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Ashes and Empires
Publisher: A.J. Stoner
by Fernando D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 10/31/2019 15:20:10

Over the course of my 40+ years of gaming, I have played/read and cannabalized many RPGs to suit my needs. I have always been looking for the one system that would serve every need. Having read through Ashes and Empires, I find myself very satisfied with the system and how flexible it is. Its modular nature lends to having a very simple game which you can run without ruining the integrity of the system. It also allows for the deep 'crunchy' aspect of gaming if that is what your group likes.

The only issue I had with the book was a minor thing with the layout. The rules on how to resolve roles was beyond the character generation and that made the reading of how to develop a character a little confusing. Jumping to the game system section first definitely helps. The resolution system is perhaps what I find most intriguing. It takes into account a great deal and once it 'clicks' becomes very intuitive, brilliant really. For the price, this game is a must have and I will be using its system to replace a lot of my other games.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Ashes and Empires
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Ironsworn
Publisher: Shawn Tomkin
by Fernando D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 07/20/2018 13:17:27

This game is nothing short of brilliant. I am a big fan of another game which uses a similar move system, Dungeon World. The author has taken that idea and made it into artful game. The use of world building, character generation, and character driven story all weave together to form a tapestry unlike anything I have seen before in RPGs. I would gladly pay for a printer version of this game and I sincerely hope the author does put one out so that he can be rewarded for his superlative work.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Ironsworn
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Blade of the Iron Throne B&W Edition
Publisher: Iron Throne Publishing
by Fernando D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/22/2014 01:57:26

As a gamer, I was unaware that S&S had a system such as TRoS (The Riddle of Steel) until a few years ago. While I never got to run that system, I admired its set up, commitment to reality in combat, and a gritty feel to the world. Blade has taken the TRoS system and eliminated the awkward bits and added player driven story elements which make for a far richer gaming experience than that of a Referee driven system.

Character generation is very similar to TRoS making the characters choose their strengths and weaknesses. To be good in one thing, the character will be deficient someplace else. This can be offset with the Karma system (a brilliant idea). The longer a character is played and the more vigorously the player drives the story, the more likely they are to further their Passions, earning more passion points, which can be spent to improve their abilities and skills which builds Karma. The next character will profit from that activity by having fewer weaknesses. This system can also be applied to the Referee so when someone else runs the game for them, they are not left far behind. A brilliant and long deserved system to encourage long suffering GMs to run dynamic games.

The Limelight combat system allows for a fluid, cinematic feel to combat. It focuses upon one character until something significant happens in that combat, someone gets wounded, loses their weapon, dies, runs, etc. It then moves to the next character in the list leaving ambiguity as to what truly happened. Which adds to the excitement of the combat as the player eagerly awaits the next time the camera is on them to finish the fight or find out if they live.

Combat resolution is fast and furious with little ambiguity of how things are done once the players and Referee are used to how things are done. It is akin to the 7th Sea and Legend of the 5 Rings roll and keep system. The manuever based system can truly bring combat alive and it is very difficult to exploit the system as there is always a counter to an attack. No one in invincible, a dagger to the chest will ruin the day of a character just as much as being cloven in two by a great sword.

Sorcery works much like it appears in the S&S novels. It is extra-ordinarily powerful but requires significant dedication to the Art to make it useful in more than a very limited scope. Sorcery can be more dangerous to the sorcerer should they be unprepared or push themselves too far risking tainting themselves with other worldly power turning the mundane world against them and causing themselves all too real harm. Magic always comes with a price.

Overall, I find Blade a welcome relief from the level based d20, overly complex games where characters can dish out and take massive amounts of punishment. Combat is deadly serious and should be very carefully considered before engaged in, as it should be. The price is very low and for the rewarding experience that it provides is cheap at 3 times the price.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Blade of the Iron Throne B&W Edition
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Creator Reply:
Thank you for the wonderful review! We are glad that you enjoy the game! Best Regards, The Blade Team
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Atomik Magick & Grimoire
Publisher: Precis Intermedia
by Austin D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/13/2007 00:00:00

This is a good product with a lot of good infomtion. For all of the GMs out there who want to design their own magic system, this is an excellent resource.<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: The PDF source is an excellent way to store RPG books.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: A PDF does not have the same hands on feel of more traditional books.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Atomik Magick & Grimoire
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