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Unbridled Anthology from Oliver Clegg (@deathbybadger) et al
I was preparing an adventure for a game to cheer up a friend and cackling maniacally to myself when I realised my quick and dirty review was left mouldering in my notes, which is no place for it. Much like this universe is no place for something as unholy and pure as this anthology of gorgeous awfulness!
I have been ridiculously excited for this since Oliver first uttered his intention for this project, backwards in an eldritch dialect only the gayest unicorns can understand (it may have been ancient camp form of Scouse).
If you were worried D&D was already ruined... Hooboi!!!
After reading this I’ve had to force the flaccid eggs that were once my eyes back into the smoking craters of their sockets, but I can confirm it’s so much worse & more glorious than you could’ve imagined!
Despite getting noticed by senpai Crawford, you’re going to want to download this ASAP, before someone who actually wears a ‘suit’ to their ‘job’ at Hasbro decides to nuke D&D so hard only the radioactive hagroachicorns from Volume 2 (like there’s going to be a volume 2 lmfao!) are all that’s left.
I’m not saying this is worth the quote unquote ‘world’s greatest roleplaying game’ ceasing to exist, but I can’t think of a more fabulous, rainbow-vomit-caked way for it to get euthanized!
You simply must buy this, if not at least to discover for yourself how pure, wretched, queer and brilliant this is from blink crocodiles to hagbaxis thirstier than your Everything But the Girl cover band, Deserted Miss Lorraine!
Producer: Oliver Clegg
Editors: Catherine Evans, Liz Gist, TK Johnson Writers: Catherine Evans, Alicia Furness, Jessica Marcrum, Liz Gist, Joshua Barbeau, Jonny Robertson, Kai Linder, Alison Huang, Jacky Leung, Em Miller, A. Kelly Lane, Kat Kruger, R. Morgan Slade, Richard Malena-Webber, Zeke Gonzalez, Kayla Bayens, Matthew Whitby, Brittney Hay, Oliver Clegg
Cover Illustrator: Lluis Abadias
Interior Illustrators: Kevin Miller, David Markiwsky, Lluis Abadias, Xan Larson, Liz Gist, Ignacio Santander-Alfonso
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P to the B P-U-B-L-I-S-H-I-N-G have so many wonderful adventures from dinosaurs to minotaurs, fishies to yuan-ti and horrifying Haunts 3...
This is a spectacular collection of adventures that will keep you in fine adventuring for a long time, a long long time!
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Yip-Yip! This is a unbelievably awesome kollection of kobold kalamity from a variety of kool kreators and kollaborators that have now outed themselves as three kobolds in a trenchkoat that each have wildly different accents, which is how they have managed to pull of the diabolikal koup for so lonk...
Skreeeee!!!
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This is simply an absolutely incredible bundle of beautifully crafted supplements that add so much flavour, lore, subclasses, flora, fauna and more.
You'll never find such beautiful, professional quality supplements at a better price.
Checkout my individual reviews for more reasons why these are the best!
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Red Rock Adventures Volume 1: To Live and Die in Tall Pines by Mike Nagle (@badchilli) from Wandering Pilgrim Games (@WanPilGames)
A rootin-tootin Western ride blending Westerns with traditional fantasy and more modern sensibilities, along with gorgeous artwork, maps, unique statblocks and weapons to truly create something worth the money on the wanted poster!
Red Rock Adventures
It’s awesome to see the plan and vision Nagle has for the Red Rock Adventures series:
To Live and Die in Tall Pines: (Character level 1st – 4th) Having taken control of Tall Pines, the Cooper Gang holds the town and surrounding areas under its iron grip.
Pale Noon: (Character level 4th – 7th level) Hidden in the shadowy mire of the Nightmare Gulch, Vegrim the Ragged and the Deathlock Gang spread their horrible corruption across the frontier.
A Bad Day at Rock Creek: (Character level 7th – 10th level) Led by the mysterious Deadeye Mayze, the Rock Creek Posse has been a thorn in the side of land baron, J.R. Cunningham, and his efforts to bring order to the wild frontier.
Where the Snow Falls: (Character level 10th – 13th level) Deep in the snowy peaks of the Fingers mountain range, the Frostwild Boys have all but driven out all mining expeditions. No one stands between them and the hoards of gold in the mountains.
Before You Start
Great advice for preparing to run this and any adventure, which is reflected throughout.
Adventure Overview and NPCs
Tall Pines was a successful frontier lumber town until the outlaw, Jeramiah Cooper, and his gang caused so much trouble the county gave it up to focus on defending other areas, leaving Sheriff Jerrin Donnall a lone defender of the law. That was until the North Arcalian Trading Company hire a party of adventurers to fit Cooper for a coffin...
Adventure Overview
The adventure is broken down into three parts.
Part 1: Welcome to Tall Pines.
After an encounter on the road on the way in the party get acquainted with the sheriff. Followed by a welcoming committee from Cooper’s gang.
Part 2: Saviours of the Frontier.
With the town reclaimed it’s time to gain ground on the gang, liberating settlements, helping scattered settlers and gaining allies for the final showdown.
Part 3: Endgame.
With a posse rounded up, the party locate Cooper’s hideout and ride out for the final showdown with various endings depending on your proclivities.
Adventure Hooks
With a sturdy story hook of being hired by the North Arcalian Trading Company (NATC) to hunt down the gang and reclaim the town you are ready to go, but Nagle provides various suggestions as to why Cooper’s gang done did you wrong and/ or what makes you ready for a reckoning.
Part 1: Welcome to Tall Part 1: Welcome to Tall Pines
The party starts already in the employ of the NATC and on the road to Tall Pines with the conversing on the approach falling to an uncomfortable quiet, setting a foreboding tone from the off. Despite the tension, the caravan holds a number of NPCs to learn rumours of the outlaw gang, including the daughter of the town’s blacksmith, Annabel, a middle-aged dwarf familiar with these parts and the Renoux family who don’t so much, despite their eagerness.
The opening also suggests ways for the players to have come by the caravan and work for the NATC, whether they see themselves as an already established mercenary group or random hired hands on the same hustle
Ambush
The caravan is given a warm welcome to Red Rock County “On behalf of the generous and magnanimous Jeremiah Cooper”, in the form of his men coming to collect a “tax” for travelling to Tall Pines. This gives the players a chance to get onto their first tussle with the outlaws, overcoming sizeable odds until the Cooper Boys turn tail and winning the hearts and minds as well as the day, or handing goods over freely and failing to make a good first impression with the good folk.
This combat introduces a number of unique statblocks for the criminals included in this adventure, as well sound advice on scaling the welcoming committee.
Tall Pines
Upon arrival the state of the Sheriff’s office tells a tale and the party know that’s where their contact can be found, but the town is available for their perusal.
The Smithy
Annabel’s father, Carter Weslin, stocks most of the regular wares found in the PHB, with the addition of firearms. These are included with full stats and pricing, as well a distinction between simple and martial firearms with revolvers being the former and, rifles and shotguns the later, though all share the same ammunition (bullets).
Hotel Revis is a large swanky joint.
Tall Pines General Store is a store where general wares can be acquired.
The Charming Stag is a more of a rough and tumble joint for working stiffs, hands and a whole heap of Cooper’s gang. This sets the stage for anything from a round of tense Sarsaparillas to a full on shoot out.
Great advice is included in handling an altercation, including something important to remember, “If the heroes seems to be having too easy a time dealing with the outlaws, don’t worry! The party is heroic! Allow them to feel powerful and adjust future encounters to show the outlaws becoming accustomed to their skills and abilities.”
Sheriff’s Office
The dilapidated office tells as much of a story as the sheriff himself, who provides some information and suggests forming a posse with the party with great lines, including: “My days here are numbered if y’all can’t help and without me, this here town goes to hell faster than a dragon to a hoard of gold.”
The town also offers a variety of small shrines and temples, as well as ample stabling facilities for players wanting to mount up.
With the Sheriff in tow, it’s now time to face the rest of Cooper’s boys in town and attempt to drive them out. Nagle encourages letting the players handle it as they will.
This openness is a theme throughout and allows for all manner of happenstances, which as DMs it’s important to remember to allow to play out and react in game, rather than shutting down inspiration and player agency.
The Gang’s Camp
Whether the party parlay and palaver or point pistols perniciously a confrontation happens here. Most likely an outlaw will bolt to warn Jeramiah and suggestions for how to handle tailing are provided, as well a reminder to let things play out even if they are ‘too early’. This includes advice for avoiding a dreaded TPK, before the end.
Return to Town
Time is given for the party to plan and work with the sheriff, who provides information on folks in need of help and where to find them.
Part 2: Saviours of the Frontier
The three main folks in need of a fix are Graystone Ranch, naive newcomers subjected to raids, NATC Logging Camp, technically your boss and one of the biggest games in town (and the most appealing to varmints), and the Cunningham Silver Mine, which is another place ripe for pillage.
Rustlers and Ranges
The Renoux family’s naivety comes up against the Coopers rustlers demanding “tribute”. The standing with the family, the events that transpire and any harm that befalls the family will all contribute to the party’s reputation.
For a Few Gold More
The NATC Logging Camp is the wooden heart of Tall Pines, but it has more of a skeleton crew at present. The party will see a familiar face and have the opportunity to prepare for a night defending the worker’s payroll from the gang who will attempt to snatch it and scarper.
This is a wonderful opportunity to actually have time to prepare for an attack in the night, laying traps and devising the best positions for defence. Nagle encourages the use of the various machines and environment.
The Silver Heist
This is a whole mini-adventure murder mystery with the outlaw spy able to be chosen or determined at random. The party explore the mine workers’ shanty and meet some interesting NPCs as they puzzle out the traitor and set a trap for Cooper’s Gang to ensure they don’t make off with marshal’s ransom.
Part 3: Endgame
The blacksmith has been kidnapped, but Anabel managed to capture one of the bandits, whose information along with what the party have learned from working the surrounding area, give them the location of where Jeremiah Cooper and his gang are holed up, as well as the member of their posse.
The abandoned mine is home to the remaining mob of Cooper’s miscreants and in need of some frontier justice as the gang fight to the death. Rules are provided to account the sound of combat echoing through the caverns, as the party clear out the mines in search for Carter Weslin and the dastardly Jeremiah Cooper.
The final confrontation can go a number of ways with Jeremiah taken or killed in an outright shootout, as well as rules being provided for a full-on chase on horseback with the chance of losing the vagrant in dust.
An extensive What’s Next? Segment provides all manner of seeds and suggestions for further adventures from jailbreak, revenge and possible team ups centred on Master Cooper, the state and fate of Tall Pines, including dangers of the nearby forest and the iron-fisted rule of the NATC now they are unchecked.
Appendix
The appendix consists of five unique statblocks. Cooper’s gang are depicted in the Cooper Gang Outlaw, Cooper Gang Captain and CR Cooper Gang Gun Mage, incorporating the new firearms and arcane flintlock, as well as Sherrif Jerrin Donall with traits befitting a steely-eyed lawman.
Jeremiah Cooper has an awesome statblock worthy of his infamy complete with Villain Actions, which are low-down dirty manoeuvres he can do like legendary actions, but far more scurvy.
I always love unique statblocks, and these are wonderful, incorporating the new weapons and the Villain Actions are truly inspired! The only thing missing is the statblock for Annabel, which I am extremely eager to see.
The set of Abbie Hines’ (@abbieh_art) maps are wonderful black and white a tea-stained pieces reminiscent of contemporary Old West maps, and cover each encounter.
The cover and artwork throughout by Bruno Rođak (@bruno_rodjo) are absolutely breath-taking! From the wanted poster on the front to the artwork of each important NPC each piece is exquisite with detail and styling merging Old West and fantasy beautifully.
Nagle has created a brilliant campaign starter or standalone adventure truly capturing the Western feel and merging it seamlessly with D&D. From the wonderfully diverse cast of NPCs to new weapons and locations, there is something old and new coming together to create something seriously awesome with enough of a different tone and general vibe to have a rootin-tootin Western ride with it gelling with traditional fantasy and more modern sensibilities. Adding the gorgeous artwork, maps, unique statblocks and weapons, this truly is worth the money on the wanted poster! I most certainly want to see how the rest of the Red Rocks saga plays out!
Credits
Wandering Pilgrim Games (@WanPilGames)
Written by: Mike Nagle (@badchilli)
Editor: Mike Nagle
Character Art by: Bruno Rođak (@bruno_rodjo) https:// www.artstation.com/rodyoart
Maps by: Abbie Hines (@abbieh_art)
Layout & Graphic Design by: Nathanaël Roux (@freeners) https://www.barkalotdesigns.com Additional Art: Coffee Stain brushes from Brusheezy.com, Vertyr/ Shutterstock.com, Paladin 12/Shutterstock.com
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Realms of The Underground: Underground Oracle Quarterly Vol. 2 (@UOPublishing)
This anthology contains more than twenty sensational supplements crafted with care and a true understanding of what breathes life and wonder into a wide variety of game elements.
The quantity and quality held within these pages is breathtaking, and seeing all of these spectacular supplements side by side is incredible.
December
Firstdawn: The Festival of Spirit is a celebration of the coming year and this holiday comes with rich lore, goods and plot hooks aplenty.
Extraordinary Locations: Ice Hall is a beautiful mountain range with rumours, stories and a whole host of hearty NPCs.
Remarkable Races: Satyrs is a phenomenal race I have thoroughly enjoyed playing, and just so happens to be one of the true forms of the Unground Oracle’s Jess Pendley (@JessPendley)
Primal Path: Path of Hoof and Horn builds on the awesome of the Satyrs with their own personal subclass emphasising everything deadly and delightful uniquely available to those of horn, hoof and heart.
Divine Gifts: New Paladin-Specific Spells are five new spells that truly are divine with achingly beautiful art.
Heprion’s Guide: Gifts of Light these heavenly arms and armour are a gift from the gods...and ghost bagpipes.
The Cantrip Cantina: Holiday Libations delivers Cantrips and Feat and cocktails for the season.
January
Sacred Oath: Oath of the Celesai is ultimate defender of the faith.
Creaturecopia: Garshep give us a glimpse of the true form of the adorable otterboi, Keith Pendley (@UO_Keith)
Traveller’s Trinkets: Within the Swamps are some marshy marvels.
Woodland Spellcraft: New Ranger-Specific Spells tap into the power of the wild.
Familiar Faces: Noggle’s Beetles are a fun guys and useful new helpers with transplantable varieties of magical mushrooms.
Monsters Mythica: Kelpie is a horrifying, yet enchanting fey horsie.
February
Creaturecopia: Cephoreal is one of the highlights for me! A large tree octopus!
Heprion’s Guide: Artifacts for Ooze Enthusiasts the squelchiest Arms and armour around.
Deities and Domains: AlayalBreen a beautiful goddess of love with their own romantic clerics.
Heroic Talents: New Feats for Adventurers providing awesome options.
Background: Child Hero is s fully fun and flavoured background allowing you to begin your own Fable.
Hero Titles
The Green Leaves are a guild of merry men and women packed with flavour and NPCs.
Otherworldly Lore: The Pooka is a devious fey patron I have had the pleasure of playing a Warlock of and one that comes with extensive lore and background.
The Ceaseless Caravan a guild of three master craftsmen with unique talents and materials with glorious abilities and gorgeous artwork.
The Underground Oracle are constantly creating and releasing quality D&D supplements of all kinds with inspired lore and world-building, mechanically exciting and thrilling new innovations, and doing so with design and artwork of the highest calibre. Seeing so many of these wonders packaged together showcases just how brilliant and varied their work is, and the reformatting and design just goes to show their attention to detail.
Jess and Keith Pendley also happen to be a cornerstone of the online D&D community as beacons of positivity. This care for the community and the game is clear in everything they do. It’s an honour to see their work and an absolute pleasure to play with it.
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Creator Reply: |
Thank you for the thorough coverage of the supplements contained in this Quarterly. It definitely gives everyone what they need to know before they buy this volume. We should hit you up the next time we write a product description!
And thank you for the kind words that you had for both of us. Coming from someone that we see as the pinnacle of positivity in the community, it truly means a lot.
Thank you so much for your time,
~ Jess and Keith |
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Otherworldly Patron: The Trickster by Jackson Lewis (@HoneyBadger3495)
Whether you feel the calling of the Clown Prince of Crime, have a longing for Loki or are keen on Ashton Kutcher, Otherworldly Patron: The Trickster packs a punchline and will keep the crowd from throwing tomatoes. However, your allies might be tougher critics.
The absolutely ridiculous and glorious D6 Pact Form include all the classics from squirty flower to hand buzzer all described in a faintly bizarre fantasy way such as, "A scarf, hidden in one of your sleeves. Pulling on this scarf reveals another tied to the first one, and another attached to that one..."
A dangerous D4 of Trickster Quirks guaranteed to make you rather unpopular with your party as their 'whacky friend', including "You have an obsession with pranks and tricks, frequently performing them against your own allies (much to their annoyance)." I used to have a half-orc fighter who suffered from a remarkably similar quirk, although Cthonak also like to shout the world "prank!" loudly after doing said prank. Oh, how the party loved him...
The Expanded Spell List is full of flavour and spells actually useful for the Trickster Warlock with an emphasis on misdirection and disguise. There is certainly potential for the additional spells to come in very handy, as well providing ample opportunity for their uses to be both fortuitous, foolish and fun!
At first level the Trickster Warlock can respond to attacks with a spectral fist for a cheap shot when their enemies least expect. Probably better than a knock knock joke, I do so enjoy a good reaction!
At sixth level the Trickster Patron imbues your reaction skills with the ability to attempt to counter and later cast spells sent your way in an ultimate piece of sleight of hand. This is a ridiculously flavourful and appears to be an epically powerful ability sure to bring joy to players and dismay to DMs!
At tenth level the boundless enthusiasm of your patron for the waka wakas lends you immunity against poison and has you jumping up feeling more than ready to get back out there and make 'em laugh after short rests.
At fourteenth level your patron lets you in on the ultimate secret...the world is just one huge joke! Armed with this hysterical heretical knowledge you can bring all but the heartiest enemies low with a test of wits. This shockingly powerful ability quite literally knocks 'em dead!
**Eldritch Invocations
Trading Faces**
This augmentation of Mask of Many Faces allows you to go full Face/ Off, trading looks and sounds with a target. This is one of those abilities that manager to both be utter ridiculous and silly, while also having many equally hilarious and useful applications.
Rubber Chicken
Ever wanted to turn you Pact Weapon into a rubber chicken and bonking your enemies on the noggin, so the collapse in fits if laughter? Well, now you can!
Trick Familiar
A deepened bond with your familiar allows them - and I do believe I'm reading this correctly - to take on the appearance of a stuffed toy tempting an enemy to pick them up...allowing you to then have the familiar explode in your enemy's face! Absolutely farcical, devastating and brilliant!
The Honkening
This turns a targeted enemy's footsteps into loud, ludicrous honkings making them as stealthy as a Cleric in full plate and half as dignified.
The Big Book of Jokes
This invocation dedicates a whole chapter of your tome to Tasha's Hideous Laughter, but gee if that does not pay off! Could it be you are just that funny? Who cares!? What matters is that you are getting the laughs.
There are many different takes on clowns, jesters, fools and tricksters with varying degrees of humour and effectiveness, but this one is sure to garner applause and provoke the illusive Mordenkainen's Insufferable Laughter. Lewis manages to bridge the gap between funny flavour and actual fun and effective mechanics in this awesome Warlock Patron.
Jackson was kind enough to agree to a short interview:
CoS: There are many different takes on comical, yet deadly entities in mythology and popular culture, how have you been inspired by them in the creation of the Trickster? Do you see them as a reflection or amalgamation of these existing gods/beings or do you have your own concept that you feel the Trickster embodies?
JL: I know it sounds basic, but I was really inspired by the Joker and the Animaniacs. The kind of wacky and lackadaisical approach to life and combat really tickled me and made me want to reflect that in D&D. I was also inspired by the style and mannerisms of Loki (mainly the MCU version) and Anasi (Which I’m ashamed to admit I don’t know more about). I think when making the Trickster Patron, I kind of smashed them all together to make it.
CoS: This leads on from my first question in many ways. There is a duality of comedy and pain, both figuratively, but also quite literally, especially when we see it applied to D&D, Vicious Mockery and Tasha's Hideous Laughter being the most iconic representations. How did this inspire you and what made you choose an Otherworldly Patron to embody those concepts?
JL: I think the best kind of Tricksters and Jokers are the ones that have a little bit of teeth in them. Meaning when they fight or talk they have a hand behind their back and you don’t know if they have a bouquet of flowers, a can of spring snakes, or a knife.
CoS: On the face of it some of the Patron abilities appear to be extremely powerful with the ability to counter spells, poison and poisoned immunity and the chance to drop a creature with a pretty significant chunk of HP spread out across the levels. These are an epic and exhilarating variety of flavoured abilities, could you please speak to your creative process and how you got about keeping things exciting while striving for balance?
JL: In terms of the counter ability, even at max level it averages out to an extra one and a half eldritch blast beams with a +5 charisma modifier for damage tacked onto it. At lower levels it’s going to be greatly regulated by the fact that you can only do it a maximum of 5 times per short rest (and that’s assuming a 20 in charisma). Poison immunity is a little strong, but I think it’s important to remember that the other warlocks get much more mechanically potent defensive abilities at 10th level (Armor of Curses, Fiendish Resistance, Celestial Resilience). I figured that the Ultimate Prank would raise some eyebrows lol. On face value it looks insanely strong. But at its core it’s a save or suck which lowers its usefulness tremendously, especially against High Cr creatures with legendary resistances. It would be useful to compare it to the Fiend Warlock’s Hurl Through Hell, which has a free 10d10 psychic (the least resisted damage type in the game) tacked onto a full eldritch blast with agonizing blast. That deals on average about 117 damage, plus it removes the creature from the battlefield until the end of your next turn.
The short of it is, I’m a huge nerd who likes to do math.
CoS: Speaking of the thrilling and intriguing elements of this supplement, are there any that stand out as your personal favourites? I personally really love how silly the Pact Forms are and how with just a little tweak the mundane becomes elevated to something strange, as well as the Trick Familiar, which is as absurd as it is devastatingly epic!
JL: Personally, I love the Big Book of Jokes Eldritch Invocation. There’s just something hilarious about flipping through an Ancient Book of Forbidden Knowledge, only to tell a joke so bad or so lame that your target can’t help but collapse in a fit of laughter.
CoS: Finally, did your taste in comedy inspire or influence your work? Are you a practical joker and/ or have you ever dabbled in stand up comedy?
JL: I have many times been called the comedian of my various friend groups, and like any white guy in my mid twenties have thought about starting a comedy podcast, but I haven’t done any stand up.
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Death by Goblins! by Gordon McCaplin (@gmcalpin)
This is genuinely one of, if not the most ridiculous and brilliant things I've ever had the pleasure of getting my hands on!
Is it a simple premise about being captured by and then attempted to be Deathed by the eponymous Goblins? Yes. Is anything else about this adventure and madcap Rube Goblinberg machine of death, traps, death traps, new varieties of Goblins, Goblin Bosses, mushrooms and so many ways to die simple? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
McCaplin creates a twist on the classic premises of an NPC wronged and out for revenge, being captured and needing to escape and...Goblins trying to kill the party, so many, many Goblins, and creates an inspired setup that works as part of the adventure alone, or even more brilliant as a throwaway encounter sprinkled in at any point with the longer until the hysterical flat pay off the better, perhaps many years down the line. I'm giddy with excitement to work this setup into a my games!
Every inch of this adventure is absolutely stunning! McCaplin's is filled with flavour and fun, the design is a triumph and the maps and descriptions are absolutely topnotch! Everything about this is the perfect balance or chaos and order!
With the layout of the lair, traps, patrols, alarm systems, Scrying and new, deadlier goblins, I could seriously see the legend of Death by Goblins! being whispered about in the same hushed tones filled with awe and terror as Tucker's Kobolds.
There are few perfect creations, but this is as close to it as makes no difference!
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iHunt Killing Monsters in the Gig Economy by Olivia Hill (@machineiv)
I've been ridiculously excited to get a taste of Hill's #iHunt world since I first saw previews for the #iHunt roleplaying game, which has been on my play and review list, the Spreadsheet of Many, which has taken some serious knocks over the past year, for too long, but I'm hoping to get to play soon! So, when I saw Hill's #iHunt Pandemic Free offer I could not download this novel fast enough or be more thankful now than I did!
Unfortunately, my partner and I are both in the at-risk group for Corvid, so when they developed a cough after visiting family not a few weeks before the UK lockdown it meant solo isolation. Solo isolation for two disabled people who are each other's carer fucking sucks. My partner was in the bedroom and I was sleeping on couch cushions with a sleeping bag in the spare room, doing everything around the house to keep us going and seriously worrying about their health. It was hell, but I was so incredibly grateful to have this book to look forward to every night. Every night I would read until I could not stay awake, unwilling and unable to stop reading until my body made the decision for me. I was given countless contusions from dropping my tablet on my face because I was absolutely captivated and could not put it down until it dropped from my hands. I am sure I would have broken my nose and lost teeth if not for the protection afforded by my sleep apnoea mask!
The point I am making is this book actually helped me through a genuinely awful time. I will always be unbelievably thankful to Hill for that.
Despite being about hunting vampires and the wider supernatural world adjacent to our own, this is the most honest and true reflection of the life as I know it and you are almost certainly living. Hill’s writing style is infectious, Lana is a captivating character painted with warts and all, and I genuinely felt every emotion on this wild ride. I cannot express how vindicating and heartening (and depressing, but that’s the world’s fault not Hill’s) it was to see the world I live in and see it discussed so candidly.
The tea here is absolutely scalding and I am here for it!
In a world filled with countless vampire properties, it is so refreshing to have a story that is not trying to take the monster away from the abusive and…well monstrous things vampires are and represent. The vampires for the most part are adjacent to the story anyway. This is Lana’s story. This is her world and her difficult job she has trained for and dedicated her life to. It comes with huge risks, expenditures and uncertainty, which I see many parallels to the life of a creator in this age of the gig economy and the lack of support for the arts.
I know a book is something special when I have already ordered the next one less than halfway through! I cannot express how excited this makes me to play the roleplaying game and devoured the novel series!
While comparison’s can be drawn to True Blood, Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (more on that in The Chosen One), I believe that is only seeing the set dressing and supernatural markers, doing an incredible disservice to the world Hill has created with #iHunt. I think the core of Lana’s tale is far more akin to Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and The Wire; brutally honest, if extreme, stories of the lives many are forced or feel the need to lead in our absurd and cruel society.
This truly was not like anything I had read before and, honestly, I was not expecting it of a novel tied to a roleplaying game, but I am absolutely thrilled to be wrong!
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Amarune’s Adventure: The Start & End of Uluu Thalong from Steve Fiddler (@vorpaldicepress) Written by Matthew Whitby (@WhitbyWrites)
Amarune has travelled the Forests , Underdark Grasslands and Arctic of the Realms, but now it’s time for your own expedition to the jungles of Chult. Be sure to take particular note of the abundant flora and fauna!
The first spin off adventure of the Amarune’s Almanacs series truly lives up to the impeccable quality I have come to expect from the team. The story is engaging and entertaining with characters and locations brought to life with trademark and care and flair. Vorpal Dice Press continues to knock it out the park. Fiddler has created an absolutely remarkable team and this adventure series is the perfect extension and exploration of Amarune (@Almaniac1967) and Ed Greenwood’s (@TheEdVerse) World, as well a wonderful opportunity to showcase the team’s individual talents creating seriously memorable adventures.
Enjoy the relative safety of a Flaming Fist Fort not having fun with local flora and fauna, get hot a sweaty deep in the jungles of Chult as your allies drop like flies and the tension mounts, before finally the horrifying result of a tragedy of centuries past and facing a new and utterly unique CR 15 Demon!
There is something refreshing, bizarre and totally original about the fiendish monster lurking in the jungle depths, as well as an inspired approach to random encounters designed to explore, engage with particular NPCs and guide the players into the next chapter. I enjoy building or running a random encounter when I’m improvising and can make it mean more to the players, but when I run an adventure I truly appreciate a creator who genuinely puts time and care into making encounters that are actually an optional or otherwise part of the narrative and the body of the adventure on the whole. Whitby achieves this in spades and I think this is something other creators should be seriously taking notes on.
A wonderful adventure, fully envisioned and executed. Great fun in the jungle with fantastic hooks for working this into Tomb of Annihilation and/ or Descent into Avernus, as well as many brilliant ideas to continue the adventure.
This had a lot to prove as the first adventure offshoot of Amarune’s Almanacs and it truly lives up to the name with style, flair and substance! I am bursting with hype to see future offerings if they’ve even half as good as this!
Credits
Lead Producer: Steve Fidler (@vorpaldicepress)
Editor: Ryan Langr
Writing and Design: Matthew Whitby
Additional Contributions: Israel Moreira and Jean-Luc Caron
Layout: Nathanaël Roux
Graphic Designer: Nathanaël Roux
Cover Art: Photo by Raph Howald on Unsplash composed by Steve Fidler
Cartography: Map of Faerûn by Dusty Haynes @ TableTopAdvantage.com, modified by Steve Fidler & Nathanaël Roux
Battle Map: Matthew Whitby
Interior Sketch Art: Nathanaël Roux and Shiah “Cinder” Irgangladen
Other Interior Art: Jack Holliday, Bruno Balixa, ink splatter brushes (Brusheezy.com), Jeonsango and Daniel Comerci – danielcomerci.com
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Amarune's Almanacs Volume 4: Artics of the Realms from Steve Fiddler et al (@VorpalDicePress)
This project continues to take my breath away and give me goosebumps, although that could also be the frigid northern air...
Amarune is back with her spellbinding tales of travel that put Volo to shame, this time in the frozen north of the realms, visiting the famous Icewind Dale and Great Glacier among other frost-bound locales. The anecdotes continue to be as entertaining as they are informative. There is a whole frozen playground of new flora to discover and an icy menagerie of new fauna, including the terrible Corrupted Dire Wolf (with the Corrupted template), Emperor Penguins, Narwhal, Snow Fox and Walrus among others, as well as a treasure trove of hyperboreal items and gelid goodies.
Circle of the Frozen North: A Druid to fulfil your Frozen fantasy with beautiful, deadly flurries, the ability to become more powerful arctic beasts and the power to sap the very heat from the core of their quarries, leaving them at the mercy of the cold and an exhausting, yet quick death.
Northguard: A Ranger Conclave of cold-hearted ice ninjas as invisible as a whiteout, as fast and freezing as the winds of winter, and can flash freeze their enemies with a snap of their frosty fingers.
Ingenious new rules for Druids and Rangers, granting them greater versatility and boons from their current and favoured terrains.
12 new spells ranging from thoughtful ritual ceremonies and the creation of beautiful, guiding Northern Lights through new takes on cold, calming spell countering, a greater armour of ice and speed of movement with a frozen slip-and-slide, to absolutely battering, bludgeoning and burying enemies with cascades of ice and stone.
I still can't believe how rich, engaging, entertaining, high quality and genuinely practically useful these supplements are! Truly enriching for DMs and players alike, whether purely as a pleasant read and for its gorgeousness or for practical use, world building and the quality player options, creatures and items.
Credits
Designer & Producer: Steve Fidler
Editor: Ryan Langr
Writing and Design: Ashley May, BorntoDoStuff, Bryan Holmes, Ed Greenwood, Israel Moreira, Jean-Luc Caron, Sean vas Terra, Steve Fidler, Trevor Armstrong
Layout: Nathanaël Roux
Forgotten Realms Sage: Bryan Holmes and Ed Greenwood
Graphic Designer: Nathanaël Roux
Cover Art: Mia Stendal, composed by Steve Fidler Cartography: Map of Faerûn by Dusty Haynes @ TableTopAdvantage.com, modified by Steve Fidler & Nathanaël Roux
Introduction Art: Amarune Writing by Dante Ezio Cifaldi
Interior Sketch Art: Shiah “Cinder” Irgangladen and Nathanaël Roux
Other Interior Art: Some artwork © Grim Press, used with permission. All rights reserved. Birmingham Museums Trust, ink splatter brushes (Brusheezy.com), Eberhard Grossgasteiger, Eva Blue, Jaanus Jagomagi, James Donovan, Patrick Langwallner, Strauss Western, Tim Oun, Some artwork © 2015 Dean Spencer, used with permission. All rights reserved. and Warmtail.
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Torzael's Guide to the Insectfolk by DragonbornDoug (@DragonbornDoug)
"Deep within the caverns under your very feet lives an entire race of insectfolk who had disappeared for centuries, until now. A wall of their grand, secluded kingdom has just been knocked down by unknown forces, revealing them to the world above. Few scholars have found any remnants from the insectfolk's past, only small bits and pieces of folklore that were passed down and twisted generations since."
DISCLAIMER: I am not a creepy crawly scientist and will certainly use references that aren't interchangeable as if they were, such as we all know spiders are beetles and bees are actually arachnids. Glad we cleared that up, now on to the review!
This fantastic supplement brings five new playable insectfolk races, each with unique and exciting traits, some fascinating background and lore about your new buggy friends, and glorious art by Kevin Goins (@KevinGoins) to the table at the criminally low price of $0.50. That's 10c per wonderfully realised, fully flavoured and completely original race! This value in no way represents the fine quality on offer here!
Doug paints a beautiful picture of life underground in the glorious creepy crawly commune with "crystal clear pools of underground wells to bathe in" and "crops grow[ing] quickly from the magical light emitted from the fungi and crystals". His overview grounds (...I didn't even mean to) the insectfolk in the world of Faerun with the brilliant stroke of their insular utopia being under constant threat from Underdark denizens necessitating keeping their kingdom in lockdown, with only a tectonic shift and the good will of the people of Waterdeep leading to trade of funky fungi, crystals and various subterranean ephemera for weapons and intelligence. In a few lines it truly feels like these buggy lugs have always been a part of the Forgotten Realms.
"life underground is much like the life above ground, just with less sunlight"
The five races included are all from varying castes and roles within the insectfolk army, making them perfect adventuring types. Names, monikers and height and weight tables are also provided.
Dustkin
These chaotic, militaristic grasshopper-like folk have a saying that epitomises them, "chaos breeds victory". This is apparent in the dustkin from the battlefield to the boardroom and beyond. Their powerful legs give them a mighty leap and the ability to leave attackers in the dust, while a prehensile and pincer-tipped tail packs a piercing punch.
Dustkin really make me want to build (another) Swashbuckler and a Samurai!
Flutterkin
Flutterkin often serve as spies and assassins, using their affinity for the darkness, often balanced with a divine purpose as the age. These enigmatic butterfly/ moth-folk have bioluminescent wings that have unique and inspired uses, including flight, wrapping around the flutterkin to make them one with the shadows with their dark side out, and using their light side to significantly boost their darkvision.
With a truly original take on wings and incorporating the light and dark into one race, the flutterkin are a real stand out among these wonderful races with truly gorgeous artwork depicting a "dark stalactite" in action. I want a Monk, an Assassin, a handful of Paladins and a batch of Clerics please! I love them!
Liftkin
These compact and hearty buggybois are the soldiers and support of Insectfolk armies, as well as being the most populous members of insectfolk society. But these handy dandies are most certainly not h-armless with an extra set of smaller arms perfect for chugging potions and pulling levers. Liftkin also have powerful pheromones capable of communication and adding some rotten-smelling authenticity to the act of playing dead, which is strangely brilliant!
I wants me a Combat Medic, Scout, and a good ole stinky Bard!
Puncturekin
Called Weavers in the military, puncturekin have an affinity for magic, which they can naturally cast from their wondrous colour-changing chitin. Despite the large poisonous barb on the middle of their foreheads, many work in soothing and healing roles. This barb can be used as a weapon and has the ability to re-administer poison, should an enemy make such an unfortunate mistake as to try to poison them.
These are incredibly beautiful and I have a mighty need for a glamour bard! The incredible artwork has big Vistani energy.
Underkin
These big bad stag beetle babies are hardy front-line tanks with a carapace to make a tortle blush and the maintainers of siege equipment, as well as the builders and architects of the insectfolk world. The lack of a need for oven gloves also makes them well suited for baking, which is the most important factor in considering what fantasy race to play. Their huge armoured hands are perfect for digging (as well as baking. Did I mention that?) and they have a ridiculously awesome wrestling finishing move guaranteed to get the three count!
I may be a little biased as I just fell in love with them when I saw the art! I want burly Fighters and strapping Barbarians, not to mention Paladins and Clerics by the pound! I would love to have an ancient Egyptian inspired holy warrior with a gold painted shell (I have a type) and eyes on fleek... Oh and I definitely need at least one division of big gun Artificers!
This truly is a wonderful collection of seriously awesome races, which feel incredibly fresh and original. I never realised how much I wanted to play Insectfolk until I came across this! I definitely didn't appreciate the scope and variety of original races, and how much more there is to explore than those in the official books. After this I would definitely love to see Doug explore other anthropomorphic creatures to discover their secrets!
It's truly clear that Doug knows his stuff and I can't wait to devour the rest of his works! Get this at once before he comes to his senses and ups the price to something more befitting the quality of this supplement!
Credits
Created by DragonbornDoug (@DragonbornDoug)
dougthedragonborn@gmail.com
https://www.reddit.com/user/dougthedragonborn
https://www.dndbeyond.com/members/DragonbornDoug
Art by Kevin Goins (@KevinGoins)
https://kevingoinsgraphics.com/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/GoinsGraphics
https://www.artstation.com/kevingoins
Created using GM Binder (@gm_binder)
DragonbornDoug was kind enough to agree to a short interview.
CoS: First of all could you please tell me where the inspiration for these fascinating and original insectfolk came from?
DD: The inspiration came from a hole in 5e so far. To be frank, I quite dislike how many of the core races are designed. Very few have unique and cool abilities, and the animal-peoples more so. Nearly all of the animal races so far are simply just larger, bipedal animals. In a world of magic and wonder, the tieflings cast amazing spells innately, gnomes can push life into mundane objects, why should this wonder be excluded from our animal brethren?
Then it hit me: there are no insect people (other than the thri-kreen). So I designed these bug buddies with the constant thought to remedy my gripes. I want insectoids with “mundane” abilities that make sense, such as beetle armor or butterfly flight, but also something spectacular about them, such as telepathy or a chromatic carapace.
CoS: Could you tell me a little bit more about the eponymous Torzael. Are they one or the scholars mentioned in the forward or are they an anthropological underground explorer?
DD: Torzael is a scholar who was the biggest fan of none other than Volo, who he finally met at the Yawning Portal. After a chit chat or two, Volo saw promise in Torzael, but unfortunately, Torzael saw the downright lie that is Volo as a refutable author. Despite this, Volo quickly took him under his wing as a protégé to explore the great land of Chult. Torzael has since sought to be a better version of Volo; he tells the real and truthful history and how their traits relate to their environment.
To remove the veil, the idea of Torzael existed before he was written into fiction. All of his backstory clicked when one of my player’s characters, Pidgeon Eagle Wings AKA Pidgey, a Wizard who loved making objects come to life, was retired. I talked to this player on turning his PC into an NPC, and thus the name was intertwined with a figure.
CoS: Have you had the chance to play as these cool creepy crawlers or run many games with them in, and if so do you have a favourite to play or that has gone down particularly well at the table?
DD: I have not had a chance to play because I have a bad case of the perma-DMs. However, I have had a liftkin PC who was really fun. Their telepathy was used to overcome an encounter wwithout fighting – this is notable because this is the first nonviolent outcome in a 2.5 year campaign!
I have, however, used each of these insectolk as a mirror adventuring party. There was an underkin as the paladin’s foil, a puncturekin as the bard’s foil, and so on. Battling the party with their own tactics is something I highly recommend to any DM.
CoS: As soon as I saw Kevin Goins fantastic artwork for the Underkin I knew they were the one for me and the mechanics definitely sold me. They are perfect for a mighty Barbarian or Fighter or even Artificer with their architectural ingenuity. Do you have a personal favourite from the artwork and/ or mechanics, and do you consider the synergy of lore and/ or mechanics with classes as you design a race?
DD: For the artwork, I absolutely adore the liftkin’s art. The award of my favorite goes to the dustkin simply because Kevin forgot to draw them with pants the first time around. LOL.
For the mechanics, I am quite happy with the flutterkin’s light filtering wings. I have never seen anything in D&D, or fiction for that matter, about a creature who pushes light into itself so they can see with it. I love the uniqueness and execution of it. I do consider synergy, quite heavily even. With races, you have to be careful to give them something interesting and appropriate, but also something they will aactually use. Giving a race two mental ability score increases and an amazing punching feature isn’t too great. Chances are, the player will be a caster or a melee fighter, not both; this means one of these features will quickly become secondary. I designed these races With this in mind, giving them abilities that often synergized with a certain type of Character archetype (underkin being on the frontline, flutterkin jumping from shadow to shadow, etc.). Because of this, I wanted there to be an insectfolk race that meshes well with every class.
CoS: How did you come to work with Kevin Goins? They have truly captured the essence of each of the insectfolk. Can you tell me a little about your collaborative process with your artist, as well in general? I know you are an avid creator and have worked on so many projects with others over on reddit.
DD: I first contacted Kevin a year or so prior to this project to do a commission of the group I was DMing. He did an absolutely brilliant job, and I noticed his knack of extrapolating what I wanted from the many, probably too many, reference images I sent him. When the insectfolk were coming alive, I once again contacted him with the idea, which he was ecstatic about. The attention to detail he put into these images and back-and-forth he had with me are second to none. I cannot imagine this supplement without the amazing art he did for it.
I do a lot outside of DMSGuild stuff. I write articles and free homebrew often as well as organize things for the community such as a D&D tournament happening soon. When I collaborate with other creators, it is very important to have a scope and most importantly communication. There must be constant back and forth between us, often in a shared google doc. This conversation is essential in making sure both parties feel like their ideas matter and also making the project as full of life as possible.
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Born from the Preternatural by Miłosz Gawęcki
The Far Realm is a place that escapes cognition. Those who enter often lose their san-ity upon gazing on the unspeakable horrors of the place beyond the planes. Eldritch gods and ancient beings spread insanity of unknown proportions. Yet the few who survive to find their way back home can’t call themselves lucky. The Far Realm leaves an indelible mark and its influence is ever lasting.
Those who return are changed.
Cursed.
This supplement brings you a Bard whose art is as captivating as it is horrifying...like genuinely terrifying and DARK, a Fighter who hits like a the ungodly comet that fuels their bizarre and exhilarating range of offensive and defensive abilities, a Ranger who becomes a Plane-hopping Necromorph and a Wizard who’s knowledge of unspeakable truths and sinister whispers grant them access to new, incredible and unholy spells, which they can risk their mind and soul to empower further.
A new background for a poor wretch, permanently haunted by a deviancy they bore witness to, whose nightmares are filled with ghastly portents.
10 new spells which build upon familiar magical concepts and then dash them on the mountains of oblivion in unique and dangerous ways! Consume the very essence of the Weave, feeding on your enemy’s spells, call forth nightmares and depravity given form, and literally tear reality apart at the seams!
4 of these blasphemies made flesh are included to call forth at your own peril and scare your players with that would make even Cronenberg quiver.
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Magonomia Starter Rules by Shewstone Publishing (@ShewstoneLLC)
Magonomia, the roleplaying game of Renaissance wizardry!
Magonomia is a game about magicians living in the England of Queen Elizabeth I. It
is a time of swashbuckling heroes, sinister intrigues, artistic and literary genius, and
deadly conflicts. It’s a time of adventure, opportunity, romance, and horror. In short,
it is a world that makes and breaks heroes. The sword, the spell, and a ready wit and
charming smile can take you to the royal court, or see you languish in the dungeons of
the Tower of London awaiting the executioner’s axe.
The magic your character wields is based upon real Renaissance magical ideas. The
world of Enchanted England is inhabited by the faeries, creatures, and spirits of sixteenth-
century folklore.
Time to get your Renaissance Wizard on!
After seeing how inspired and different this game is, I am incredibly excited to see this being crowdfunded for a full release (https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf297/magonomia-core-rules.html), as well as the passion and love for the world that is clear in the risks to their minds and immortal souls trawling through many a forgotten tome of ancient lore. Gronosky et al have done their research, devouring libraries of ancient occult, spiritual and esoteric knowledge. Plus, they’ve done their history and folklore homework, a whole lot of it! I had the pleasure of having a session run for me by Gronosky and his passion and joy for this game was palpable! I will talk more about my magical experience a little later in this review.
This whopping 164-page free pdf gives a wonderful glimpse and enough to get started and play, but it’s a huge tease for the mighty grimoire their full game book will be. Included within are a taste of the Enchanted England historical fiction setting, the FATE rules and core mechanics of Magonomia, discussion of magic and its place in the setting and game, the Sciences (‘classes’), a great many spells and their descriptions and casting information, the kinds of themes and subjects the game lends itself to, some NPCs to get you started in the form of Adversaries, a full pregenerated character for each Science and some suggested further reading and watching to get into the tone and setting of the game.
This supplement is gorgeous, emulating the style of an ancient tome, complete with beautiful illuminations and design. With Domille’s Wondrous Works as the art director for the full release and the teasers I’ve seen, things are only going to get more resplendent, weaving the Renaissance je ne sais quoi, old woodcuts and illuminations (like those found in this starter rules), with new artwork in-keeping with and invigorating the mystical old world style.
The tone of the writing is warm and inviting with a jolly welcoming voice. It feels like you have been invited into the warm and musty study of an excitable and wise Wizard, been given a comfy stool by the hearth, while they light their pipe with a snapping of fingers and begin to share their secrets and induct you into a world of wonders over a steaming cup of honeyed tea. This makes the painting of the world and explanation of the rules of Magonomia ridiculously accessible and a rich, enjoyable experience. This is no dry and crusty shopping list of a rule book. Literary and historic quotes throughout reinforce this tone and reflect the topics at hand.
Your wizard will wield one of the noble Sciences of magic: alchemy, astrology, theurgy,
sorcery, or witchcraft. Powerful spells let wizards perform many wondrous feats.
They might fly through the air or turn invisible – or even forecast the future!
In Magonomia all players control Wizard, which is a gender-neutral name for the magic-wielding character specialising on one of the Sciences of Magic, within or beyond the realm of Enchanted England, a mystical reimagining of 16th Century England. This wonderful world is a beautiful blending of history, myth, folklore and fable with the science of magic, philosophy and spirituality deeply grounded in 16th century magic and occultism. Famous figures of the such as Elizabeth I, Sir Francis Drake or even the illusive Dr John Dee can be found and may well star in your adventures!
The word Magonomia was created for the game, “derived from the Greek words magia (“magic”) and nomia (“laws”), as a unified name for the “ultimate, mystical truths” magicians spent their lives searching for who may have called it “occult philosophy”.
Magonomia uses the Fate™ Core System, which is “a lightweight but endlessly flexible rules engine that encourages creative thinking and narrative”. The uncertainty and complications inherent in Fate's mechanics portraying the mercurial nature of Magic perfectly. While being a Science, the Schools of Magic are not always exact and Fate system allows for all manner of marvellous and bizarre outcomes reflecting the far more grandiose, mystical, mercurial and dangerous nature of Magic in Magonomia.
The starter rules include the fundamentals and how they relate to Magonomia, so the Fate Core System is not necessary. Each aspect of the Fate system is described with an illuminating example of how they relate and play out in Magonomia.
One aspect of Magonomia, “The Platinum Rule: All players share responsibility for making the game fun for everyone” is wonderful and should be at the core of all roleplaying games. This point is expanded upon brilliantly, both in the examples of the mechanics and regarding the problematic aspects of the time in history the game is set and some people’s interpretation of ‘historical accuracy’ taking precedent over the comfort of other players. I felt this point was handled really well, driving home that everyone having fun is the primary goal of playing any game and explicitly saying:
It’s not fun to witness, much less vicariously experience, prejudice and harassment. Feel completely free to downplay or simply change historical attitudes about women and minorities (whether the minorities are racial, religious, LBGTQ, or others).
Magonomia is clear about the wide-ranging kinds of adventures the system and setting are designed for: tales of Magic, Power, Treachery and Espionage, Romance, Privateers and Pirates, Murder, Drama and mystery! Each of these topics are briefly explained with a variety of seeds to give you inspiration to create your own adventures.
Throughout the document great advice can be found, whenever it might be needed, showing understanding and engagement with prospective players. This again speaks to the tone of the starter rules and the open welcoming attitude emanating from Gronosky et al.
After the core rules, the bulk of the book is dedicated to the weird and wonderful spells and how they work. There are so many different spells, with even more coming with the core book, of which there is some crossover between the sciences, though the bulk of each of the science’s spells are unique to their ‘class’ making each feel distinct. This is very clear in the pregenerated characters provided and the titles they have chosen and the roles they play. Having access to the spells without any worry of spell slots or sunning out of juice is very new for me, coming predominantly from D&D, and truly makes you feel like one of the rare few immensely powerful Wizards in Enchanted England and beyond.
The Magical Sciences in Magonomia are:
• Alchemy, the magic of transformation
• Astrology, the magic whereby people and Nature are connected to the stars
• Theurgy, the magic of commanding spirits and Nature through mystical names of power
• Sorcery, the magic of binding spirits into unwilling service
• Witchcraft, the magic of the common folk, combining elements of all the other Sciences
I had the absolute honour and privilege of getting to play an adventure using the pre-generated characters included in the Starter Rules, ran by Gronosky himself! All of us at the (virtual) table had a phenomenal amount of fun in the world of Magonomia! There is something truly wonderful about the opportunity to tell and build on the story using the skills, aspects and spells available to you with everything having the opportunity to succeed, which is something that sets FATE and Magonomia aside from many games. There is still chance of failure, but it is much more organic and can be forced into all manner of successes with interesting costs.
I had the time of my life playing Lady Wensley Daleford of Cheddar, Dorset, an Alchemist Spy whose talents for disguise saw her get half-way through a costume change into the Colonel, alas only getting one ginger mutton chop on before it turned out we weren’t in danger, and later successfully impersonating a groomsman called Phil to gain access to a suspect’s solar to find evidence. She let sleeping guards remain lying with a sleeping powder and covered a timely escape with a thick fog!
The other characters had a wide range of abilities that covered a wide range of applications and we combined our abilities and skills to crack the case in style; ruthlessly efficient and rather silly definitely got the job done and gave us all a good laugh and a thoroughly enjoyable session. We were all clamouring to find out when we might play again, which truly is the litmus test of any game!
I seriously cannot wait to play again and to get my hands on the Magonomia Core Rules and heartily recommend you check this out and then go and back this awesome crowdfunding project for a spectacular game!
https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf297/magonomia-core-rules.html
Credits
Lead Author: Andrew Gronosky
Author: Christian Jensen Romer
Author: Tom Nowell
Author: Vesna Gronosky
Design and Layout: Rick Hershey
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It's a ridiculous amount of awesome (like seriously awesome Jacob makes truly well thought out and quality work!) at a ridiculously reasonable price for a spectacular cause...what's to think about?
Now with even more awesome!
So nice I bought it twice!
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