the nature of the azhurma from which the entire brood descends. Over the centuries the entire satellite has modeled itself depending on its colonizers. Each life form has either turned out to be strong enough to survive, or has been reshaped to the image of its new lords.
The player characters are exiles, prisoners who have survived the raids of the Eye of Kadmos and found their way on Drakha. Humans, elves, orcs, halflings; any normally playable character can become a source of Vaala or a slave once on the Red Moon. Their most frequent interactions will be with the dragonkin, humanoid versions of the azhurma, who make up the bulk of Drakha’s population and are true citizens of it, albeit inferior to dragons.
Should the characters get to interact directly with the latter, they will do well to be ready for any eventuality.
Review of the Different Tastes of Great Wyrms of Drakha
The main strength of Great Wyrms of Drakha, along with the power of the setting and the undeniable charm of dragons, is its versatility. In fact, each of the seven adventures is not limited to presenting a different area of the Red Moon ruled by an azhurma. Each of these regions is already sufficiently characterized to host a large portion of a campaign that goes beyond the adventure itself.
What really makes this manual a product of excellence is that each adventure has a completely different style of play from the others. While remaining consistent with the setting, and presenting its pivotal theme – the challenge to dragons – each adventure presents a game experience completely different from the others. Whether for a one-shot, short-term adventure, or broader campaign segment, this means having a one-of-a-kind asset.
Let’s see what we are talking about concretely.
The Voice of Dissent
The first adventure featured in Great Wyrms of Drakha takes place within the walls of the Golden City, the reign of Aureus Fulgen, the Lawgiver. Perhaps the only place on the entire Red Moon that PCs can somehow find resembling Rhaava, assuming they were not born in captivity on Drakha, the Golden City is the only relevant urban settlement in the setting. The only place where the player characters can hope to be granted rights, however minimal and always subject to the will of the dragons.
The Voice of Dissentis an adventure of intrigue and politics. While not lacking the action component that is expected when playing D&D5e, it projects the protagonists into a vortex of overlapping intrigues. Various factions vie for control of the Golden City, each with its own objectives. At stake is not only personal survival, but the fate of the social order of the city itself.
The Primordial Shard
The second adventure of the manual also starts from the Golden City, but this time ventures beyond its borders. Characters explore the inhospitable Drakha Desert; so they venture into the realm of Baastherox, the strongest fighter among the azhurma. The only one said to have been able to face Kadmos, who has retreated to a land where only the strongest can survive.
In total contrast to The Voice of Dissent, The Primordial Shard confronts characters with tests based primarily on physical prowess, especially combat. The goal of the entire adventure is to prove your worth, forcing your way through the adversity that Baastherox and his followers place on the path. A classic, almost “aggressive” approach, which can always count on the solidity of the setting and the intensity of the moments narrated.
Secrets of the Forge’s Core
The Obsidian Plains are the kingdom of Dehrilya, mistress of the forge. In the belly of the Great Vault, the volcano she has chosen as his home, the most amazing metallurgical works of all Drakha are produced. In a series of tunnels where the lava flows and the risk of being overwhelmed by the heat is constant, the greatest threat to the life of non-dragons is created. The weapons in Va’ra, the mineral capable of sucking the Vaala, and therefore the life force.
Secrets of the Forge’s Coreis an infiltration adventure. While a more direct approach to combat is always possible, the best way to achieve the characters’ objective is to move in the shadows and evade controls. Sure, fighting every now and then will be inevitable, but the concept of the adventure is undeniably that of an infiltration.
The Hearts of Permutation
Kuxcoatl is among the azhurma the most interested in study and knowledge. His realm is flourishing and luxuriant, but no more hospitable than the others. Full of pitfalls and traps, like everything controlled by dragons, it is highly harmful to other life forms. As an arcanist who lives his quest for knowledge as a passion that leads to obsession, Kuxcoatl has filled his realm with everything that may be relevant to his research.
The Hearts of Permutationis dedicated to lovers of traps and puzzles. Retracing the most classic patterns of dungeons, this adventure alternates combat phases with others in which pausing and thinking becomes necessary. And just when players are thinking that they have ended up in a series of mousetraps for their own sake, the common thread that links all the adventures of Great Wyrms of Drakha reappears.
To Be in the Shadows
Nixis is, of all dragons, the one who has most detached from the concept of life. Ossarium, a kind of gigantic open-air cemetery, is less hospitable than other places in Drakha for dragons. Consequently it has become the ideal destination for some refugees from Rhaava. The less coveted a place is by dragons and dragonkins, the better it is for other life forms. But Nixis’ power has led him to the path of undeath, and hoping to find a quiet life here is a pipe dream.
To Be in the Shadowsis a classic horror adventure for D&D5e, so much so that it starts with a disclaimer that suggests discussing its contents beforehand in order to avoid hurting the sensitivity of some players. The tones are certainly horror, but not to the point of being disturbing. Surely it is an idea that, however, allows you to focus on a kind of game that is a little different than usual.
The Scent of Creeping Death
Rawraxxa, the azhurma that controls the Shrilling Sands, is the apex predator. If Baastherox is Drakha’s best fighter, Rawraxxa is unrivaled in hunting. And he imposes on his whole “kingdom” the same ruthless law of the strongest. In Shrilling Sands, there is only one thing: surviving. Anyone who fails to meet the impossible predator standards becomes prey. Weaker prey simply become sacrificial victims.
Of all the Great Wyrms of Drakha adventures, The Scent of Creeping Death is the one that relies the most on pressure. The players are driven to a mad rush. Against time, against opponents who pursue them, against their own instincts. These will become fundamental in the course of the adventure. The characters will be able to choose whether to resist or indulge them; in both cases, the impact on the conclusion will be decisive.
The Crystal Haunts
The lord of the arts and beauty of all Drakha, Sivax, has transformed his subterranean realm into an art academy. All the dragons of his brood experiment on the most disparate materials, not least living creatures; sometimes even on themselves. In a region that unfolds like an endless dungeon, the works of Sivax and his acolytes come to life – or take it away.
The latest adventure presented focuses on horror themes. But unlike in To Be in the Shadows, here we face a different, creeping sense of horror. Based on restlessness and perversion, on a distorted vision of reality that generates horrors, rather than monsters in the classical sense. A vaguely Lovecraftian style, which certainly requires more commitment from the DM, but which also goes much deeper. The constant use of the mechanics for Madness says all there is to know.
Conclusions of the Review of the Great Wyrms of Drakha
The conclusions of this review of Great Wyrms of Drakha can only be positive. A product with great attention to every detail, an addition of value even only from a collector’s point of view. To make everything even more unique, I appreciated the use of dedicated rules not only for the world of Drakha, but for each single adventure, which modify the use of magic in a significant way.
The passage of time on the Red Moon, which sees light and dark alternate over weeks and not days, allows you to manage drama and pressure very effectively. The timing of the movements becomes essential, but the manual provides the tools to make the most of it. I also liked the mechanics of fatigue and the possibility of obtaining Inspiration by following the nature of the azhurma in whose territory you are moving.
If you are looking for high-level adventures, if you are a lover of the dragons that baptize 50% of the most famous RPG in the world, or if you simply want to add a volume of great value to your collection, Great Wyrms of Drakha is highly recommended.
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Today we bring you our review of What Happened to Evy Ashwood. First of all we want to thank Tove Lund Jorgensen and Erik Jorgensen from Midnight Tower for providing us with a copy of this adventure for D&D5e. You can find it on DriveThruRPG, both in PDF for $ 7.50 (about € 6.50) and in printed version, for $ 29.90 (about € 26). If you are particularly excited for what you read in this review, you can also consider the premium version.
What Happened to Evy Ashwoodis a 79-page adventure, which offers the group an experience inspired by Lovecraftian works. The manual is quite rich, and in my opinion it finds its strength precisely in the accessory material and in the detail of the setting, rather than in the adventure itself.
Review of the Handbook of What Happened to Evy Ashwood
This adventure is definitely well structured. The pages try to replicate a bit the classic effect of an ancient arcane tome; the layout, however, is very similar to the official one of D&D5e, simplifying an already very practical reading; both from the point of view of real readability and from that of consultation.
Unfortunately, the quality of the art sector is a bit fickle. Most of the illustrations are actually very well done. The choice of using photographic material, reworked to not clash with the D&Dish atmospheres of the adventure, is interesting. The problem is precisely the drawings. Especially when they depict the creatures, fundamental in such a context, they are rather disappointing for their diversity. A real shame, on a product that for all other aspects is very well cared for.
Structure of the Work
This volume is ideally divided into two parts. While he first 41 pages are dedicated to the adventure and the accessory material available to narrate it at its best, the second half of the manual is instead entitled The Great Old One Compendium. For the people who appreciate HP Lovecraft, and more generally the classic horror literature, this title says it all.
For those less familiar with the work of this writer, it is enough to know that What Happened to Evy Ashwood is partially inspired by the figures of the Great Old Ones. The characters are small compared to the ancient and dark threats that do not belong to their world. Horrors of distant dimensions lurk in the darkness. They represent a danger not only physically, but above all because they are capable of driving the minds of mortals to madness with their mere presence. Sometimes, with their existence alone.
Review of the Plot of What Happened to Evy Ashwood
What Happened to Evy Ashwoodis a book full of useful material and engaging insights. Ironically, the adventure itself is not as interesting as the rest. Let’s get the facts straight: it isn’t absolutely bad. Above all it is an adventure for a sixth level group of characters, short but very well organized. The planning work behind it is pretty obvious, and the idea is handled very well.
Unfortunately, this is an extremely short and straightforward adventure. There are indications to adapt it to groups of any level, as well as to modify the fights in order to minimize them or eliminate them completely. In this way it is possible to focus What Happened to Evy Ashwood exclusively on interpretation and investigation, an approach usually predominant in Lovecraftian-inspired role-playing games.
The pretext of the adventure is very simple, but effective. An innkeeper’s niece appears to have disappeared, and he looks for someone to reach the old tower where she lives to find out what happened to her. All NPCs are extremely detailed, they acquire three-dimensionality very easily. The unexplained events that can happen during the journey are consistent with the dominant theme, the random encounters are perfect for awakening the sense of horror. The choices to be made in the game are very few, but they have a strong impact on the outcome of the adventure, if not on the entire campaign.
A Manual That Works Better at… Inverted Roles
The main “problem” with What Happened to Evy Ashwood is that it appears to be a support to all the rest of the material presented in the manual. As if it was an introductory adventure that allows you to enjoy all the other content. And indeed this is a very little problem, because the volume works very well, even if not in the way it is presented.
The best way to enjoy What Happened to Evy Ashwood is to think of it asa supplement that allows you to insert Lovecraftian elements in a campaign, with an adventure to accompany it. Doing so you have the setting of a very particular town, Winterhold, where the adventure takes place. Accompanied by NPCs, organizations, dark cults and magical items that are powerful and burdened with very original curses and themed with the manual; but also new monsters, opponents, pre-made characters and obviously maps, which can also be downloaded from an external link indicated in the manual. I would also like to point out a completely re-edited version of the character sheet, in order to be themed with the tones of the setting.
Approached in this way, What Happened to Evy Ashwood becomes an extremely enjoyable adventure. Great for testing in-depth themes in The Great Old One Compendium or for incorporating them into a larger campaign. Homebrew, if you prefer, but also consider the many other works created by Midnight Tower; What Happened to Evy Ashwood indeed has many references to other works by Tove Lund Jorgensen and Erik Jorgensen. It can be an introduction to Rise of the Ice Dragons Trilogy, a set of more substantial adventures that in this manual also see a small teaser.
Final Considerations of the Review of What Happened to Ivy Ashwood
Considering that the proposed adventure disappears compared to the accessory material presented, What Happened to Evy Ashwood is a really interesting manual. It is not meant to bring the myth of Cthulhu into D&D5e; there are already other manuals dedicated to this. But it allows to re-propose atmospheres and elements typical of the Lovecraftian genre, guaranteeing new thickness, sap and dark depth to campaigns that want to be an alternative to a more classic type of game. All this without however distorting the basic game.
Overall, it is a perfectly successful work, which guides the master for a couple of sessions, giving him the opportunity to assimilate a series of useful tools to run an entire campaign. Perhaps not a must have for anyone, but for lovers of the genre an absolutely recommended manual.
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Today we bring to you the review of Ancestry & Culture, a bundle of accessory modules for D&D5e published byArcanist Press. First of all we thank Eugene Marshall, the author, for providing us with a digital copy of the various manuals that make up the bundle. You can find them on Drivethrurpg at a price of $ 22.20, just under 20€.
The bundle contains Ancestry & Culture: An Alternative to Race in 5e, the first manual in the series. This is followed by the two thematic manuals Artic Ancestries, Cultures & More and Gothic Ancestries & Cultures. Together with Custom Ancestries & Cultures, More Ancestries & Cultures, the bundle is completed with character sheets and some pre-generated characters according to the rules contained in the manuals.
Obviously these are manuals that can also be purchased individually. In total we are talking about 243 pages of material. The value for money is decidedly high, especially considering that Ancestry & Culture: An Alternative to Race in 5e got the second place at the Ennies Awards 2021, in the Categories Best Electronic Book and BestSupplement. Whereas the rivals were the likes of Brancalonia and MÖRK BORG: Feretory, we are talking about a silver that is worth as much as a gold.
Ancestry & Culture Bundle Review: The Ancestry
Fundamental premise Ancestry & Culture is, as the name suggests, the elimination of “race” from the game as a character option. To replace it with “ancestry”, the lineage. The nuance becomes subtle, but according to Marshall substantial.
First of all, the term race historically lends itself to being bent to dangerous interpretations. From race to racism is a short step. And although in some countries the perception of this problem may be different, focusing on language is always a fundamental starting point. The power of words is that of ideas, and we who play with words know it well. After all, this is certainly not the first game that replaces “race” with “ancestry”.
Unfortunately, the reasoning is weakened in an attempt to go a step further, arguing that since the term “race” does not apply to human ethnicities (true) it is unscientific (false, it is only used improperly), and therefore is not suitable for humanoid fantastic creatures. A logical forcing. Yet it would have been enough to simply specify that the term “race” is not appropriate, because it was thought to indicate animal species domesticated, and of no value when used to support a dangerous social construct.
Nature versus Nurture
The second cornerstone of Ancestry & Culture is the classic division between nature and culture. In a nutshell: why should a dwarf who grew up among the elves excel in stoneworking? The classic “racial” bonuses are therefore divided into two: those of lineage and those of culture. If the former are linked to biology the character’s, the latter are linked to the context in which he grew up. An excellent idea that solves an age-old problem, and allows you to intelligently expand the personalization of your character.
Unfortunately, even in this case, some forcing weaken an otherwise very solid idea. Marshall cites award-winning writer NK Jemisin, who argues that orcs are dehumanized humans, to feed the narrative with opponents who can be killed lightly. Certainly an interesting thought, which however Ancestry & Culture deviates in a literal meaning: since orcs have this narrative function, they are like humans. So all bloodlines are mechanically human.
We All Are Different and It’s Good
The consequence of this reasoning is the zeroing of the racial characteristic modifiers, which become cultural. The environment in which an ogre grew up will make him stronger because it pushes him to train, the one in which a gnome grew up will push him to study and so on. If the literal interpretation of a thought that was far more sophisticated appears to be a flawed premise, the consequence is consistently so too. Racial modifiers (in this case, of lineage) should be all things equal, tied to the character’s physiology. The way he/she was raised is already reflected in the character building.
This dichotomy between nature and culture is thus trivialized. Enhancing diversity in this way, on the other hand, ends upimpoverishing its richness. And the optional rule that allows you to create your own ad hoc culture ends up becoming just an optimization tool. Even in this case an excellent intuition is diminished and the commendable basic reasoning made only weaker. Moreover, it is difficult to make ends meet with an approach to D&D5e that already starts with more maturity on the subject of diversity.
Review of the Ancestry & Culture Bundle Material
Beyond logical forcing to reinforce ideas that absolutely didn’t need it, Ancestry & Culture is a bundle full of useful material. The five manuals are overflowing with inspiration and character options. Unfortunately, the quality of the illustrations is very fluctuating. Some are magnificent, others less; a couple not suitable for the level of the product. The graphic aspect, however, is very accurate, legible and with references to the style of D&D5e sufficient to make the reader always feel “at home”.
The Starting Point
Ancestry & Culture: An Alternative to Race in 5e is the module from which all the others were born. It contains much of the reasoning discussed above, and presents the foundations of the work. The manual then presents the bloodlines and cultures equivalent to the races of the Player’s Handbook of D&D5e. It also adds rules for blending two different bloodlines, extending the ability to create half-blood with all the ancestries, and for creating a custom culture.
The manual ends with two very short adventures, each one that can be solved in one session. Adventures in which the rules of Ancestry & Culture obviously apply. Honestly, given the topics covered and the reasons given, it would have been legitimate to expect something more. On the other hand, the issue of collaboration between lineages seems pointless; in particular in the first adventure, Light of Unity, it becomes only an aesthetic connotation. You can see it better in Helping Hands, but insights remain in the average, definitely not in line with the standards of the manual.
Ancestry & Culture Bundle Review: Glacial Creatures and Nightmares
Gothic Ancestries & Cultures and Artic Ancestries, Cultures & More are perhaps the most interesting products. Following the rules presented in the main manual, these two modules propose a series of lineages and related thematic cultures. Obviously in the first case the reference is to creatures typical of gothic folklore and classic tales of terror. In the second, however, we are dealing with lineages suitable for thriving in glacial environments.
In addition to the mechanics of lineage and culture, these two modules also feature magical items and dedicated equipment, as well themed monstrous creatures. Of particular note is the Eldritch Thing, present in both volumes, a clear homage to The Thing made famous on the big screen by John Carpenter. In Artic Ancestries, Cultures & Morethere is also a breviary ofspecific rules for environments with extremely cold temperatures.
If you really want to find fault with these two manuals, it is the little in-depth study of the background. The cultures proposed in Ancestry & Culture: An Alternative to Race in 5e, strengthened Player Handbook by D&D5e, do not need particular descriptions. Having a few more lines on those proposed in these two added modules is not essential, but it would have been pleasant.
So Many Options
Completing the bundle we have More Ancestries & Cultures and Custom Ancestries & Cultures. Where the other manuals in the bundle focus on quality, here the keyword is quantity. The other manuals, added together, present 36 different lineages and related cultures. More ancestries & Cultures they reported 44, Custom & Cultures ancestries than 62.
It should be noted that a few bloodlines of these two manuals are repeated also in their Gothic and Arctic counterparts. And certainly others are decidedly more sloppy: in many cases, they are simply anthropomorphic animals, in some cases even repeated with some changes.
Of the two, Custom Ancestries & Cultures is the one with the greatest attraction, also because the various lineages and related cultures have often been “requested” by the backers of the project, making up for a natural inventive crisis in the long run. Particularly interesting are the Couatl Folk and the Re-forged; more than for the design, for the process that led the author to deal with creatures extrapolated from specific cultures or with victims of disabilities. In order to avoid cultural appropriations and inconsistencies, Marshall in fact confronted himself directly with those who had direct experiences.
Conclusion of the Ancestry & Culture Bundle Review
Wanting to draw some conclusions, the Ancestry & Culture bundle is certainly interesting. On the one hand, it offers reflections to which we can no longer pretend to be deaf, to which we are all called with increasing urgency. On the other hand, it provides dungeon masters and players with a truly remarkable number of resources and options. Difficult to browse through one of these manuals without finding something interesting, whether you are looking for customization options or ideas on which to build a character.
The manuals are far from flawless. The reflections are impoverished by some logical forcing passed for assumptions, and the design of not a few lineages has been lazy. This last factor is also negligible, given the amount of lineages and cultures developed. The artworks are very, very fickle, albeit with notable peaks. In general, at times it seems that the author wants the message to take over the content. Since it is not an essay, the risk of becoming didactic lurks on every page.
But in the end, what matters is that the material produced is really good. Dividing natural traits from cultural ones is a huge opportunity both from the point of view of mechanics and conceptually. A significant improvement that allows you to take the game to the next level.
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Today we want to show you our review of The Feather of Aka’ayah, but first of all we want to thank the author Leonardo Benucci for sending us a copy. This is a standalone adventure for D&D5e, suitable for 4-6 fifth level characters. You can purchase it in digital format on DMsGuild at the price of $ 4.99, about 4€.
You can also read our review of First Adventure, Benucci’s previous work.
What is The Feather of Aka’ayah
The Feather of Aka’ayah is an adventure that aims to make fifth level characters experience rather ambitious emotions; therefore they will face important threats, but not yet on a very large scale. It does so with some narrative gimmicks that allow the PCs to plunge into the dangers greater than themselves. It also has the peculiarity of being a “timed” adventure; we will see later what it means.
The adventure has a “mildly horror” tone, echoing the author’s definition. The reference to the Nightmaresaga and its protagonist Freddy Krueger is quite evident, even if not explicitly stated. However, the author himself specifies to adapt the narration to the needs of the group, even if he does not give any indication on how to do it.
The Handbook
The 57 full-color pages of The Feather of Aka’ayah contain rather appreciable illustrations (as you can see from those included in this review), unexpected for a product in this price range.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the layout of the volume. The layout was designed to be themed with adventure, which is a good thing; but unfortunately it does so at the expense of readability. Moreover the font used for the titles isn’t the best option for the reader’s eye. However, this is just a detail. The background of the pages, instead, is necessarily omnipresent and it often makes the reading difficult.
A part from that, the adventure roughly follows the typical layout scheme used for D&D5e. This choice guarantees ease of reading and quick consultation.
Exploring The Feather of Aka’ayah
“Some places should never be disturbed”
This is the subtitle given to The Feather of Aka’ayah. The adventure, in general, has a very classic development. Characters are asked by an NPC to retrieve an enchanted item for him and are teleported to the remote location where it can be found. As always, our reviews are spoiler free, so we stop here.
We just say that the classic “dungeon” that gives its name to the most famous roleplaying game in the world here is “divided into pieces”. Each room, with all its dangers, is presented individually. It will be up to the players to choose the sequence in which to face the various challenges proposed. At the end of the volume there is also a small compendium of the original creatures that can be encountered.
The undoubtedly original idea offered by The Feather of Aka’ayah is, as mentioned earlier in this review, being a “timed” adventure. Once the characters have arrived at their destination, the author recommends starting a four-hour timer; this is the time in which the adventure is expected to be resolved. Once the time is over, it will not be possible to continue, whether the task has been completed or not.
On the Weighing Pan
Unfortunately, the countdown doesn’t work so well. The adventure is designed to unfold in a rather complex way, alternating various phases and various scenes. The author advises to approach it with an interpretative style, underlining it to the point of asking himself why he chose D&D and not a dedicated system. In general, a group that really wants to play a lot would be particularly disadvantaged by the countdown. Even just the possibility that the group splits makes the idea of the chronometer at least uncomfortable.
Moreover, the author speaks of “Benucci style” fights. Self-referencing is a fairly common flaw in The Feather of Aka’ahya. In my opinion it is not pleasant to feel the presence of the author in such an intrusive way behind the notes. But decanting a style in which
“Combat […] has to be fun, different, never become trivial, and above all, 90% of the times it has to be avoidable”
creates expectations in the reader. The characters, in fact, will instead find themselves faced with a series of fairly conventional challenges. It is certainly possible (and indeed recommended) to have a more investigative approach than open combat, but this is not particularly original or innovative. Moreover, the clues are often predictable or, on the contrary, they only make sense in retrospect. In any case, the problem does not arise: not following the various dungeons in a predetermined order may lead to not even having the opportunity to discover them.
Too Many Mistakes
Another original element of The Feather of Aka’ayah that I want to analyze in this review is the “diabolical options“. Free complications that the Dungeon Master may decide to adopt to make the life of his players more difficult. It must be said that mostly these are free punitive measures that do not bring anything interesting to the game. Certainly not the elements of the “Benucci style” promised earlier. The same goes for some more or less random events that may happen, depending on the behavior of the characters. Really not very useful diversions, inserted only to make the countdown more pressing, but also more complex to manage.
In general, The Feather of Aka’ayah is a rather pretentious adventure that, in an attempt to give itself a touch of originality, ends up collapsing on itself. The absence of an editing phase in the final product is very noticeable: errors are as frequent as typos; the descriptions are unnecessarily bombastic and the dialogues have a particularly innatural tone.
It is understandable the author’s willingness to use many similarities to make the narrative more effective, but reading statements like
“the protoplasm squeezes out like home-made pasta extruded by a drawing machine”
really requires too much concentration from the player. Not because they are complex, but because unfortunately they are hilarious.
Conclusions of the Review of The Feather of Aka’ayah
A good editor, or a dedicated reading group, would also have pointed out a further lack. Presenting two new divinities and proposing them as possible future ideas implies providing game information, not just descriptive ones. At least alignment and domains should be indicated, but it didn’t happen. A suggested ad hoc soundtrack is certainly a nice attention. However, I would have preferred a few lines explaining how to adapt this adventure to characters of different levels; simply writing that conversion is possible is not very useful to the master.
In spite of a large number of playtesters and good sales results, The Feather of Aka’ahya is an adventure that wants to be ambitious and ends up being pretentious. Unfortunately, at the time of evaluation, the balance ends up leaning more towards the plate of defects than towards that of merits.
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Today we are pleased to present you our review of Quest Spells & Other Divine Magic, an supplement for D&D5e.
First of all we want to thank the authors for providing us with a digital copy. Marco Bertini and Daniel Chivers, Art Director and Art Consultant, are our old acquaintances. If you don’t remember Underwater Campaigns, The Complete Hag, Down the Garden Path or The Complete NPC, check out our reviews and learn about these very useful manuals. In the past we also had the opportunity to write about the work of their Lead Designer, Marco Fossati. You can find a review of his Acererak’s Guide to Lichdom on our website.
Quest Spells & Other Divine Magicis available on DMs Guild, priced at $ 3.95 (approximately € 3.50). This is a digital volume of 24 pages, with a very nice quality / price ratio. Let’s find out better what it is.
Review of the Volume of Quest Spells & Other Divine Magic
As anticipated, the manual is rather light and practical. It features forty new spells, divided into two categories: the “quest spell” and the “cooperative spell“.
Quest Spells & Other Divine Magic was created with Homebrewery, an amazing open source online tool. With a few tricks, it allows you to give an extremely professional touch to your material. And this is what the authors have achieved, making the most of its potential. In fact, the manual has the layout and the structure typical of the official material produced for D&D5e, which makes consultation practical and intuitive. At the same time, however, it does not lack a certain personality, a style that is not intrusive but which gives it its own identity.
Like many jobs for sale on DMs Guild, Quest Spells & Other Divine Magicuses stock images fromWizards of the Coast. If on the one hand this choice sometimes leaves a deja vu effect, on the other hand it gives the possibility of using professional illustrations while keeping the price of the volume low. In this way the result makes a big impact on the pages.
Quest Spells…
Let’s get to the point of this Quest Spells & Other Divine Magic review: what do we find in the manual?
“A spell can be a pure act of will, an ancient force of nature, or simply a god’s word. In fact, it doesn’t really matter as long as it fulfills its purpose.”
The Quest Spell are spells that go far beyond the normal limits of D&D5e. They are in fact granted directly by a deity, for a servant to do his will. They are therefore usually reserved for clerics, but in exceptional cases they can also be extended to other divine spellcasters. In particularly exceptional cases, because certainly the Quest Spells should not be used frequently.
The manual presents the rules and restrictions necessary to memorize and launch a Quest Spell. Furthermore, a series of tables allows you to randomly generate what may have led a deity to grant it to one of its servants. So we find twenty-two Quest Spells, belonging to various schools of magic and related to different domains.
Quest Spell are very useful because they make archetypal events of epic fantasy possible without having to force the rules. A spell like Implosion, for example, allows you to reverse the molecular structure of a creature, making it implode the body without the possibility of escape. A divine punishment of rare magnitude, like Undead Plague, allows all corpses within a mile to be revived as undead.
… and Cooperative Magic
Unlike Quest Spells, Cooperative Magic is not a gift dropped from above by a god to his priest. As the name suggests, it is instead the result of the union of several members of its clergy who focus on a common goal.
Casting a Cooperative Spell works likemetamagic. But rather than requiring higher level slots, its effect will be amplified by the number of divine spellcasters participating in the cast. Mechanic simple, perhaps not very original but transposed with particular effectiveness in the regulation D&D5e.
Eighteen spells,random tables for recruiting other clerics and many complications. And above all the chance to play a group of spellcasters who join forces to banish a fiend with Great Circle; or taking down a stronghold of unbelievers by launching Raze.
Conclusions of the Review of Quest Spells & Other Divine Magic
Quest Spells & Other Divine Magicis a small PDF manual, which can be read in half an houror so, but which offers a lot ofideas. The spells are well balanced, the ideas solid and visibly tested. Both for the large group of playtesters, and because already at a first reading they are functional.
If you intend to offer your players missions assigned directly by their patron deity, or you want to make them feel the sensation of moving within a clergy with mechanical consequences; or if you just want to adda divine touch your campaigns, Quest Spells & Other Divine Magic is highly recommended. A little jewel not to be missed!
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Today we are pleased to present you the review of The Red Opera: Last Days of the Warlock. First of all we want to thank Apotheosis Studio and Jamison Stone, CEO and creative director, for sending us a copy. This is a campaign forD&D5e (with a unique setting), signed by Rick Heinz and with the artistic supervision of David Granjo. You can buy it on the official Apotheosis Studio store at a price of $ 59.95, about € 53; the digital version costs $ 29.95, about € 26.
We expected great things already from the preview we gave you some time ago. If The Red Opera: Last Days of the Warlock will make you fall in love too, you can also consider purchasing the special box set edition. In addition there are also many accessories, including a miniature set and a pack of coffee produced by a cooperative that fights gender disparitiesin Indonesia. Who Said RPG Won’t Save the World?
Review of Handbook of The Red Opera: Last Days of the Warlock
Let’s start with an assumption: this manual is monumental. 320 dense pages of content, with simply perfectgraphics and layout. The volume reminds of a forbidden tome, perfectly in tune with the story it proposes, but without straining the eyes. It is so rich that it is almost difficult to handle; anyway the reading is smooth and the tone of writing enhances the atmosphere.
The only drawback (if we really do our best to find one) are some illustrations. Of a very high standard, but made with a “computer graphics” style that clashes a little with the rest of the volume. As proof of this, non-full-page illustrations (with sketch style), are much more effective. They are better integrated into the volume, even if less effective if taken individually.
But what makes truly unique The Red Opera: Last Days of the Warlock is obviously the content. It is something between a very large adventure and a short campaign (or an important segment of a larger campaign). It is also possible to derive an entire setting that, with a little work, could be used for other campaigns or be integrated into larger settings.
What Are We Talking About?
Most of all, the story proposed by The Red Opera: Last Days of the Warlock is intense, animated by greatpassions. Designed for medium to high level characters, it can be adapted to groups of any tier. Don’t expect extremely detailed guides and conversions with every chapter though: this campaign has a strongly narrative structure. In order to weaken an opponent, it could be already wounded or, behind her screen, the DM will make sure that the attacks miss more often than they should; however, its stat block will not need to be modified.
The important thing is that the plot proceeds smoothly. Of course, we are talking about a campaign that offers ten chapters, each divided into three acts; and a “side quest” at the end of each chapter. The content is huge and running it will require a lot of work; several times during the game the characters have the opportunity to make choices that will affect their future. But the satisfaction will be great. As anticipated, The Red Opera: Last Days of the Warlock wants to offer an interpretive game, and the decisions on the characters passion have a great impact.
Of course, there are also ways to add spice to the narration. Combatsare rich, and above all they always have a dramatic function. The diplomacy and theintrigue have a central role, but also the exploration has its importance. This is a urban campaign, but what discoveries and unexpected events can the alleys reserve?
Review of the Setting of The Red Opera: Last Days of the Warlock
Without your divinity, what separates you creatures from animals?”
These are the first words of The Red Opera: Last Days of the Warlock. The narrative premise is intriguing. In the Shadelands the boundaries between worlds are particularly blurred. This makes the influence of the Patrons much stronger and, consequently, their relationship with the Warlocks is enhanced too. In a world dominated by the power granted by the gods and the potential of the arcane magic, the Warlock built an “happy little kingdom”. Where the boundaries between the planes blur, supernatural oddities abound.
The manual describes the double city ofYon-Cath, a partial merger of the cities born on the two banks of the river Obsidian Rush. After an initial overview, location, guilds, factions and important NPCs are presented as the story widens and involves them. Only one exception: the four key NPCs that will give life to the plot with their motivations and passions. Dorian, the Accursed King, the one who made the Shadelands what they are today. Fayte, the Shield Maiden, the soul of the double city, its favorite daughter. LaCroix, the Knight Captain, ready to take charge of the will of the people. And the mysterious figure of Majin.
As always, our reviews are spoiler-free. We will not take away the pleasure of personally discovering how the story of The Red Opera: Last Days of the Warlock develops. But we can anticipate that you will find tormented stories, flaming souls and the biggest ever possibility to get the benefit of patrons.
Tools and Resources
In terms of mechanics, The Red Opera: Last Days of the Warlock offers interesting ideas. Among the character options there are two newbackground, for PCs native of the Shadelands and Yon-Cath, and five newsubclasses for the Warlock. There are also two new boons, new invocations and three patrons for this class. For all characters, two new playable races are available.
The Glau’bjurn belong to an elven lineage closely related to the nature of the Shadelands and to the Elemental Dance, the energies of the patron which flow in the region. They develop skills, somatic and character traits in tune with the season of the year in which they were born. The Kaldenking, on the other hand, are humanoids with the appearance of bears, open-minded and accustomed to pursuing community goals. They also live in the Shadelands and have developed an extremely cosmopolitan culture.
As the plot unfolds, other tools are added, mostly at the DM’s disposal. Mostly these are creature or NPC stats. Nevertheless, there are magic items, often quite powerful: remember that The Red Opera: the Last Days of the Warlock is thought for high level characters. You can also find funny various games of chance rules and the “home letter”, an option that gives a second chance to people at death’s door.
A Unique Game
In addition to the mechanical and the narrative elements, this campaign for D&D5e presents other significant elements that are definitely worth a mention. To begin with, there is the importance of the music. The inspiration from the DiAmorte’s metal album, The Red Opera, is clear in the title and in the whole work. Each act is contains a QR Codethat will take to the song of the orchestral version of the album that is most suited to be used as a soundtrack for that specific moment.
The importance given to the Warlocks also deserves particular attention. Their power is borrowed and they are susceptible to the whims of their patrons, offering an approach very different from the “simple” divine and arcane spellcasters. Yet at the same time they are intertwined in a direct relationship with otherworldly entities, not divine but too far beyond the mortal sphere. A unique depth study of in-its kind. Sometimes I thought about what this adventure would have been like with a different system from D&D5e, which, despite its versatility, is not ideal for a campaign so focused on the narration. A flaw anything but significant, whereas the focus of The Red Opera: the Last Days of the Warlock is just a class of D&D5e.
This campaign pays particular attention to inclusiveness. Not binary characters not binary (or simply characters beyond such distinctions) have an important role, even if the plot does not touch their sexuality or identity.
Conclusions of the Review of The Red Opera: Last Days of the Warlock
The best way to define a work like The Red Opera: the Last Days of the Warlock is “inspired”. The campaign has key themes that are always clear; it sets goals and proposes them consistently. This main feature will define the entire style of play while leaving a huge freedom of interpretation. Therefore this campaign requires initiative and might not entertain passive players.
It is certainly not easy to run for the dungeon master. The work is not only vast but also very complex, and the DM will have a lot of work to do while preparing the sessions. The choices of the characters are many, never predictable and will always have consequences, even if those that can really twist the events are at the end of the campaign. Every now and then the game offers scenarios with less choices in order to keep the narrative fluid. This is inevitable to keep a track in the long run.
The Red Opera: the Last Days of the Warlock offers a deep game, which is different from most lighter campaigns and settings. If you loveinterpretation and storytelling more than a playful approach, and if you appreciate the campaigns that leave more space to diplomacy and investigation than to the combats, this is the game for you; I highly recommended it for its qualities.
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Today we want to talk about Forbidden Lands with this review. First of all we want to thank Free League for providing us with the PDFs of the core set to try it out. On the official store you can find the Forbidden Lands Core Boxed Set for 398 crowns, just over 39 euros. A wide range of accessories is available to further customize your sessions.
Forbidden Lands is a very special game. Look ahead to 2019: at the Ennie Awards it nabbed two golds (Best Production Values and Best Cartography) and two silvers (Best Rules and Product of the Year). Major achievements for a game that has been beloved since its debut on the shelves.
Review of the Handbooks of Forbidden Lands
What are we talking about? Forbidden Lands is a bundle of two manuals. The Player’s Manual contains everything you might need for a quick immersion into the game. The Gamemaster’s Guide goes deeper, giving the GM all the tools to handle the behind-the-scenes of the game. In the Core Boxed Set you’ll also find the Legends & Adventures booklet. But most importantly, a full-color map, complete with stickers to customize it. We’ll see what they’re for in a bit.
Forbidden Lands is a game suspended between two worlds. On the one hand it meets many of the requirements of OSR games, the Old School Reinassance that reminds of the early days of role-playing games. So we have a style strongly focused on exploration, dry mechanics, deadly fights and many, many tables for a strong randomness. All features very dear to those who love the “old school“.
Joining Link
On the other hand we have very innovative game design solutions. The engine is the Year Zero Engine, which Free League launched with Mutant: Year Zero. But that has made famous with Vaesen, Alien, Coriolis and others. A system that with a few changes adapts to any setting, strict but not too much punitive. And with the mechanics of the “pushed roll” allows players to challenge fate, facing greater risks in order to complete their action.
Forbidden Lands is a bridge between old and new also from the artistic point of view. Already from the cover recalls fantasy illustrations of the ’80s, a “Frazetta style” without too many muscles, to be clear. The internal (black and white) artwork recall the images of the manuals of the same period. They are deliberately retro but they also maintain a certain plasticity that does not make them seem automatically “old”. An excellent work that recalls a precise style of game, without looking dated.
Review of the Forbidden Lands’Player’s Manual
The Player’s Manual starts with a good introduction to the role-playing game, and then goes right into the mechanics. Forbidden Lands makes things clear right away. This game is not meant to play heroes, but explorers, adventurers looking for luck. Who are willing to risk as much as their players. In addition, it is not a game that requires much planning, just let the adventure proceed, deciding from time to time what kind of challenges to submit to the group and letting the dice and the appropriate tables give them a shape.
A distinctive trait of the Year Zero Engine is in fact in the management of the game. The map is built as you play, populating it with prepared challenges; this is what the stickers are for. There are also the rules for building the headquarters of the characters, a safe place where to return between one adventure and another.
Character Building
The manual then continues with the character options, which are pretty classic.
Among the races (Kin) to choose from, there are humans, elves, half-elves, dwarves, halflings, orcs and goblins. The “standard” of fantasy imagery, with the addition of wolfkin, wolf-headed humanoids with feral instincts.
The same goes for the classes (Profession), which allow you to choose between Druid, Fighter, Hunter, Minstrel, Rider, Rogue and Sorcerer; the first and last are the only ones able to use magic. Again, very classic, except perhaps for the addition of the Peddler.
Both Kin and Professions allow access to exclusive talents, in addition to the more generic ones.
Mechanics and Hazards
The mechanics of the Year Zero Engine are very simple. You roll a pool of d6s equal to the sum of your characteristic (one of Strength, Agility, Intellect, and Empathy) and skill scores, plus those given by your equipment. Every 6 is a success, and usually one is enough to succeed in the test. In case the result rolled is not enough, you can “push“. Roll the dice that did not get a 6 or a 1, but in this case each ace inflicts damage to the characteristic used.
This is a system that allows the player to choose the destiny of his character, risking to get more glory. Note that in this way you get Willpower points, which allow you to use the spells, divided by magic schools accessible to either the Druid or the Sorcerer.
The rules are quite rich, especially for combat, but never confusing. It is very easy to follow the game, and the consultation in case of memory lapses is very practical. Especially important are the tables of critics, at the end of the manual. When a characteristic score reaches zero, the character is “broken“. If the attribute is Strength or Intellect, this leads to a critical wound, which can have lethal consequences.
Review of the Forbidden Lands’Gamemaster’s Guide
The Gamemaster’s Guide focuses, as the title suggests, on the aspects that affect the narrator. The introductory chapter is full of suggestions, valid for any role-playing game but especially for the experience that Forbidden Lands wants to convey.
Then we move on to the setting. In the Player’s Manual, it is deliberately outlined in brief. The blood mist, the deadly mist that rose every night from the ground, has disappeared very recently, allowing again to travel. The characters are therefore part of the first generation of explorers for a very long time. This also justifies the very little knowledge that players have of the setting.
This obviously does not apply to the Game Master, who finds in the dedicated guide all the history and background of the setting. Together with an in-depth study of the various gods and habits of the various folks (playable and not); it also provides all the tools for an appropriate framework for the adventures of the party.
A Table for Every Situation
The Gamemaster’s Guide proceeds with a useful bestiary and a mandatory section dedicated to magic items, here called artifacts. The remaining one hundred pages are entirely dedicated to the construction of encounters and locations, using an impressive amount of tables that allows you to face a game session with a very minimal preparation. A vague idea and a few dice rolls allow every Game Master to manage the adventure of the day in a perfectly satisfactory way.
For those who want more depth, three example adventures are presented. Three locations with background, adventure ideas, NPCs and significant events. Useful both to have something ready to play and to get an idea of how the Forbidden Lands style of play should be handled.
Concluding the Review of Forbidden Lands
Altogether, the Player’s Manual and Gamemaster’s Guide offer more than five hundred pages of material. Free League has accustomed us to very high standards, and it absolutely does not disappoint us here. It was not at all easy to combine a dynamic, almost cinematic system like the Year Zero Engine (full of very modern gimmicks) with a playing style close to OSR. Forbidden Lands succeeds, becoming a reference point for those who want to recover certain suggestions without having the feeling of taking a step backwards.
A product rich and polished in every aspect, a game that is absolutely worth trying to get lost in a whole new world to explore. It is not just recommended: it is HIGHLY recommended.
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We want to open this 4th edition of Twilight 2000 review with a big thanks you to the Free Leaguefor making the core set of the game. And a big thank to Tomas Härenstam e Chris Lites, the authors. Giving new life to a game that is approaching forty years of history is certainly an ambitious project. We give you our opinion. Should this convince you, you can order the core set on the Official store of Free League. It is available at a price of 498 crowns, just over 49 euros. The Player’s Manual alone costs 198 crowns, about 19.50 euros; part of the accessories of the core set can also be purchased outside the box.
A Bit of History
Twilight 2000was born in 1984 to allow you to play the scenario of thethird world war. And to play it in a raw and direct way. It is important to note that the game was born in the middle ofthe Cold War, and that its ucronia has been updated several times over the years.
Free Leaguepresents the latest update, supported by a highly customized version of its well-established Year Zero Engine. This is the first time that Twilight 2000 haschanged its set of rules so radically. Perhaps a shock to the most loyal fans, but the result is a perfectly successful gaming experience.
Review of the Core Set of Twilight 2000
First of all, let’s spend a few words on the box that Free League has made available to us. In addition to the Player’s Manual we find the Referee’s Manual, for a total of 264 pages. The manuals have a flexible cover, but being very slim you do not miss the hardcover. In the box we also find two maps large, for travel, and other twenty smaller, tactical ones. Four of these are for specific locations, the others are modular.
We will also have more than a hundred die-cut tokens, to make the most of the combat maps, 52 cards for encounters and 10 for the initiative. To top it all off, five character sheets ready-to-filland fifteen dice. Twilight 2000 can be played with the common polyhedral dice on the market, but these have dedicated symbolism for successes and failures.
A Gamist RPG?
Already from the content of the core set, it is clear that Twilight 2000 is a very strategy-orientedRPG (that also uses a game board). Personally it’s not a feature that I usually get excited about, but the goal is to reproduce a war scenario. Tactics and resource management are a must to recreate the right sensations, and Twilight 2000 does it very well.
The engine of everything, as mentioned before, is the Year Zero Engine. This is the game system that Free League has made famous with Mutant Year Zero and with other games we have already told you about (Vaesen, Alien). The Year Zero Engine places an emphasis on character choices, managing their resources and how much they are willing to risk to get what they want.
Review of the Mechanics ofTwilight 2000
Reduced to its core, the gameplay is very simple. Two dice are rolled, one for the characteristic and one for the skill used: the higher the competence in that field, the higher the die’s class will be. Results of six confer success; higher values can give more than one. To succeed in the action, a success is enough, the others improve the outcome. In addition, the players can choose to “force” the roll, by re-rolling the dice that did not yield successes. Greater chance of success, but in this case with the risk of running intocomplications very risky.
This is the basic mechanics, a more “challenging” adaptation of the Year Zero Engine. As mentioned, Twilight 2000 is a very tactical game. So a wide range of options are added to this particularly fast and intuitive system. These focus on three aspects in particular: combat, resource management and exploration. After all, it is the third world war.
Character Creation
Customizing your character is particularly simple. Twilight 2000 includes four attributes (Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Empathy) and twelve skills, all obviously suited to a war and survival context.
Once these scores have been assigned, you choose from nine different archetypes, which guarantee you add specializations, with which you get additional bonuses in specific fields. The archetypes also give hints for the moral code, the big dream and the appearance character. Role suggestions that also impact on mechanics. The choice of nationality is also fundamental, as we will see shortly.
An alternative method of character generation allows instead to reconstruct the path for his entire experience. Certainly less quick and intuitive than the archetype, but much richer and more satisfying.
Review of the Referee Resources of Twilight 2000
This information can be found in the Player’s Manual, along with other interesting rules such as the ability to stay cool during a shootout, a value that fluctuates depending on the direction the game is taking.
In the Referee’s Manual, on the other hand, it is possible to find more in-depth information on the setting and on the management of the game by the master (or rather the referee, precisely). In particular, the manual provides tools to manage travel and exploration, shelters and firefights. For these the hexagonal grille, characteristic of the Year Zero Engine, is highly recommended. Not to mention some areas ready to use, actual pre-made sandbox adventures, or the vast amount of information on vehicles and weapons, two other essential elements for a game of the genre.
Very useful and detailed material; at first you may feel that you are getting lost a bit, in fact. But this is information written in a synthetic way, although the aesthetics of the two manuals are very nice to be legible while always giving the impression of being taken from a military report. At the bottom, the illustrations are really well-kept, especially when they portray historic (or Ukronic) vehicles. A little practice will make everything extremely smooth.
Role Playing in World War III
“Good luck. You are on your own now.”
A necessary premise. The Referee’s Manual contains background information that is intended for the referee’s eyes only. Our reviews are always spoiler free, but this time we will limit ourselves to giving you the most essential information. Which are still more than enough to be influenced by Twilight 2000.
The basic assumption is simple: history went as we know until the end of the Cold War, with the fall ofthe Berlin Wall. From then on there was no respite. Instead of entering a phase of détente and then of dissolution, the Soviet Unionsuffered a coup d’état by the reactionaries. The tension was raised more and more, leading to a conflict with theUnited States that took place mainly on European soil.
The focus of the game is Poland and Sweden, but World War III spared no one. Nuclear weapons have even been dropped overseas, and even countries that have not been directly affected by the conflict have plunged into a new barbarism due to the destruction of lines of communication and trade. The manual presents a hint of Germany, France, Great Britain and the United States, but as mentioned, it is Sweden and Poland that are carefully detailed, region by region. In any case, it does not matter if the character is a soldier, a civilian, an invader or otherwise: he is now alone inhostile territory.
Conclusions of the Review of Twilight 2000
As anticipated, the writer is not a fan of RPGs that are extremely tactical or game-based. But going beyond personal taste,Twilight 2000 impresses with the care it takes to recreate this type of experience. The game system has been carefully adapted but without betraying its nature, every single element of the core set has a specific function to perform. It takes very little to get lost in the map, looking for the best strategy to get around the enemy. Or to cover it with lead.
It is certainly necessary a dose of courage (or maybe madness)to think of reworking a historical title like this. Fortunately for us, the spark of madness is not lacking in the Free League, that madness that helps it to give us yet another jewel. A fascinating game, which requires very little preparation but in return guarantees enormous satisfaction. And you, are you ready to face the third world war that never happened?
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Today we offer you the review of Alberetor, The Haunted Waste. This is the fifth and penultimate chapter of the Throne of Thorns. Thanks to Free League are a must, for making the manual available in digital version. You can buy Alberetor, The Haunted Waste directly on the Free League website at a price of 348 crowns, just over 33 euros; you can find various bundles to collect all the previous chapters, too, as well as other Symbaroum material.
The Throne of Thorns
Throne of Thorns is a monumental work made by Mattias Johnsson Haake, one of the two minds behind Symbaroum (together with Mattias Lilja, whose interview about Ruins of Symbaroum, the conversion to D&D 5E, you should also see). The Haunted Waste maintains that standard, providing 178 pages full of ideas and just as many tips to adapt the adventure to the decisions made during the game. The manual includes all the tools necessary to provide context to the characters, to create them from scratch, and also to play the consequences of the chapter presented.
I believe the best possible experience is gained by playing the campaign continuously, running the various sections of the campaign in immediate succession. There is certainly no risk of running out of material, because each volume really has a lot, enough for several months of play. Linking The Haunted Waste to other adventures allows you to delve into the history of the Symbaroum game-world at a progressive and unexpected level of depth, until you get to discover its darkest secrets.
For those wishing to experience those depths, here is a list of
the previous chapters, each of which takes its name from the location in which it is set:
The sixth and concluding chapter of The Throne of Thorns will be Saroklaw: The Battle for the Throne.
Alberetor, The Haunted Waste: Flawless Achievement
Alberetor, The Haunted Waste‘s workmanship is fine, as with all Free League products. The illustrations have the typical character of Symbaroum, endowed with an evocative power to which few can compare. Without worrying about the pursuit of hyper-realistic detail at all costs, these have an unrivaled impact at a glance.
The layout of the manual follows the Symbaroum canons: clarity, readability, and practicality in finding information without renouncing captivating graphics that create an atmosphere in itself. A choice that goes against the trend of the market, which is increasingly looking for a neutral approach, but which Free League carries on with many of its products. The pages are not only loaded with information, they bring with them an added value in this sense.
The Power, the Passion, the Danger
“We are the rock, the foundation upon which walls shall be built.
We are the thoughtful observer, who shall watch, understand, and guide but not construct, not manage, not lead.
You shall build, but also listen – or the walls you raise around the flame of life shall be a prison that smothers and darkens.”
With these words The Haunted Waste is presented.
Our reviews are strictly spoiler free, so we won’t delve into the plot, not even the one developed in previous volumes.
What we can tell you is Throne of Thorns is a chronicle that explores the mysteries of Davokar and the ancient Symbar empire, as well as the secrets of the war that shook the Alberetor and led to the creation of the new Ambrian kingdom. Initially, the characters are introduced to the game world and put in contact with the various factions that have important roles, if not as protagonists in the plot. Moving forward they face twists and turns, betrayals, highly dramatic scenes from a social and human point of view, difficult decisions. The plot and its intrigues thicken from chapter to chapter, until the characters become key elements for the future of the world.
Analyisis of Alberetor, The Haunted Waste
Alberetor, The Haunted Waste, contains all the elements necessary both to face the events described as a single adventure, and to insert it into The Throne of Thorns, as anticipated.
The volume is divided into three sections: War & Blood, The Lost Land and Into the Storm.
The first chapters of War & Blood mainly serve to define the game setting, with an overview of the civil war that is splitting the kingdom of Ambria between Loyalists and Reformists, and of the various factions involved. There is a very detailed timeline of the unfolding of the conflict, with an extensive description of its repercussions on the game world. Obviously there is no lack of rules for creating characters suitable for the proposed challenges; in case the previous chapters of Throne of Thorns have not been played, there are also some valuable tips on managing the group. Finally, there are the hooks of the adventure and the actual beginning.
In The Lost Land, the characters are dedicated to exploring the nation of Alberetor, the former realm of the Ambrians. A land devastated by war, and this devastation hides a secret that the protagonists could become aware of. Information important enough to change the fate of the entire setting, to the point that perhaps it deserved to be included in the Symbaroum core manual. Various scenarios are proposed to be explored, at the discretion of the Game Master, in which various clues are scattered that lead to the next section.
Into the Storm explores the lost land of Lyastra, where some of the Demon Lords who started the war with the Alberetor still reign. Here, too, various scenarios and various expedients are proposed to immediately convey the tone of the narrative to the characters, leading them to the epilogue of the story.
Strengths
One of the most striking qualities of Alberetor, The Haunted Waste is certainly the attention to detail with which it was made. There is so much material not even one of the nearly two hundred pages of the manual is wasted. That completeness is a double-edged blessing, though, because the Game Master must study to orient himself in the mass of information, dense with dates and names. On the other hand, this certainly helps you to master the events perfectly.
This is combined with the possibility of using the adventure in a perfectly modular way. The authors have been particularly careful to include the most probable plot developments, and to leave the mesh of the narrative large enough to be able to adapt to the proverbial unpredictability of the players. Each chapter of Alberetor, The Haunted Waste presents various threats and various events, which can be selected according to the style of play and the preferences of the group. Investigation, intrigue, action, horror are all approaches that the Game Master may take, mixing them in the proportions that best suit him.
Alberetor, The Haunted Waste is obviously accompanied by maps and PNG stat blocks, for quick reference. Some new creatures are presented, and some rituals, and the Grandmaster level of the monstrous Tunneler trait. The skill tests to be carried out are highlighted at the end of each paragraph.
All the documents presented in the course of the volume are collected at the end of the volume, so they can be read by the players as if they were real scrolls.
Conclusions of the Review of Alberetor, The Haunted Waste
Alberetor, The Haunted Waste is certainly an excellent work.
The commitment behind the entire Throne of Thorns campaign is enormous, and it shines through in the attention to every single detail. Suitable for any style of play, as a single adventure or as part of a well-articulated chronicle, it is definitely a must have for lovers of the dark fantasy that distinguishes Symbaroum.
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Today we are pleased to present our review of Underwater Campaigns, a supplement for D&D5e. We thank Daniel Chivers and Marco Bertini for sending us a PDF copy of the manual. You can find it at DMsGuild for $19.99, just over 17 euros. We are talking about a best ‘electrum’ seller rated five out of five stars!
Daniel Chivers and Marco Bertini are a pretty well-established pair, this being their sixth collaboration. For some time now they have been veterans of D&D5e, with many publications to their credit. Underwater Campaigns focuses on all aspects relating to developing and running an underwater campaign.
The title says it all.
Underwater Campaigns: Review of the Book
Underwater Campaigns offers 166 pages of content, formatted to the D&D5e standard. The reading is easy, the rules and advice extremely practical and clear. The manual was made with Homebrewery software. If you don’t know what that is, check out this link. It’s a very valuable tool for creators building or growing content, including more methodical DMs.
Unfortunately, the illustrations are a major weakness of the manual. They aren’t original, but are material reused from other sources. In spite of the extensive work done to adapt them to Underwater Campaigns, it has its limits. In some cases, the illustrations seem out of context with respect to the theme of the page. More discerning readers are sure to get a dose of not-exactly-pleasant déjà vu. For those who know D&D3.5 well, the sensation of ‘already seen that’ is inevitable. And this even when the quality of the artwork itself is very high.
What you Should Expect
The text is the strongest part of the manual. Daniel is a connoisseur of the rules, as well as the subject – the manual opens with a glossary to make referring to it during play more practical. The tone may be a bit too “National Geographic”, but don’t worry, this is desirable (and probably inevitable) but works perfectly.
An important note: Underwater Campaigns is a compendium of rules, rather than a collection of innovative material. These original solutions simply fill in the gaps in the rules. The main value of the manual is the fact that it collects all the rules most useful for the underwater experience when playing the most famous role-playing game in the world. They did a great job of adapting to 5e. Above all, the result.
Underwater Campaigns is extremely flexible, allowing you to manage the game both for brief or limited forays into the underwater world. It provides tools for creating different levels of depth, and an overview of the various cultures that can develop underwater, certainly more than you might have come up with on your own.
Review of the Content of Underwater Campaigns
Each chapter deals with a specific aspect of the underwater game, highlighting its own difficulties and peculiarities. There is a focus on the means allowing characters born to dry land to survive the challenges proposed, or at least to try, depending on how lenient the DM.
In the first chapter is a description of the most “typical” submarine locations, including two that are completely original. Underwater Campaigns also addresses the topic of planar links, to extend the backdrop to larger-scale plots.
The second chapter deals more generally with planning a campaign, the way in which it is structured and the connections that can be exploited. There are also elements of a ready-made adventure, dotted with deliberately vague edges that allow you to adapt it to any campaign.
The third chapter presents adversities, complications, and risks typical of underwater environments. Underwater Campaigns presents both real and fantastic threats. And the choice to flip the script and address the effects on submarine races when they visit dry land is certainly very noteworthy.
The fourth chapter deals more specifically with combat, using standard rules or adding the three-dimensional component that the aquatic environment offers.
Following, there are two chapters on equipment and magic specifically for underwater environments. Here we see Daniel’s work in adaptation, from the past editions of the game to the fifth.
The same applies to the two final chapters, which present creatures and NPCs useful for an underwater campaign.
Conclusions of the Underwater Campaigns Review
Underwater Campaigns closes with a new patron for Warlock (the ‘Pale Lady’), and a fun generator for creating “exceptional fish”. In addition to a reference page in which the author lists all the sources used in drafting the manual. This material is useful both in stimulating creativity and in further deepening what is covered in the text.
In general, it is a manual rich in game options, however, it is specifically reserved for DMs who want to make the underwater experience deeper (no pun intended) for their players. Only the new patron, some talents, and a few new spells are directly useful to players.
Ultimately, Underwater Campaigns isn’t likely to be a key piece in your collection. But if you have a campaign in mind focused on this environment, it is definitely a very useful tool.
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Today we submit to you a review of Kisarta. First of all, we want to thank Isola Illyon Edizioni for having sent us a physical copy of the manual. Kisarta is an original setting for D&D5e that immediately gave us strong “souls like” vibes. The manual is available at the official store of Isola Illyon Edizioni, for 40€. The PDF is included, or it can be bought individually for 20€. For the skeptics there is a free downloadable quickstart.
Souls Like Vibes
As I said, the work of Lupo Condotta on the setting and Guido Maicol Campanini on the mechanics, gave me strong “Dark Souls-like” vibes. That’s exactly what Kisarta sets out to do: to show you what it means to play in a gloomy and distressing world, where death loses its meaning. All that matters is the ability to keep one’s sanity intact. The characters of Kisarta have in fact an attribute called ‘Soul’, whose score is consumed at each death. Once completely exhausted, they “dissipate”. In this way, a “dead” character becomes Ether, the substance of which the entire game world is composed, shaped by the collective will that is grafted onto the memories of individuals.
Perfectly matched with Dark Souls, characters wake up in an endless graveyard. From this moment they are Souls, pure Aether whose form is sculpted only by will and self-consciousness. Under the white sun called Kisarta, the Souls reach the city of Limbo and the surrounding Dominions, where dark and mysterious entities manage the Great Game and alter even the very laws of physics.
From this moment they are involved in a dense web of plots, intrigues, and alliances whose ultimate goal is unknown, but in which anyone with a even a modicum of potential does their best to influence. The Great Game is part of what are presented as Truths capable of driving even the most resilient of Souls to madness, the details of which are analyzed in the concluding pages of the manual. We, as always, are spoiler free, and we leave you the pleasure of discovering them.
Kisarta: Review of the Volume
Kisarta is an excellently crafted product. The manual is pleasant to hold in your hands, with good heft and hand-feel, and has a truly captivating graphic line. It is important to underline how the volume is able to give an idea of the themes and atmospheres of the game from a the very first glance without sacrificing the clarity of presentation and the practicality of in-game reference typical of D&D5e.
The illustrations would look good on one of the official Dungeons & Dragons manuals, with the added bonus of always being faithful to the setting. The only flaw that I detected from this point of view is that it would have been nice to have more illustrations of the character options and for the short bestiary contained in the manual. Of course increasing them would have increased the costs and therefore the prices, but some of the works of art are so beautiful they make you want to see more.
Kisarta: What to Expect?
While not a particularly bulky tome, Kisarta is quite rich in material. A good half of the manual is devoted to the description of the game world; and even if the descriptions are rather tightly focused, they are complete. A first reading guarantees finding many ideas, while a large margin is still provided for customization. I appreciate that enough space is dedicated not only to the description of the places, but also to describe how to manage everyday life and social relations, which the authors took the time and care to investigate, an aspect all-too-often taken for granted.
In regards to rules, several character options are presented in addition to the mechanics of the Soul score that is consumed at each death of the character.
New Options for the Characters
This tome presents five new playable races.
Forgottens have resided in one of the Kisarta Domains for so long that they have forgotten their identities.
Disembodied, in contrast, have forgotten their own features before awakening, incarnating themselves in the bodies of statues.
Dissognators are the manifestation of a predator of the unconscious, which feeds on nightmares.
The Effigyies are a sort of elemental, a part of Aether that comes to life spontaneously.
The contrary Fetishes are a sort of patchwork of what remains of some Souls following their final consumption.
There are also five new classes.
Abominations are altered by the mystical energies of Kisarta, allowing them to exploit lethal mutations.
Bewitched Knights combine their martial prowess with the arcane arts.
Demiurges, probably the most interesting class for me, learn to manipulate the very nature of the Aether that surrounds them, combining limited martial skills with the possibility of distributing bonuses or penalties to influence the final outcome of a fight.
Ravagers are animated by an infinite torment, venting their frustration on the world by summoning weapons created out of the Aether itself.
Finally, Travelers are motivated by the desire to know the Kisarta Domains more deeply, specializing in their exploration.
New subclasses are proposed too, one for each class of the D&D5e Core manual, and new spells – not many, but choice of making each new spell deeply in theme with the setting, not simply a race for novelty, is a particularly successful tactic.
Kisarta Analysis
Overall, Kisarta is a highly successful setting. It cannot be denied that the ‘Souls-like’ style is one of the greatest successes of recent years in the videogame field. With a few simple interventions, the manual manages to showcase it again at its best. The changes from D&D5e are few but effective, especially the more realistic rest; the game options are interesting and the ability to re-use dead characters in other campaigns, regardless of their origins, is definitely an added value.
It should be noted for lovers of Dark Souls that the gaming experience is still very different. Kisarta envisions a much more extensive form of society and interactions with intelligent creatures. While this may make some purists angry, it should be remembered that we are talking about a role-playing game to start with. Moreover, it is one adapted to D&D5e, which offers very specific types of experiences. Kisarta is probably the best possible way to convey the sensations of games like Dark Souls, but a lot of adaptation work in this sense was inevitable for this use. The result would have been unplayable, otherwise.
As far as aspects that could be improved, surely there are some continuous repetitions of concepts already defined in the beginning, which could have been avoided. Even on a quick reading, some concepts concerning the nature of Kisarta itself are very clear, so repeating them whenever the opportunity arises was not necessary.
Also, the start of a campaign or adventure can happen in two ways: with characters who have just awakened, or with characters who have already become familiar with the world they are in. While both options have their advantages, the first would be much more fascinating. It is a pity that the manual neglects it a bit, mainly offering material for the second type.
Conclusions about the Review of Kisarta
After importing a small masterpiece like Spire: the City Must Fall (you can find our review here), Isola Illyon Edizioni offers us an original, made in Italy, setting for D&D5e. As you can read in this review, Kisarta promises a certain style of play with specific atmospheres, and lives up to what it promises.
Rich as much in ideas as in original mechanics, it has the intelligence to ride a theme of the moment without limiting itself to providing mere fan service. For those who love dark fantasy applied to the most famous role-playing game in the world; for those who loved the Dark Souls saga and want to try to convey its sensations to the table; and even for those who simply want to change their approach, it is certainly highly recommended.
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Today we are really pleased to present to you the review of Valda’s Spire of Secrets, a compendium of additional rules for D&D 5e by Michael Holik. First of all we thank Mage Hand Press for allowing us to have a preview of the pdf of this very rich compendium. The project was born from a successful Kickstarter campaign; for the record’s sake, the minimum target was reached in two and a half hours. And we anticipate it: it absolutely deserves it!
Valda’s Spire of Secrets Review: a First Impact
Let’s be clear: Valda’s Spire of Secrets is ambitious, but it can afford to do that! A promise of quality that begins with the cover and continues on every single page. In fact, the artworks, in addition to being of the highest level, maintain a unique and recognizable style; hats off to Martin Kirby Jackson, lead artist on the project, and his team of illustrators. A work that almost seems to come to life from the pages.
A lively style is also reflected in the layout. Unlike many publications for D&D 5e, Valda’s Spire of Secrets adopts an original structure. Practicality of reading is not compromised, people used to the most famous role-playing game in the world won’t feel uncomfortable. But the choice not to re-propose the same pattern is courageous, and it pays off.
Character Options: Races
Although it can count on a great first impact, the strong point of Valda’s Spire of Secrets is its content. The manual is full of alternative rules, extra material and options for the characters that leave you spoiled for choice.
First of all, there are five new races:
Geppettins are animated puppets made of porcelain, cloth or wood.
Mandrakes are plant humanoids with a strong connection to the season they came into the world.
Mouselings are animated mice, divided into a lineage of mice and one of rats.
Spirithosts are creatures composed only partially of physical matter.
Nearhuman are common human beings, who however have traits belonging to the most disparate game races. From the claws of the Beastman to the regeneration of the Grendels, from the thick skin of the Stoneborn to the horns of the Tauran, they greatly expand the range of possibilities for a character.
Review of the Classes of Valda’s Spire of Secrets…
Certainly among the most interesting elements proposed by Valda’s Spire of Secrets there are ten completely new classes. Each of these is accompanied by a minimum of seven and a maximum of nine subclasses.
The Alchemist, the Gunslinger and the Witch (Witches can be males or females, the manual specifies that the term is unisex) are the ones that need the least explanation. They remind of classes common in the fantasy worlds of other works and cover some gaps, making many players happy.
The Necromancer and the Captain are designed for players who like to move the “minions” without directly getting their dice dirty. If in the first case it is a fantasy classic, the second class is certainly more original. You can choose from various types of Cohorts, each suited to a different playstyle; the same goes for the undead available to the Necromancer, of course.
The Investigator has references to more investigative games, as the name implies; it is perfect for campaigns that delve into ancient horrors. Then the Warden promises to be the ultimate tank and the Warmage is an interesting attempt to build a fighter that uses only the Cantrips, enhancing them to the maximum.
… And the Most Interesting Ones
The most interesting classes are probably the Craftsman and the Martyr. The first manages to make the “crafting” phase interesting, obviously, making it an active moment and not just something to be relegated to moments of pause. Instead the second has a strong ability to withstand damage and dodge death. In fact, the Martyr has an incredible ability to avoid death to meet a doomed fate: once he reaches the 20th level he can enter a state in which, for ten minutes, his power reaches unattainable heights. Then he dies to fulfill his own fate.
Overall, there is therefore an excellent mix. Classes that offer concepts already seen and adapted to D&D 5e, embody classic flavor of the genre, offer new ideas and also reserve some pleasant surprises.
Valda’s Spire of Secrets: not just Game Options
Valda’s Spire of Secrets also offers new subclasses. Six for each “core” class of D&D 5e, which add variety to the game. And here we take the opportunity to highlight another aspect of this manual.
You will have the chance to play Muscle Mage, the Barbarian who is convinced he deserves recognition for his inconclusive magic. Or the Cleric with the Rum Domain. Or the Masked Luchador Monk, and various other options.
Valda’s Spire of Secrets reserves for each class a path to play with irony, for the sheer sake of having a laugh around the game table. But it doesn’t stop there.
You can block your enemies in a singing performance with the Tyra’s Coerced Karaoke spell. Then you will show up in an enchanted carriage, with animals transformed into valets and a magnificent dress thanks to the spells Mandy’s Enchanted Carriage, Mandy’s Feral Follower and Mandy’s Marvelous Dress. Maybe bringing the Bag of Cheer with you, from which to extract gifts for other creatures.
Valda’s Spire of Secrets is a manual full of playable material, but it has a wide range of these little goodies to introduce a touch of humor to your gaming sessions; this is further embellished by the comments of Valda himself, an ancient lich who notes his sarcastic reflections in the margin of the page (full of tasty puns).
An Extra Touch
There is also a wide range of spells, weapons, magic items and optional rules. Like the one for the “auxiliary levels”, which can be substituted for the regular class levels to reflect the recent vicissitudes of the characters.
Particularly interesting are some feats that the DM can decide to grant to the characters at the first level, which reflect a particular condition. They allow you to play children or elderly characters, with vision problems or limb problems, and in general a series of peculiarities to customize your character to a whole new level for this edition of Dungeons & Dragons.
In addition to various house rules, the manual presents many rules to adapt the new classes to each environment, or to manage peculiar aspects. But never in an intrusive way: they are distributed organically where they are needed, making reading easier.
We also find other notes, placed with the same discretion, which help to make some ethical notes to the game. Small food for thought that does not weigh down the game, but helps to pay attention to players who may be more sensitive to certain issues.
Conclusions of the Review of Valda’s Spire of Secrets
Valda’s Spire of Secrets is a really great manual, a perfect complement to the D&D 5e Player’s Handbook. It is full of interesting and fun game options, the ability to focus on the more traditional aspect without neglecting healthy laughter or more serious elements that go beyond the game table. A carefully packaged product that is definitely worth the Kickstarter support received.
Also in order to discover the history of the Company of Wring, the only group of adventurers who boasts of having managed to escape from the tower of Valda the lich. What was their secret? You just have to browse the manual to find out.
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Today we have the pleasure of bringing you a review of The Curse of BloodStone Isle, a new setting for D&D 5e. I want to thank Mark Rein-Hagen for letting us read a copy of his work in preview. If his name is not new to you, it’s more than normal. We’re talking about the author of Ars Magica, Vampire: the Masquerade, Werewolf: the Apocalypse, Wraith the Oblivion and many other successful games.
Considering that he also helped with the concept and design of Mage: the Ascension, we’re talking about the father of the entire World of Darkness. We won’t hide from you that our expectations were particularly high. To find out if they were met, you only have to read this review of The Curse of Bloodstone Isle. Meanwhile, those who want to join the bakers can visit the Kickstarter page of the project. The first goal has been reached, but there are still stretch goals to be unlocked.
Review of The Curse of BloodStone Isle: for the Players…
We talk about Dungeons & Dragons, but The Curse of BloodStone Isle is presented as 5e compatible. This is because it focuses primarily on setting and storytelling, as indeed could be expected from Mark Rein-Hagen. In the two manuals, rules are just a few, and almost exclusively for NPC or the stat bloc of the creatures. Considering that both manuals has more than 250 pages, we are talking about a lot of material to read. For the rest, the D&D 5e core manuals are all the mechanical support you need.
The Player’s Gazetteer is the manual suitable for the players. It is a first-person account by Adzquille, a chronicler who explores the island in its entirety for the first time. His narrative always remains in-character, as if it were a true travelogue accompanied by notes and simple illustrations. The touch of Mark Rein-Hagen is evident to anyone who knows his work; in each chapter are often included excerpts of other writings, riddles, myths, legends. It’s a style often found in World of Darkness manuals, which helps you quickly immerse yourself in the setting. There is also a glossary that explains the typical expressions of BloodStone.
… And for the Storytellers
The Game Master Cyclopedia is obviously the manual reserved for storytellers. As substantial as the Player’s Gazetteer, where the Gazetteer sows the seeds of doubt, the Cyclopedia provides a solution. All background is clarified, and converted into concrete hints for adventures. Certainly less fluent than the previous manual, it is however an enormously valuable resource for DMs.
The Curse of BloodStone Isle chooses an unusual horizontal format, but it that takes advantage of a beautifully designed layout; this, too, helps you get into the mood of the setting right away. The illustrations don’t show all the same quality, but I couldn’t say that the inconstancy is an issue. Considering that the product exceeds five hundred pages total, the accuracy is tremendous: the work Mark has done is monumental!
The Atmosphere
But let’s get down to business. What to expect from The Curse of BloodStone Isle?
Given the author’s career, it’s more than fair to expect horror overtones and plots that blend with ancient mythologies. And fortunately, this is exactly what we can find. As usual, this review is spoiler-free; but we can give you a few hints.
“BloodStone is hard to get and hard to leave.
You have to pay to enter, but you must pray to leave.”
With these words The Curse of BloodStone Isle is introduced; certainly a worthy introduction. The island is shrouded in a storm driven by a malevolent will, which makes any attempt to reach it almost impossible. The same storm seems from time to time to take it away from its place in the universe, transporting it to other planes to welcome, or to capture, new unwitting creatures. And it is not the only scourge that plagues the island’s inhabitants.
Time passes differently on BloodStone than in the rest of the world, slowing down or jumping forward suddenly. Nonetheless, the chronology drawn is very precise, allowing you to trace various eras and identify key turning points in its history. This precision allows for a great variety of playable themes. The sense of horror is always suffused in every aspect of the setting of course, but the ways of declining it are varied: from the classic exploration of an exotic location to the pirate adventure, from the political intrigue to the aberrant horror of ancient vampires on the prowl. Moreover the shadow of a cumbersome past looms over every single scenario, ill-suppressed horrors are always ready to make their appearance in every scene.
Review of The Curse of BloodStone Isle: the Setting
The Curse of BloodStone Isle is full of advice on how to make the most of the setting, as well as on how to make the most of the narrative. It gives tips certainly useful for those who have a first approach to the hard work of the storyteller, but can offer excellent support even to those who are more experienced. Both manuals are divided into chapters and each chapter is dedicated to a geographical area with its own characteristics. While players are recommended to read only the Gazetteer, the storyteller is advised to read the Cyclopedia in parallel, following each chapter of the first one.
Nothing is Left to Chance
Each region, and therefore each chapter, has a strong characterization. Free Boot Landing is the port where the characters dock once they emerge from the storm enveloping BloodStone, where a solid military settlement tries to control the flow of visitors. The BoneDust Dunes offer a highly inhospitable and barren environment, inhabited by nomadic tribes living on the shells of giant turtles. Instead the Blight Fens are much more lush but equally inhospitable to life, with lethal miasmas plaguing a swampy environment. The Smugglers Cove is certainly not free of dangers that consume the body and mind, but the activities of the pirate crew that inhabit the place are even more important. BleakStone City offers the intrigue and decadence of what was once BrightStone city; a place to constantly watch your back.
Finally, the Kra Mountain. Where all the knots come to a head, where the NightQueen reigns over the vampires, the CroneCrow scourges the island with the malevolent energy of the storm and the forces that currently reign over the continent collide, while a rift opened in the heart of the earth sends a hellish terror upon it. In a scenario that leads to desperation, Mount Kra allows the narrative to be taken to the next level.
Contents
As anticipated, each chapter of The Curse of BloodStone Isle deals with a specific region of the island, with its own peculiar characteristics. In the Player’s Gazetteer you’ll find Adzquille’s travel diary, detailing descriptions from the perspective of someone setting foot on the island for the first time. Accompanied by a chronology of the major events in the region, you can find a description of the main playable locations and the most influential NPC and a summary of the most important factions. Also the hazards in which the traveler may incur are recounted, again in the particular style of the author. All this is accompanied by riddles, songs and prophecies.
The Cyclopedia instead tells the behind-the-scenes story. It explores the themes and atmospheres of the various regions, tells the most hidden parts of their history, and explains how to make the most of them for effective storytelling. All the secrets of the locations, NPCs, even the solutions to riddles are presented to the narrator in a precise manner; you can also find a number of adventure cues that, when combined, allow The Curse of BloodStone Isle to become a single adventure module that can power an entire campaign. Here there are a lor of mechanical notes, such as NPC stat block, some tables, and an interesting point affiliation system, which allows you to associate your characters’ actions with one of the three great pirates that have shaped the island’s history.
Conclusions of the Review of The Curse of BloodStone Isle
Summarizing this review of The Curse of BloodStone Isle, it must be acknowledged that Mark Rein-Hagen has done a sumptuous job. This work is impressive in ambition and size; it’s not easy to find settings that manage to have such a clear overview while going so deep into detail. You will face an island where nothing is left to chance, where ancient and horrible disagreements take shape in twisted machinations. The sense of an adverse fate is looming, but it doesn’t take away from the pleasure of playing.
What the author proposes is certainly not of an “easy” game. The narrator will have to do a job that should not be underestimated, and make the best use of the author’s advice to keep the right mood at the right level, without overdoing it but not letting it disappear. But if your table loves a game focused on the mystery and on the horror that constantly hounds the characters, immersing in an intense and even strong atmospheres when necessary, surely The Curse of BloodStone Isle is for you. And for the record, Mark is already working on the manual that will expand the setting: beyond the island there is a whole continent to discover.
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Today we are pleased to present a review of Journey of the Godslayer, a compendium of TheEren Chronicles for D&D 5E. We thank the author, Nicos Ostas, who gave us the opportunity to read his excellent work. If you want to buy it, you can find it at DMsGuild for the discounted price of $16.96. Just over 14 euros for a 96-page pdf which was the most popular product on the site last May!
With the help of Angelos Kyprianos, Nikolas Totief and George Sfendourakis, Ostas gives us a little gem. Graphically, the layout is in perfect synch with the modules for D&D 5E. This means no problem in orienting for lovers of the most classic of role-playing games.
How to Slay a God
Journey of the Godslayer is a compendium that addresses exactly the subject that promises the title: deicide. The longtime players, or the most hardened ones, will remember in some previous editions of D&D killing a deity wasn’t such an unthinkable undertaking. Some might also recall a series of novels set in the Forgotten Realms that addressed the subject. Journey of the Godslayer offers an updated and consistent path to this goal. It proposes not so much the direct confrontation with the divinity, but a series of progressive objectives aimed at making it accessible. A work with a clear idea, well thought out and well done.
Journey of the Godslayer: an Impeccable Volume
Let’s start with a volume analysis. As anticipated, the layout is clean and professional, and in compliance with the design standards of the works of D&D 5th edition, making consultation practical and orderly. From this point of view, the strongest feature of Journey of the Godslayer is the illustrations. This is artwork of the highest level, that would not look out of place in an official product from Wizards of the Coast. The work of twenty-five different artists gives variety to the volume, without ever making the tables lose that sense of a common thread that even a quick glance through the pages can give. Browsing Journey of the Godslayer, in fact, made me regret I couldn’t have a physical copy at that moment.
Deicide for Dummies
But Journey of the Godslayer isn’t just a nice volume, with ho-hum content. On the contrary, it offers interesting material, full of ideas both for the creation of a long-lasting campaign from scratch, and for the inclusion of some new elements in a game already well underway. Ideas are surprising in their coherence and organization, especially considering how excessively the topic may seem to be treated.
At the base of the “dirty work of the deicide” is the destruction of the Seven Sacred Seals, which grant a deity the power that makes it essentially unbeatable. Each Seal is an abstraction of a different aspect of divine power. From the Seal of Justice, the first step of a vow that will bind the PCs, to that of the Power that erodes the basis of divine power, its cult, passing without a predefined order into the seals of Omniscience, Ascension and Secrets; which allow you to hide from the sight of the divinity, find a way to be able to hurt it and discover its weak points. Finally, the Seal of the Arcanum and that of Eternity allow you to reach it and, finally, to face it.
Journey of the Godslayer: Players’ Tools
After presenting the path to the deicide, Journey of the Godslayer presents a number of options for players. The starting point are twelve different Divine Domains. Starting from these a player develops a system of offerings and blessings on the one hand, and of sacrileges and punishments on the other. The game is thus enriched with options not directly related to the progression of the characters. These can be managed with a practical Influence Point system. On the other hand, this mechanic doesn’t necessarily need to be implemented, as it also allows for a more narrative use of the rewards for each act pleasing to the gods or scorned by them.
There are also seventeen Theurgies, 10th level spells designed to interact with the divine mono, and twelve different subclasses, as well, one for each class (including the Maker) combined with a different domain. What was most striking were the combinations. Never predictable, they offer unique and original evolutions for the characters. More conventional choices would not have disappointed at all, but this surprising little gamble was a significant added value.
Dungeon Masters’ Tools
Journey of the Godslayer also offers a variety of tools for Dungeon Masters. In addition to the Influence Point system, you can choose from a variety of divine artifacts. The Archtemples presented, alone, could hold the main strand of an entire chronicle. Finally, the small bestiary of divine avatars, which can be used for the statistics of the coveted final battle with the divinity.
Also in this case, the number 12 is recurrent. Each element presented in the manual compendium is in fact declined for twelve divine Domains.
Conclusions about the Journey of the Godslayer Review
Ultimately, I highly recommended Journey of the Godslayer. A volume full of well-designed and presented material, it is versatile, suitable both to inspire long reports and to manage more content tie-ins. Making a titanic enterprise such as deicide playable consistently was no easy feat, but Ostas has done it commendably.
So if you want to give your players a unique adventure, which rigorously redefines the concept of epic progressions, do not hesitate to give this volume that absolutely must not be missing from your digital library a chance.
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Today we want to thank Dragon Turtle for giving to us a copy of Interlinked – a Carbon 2185 Mission Book to review for you. As the name suggests, it is a series of “interlinked” adventures for Carbon 2185; an Andrew J. Lucas and Ty Moore company, signed by Andrew J. Lucas and Ty Moore. If you are not yet familiar with this cyberpunk setting for D&D5e, we advise you to check out our review. We were thrilled!
As for Interlinked, however, you can find it for sale at Drivethrurpg, a 67-page pdf at a cost of $13.83. With a rather high average rating despite … certain issues.
Interlinked Review: What Is It All about?
We are looking at a 67-page pdf that contains three inter-connected adventures. To be honest, the first two adventures, Roadblock and End Run, serve to prepare the scenario for Interlinked. The adventure is lacking in illustrations, but those used are of a very high quality; a real pleasure for the eyes. For the rest, the manual has a layout strongly notable for readability, which is well suited to the cyberpunk atmosphere of the game. In short, perfect Carbon 2185 style.
The manual also contains a small “bestiary“, with ready-made cards of the NPCs presented in the adventure. Here a few more illustrations would have been nice, but not essential.
Interlinked: Review of the Adventure
We want to leave you the pleasure of discovering for yourself the history and the twists of Interlinked. In the words of the authors:
“A new experimental synth was injured and left for dead following an industrial accident at a food processing plant. The Nightingale model was slated for disposal and shipped back to a Villeneuve Robotics reclamation facility. On arrival, however, the synth was secretly removed from the facility. Unknown to the management of either facility the chief mechanic at Frisco’s, Thomas ‘Willy’ Williams, has established a relationship with the synth and can’t bear to see her destroyed.
She reaches out to the cyberpunks for help in getting revenge on the corporations that have abandoned her, and to free her trapped synth brethren. She resents humanity and especially the corporations that created her, but she knows she needs allies in the process of gaining that freedom.“
Roadblock and End Runallow the PCs to begin to familiarize themselves with the setting and the mechanics. They are progressively introduced into the story which then takes off in Interlinked, in a rapid escalation of events.
The scenes are described in a very rich way, perhaps even too lush at times. They become distracting at times, especially when approaching the grand finale. Challenges can be met with various approaches, and the most obvious – and most violent – is not always the best.
Hacking, stealth and espionage can all be key strategies, if cyberpunks want to see the end of the adventure.
Strength(s)
What we particularly liked about Interlinked is that cyberpunk isn’t just cosmetic, as it often can be. Artificial intelligences and synthetic organisms that claim their autonomy is one of the most dear tropes in the genre, a true classic. It isn’t just D&D with mechanical limbs and the internet, but a cyberpunk worthy of the name.
Of course, it should be noted that Carbon 2185 still remains a setting for D&D 5E. And as such it has a particular focus on action, with investigative nuances and ample room for interpretation. But it isn’t intended to delve too much into the social and political aspects of play.
A shame in some ways, but those who choose it want to bring cyberpunk to the world in the D&D style. If you want more, you can definitely find other games to do that better.
Interlinked does what it sets out to do, and it does it flawlessly.
Error 404
We now come to the sore point of this Interlinked review. The rating of the adventure on Drivethrurpg is very good: 4.5 stars out of 5, although it has serious defects as a product.
Not all the locations described are provided with maps, and the descriptions aren’t always sufficient to get even a ‘fairly accurate’ idea of the locations. Even more serious, some paragraphs are actually incomplete, cut off at the end of a page. Still others are repeated several times in succession. These are rather frequent, very gross errors, unforgivable in even an amateur product, let alone a paid one.
Furthermore, Interlinked presents a section on plot hooks for the rather synthetic adventure, without ever specifying the number of characters they are for, or their levels. Those can only be found by reading the adventures (for the record, 4 first level characters, starting with Roadblock).
There is no advice on how to adapt the challenges for groups of different compositions. Even more serious, given the theme of the adventure, there is no advice on how to manage a synthetic character, since it is one of the bloodlines available in the basic manual of Carbon 2185.
Mind you, nothing prevents you from using the adventure.
Additional maps are created with ease and missing paragraphs don’t compromise the experience all that much, but it is a shame to allow such good material to be marred in this way. It seems as if they rushed to finish the job before properly revised.
To Conclude
Bottom line, Interlinked is a great series of adventures, with great packaging and poor assembly. It perfectly embodies the spirit of Carbon 2185, which seeks a compromise between the cyberpunk of other games and a more “d & desco”, classic approach. This doesn’t mean that it betrays what are really the cornerstones of the genre, however.
Filling in the missing material doesn’t require too much Game Master commitment, and offers players an extremely dynamic and enjoyable game. From this point of view, Interlinked is certainly endorsed and recommended; on the other hand, Dragon Turtle deserves also a pull on the ears, because of the rather low production standards.
Today we thank Spiral Lane Productions for providing us with a copy of the second edition of Meteor Tales, so we could try it and give you our impressions in this review. Spiral Lane Productions is an independent production house dealing with games, books and music. Its founder, Angelos Kyprianos, is also the creator and author of Meteor Tales.
Embellished with illustrations by Charidimos Bitsakakis, the game is available at Spiral Lane Productionsofficial store in three different versions, paperback at € 35, hardcover at € 50, and pdf at € 19.99. Various other products are available on the site, some of which are free. You can stay up to date on Meteor Tales projects by following their Facebook page.
Meteor Tales is a very classic RPG in a high fantasy setting, the world of Vitallia, where you face fearsome opponents and monstrous creatures… until you dream of the coveted power of the gods. Crucial to the spirit of the game, gods make their presence hard to ignore. After all, while external to Vitallia, they nonetheless shaped it into what it is today, although more often for the worse than for the better.
Although the author’s premise is to always put the role and interpretation first, the rules are quite substantial. Of 400 pages, 386 are dedicated to mechanics, and only the rest to the setting – although, I must say, there are several references to the world of Vitallia throughout the body of the volume.
After all, Meteor Tales is a game with a deliberately articulated ruleset (as you will be able to understand reading this review), in order to make the experience of character growth and combat realistic – as realistic as possible, at least. Let’s find out how well it succeeds.
About the Book
First let’s start with the book itself, probably the most sore point in this Meteor Talesreview. The layout is definitely too spartan, merely dividing the text into two columns. It becomes difficult to distinguish paragraphs, and titles often appear at the bottom of a page with the text starting on the next page. This certainly doesn’t facilitate reading, indeed, it makes it rather difficult and unpleasant in some cases.
The illustrations are few and, for the most part, in black and white, as is the page layout. In itself, this isn’t a defect, on the contrary, the “sketch” effects of the black and white art are probably the most beautiful. The problem is that, even here, the design choices don’t facilitate reading: these are mostly images to which an entire page is dedicated but without a background, which makes it rather empty. The effect is somewhat unpleasant to the eye, mortifying illustrations that deserved more attention.
There is also an authorial choice that puzzles the reader. The setting is condensed at the end of the manual, but has constant references in the previous part. This makes it difficult at times to find your way around what you are reading.
From this point of view, no illusions: Meteor Tales has all the passion and all the limits of an independent production. Kyprianos, moreover, openly declares that it is a project he has been carrying in his heart since childhood.
Meteor Tales: Gameplay
Let’s move on to review what is proposed as a strength of Meteor Tales: the rules. As mentioned, the goal is to allow for a realistic fighting experience and also character growth. As realistic as possible, at least, given the need to find a compromise between realism and playability.
Surely Meteor Tales leans towards the first of the two.
The underlying mechanics are simple: get a result lower than your skill score on the d100. But get used to the idea of rolling the dice very often, both for tests and for numerical effects. There is always a skill, condition or maneuver, just in case.
Character Creation: Let’s Start
Character creation is very meticulous. The player can choose between ten races: humans, elves and dwarves falling into classic, standard fantasy imagery. They are accompanied by brutgors, fierce and rude humanoids with giant blood; sarcanta, creatures proud of their draconic heritage; the anemic sirakrat, fueled by religious fervor; Seranians, of partial vampiric nature; the minute and wild fay; medai , aliens, with the gorgon’s hair; the massive winged gargoyles, known for their patience and protective instincts; and finally the gaal, more spiritual than material by nature. Each race determines the character’s starting Attribute scores and base abilities.
It is important to note that, in Meteor Tales, the characteristics aren’t expressed as numerical values, but are quantified by a range of descriptors from Low or Medium to High, Exceptional (only supernatural creatures can have better), or Legendary. A series of modifiers, fixed values, or dice are associated with each degree of characteristic, depending on the use.
For example, the High degree of the Might characteristic (which regulates physical power), allows your character to inflict 1d8 damage in combat, to throw ranged weapons at targets within 8 squares, to roll 1d8 on opposed checks for the fight and, in general, for all actions involving the use of brute force.
Finishing Your Character
After the race, the player chooses the character’s religion (a fundamental element of the game, even if not from the point of view of the mechanics), which dictates his nationality, which also informs the languages spoken and how the character is perceived by others in the setting. It is then the choice of the Path that determines the skills and competences of the character.
There are three types of Paths: the ten Warfare Paths allow different specializations in combat, the eight of Witchcraft to deepen as many different types of magic. The six Hybrid Paths allow you to mix the two. The paths are well differentiated and characterized, and allow you to create clearly distinguishable characters.
Finally, the character creation process touches on the origin, the background of the character, which gives bonuses to some skills. The final touches are missing: the definition of personality traits, simple guidelines for interpretation, and the social class of the character.
Experience in Meteor Tales
The skills are divided into three categories: practical skills, theoretical skills and trades. From a mechanical point of view they work the same way, using the d100. But the three categories are fundamental for growth through experience.
Experience is a crucial factor of Meteor Tales. The game has a very specific goal: to grow skills with their use. When a skill is trained, used for study, or employed directly, the experience points associated with it go up. This follows a series of precise formulas linked both to the score of the character’s Awareness characteristic, and to the category in which the ability falls. The goal is to calibrate the growth of the character to what he actually does in play.
This is surely an interesting idea, proposed as one of Meteor Tales’ strengths. Unfortunately, it looks better on paper than it does in play. It is true that this game is aimed at an audience that wants to keep accounts and roll the dice, but the constant updating of the character record card with every single roll is far from practical. It certainly doesn’t help to immerse yourself in the character. In fact, it probably makes you think more about the record card than playing the game.
Furthermore, this type of play tends to dictate the choices, discouraging the search for alternate solutions. A player will always be tempted to look for ways to use the skills he wants to pursue, neglecting the others even if they provide more logical choices.
It is an interesting system, just not so much to play as a game.
Meteor Tales: Combat
The game is very rich in factors to take into consideration. Maneuvers common to all characters, maneuvers that require a specific Path or a specific race, reactions, focused reactions (which unlike the previous ones interrupt the action that triggers them). Considering that each weapon can fall into one of four different ranges for its attack, outside of which it is ineffective, the factors that influence the fight are many. Perhaps too many, even just to list them. I dwell on the most significant elements, either for originality or because they are crucial.
The initiative does not follow the classic round system, but takes place for a count of seconds; instead of waiting for their turn, the characters act with a cadence linked to their Instinct score. The higher this is, the more frequently they act. Certainly interesting, but a further complication to be taken into account.
Players must also take into account their own Stamina score, determined by Endurance: every single action consumes Stamina, with very limited recovery possibilities. Reaching zero means being unable to act. Again, something to account for to add to the others.
Finally, damage can be localized or universal . That is to hit a specific location of the body (each race has a specific table to follow) or damage it over-all. Depending on the type of damage, the effects on the body are different. Furthermore, each location has a specific table to follow.
There is no need to go further in this aspect of the review of Meteor Tales to understand that it must be played manual in hand, paying more attention to the cards than to the narration, despite the premises made by the author.
Of course, you may like this choice but, even so, it could exceed your tolerance.
Meteor Tales: Magic
The system of magic deserves an honorable mention. It certainly doesn’t lighten the cumbersome mechanics of Meteor Tales, but it does divide them into eight extremely well-characterized schools.
Beast magic allows you to take on the powers of slain creatures, druidic to join the wilderness. Blood magic allows you to use your physical suffering, that of necromancy to harness life energy. A priest can sacrifice what he has to the gods to intercede for him, a psionicist translates the strength of his concentration into supernatural effects. But the source of magic can also be the Sentinel, the guardian of the planet’s core, or the Pantheon, the energy that imbues the very fabric of reality.
Each type of magic must be “extracted” in a specific way, closely related to its characterization. Each draw carries a certain number of charges, which the wizard can then use to cast spells.
Once again a cumbersome system, but one that at least makes the magic interesting and ties the magician to the setting with which he interacts.
There is a possibility that this quick overview of the main elements of Meteor Tales will leave you a little confused. Unfortunately, it reflects the experience of us here, who read the rules. Too complex to be at all intuitive. It is a system that must be studied for a long time to be mastered. On the other hand, once the basics have been consolidated, the possibility of having a reference for everything, or almost everything, is certainly noteworthy for those who love to roll dice frequently.
About Monsters, Gods and Apocalypse
Finally, Meteor Tales features a moderately stocked bestiary, a hint of Vitallia’s cosmogony and a dozen pages on her history. Nothing too detailed, there is no history. The various kingdoms, hinted at in brief glimpses regarding traits in the character creation phase, are not even named.
The setting is reduced to the story of how the gods who came from another world battled with the Sentinel, the guardian of Vitallia, herself, and how it was hurt and damaged, how this war prompted the Sentinel to create the various intelligent races that took part in the war. Eventually Nedel was summoned, a warrior from another world with such immense strength as to force the two factions to team up to try to defeat him, but succeeding only at confining him to a cell whose creation required the sacrifice of an entire continent.
A background story that recalls the most shameless high fantasy styles (in a good way). Which certainly presents all the ingenuity of a story born from game-play given authorial coherence only at a later time. In addition to some inconsistencies, such as Nedel who manages to escape his prison to be defeated by an alliance of cities of deadly races. Where the union of the gods and the Sentinel had failed.
But overall it manages to remain enjoyable.
One Final Point
Let’s take a look at this review of Meteor Tales. We are talking about a game that is certainly very refined, which aims to give an equally precise gaming experience. Bulky rules, very complex and for any situation. Character creation is very meticulous, built through various elements. Unashamedly high fantasy setting, with plenty of room for characters to grow and be inventive.
Definitely a product intended for those who love to roll the dice at least as much as describing what their character does. It has a number of mechanical innovations that sadly get in the way of the game more than they improve it. A series of shortcomings in the setting that should have been addressed in the basic manual, not reserved for accessories. But overall, it’s sure to delight anyone who appreciates a style of play made of pencils, dice and epic combat.
If you enjoyed this review of Meteor Tales, stay tuned for more RPGs!
Once again, we bring you a review of an adventure from Menagerie Press, whom we thank for sending us a digital copy of Clash at Kell Crenn. An English adventure for D&D5e, designed for 3-7 characters between 6th and 8th level. Among the authors we find once again William Murakami-Brundage, together with Karrin Jackson and Pôl Jackson. Like the other Menagerie Press adventures we reviewed (Adul, City of Gold, The Dream Prison and The Black Lotus of Thalarion), Clash at Kell Crenn can be purchased digitally at DrivetrhuRPG for $8.99 (about 7€), or in a physical, softcover and color printed version, for $13.99 (about 11€).
At First Glance
With its 35 pages, Clash at Kell Crenn is certainly complete with everything you need to run a satistyng adventure. The graphics are simple and clean, maybe too simple. They make us regret the absence of illustrations to enrich the adventure. The art is good, but is just a marginal contribution, excepting the cover and a single full-page illustration. An image of the most important NPCs would have helped for immersion in the story, but its absence does not compromise the experience at all.
It is perfectly functional, and respects the style of D&D5e publications. The maps are exaustive and the tables complete, with text boxes and notes keeping things tidy. Clash at Kell Crenn isn’t flashy, but does its job well.
The Spoiler-Free Clash at Kell Crenn Review
“A river journey takes the adventurers to the besieged river-fort of Kell Crenn, where a gnoll horde assails the walls. What are the wasteland raiders seeking in the frontier trade post?”
This is the official synopsis of the adventure and there will be no other clues, to keep this review spoiler-free.
This is easily adaptable to any setting, but you can also insert it in a small world that Menagerie Press outlines more and more in each of its publications. You are encouraged to play them with a certain continuity.
The adventure hooks are pretty standard. There is, however, some commitment to provide alternatives for groups that look for an approach different from the more typical ‘heroes willing to do their part’. In this case, the authors surmise that some additional work may be required by the DM. The events follow a fairly linear path; the most interesting element is the flexible ability to diversify threats, and Clash at Kell Crenn is quite rich in ideas about this. Some challenges can also be faced with an alternatives from open combat. Although it remains a rather “muscular” adventure, there is no shortage of opportunities to show off intellect and diplomacy.
An Ambitious Adventure
In my opinion the strongest point in Clash at Kell Crenn is its epic breadth. Designed for average 7th level characters, the adventure manages to present well-balanced challenges. At the same time, however, it also manages to make you savor the feeling of something greater than the characters: with the necessary precautions, it allows you to introduce them in plots with a very wide range, excellent for future development.
Following the unfolding of events through demanding challenges was very satisfying. It was clear that what I did made “a difference”, that it really changed the story. Even better, there were some plot twists that kept the plot from being just a banal succession of scheduled encounters and battles. The right amount of combat, diplomacy, and intrigue perfectly pave the way for the epilogue of the story, definitely unexpected by the characters.
Final Thoughts
Clash at Kell Crennis aD&D5e adventure with a very traditional setting. A linear path of threats that lead to new elements, allowing the group to advance in the plot. The variety of approaches to some challenges should be very appealing for players, while the modular structure of the encounters allows the Dungeon Master greater freedom in compensating for the vagaries of luck by increasing and decreasing the events.
The story is a constantly building crescendo of adversity, with a genuine epic ending. This is an adventure for players who want to feel what it is like to really be able to make a difference in their game setting – or an adventure for DMs who want to highlight the consequences of characters’ choices.
If you enjoyed this Clash at Kell Crenn review, keep following us for more adventures!
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