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Other comments left by this customer: |
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If you like Savage Worlds and horror, buy it. And then run it. If you like Savage Worlds and you're just intellectually curious about ways to utilize the design space, buy it. Karl Keesler is a legend for his brilliant and evocative layout. David Anderson not only "gets" slasher horror, but he gets Savage Worlds on a design level enough to make the system - which became geared for more heroic action with Adventure Edition - provide a gritty horror experience.
In short, big recommendation. Top notch product, only found one minor editing mistake (regarding a Fear test), and my players - who don't normally play one shots or pregenerated characters - had a blast.
For my full, spoiler heavy review, you can go to my blog: https://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2022/11/tommys-take-on-camp-terror-actual-play.html
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WHAT WORKS: Thanks to the University spin, this setting REALLY stands out, and it gets even better with all the quirky tables (I love the Adventure Generator, as well as things like the Used Car quirks). It has the same sense of fun as the campier elements of Deadlands, or the better Supernatural episodes (just more localized). A fun twist on a genre that's kinda been done to death, supported by strong setting rules, as well as Edges and Hindrances.
WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Sure seems like game balance could get thrown out the window if that's the kind of thing that bothers you (I'm fine with it, myself). Also, the Research Adventures chart is too specific for being so small...seems like it could potentially get repetitive.
CONCLUSION: Obviously, anticipation was high for this, given how quickly it hit its goal...I love it. The sense of fun is very high, but it's still a lot scarier than a lot of games, given that you aren't likely to develop real equalizers in your war against the supernatural until you become Juniors or Seniors. I intend to back it, just working out what pledge level, and have high hopes for the Plot Point Campaign after reading this. Great stuff, especially if you're convinced Savage Worlds can't do anything different.
For my full review, please visit https://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2014/05/tommys-take-on-east-texas-university.html
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FINAL THOUGHTS
- I still love the aesthetic. I like the fantasy ninja stuff here, and only became a bigger fan in the years since the first edition was released.
- The system feels more dynamic and free flowing than the first edition, which was kind of the point.
- That said, I feel like the game could seriously use a handout for all the combat options (not a criticism...lots of games benefit from it. I love Savage Worlds, but we always use one there).
- I normally hate big skill lists but, as I've noted in past reviews, that exception is when they are also the only real "stats" being used. I also like how the Chakra System encourages you to experiment with (and justify) skill combos.
- The lifepath style character generation is a vast improvement to me, mostly because it's more interesting and contextual. My only complaint is that there's not a set of random tables for me to roll on (not that I couldn't make one up).
- The Jutsu selection is very cool, has paths that match up with a lot of character concepts, and sometimes overlaps, but in distinctive ways.
- For me, the setting is detailed just about as much as I REALLY want...maybe I could do with a few more examples.
- There's a lot of crunch to the system, and a lot going on with the character sheet, but it's all still mechanically in the realm of what I don't mind managing.
- As noted in the body of the review, the bestiary is a vast improvement.
- I'd like to see the actual system in play, but it feels more intuitive than the original DGS-powered Wu Xing, and other bits (like character creation and the bestiary) are substantial improvements.
- In other words, I'd happily run this.
For my full review, please visit https://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2020/02/tommys-take-on-ninja-crusade-2nd-edition.html
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PROS & CONS
As noted in my full review, it's easy to fit into most fantasy campaigns, as long as the campaigns have hags, dwarves and ogres (or reasonable equivalents).
The types of hags are left up to the DM, to help set the challenge of the encounter.
The encounter as written can easily led to the death of a party member or two, if the group doesn't pick up on what's going on.
Some nice little world building has been sprinkled around, like letters from other hags (which can turn into a sequel hook for the PCs if they kill the hags).
Looks like stock art was primarily used. None of it looks bad at all (and some of it looks quite good), but there are pieces that somewhat clash stylistically. This is hard to avoid unless there's a stock artist who has covered basically everything you need, but it stands out regardless.
I didn't do a deep dive into seeing how balanced it was (in my experience over two campaigns, balance in 5e is more of an art than a science), but there are still a couple of references to saving throws versus Poison. These are not a thing in 5e, and should likely be replaced with Constitution saving throws (as the most likely substitute).
Along those lines, skills were spelled out correctly for the hags and ogres (with bonuses), but for the dwarf NPC, they lacked skill bonuses and didn't even line up 100% with the 5e skill list, making me wonder if they weren't proficiencies from For Gold and Glory carried over.
WORTH IT?
I think so, especially for the price. I'm not likely to use it myself, because I had a memorable encounter with hags in my last 5e campaign, so my group's spider-sense would probably absolutely blow up, but I think it's a fun set piece if you can trick your group into going in a little off guard. I might modify that opening encounter by having the hag set up a trick to lure the group in, rather than hoping they follow her, but that's me.
For my full review, please visit https://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2020/01/tommys-take-on-covey-d-5e.html
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FINAL THOUGHTS
- I honestly was not expecting so many random tables. Seeing as how I love random tables, that's a win in my book.
- I love the options for changing things up a bit, even if I thought the layout of the scenario was fine as is.
- The legacy characters were a really nice touch, as I wasn't familiar with them or their creators (I'd heard of Green Turtle, but was otherwise unfamiliar), so those sidebars were a great bonus.
- If you want to run it with Savage Worlds Adventure Edition, you'll have to do any statblock conversions yourself. I haven't played around with the Super Powers Companion and SWADE much to see if anything wobbles or breaks when they are combined.
- Despite how much I love Savage Worlds, supers gaming, and my Necessary Evil campaign, I'm not super high on Savage Worlds as my default supers system. If that's a stumbling block for you, there are three other systems linked above (ICONS is my preference of those three, not that you asked). That said, I actually can't wait to see what an Adventure Edition-compatible Super Powers Companion is going to look like.
- The scenario is just what I like in a scenario: A strong skeleton with room for you to hang meat on the bones if you want to tweak it or expand it. And well worth it for the price, too.
For my full review, please visit http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2020/01/tommys-take-on-improbable-tales.html
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FINAL THOUGHTS: I dig the system. Feels like it has a few gaps in it, like when you juuuust can't make a Quality or Power fit the action, but they did a great job of capturing the feel of the card game in an RPG rule system, even the "one against many" "boss fight" feel of Sentinels, which has proven pretty hard for a lot of games (including Savage Worlds) to truly nail. So thumbs up for the game system. I'll buy the rulebook when it gets released, because I really wanna see for myself how they handled character creation, as well as anything that might be missing from the Starter Kit system-wise. That said, the adventures are of an uneven quality, with issues 1 and 2 being very strong points and issue 6 reading well...but that's not an indictment of the game, because those adventures clearly show what the system is capable of. If you're a Sentinels fan, check this out, even if you're planning to buy the full book, because the scenarios can serve as a nice "what to do/what not to do" when making your own.
For my full, in-depth review, please visit http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2020/01/tommys-take-on-sentinel-comics.html
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IN CONCLUSION
The general tone of the rules took a step back away from hard numbers and explanations and more towards "if it makes sense" or "you'll get the feel of it". I get that this is frustrating for some people. They need hard guidelines for anything that happens in a game. I appreciate that. I totally do not need that, so I appreciate the lean towards "rulings over rules" that the book stops just shy of adopting.
The system can support investigative scenarios, tactical minis combat and social maneuvering, with mechanical support for all the above. It's the most diverse Savage Worlds yet.
I still think a couple of the choices were oddly limiting given that everything else seemed to be about making the system more heroic, but if I every truly find those things too troublesome, I'll houserule it.
Pinnacle has released a number of setting conversion sheets (1-2 pages) for everything that doesn't have a full blown revision planned (Savage Rifts has been revised, and new Deadlands books are coming), but don't stress out: For as much as they changed, it's still remarkably backwards compatible. The BIGGEST thing to watch for with old material is making sure that the skills line up (given that some have been removed/consolidated/so on).
Man, I love Savage Worlds. I've never hidden this. I've bought the core rules three times now, this last time going all-in on the Essentials Box. I did that after having access to the PDF of this edition. I fully believe this is the best iteration of Savage Worlds yet, so yeah, I'm gonna give it a glowing endorsement...even more so after using it in play. Big time recommendation. And don't bother holding out. There ain't a $10 version coming, aside from the PDF. Buy now, get to playing.
For my full review, please visit https://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2020/01/tommys-take-on-savage-worlds-adventure.html
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This is a ridiculously professional product for a free product. This outright shames a large number of commercial products on production values. That alone would be impressive, and then you get into the sheer amount of flavorful rules stuff. The author seems to have a mindset similar to mine: Don't shy away from Edges, Hindrances and Setting Rules if they will serve the setting better than just throwing "trappings" on everything. Savage Worlds is fast enough and robust enough to handle it without dragging down. Don't do it for it's own sake, but don't be scared to let the rules serve your game.
The flavor of the setting is great, and the Edges, Hindrances, random tables and setting rules feed into that. The setting itself is only broadly detailed. That makes sense, as most of these jokers aren't even going to understand the concept of detailed demographic information, much less have any use for it.
The layout of the Plot Point Campaign is beautiful and unique. I LOVE it when a PPC or an adventure path or whatever is written so that what the PCs do matters, and most aren't written that way. There are challenges but the heroes are expected to overcome those challenges and life goes on. At least after the halfway point, this campaign assumes NOTHING, even through the end of the PPC.
I also dig the random adventure generator, and I may even steal the d12 portion for my home adventures in other settings just to force myself to shake up how I lay out adventures.
The support is impressive as Hell, with the map being a great piece of work and the countdown deck being a ridiculously useful piece of innovation that he's already teasing being expanded to other genres.
Literally the only reasons not to download this are a) you hate Savage Worlds, b) you hate the concept or c) you're going to be a player in the game. This is seriously top notch stuff.
For my full review, please visit https://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2018/07/tommys-take-on-saga-of-goblin-horde.html
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I actually used these tables for the PCs in my recent Savage Pendragon campaign, and it worked to great effect, and has already pushed one of my players into one of his more memorable characters already. You have to decide if you have any use for a bunch of random tables. I love them, and I love lifepaths, so I was eager to try this out. Hopefully the rest of the genres will be along sooner than later.
For my full review, please visit: https://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2018/06/tommys-take-on-hero-will-rise-epic.html
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THE GOOD: I love the premise. I love how much stuff is packed into a tiny book. The Setting Rules are both completely obvious and completely inspired. The inclusion of a random adventure generator is always welcome.
THE BAD: The adventure generator seems a little anemic. Four steps with six options per step. On the other hand, it's not a complicated genre, either. All the art of guys without masks for a setting in which not having a mask is tantamount to suicide is questionable and makes the wrong impression. The book is confused over whether the biker gang is called "The Jackals" or "The Jakals", as it is used interchangeably throughout.
THE SKINNY: I dig this product. I think the art choices could have been better for the setting, and I'd sure like to know if it's "Jackals" or "Jakals", but the good completely outweighs the bad. I'd happily run this for a short campaign (10 or so sessions). Heck, you could probably get a minicampaign out of each enemy faction (and then dump a full government strike force on them after they take the war to the cops). Cool stuff in a small package, with that underground "do it yourself" vibe that's pretty reminiscent of a lot of the great OSR stuff that's come out over the last few years. I bought it. I don't regret it. I'd run it, and happily.
For my full review, please visit https://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2018/06/tommys-take-on-vigilantes-rise-of.html
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THOUGHTS: The PDF is pretty no frills. No clickable links in the table of contents, no PDF index. The spells list LOOKS like it's indexed and clickable, but it was sure unresponsive when I tried to click on anything.
The adventure doesn't quite work for me, especially the first act, as noted above. It feels like the editing could have been tighter, at the least, given the mix-up I noted. It also feels like a missed opportunity to provide pregenerated characters, and then have an adventure that's too low of level for them.
I've never played Castles & Crusades (bought a corebook from Troll Lord at a convention years ago), but it looks like it has the same high level math problem that a lot of d20 games do.
That said, the flexibility is amazing. Soooo many options for customization, including the multiclass variations and swapping out general abilities. All the extra little variations in magic (like Counterspells and Emergency Spells, as well as Dragon Lines and Places of Power) are really cool, too. All the optional rules that can be added to fit what you're wanting are more than welcome, and the game boasts almost complete compatibility with Castles & Crusades, so you can combine the two for all kinds of crazy action.
The bestiary selection is pretty small, but in a mostly realistic game, using mobsters and Nazis should be more common than fighting legions of monsters.
CONCLUSION: The author insists that this more than "just" a pulp game, but that's largely what the core book does, and I suspect it does it well. I'm a little leery of that high level math, with the way the bonuses escalate. That said, if that's not a concern for you, this is a ridiculously flexible game with loads of pulp archetypes to use as your base and a great toolbox for modifying them. The author has mentioned that a 5e-based version is in the works, and if it can combine that base with all the great options and features in this book (I love bounded accuracy and flatter math), that should be a great pulp game. For this edition, I'd run it without reservation...I'd just be keeping a close eye on high level play.
Also, it is worth noting that the Companion and the Book of Powers expand the game significantly, but this review doesn't cover those, just the core. I'll try to crack into them soon.
Full review is posted here: https://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2018/05/tommys-take-on-amazing-adventures.html
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I do love Greek Myths and I love the Super Powers Companion power rules way more than I do the base Savage Worlds rules. I totally believe that was the right way to take this project, rather than shoehorning God level powers into pools of power points. The Nemesis Law also does a great job of explaining why the Demigods don't just run roughshod over everyone, as she can lay her punishment down at anytime and is apparently functionally untouchable, at least in that regard. The concept is certainly unique. The closest thing I can recall to it is Corporia, which is Arthurian legend in a corporate setting. Interestingly, while that one has an AI name M.E.R.L.I.N. - which is said to be THE Merlin - the current incarnation of the Oracle at Delphi in Olympus, Inc. is also a computer.
This is certainly one of the most unique Savage settings I've ever seen, in concept and implementation. I do look forward to seeing the remaining six (or however many) Bloodlines unveiled. My biggest complaint is the tightness of the setting material, namely which of the Gods are behind Olympus, Inc. and which Bloodlines are still being propagated as that material wasn't immediately obvious from reading the PDF or from searching it. While I don't know that Corporate Greek Gods would be an easy selling for my pool of players (such as it is), I applaud Fabled Environments for doing something new and compelling, both thematically and mechanically.
For my full review, please visit http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2017/04/tommys-take-on-olympus-inc.html
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Thoughts
There are a lot of moving parts in this game, and it's easy to miss stuff. From the pre-encounter rolls, to Hope and Fellowship points to getting used to the Stances. We have kinda trialed-and-errored our way through the first two sessions. It's not a dense, math-heavy system, but it's also not light and quick, but pretty much all the mechanics feel like they have a purpose. The Corruption Tests, Journeying, Encumbrance, Hope, Hate...it feels like a Tolkien game to me, and not just a generic fantasy RPG.
Speaking of Journeys and Fatigue...this is the first game in years that I haven't handwaved the Encumbrance rules, because Encumbrance makes sense when there is such a heavy focus on hiking across mountains and tromping through swamps. The little adjustments here are great, as your Spring gear and Winter gear, for instance, weigh differently because you prepare differently, and the burden of your equipment isn't a constant one, but one that grows as your journey becomes more daunting and arduous.
The Corruption system is harsh and unforgiving, especially at early levels, and it practically guarantees that no one is going to have an adventuring career and retire without SOME stain on their soul. This is Boromir losing his sense of perspective in the face of an overwhelming foe and trying to steal The One Ring, Thorin losing his mind at Bilbo not giving him the Arkenstone or even Frodo finding that he can't settle back at the Shire because of how he's changed. None of them were villains, but their adventures changed them forever (and led two of them to their deaths)...the Road to Hell is paved with good intentions, indeed.
The Virtues and Rewards are very cool and evocative. A Dwarf channeling their Shadow Points into their efforts gives them a reason to give in to their weakness a bit, or even having your axe become a fearsome item of legend in and of itself.
18 skills is about the upper limit of what I will stomach for a skill list, but you have to love a game in which your character's ability to sing (Song) can be every bit as important as their knowledge of combat (Battle) or their ability to find food in the wild (Hunting).
That starting adventure is HARSH with the Corruption Tests, combat is a touch more complicated than necessary, and a few things are unclear (can Standing be gained through adventures and deeds? The rules don't seem like it can, but one of the adventures in another book provides just that option).
I'm not sure if I'm in love, but I can easily say I'm infatuated. A great game in which the mechanics feed the atmosphere in one of the finer marriages of mechanics and theme I've GMed, in my opinion. It's surprisingly harsh, at least at low levels (we've lost one NPC to the first adventure, and one PC has a permanent Shadow point, while the other PC is knocking on the door of one, two episodes in...and the second adventure would have ended in a TPK, but I rolled with the Epic Feat and interpreted it to get the heroes out of their predicament).
Two sessions in, and I'm glad I didn't go with Adventures in Middle-Earth. I'm sure Cubicle 7 did a fine job with the 5e version of Middle-Earth, but The One Ring feels very much like what I wanted from a Middle-Earth RPG. Hopefully we'll get to play it enough to work the kinks out, because I've enjoyed my first time playing in Tolkien's sandbox.
For my full review, please visit http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2016/11/tommys-take-on-one-ring.html
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Thoughts:
- The biggest problem the book has is that it's shackled to Army of Darkness. It strains to convince you that playing the Blacksmith would really be fun. Well, the bench just isn't as deep in this setting as it is in Buffy or Angel. The true highlights are the other time periods, the archetypes (and what they mean for a potential game),
- The Mass Combat rules may not sound like much, but I have used the Savage Worlds version of them quite a bit, and adapted the Army of Darkness rules into D&D5e to good effect. The core conceit behind these rules are my favorite mass combat rules of all time, and my players actually get excited when they realize I'm wheeling them out. I actually like these rules better than the Savage Worlds version because the Savage Worlds rules have a Knowledge (Battle) prerequisite that almost none of my players ever take, while the AoD rules are based on Intelligence and Influence.
- The production values on licensed Eden Studios books were always on point, and this is no exception. Everything about the book screams Army of Darkness, from the screen caps to the layout to the quotes peppered all over it. The writing is similarly evocative. This isn't a dry rulebook, this is a book laden with pop culture references and snark. Now, you will have to decide how much or how little that bothers you. Personally, I hate rulebooks that read like textbooks.
- The nature of the setting, and the portrayal of Deadites, makes it so that adapting new monsters in is not only easy, but fitting. Demons seem to come in all shapes and sizes, especially if you take the canon of Ash vs Evil Dead into account. The various monsters in the Army of Darkness book, plus the list of monster abilities, give you a good start on creating your own.
- While the book was "one and done", it is completely compatible with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel RPGs (rules wise...a little work would be needed to reconcile the settings, but monsters, Qualities and mechanics like magic can be swiped at will), expanding your options. Taking it a step further, and Classic Unisystem games like All Flesh Must Be Eaten and Witchcraft use the same base system, just a bit more complex (more Skills, the Essence mechanic and so on).
- Army of Darkness was a movie, and pretty well wrapped up its story in 90 minutes. The GM section recommends structuring your game like a "season", which Ash vs Evil Dead does a nice job of demonstrating. In fact, it feels much more appropriate now, ten years later, than it did then. Similarly, the structure of groups filled with Heroes and Primitive Screwheads is demonstrated much better in the Ash vs Evil Dead show than it is in the Army of Darkness movie.
So if you've been watching Ash vs Evil Dead and decided to start looking for something that could emulate that style of game, you don't necessarily have to reinvent the wheel. Army of Darkness covers most of the ground that you would need, in a solid and unobtrusive system (Cinematic Unisystem just does not get in the way). I mean, it even has a rule for extreme gore. Even better, it's not nearly as out of print as I thought it was. Obvious labor of love from all involved, which now seems strikingly more relevant than it did when released, thanks to the Ash revival tour on Starz.
For my full review, please visit http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2016/10/tommys-take-on-army-of-darkness.html
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Thoughts:
- I like the openness of the world. Given how undocumented the world is, it's easy to insert pretty much whatever you want, from places to creatures. Doubly so when you factor in that the setting explicitly hasn't closed its doors to other dimensions.
- I am a huge fan of the magic system. Reminds me a bit of the system from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which has both a similar flexibility and danger.
- The book is black and white, and the whole aesthetic feeds into the "noir" tone of setting very well. None of the art is very bad, most of it is very fitting, and a lot of it is downright great.
- The species options almost seem a little over the top. With 16 options, some of them seem excessive (or downright weird, looking at you, Orrim). While I generally err on the side of "give them choices", the "Points of Light" setting with humans at the top of a food chain that includes 15 other viable species (plus the NPC options) feels like a stretch to me, unless each species is in such low of numbers that they have no real power. This clearly doesn't apply to Taxim, at least, as they are the most powerful union in Selastos.
- I've always like the idea of exploits in GenreDiversion. I've never tried the system in play, but I'd be willing to.
- Experience can be used in ways other than advancement, as "creative editing/story control" that allows you to introduce subplots to the game, or invoke specific features based on your role (like a Sentinel being able to call in reinforcements or a Private Detective automatically noticing a clue). I dig mechanics like this in games, especially when it's light and unobtrusive.
- It's weird and doesn't make any sense, but the setting is juuuuust a bit harder to wrap my head around than it should be, even though it's really just a fantasy setting with fewer swords and orcs and more gumshoes and night clubs. I love the concept (and the magic..a lot) and I like the game mechanics, but I just gotta get past that setting hump (since noir assumptions are no weirder than quasi-Middle Ages assumption in any other fantasy setting).
Thumbs up on this one, even if I'm not convinced I wouldn't be too intimidated by the weirdness of a few of the setting elements to make it work at my table.
For my full review, please visit http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2016/09/tommys-take-on-bloodshadows-third.html
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