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Interesting take on monsters / demons in the modern / future world. Lot's of material to "flesh" out a campaign (no pun intended when it comes to the "Tark")... Some editorial issues in the rules (repetition of the same description in close poximity, etc), but overall good. Would have liked to have seen more pictures in the rules, but that's a personal preference...
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The Firebrands is a clan sourcebook delving deeper and expanding upon the Blazing Dancers and Virtuous Body Gardeners clans. The publication is a combination of narrative source material, in-game mechanics, and short adventure with a storyline that times from beginning to end. In addition, there are three new clans introduced in the same fashion as the core rulebook and a landslide of new mechanics to coincide with the narrative source material. The Firebrands is an excellent sourcebook that really encompasses a great amount of valuable material to expand upon these two clans.
OVERALL
The Firebrands is a sourcebook with an interesting presentation. With a combination of storyline, narrative, and in-game mechanics that presents the reader with a lot of options for Blazing Dancer and Virtuous Body Gardner characters, adventures, and campaigns. And in case you’re wondering, I asked the author Eloy Lasanta about using the title The Firebrands in which he explained to me that The Firebrands represents chaos and change, which encompasses these two clans. In addition, they are both the fire-aspected clans within the system. It made perfect sense to me and I really like the title in addition to how the content is presented. Highly recommended!
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 9 out of 10
The Firebrands is a beautifully assembled publication. Not only is it laid-out well and filled with awesome illustrations, but the narrative sections all flow very well. When I read them (excluding the prologue Confessions), I get the feeling of the method one would use when introducing someone new to their world and their surroundings. Somewhat like a tourist guide but in a fashion similar to training. I can visualize myself asking this person questions, and then I read their response. Such as “What is that large building there?” and the content begins to point out that building, explain its purpose, and give a bit of history or detail or simply description. It reads like a story. Once you read through the narrative, you come upon the section where it’s all brought into the game with real in-game mechanics including character creation options. The Firebrands really ties the content into the system very well.
Mechanics: 10 out of 10
The Firebrands contains a great number of new mechanics. However, the way in which these new mechanics shine the most is how they directly tie into the source material, giving the storyline purpose. I especially like how these two clans are brought to life and given new options to coincide with the depth and color being painted in the narrative.
Value Add: 9 out of 10
The Firebrands is a great addition for GMs and players, not only for those who wish to run characters from one of the two clans. There is a large amount of source material here detailing the lands in which these clans live along with some of their background and history which can be directly used for adventures and campaigns. The only thing that is out of place is the three new clans simply introduced. This small addition to the publication is completely outside of the context and purpose of the bulk of the content and would fit better elsewhere. This doesn’t reduce the value but rather means if you desire the ability to play one of these new clans, you need to purchase this clan sourcebook even if you don’t want to use the rest of the content.
Overall: 9 out of 10
The Firebrands is a definite must for anyone player who wants to be a Blazing Dancer or Virtuous Body Gardener character and GMs who want to run adventures or campaigns within the lands of one of these clans. There is so much valuable content concerning these two clans that you can fully flesh out all the details and add a wealth of depth to your game.
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Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade claims itself to be a “Action RPG of Martial Arts, Mysticism and Rebellion” and truly sticks to that description. The setting is influence, quite obviously even, by traditional Asian themes such as Taoism (Yin and Yang) and ch’i (qi). However, the setting itself is unique (although influenced by Asian legends and folklore) and contained within its own world filled with ninja and a seemingly large empire. Traditional fantasy themes are replaced by those of martial arts philosophies and cinematic fiction. The setting, and much of the mechanics, is also influenced by martial arts Anime creating a seemingly over-the-top effect filled with kick-butt ninja action!
Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade is powered by the Dynamic Gaming System. A basic roll-over d20 system where bonuses are added from a characters attributes and skills and then compared against a fairly standard target number (doesn’t float around as much as THE d20 System). The system utilizes only a single d20 with in-game mechanics based upon bonuses and penalties instead of using different dice for each roll. After learning how the mechanics work (as noted later on), it almost seems as if the system was built around the non-stop, martial arts action prevalent throughout the setting. Game-play should be very dynamic, interactive and filled with ninja action!
OVERALL
One of the strongest points of Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade is how the mechanics can replicate high-action, cinematic combat (common to many ninja-themed movies and Anime). If you’re ever looking to replicate this type of gaming experience, then this is the game for you. The setting is very focused upon the atmosphere it’s trying to create (that of the latest war referred to as The Ninja Crusade) and characters are bound to find themselves wholly absorbed into that setting. As stated before, the game is very dynamic and very interactive.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 8 out of 10
The chapter-by-chapter layout and presentation is very smooth and well done. Along with lots of great looking illustrations, the publication quality is high. However, the overall layout of what order the content appears could be improved upon. I found myself skipping ahead to Character Building to make sense of the Clans section (where the in-game mechanics for choosing a clan are found). While seemingly minor, I found myself not fully understanding the first two chapters due to a lack of knowledge concerning how to create a character. Once you get past this hurdle, everything flows well and the content is very easy to read. This content is also done in a very concise manner which meant I rarely found myself misunderstanding what was being presented. Much of this is easily overlooked when you see the illustrations and how awesome some of them are. While they have a bit of an Anime feel, they are definitely fit perfectly with the settings theme.
Mechanics: 9 out of 10
I love how the mechanics fit in so well with the martial arts, action theme. When you think of a cinematic fight between two ninjas, it’s a constant exchange of blows – actions and reactions. The choices you make effect the length of time your action and reaction requires. The seemingly more difficult the move is, the more time it should take. And as opposed to simply taking turns, a single round is interactive in which all characters are performing moves instead of simply waiting until your opponent resolves all their actions. Another big plus is how the mechanics are tailored to fit the theme of the setting (such as wushu replacing magic). Character creation is fairly straight forward but the number of character bonuses and penalties can be a bit daunting. There are a lot of bonuses/penalties to calculate outside of a simple bonus-to-hit or bonus-to-damage. There are bonuses/penalties for the different combat moves and opposed checks and it becomes a bit much. You don’t want players to worry about too many mechanics during game-play. However, this fairly minor and the system still works wonderfully with the setting’s theme.
Desire to Play: 9 out of 10
For a game focused on high-action martial arts, there’s no need to look any further than Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade. Many of the Asian themes and influence come through quite nicely and the interactive turn sequence means that combat should never be dull. Many of the stereotypes surrounding ninjas and their high-velocity combat is felt within the mechanics (especially the fighting styles in chi). This is a definite, solid action system that keeps all players involved in every step of that action.
Overall: 9 out of 10
With solid mechanics, an interactive system that reproduces cinematic action and a fully fleshed out setting, Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade is an excellent choice for fun-filled action adventures. Those who enjoy Anime and ninja-clad movies should get plenty of enjoyment out of this game. Those who enjoy high-action, cinematic combat will also get lots of enjoyment out of this game. There’s even opportunities for long-term campaigns pinning the PCs in a struggling rebellion against a repressive empire.
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What Works: The adventure is very well done if you don't mind a fairly linear adventure, and is keyed to the strengths of the Inks and Dancers (ESPECIALLY the Dancers). The extra information on the clans is great, from the different sects inside the Dancers (and the mechanical support in the form of Gifts) to the different types of body modifications for the Inks, and the new Wushu is some pretty great stuff. The Gracious Illustrators and the Winds of Aion are interesting extensions spinning off of the existing clan concepts, providing more options for players. The production values take a step up here with tighter editing than the core book had and a GORGEOUS cover. Having the "perspective" characters from the Wu Xing corebook as narrators in the Clan chapters was a very nice touch.
What Doesn't Work: I'm not a fan of large chunks of books written from an in-character perspective, and many of the voices felt so similar that I didn't realize at first that we were switching narrators on my initial read-through. The Grey Tigers are a cool concept, but just seem very out of place to me in this book...seeming like they would be much more at home in a book about the Recoiling Serpents or the Pack of the Black Moon. In fact, the only link I could see to the Dancers or Inks was that they count Way of the Fire among their Favored Wushu.
Conclusion: The Blazing Dancers are not one of my favorite clans, but this book does a lot to make them very cool. While there is some room for improvement, the basic template for future clan books is in place and looks great. Like any great supplement, there's nothing in here that you ABSOLUTELY NEED in order to play Wu Xing, but if you like Wu Xing, you will have a lot of cool stuff you can use, especially if you are a fan of The Blazing Dancers or Virtuous Body Gardners. Great start to the Clanbook series...I can't wait to see what's next.
For my full review, please visit: http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2011/05/tommys-take-on-wu-xing-firebrands.html
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Wu Xing takes all the things I love about Ninja based anime and rolls it into an elegant, fast and east to play system set in a world of intrigue and contradictions. An Emperor who want the Ninja dead, yet has ninja power himself, and one of his major allies is one of the ninja clan he is fighting against.
A fantastic game with a lot of rich background and fantastic online support! I have to say, I now need to pick up other products by Third Eye Games. If they are half as good as this book, I will be a very happy gamer!
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Demon Codex Spectrals is the newest sourcebook for Third Eye Games’ Apocalypse Prevention, Inc. API is a modern setting in which the world is full of ‘demon’ races policed by the company, API. The setting ends up being a mixture of Men in Black and the World of Darkness. Demon Codex Spectrals is the second racial sourcebook in the API series. Spectrals are the ‘ghosts’ of the setting, and are a playable race.
The Book Itself
Spectrals is a 90 paged pdf, and soon to be softcover, book with a black and white interior. The cover uses the same theme as other API books with two exceptions. First, the usual burning cityscape is now a burning cemetery. Second, the cover has more color to it as it now sports three demons on the front in full color. Previous covers have only had black, white, and the oranges and reds of flame and blood. Hopefully future books from 3EGs will continue have show higher productions levels, especially with the artists their products feature.
Chapter Breakdown
Pre-Chapters (Pages 3-9)
The book begins with a three page fiction piece. This story focuses on a Spectral’s life, death, and re-birth into a new body. The story is an excellent piece in kick-starting the reader’s imagination on how Spectrals work and could become a part of API’s payroll. After the story is a title page and table of contents.
Chapter One: Life After Death (Pages 10-24)
Chapter one reads like the beginning of a documentary. It is the perfect first chapter in the way it sets the tone for Spectrals in the API setting. Spectrals are those humans, and occasional other Earth born demon races, which have died and for whatever reason not taken the Bright Lights to what lays beyond. An interesting reason the Spectral may still be around is that sometimes another Spectral steals their Bright Lights ‘door’ before the Spectral can pass through. This poses a lot of questions as to where it leads, what creates it, and if it can be used by any Spectral does this mean it is not created for a specific user?
For the most part Spectrals seem to follow the same idea as presented in the movie Ghost. Spectrals can learn to affect the corporeal world through certain abilities such as learning to touch things for a short time, become visible, or even to inhabit a new physical host. This chapter teaches that though Spectrals may seem invincible as well as intangible, they all have heightened fears of being utterly destroyed or fading away. Spectrals must also be wary of Exorcists, Necromancers, Spirit Eaters, a demon race known as The Radiants, and the newest enemy, technology.
Okay, it is time I let the truth be known. Spectrals are my least favorite demon race in the entirety of the current API setting. It is not that the idea of the race is bad. It is that the race is very easily abused by players. In a game where lethal combat is a common occurrence allowing a player to be an intangible, invisible, and almost invincible race is a recipe for disaster. It requires a very mature player to handle without disrupting play. At least that’s what I think. But let me get back on track. Even though I feel this way about Spectrals, this first chapter is easily the best first (or any for that matter) chapter of any of the API books so far. I feel that I understand Spectrals much more than I did previously, and I can see the possibilities of playing a Spectral in API in a ‘brighter light.’
Chapter Two: Ghosts Are Good Company (Pages 25-38)
I find that chapter two could have easily been a continuation of the last one. It is not necessarily a bad thing it just seems odd to have broke it into two chapters. In this section we learn about how Spectrals are used within the company of API. The lowest are used in the mail room to run the repetitive work of moving packages and letters back and forth to their appropriate places. What may surprise many is that the Global CEO and head of the US branch of API is a Spectral who refuses to relinquish control. The chapter also has optional rules for Spectrals from demon races. I like the idea that Spectrals only come from those races born in the dimension natively.
Chapter Three: Who Ya Gonna Call? (Pages 26-52)
Chapter three presents us with a number of new groups and organizations within the API setting. These groups are:
The Caballistas - A group of voodoo priest, Catholic priests, and drug runners of the Caribbean. API’s agents assigned to infiltrate or oppose the Caballistas have either disappeared or been killed. API has resorted to sending more militant agents after them now.
King James Court - One of the, if not THE, most powerful groups of Spectrals on Earth. King James rules over this large group of Spectrals in Europe, and for some strange reason even Spirit Eaters are denied existence in the King’s territories. Too bad many of the Spectrals do not want to be a part of this ‘kingdom’, but they are powerless to leave the King’s influence.
Council of Paracelus - Four sects that each control over one of the elements. They consist of only Evolved Spectrals (think super Spectrals.) They leaders of the sects are known as Michael, Uriel, Gabriel, and Raphael.
The Upward Spiral - Spectrals who seek out the dredges of society in an attempt to steal their Bright Lights.
Kellwood Forest - A forest that contains a Spectral turned Spirit Eater with a hunger for ghosts’ souls.
Spirit Stalkers - A ghost hunter whose last choice to prove their existence was to film his suicide. Now he has learned how to use his cameras to provide a Ghost Hunting show from beyond.
Chapter Four: You Can’t Take It With You (Pages 53-75)
This chapter includes ideas on how to role-play Spectrals, and is the chapter that gives us new rules, equipment, and new demon races. Rules-wise we are given a few more gifts and drawbacks along with a new path of magic known as the Path of Radiance used by the Radiant demon race. There is lots of new equipment all of which is geared towards API interacting with Spectrals. There are also new spirit evolutions for Spectrals to follow into such as the poltergeist and circuit jockey. These evolutions allow players to customize their PCs allowing for Spectrals to head in very different directions from each other. Antagonist write-ups are also provided for things such as Necromancers and Spirit Eaters.
Finally, we are treated to some new demon races. The first are Walkers, or as most people would know them, Zombies. They are Spectrals who have refused to leave their bodies. Walkers are an exciting addition for me personally as they allow dead PCs without the fear of abuse from a player like with a normal Spectral. Next are the Radiants who eat souls and resemble humanoid spiders. I feel Radiants could use an entire sourcebook of their own. There is an interesting story here that I want to know more of. Last, we have Deathwishers which resemble scorpions that can latch onto a person’s chest and take control of his mind and body. The picture in the book for the Deathwishers looks like a poor man’s Venom from Spider-man!
Adventure: ‘Ghost Road’, Index, and Ads (76-90)
I don’t like going into too much detail when it comes to adventures in my reviews. I will say that Ghost Road is a quick adventure about a haunted stretch of highway in the Cumberland Gap. The players are sent there to investigate several mysterious deaths along the stretch. The adventure seems to be a good overview of ideas with lots of room for GM alteration. The book finishes with an index and several ads for 3EG’s products and some other RPGs.
Overall
Spectrals and Lochs were my least favorite demons from the core book and are so far the only two with sourcebooks. And while Spectrals may not have made me a huge fan of them the way DC Lochs did for me with Lochs, the book makes me like them infinitely more than I previously did. It makes me feel they have a much bigger role in the setting than I felt from the core book alone. The first chapter of this book is written in such a way as to make you feel as if an expert in all things Spectral is beginning his lecture on their existence.
Style I am giving a 4. There seems to be more art in this book, and 3EG’s has some truly remarkable talent. I am just waiting for the day I get to see these artists in a full color glossy paged book.
Substance is getting a 5. The book stands up to the usual 3EG standards in the amount of useful and fun information crammed into the book. 3EG’s has a habit of the more they write the more you want. Each sourcebook introduces new ideas that make the reader want more. I want a Radiant Dimension sourcebook!
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Billed as an “action horror game with a twist of humor,” Apocalypse Prevention Inc. (or API) has been described by others as what you’d get if Joss Whedon and Mike Mignola wrote Men in Black. When you open the cover, the game definitely stands up to that description - API is a global shadow organization that has protected the world from demonic forces since the time of the Black Plague. How do they do it? Through magic, cybernetics, intense training and hiring on some of the demons (meaning any non-human) that have made Earth their home... with API’s permission, of course.
Introduction
Upon opening the book you'll see a clean black and white interior which uses a two-column layout. I found this format very easy to read, even with the greyscale blood spatter in the center of each page. Greyscale art is found throughout the book and ranges from very good to mediocre. In this chapter things start off with a quick "What is Roleplaying" section (and I'm glad it was kept short) before seeing an introduction memo which welcomes a new agent to API. The book could definitely use more of this interdepartmental flavor to help build on the organizational feeling of API, but it's not a big deal.
Chapter 1 - Character Creation
A quick five-step process guides you through character creation. I had thought about building a sample character but Tommy Brownell has already done that for me. I highly suggest taking a look at his post to see a Spectral take shape.
Step one involves picking a Concept, a Passion and a Race. The Passion is something I really liked about API but also something I didn't focus enough on when I was running the game. This is what drives the PC and playing to it can earn the PC extra experience, so I may have cost my players some points here. To new GMs, I'd suggest keeping track of the PC's Passion on a notecard during play.
The Races you can choose from are a Human, Burner, Changeling, Lochs, Spectral, Taylari and Wolf People. Burners are fire demons who have fled to earth to seek refuge from a machine race that has taken over their home while Changelings are fae demons who can assume change their form. Spectrals are ghosts, Wolf People are werewolves and Taylari are "living" vampires. The Lochs are a race of large humanoid fish, which I think is pretty cool for some underwater adventures. There are also three illegal races, which means they pose a threat to earth, but I’m not going to deal too much with those at the moment.
Step two has you spending your Attribute Points in a point-buy character creation system. I found this system to be very flexible, with each of the PCs that were generated being very different from one another. You get 30 points to spend here and distribute them among Power, Agility, Vigor, Insight, Intellect and Charm with 4-5 being considered the average out of 10 possible points in each. Each stat ended up being very important during the game so keep in mind that there are no "dump stats" in API.
Skills come next, allowing you to spend another 30 points between 20 skills and 12 different possible styles. The styles were part of what made me hesitant about this game, what with all the modifiers and no difference between a bonus to strike with melee vs. ranged, but I found in play that these styles can go a long way to really defining a character in combat. In my eyes that should be the primary point behind offering different martial arts for players to choose from and API does an excellent job without getting caught up in the tiny details like other games I’ve played have.
This step is where the system comes to the forefront as well. The Dynamic Game System (or DGS) which powers API uses a 1d20+Attribute+Skill system in an attempt to beat a target number. These target numbers are 10 for a trivial task all the way up to 40 for a near impossible task. Skills and Attributes are both hard capped at 10, so that 40 truly is nearly impossible to succeed at.
Next up is destributing bonus points among Gifts (special things that help to define your character, like magical abilities), your skills or attributes. You can also take Drawbacks to give yourself more bonus points and there’s quite the list to choose from. Again, click on the link to Tommy’s blog up above and you’ll get a good idea of how a character is created.
Step five is calculating your derived stats like Health, Initiative, Movement and so on. Past this you only need to buy your equipment and you’re good to go.
Chapter 2: Combat
This chapter is the one that almost prevented me from giving API a try. On first glance I just wasn’t sure about the initiative tracker or the tick system for actions, but during play it works very, very well.
Each round has 20 “counts” which represent about half a second of real time. The winner of the initiative roll, found by rolling 1d20 and adding your Initiative score, goes on count 1 with the other participant's counts determined by how much lower they rolled than the winner – every four points equals one more count. If you have someone roll a 28 for initiative and another person rolls 20, the first person would go on count 1 and the second would go on count 3. It doesn’t take long to get used to at all.
Characters will have a number of actions based on their fighting style and other modifiers and there are several different maneuvers that can be performed. Everything from a light, accurate strike to a heavy haymaker, to a grapple or disarm and the list goes on. The defender will also roll to dodge, parry or block depending on the attack. Each action or reaction will cost stamina, which is another part of the combat system that I was hesitant about.
To strike a combatant would roll 1d20 + Strike modifiers + maneuver modifiers. A defender would roll 1d20 + Block/Parry/Dodge modifiers. Both would keep track of their Stamina cost for their different maneuvers and each needs to keep track of the number of actions they have remaining in the round. I found that this was sometimes difficult as people tended to fall into the I Go, You Go mindset on occasion so providing counters, like glass beads, to represent their actions remaining worked well. The amount of bookkeeping at this stage sounds like a lot but it ended up fading to the background easily during play.
All in all the combat system plays far better than it reads and I encourage everyone who has any doubt to give it a run.
Chapter 3: The World of Magic
API definitely has its own flavor when it comes to magic. There are 13 different paths, each with a different theme and each with three “circles” or levels. For example, Path of Elements allows for control of the different elemental forces including the ability to take on the form of that element. Path of Augmentation allows the caster to enhance their body, granting benefits like regeneration or super-speed. Each spell from each path requires a sacrifice to be able to cast the spell, which is very similar to spell components in other systems, and you can also buy upgrades for the different spells as well. One of my players was an Elemental adept who upgraded his Blast spell several times, becoming quite formidable in the process.
Chapter 4: API Organization
This chapter is all about the setting. What I said earlier about Joss Whedon and Mike Mignola writing Men in Black is explained here. If you can picture J and K taking down a demonic hellgate in their mission to protect the earth then you’re well on your way to understanding what API is all about. If you don’t know what any of that means, then this chapter will spell it out for you.
Long ago, during the time of the Black Plague, the Circle of Ten founded what came to be known as Apocalypse Prevention Inc. in the hope of keeping mankind safe from demonic influence. They have 10 major headquarters around the world, each controlled by a descendant of the Circle of Ten, so if you want to run a game in Russia, the UK, Brazil or China then feel free. The sourcebooks have only been released for Alaska and Europe at the moment, however, so detail is lacking.
There is also some information on the API hierarchy, how the agency works and what it means to be an agent in its ranks. There is a lot of flavor crammed into the chapter and it is surprisingly well written. I don’t mean that to say that the rest of the writing is bad, just that setting descriptions in some games has come across as a little too vague or a little too specific. API walks the line between the two, letting you know what you need to and leaving a lot open for you to do what you want.
Chapter 5: Demonology
This is where you’ll find information on the different races available in API, explaining how they feel about the world and how API feels about them. The story of the Burners, as an example, explains how they came to end up in Florida and what they are running from…
Chapter 6: Telling Stories for API
Here’s the GM section, which gives advice on running games set in the API universe. It gives some good pointers on using the different themes of the game, from comedy to horror, and provides stats for many different creatures, animals and opponents. The three illegal races I mentioned before are detailed here and their sections explain why they are not allowed on Earth.
Finally you get your sheets, a glossary and an index, along with a random demon making chart.
Conclusion
Even though it was released in 2008 I had never heard of Apocalypse Prevention Inc., Third Eye Games or Eloy Lasanta before the Haiti bundle at RPGNow. Now that I have I can’t help but think that I’ve been missing out on something this whole time. My score for Apocalypse Prevention Inc. is a solid 9/10, which for the folks over on RPGnet means a 4/5 Style and a 5/5 Substance. This book provides all you need to get going with the game, introduces a fantastic combat system in the DGS and provides a setting that I thoroughly enjoy with enough information offered to bring the setting to life. While a few pieces of art do not really click with me I don’t think that they detract from the book, instead just failing to add to it. API's writing is clear and concise, not bombarding you with minute details to drive the setting home or forcing the different aspects of the game down your throat. The combat system is intimidating at first glance but after I actually gave it a run at the table I saw just how smoothly it plays. This is a game that definitely deserves to be played and I hope anyone who has doubts about the DGS will give it a try. I bet you’ll be surprised.
This was linked from my blog and the formatting didn't hold. To see the formatted review you can go to - http://www.thevigilant.net/?p=300
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This is kind of new territory for me...reviewing a fiction anthology, as opposed to an RPG product.
Hopefully it turns out better than my attempt at reviewing a video game the other day.
The API Anthology is the first anthology release by Third Eye Games for their Apocalypse Prevention Inc. setting (reviews of which can be found on my blog).
The API Anthology is a PDF clocking in at 92 pages with 9 stories featuring a few names that I recognize from the game industry and a few names that I don't...I'm cool with that: Everyone's gotta start somewhere, and I hear anthologies can be a great starting point.
The Apocalypse Prevention Inc. setting is a modern action-horror setting that is dominated largely by the very "Men in Black" type organization that hunts, captures and kills the demons that would threaten humanity. Every story in the anthology is set in this world, though not all of them necessarily revolve around the organization.
As is always the case with works featuring multiple authors, you are going to get different levels of work.
Unfortunately (or not, depending) the book begins with the weakest entry "Jezebel Sly, Private Investigator", with the titular character being beholden to working API cases after she gets involved in a supernatural incident. The story is a missing persons case with an API twist, but the authors attempts at making the main character jaded and cynical work too well...to the point that I honestly didn't like any character in the story.
"Girl Trouble" was another story that I had trouble with, for similar reasons. The heroic motivation of the protagonist never quite felt "real", and the payoff line at the end felt a bit cheesy and forced. This story, like the first, also cast API in a negative light, with the antagonist being a Burner serving as an API Agent. That said, the protagonist - an Oracle, who have bad luck effects on people around them - did have a VERY cool moment at the climax with the API agent.
"Back for Seconds" and "Fish on Dry Land" really capture the quirky, off-beat humor of the API universe, which is really not surprising with the former, as it was written by Brennan Bishop who has contributed some of the most disgusting aspects of the API universe (I'm not picking on him! He bragged about it!) and so his tale of Changelings as delicassies really hits on the black humor of the setting. "Fish on Dry Land" does a great job of portraying an overworked API unit and stars a Loch named Elvis. Both were entertaining reads, with humor intermixed with quirky drama.
"The Difference A Day Makes" features an API squad against a group of unlikely rivals with some very interesting pasts. I recognized the author, Rucht Lilavivat from White Wolf's Ravenloft line, and they did a very nice job of putting forth characters I actually wanted to read about...especially the laconic (until he needs to not be) Al. I liked both "teams" in the story, and thought it had a very nice payoff.
"Shut Up & Fish" has one of the smallest API presences in the book, but is a favorite of mine as it draws on the API Canada sourcebook, touching on The Thing Under The Ice (specifically, its effect on some poor saps who encounter it at sea).
"Failure To Communicate", ironically (or intentionally), does the best job in the book of presenting a situation from both sides: A wolf person trying to keep from losing control, and the pair of API Agents who try to stop him when he does. I particularly thought that the author did a great job of conveying the "change" in the wolf person's internal monologue.
"Loch, Stock, and Barrel" by Clint Black of Pinnacle Entertainment is probably the best offering in the book from a pure story stand point. The storytelling is tighter here than anywhere else, it hinges on a huge issue in the setting (Lochs and their difficulties reproducing) and one of the main characters undergoes a very noticeable change from the beginning of the story to the end.
That said, "The Pact" probably hit me the most with its sudden, abrupt ending. I can't say it was one I had never seen before, but the resolution surprised me with its execution, and in a good way.
The editing really needed to be tighter in a lot of places, with my eye catching typos here and there...and it seemed like there was probably an underuse of commas. In one story, I'm reasonably sure that a word got unintentionally invented. There was also an inconsistency in capitalizing the names of the demon races...for uniformity, I would have either capitalized all of them or none of them.
On a format note, I sideloaded the PDF into my Barnes & Noble nook, and the conversion process wasn't the smoothest, with my order watermark showing up at every page break (which was sometimes in the middle of the page) and one story have some odd fontal squishing going on. I'm not counting this as a knock against the anthology, mind you, just an observation...I'd love to see a release in epub format as well.
With much more good than bad, I would not be disappointed at all to see this truly just be volume 1, and for us to get volume 2 in the future. If you like API, or if you like reading action/horror fiction, it's a good buy.
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A very well done tribute to Andy Hallett, Lorne on the TV show Angel, in the API vein. A very cool, playable race for API, for free, and a classy tribute all at once.
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The Good: Three new races, each bringing a unique flavor to the API Universe. The Grandel manage to not be overkill in a game that already has a number of aquatic races, Dunbar offer a very different experience and the Olivers are good fun.
The Bad: The Olivers may cause some Kender flashbacks for some folks, in that annoying "party thief" kinda way.
For a full review, please visit: http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2010/08/tommys-take-on-api-demon-packs.html
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The Good: As usual, some great ideas. I love the new races, especially the Morgane, and the Hidden Folk are a great twist on elves. The Knights of Solomon could make for tremendous antagonists or even an interesting campaign option.
The Bad: The book suffers from trying to cover too much with too little space. Whereas the first API Worldwide book made Canada feel PACKED, Europe comes across kind of anemic in comparison.
For a full review, go to: http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2010/08/tommys-take-on-api-worldwide-europe.html
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