It's a darn shame I haven't seen anyting from this writer in a long time. Artesia, even though it was formatted with the Fuzion system rules, is still one of my favorite books.

I became a fan before the RPG, though, because I discovered the graphic novels that inspired this game. I loved the art, I really enjoyed seeing one of the first strong female oriented characters I remember reading.

So when the game came out, I grabbed it. I was not disappointed.

To put it kinda bluntly, I wish they would do a 5th Edition version.

I'm waiting.........

I've been telling players that there are five elements for yearss - Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and "Void". But this book goes one step further and has information on no less than =eight= elements!

"Gash" seems closest to Fire. "Weyan" seems closest to Water. "Auros" seems closest to Air. "Bragga" is Earth. "Vyta" seems closest to Nature. "Vyta" could also be considered Wood, which is another form of element to many asain cultures. "Argens" seems closest to Metal, which is also recognized as a seperate element by many Asian cultures. "Palas" seems closest to Light as a seperate element. "Duul" seems closest to Darkness as a seperate element.

So now you have eight! 1) "Gash" (or Fire) 2) "Weyan" (or Water) 3) "Auros" (or Air) 4) "Bragga" (or Earth) 5) "Vyta" (or Wood) 6) "Argens" (or Metal) 7) "Palas" (or Light) 8) "Duul" (or Darkness)

I wonder which of these is my fifth element - "Void" (or "Spirit", or "Aura").

But I must say that this author has some real convincing material for the Eight factors that he considers basic elements.

I really enjoyed this book, and plan on using it frequently! One of my higher recommendations!

My friends, by my initial purchase of the Kickstarter for the BBoM #1 which has now progressed enough for my friends to see this wonderful collection of Fantasy Maps -with- VTT maps included, =and= another almost identical set for Low Resolution, this is proving to be one of my best investments in a product! I'm feeling kinda blue that I did not get the Kickstarter for the BBoM #2 - the Sci-Fi set. I'll be recommending this book and the other to anyone who wants to hear about it! Thanks for a job even better done now than it was originally!

Another part of 0One's huge city. One of the very best cities, this one details the Castle Ward and a small amount of that area of the city.

A new player characrter race for the 'Jade Oath' universe. Does make for a unique race.

Introduction the the "Jade Oath" setting. Did make me more interested in getting the whole setting.

Very interesting peek at a larger volume. Try a preview and see if you like it well enough to buy the full book.

Very interesting peek at a larger volume. Try a preview and see if you like it well enough to buy the full book.

Very interesting peek at a larger volume. Try a preview and see if you like it well enough to buy the full book.

TThis is one of the better looks at a Pirate stronghold and the denizens within.

One of a series of 'blueprints of one of the World's Larget city. Good detail in info for regular adventuring or a quick side quest!

Great if you want to try D20 "Battletech". Just a collection of weapons for Mechs.

The "Mad" cartographer doesn't leave any contact info, so, let me say this directly to you:

If you =are= "The Mad Cartographer" and you see me at a con someday, remind me to shake your hand and buy you a drink!

This series of simple maps (and the last I saw was numbered over 300!) make world design a pice of cake.

Just take the map and plop it down wherever you need it. It couldn't be any easier than that!

If you're not the artist (and it takes real artistry to desing maps like this) then you might want to load up on the whole set!

Yes, they are that good. And you cannot beat the price!

"GURPSGM"

I've been involved with RPG's since the beginning "little white box" of original D&D. I've got to admit, I didn't hold out a whole lot of faith that a new RPG could give me the old school feeling again. But this game did it. 206 pages of crunchy goodness. The setting is darn near unique (although most people will think of Discworld first). The combat system is fairly fast, and the "exploding" dice (which reminded me of Rolemaster) was a great touch. The 8 character races include some different touches, and each race was given its due. The advantages and imperfections sections reminded me of my long time favorite, GURPS. Moderate list of skills will not overwhelm a new player. The weapon skills are divided nicely, and will help guide players to the weapon(s) that they want. Weapons lead directly into Combat. The setting, however, sets this book =way= apart. Almost 50 pages to detail out the world, and there's plenty left to explore. Friends, reward youlselves by trrying this book out. Try the PDF if you're not sure it's your "cup of tea". I am proud to say that I have all four of the books about "Within the Ring of Fire" and I will say categorically that if another hardback is released, I'll be the first in line.

"GM's Miscellany: Village Backdrops" by various authors, brought to you by Raging Swan Press, 101 Pages, Pathfinder compatible.

There are twelve villages that are given life in this booklet, as well as info on how to design your own. There's a great section about using these villages with Ultimate Campaign. Then, there's ten pages of village design info, including many good charts. Each village includes a couple notable locations.

The Villages:

01 - Apia includes a really strange NPC. There are six pages of info on Apia.

02 - Ashford has a great NPC and a curse to lift. There are five pages of info here.

03 - Bossin is a town looking for a saviour. There are five pages of info here, too.

04 - Denton's End is a village with an unusual background. There are five pages here, too.

05 - Golden Valley is a town on the verge of the end of its gold boom. Five more pages here.

06 - Hard Bay is a good village by the sea with a secret. Five more pages here.

07 - Hosford is the seventh village. Five more pages here.

08 - Longbridge, a hotbed of intrigue and worse between two lords. Five more pages here.

09 - Oakhurst, a village with unusual NPC's to add to your campaign. Five more pages here.

10 - Roake, another village with a secret. Five more pages here.

11 - Thornhill, a focus for adventurers delving deeper into the swamps. Five more pages here.

12 - White Moon Cove, the last of the villages, contains a link to the Sunken Pyramid, and five more pages.

Finally, there's the usual OGL.

Every village info block contains a map of the village, all include info at a glance, demographics, notable folk, notable locations, info on the village marketplace, village lore, and general info about the villagers. Each includes detailed info on Notable Locations.

Only one page of ads, and that for the link to "Sunken Pyramid", and the rest practically pure crunch. A great resource for GM's searching for a jumping off point or two, and a good look at a design system that will provide many more villages.

Folks, you need look no further for a starting village reference source. Considering the price, I think this should rank high on every GM's short list of things to buy.