An Endzeitgeist.com review

This installment f the Tangible Taverns-series clocks in at 18 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page foreword, 1 page advertisement, 2 pages of SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 11 pages of content, so let's take a look!

A gorgeous white mansion caters to the ladies of good taste; it is frankly a fact that whomever has two X-chromosomes alongside a certain standing and pedigree should most certainly not be seen slumming in rowdy taverns. Instead, it would indeed be significantly more rewarding for such privileged ladies to visit the Delectable Dragonfly, a tea house of exquisitely good taste, where the gossip of the local elite and rich and powerful coalesces.

And yes, dear ladies - there are delectable additions to add to the menu, which include massages...and everything else a discerning lady might wish for...particularly if her lord has certain...ahem...shortcomings. Prudes around there: You can put away the pitchforks, anything sexual herein is conveyed via innuendo and is absolutely PG. That being said, personally, I applaud this often neglected and stigmatized aspect of the facts of life. Run by Prim, a fetchling expert/luckbringer and most charming hostess, who comes with full stats, this place is indeed a veritable oasis of delights - and information: The detailed rumors and events provided further emphasize this.

The ruggedly handsome staff comes with well-drawn b/w-mugshots as well that could have been taken straight from a fantastic romance-novel, further underlining this theme. The fluffy write-ups themselves are flavorful: What about a halfling masseur with meticulously clean feet who can feel knots with them? Then, there would be the ruggedly handsome investigator Vadim (with full stats) as well as his multiclassed devotee/friend Sonia (similarly, with stats) and several regulars provided for a rich array of NPCs to interact with - including the local inquisitor (again, with full stats and the truth-seeker archetype), convinced that a brilliant serial killer is stalking the town. Well, guess what? She is right.

If some of the classes and classes features mentioned before just generated question marks above your head, rest assured that the pdf's appendix will cover all relevant components - from the Sensuous Charm and Love' Devotion feats to the complex truth inquisition and the relevant class features for the mistress' luckbringer tricks.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are top-notch, I noticed no significant hiccups. Layout adheres to a no-frills two-column b/w-standard. The b/w-artworks featured herein are all originals and well-made indeed. The cartography featured is rudimentary, but serves its purpose and the pdf comes fully bookmarked for our convenience.

I really enjoyed Kelly & Ken Pawlik's delectable dragonfly - it is a unique and flavorful establishment that represents a nice change of pace- a sanctuary of women, a place to enjoy gossip and the finer things in life, the tea house is evocative and flavorful. The NPC-builds are creative and varied and then adventuring potential conveyed via the rumors and events as well as the serial killer subplot, is extensive. There isn't much more one can ask of such a nice humble pdf. 5 stars + seal of approval.

Endzietgeist out.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy. Also, I have replicated most of my review for the 5e version of this product, but I find that most of the same points apply, and have changed what I felt appropriate.

This product covers another establishment for use in your Pathfinder games, but is not a tavern. It is a tea house, and Dire Rugrat has done a wonderful job of contrasting it to their taverns, showing that they are amazingly adept at creating distinct locations, as they have in the past.

I am happy to say that the art is improving with each successive product, which makes me very happy. The portraits to an excelleny job of setting the tone and giving a thorough impressing of the characters. It makes mw want more portraits to get a better feel for the other characters. I look forward to seeing it get even better!

The rules are very well represented, and there is a good bevvy of new rules information that make this book interesting to dive into. Look to the appendix to see unique character options that help round out the equally unique NPCs in this book.

The teahouse itslef is very fleshed out and feels organic, as I've come to expect. The NPCs are all interconnected, and it is a pleasure to read through the book to discover the social web that has been woven. I don't ever feel like anything is extraneous or meant to fill space. I especially like Arradeth, and her portrait. Everything about her really sets the tone. Really, the way that the NPCs were presented as whole and intricate people was what made me so happy with this book.

As with any of Dire Rugrat product, I always enjoy how the entire story unfolds as I read through the whole book, setting up an excellent narrative that makes the entire book relevant and interesting. The teahouse has an amazing depth, and any number of city adventures can begin and end with the teahouse as an excellent set piece.

My only quiblle is that I wish for more ways that players could interact with this teahouse other than either being an all girl group, letting the focus fall on female characters, or the old "man in disguise" trick. There is a lot about this tea house that is compelling, and it would be neat to figure out more ways to put it to use. The fact that men are not allowed is interesting, and presents a unique obstacle, but simply requires a little more GM magic to make sure that the players enjoy everything that the teahouse has to offer to a group of adventurers.

I give this product a very well deserved 5 out of 5, and my royal seal.