Originally posted here: https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2022/10/100-days-of-halloween-fighting-fantasy.html

FIGHTING FANTASY - Caverns of the Snow Witch

PDF and Print. 45 pages. Color covers, black & white interiors.

This adventure has a solid pedigree. It is based on Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy books from 1984. This adventure is for the d20 system / D&D 3.0 system published in 2003. So nearly 20 apart, here I am nearly 20 years after that reviewing it.

This adventure covers the same plot and situations from the Fighting Fantasy "choose your own adventure" book.

The adventure is designed for one character or a small group of adventures. Reading through it does follow the same plot lines as the Fighting Fantasy book.

This adventure also features the Luck saves from the original book. It has some changes to the d20 ruleset. There are a few new monsters (including a Yeti!), some new spells, campaign notes, and some new NPCs.

There are a lot of location-based adventures, essentially a collection of encounters the PCs jump from one to the next. The advantage here is that it is easy to convert from d20 to what I am planning to use it with, Old-School Adventures.

The Snow Witch in this adventure is a sorcerer/vampire which works great for d20/3.0. For my adventures, I would make her a proper witch.

The adventure is fine, but I think I might be viewing it through what my "Nostalgia Goggles." Am I reading a good adventure or am I reading something because it was enjoyable to me in the 1980s?

I guess in the end it doesn't matter, as long as I am having fun with it.

This is a sourcebook concerned with how the police would, presumably, investigate crimes with an occult angle. I wouldn't say "supernatural", though, as it centers more on "ritualistic" aspects spotted at a crime scene, linking the crime to an occult methodology. There is also a rather simple adventure scenario ("Murder by Numbers") included which takes the Investigators through the basic procedures in collecting evidence and cross-referencing phone numbers.

It's an OK book with decent artwork. With a stronger occult angle (for instance how these police procedures regarding bites/ claw marks connect to monster taxonomy, how the investigative process deals with a possible haunting, and how witch curses may upset the cause- effect of the material world and so be identified by the inherent probability of coincidences) it would have been more useful for Horror rpg GM:s.

As for fact checking, on page 5 this book boldly asserts that "the majority of all crimes" are impressively "solved" within 24 hours. From the context it appears that "crimes" here refers to not only violent crimes, but also petty vandalism. With "solved" I would out of courtesy assume the author means "solved from a police perspective in the sense that the guilty party has been identified/apprehended", as the court procedings are likely to drag on for months (or even years) after a serial killing until a conviction is in and the case is legally solved. To a Swede, those figures are still baffling to say the least as, for instance, less than 2% of all burglaries are ever solved on this side of the Atlantic, let alone within 24 hours. However, maybe the author simply means that "Of the crimes who are ever solved, the majority is solved within 24 hours, so time is of the essence when conducting an investigation"?

Further regarding ambiguous claims in the book, I also find the assertion that police officers are trained ("courses and seminars") to distinguish killings carried out by irrational killers a bit of a stretch. As the lack of rationality would make the motive more or less moot and change the basics of an investigation that may seem like a crucial question. However, a famous professor in criminology (Leif GW Persson) once alleged that "motives are just the graving on top", and went on to liken profilers with "mind readers". According to him at least, speculation on a possible motive should never be allowed to influence the allocation of police resources or its list of suspects. Hard evidence should always determine the investigative process rather than pseudo-scientific and vain attempts to peer into the psychology of a criminal. Facts, not hunches, so to speak. At least as long you'd stick to mundane crimes.

I was expecting much much more for the price... it adds almost nothing an experienced player can't do alone with just the basic "core" book...that I already bought it on another site and the pdf was in black and white without cover!

QUEEM (quick and easy money)

Luckly I've not buy it together with the GM book...

Very interesting and funny solo game. The only bad things in my opinion are the too much effort to print it and cut it and the graphics on some cards...welll I really don't like some of the cards that look like a bit too much computer colored. I would have liked more some nice black and white comics style hand drawings.

I really think this is a fantastic system but I was a little put off by the shear number of type-O's and page references with "XX" instead of the page numbers. I was expecting a little better editing for my ten dollar purchase. Additionally, the combat section from the core book is completely missing...a little frustrating when attempting to look up a combat rule only to discover that it nowhere to be found.

The concept for the game is brilliant and I'll still run a session with my group, however, I just feel like this book was put together in a rush.

Of all the realist RPG books available, this sheds the most light on the Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia, the most dominant group in the underworld of Japan. It brilliantly describes their history, organization, personality types and activities. As a case study, topic for debate or writer's resource, this will answer every possible question about the Yakuza. The size of the book is perfect, too, not too long, not too short.

I do like Greywood publishing for their Fighting Fantasy & Sorcery books.

I then decided, after reading the reviews, to give this PDF a look at.

This PDF has both a printer friendly (72 pages) and a colour version (74 pages), although, each has a slightly different table of contents (judging by the numbers).

The artwork isn't too bad. I've noticed the supplements are between £4-£5 each, which could easily amount to £20+ if I want to buy the others. One at a time I think.

The system itself seems quite easy to pick up. Quite good for beginners.

Not a bad system for £3.31.

The best fantasy rules-lite system until now. I've started playing QUERP Modern and I've bought QUERP 2 just for curiosity but, after having read it, I've forgot all my attempts to resurrect old system as Basic D&D and similar retro-clone. I'm satisfied: great idea the Character Types, very useful to start in few minutes any fantasy adventure. Highly recommended for beginners or simoly for masters and players tired of tons of pages of rules.

A useful and great addition to QUERP Modern. In the past I've played to other indie and rules-light systems (BASH!, SUPER!, Icons) but QUERP MOdern - Heroes is faster, simplier and direct. It offers good and detailed Character Types off most models of superheroes, from Paragon (Superman?) to Vigilante (The Punisher?) to Gadgetteer (Batman?) to Elemental (Iceman?), Tank (The Thing?) and so on. Great also the rule on Fate Points (like as the old Karma Points of Marvel Superheroes) and the list of powers is sufficient for setup a good campaign. Highly recommended for the fans pf QUERP but also for who want to start a superheroic campaign in few minutes without giving up to simplicity and fun.

Absolutely great universal and rules-light system. It deserve all the possible success. It's highly customizable thanks to the simple system of the Weapons Table and the Character Types give the possibility to start a modern campaing in few minutes. The rules on the vehicles are very simple but effective. QUERP is addictive. Highly advised ;) (sorry for my bad english)

Rather colourful, quite a lot of artwork. Each page has a green circuit board-type frame, which, with the artwork, at 75 pages can use up quite some ink.

The 'universal bullet' rule makes it easier when you have ammunition for 2 or more weapons. So pistols, SMGs, assault rifles all use the same ammunition, instead of using different calibre ammunition (5.56mm, 7.62mm & 9mm), as in most games using firearms.

Possibly an error on P16: Defence starts at 10 plus armour (+3 flak jacket), total=13. But P16 states in the example, that Sgt Joe Edwards (defence of 10+3 flak jacket) has a defence of 12?

Altogether, quite a cheap, simplistic RPG.

Not bad for £3.16.

What I have read I have enjoyed it. I am thinking it will be fun when I get a chance to work into my game.

Adds a new dimension to the basic game: This set of rules allows you to go on a quest rather than searching for a finale room. It also contains rules for two-player parties.

Again with the spelling errors? (rolleyes) "Alter" refers to a change of some kind. "Altar" refers to the big stone thing priests pray at. Really five seconds at dictionary dot com is all it takes..... (Don't even get me started on the "Chaple" in the Forest Quest Cards)

Overall, you get a good value for the money. Definitely money well-spent.

For those of us who loved the original fighting fantasy game book, this is a must have purchase, all the great bits that you remember are in here and simply mapped so that it's simple and easy to run. There are a few changes in here to keep your players guessing, but if you loved the ff book, you will love this. A great dungeon crawl with enough variety to keep things interesting

This game is the very definition of "pick up and play" fantasy role playing. It will appeal to players of games with simple universally adaptable common-sense mechanics (like T&T, Fighting Fantasy-AFF or scaled down rule systems, WHQ). The beauty of systems like these is that it is also very easy to modify the rules to suit a campaign or special setting. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon dungeon crawl.

The layout is slick, professional and easy on the eye. Ace.