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Warlock!
by Richard [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 03/16/2024 03:50:44

I love this gritty little gem of an RPG. If you're a fan of deadly combats, brutal critical hits, miscasting tables, and desperate battles in the dark over causes that are morally grey... but not a fan of hundreds of percentile modifiers and scores, then this is the rule set for you. You could totally use this to play a game set in a grim dark setting by a certain model company that makes wargames. I didn't... I made my own which is way more awesome (in my opinion).

Specifics - The Good bits

  • There are no attributes. Players can totally make up the character they want. Having an option of 4 different careers is the only real limitation on this... and that only lasts for as long as the character needs to develop enough upgrades to swap careers.
  • The spells are amazing. No rules for the actual spells, so their effects can be different in the different contexts they are used. Summoning a swarm can be useful to stop a pursuit- or for getting rid of a corpse quickly.
  • Easy to adapt. I have added gunpower weapons to my game (to resemble more a 17th century England). It is very easy to do. The rules are highly adaptable.
  • Baddies are easy to run. They have only a few stats and kind of remind me of ICRPG bad guys in how simple they can be.
  • The way currency is used. Its an awesome feature in the game!

Stuff that might be better

  • Combat can be swingy. One side can win one round and be decimated another. This makes combat risky, for sure, but if you want to let the PCs have some advantages they earn, I'd add toys to the combat site. Either way to make the environment work for them - or ways the environment is used against them. Sometimes you need to hold the high ground in order to win, you know?

Still, the game is awesome. Well worthy of 5 stars. I bought the PDF and the print version and the print version is already my new best friend. lol



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Warlock!
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Warlock! Traitor's Edition
by Rafael [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 02/28/2024 09:16:46

I've been a GM for over 20 years, I have to say that this is a masterpiece!

What an incredible job! It's exactly what I was looking for in the OSR scenario, simplicity and great features and ideas for fantasy adventures! This fits perfectly into the game with little preparation but a lot of fun that I'm looking for!

E os suplementos! Certamente Greg é um autor fantastico e estou muito feliz de poder acompanhar toda a produção de conteudo para Warlock! Espero que Greg continue nos agraciando com ótimas aventuras e suplementos!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Warlock! Traitor's Edition
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Warlock! Traitor's Edition
by Samuli [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 02/25/2024 02:18:12

Warlock shows that we can have OSR outside the D&D paradigm. If you only knew about AC and HP and classes and levels, you should try Warlock. Warlock is gritty, flavourful and concise. Warlock is easy to grasp: seldom have I read a RPG rulebook so fast and still already felt ready for gaming. As a book Warlock is cheap and short and for a ruleset that's a big plus. It's a matter of taste but in my mind Warlock wins hands down compared to more bloated and crunchy systems.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Wetwired!
by Henry [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 11/15/2023 18:13:08

I've liked all of these "!" rulesets. Warlock! and Warpstar! are enjoyable, svelte books you could teach people to play in a few minutes. This book is much the same; the rules are light, and fun. My main knock is the layout. Some pages could have used another once over from an editor; columns are off or, in the case of some pages in the Equipment chapter, descriptor text that's supposed to be placed opposite a particular block of text is instead placed directly beneath it.

Now as some others have pointed out, AI art was used in this product. I don't feel like I'm educated enough on the issue to present a particular "argument" for or against but I'm not the biggest fan, personally. The cover and interior art of the first two books had a grimy, scummier vibe that I do miss a bit.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Wetwired!
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Wetwired!
by Thalles d. M. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 10/01/2023 17:50:52

An excellent niche product. If you are a fan of the Shadowrun setting but hate the system, then this product is made for you. If you are a fan of the Cyberpunk 2020 setting but hate the system, then this product will mostly cater to your needs.

It does not include any setting information in it. This is purely a system replacement. You will need books from other games to utilise this unless you create your own setting. What it does include is everything else. Character creation, archetypes, skill checks, cyberware, gear, magic, matrix, bestiary, contacts. It is ready to go and playable. The resolution mechanic is simple: roll 1d20 + skill level, if result is equal to or greater than 20 you succeed. In combat armor reduces damage taken, once at zero stamina your character starts taking critical hits.

Because it is a niche product I am very glad that the publishers used AI art. A product like this will not have enough of an audience to justify much if any decent artwork in it. Instead what you get are stunning full page art pieces present throughout the book - almost every 2nd page is filled with art. There is an entire emotional argument around use of AI art in games. If that is enough to dissuade you from supporting a product you might need and use, then stand your ground don't buy it. I think it is worth it, and I want to see more products like it. A similar treatment focused on Rifts for example would be an immediate buy for me. To the publishers: great job on the AI art! The prompts and pieces chosen are magnificent.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Warlock! Traitor's Edition
by Michael H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 09/23/2023 08:47:32

Warlock! Traitor's Edition presents a fun, simple system of mechanics and still manages to capture the style of gaming it pays homage to. It reads so fast too. At 144 pages, I finished my read through in one sitting and I can't wait to get the game to the table.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Warlock! Traitor's Edition
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Wetwired!
by Michael H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 08/27/2023 08:20:25

Full Disclosure: I did not realize this book included AI art created with Midjourney. Other products by Fire Ruby Designs used real artists as far as I know. To be honest, if I had known I would not have purchased this product. I can't undo that now though, so on with the review.

Editing and Layout: Decent in most parts of the book but I kept stumbling on sections that didn't make sense and needed to be rewritten. I also encountered some weird layout issues (like a section header that wasn't formated as a header), and a few other things. Overall, this hurt the book.

System: The mechanics of the game are top notch. I really liked everything about the Wetwired! mechanics and I think it will play very smoothly at the game table. One of the things that keeps my current group from playing Shadowrun is the crunch and I think this game will solve that problem, my group will enjoy these rules. There is only one thing I felt was missing and that was rules for "cover fire" but I can easily hack that into the game using the mechanics they've provided. Even without that, I still think the Wetwired! system is a solid 5/5 stars.

Fluff/Flavor: Honestly, there's some fluff/flavor in the book. Maybe just enough but it felt really sparse. The product relies too much on a reader's knowledge of other cyberpunk products. For a product that is just shy of 200 pages, that is a shame. If someone really didn't know much about Shadowrun or the Cyberpunk RPG, they might struggle with what to actually do with this game. Some would say the target audience for this game already has that knowledge, but I think that would be a bit of a copout. The game can stand on its own while providing homage to the old classics, if done right.

The Art: Politics about using AI art aside, the art actually hurt this book. The cover was excellent and there were a few pieces that were quite good, but most of it was blah. A few of the art selections were downright awful. The art lacked cohesion aside from the weirdness that has become a staple of Midjourney generated art. Weird is good sometimes but this is not a good weird. I hope Fire Ruby Designs returns to using real artists.

This product was good but not great. The core system is excellent, an adaptation of Warlock!, but the rest of the book kinda fell flat around that. In the end, that won't hurt the game at the table once I do my homework to craft a good story for my players.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Wetwired!
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Warlock! Character sheet
by Benjamin K. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 02/16/2023 12:50:49

This is a less ink-intensive and more practical character sheet than the one provided in the book, though it does hav a bit less "character".



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Warlock! Character sheet
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Esoterica Secretum Mundi
by Valerie W. T. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 11/29/2022 15:20:14

This is a wonderful collection of characters, organizations, events, and items that serve as perfect story seeds for your occult or magic-focused modern game. There are a lot of mentions of soul jars and other terms that feel like it may have originally been written for a particular game. But that doesn't detract from its usability for any system. Each entry includes a story hook idea, easily adjustable for use in your own campaign.

The only complaint I have is that the bookmarks are a mess - all collected under one letter, some missing, some in the wrong places. But that's a minor editing issue. The content itself is great! Thank you!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Esoterica Secretum Mundi
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Warlock! Kingdom
by Kris F. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 09/06/2022 10:59:15

This has got to be one of my favorite, if not my favorite supplement that I have read for quite some time. It's brilliant in the way that although it doesn't have a massive amount of info it has all the right kind of info and tables as well. It's not loaded with fluff or nonsense (well really fun and useful nonsense it does have) and it really gives you an excellent look into the main location focus of the book , Grim Biskerstaf not to mention ever bit of the mentioned lore and past/current events are all basically campaign/adventure hooks. If you are someone like myself who does a lot of co-op solo play with my sons using things like Mythic GM Emulator a supplement like this is a real treat given you enjoy the gritty grimdark style setting. Long story short I love this book and Warlock! has become my go to system and I can see us playing in this setting for the foreseeable future. Well done!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Warlock! Kingdom
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Warlock! Far Hissain
by Sterling G. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/26/2022 12:33:35

Really excited about this book. The illustrations are imaginative, and it’s a really nice take on an Arabian setting without being typical. If you’re not familiar with the tradition of Jinn, this book gives you everything you need to know, from the tables to make Jinn to spells to locations. I hope to see more from this author.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Warlock! Far Hissain
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Warlock! Traitor's Edition
by Sébastien J. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/01/2022 03:44:46

Excellent system, excellent feeling: rule lite, quick character creation, dangerous magic, deadly combats... WOAW, exactly what I seek in a medieval-rpg! GET IT!

Only critic with this new edition: the paper is thinner than the first edition of Warlock!. It's a little bit disappointing.

But otherwise, just awesome book!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Warlock! Traitor's Edition
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Warlock! Traitor's Edition
by Eric B. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 03/29/2022 15:47:40

Warlock! is a fantastic game, easy to learn, easy to run, easy to play. I'm pretty sure I've already reviewed it in the original edition so for more thoughts definitely go check out the reviews there.

This Traitor's Edition then is a considerable facelift from the original with all updated layout, art, and design. As much as I like the look and feel of the original I get that it wouldn't appeal to all audiences which I think this edition largely addresses. So to all those that are wondering if they have the original and are unsure about whether to get this version as well, I say... why not!? It's a great game in whatever style and more copies is just more books you can hand out on game night when someone wants to check what are the skills of the rat catcher career. The only caveat I might offer is that there are a couple minor errors that might not be fixed in the print on demand physical copy but that Fire Ruby Designs is quick to correct and update in the pdf.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Warlock!
by Peter F. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 03/26/2022 08:22:52

I love this system. Its almost as if there was B/X version of WFRP, I mean that in the best way possible. Having limited experience with "British style" rpgs, I can't say how well it captures the same feel but on its own merits it a worthy system. I haven't tried to see how difficult it is to convert WFRP adventures to be compatible with Warlock!

The rules for the most part are clear and simple but there are a few areas that can be better worded at some points (or an example included) but careful re-readings generally will clear things up. The additional supplements are definitely worth it.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Warlock!
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Warlock! Traitor's Edition
by William H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 03/18/2022 23:31:30

My first encounter with this game was references by people looking for the WFRP tone, but with simpler, easier rules. That made me curious.¶

So I bought it in PDF. This is a pre-play review - I've read the rules, but not yet played nor run it. Yet. That said...¶

  • Simpler? Absolutely.
  • Grimdark tone? Yes
  • Ratcatchers with a small but vicious dog? Yep, but worded differently.
  • Dangerous Magic? Yep
  • Characters going insane from combat wounds? Nope.
  • Characters suffering mutations from magic? only minor ones.
  • Characters suffering mutations from exposure to evil beasts? Not really.
  • No lasting damage until all HP are gone? Yes, but they're called Stamina here.¶

The core mechanic is a 1d20+Skill Rating >=20 succeeds. Modifiers may be applied by the GM. There are two attributes, and 32 skills, all of which have a rating. The attributes don't interact with the skills; one's "Stamina" - used as magic points and as hit points (a nice grimdark touch), the other is luck, whcih is a saving throw mechanic, but has limited uses. Advances are earned at GM determined milestones; each is a skill & stamina improvement; only skills in your current career can be raised. Very simple.¶

Given that any attack results in someone taking damage, and armor can only reduce damage to 1 point, not none, it's got a significant amount of "dangerous combat". The magic system has a high rate of mishaps - 1 in 20 castings. Combat overall is very clear, but not all in the same spot; only 4 actions are specified: Move, Melee Attack, Ranged Attack, and (in a different section) Cast a spell. ¶

One of the more novel elements: costs are randomized. There's a nice and short list of what to roll for the costs of various things.¶

Armor is very vague; only three mechanical categories. They're sensible, too. ¶

I like the skill driven mechanic, and that all skills have a score, and so a chance to be used.¶

Career Skills are a great idea, too. while in a given career, you gain a skill with the name of the career at the level of the lowest of the career's skills; when you exit that career, the score is fixed. So, anything that is within scope for a career, but not for its skills, has a default. ¶

Ok, so why only 4/5? I mean, it's clear that I like what I'm seeing... but...

  • This, despite being a revised edition, has some clarity issues. EG: It took me a bit of time to grasp that there is zero starting skill increase from career, only allowance for future advances.
  • Only 4 combat actions (and 1 of them not in the combat chapter)
  • Only one (combined) list of spells; a distinction between priestly and sorcerous magic is made, but the spells are interchangeable as written - steal a priest's scroll, and your wizard can cast it.
  • No Orks? WTF? (Especially since it has Goblins)
  • No direct rules for traits, despite requireing 3 of them per PC.
  • No sanity system. Grimdark is well served by sanity systems.¶

Those are all pretty minor. I do plan to bring this to table. I wonder how many of my negatives are fixed in the compendia...



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Warlock! Traitor's Edition
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