it going to be great me and a lot of my friendsare going to love it cant wait to pick a other game and see how it goes

It's a well-crafted conversion of a combat-focused race with good-looking layout and art. For me, the concept was a bit one-dimensional and not as interesting as some of the other creatures of Violet Dawn, but I certainly can't fault it if that's what you want from the purchase.

This is a well made product. I really enjoyed the production quality. I think the race is interesting and a bit fascinating. I have concerns about the crunch because the race looks optimized for the rogue class.

This adventure is set in that most enlightened of places, a lunatic asylum: which until recently has had a good reputation with the work it has done amongst those who are in poor mental health. However, of late things have deteriorated, and a number of reasons are supplied to persuade your players that looking into what is going on may be worth their while. They may have been contacted by a relative of one of the inmates, be asked to look for someone who has gone missing (and the trail leads there) or be sent on official business. Of course, you may come up with an idea of your own to get them through the door...

To begin with, the characters will probably want to seek general and background information in the city of Niarva, on the outskirts of which the Witten Asylum is to be found. It is a sharply-stratified and wealthy city, and sufficient detail is provided to make it come alive as a city in its own right, rather than just somewhere you pass through briefly. The overriding mood here is contrast, between the wealthy rulers and the rest of the citizens who are virtually on the breadline and live in squalor. A couple of taverns, a temple and several other businesses are described so that the characters can wander around interacting as they please during this part of the adventure (or indeed any time they visit the town).

The second chapter covers an initial visit to the asylum, with the presumption being that the characters choose to make their first visit openly (although of course they may be spinning tales as to the reason for their being there). Within, assuming the characters gain access, things are not in good order, the patients being kept in dreadful conditions and little signs of any treatment of their illness being in evidence. Several are presented in neat thumbnail descriptions that an inventive DM can use to present the true state of affairs. Throughout, the characters are likely to be supervised by asylum guards, and their movements will be severely limited. To bring this visit to an end, an encounter is provided for the DM, a disturbance caused by a 'small problem' that will necessitate the departure of any legitimate visitors to the facility. (This incident is connected with what is really going on here, by the way.)

Once thrown out, two options are provided for the characters' return to the asylum. One person they might encounter in Niarva knows a secret way in and they may choose to seek his assistance. The other suggestion is for a nocturnal visit. These two alternatives are the content of the next couple of chapters.

Chapter 3 deals with a covert entry by means of the sewers under the guidance of a local rogue. If groping through sewers isn't an unpleasant enough thought, the meeting place they will be given is in the local graveyard! It is all very atmospheric and very dangerous, characters choosing this route will need all their courage and combat abilities to reach their goal. Descriptions are excellent, and worth review by anyone planning a sewer-based adventure. Suitably, if the characters make it through the sewers, they emerge through a privy.

Chapter 4 gives a full run-down on the asylum, whether the characters have arrived via the sewers or found some other means of entry. Again, descriptions are wonderfully atmospheric and will aid the DM in creating a nightmare effect. The amount of detail is impressive and suggests a facility in which a lot is going on irrespective of the characters' presence, an alternate reality in which life goes on even when there are no player-characters around to interact with it, always the sign of a good adventure. Assuming the characters are determined enough to search the whole place, they will find the truth underlying all that has been going on here and - with skill and a strong sword arm - ought to be able to defeat it. The consequences of failure will not be good!

There are notes on winding up the adventure, several versions depending on how you got the characters in to it in the first place and on what they did while there. Also, there are a few thoughts on further adventure possibilities.

Appendix 1 contains full details of the main NPCs, each being presented in sufficient detail when linked to their descriptions in the main text to allow the playing of that NPC as a rounded character, not just an information source or opponent in combat. Appendix 2 details all the magic items to be found during the course of the adventure. Finally, Appendix 3 has notes on all the monsters to be found, some of which are quite original. Some handouts including a weird diagram to find, and maps of the town and the asylum, are also included.

Overall it is an interesting and well put together adventure that should prove a challenge, but not one that cannot be surmounted by good play and a bit of luck when it comes to combat.

This book is one of the best monster books I've ever seen. It is a must have for any fan of D&D v.3.5 even if you're not a fan of the Avadnu campaign world. The artwork in this book is as unique as the monsters in it.

A+

This really is an often overlooked gem. Nice weird monsters in a well organized and clearly OGL publication. There is a lot to like here. I'm not a big fan of the artistic style of the work but the monsters are very well thought out and they're what matters. Inner Circle has a clear sense of place and it unifies all their writing. Avadnu may not be your style (I don't think its mine) but the collection benefits from the overarching idea. The creatures are suitably creepy and alien - that's a good thing.

Whatever your setting, I think it has an extra value because your players wont see it coming. Sometimes another bugbear isn't what you want.

• Well bookmarked
• Selectable text
• Modified Summoning Tables
• Templates, Feats, Skills
• Monsters by CR
• All setting specific info is very well separated making it easy to use the stuff in other settings.

This work has all the organizational stuff I want to make things easier. If you want another monster book this is a good choice.

Sigurd

I previously gave this product a bad review because of non existing bookmarks. The bookmarks exist, and theyre fully functional. I wasnt able to access them before because of mishandling the configuration of the pdf processor i was using. Ive given it the rating it deserves and i want to apologize to Inner Circle for the unjustified bad review.

An RPG Resource Review:

Basically, this product is a collection of ten well-detailed NPCs who all deal in information in some manner. Interestingly, all the NPCs are truly fantastic, they all fit into a high fantasy world of magic and mystery - despite their interest in information they are not just common thriller-style spies translated into a fantasy setting. Yet even if your game is more low-fantasy, it will be possible to use them... albeit perhaps more sparingly.

Each NPC comes with a lot of detail. You might just need someone to pass on a bit of information, but in some ways that would be a waste of these NPCs - however a casual encounter might spark a long-term relationship with someone who might turn into a mentor, a friend, an employer or maybe someone who views the characters as a menace or threat.

For each one, there is a physical description for when the characters meet him. More interestingly, there is background information and rumours which can be discovered by astute characters who ask around before approaching him. There are also adventure ideas so that you can bring the NPC in as the focus of a scenario rather than just an adjunct to whatever else is going on.

The NPCs here are genuine characters in their own right, with histories and interests that obviously carry on even when the characters are nowhere around - always a good sign of well-developed NPCs. If your characters ever seek information from specialist sources, this book is well worth a look.

An RPG Resource Review:

This product presents eighteen new monsters, designed to challenge epic-level characters. While these creatures are native to the world of Avadnu, they can be used to good effect in any other setting.

First, however, there are some new feats suitable for epic-level monsters. They have been developed for the monsters in this book, but can of course be added to existing monsters or used in your own designs as well. Things like a gaze weapon so powerful that it is still effective when the monster has been slain, and the ability to swallow a foe whole with one gulp.

Then come the monsters themselves. Each is presented with not just the usual stat block and description but with useful additions such as suggestions for what you can do with the remains after you've killed it and notes on its particular position and role in Avadnu. Each creature is illustrated as well (the illustrations are available as a free PDF download from the Inner Circle Games website, for DMs who like to flash pictures at the players to show them what they see). The first entry is actually a template - the 'Bygone,' a pale refection of a creature of legend. While a character who has met the real thing will be able to tell the difference, someone who has only ever heard the legends will probably think that he's encountered the genuine article. An example, the bygone uvuudaums, is provided to show how this might work - complete, of course, with the background to the original creature.

Most of the creatures are generally unfriendly and should you encounter them it is likely that a fight will ensure. Some, however, may be open to negotiation. Each monster is accompanied with an adventure idea, often a reason why you might want to go and search out a specimen. For example, when killed a dreadspawn exudes a substance from its eyes that can be used as a potion of resurrection, so the adventure idea is that a king has died without an obvious heir, threatening to plunge his kingdom into violent civil war. So the characters are asked to get hold of a sample of this substance so that the king can be returned to life and encouraged to arrange for his succession!

Finally, there are a couple of pages of notes describing how monsters from the Epic Level Handbook can be incorporated into a game in Avadnu.

If you enjoy high level games, this is a fine collection of monsters to challenge your characters, all presented in beautiful detail with enough background for them to be a lot more than just something to thump!

An RPG Resource Review:

Once you have read the Player's Guide to the Broken Isles, this book will enable you to delve deeper into the background of this unique setting. Some - especially relevant portions of the history and geography sections - may be shared with players at the DM's discretion, but the bits about monsters and compaigns are best kept secret for the characters to discover during play.

The first chapter takes a detailed look at the history of the Broken Isles, teasing out the real story from the interwoven myth, fact and outright propaganda of the oral tradition of the various peoples living there. This 'true' timeline is supplemented by comments on the main points of variance taught by each race and tribe.

Next comes a chapter on the geography of the Broken Isles. Few people living there, however, have a good overview merely knowing their own locality. Even sailors may not know more beyond whichever islands they sail between. Maps are rare and usually inaccurate, and it is generally considered that the best way of finding out what is elsewhere is to go and take a look... if you dare! Naturally, it's the most dangerous places that legends suggest are the repositories of ancient magics and other things worth discovering. Even when the natives are friendly, there are natural dangers as well as the wildlife to contend with. Just reading this chapter gives plenty of scope for exploration and adventure.

The 'Monsters' chapter begins by stating that most of the familiar creatures out of the Monster Manual v.3.5 are not to be found here... a delight for both DM and player to encounter a wholly-new ecosystem. Some are drawn from Denizens of Avadnu and others are new to this work. Most are illustrated, and all come complete with stat block and notes on their general habitat, behaviour and combat tactics. Many are unfriendly by nature and the wise explorer will steer clear - or learn their ways in order to defeat them. Fortunately, there is also a list of 'mundane' creatures which serve as food, pets and ordinary wildlife to fill out the environment. For those DMs wishing to use a favourite monster, there are notes on several of the Monster Manual ones will fit in to the world of Avadnu.

The final chapter is 'Campaigns' and talks about the specific strengths and pitfalls inherent in running a game in this particular setting. Rather than the classic adventurer who has set out in search of fame and fortune, everyone's going to be based firmly in the area with a tribal or racial background to draw upon... even if they have been sent or decided to go in search of fame and fortune! While no specific details of tribal leaders, settlements and so forth are given, this information is easily developed from the material presented; or characters can be more 'generic' members of their chosen tribe/race who have for whatever reason wandered off to explore.

Being a primitive world, ritual is very important and can be made a central feature of your game - perhaps even a level gain is marked by a ceremony. Formal ritual quests may be used to advance through an adventure, maybe one has to be completed before characters are deemed worthy enough to do whatever it is that they have set out to do.

Limitations are obvious: the book covers but the Broken Isles, so if you want to go elsewhere you'll need to wait for future products; and it's designed for characters of 1st to 5th levels. To round up, a series of brief ideas for the sort of adventures that would work well in this setting are given.

This is a well-constructed setting that presents a coherent and unusual whole - the primitive culture provides some intriguing possibilities for play, an opportunity to explore something quite different from the usual quasi-mediaeval setting. It may not be for everybody, but is well worth a look.

An RPG Resource Review:

At last, after some tantalising hints and a series of fascinating creatures, material designed to empower play in the Avadnu setting arrives! An interesting approach here, rather than the usual big world book, we have here a detailed discussion of a small and isolated area, the Broken Isles where, even to the natives, the rest of the world is unexplored and unknown territory. This means that players only need to understand and know about a small area with a limited history and background, and will have a genuine feeling of exploration as their characters venture further afield.

The first chapter deals with the races available. As well as humans (of which there are four distinct groups) there are ngakoi, skarren and zeidians living there, all of which are suitable to be PCs. The other character races of the Player's Handbook are not to be found here. The human tribes would have you believe that they are all different, but they have more in common with each other than they'd care to admit. Ngakoi use magic almost instinctively and blend in with their surroundings... and have 3 eyes. Skarren, the first race to colonise the Isles, are very warlike; and zeidians are a secretive bunch, concerned with deep mysteries. The usual details of background, general lifestyle and upbringing, rules bits, languages, etc., are provided for each race. All races here are fairly basic and barbaric, living close to and off the land - if you prefer to play a cultured and elegant individual, this may not be the best place for you!

The next chapter looks in more detail at the human tribes... probably a wise move as the other races are quite strange, and could prove difficult to play in the classic 'adventuring party' mode as the interplay between them could prove quite a challenge. Each tribe has its own history and customs, and indeed even they do not mix well; rarely having contact with each other except for occasional trade and skirmishes - all-out war is rare as that will usually bring the Skarren around, joining first with whoever they deem to be the weaker to defeat their opponents then turning on their former allies and attempting to wipe them out as well. However, all four tribes are very primitive, rarely using metal and living closely in harmony with their chosen lands. Religion is generally animistic or designed to appease whatever powers they believe are around.

Next comes a chapter on classes. While all classes from the Player's Handbook except that of the cleric are available, anyone who is a druid, sorcerer or wizard will be regarded as a shaman irrespective of the true nature of his powers. Barbarians and fighters are understandably common, while bards serve as keepers of oral tradition - few save the Inul tribe of humans and the zeidians are literate. Rogues and rangers also flourish while paladins and monks are more rare, but can exist. Due to a distrust of magic, particularly that acquired by means other than studying with an established shaman, those classes which gain mystical abilities at higher levels have the option of taking other benefits instead.

A collection of feats follows: some available to all and some which can only be acquired by members of specific races or tribes (or those whom they favour with instruction).

The final chapter examines typical equipment of the Broken Isles, which - given the area's primitive nature - is somewhat different from more conventional equipment lists. Most trade is by barter, so new characters receive their starting wealth in appropriate 'trade goods' rather than cash. Metal is quite rare, and a lot of bone, flint, obsidian and wood is used instead. Both weapons and armour take on a wholly-new style.

This is a very different game setting from many, with primitive tribes roaming an uncivilised land - a fascinating challenge for anyone looking for something different. Indications are that the mainland is somewhat more developed which should prove interesting for those characters who explore that far. The concept of starting off in a remote area is a good one, it means that the players are not overwhelmed with a lot of information but can assimilate what's provided about the area they begin in, and have the fun of exploring the rest as their characters venture forth. For those less happy about being noble savages, it could be used as a resource for a primitive land that more cultured sould might visit, of course. Overall, it is well put together and provides scope for a truly original campaign.

It seems odd to be doing a Halloween review during the week of Thanksgiving. However, given that I have not seen any Thanksgiving oriented adventures in a few years this one will have to do. This adventure is a nice horror bit that takes place in an insane asylum. It has a lot of good qualities that I?ll into shortly but the most important aspect of the adventure is that it is free.

I rarely talk about the cost of a product in my review. What is expensive to one is cheap to another, it all comes down to the person buying. But there is no excuse for not getting this module as it is a free download. I have seen a lot of free downloads and this is one of the better ones. So, go get it?it is costing you nothing!!!

Now that we have that taken care of let us get one to the actual product. Where Madness Dwells is an adventure written by Thomas Knauss and CD Bennett. They are part of the Inner Circle. They are the people behind two great products Denizens of Avandu and Legends of Avandu. If you have not checked them out you should. Where Madness Dwells comes in a zip file a bit under nine megs. It comes with player handouts, maps and a print and on screen version of the adventure.

The adventure is designed for character of six to eighth level with ways to scale the adventure. The adventure is supposed to be really challenging for the players with one or two encounters that will be extremely hard. This seems to be by design and with the setting these extra challenging encounters should make this adventure memorable. In fact the writers even say that completing this will give the players bragging rights for years to come.

There is a PDF of player handouts. Handouts are a great addition to any game and it is good to see them included here. There is a map of the city, and two sheets that are for the players to find. They really are nicely done and this type of quality is rarely seen in anything free. There is also a map of the Asylum and this is of course for the DM.

The adventure is a good mystery. The setting can get creepy if properly run. It is a an asylum and they capture the craziness of it in the adventure. There are plenty of unique characters for the players to encounter. As the modules itself says the feel should be one of lurking dread.

I am not going to offer any spoilers for this one. Again, it is free and if the if the idea of a creepy asylum adventure sounds cool then go get it. If it turns out to be something you do not like it will be easy to delete it off your hard drive.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>

NPCs in RPGs are always interesting. There are people that stat them out completely and have ever little thing defined for the NPCs even if they serve little purpose in the game. Then there are those that just come up with a name and basic personality and define things as they are needed. Both ways work and serve different styles of gaming. But perhaps the best way might be taking the NPCs presented in different books and letting someone else do the work and just using it. That brings us to this review, a review of a book of NPCs.

Fantasy Personae: Sages, Spies and Informants is the latest PDF by Inner Circle Games. They are the guys who brought us Denizens of Avadnu a very good and creative monster book. However, they have yet to bring out the follow up to that the setting book so hopefully that is still coming as I am waiting for it and I imagine others are. This PDF covers NPCs. It is a thirty six page PDF. The book is done in a nice full color. It looks really good but can really be murder on the printer. I like fully color but I really hope companies will start offering more printer friendly versions of PDFs. The book is nicely book marked and is easy to access form a computer. The major NPCs defined in here are all given pictures. The art is okay, but could be better. But it is really the NPCs that are going make or break the product.

The idea behind this PDF is quite simple. It presents NPCs that are in the know. These NPCs have reasons for knowing lot and lots of things. But these are not the rumormonger or the criminal with his ear open. These NPCs are fantastic in nature meaning they will only exist in a fantasy world. They are magical, mysterious, and intelligent. There are no omnipotent characters here, they all have an area of expertise and they know that really well. And they might help the player characters for a price. Each NPC is nicely described. There are pictures of each of them as I said above. Each is given a quote that helps reveal the personality of the creature. Each has a full description and background. Each also has attitudes for the NPC so if the players are make it hostile, indifferent or even friendly the DM knows how to role play the creature. This is something that is rarely seen and a great addition to the NPCs here. Each has a reputation and rumors so a Bardic Lore of appropriate knowledge check can yield certain information. Each has a list of adventure ideas to work with the creature. There are alternative ideas just in case the NPC as defined does not quite work for the DM. Lastly, are the statistics for the creature and the source material. This is a great thing as well as most companies have the source in the OGL in the back, but few say what comes from where.

The book also presents a number of cameos. These are less defined NPCs. They do not get pictures only a short description for them. They do not have stat blocks but the book does list creature type and class levels when needed. These are enough to get the creative juices of the DM really flowing and are pretty complete in and of themselves.

The PDF has a good amount of creativity in it and a nice amount of useful NPCs. These are the people PCs seek out and run into in their travels. They can easily have long lasting rumors and stories about them so it can fill out a campaign personnel in that way.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>

I was most interested in the Broken Isles as a setting rather than a source of crunchy rules, but picked this up in the Broken Isles bundle. The Players' Guide details the four great tribes and nonhuman races of the Broken Isles, gives player background for the geography and past of the islands (history is not a word much applicable to this region), describes class modifications and equipment, and not least, how adventurers who may have great tribal distrust or blood feuds can be expected to work together.

The tribes are each very different and have specific philosophies, ways of life and (naturally) feats and equipment choices. The diversity of culture is possibly a bit excessive for groups living on the same island and speaking the same language, but it gives strong direction to human characters.

Avadnu doesn't use the standard PC races but instead has the violent skarren, rare guardian zeidians and small nomadic ngakoi (I have to approve of a PC race that goes around with two of its eyes sewn shut). Each of the nonhuman races, also described in Denizens of Avadnu, has a specific relationship to humans in general and the four tribes individually that differs in interesting ways from the role that they play in the wider world.

The Broken Isles doesn't use the cleric class and groups spellcasters as shamans - a term that is broader, but in some ways more defining than a character class in the mechanical sense. The role of shamans in the setting and the various adjustments that have been made to accomodate the lack of a cleric's abilities are mentioned throughout the text - summaries would have been useful, as this is the most radical change made to the class structure and it's not the easiest task as a player to grasp all its implications.

There are a few general feats (notably to reduce the penalties of poor weapon materials) and numerous tribal or racial feats that give some quite remarkable abilities

For me, the setting has more new names for weapons than it really needs and would have been that much easier to take in if a sword, a dagger or a double-headed axe was named as such. There are certainly a lot of spiky-looking blades which was perhaps the point of the weapons expansion. Not all the new weapons are illustrated. There is a system for weapons of different materials - no doubt necessary, and it seems workable mechanically. Different tribes and races have access to different weapon materials which is an evocative touch. Armour benefits from the presence of hard-shelled creatures that provide new chitin-based armour types.

The new non-decimal range of ceramic currency is a plain headache, especially since most of the tribes don't even use it. Apart from the dubious virtue of introducing the currency system of the wider world for later reference, I would have been much happier to see equipment prices in barter units.

A lot has been made of the art in this setting. To be perfectly honest, it's appropriate and professional but doesn't knock my socks off by the standards of print products. I would have liked to see one really good picture highlighting the differences of a skarren (especially the eyes) or a zeidian. The PDF is cleanly edited, well bookmarked and features separate printer-friendly and map files.<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: The different viewpoints of each tribe and race are well described.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Acceptable<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>

This extract of Denizens of Avadnu presents creatures of low threat - notably, the new intelligent races of Avadnu. As such, it partly overlaps and partly gives an interesting contrast to the territory covered by the more recent Broken Isles.

Other contents of this download are a number of insidious parasites and monstrous races. Where creatures (such as the vylar) occur at a number of levels of power, the whole creature entry is reproduced here. An attachment includes all the new skills, feats and a new subtype relevant to creatures in the Avadnu setting.

Each creature or race has illustrations, a detailed description of its appearance, habits and ecology, its place in Avadnu, its divine origin and role in the disasters that have affected this world, going far beyond a stat block.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>