This one is a blast. With only 50 pages of content we get more adventure ideas than some of the full fletched big source books. The author knows how to design and present great adventure seeds. This book is meant to be played, which can be seen in the way that all the adventures are immediately presented with an interesting concept, possible solutions, and a hook to get the characters involved. I especially like the short but clear introduction of core elements for swamp adventures that set the scene. While the sheer number of 100 quests (+20 encounters) doesn't allow for every quest to be outstanding, there isn't a single adventure that felt disappointing. If you tend to design your own adventures, but are looking for interesting seeds or hooks, this is the book (or the series) for you.

The first major supplementary book for the Gaia Complex introduces a number of new hardware pieces and the black market structure. The item catalog makes up only about half of the volume. More extensive and, in my opinion, even more interesting is the background section, which deals with the black market. In addition to Neomunich, the various black markets for weapons, blood, sex, data and more are covered here. In addition, we find 15 new corporations which, like the the rest of the book, provide many ideas for your game sessions. I was particularly convinced by the clear connection to actual gameplay. It's almost impossible not to come up with new ideas for missions when reading the supplement. I would like to emphasize the once again high-quality illustrations as well as the aspect of sex work and fetish products. With the latter, the authors treat a topic that is often left out or only depicted in a very clichéd way in cyberpunk settings. Perhaps a bit too explicit for some game groups, the erotic and sex work scene is convincingly and sensitively presented here and neither idealized nor demonized. While it can easily be kept out of any game round, there is a consistent and thoroughly enriching perspective to be found here.

All in all, I'm very pleased with the quality of the product and the variety of ideas, which I think can also be integrated into other settings. The Gaia Complex is a cyberpunk setting in its own right, but it can also be used to invigorate other game worlds. Not least because of the clear relevance to gameplay and the simple rules.

I am very impressed by the game. The writing and artwork is superb and the world has an interesting twist. The addition of vampires and ferals (animal mending humanoids) into an otherwise ‘realistic’ world building is surely a question of taste. The world still feels plausible and the supernatural element is kind of explained by a secret truth, that is particularly well written and adds another layer of depth. While the world and type of adventures are classical cyberpunk plus a bit of supernatural, the rule system is quite different. It uses stats and skills, but the fact that skills can't be levelled (1) and are either possessed or not is an interesting design choice. The system only asks for rolls if a situation is stressful, a skill is not possessed or a difficulty is higher than the related stat. If a roll is required, we compare two d12 to our stat and need one success if we are skilled and two if not. That is a truly unique approach that promises a very smooth and narrative gameplay but might need some accomodation. The corebook alone holds everything you need to play. Obviously the 290 pages can't present a world as detailled as other cyberpunk games that exist for decades. The philosophy of the game takes this as a strength, by allowing the GM and players some freedom in their interpretation of the world. For example there are no fullly fleshed out adventures, bur data seeds that are meant to inspire thrilling adventures, but leave the Group to fill out the exact details.

I can recommend the game to anyone who is interested in a cyberpunk setting with a lot of freedom and a supernatural twist. The game can keep up with the big names out there and is definitely worth checking out!

(1)To be nitpicky: In fact there are specializations, but they work entirely different from traditional levels.

(a more detailed review can be found in German at www.zauberwelten-online.de)

P!LLS FVLL of GODS starts strong. The streets of our city are filled with a drug that gives users direct access to gods. Four concrete gods (and 3d12 lesser ones) provide strong, recognizable concepts that promise to add some spark to your CY_BORG games. This sets the tone for the identities as well, that present very intriguing concepts.

The most unique feature of this game is the fact that it was consciously created with the use of AI tools. The author uses different AI tools for graphic design and even language models to generate some texts. Prior to ChatGPT, he tried to create a book with as little human oversight as possible.

Despite possible criticism – the author himself notes that he will return to working with humans after this experiment – the result is a playable and inspiring supplement.

I give it four out of five stars, as I believe the experiment could have been more radical and some of the lists could have been more interesting. Nevertheless, this product proves that AI is capable of creating RPG content. With the development of ChatGPT and an ever-expanding community that works with it for RPG purposes, it will become even more capable.

This is not your generic sourcebook. Where most culture books give you a well known culture with a twist, this one is the twist. The vision of elves presented in this book is one of the deepest and original interpretations of a fantasy culture I know of. Nearly every paragraph gives you a neat and unique idea that fits well into the whole concept. It is easy to see that the author has a background in anthropology and really wonders how a culture with radical different assumptions would work. And while you can spot the academic background, the book is not an academic exercise but clearly written with an rpg campaign in mind, full of adventure hooks and gm advice. All ideas are presented in a way that they are really meaningful at the game table.

Alas, this wholistic approach also means that you can’t easily use this book as a quarry to add some ideas to your running campaign. The elvish culture of Nurnadé comes as a package and requests serious changes in worldbuilding and should sit at the center of a campaign. Sure, you can still get some inspiration here, but the aspects are so intertwined and different that it will be a bit harder than usual to cherry pick your favorite ideas.

Did I say cherry? Well, this book gives you actual recipes for elvish food. Including professional food pictures and cooking directions. This is definitely more than your regular list of possible fantasy meals, but a set of actual recipes to have a special dinner with your elvish friends or to serve aside as a highlight of your rpg campaign.

While I am in awe of the creativity and love for the detail of this product, I have to admit that I am not as impressed by the artwork. The general layout transports that „elvish“ feeling. Unfortunately, while I like the inclusive and diverse approach of the illustrations, the quality of them doesn’t always keep up. The illustrations vary a lot in style and quality and while I cherish some, others are really underwhelming. I would have wished for a more consistent style and also a better integration into the general layout but am willing to look aside and focus on the better ones as the ideas and writing of the book are really good. The author finds intrresting ways to present the world and is able to pull you right into the elvish world of Nuenadé. I also did not find serious errors or typos, what is really impressive for a rather small project.

Thus said: If you are looking for beautiful artwork and some spice for your campaign, this product is not for you. If you are interested in an elvish culture that is more than just humans with poignant ears, look no further. You will get one of the most creative and interesting sourcebooks out there. It is simply a hidden gem that doesn’t need a lot of polish to shine.

It is very rare to find truly unique RPG Products. First Responders is one of those books that present you a whole new area to explore at the roleplaying table. The setting is not innovative due to even stranger assumptions, but focuses on the very mundane work of extraordinary heroes: First Responders!

That this is an intriguing concept can be seen by the success of TV series like Chicago Fire. It is a surprise, that a setting like this wasn‘t explored in depth earlier. The book comprehends whatever is needed to run a TTRPG-Session in the style of first responder series and reflects on the specifics of the genre. The Cypher-System is used well by interpreting disasters as „living“ enemies. Fires can expand by spawning, stun us with smoke and cut us off from our team members. This interpretation is highly thrilling and supported by the resourceful creativity of the authors. Together with great artwork, a clear presentation and excellent writing, this is a mjust have for everyone who ever thought about bringing a fire-fighter or rescue series to the table.

(Review is based on a digital review copy of the complete book. Unfortunately, DTRPG does not allow to write a review if you got the book from elsewhere)

Well, this book is just awesome. For a price of round about 5$ this is a nobrainer if you have any interest in this setting. It are not the rules - which are a bit cumbersome - but the great and carefully researched background informations that make this product a great catch. If anyone is interested in a longer german review by me, check here: http://neueabenteuer.com/roleplayin-down-south/

I really liked the book. It is a well written pure sourcebook that reads almost like a novel. The information given play well with truth and fiction, the books give some creepy facts and exaggerate them. That fits well with the background of this book. It suggests an urban fantasy setting where players embody zombie hunters, maybe as part of a secret society or (in)official governmentbranch. The setting is more or less suggested, so that it is also useful for almost every zombiescenario. It is a great read with some use for RPG and by the way a great introduction to different zombie types. It is not only of value for GMs, but also for players and even in-game use, as it is written asa real handbook on Zombies... For round about 3$ it's a virtual no-brainer...

I also wrote a longer review in german: http://neueabenteuer.com/zombies-a-hunters-guide/

As I am a big fan of the darkmook paperminiatures I couldn't hold back to rate it 5 stars.

But the value of this set varies a lot, depending on how much of the other sets you already own. If you are new to darkmook miniatures it is a great addition to the freebies, but if you already have the most of the sets it is indeed a repetitive set. It still is one of the cheapier sets, but you don't get much new stuff for your money. You get the new hero in two versions (no zombieversion included), a new diorama background and new bases, fitting to the diorama. Additionally I am not so glad with the re-mods. They don't vary enough from old sets to be perceived as new versions. There are some moderately shifted colors and some figures are mirrored, but no eyecathing difference. All in all this is not much new for your ~2,50$, so that you have to decide for yourself if it is worth the money. For me it was, although I purchased every set before...