Awesome art - still recognizeable to veteran players but different enough that if I don't name the token I can generally use each one to reskin a known monster.

My current favorite system, and this Quickstart contains everything you need to play for a decade if you stretch it like we did in the 80's. The core classes are here, the core mechanics are here, and everything else depends on the adventures you make together.

In my experience, this is a better game to introduce people new to TTRPGs than 5e, while still transmitting the core mechanics of D20 systems. I would highly encrouage everyone running SD to begin with this before diluting the game with homebrew classes and other such mechanics.

This is a collection of straightforward aventure with hooks. Each has a modular three-act structure and ample room for improvisation. I ran "Alluring Mesas" and it easily stretched over 4 two-hour sessions; your mileage may vary. XP is calculated to include the major threats and goals. If playing milestone, I would award a milestone for the conclusion of the adventure in most cases, assuming you are running it for at-level PCs.

There are several settings, such as the Magmaforge Outpost, that present enough content to base an entire arc on. The included sublcasses are okay but don't relly present anything to entice players away from the increasingly overpowered subclasses of official 5e. A nature-focused wizard and a wild shaping monk, as well as a trap-making mechanic, do fit the theme of expeditions.

The biggest downside is that the maps in the PDF are no better suited for a VTT that those in the printed book. I can only recommend them for theater of the mind or sketching out on a hex or grid. My players are very tactical and there are precious few maps here that are even worth the effort needed to adapt for that style of play. The "handouts" would ahve also benefited form digitalization separate from the PDF.

I think these adventures are best suited for a group whose table prefers to imagine the details themselves. Overall, it's is a good product that addresses all three pillars of role-playing.

A nostalgic throwback that is different enough from the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books for the 80's to be interesting. I prefer the app-based version designed by meta-arcade, but appreciate this for what it is: a piece of history that still runs, like a classic car.

A weel-put-together book that included enough examples to help a new player like me flesh out their characters. I feel the organization is less than ideal; the index helps. Everything's in there (and it's a lot).