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Savage Dawn - Primal Campaign Setting for Any TTRPG
Publisher: LoreSmyth
by Milton R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/28/2019 10:10:03

This is a preview only -- do not pay money for it, unless you 100% realize what it is that you are getting. I feel somewhat deceived by this purchase, but OK. — Since this review was written, the product was updated and has been fixed to be more clear as to what is being offered. This will be helpful.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Savage Dawn - Primal Campaign Setting for Any TTRPG
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Creator Reply:
Hello, Thanks for your review, maybe we did not communicate clearly enough that it was a teaser? Apologies if it made you feel bad, that was not our intent. The product has now been updated to Alpha 1.7 and is no longer just a preview/teaser. Thanks for all your feedback. On our website www.savagedawn-campaignsetting.com you can find the Wiki and ways to contribute.
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Pip System Corebook
Publisher: Third Eye Games
by HAMILTON R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/05/2018 22:50:45

12/5/2018 Review = PIP core rules. / I purchased this in early 2018

Easy to understand? – The PIP System core rulebook - and the rules themselves - are easy to understand, even with a cursory, initial 30-minute scan of the text. The layout of the book is your standard "this is what it is - this is how to make characters - this is how to roll for actions - these are other elements of the game - this is how to GM" design. The artwork is balanced: not too much design, so as not to overwhelm you, but there was enough detail and color on the pages and in the artwork to hold my interest. I think PIP uses stock art for its decoration, but that is not a bad thing.

Fun to play? – PIP is fun to play, but be aware that it is a multi-dice rolling system. The advantage of such a system is a detailed dice roll, where someone with a vivid imagination can run wild with "what happened" on that roll. Others might be put-off by the sheer amount of dice to roll and may get bogged down in counting the correct number of dice to roll - BUT this game quality is not overbearing and works well with the game mechanics presented. I found a lot of fun in creating the characters for PIP: it has a detailed yet easy-flow system for creating wonderfully colorful characters with unique traits and abilities. You even roll for items and special qualities, which is a mechanic not found in many other RPGs that seek to keep things simple.

Built to last? – As much fun as PIP seems to play, with me and my group, rolling a bunch of dice tends to bog down game action and overall interest. The system holds well in character creation - it is extremely good for that! - however, in my opinion, if you do a lot of dice-rolling in your games, you may be in for a lot of dice counting. This is not a bad thing; it's just something I don't prefer. I find that this particular type of game races quickly out of the box, but it looses steam in the long race (because, we just get tired of counting and rolling dice all the time). Still, this is not a game-breaking issue, not even for me.

One more note: the printed book that I received was printed on an inkjet printer, so not the best print quality... but, not bad, either.

Worth the money? – PIP is worth the money at about $12-$15 (2018). You can also order a hard-copy, which I did (both PDF and HC); that is always a bonus. To me, being able to get a hard copy of the game is always worth an extra +1 star or a few bonus percentage points in the rating column.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Pip System Corebook
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Tiny Dungeon: Second Edition
Publisher: Gallant Knight Games
by HAMILTON R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/04/2018 13:21:33

1/05/2018 Review of Tiny Dungeon, 2nd ed.:

Layout: The production quality of this rule book is Good. It has many pieces of art, but they are duplicated throughout the book. This gives the semblance of more artwork than is actually in the book, but it works really well with the text, so it's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just a fact you need to be aware of. Overall, the actual page layout is Excellent; easy-to-follow, easy to find rules quickly, easy to understand. No fuss - no muss - reading this will be a breeze, you can be up and running in a fraction of the time required for other comparable rulebooks.

Text: The writing is straightforward, to the point. Read the rules - understand the rules - make the characters and world - play the game / all within one day of getting a copy of the rules. There are complete, unique, well-thought-out game-worlds in this edition of the rules.

Game Play: It just can't get any easier, and yet: there is enough crunchiness in the dice mechanic to add thrills and uncertainty. Plus: I like how they finally fixed the Dwarf and Elf / Fay. Dwarves can see in the dark; elves are not in-need of such a feature. That was a welcome bonus - reality in the fantasy world. There are more surprises in the rules, but - shhhh - I won't reveal them here.

Story / Content: There are many fantasy worlds embedded at the end of the book. Take time to read them through, and then: play one! Excellent inclusion, but....

Worth the money? Despite all the good things that this rulebook delivers, at $20 a pop, I feel it is over-priced. Am I extremely upset I paid $20 for it? No, not really, but I am disappointed. It was an OK purchase, and I would have given it 5 stars but for the extreme price. That price needs to come down.

12/2018 UPDATE: If you will note, not hardly 24 hours after I posted this review -- not - hardly - a full day! -- you will notice that the next three or four reviews seem to start to do some sort of "damage-control", in my opinion. Look at my review again: I write very concisely and I would have given it a 5 stars, but pay attention to the money. There needs to be a balance for the value. The Print book seems to be a good price because you get a professionally printed product you can hold in your hands for a comparible price of other books. That is a huge bonus! and one I would have welcomed more-open-armed IF the PDF did not cost what it costs. I stand by my original review - but! - because of the addition of POD book and because my original review did what it was designed to do? I add another star today. (I hope that helps you make a thoughtful decision of how to spend hard-earned money). HR



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Tiny Dungeon: Second Edition
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Valor: The Heroic Roleplay System
Publisher: Valorous Games
by Peter P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/11/2016 13:28:41

Valor is OK. I got it on discount. I am glad I did not pay full price for it.



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
Valor: The Heroic Roleplay System
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VANGUARD RPG 'Varmisk Fallen' Core Rules
Publisher: Broken Tower
by A customer [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/13/2016 15:13:07

02/13/2016 Review of Vanguard RPG Varmisk Fallen:

Layout: The production quality of this rule book is Excellent, with creative use of colors and artwork shapes. The consistent use of the hexagon is a reminder that people paid attention to artistic layout, and it demonstrates that they actually gave a d---n about what they were doing.

Text: The writing is straightforward, which is something I like when I read a rulebook. Just enough fluff to keep me interested, but it gets to the point quickly, cleanly, and it's easy to understand the first time you read it.

Game Play: Although this game is geared for kids, seems to be aimed at young kids? It is a very specific and detailed game. This will take away from children being able to play it, though it does say to simplify things if you find them too detailed. It uses d6 dice, so having common dice is always a plus.

Story / Content: It is a fascinating take on science fiction meets woodland creature aliens, a concept that sounds stupid at first... but it sneaks up on you.

Worth the money? Just barely worth the cost, though I think a second edition is being published. I am not sure if the second edition is an update or a rewrite, be aware of that situation before you buy this edition. Otherwise: a little expensive for a first edition that may be out-of-date.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
VANGUARD RPG 'Varmisk Fallen' Core Rules
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Wasuremonogatari, the Anime & Manga RPG
Publisher: Voidspiral Entertainment
by Petr P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/10/2016 02:12:16

Wasure Mono Gatari. (I break up the name with spacing, so that I know how to pronounce it.) (2 Stars)

Layout and artwork. Design structure is fantastic, top-grade graphics and satisfactory or better anime sketches. Art will inspire you to play this game, if you can make it through the rules and theme (see below).

Game Setting. Entirely Asian culture-based, very imaginative but also very chaotic, unstructured. Reading the genre and theme in the text is detailed and informative, but it is also like watching Speed Racer mixed with Pokémon, or like eating sugar covered chocolate and washing it down with some soda (it's good for about 1 minute - then, it's too much!). Character concepts are highly-creative and heavily influenced by Asian culture. Make sure you understand that: this is not a "one-size-fits-all" game. Your group must be focused on anime / manga / chaotic oriental fantasy, all the way. It's like Jade Empire goes to 11 - once again, that sounds good... for about one minute. But then, it falls apart because it has no foundation in reality at-all. For western considerations? It's too much, too quick.

Game Mechanics. Actual game rules are easy enough: some simple formulas, an efficient skill list. Combat trait lists are a little much, though. Rolling dice is easy: roll a set pool of six-siders and add bonuses; reminds you of Silhouette Core, which is a system I like to use for crunchiness and variable dice outcomes. Not bad for Wasure Mono Gatari. That being said, it is a cinematic, narrative RPG even with the cool dice-rolling mechanic.

Price-Point: too expensive for what I paid for it, even with the discount. This game is over-priced, even though it is a decent enough game. This is why I rated it 2 stars: there needs to be more information, more pages, more art, more examples, more creativity. Page count is low - price is high. Not a good combination. This one point will hurt sales.



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
Wasuremonogatari, the Anime & Manga RPG
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Rocket Amoeba
Publisher: Silver Branch Games
by Petr P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/21/2015 02:34:09

Rocket Amoeba core rules. —

Easy to understand? Yes, RA is a deceptively delightful game core rules system. Simple - easy to grasp - written well. Straight to the point. Illustrates how game mechanics work while hiding a game depth that is undiscovered until played.

Fun to play? Yes, RA is fun to play. It has a few innovations that make it more interactive in the physical world. It has a simple, yet deep dice rolling mechanism and application. It needs some tweaking, but if you are an experienced game player (as I am), you should recognize right away what the problems may be for Rocket Amoeba. I fixed the problems within two hours of study and rules rewrites. Not much tweaking is needed, and the game is fun to play, which makes up for any problems.

Worth the money? Yes, RA is worth the money. There is a print copy available, I suggest you get the printed book as well. It is not a Graphic Design Monument to the Artist, but it is functional, clean, and well-written. As a PWYW product, you can't beat the price.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Rocket Amoeba
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CORE Command Big Nasty Aliens
Publisher: Dream Pod 9
by Petr P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/20/2015 13:52:04

Core Command - Big Nasty Aliens

Is it easy to understand? BNA is a game supplement for Silhouette Core Rules, published mid-2000s. It is a dated RPG system, so this is a dated supplement for that system. However, it does do what it was designed to do: give you more aliens and story additions to play Core Command. Yes, it is easy to understand.

Is it fun to play? BNA provides background information that is only hinted at in Silhouette Core Rulebook and Core Command Player's Handbook. It is fun to play only if you have these books already.

Is it worth the money? Paying over $5.00 for a dated, unsupported supplement or core rulebook is a bit pricey, but not unreasonable at $7.00 or less (if you play Silhouette Core or the RPG in-question).



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
CORE Command Big Nasty Aliens
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CRGE, Conjectural Roleplaying GM Emulator
Publisher: Conjecture Games
by Petr P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/20/2015 13:44:52

Review of CRGE, Conjectural Roleplaying GM Emulator.

Description. CRGE is a universal game tool where you can emulate a GM's simple, basic responses to random events as they are created by the game's mechanics. It is NOT a replacement for a living, breathing human being, BUT it is a pretty good tool to create random events on-the-fly with simple questions and dice rolls.

Rules are easy to understand, simply laid-out for the reader. CRGE draws much influence from Mythic Role-Playing Game engine in the form of Yes / No questions and resolution chart. I think personally it does a better job of handling increasing intensity in the RPG game, but CRGE does not handle random events as well as Mythic. This is a tool, not a game - so, it is fun to use only if you think your RPG Core Rules are fun to play.

The Layout and Design of this product is simple, straight-forward. Nothing gets in the way of reading and absorbing the information. (A few more nicely-rendered illustrations may have helped, but not necessary.)

Is it worth the money? as you can Pay What You Want, I say it is definitely worth a few bucks. I suggest that you purchase this product, try it for yourself, if the reviews give you a clear idea as to what this game product can provide for your RPGs as a tool.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
CRGE, Conjectural Roleplaying GM Emulator
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Creator Reply:
Thank you for the review!
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[%]
Publisher: Malachi Sharlow
by Hamilton R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/17/2015 06:09:39

[%] -- I call it Chance -- is a Generic-Theme, Cinematic, Versatile, Abstract, Universal RPG game system, utilizing percentage chances to determine the outcome of action rolls.

Layout -- This Layout is deceptively good. Yes: it has stick figures. Yes: the layout is simple and somewhat spotted as far as margins and columns of text go. But it works and it looks good. The appearance and theme of a layout must succeed in order for people to try it. More work could have been done on the cover, and I would have liked to see more artwork, but it is pragmatic - simple - easy and fun to look at.

Text -- The game rules are simple enough, though you may have to review certain game functions a few times to get what the author is saying. You have plenty of examples and optional rules, though, to get the idea that this game not only needs House Rules - it actually encourages you to create House Rules as part of its core mechanic. If you are creative - most gamers are - you will like this system once you learn it.

Game Play -- This is where [%] shines, because it is not like many other games out there. Now, Hamilton, you said this game was simple and based on percentage rolls - how is that different? I will have to let you buy the game, to see how Chance cooks up percentage dice rolling differently. I want designers to make their money, which leads me to my next issue...

Value -- This game is heavily over-priced. It is a good value because the pages are packed - literally - with information... HOWEVER, There is still not enough effort put into this product to warrant a $10 cost - last few pages are optional rules and quick start charts (rehashed information, that is).

I want to give this game 5 stars for Layout and Game Play - but the Value is just not there for $10 cost, and until it is repriced, I can only give this game 2 stars due to the Value issue.



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
[%]
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D6xD6 RPG Core Book
Publisher: Lester Smith Games
by Hamilton R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/28/2014 05:02:53

D6xD6 RPG Core Book is a hot mess.

Layout -- The rules for playing do not jump out at you, nor do they inspire you to play the game. The artwork is a hodge-podge jumbled pile of incoherent Photo-shopped photograph bits. (Some people think that they can put tomatoes, cheese, bread, and pepperoni into a blender and mix it into a pizza -- this is what D6xD6 seems to be like as far as the Layout is concerned.) Is this supposed to be a Universal system, or do you stick with Cthulu themes? I am confused when I look at this book, and confusion is bad in graphic design.

Text -- Text is satisfactory. Fonts are uninspired, bland. It does the job, I guess. There is no clear explanation of how Focus works: it almost seems that the less Focus you have, the better you are to accomplish tasks. I may have this wrong, but like I said: this work is confusing. I want to play games - not reinvent the wheel and muddle through uninteresting text and confusion to learn a new system.

Game Play -- Never even tried it, so I don't really know.

Compared to others like it -- How do you compare garbage to trash? I hate to be so harsh, I like to give good reviews - but what I hate worse is spending good money for things like this. I feel like it is a waste of even 2.99 in whatever currency it is charged. With all due respect, Mr. Smith: go back to the Drawing Board on this layout and game. The concept is a GOOD concept, but how it is executed here ruins the concept.



Rating:
[1 of 5 Stars!]
D6xD6 RPG Core Book
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Starmada Nova Rulebook
Publisher: Majestic Twelve Games
by Hamilton R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/31/2014 05:53:21

Layout -- POOR. Boring layout, limited art that is pristine but not interesting or inspiring. There are not many pictures depicting space battles, neither inside the ship nor outside in space! The cover of the book is EXCELLENT, whoever designed the cover showed that s/he actually gave a d++n about what s/he was doing. It needs more art, and more-interesting art, something that will inspire me to play this game.

Text -- GOOD. Excellent for a tech manual, but not inspiring. The text does an excellent job for what it is supposed to do, but nothing more.

Game Play -- POOR. Mechanics are good, but there are absolutely no diagrams for spaceship design! It's all text and numbers, there are no layouts that might inspire what ships look like.

I don't know of any other games like this; this was my first purchase for miniatures spaceship battle. I am sorely disappointed: the cover sold me on the game, but I should have suspected something was not entirely right when I found there is no sample to review the PDF before paying 11.30 for this. I feel somewhat robbed; I hope I can salvage this space game (no pun intended).



Rating:
[1 of 5 Stars!]
Starmada Nova Rulebook
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Fate Core System
Publisher: Evil Hat Productions
by Hamilton R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/21/2013 12:36:19

Fate Core is a stream-lined version of the Fate mechanics. The selling points for this book are three fold: 1) Fate Core makes playing Fate rules much simpler without sacrificing game satisfaction, 2) The artistic layout of this book is excellent: easy to read, yet charming, organized, and inspiring. The artwork is appropriate and fun to look at, and 3) you are given permission to create a hard-copy of the PDF book for your own private use. This is a HUGE bonus, making this purchase well-worth the money you may spend for purchasing the product. These three facets have renewed my interest in creating games for Fate game mechanics.

  • I highly recommend paying for this particular book, for your RPG collection: as an RPG enthusiast, if you are like me, you will want people like those that work at Evil Hat Productions to publish more material like Fate Core, but they can't do that if no-one supports the products they can make with fairness and by balancing their work with a fair payment for their publication.


Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Fate Core System
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Prime20: The Easy RPG
Publisher: Beach House RPGs
by Hamilton R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/12/2012 00:17:17

Prime 20 is a reworking of sorts, drawing on elements of OGL D20 games and "refitting" them in a more-sensible fashion. However, I write reviews for three reasons: does the game deliver on it's advertised promise? does the layout appeal to the senses? and is it worth the cost to purchase it as is? I also like to deliver quick, simple answers, so here we go. (Each issue listed below will get a "+" mark if it is a positive remark, meant to cause the reader to purchase the game for that reason.)

    1. Does it deliver on "learning OGL games quickly" or "learning OGL stripped down to its essence"? I review these two issues, because the other advertised claims are ambiguous and can be fulfilled or not fulfilled by one's opinion of this game book as it applies to the OGL games others play. In short, it is more accurate to say that Prime 20 actually replaces other OGL games, and in this case, I think this is a good thing. (I tend to like cinematic, loose-ended RPGs and I shy away from mechanic-heavy rule-sets. Rules can get in the way of playing a game, and Prime 20 does a good job of explaining that.)
  1. Does the layout appeal to the senses? The book is a mere 34 pages of material (including a few pages of cover art and TOC); however, most of the pages contain mostly text with some simple line art illustrations. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it is just a disappointing aspect of the layout. In short, remember you are paying about 36 cents a page for a short-story project, where you could get a larger book for less money. Remember: RPGs are games and they are books, and that means they are also an art form. Art is important in a visual medium: Prime 20 fails to impress in the visual design respect, especially since I have experienced this game via PDF only. It feels bare-bones when read, and it's layout is juvenile: it needs work. (Not meant as an insult, but as information).

  2. Is it worth the cost to purchase this? To me, it is BARELY worth the cost, because the raw data is very useful and I will use the rules as written, with some minor tweaking. I don't like the current artistic effort so much; then again, I am a graphic artist by trade (perhaps I am too critical, for it is a better effort than most independents have provided. It's the PRICE versus quality that kills it for me.)

The bottom line: a great idea implemented in a poor manner for a rather large price. It feels complete and unfinished at the same time. Although I will use the rules, I am not happy at the cost to attain them.



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
Prime20: The Easy RPG
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by Hamilton R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 10/31/2012 16:31:40

BareBones Fantasy RPG (BBFR) is THE answer to the need for a simplified yet solid fantasy game experience. The rules balance complexity with core essence and value. This is a good value, jam-packed with information that skips all the "window-dressing" found in many other games. DwD took the best ideas in modern role-playing and formed an entirely new system around those concepts.

I highly recommend purchasing this product if you long for the days of sitting down to play a simple game, versus attending 8+ years of RPGU just so you can get your "doctorate degree" in one or two complex RPG systems!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
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