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d20/Pathfinder Battlemaps: 3 battle maps
Publisher: Conflict Games, LLC
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 07/22/2011 14:31:06

Three very nice maps are included in this pack. I have to say they are VERY interesting tactically speaking. All three maps, the Keep, Atrium, and Baths, are situated like a first-person shooter multiplayer map. Each side is balanced with minor variance between them to make it interesting. The maps are very high quality with great artwork. They are quite large, so you have plenty of room for your group to fight their way across and utilize the landscape. The only thing I would love is premade files for MapTool or other virtual tabletops. It definitely helps me out. If you use only printouts, this is a great option. If you use virtual tabletops, it'll just take a bit of work if you want to import it and size it so the grids line up. Oh, they do have grids already, so that's taken care of.

All in all a good set of maps.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
d20/Pathfinder Battlemaps: 3 battle maps
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Savage Worlds Deluxe
Publisher: Pinnacle Entertainment
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 07/21/2011 19:46:38

As this is an expanded book of the base Savage Worlds Explorer Edition, I will refer you to my review of that for details on the overall system. The summary is that it is very easy to learn, extremely fun to play, and adaptable to just about any genre of play. My group uses it quite readily for a number of games from sci-fi to western and hilarious to horror. It's flexible and best of all you can make a character in 10 minutes if you know the system AND they will have great mechanics behind your RP (Hindrances and Edges).

This book expands and refines the rules found in the 3rd Explorer Edition. I love what is added. I purchased the book even though Pinnacle is releasing the changes slowly on their website for those of you with an older edition. I think it's worth the money. There is gorgeous artwork throughout. Everything is now in one place. They even added in some general tips throughout to improve your games.

Now the additions. First, they added vehicles back in which is very cool. I love having tons of options already statted out for me to use. You can reskin or tweak as you go, so you keep the flexibility. The race creation rules are included which are very useful for home brew games. Almost anything is able to be recreated with balance maintained. There is a focus on mass combat as well. This is tricky for any system and I like the simple, yet elegant way Savage Worlds handles it. You can pit rival armies against each other and even have your heroes join the fray to sway the battle in their favor or die horribly.

If you don't have a Savage Worlds core rulebook, this is for you. If you already have one, I'd still pick it up. It's just too good not to and I feel like it's good to support the effort that went into this product. I can't wait to run a game with all the new stuff. Maybe orcs in tanks against fishmen in planes!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Savage Worlds Deluxe
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One Dollar Dungeon: Warlord's Watchtower Map Pack
Publisher: D20 Cartographer
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 07/20/2011 21:38:53

I had to go four stars on this one, which doesn't mean this map isn't high quality. It is well made and again has all the bells and whistles so that you can use it any way you like, print it out (color or b/w), use MapTool or other electronic solution, or whatever else you can think of.

The map overall may be a bit less "universal" as previous ones. It features a bunkhouse-type structure with a tower attached. I would likely use it as a piece of a larger map rather than the focus of an encounter. Or you could use it as your groups' safehouse, which they always appreciate. It is a bit similar to the Wizard's Tower, but obviously not arcane inspired. I dig it and again, it's a dollar. What more do you want? This is good value. Buy it.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
One Dollar Dungeon: Warlord's Watchtower Map Pack
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Nightmare on Hill Manor
Publisher: White Wolf
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 07/20/2011 21:32:44

I think this is a great intro to World of Darkness for mortals. It has a great horror factor to it featuring an interesting take on the haunted house genre. The characters are trapped in some nightmarish hellscape where ghosts of those who met a tragic end are looking to get revenge on the living. Several optional scenes are included so you can keep players on their toes while they explore.

As they move through the apartment building, they put the pieces together and have to work together to escape. The pregens look good and using them should provide a relatively balanced game. All the necessary rules are briefed here and none of the expanded material is included. This should give your players a taste of NWOD while easing them (and you as a Storyteller if you haven't before) into the system.

Sure, it doesn't get into all the supernatural options for players or adversaries, nor does it touch much on the intricacies of being a Hunter really. It's just normal people in an extraordinary situation. I may even try to adapt this to Fear Itself as it could just as easily be used there. Ok, I'm lazy and everything is laid out and organized here, so I'll go with NWOD.

Just to note, the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is I feel it is a bit heavy-handed at the end when the full explanation is revealed. I usually prefer clues to slowly add up to the big picture rather than one critical piece of information the explains everything.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Nightmare on Hill Manor
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Invasive Procedures
Publisher: Pelgrane Press
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 07/20/2011 21:18:09

WARNING: This scenario is hideous . . . in a good way. If it doesn't disturb and horrify your players, you may want to find a group of non-serial killers to play with. The overall structure is well laid out. There are great tips for running the scenario and cool vignettes to throw at your players. You even get rules to convert to Trail of Cthulhu . . . BONUS!

To give you a peek at the horror, your players assume the roles of patients in a hospital about to be phased out. Everything seems on the up and up until night comes. Then everything changes. Silent Hill-esque creatures roam the halls and characters are subjected to some VERY disturbing events. The scenario plays on helplessness, occult horrors, and a gradual ramp up of unsettling events directed at the characters to really mess with your players' heads. Pregens are included and I would recommend using them if you don't want to tweak too much of the story.

There are some added mechanics to consider here, which bring an interesting twist to investigation. Players lose health if they don't stay in bed to rest and will lose health when exerting themselves. Preventing a terrible fate from befalling you is juxtaposed with dying a slow death from your injuries. I'm curious to see how my particular group handles it.

This is not for the faint of heart and I almost . . . ALMOST . . . don't want to subject my players to this in order to make sure they keep playing. If I was a player without any knowledge of this scenario, I would be terrified. This is what horror scenarios should be.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Invasive Procedures
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One Dollar Dungeon: Ranger's Camp near the Ruins Map Pack
Publisher: D20 Cartographer
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 07/03/2011 15:06:06

If you've seen my latest reviews, I've done them for every one of the maps from this set. Not surprisingly, this one is great. But it's not just detailed, gorgeous, and interesting, IT'S HUGE! The map comes in separate pieces if you want to use one section only, which is nice for those of us with dungeon tiles or the open dry erase map. You can integrate these into your set-up for some forest fun. As usual, it comes with the MapTool campaign file so you an just open it up and get going with an online game. These maps may just convert my in person group to online combat around the table (at least a few sessions). I love that the objects are added separately, layers already exist, lighting and vision blocking are enabled. You literally just have to drop in tokens.

After seeing this line of products, I have to say that this is exactly the type of project I love from independent developers. It is clearly a labor of love and you get far more than a dollar's worth of value here. Support D20 Cartographer by picking these up today, because I want to see more!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
One Dollar Dungeon: Ranger's Camp near the Ruins Map Pack
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One Dollar Dungeon: Rogue's Reward Prison Map Pack
Publisher: D20 Cartographer
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 06/30/2011 22:10:27

What can I say? Another gorgeous map from D20 Cartographer. Also, did I mention it is only a dollar? What can you buy for a dollar these days? Not a whole lot. In this case, you get full color panels of a prison (or what could double as a barracks potentially or bunkhouse of some sort), black and white panels that you can also cut out and make your full sized map to use at your table. Or if you've started using some of the electronic tools, this line of products is a godsend. Seriously people, you can literally directly import these maps into MapTool with objects included (also separately to add to your collection for later) and more importantly VISION BLOCKING AND LIGHT SOURCES already embedded. Slap your tokens down and just start playing. I really do commend Joshua Bennett who creates these. They really are very well made, universally usable for almost anyone who runs a fantasy RPG, and as I always say I can't wait to see the next one. There is some real skill and talent going into these, so support them.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
One Dollar Dungeon: Rogue's Reward Prison Map Pack
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xxxWar of the Dead (Chapter One Subscription)
Publisher: Daring Entertainment
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 06/14/2011 20:36:55

I highly recommend War of the Dead Chapter One to start a Savage Worlds zombie campaign (or finish it depending on how brutal you want to be). I want to make sure I praise all of the amazing features of this product, but I am sure I’m going to miss something seeing as it has so much going for it. First, I want to say that it is very well written and produced. This is a very high quality PDF. The technical stuff is good all around.

Now let’s talk about content. I fell in love with this product after just a few short minutes of reading. First, it has some wonderful throwbacks to your favorite zombie genre celebrities. You have to appreciate that the goal was to make something even close to their work. I personally think it comes pretty close. If you don’t want to run this campaign after reading it, then you must not like zombies. As a matter of fact, even if you don’t run the game or play RPGs, this is very entertaining reading. I couldn’t stop, which is why I suggest just getting the subscription. Save yourself the money by getting bundle and jumping in feet first. You won’t regret it.

I have a lot to say and just want to let folks know some of the non-spoiler details about the campaign in general. It is very roleplaying focused. There is plenty of opportunity for action, but what really drew me in was the extremely detailed descriptions of characters, motivations, and call outs of where you should allow players to talk with NPCs that they know and care about. I don’t think this is a spoiler as you are likely going to have to tell people where you start in order to have them get a backstory. You start on a cruise ship. This idea immediately grabbed some of my players (pun intended). They loved the idea of the cruise ship being somewhat claustrophobic and the characters unable to just run away or drive to the nearest army base. Also, it sets up a great opportunity to have friends, family, and love ones with you. Who goes on a cruise entirely alone? So yes, this is story driven and character driven. A good group of players could really shine with this campaign.

I’ll wrap it up saying that this is a great framework to run a whole campaign, take sections for a one shot (you can use the previous sections to think about how the characters got where they are), or just get inspiration for your own homebrew campaign. I think the focus on characters, NPC reactions, and great writing elevate this above many adventures you’ll read. I also really enjoy the digestible sections it is broken into. There are cliffhangers pretty much built in at regular intervals, so you players will always want to come back for more no matter what length of session you are running. This product will definitely make it into the NerdBound podcast because I can’t pass up the chance to really dig into the story and see how the players handle it.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
xxxWar of the Dead (Chapter One Subscription)
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Deathwatch: Mark of the Xenos
Publisher: Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd.
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 06/14/2011 20:35:51

This product is pretty easy to sum up: awesome new baddies to throw at your Deathwatch squad. That is doing it an injustice, but hey, who said Warhammer 40K was fair? Seriously though, this is a great addition to the Deathwatch product line providing what is essentially a “monster manual” of huge and terrifying creatures, heretics, and Chaos forces. I’ve been waiting a while for this. Granted, you can make your own creatures, especially if you know the tabletop game well (I don’t), but this gives you so many stat blocks and descriptions that you can repurpose them infinitely with flavor text to create pretty much anything beast you can imagine.

So what do you really get with this book: Tau, Tyranid, Orks, other crazy aliens, radicals, heretics, Chaos demons, Chaos Marines (probably not as diverse as when Black Crusade is released, which can’t come soon enough), and new mechanics for mass battles and Hordes. All of this is packaged in a crazy well produced PDF with production values and artwork to rival any other product line. I think everyone comes to expect something great when Fantasy Flight Games releases a book. I am not a huge physical book guy, so the PDFs are much appreciated with searching, bookmarks, and other features making navigation easy. However, I have to say the Deathwatch Core Rulebook I got as a gift is pretty amazing just to flip through. I never want Fantasy Flight to give up this line. As long as they keep making them, I’ll keep getting them. Now buy this book and challenge whether your Space Marines really know no fear.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Deathwatch: Mark of the Xenos
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One Dollar Dungeon: Cleric's Cathedral Map Pack
Publisher: D20 Cartographer
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 06/13/2011 21:51:38

I love this line of products and can't wait for more. If you use MapTool, pregenerated maps, or just need some inspiration, this is a must have. Not only does it give you the maps to print out in several formats, you can just open the virtual table top file up with objects (included separately as well) and vision blocking ready to go and just get the fight going. The artwork is great. You get so many options it's insane and it's a DOLLAR. Don't question it. Just buy it. It's worth it.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
One Dollar Dungeon: Cleric's Cathedral Map Pack
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One Dollar Dungeon: Fighter's Barroom Brawl Map Pack
Publisher: D20 Cartographer
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 06/13/2011 21:46:09

I feel like I'm going to say similar things about all of the D20 Cartographer products to date. They are easily worth the $1 with black and white, color, gridded, non-gridded, MapTool compatible (including objects, vision blocking, etc.) versions of the maps. This one is particularly useful as your interchangeable inn, bar, store, anything inside really. Does it really matter if you use the same building a few times? If you rearrange the objects, no one will even notice! With all the features of this product, you can't possibly pass it up if you've got any sense and use pregenerated maps ever.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
One Dollar Dungeon: Fighter's Barroom Brawl Map Pack
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One Dollar Dungeon: Wizard's Weird Tower of Wonders Map Pack
Publisher: D20 Cartographer
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 06/13/2011 21:40:28

This map pack is worth way more than a dollar. Considering you get about every possible format you could possibly want for a pregenerated map; gridded, non-gridded, JPEG, PNG, and more, you are getting some serious bang for you buck. Pun intended. Not only that, it's like this guy read my mind and included the MapTool file to import directly with objects, light sources, and vision blocking. You also get the objects and everything. $1 is a steal. You are stealing by downloading this for $1.

This particular map is a wizards tower with multiple levels. Of course, you may only want to use it once, but hey, rearrange some stuff, add a few tweaks, and boom, you're good to go several sessions down the road. Because it's so flexible and easy to use, you can really do a lot here and in fairly short order.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
One Dollar Dungeon: Wizard's Weird Tower of Wonders Map Pack
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Crime Pays
Publisher: Goodman Games
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 05/31/2011 14:47:29

Have you ever wanted to start your own mafia with dragons . . . and dungeons? Well you should buy this book! The Crime Pays supplement provides a comprehensive, detailed, and well thought out system for creating, running, and expanding an entire campaign where your players are crime bosses looking to make a profit at others’ expense. I’ll let you know right now that this isn’t just some simple reskin of a few mechanics or a few back of the envelope calculations of how you’d run your gang. This book adds a series of rules to allow you to fully flesh out and direct your posse of henchmen for fun and profit.

You obviously start with creating your mob. Every mob needs lackeys to do your bidding, right? Creation is simple to learn, but still fairly deep. Your mob has a stat block that you build out by hiring coves (bands of street folk that do your shake downs, thieving, and selling), lieutenants to direct their activities, and of course your territory. There are charts and costs for all of these as well as what you would expect to earn from a mob family of your size.

When you actually get things up and running, you can have your thugs commit crimes (a laundry list is provided) with various resources needed and risks involved. For every crime, there are also punishments from the law that result in loss of property, limbs, and if bad enough, your life. Stat blocks for each of your types of crew members and law enforcement that might be after them are provided. Of course the law isn’t all you have to worry about as every other syndicate will be gunning for your territory.

The fun of this type of campaign is the solid world building mechanics that create a pseudo-Mafia simulation game feel while you can personally handle major issues. Obviously, it is up to the DM to come up with situation where your underlings can’t quite get the mission accomplished. That’s when your players (one of them likely the godfather) get their hands dirty to show your adversaries that you mean business. There is plenty of information provided on how to run a mafia campaign and the types of issues your players are likely to run into. It even presents one origin story arc for each tier where you can jump right in if you have an ongoing campaign.

I was surprised at the depth and level of detail presented in the book. It is comprehensive and entertaining at the same time. With the newly released Heroes of Shadow book out, it is a perfect time to roll up some nefarious PCs and see just how good it is to be bad.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Crime Pays
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Dark Heresy: The Black Sepulchre
Publisher: Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd.
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 05/31/2011 14:44:40

Black Sepulchre is the first in a series of adventures for Warhammer 40K Dark Heresy. It is heavily focused on investigation over combat, though there certainly is enough to keep players with an itchy trigger finger engaged. Unlike many pregenerated scenarios, this one is more “sandbox-y” and by that I mean the actual investigation is open ended. The bulk of the time is spent investigating a cursed and haunted cathedral, which has been corrupted by something powerful and evil. As the players put everything together, they learn the startling secrets behind what is really going on and the resolution of the story can lead them to further mysteries. They are purposely left vague so that you can move into your own scenario next or simply tee up the next adventure in the series.

Again, this is a beautiful PDF with amazing art, maps of areas, hand-outs for players, etc. The book even goes out of its way to add details on scaling the scenario for less and more experienced characters, making sure it is challenging for any party you are running it for. The only critique I have is that the PDF isn’t bookmarked. That makes it easier for me to skip back and forth between sections, but it’s a minor complaint.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dark Heresy: The Black Sepulchre
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The Complete Eternal Lies Suite
Publisher: Pelgrane Press
by NB N. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 05/19/2011 20:06:39

Obviously this is an audio product and thus it is going to be difficult to describe everything about it. It is produced well and sounds good. I think it will add a lot of atmosphere to any horror or mystery game. The tracks are named appropriately and you can usually figure out what it will sound like based on its title. That helps when trying to remember which track you want to play for a tense investigation scene over an action packed race for the characters’ lives.

The music is what you would expect from electronic compositions. There is the brooding piano, haunting strings, creepy chimes, funeral bells, etc. I will say that this particular set of tracks is generally superior to comparable products. What I mean by that is that the songs aren’t “artificial sounding” or “video game-y”. They are pleasant to the ear and appropriate for the setting. I would definitely recommend purchasing this if you want to add some additional depth to your game session. If Pelgrane Press would provide permission to use this in my podcast, you will hear it in several games for sure.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
The Complete Eternal Lies Suite
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