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Emerging Forms - Cyndarim
Publisher: Primal Urge Games
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/22/2005 00:00:00

This series has really impressed me, on the whole. At first glance I questioned paying $2 for a single new race, but this is not just a pile of stats and feats. Each race in the series gives you 15-20 pages of information, ranging from background, to relations, to land and language, to game stats... it's all here. The depth is impressive without being overbearing.

The Cyndarim are a ruthless, predatory, and powerful underwater race. For my part, I do a lot with aquatics... so getting more variety under the waves is always a plus. This was one of 2 very original aquatic races in this series.<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Adds nice variety to an oft-neglected part of a campaign world. Could make an excellent challenge in a campaign, and has the potential for serious political impact for those who like to include such effects in their worlds.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Just the kinds of typos that could benefit from some manual (i.e. not spellcheck) editing. This particular race might also be of limited use from a playable standpoint... it's probably more suited to being an NPC group.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Emerging Forms - Cyndarim
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Emerging Forms - Ryonth
Publisher: Primal Urge Games
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/22/2005 00:00:00

This series has really impressed me, on the whole. At first glance I questioned paying $2 for a single new race, but this is not just a pile of stats and feats. Each race in the series gives you 15-20 pages of information, ranging from background, to relations, to land and language, to game stats... it's all here. The depth is impressive without being overbearing.

The Ryonth are sick, creepy, and frightening. The ramifications of being overrun by a Ryonth horde would be enough to make anyone move at the first hint of them. When you think to yourself "I'd rather just be eaten alive," you know it's pretty bad.

<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Excellent detail and presentation. A whole campaign could be built around these guys as enemies.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: My only issue with regards to the Ryonth is that their incorporation could seriously change the face of a GM's campaign world. They'd have to be designed in from the start I think... it'd be tough to plug them in later. <br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Emerging Forms - Ryonth
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Deadly Diseases
Publisher: Ronin Arts
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/24/2005 00:00:00

Well documented, well described, and really freaking scary in some places.

Disease is a tough thing to deal with in gaming from a character perspective. Partly because, much like in real life, tracking down the cause of the symptoms can be a major endeavor. This little batch hits the ugly facts about the diseases it presents, and one can imaging the greusome detail if they wish.

Having control over such things would also make for a rather wicked NPC caster class...

<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Very clean and organized, lots of good ideas. Everything was made game-ready (well, if you play D20).<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: I would have liked to see a few descriptions/fictionalizations of some of them in action, just to get a better picture of the role-playing implications.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Deadly Diseases
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Lions Den Press: Magical Locks
Publisher: Purple Duck Games
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/24/2005 00:00:00

If I'm being honest, I didn't buy this supplement because I really needed some good locks to put into my game.

I bought it because Ari Marmell wrote it, and frankly, everything else by Marmell that I've gotten my hands on has been absolutely top-notch.

The production quality is excellent (as with all of this publisher's products), and Marmell's style still makes it a good and uninhibiting read. But the locks themselves didn't amaze me. They were OK, some more original or thoughtful than others. But when you hit a topic as minute as this, there really needs to be a "Wow" factor, that I just don't think got hit this time around.

Will I use it? Sure, there's some good tidbits in there.

So this becomes the exception to my rule... the lone Ari Marmell product that was just OK, rather than excellent.

Incidentally, if you want to see this author at their best, get your hands on a copy of Planar Factions (also a Lion's Den Press thing, I believe). I couldn't begin to tell you how much fun for my gaming group has spawned out of just one group (The Poison Tide) from that supplement. <br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Quality production, pleasing style, effective presentation.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Not enough pop to the content for such an acute topic.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Acceptable<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Lions Den Press: Magical Locks
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A DM's Directory of Demiplanes
Publisher: Ronin Arts
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/18/2005 00:00:00

I understand now.

Some time back, I reviewed another product by this author (6 Planar Gates, I think it was called). On that review, I mentioned that the product was excellent, but that I was put off by the introduction in which the author mourns the low sales of a previous publication.

This is that publication, and I retract my criticism of that introduction.

Why? Because this product SHOULD sell well. It is apparent from the first 3-5 pages that a great deal of time and effort went into making this a quality work that would be to the great benefit of any GM that uses planar activity in their campaigns.

Each of these planes, while often obscure, has enormous posibilities with the application of some imagination on the part of the GM. For that matter, I could easily design an entire campaign based upon the premise used for any one of these planes. The detailing, nature, and history (where applicable) are extensive and fluent, and mesh with existing planar game design without any major adjustment.

Each description also includes such things as: ways to and from the plane, inhabitants (native or otherwise), special planar-related items or magics, and more.

The book also gives plenty of ideas for designing your own demiplanes, and a number of interesting planar gate ideas at the end.

Honestly, from format to quality, to value, to content... this was one of the best all-around gaming supplements I've purchased in the past 5 years. <br><br><b>LIKED</b>: In addition to the above mentioned things, the editing and flow of the writing were superb, and made it an easy and entertaining (as well as informative) read. It also made reference to several other planar products (such as The Book of the Planes) which I'm now sorely tempted to get my hands on.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: There was only 1 thing I didn't like. I wanted more. Not because I felt they didn't give me tons of content (more than my money's worth), but because I was so intrigued by what I got that I wanted it to keep coming. I just have to hope there's a sequel someday, I guess.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
A DM's Directory of Demiplanes
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The Sickened Hand, Volume 1
Publisher: Dark Quest Games
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/18/2005 00:00:00

Nice idea, and some pretty well-defined examples. This is a well-done and inexpensive supplement to address an underappreciated aspect of game play. <br><br><b>LIKED</b>: The price was excellent, and I thought the content was nicely detailed.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Is there going to be a volume 2?<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
The Sickened Hand, Volume 1
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Six Swarms
Publisher: Ronin Arts
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/18/2005 00:00:00

Phenomenal detail and exposition on some very unique and interesting creatures. The intro sounds like the author has a bit of a sadistic streak in him, but that's not to say that this set is useful only for tormenting players. The creatures are very well thought out and designed, nicely documented, and for those of you who like the convenience factor there are very nice stat sheets at the end for each critter.

<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Very creative, nice layout, explicit and well-written (it flows logically and smoothly, making it easy to read). The creatures are both exciting and very usable.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: The price seemed a bit steep for a supplement that only really gives you 6 new creatures. The quality is good enough to compensate for some this, but until I saw it, I was pretty hesitant about making the purchase.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Six Swarms
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A Dozen . . . Collection One
Publisher: Ronin Arts
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/18/2005 00:00:00

If you're a fan of the "A Dozen" series, this is definately worth your while.

To be honest, I had hesitated on buying this one, because a lot of the bits contained didn't look like ones that I might have normally picked up individually. I was pleasantly surprised to find that many of the PDF's that I had thought would be of less use to me turned out to be my favorites. Since this is a review of the collection as a whole, I won't bore you with a ton of details... I'll just say this: if you're waffling on whether or not to pick it up, make the leap. I really don't think you'll be let down. <br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Some nice variety, good detail and a quality product as always. This collection was a nice scattering of the kinds of things the series has to offer.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Inevitably, I found some of the parts more useful than others. But that's not really a dislike... it's just something that is bound to happen in a collection-style product.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
A Dozen . . . Collection One
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The Bookshelf Stuffer, Vol. 6: Craftmens' Guides
Publisher: Dark Quest Games
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/11/2005 00:00:00

Another nice addition to this series. I think these are getting better as they go. The first 2 were pretty decent, but 4-6 have been very good. This is not a supplement for someone who is looking for powerful treasures... it is what it advertises to be. You get about 20 short descriptions of mundane books on various topics within the theme. They make for great flavor, or even inexpensive and intriguing little treasure items. <br><br><b>LIKED</b>: This is certainly a set of topics that one would expect to find books about in a fantasy world. The books here are very believable, and easy to drop into any relevent room or backpack to add a little personality. <br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Not much. I'd still like to see more description on appearances, but there was nothing wrong with the content of the product. <br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
The Bookshelf Stuffer, Vol. 6: Craftmens' Guides
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The Bookshelf Stuffer, Vol. 5: Arcane Library
Publisher: Dark Quest Games
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/11/2005 00:00:00

Another nice addition to this series. I think these are getting better as they go. The first 2 were pretty decent, but 4-6 have been very good. This is not a supplement for someone who is looking for powerful treasures... it is what it advertises to be. You get about 20 short descriptions of mundane books on various topics within the theme. They make for great flavor, or even inexpensive and intriguing little treasure items. <br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Some cool little ideas here, without going over the top. There is no risk of any of these books being a balance problem in a game, or even needing any effort to toss into a setting. It's quick, easy to use, and concise.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: My only minor nit-pick with volume 5 is that the table of contents was still labeled "Kitchen Favorites," which was the title from volume 4... <br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
The Bookshelf Stuffer, Vol. 5: Arcane Library
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The Bookshelf Stuffer, Vol. 3: Bardic Favorites
Publisher: Dark Quest Games
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/08/2005 00:00:00

I have bought the first 6 books in this series, and so far this is the only one I really didn't like. The content was very repetetive, with the books mostly being just variations within a group (2 sets of 4 revolving around the seasons, for example, make up nearly half of the books included). <br><br><b>LIKED</b>: The idea is still good, and the series in general is a lot of fun.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: This particular edition just lacked variety. It seemed more contrived than the others, as if the author was either in a hurry to finish, or maybe just didn't have enough ideas to fill out the subject he chose.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Disappointing<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Disappointed<br>



Rating:
[1 of 5 Stars!]
The Bookshelf Stuffer, Vol. 3: Bardic Favorites
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The Bookshelf Stuffer, Vol. 4
Publisher: Dark Quest Games
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/08/2005 00:00:00

Wow... now this one was fun!

This series is a nice little set of mundane books on various subjects. It gives a small description of each and leaves a lot to the imagination, and is generally a nice tool for a GM.

Having just gotten through the only one in the series that I didn't like, I had hardly expected the "Kitchen Collection" to be my favorite. But the titles and descriptions in this set were intriguing, original, and a lot of fun. There were some very neat ideas in here to play with.<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: How can you go wrong with a product that sports a book entitled "And Thus I Ate Their Livers"?<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: As I've mentioned in a couple of other reviews in this series, it'd be nice to see some more physical descriptions on some of the books. But it's not a huge deal really. <br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
The Bookshelf Stuffer, Vol. 4
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The Bookshelf Stuffer, Vol. 2: WICKED
Publisher: Dark Quest Games
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/08/2005 00:00:00

If you liked the first one, you'll love this one. Another inexpensive little list of mundane books... this time mostly written by evil races and/or on evil topics. A few seemed a bit redundant, but for the most part, they were all pretty interesting. And it's certainly intriguing to think about what an Orc might write a 200+ page book about... <br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Handy without being overbearing. This series is like the RPG equivalent of a light snack... refreshing, but you couldn't live off of it. It does what it claims to do in a fun little fashion.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: I'd like to see a bit more on the appearance of the books, but otherwise it was good.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
The Bookshelf Stuffer, Vol. 2: WICKED
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The Bookshelf Stuffer, Vol. 1
Publisher: Dark Quest Games
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/08/2005 00:00:00

Exactly as advertised. You get 20 short descriptions of mundane books on a variety of topics. Great for adding a bit of roleplaying flavor, an inexpensive treasure (all books are given approximate values), or a collectible tidbit. <br><br><b>LIKED</b>: It's a nice idea. I like that most of the books throughout this series are lower-end from a value perspective, and are non-magical. They are good for some ideas or just some filler.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: A little more material on each (like maybe a physical description) would have been nice to see. Also, the introductory stuff was disproportionately long compared to the main content. <br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Acceptable<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
The Bookshelf Stuffer, Vol. 1
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Kressmer's Bizarre Grimoire: Seven Spells of Power
Publisher: Silverthorne Games
by Gregory H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/08/2005 00:00:00

Kressmer is my hero. Only a gnome would take on an entire evil village to avenge a kidnapped frog... and curse them all for eternity on his way out.

This series is too much fun to pass up. Especially since it's cheap, and the other 7 installments are all free.

Funny thing is, the presentation and editing (and even the usefullness of the content) on these inexpensive and free little guys is often better than far more expensive items of comparable content and size. <br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Kressmer is useful, imaginative, original, and fun. These spells are both functional and entertaining, and the background on them (and on Kressmer himself) is worth a read as well. <br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: The only thing that bugs me is that the text is in colors, which makes for inconsistent print quality if you want to make a hardcopy. <br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Kressmer's Bizarre Grimoire: Seven Spells of Power
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