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I really liked this game when it first came out, and it was fun for a couple of one-shots. However, other groups didn't like the lack of meaningful mechanics in terms of in-game combat. Combat gets immensely repetitive very quickly. For a game focusing on over-the-top combat, that's not good.
I really can't see most groups getting their sci-fi or space action fix from this product. That's not a dig on the Three Sixteen as much as it is personal preference, but I think more traditional gaming groups might have issues with this product. Mine certainly did.
The art and layout are ok on this product, but ultimately, I think the $10 price tag is simply too much for what you're getting. $10 can buy a couple of pdfs of more substantial games, rules-light or no.
Don't expect to run an entire campaign off this--this is a one-shot kind of game, and considering that, I'm not sure the price tag is justified. It isn't a bad product, but it will probably stale quickly.
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These minis were of an excellent quality, and printed well just using a regular inkjet printer and cardstock. They're the perfect addition to my gaming table, since I needed Union and Confederate troops for my upcoming campaign.
I've used multiple types of Precis Intermedia's Disposable Heroes, and have never been unhappy with the value or quality of their product. Their Civil War Statix are no exception. I'm happy they make these lines for some of the less common genres as well--it's a godsend to us using them!
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These turned out perfectly on a regular inkjet printer with cardstock, and saved me a ton of money and time in trying to afford or scrounge up British and French army minis for my upcoming game. Precis Intermedia continues to make top-notch products for underserved niches in gaming--I'd recommend check out the rest of their Disposable Heroes line!
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With lists and tables running from Ship Names to Planetary Atmospheres to Spaceport Bar Names, Jon Brazer Enterprises continues their d66 line with their d66 Compendium. If, like me, you're a Referee/GM who enjoys random tables to help flesh out their game or occasionally draws a blank when put on the spot, the Compendium should be a nice add to your game.
Results are rolled using the d66 method, as Mongoose Traveller uses d6s in resolution. For example, rolling a 3 and a 4 gives me a result of 34, which on the Planetary Government table would be Enlightened Absolutism.
I grabbed this product when it was marked down to $7.99. The original list price of $12.99 was likely beyond what I'd pay for a 52-page pdf, but overall I'm satisfied with this purchase. I would have liked to see a few more charts for the price, but still feel this should be an asset to my gaming. It's a good buy for Referees needing that little assist or who enjoy random charts geared towards the fun of the Traveller RPG.
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Amazingly brilliant in its simplicity, this has to be the potential as one's go-to fantasy game. Michael Wolf has done in 41 pages what many larger books and professional gaming companies could not--create a simple but effectively endlessly customizable RPG. The Creative Commons license is simply icing on the cake.
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The material released by Judges Guild has delighted generations of gamers. For many,
it was an integral part of their gaming childhood or early adulthood. The Wilderlands setting has long stood as a monument to the joys of hex-based exploration.
Now comes Supplement VI: The Majestic Wilderlands, wherein Rob Conley (author of Points of Light, Citadel of Fire, and other works with a definite classic bent to them) shares his 30-year home campaign, and stats it for use with Swords & Wizardry. Conley gained the permission of Judge’s Guild to release his version of the Wilderlands, and the end result does not disappoint.
With 3 decades of adventuring in the Wilderlands, Conley has definitely had time to put his own mark on the setting. Not only full of a goodly amount of setting overview, the 140-page Majestic Wilderlands also crams in plenty of new optional Swords & Wizardry sub-classes & skills. The reader will likely “mix n’ match” amongst the sub-classes, with entries such as the Myrmidons of Set, Berserkers, and Rune-Casters among the most
entertaining. The religions of the Wilderlands also offer the opportunity of specialty priests, something Conley implements well.
The skill add-on rules are brief and to the point. Although it may not be utilized by many players of Swords & Wizardry, it is short and familiar (utilizing a 1d20+ability bonus+class bonus vs. Target Number of 15). People wanting to keep the simplicity of Swords & Wizardry while adding a basic skill system could do far worse.
The second section in the book deals with treasure and monsters, and is perhaps the weakest point, but still manages to introduce a few new baddies and items for use. This is the one section I wish had been fleshed out just a bit more.
The largest portion of the book is the third section, and Conley goes into loving detail here describing his Wilderlands. More than just a geographical primer, Conley manages to really impart the flavor of the races and cultures of the Wilderlands. Never too dull or uneven, Conley expertly guides us through a whirlwind of cultures, religions, peoples, and entities that turn the Wilderlands from a static place to a dynamic, living one.
If anything, knowing Conley’s excellent eye for cartography, I would have preferred to see a few more maps included in the book. Despite this, he manages to make you feel immersed in what feels to be a well-worn, comfortable setting. It’s almost as if we’ve been invited in to have a cup of tea in his personal campaign, and the effect is a pleasant one.
All in all, The Majestic Wilderlands compares favorably to other Wilderlands efforts, such as James Mishler’s Adventure Games Publishing. Users of this book should find a high degree of compatibility with both AGP works and the original Wilderlands. Perhaps the biggest difference is in tone, with Conley’s Wilderlands not exactly a somber place, but one that is a bit more serious in tone. This is not a bad thing, however; Conley’s setting is all the more vibrant and engaging for the scholarly and attentive tone of the writing.
The print copy of Majestic Wilderlands retails for $12, and comes in both a more colorful cover and a brown “original supplement” look. The pdf is $7, and is easy to read due to the single-column layout. For the amount of gaming material presented, either is a good value. It should be easily adaptable to any classical or neoclassical RPG, and probably a few outlier systems to boot.
Overall, Supplement VI: The Majestic Wilderlands gets high marks. Whether you're looking to spice up a classical D&D campaign with some great ideas or need a world to call home for your campaign, you'll want to check this out. Wilderlands is definitely recommended to anyone looking for inspiration for any OD&D-based campaign, or for an example of what quality worldbuilding can produce. One can only hope Mr. Conley decides to open the vault to his gaming archives a bit further.
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I am absurdly pleased with this game. It manages to blend the basics of classic D&D with a few bolt-ons reminiscent of Traveller, and it makes it all seems very, very easy.
What really impressed me in SWN is how customizable it is without complexity. Those three basic classes expand in many different directions with the backgrounds and training packages thrown into the mix. Faction rules and the like illustrate SWN is not blind to effective, streamlined modern RPG design. And the starship combat rules are simple and make perfect sense. Building a starship is even more fun, with a really basic but solid design platform.
There are many excellent space and sci-fi games out there, but SWN needs to be in that discussion.
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A nice little quick-start. Does what it sets out to (introduce the Castles & Crusades RPG in a free format), and includes both the game basics and a short adventure. A couple of editing tics are annoying but not deal-breakers.
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Interesting baddies for my C&C game, but I can see how they could be easily ported to several different classic-feel fantasy RPGs. For a buck, totally worth it for the Castles & Crusades gamer.
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In total this week, I spent $1.95 on RPG product, yet walked away pretty content.
My purchase at was SORD Plus, by Myth Merchant Press. SORD stands for System Operational Reference Digest. The first version of this product, SORD, is an effort to create a streamlined, easily referenced product for the rules and conditions of D&D 3.5 (which, as we all know, can be a bit daunting). SORD Plus takes this same concept to Pathfinder Beta, and I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with the results.
Extensive bookmarking and some hyperlinks make this a good online reference; I was also really pleased with how it printed out in greyscale (the product is in color, but is designed to print well in grayscale also. Nicely divided tables give a summary of the rules, and give you what you need to understand the effect certain conditions and maneuvers have on gameplay. Basically, any "fluff" has been ruthlessly wiped from this product, and what was left has been reorganized expertly into a product that should help player and GM alike. This is as much a rules compendium and reference as much as anything, and at that, it excels.
There's really no rule not touched on in here--from combat to conditions to armor to damage, saving throws, and every other item that is usually a page-flipper. Overall, I'm pleased with my purchase, and consider it a bargain at under $2. I anticipate this not only helping speed up our games, but educating on rules I perhaps poorly understood. It definitely has my recommendation for folks looking to run or play 3.5 or Pathfinder who, like me, aren't human rule databases. I certainly hope we can wield a SORD for the final version of Pathfinder as well.
(Note: Make sure that if you want the version for Pathfinder Beta, you'll want SORD Plus. For regular 3.5, just use SORD).
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Look, if you spend your time looting ancient dungeons for magic items and pissing off evil wizards, chances are as an adventurer, you're going to end up with a curse bestowed upon you at some point.
As a Game Master, it can often be difficult to come up with different or original curses. James Mishler's and Adventure Games Publishing's 100 Calamitous Curses solves that problem by delivering precisely what the title suggests: 100 curses to entertain, hinder, and cause mayhem for your campaign.
The curses are ostensibly designed to be used with Castles & Crusades, but like other AGP products, they are easily usable with any number of both d20-related, older D&D versions, and retro-clone titles. Mishler's characteristic entertaining writing style (with a decided swords n' sorcery bent) shines through, and he does an excellent job of making each curse unique and engaging. Here's just one example:
"64. Curse of the Life Leech: Whenever the accursed one heals damage, the nearest friend, ally, or neutral being suffers a like amount of damage. If cured by a spell, usually the friendly caster suffers the damage; if healing through bed rest, the nearest person loses a similar number of hit points regardless of distance!"
Ouch! Most curses are appropriate for a general-audience sort of group, but there are a few that have to do with childbirth and sexuality that GMs who run younger folks through their games want to specifically consider before using. Still, I believe the product will be quite helpful to a wide range of gaming groups.
Coming in at 12 pages, this pdf normally retails for $2.50, but at the time I write this, It is on sale for only $2. Either way, if, like me, you have a GM's Binder or use a laptop for some of your pdfs, you'll want to make sure this great value finds its way into your collection. It's the sort of short, handy pdf I love as a GM, and so long as James Mishler keeps making 'em like this, I'll keep buying 'em.
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A nice, short, useful pdf that I am hoping gets turned into an entire series. This went right into my GM's binder. If you GM Castles & Crusades, you'll want to look at picking this up--having these treasure troves already detailed saves time, and allows for getting the characters their swag without bogging down the game. For only $1, it was well worth it.
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I got this pdf during an Adamant $1 sale, and does a nice job of offering gaming opportunities and source material based on many of the sagas of the Red Planet so many of us love. A couple of sections seemed a bit skimpy on content, and often this product feels like an accessory rather than a stand-alone attempt. I'm not sure I'd have picked it up at $24.95, but at a lower price, I certainly would again.
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I've given the Castles & Crusades Player's Handbook a 5/5, but have to downgrade the Quick Start Rules just a but. Despite being the same system I love for its modularity, ease of running/playing/learning, the Quick Start rules aren't as easy on the eye as I'd have liked for an introductory product. Still it does a nice job, and provides a sample encounter (too brief to be called an adventure), and the SIEGE Engine remains ridiculously easy to learn and utilize. I recommend the Player's Handbook (non-condensed) for people interested further after this freebie.
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A very enjoyable take on an old classic. Keeps the old-school vibe alive and well in 3.5. Chock-full of old school goodness, including lots of traps, rumors, and encounters that don't just add up to a meatgrinder. Get this while you still can--there's enough here to keep you busy for a while!!
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