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Mistborn Adventure Game: Sample Heroes

Whether you are looking for inspiration, want a few well-detailed NPCs to act as associates or rivals, or need a character (or whole party) in a hurry, this product will fill your purposes admirably.

Herein are eight fully-developed characters, set up as an integrated crew. Each one gets a couple of pages – one a filled-out character sheets with all the necessary game stats, and the other a write-up of the character’s background, including a brief history, notes on personality and motivations and even what he thinks about the other members of the group. There is also a sketch of the character to enable you to visualise him.

A fairly shady group they are, too. The leader is one Beck, a fixer – the sort of fellow who can get you whatever you want, no questions asked, provided you are willing to pay his price. The others are the crew who procure the whatever it is… a crew called Nine Eyes. Most people will find a character they’d like to play, if you are using them as your ready-made party. A wandering scholar, an urbane steward (or is he?), a kandra longing to return to her Homeland but honour-bound by her contract, a fugitive Mistborn noble lass, a Skaa con-woman who insinuates herself into noble society, a thief who is rarely as drunk as he appears to be, and a watchful bodyguard who burns with barely-controlled rage.

Between them, they form a group that is more than its individual members. They’d certainly make a good starting group (especially if you want to dive straight in to the game), else they may be exemplars of how you might create your own crew, or a rival crew to pit against your own players…

Mistborn Adventure Game Novel Characters: Vin and Sazed

Continuing the series of free ‘tasters’ for the Mistborn Adventure Game, here are two major characters from the novels on which the game is based, completely written up with game statistics and background details. Risky, as lovers of the stories likely have their own ideas – but for the enterprising GM who would like some of the characters from the novels featuring in their game, very useful. Anyone who has not read the novels yet should avoid this, thought, there are major plot ‘spoilers’ in the background text.

The first character portrayed is Vin. Her powers are at their height, with many of her defining exploits now in her past. After a full-page portrait, the first part of the write-up details her past up to the point chosen for the exemplar character. Next come her full game statistics, then a section on ‘Playing Vin’ which will help any GM to make her come to life as a powerful, potentially deadly, NPC – even as an ally, characters are advised to be careful, and she could make a formidable foe if they were to get on her wrong side… and rather helpfully, there are sections on how she’d behave as ally or enemy to make things easy for you. And there’s more… this is followed by notes and stats if you’d prefer to use her earlier in the story, as a young and inexperienced member of a crew, with little to hint of what she will become… could be interesting, and a route for drawing your own characters into pivotal events later on, when that unassuming Skaa girl they knew on the streets blossoms into her power!

The other character featured here is Sazed. Again, the main write-up is at the same time in the plotline as Vin’s, when he was an advisor and friend to her. The background explains how he got to that stage, while the notes on playing him bring out his tendency to be a voice of reason, a source of quiet and thoughtful advice. It’s quite hard to make an enemy of him. The second build depicts him earlier in life, when he was going through an interesting time.

If you intend on weaving the novels’ plotline through your game, rather than just using the setting to tell your own stories, these could be useful NPCs. Even if not, characters who become themselves pivotal figures might meet them, or they can serve for ideas about how really powerful characters might develop. Plenty of scope here!

The Mistborn Adventure Game is available at the Flames Rising RPGNow Shop.

Review by Megan Robertson

Related posts:

1. Epic Role Playing Game Manual Review
2. Interview with Game Designer Brett M. Bernstein

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As we have come to expect, a wealth of resources for fantasy games – what with archers (and arrows for them) heading up the character-based resources for players, adventures for GMs to run and ideas to help them hone their skills. The focus is on Pathfinder, but there is material for other rulesets (and much can be translated with little effort, provided you are reasonably familiar with the game mechanics of the system of your choice).

The Editorial introduces the issue focus on archery, with an account of how fictional archers inspired the editor, Wolfgang Baur, not only to play archer characters but to learn how to use a bow himself. He asks for our archery stories… um, well, I used to have a line manager who practised archery and occasionally threatened to shoot the site manager and told me that he reckoned he could hit him out of his office window… hmm, let’s get on with the review!

For those seeking to play really good archers, the best place to start is an elf. Archery kind of goes with elves, and so there’s a whole new racial base class, the Elven Archer, for Pathfinder. Suggestions are offered for ways in which the class could be varied: perhaps you don’t want pointy ears, or prefer to use the crossbow – the underlying mechanics can be readily amended (and you are shown how) to make the class work as well for your concept as for the original suggestion. There are also notes to help you embed your elven archer into Open Design’s Midguard campaign setting, even if your game is not set there the ideas can be modified to suit your campain world instead. If the new feats are not enough, the next article Arrows of the Arbonesse adds a wide range of arrows beyond your standard clothyard arrow with bodkin tip. Fill your quiver with the glass-tipped and magical acid splash arrow, fire a fisher’s filament arrow over the next battlement you wish to scale or play really nasty with the razor’s filament arrow or the silent night one (that flies so quietly it is hard to notice the archer who fired it). These and others enable the archer to do more than just shoot the opposition or bring down a deer for dinner.

If your characters prefer a more scholarly approach, the next article on Derro Ooze Magic is aimed at alchemists and mages seeking to improve their spell components by somewhat dubious means… the Ooze School of magic, complete with its associated powers and spell lists. But you may need to ‘harvest’ eyes or bile or other body parts from halpless humanoids to get it all to work properly. Sorcerers can take an Ooze Bloodline to access the same powers. If you have faced off against an ooze or similar and been jealous of their capabilities, fret no longer. You too may have them… and specialists in this magic may even attract one to become their familiar! I think I’ll stick to my owl, but it could be an interesting choice… just imagine having a gelatinous cube or an ochre jelly trundling alongside you.

If that’s too tame, the next article – Servants From Beyond – suggests some very unusual allies you might care to summon from the Lesser Planes, showing how you can engage with them to good effect. Each one is presented in full detail, not just stat-block but background, personality and motivations so that they can be role-played properly once summoned. Astute GMs can mine this for ideas for featured adversaries or at least beings that might be encountered, or they can go to the next article, which presents four creatures from nightmare, the Night Terrors of the changling moth chrysalis, the dire naked mole rat (escaped from Ron Possible’s pocket, no doubt!), the cephalic parasite, and the pishtaco – four monsters right out of the worst nightmare brought to life for your campaign, complete with ecology, life-cyle and a wealth of detail to enable you to make them an integral part of events, rather than just the next monster.

On to game theory, as Monte Cook talks about The Power of the Game Master. It’s something I’ve noticed, particularly as most of my games are now run online with people I don’t know outside of the gaming community on whatever site we are playing, how they regard their GM as someone special, rather than just another gamer who happens to be running the game rather than playing in it. This may be commonplace in groups where one person habitually GMs, but my local tabletop groups all consist of people who are equally happy either side of the GM screen. Is the GM God? Just another player but with a different role? Or is the GM God but only as long as the other players let him? Thought-provoking, and no real answer, at least not in the right or wrong sense – consider what works for the particular group and that’s the right answer for you.

Now, the first adventure, Captured in the Cartways by Christina Stiles (Pathfinder, 5th-level) based in the tunnels under Zobeck and letting the characters bargain their way out of trouble by undertaking a small task… Naturally, you could transplant it to any city with a sub-surface counter-culture if Zobeck’s not in your game world. A nice short jaunt to spring on characters who thought that merely exploring the Cartways was dangerous enough!

Back to game ideas… and are all adventurers fit young men and women out seeking fame and fortune? Putting the Band Back Together is an intriguing article about what happens when retired adventurers decide, for whatever reason, to get back into action… or have it forced upon them. One interesting thought is that you could dust off old adventures – particularly if you are using a party of characters that have actually been played by the group and since retired – and see how the locations and inhabitants have changed over the 20 years or whatever since the party last was there. Whilst older characters may now be less physically vigorous, they can draw on experience in ways that younger adventurers cannot: and several feats are presented that seek to codify the advantages that veterans have over their younger and more nimble counterparts. More ideas follow – fancy a hunt that takes you through the Margreve woods and beyond? Then read Fey Hunters and Shadow Hounds, finding that just who is the hunter and who the prey may be open to debate. Those fey have plenty nasty ideas and tricks to play, with spells, items and exotic poisons in their arsenal.

There’s a brief article about character specialisations for the AGE system, and an interview with Christina Stiles – fascinating, particularly as I once had the pleasure of co-authoring a book with her but have never actually met her! This is followed most appropriately (Christina and I both love the character class!) by The Bardic Arts, a piece about honing the abilities of your D&D 4e bard with some tangible rule mechanics built around the performer/entertainer aspect of being a bard, often left to the role-playing abilities of a bard’s player (I had a DM who made me sing at the table…) rather than made an integral part of the ruleset itself.

In Ask The Kobold, Skip Williams takes a detailed look at how poison actually works, then there’s a piece Small Spirits: 5 Nature Spirits for Any Campaign, some enchanting primal nature spirits that your characters might encounter if they are really observant. A nice touch is that good ideas are backed up by game mechanics for both Pathfinder and D&D 4e, and adventure hooks abound. If you are a gnome, tiefling or minotaur, there follows some racial powers (D&D 4e stats) that may be discovered by those ready to delve into their ancestral heritage. Next, back to game design theory with an article on how to create ‘time pressure’ in an adventure and use it to good effect with a haste point mechanic that can be applied whatever ruleset you are using. Now it is not pure GM fiat that determines if the characters arrive in time! And if hurrying makes you hungry, how about some magical seafood? No really, there’s an article on Fish of Legend (and yes, you can cook and serve some of them, if you catch them!).

This packed journal rounds off with a page about The Ruins of Arbonesse… and if you are a fantasy gamer, you are going to find at least one thing of interest within this issue. Me, a cheerful song whilst preparing a seafood dinner for a party of veteran adventures I’d like to coax out of retirement…

Review by Megan Robertson

Related posts:

1. The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design Review
2. Kobold Quarterly 16 Review

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This is the England that ought to have been, rather than the history of the one in which I sit writing this review. This is the mediaeval England of legend, with Robin Hood scampering around Sherwood Forest, a Good King Richard off fighting the Infidel whilst Bad King John does his best to steal a kingdom, never mind everyone’s hard-earned gold… this is an England in which excitement and adventure are to be found, but where drains don’t smell and nobody worries about the Black Death!

The Introduction outlines this setting, the mediaeval England of stories, rooted firmly in the history of the 12th and 13th centuries but with an eye to the rise of the ideals of chivalry, to the world of ballad and folk-song, the sort of mediaeval England that you’d like to visit. Designed to be used in conjunction with Chaosium’s Basic Roleplaying (BRP) ruleset, there’s a handy list of what rules from that work will be of particular use when running this setting. Whilst there’s a whole section about running adventures and campaigns at the end of this product, it’s noted that Scenario Hooks are scattered throughout, to spawn ideas and help Game Masters come up with their own material, or players to develop their characters more fully. Next comes the historical timeline of the period, covering major events and many famous personalities. Perhaps the characters will participate in historical events… or perhaps they’ll rewrite history!

The first chapter is all about Player Characters, ranging from the concepts and types of characters that might prove interesting to the minutae of actually creating them, based around the core BRP character generation process but with the appropriate spin for creating one suitable for this specific setting. There’s an addition, you need to choose a Background – on offer are Norman, Saxon, Jewish, Welsh, Cornish, Scot, Irish, Marshman, Norse, Fairy, Moor, Saracen and Cleric; but you can develop your own in conjunction with the GM – and this can influence what skills and professions are more likely for your character. Wealth and social class are both important and intertwined. You can either track every last groat or abstract wealth depending on taste, but the aim is to provide a fairly realistic setting so people may prefer to maintain at least basic accounts for their characters. Next is a run-down on what your chosen Background will give you and on all the professions available, with a sidebar explain the role of the clergy (primarily Christian although Jewish and Muslim ones are covered) and the specific skills that a member of the clergy can acquire. Being part of the clergy is available via two routes, by choosing it as a Background, or deciding that a character from another Background has entered it as a profession. This allows for a lot of diversity, and reflects the importance that you want religion to play in your character’s life and outlook. Given that this is a mediaeval rather than a fantasy setting, there are quite a few new professions introduced, and not all the BRP ones are available. Some interesting historical ones are included such as Knights Templar and moneychangers. Naturally, there are plenty supernatural optinons, the stance being that all the things – spells, demon summoning and the like – that your average mediaeval person believed do indeed work! And a particular delight, the wayte – a peculiar mix of minstrel and town guard which did exist in mediaeval England, hired by a community to both watch over and entertain them. Languages and skills are also covered in greater detail at this point… and they have the linkages straight, Welsh being close to Breton and even closer to Cornish, for example. The chapter ends with a note on female, Jewish and Muslim characters, explaining how they were restricted in many ways in the historical mediaeval world and how best to play them to good advantage, to have fun with them without losing all semblance of realism.

Next, a chapter on Religion and Magic. The main relgion in England at this time was Christianity, taking the form of Roman Catholicism. It wasn’t just what you did on Sunday morning, it played a far greater role in day-to-day life – and indeed in the political landscape – and can be the source of many adventures and intrigues in your game. A Piety mechanism is introduced, which waxes and wanes according to a character’s actions and can even allow the granting of miracles at times of need. It is even possible to become a saint (while still alive, it’s not necessary to be dead in these times!). Relics and icons have great significance too, and mechanics for using them with Piety ratings are given. Divine magic, normally only available to ordained clergy (or equivalent for other faiths), functions by means of Blessings which are learned and cast, often with formal rituals. The number that can be known depends on the priest’s individual Holiness (based on his actions and standing in the religion), the number that can be cast is based on Piety. Holiness can be increased by the taking of Vows – provided, that is, that the terms of the Vow are adhered to during the course of the game. This can lead to entertaining role-play, even dramatic tension. Pilgrimages were important in mediaeval days, and are here too, both as a means of increasing individual pilgrim’s Piety and the wealth of those running pilgrimage sites! Magic, too, was widely believed in during the mediaeval period, and for game purposes is deemed to be real… even if frowned upon by established religions, especially Christianity. Along with the use of amulets and talismans, people may practise ‘folk magic’ as well as the regular sort of fantasy magic and sorcery – as described in the core BRP rulebook.

The next chapter, entitled Magical Science, looks at education and scholarship in the mediaeval world. It was an exciting time in learning, with the foundation of the first universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, as well as similar establishments on the Continent. Science as we know it didn’t really exist, but a lot of fun can be had with its precursor, alchemy. This melds magic and early scientific thought together, and can be used for the likes of making potions to mimic magical effects or for healing… or for more mundane substances such as soaps and perfumes! Islamic alchemists were particularly advanced. Another discipline that flourished at the time was astrology, the art of predicting the future by observing the heavens. There is plenty of detail – and a mechanism whereby Fate points can be used to make predictions come true, if you fancy that – provided to enable astrology to play as major a role in your games as it did in mediaeval life. If you do not want to stare at the stars, other means of divination are available – from reading palms to geomancy or gazing into a fire and seeing what patterns are made by the flames. More dubious individuals might be interested in the practice of demonology. As well as studying demons, demonologists can learn spells to summon, control and dismiss demons… if they dare! Others may choose to study medicine, which was slowly shaking off superstition especially with the influx of knowledge from the Arab world… but there are many who regard casting an astrological chart as an essential part of diagnosis.

Chapter 4 looks at Major Religions, beginning with the Catholic Church, a powerful influence in mediaeval times with temporal as well as spiritual power. Many monastic orders were wealthy landowners, and individual Churchmen served in important state positions alongside their religious roles. The concept of taking sanctuary in a church had legal effect, and excommunication was a real threat when the majority of people were Catholics and would shun the excommunicated in day-to-day life, never mind not permitting them to enter the church and receive the sacraments. Saints play a leading part in religious life, and devotees can receive specific blessings. Those who wish a religious life can enter one of the many orders, and the sight of monks and nuns is commonplace. More robust individuals may prefer a ‘military order’ such as the Hospitallers or the Templars, whose members are both monk and knight. There’s a lot of background information to help you make such organisations part of the fabric of your game, although it’s sometimes a little jumbled and patchy: for example we’re told Cistertians wear white habits to distinguish themselves from Benedictines… but nowhere does it mention that Benedictines wear black! Naturally, as well as orthodox worshippers, there are many groups who have off-beat, if not heretical, beliefs and these can be the source of robust debate if not outright violence… for where there is heresy, there the Inquisition shall surely follow! Again, plenty of detail if you wish to have the Inquisition feature in your game (including a rather unhealthy interest in torture… there again, I’ve had players who likewise were rather too interested in that particular subject!). The section on Christianity ends with a discussion of the magic condoned by the Church – a crucifix is a potent talisman, for example – and the other magics that might be found in otherwise Christian communities. Islam and Judaism are covered in similar detail… but it must be remembered that mediaeval Christians were far less tolerant of those who followed other faiths than we are today. Provided you and your players separate any real beliefs from in-game ones, you should not have problems, but discretion is advised, remembering that the past should never be viewed in the light of contemporary prejudice and opinion. Including the full sweep of mediaeval faith will enrich your game greatly, however.

Next, Chapter 5 looks at Nobles, Knights and the Crown. These were powerful individuals, backed with the full might of the feudal system, whose personal ambitions affected the whole country. The feudal system in full flower is complex, with a liege lord as obligated to his vassals as they are to him. Knights are a separate class of specialist armoured and mounted warriors, taking service with nobles. Both knights and nobles were supposed to be chivalrous, but not all of them were. Of particular note is the tourney, a way in which knights could demonstrate their prowess without the need to actually go to war – and a fine spectacle for everybody else! Considerable detail is given, much adventure can be had should you chose to stage one in the course of your game. With property and inheritance so important to nobles, marriage is a matter to be entered into with due consideration… and likely not for love. However, the concept of courtly love flourishes as a separate entity from the formalities of marriage, and again both can provide for many adventures. Should you wish for such heights of intrigue and politics, plenty of details about Crown and court are provided: perhaps your game is set at court, or your characters have dealings with those who are there, or even aspire to become leading nobles themselves.

Continuing the discussion of the backdrop to this setting, the next chapter is The Land and People. This sweeps through a range of subjects from the climate to day-to-day local administration. Castles dot the landscape, with a mix of villages and bustling small towns. Interestingly, many towns major then are not as important now, although most still exist – a point of interest if you or your players know contemporary England well. There’s a section on ‘pastimes’ to enable the characters to find ways of entertaining themselves, albeit often in bloodthirsty manner watching animals fight or hunting them for food or sport. Football is nothing like the game of today, more of a brawl with several hundred players that ends once the first goal is scored. Music abounds however for those who like more gentle pursuits and there’s a run-down of common instruments of the time. For working life, however, the Guilds played a major role and so extensive information is given on their organisation and operation. Whilst Guilds stage Mystery plays, groups of Morris Men and mummers are also found performing. Many ancient folk customs survive, lepers are found roaming or clustered in lazar houses… and naturally marriage features large in everyday life. A selection of folk tales and legends provides ample resource for weaving this all together into a heady (if somewhat rose-tinted) representation of mediaeval life. For those seeking matters more strange, information is provided about faeries and elves… before the narrative returns to detailed accounts of life in villages, towns, castles, and monasteries. All you need to make ‘Merrie England’ come to life in your game.

Chapter 7 is entitled Further Afield. There may be a lot to do in England, but the adventurous often found reason to travel abroad – perhaps for trade or a diplomatic mission, on a pilgrimmage or on Crusade. So this chapter serves as a gazetteer of the lands across Europe and over to the Holy Land, replete with adventure ideas for those who go there. You might want to hunt down Alephtar Games’s Stupor Mundi, which covers this period from the standpoint of the Holy Roman Empire, if you want adventures in Europe to be a major part of your campaign.

This leads neatly on to the next chapter, The Crusades. Even if your characters don’t want to take the cross themselves, the Crusades will feature large in the background, the backdrop of events that shape the entire setting. There’s plenty of detail here, useful if the characters decide to get embroiled in intrigue or are travelling anywhere near where the Crusaders were. The Albigensian Crusade is picked out as being particularly suitable as the basis for a campaign, particularly if you enjoy moral dilemmas in your game. Lovers of intrigue may also relish the complex relationships between the different Crusader Orders, which can make a good career choice for the ambitious knight, especially one without a noble family to provide him with ready-made lands.

For those of a mechantile bent, Chapter 8: Trading and Adventuring supplies other routes to excitement and success. After a survey of the money in use at the time, there’s a look at what was the very beginnings of the international banking system. Merchant leagues and trading ships are also important. This section continues with all the financial details you might want, from the appropriate wages for many trades to the cost of just about everything characters might require and details of travel: routes, timings, costs, etc. Things may not go smoothly, so you can find out how much your weapons will cost as well as how much harm they will do, and details of the equipment and tactics of various types of combatant. Ther e is also material about injuries and diseases, and about what law and order there is, at least, where the rule of law rather than noble whim and brute force hold sway.

If things do not go well, refer to Chapter 9: The Afterlife. As most everybody was religious, it’s also important to know what was believed even if you are not intending to brawl… and you may not get a choice, even if disease does not get you first. Christianity has the most detailed accounts, but Judaism and Islam also have clear ideas about what fate awaits the devout – and not so devout – after death. There are some notes on how to use these to effect in your game… it may even be possible to visit before you’re dead!

Chapter 10: Creatures begins with ‘normal’ creatures, especially that most useful animal, the horse – no less than three different types of warhorse as well as ordinary riding ones. A selection of Powers, not available in core Basic Roleplaying, are presented as an introduction to an array of legendary and faerie beasts, which might be able to, for example, become invisible or breathe flame. Most of these are quite malevolent, especially the faerie ones. There are also undead, water creatures, and the beasties commonly found in wilderness areas; as well as creatures from Jewish and Islamic folklore.

If that doesn’t provide enough opposition, move on to Chapter 11: Angels and Demons. Centred on traditional Catholic beliefs, there is a vast hierarchy of different types of angels before you even get round to looking at the demons. Jewish belief is different, yet just as complex. Islam also believes in angels, but regards their organisational structure as unimportant. It’s up to the Game Master which, if any, interpretation of the Otherworld is correct… or perhaps they all exist. There is an equally impressive array of demons who may turn up to tempt the faithful to sin (handled mechanically as a contest against Piety) as well as in response to the attempts of demonologists to summon them. There are literally pages and pages of them, reflecting their importance to the mediaeval mind. Islam also offers plenty, categorised by their powers rather than the elaborate hierarchy of the Christian ones.

Hopefully more pleasant to meet (at least in some cases) are the subjects of Chapter 12: Character Gallery. Here, notable individuals from history are discussed, and provided with relevant game stats should you include them as NPCs for your characters to meet and interact with. There is also a useful collection of ‘sample characters’ to provide quick generic NPCs, or as the basis for developing more rounded individual ones.

Next comes an extensive and wide-ranging discussion on Campaigns. There is a wide range of options, depending on the stories that the group wishes to tell together. There are opportunities to get embroiled in warfare or banditry, go on Crusade or engage in civil war, pitting baron against baron. Or characters may work for a county’s Sheriff, or the Church, or be travelling entertainers or merchants… the possibilities are endless. There’s a fairly detailed discussion on life and laws in the forest (for all those heading off Robin Hood style for the Greenwood!), and a well-developed location – the hamlet of Whitlingthorpe – complete with notable inhabitants and a story-arc involving the life and times of the village, all ready for you to weave into your adventures. There are even several complete scenarios to get you off to a flying start.

This work fair makes me want to grab my dice and round up a few friends: it’s a period that I like anyway, and this book puts a straightforward system to underpin it all ensuring a workable and enjoyable game. Those who enjoy mediaeval history will be able to slot in what they know, as will those who enjoy fiction set in this period. Overall an excellent setting, I can hardly wait to finish the review before scampering off to write some adventures for it!

Review by Megan Robertson

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Review: A Tale of Two Savages
Agents of Oblivion and Peculiar Pentad

It’s no secret I’m a fan of horror RPGs and Savage Worlds, which makes these two entries especially appealing. Agents of Oblivion suggests a world where Jason Bourne gets put into a blender with HP Lovecraft and turns out rather interesting results. With the Savaged version of Peculiar Pentad, readers are given five entrepreneurs who have uncovered a troublesome niche market–those seeking items attached to the Cthulhu Mythos. I’m thinking a 401K isn’t a worthwhile investment.

Let’s start with the meatier of the two, the Agents of Oblivion. This game isn’t too far removed from Abstract Nova’s Alethea, Green Ronin’s Delta Green, or (with a stretch) White Wolf’s Project Twilight sourcebook. Mankind has held secrets best left forgotten, secrets that catches the attention of . . . something . . . during the mid-19th Century. A line gets drawn in the sand and you play the super spies capable not only of dealing with the most dastardly of humans, but also those things that are a little bit more superhuman.

All in all, I wanted the story to have more punch than it did. The authors devoted a great deal of thought towards the organization and how to run games with this mix of spies and monsters. Too be clear, the characters are playing some seriously talented men and women. Whereas Delta Green kept it real and MORTAL, Agents of Oblivion gives your characters more than enough opportunity to shine. I think it’s important that the writers focused on this aspect rather than get bogged down by being too similar to previous works.

Another strength to the writing rests in its overhaul of the character creation process. In this book are the tools towards creating super spies (super isn’t just a catch phrase either . . . supernatural powers are possible in these pages). Players can play white bread humans who are just the best of the best or they can tweak things further by introducing magic or hi-tech to their characters. A large portion of the book is devoted to making the kinds of characters people want to play.

Another big part of the book rests with how to run games like these. How much magic do you want in your game? Technology? Plug in the correct tier from all the questions and you’ll know exactly where you stand when you start playing. Quick and easy . . . just like Savage Worlds demands!

The artwork worked for me. The creepy cover art may keep Bond away from a Martini, but that’s okay. It has the perfect tone to the work. The interior art is wonderfully wild. It’s a funky Sixties style that reminds me of the Mod Squad or Flower Power posters of the period.

The second book, Peculiar Pentad, is much slimmer, but gets to save space by tying itself to the Realms of Cthluhu line. The premise for this book is deviously simple: all of those kooks your Investigators run into when they are trying to kill or stop That Which I Don’t Feel Like Naming are running businesses that should, in theory, keep running past one adventure. Yes, the line of Magic Box owners in Buffy was depressingly high, but that’s really besides the point.

The authors offer a little advice towards the shops as a whole. One, they suggest making them difficult to locate the first time they are utilized. Second, they offer some reminders about the people who populate these locations. “If you guys bring another running gun fight in here, I’m cutting up your membership card!” Simple, sound advice. They also describe a fittingly named Pentagon Place, a little cul-de-sac of oddities. It’s the kind of place where White Wolf’s Goblin Markets would set up shop.

A bookstore, small machine shop, herb shop, an art gallery, and a social club make up the five businesses Keepers can bring into their campaigns. Each store offers a great deal of information–history, prices of services, stats for the owners, and use in gaslight or modern settings–that make these quick plug-ins to any game.
The artwork to this supplement basically boils down to the faces of the store owners, which is a perfect use for the minimal art. The layout is great, letting a reader skim through quickly to find the info they need.

While these two games are of different flavors, they can also be linked. Maybe your spy needs to find some information about an European immigrant who frequents a certain New York social club. Maybe.

I enjoyed both reads this time, when I found time during the holidays. Now that winter is upon us in full force, the greatest time to role-play is here as well. I’d much prefer sitting around a table with friends while it snows . . . outside . . . where I’m not.

My overall scores for both games are:

Agents of Oblivion: Four out of Five Dice
A Peculiar Pentad: Five out of Five Dice (any game that does that much work for me . . . thanks)

Review by Todd Cash

Related posts:

1. Agents of Oblivion, a new Savage Worlds setting!
2. Savage Worlds Deluxe RPG Review
3. Savage Suzerain RPG Review

Available from RPGNow.com

Carthians
A Covenant book for Vampire: The Requiem
White Wolf Publishing
224 pages

Predators are competitors. They compete with other types of predators for food; they compete with others for territory. And they compete with others of their own kind for both food and territory as well. Sometimes, predators will form alliances with like-minded individuals to protect a larger area, making survival – even prosperity – more likely for all within the group. So it is with apex predators like vampires; they don’t care much to be around each other, but when faced with threats too big for one to handle, they band together to form protective groups. Those groups of like-minded vampires are called Covenants, and one of the most interesting of those is the Carthians. Based on the premise of greater equality and of emulating the institutions of their prey, Carthians hope to both blend in better – be less obviously a predator among the flock – and keep the stifling, unchanging nature of near-immortality at bay.

Carthians begins with a fine piece of fiction by Greg Stolze to set the mood, then launches into a dissection of the Carthian Movement – its history, goals, and styles of governance. Carthians are no less monstrous in nature than other vampires, but are more inclined to help other Kindred within the movement, fully expecting that, when those others are on their feet and doing well they’ll help their fellow Carthians in return. This is about as selfless an attitude as one can expect from Kindred in the World of Darkness, making them fairly unique.

Because of the Movement’s egalitarian notions, the Carthians are a popular covenant choice for Kindred only a few years into their Requiem. They tend not to have amassed the temporal control of other covenants, or have the monstrous supernatural abilities of ancient creatures found among the Invictus or the Circle of the Crone, but they do have one thing going for them: unity. Say what you will about factional in-fighting – and in any group of Kindred there’s plenty to say – but when the chips are down, Carthians will unite against common enemies more readily than other Kindred. Due to being favored by neonate Kindred, Carthians are frequently more up to date on popular culture – including the latest technology – than their more hidebound rivals. This is a quirk the covenant as a whole encourages for its obvious advantages.

One issue I had with this book is not trivial: I found myself feeling deja vu as I read through the free PDF copy graciously supplied by White Wolf/CCP; the first two chapters seem as though they repeat information somewhat extensively. The words may be slightly different, but it ends up feeling repetitive and dull, and makes for a tough slog as a read. It’s as if they felt the concept of vampires trying to adopt a parlimentarian style of government would be too alien to grasp all at once, repeating the information like zen masters trying to drum a lesson into a dull student. It made for a lackluster reading experience, though it’s likely most interest in this book will be for reference rather than solely as a pleasurable read. Unlike the Invictus covenant book I reviewed several months ago, Carthians failed to hold my interest for long; I fully admit that may originate from my own biases, but again the repetitive nature of the material as presented plays a part.

Another issue is chapter five’s definition of Carthian Law in a domain where Carthians hold praxis. Carthian Law in the instances given is a potent enough force unto itself to literally cancel out the attempted use of Theban Sorcery, Cruac, and other disciplines; this seems to wildly unbalance the game. Naturally, White Wolf repeats in each book the worthy mantra that these are not rules so much as guidelines – interesting suggestions a Storyteller may choose to incorporate if she so wishes. There is nothing forcing anyone to institute such rules regarding the psuedo-magical effects of Carthian Law. Perhaps this choice was seen as a measure to level the playing field against the powerful weapons at the disposal of the other covenants; point taken. Experimentation with rules in an RPG is a given so tossing out ideas is par for the course. Carthian unity is still a powerful weapon at the Movement’s disposal; even an ancient, evil Kindred will think twice about taking on a half-dozen younger Kindred. They may not be a match in terms of sheer power, but getting lucky and putting a stake into the heart of even so mighty a creature is vastly easier with more hands to try.

The Carthian Movement is an intriguing concept within Vampire: the Requiem. While the Carthians covenant book may have flaws, they don’t diminish the intriguing possibilities inherent in such a faction. Carthians does a solid job of informing the reader of the workings of the Carthain Movement, fulfilling its intended function more than adequately.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Review by Bill Bodden

Related posts:

1. Invite Only (Vampire) RPG Review
2. The Invictus (Vampire: the Requiem) Review
3. Keep Your Friends Close: An Ongoing Chronicle for Vampire: the Requiem

Available at DriveThruRPG.com

Night Horrors: Immortal Sinners
White Wolf Publishing

The amount of source material produced for the World of Darkness role playing universe is truly impressive. Not all of it is useful to players – much of it being useful primarily to the game master for the purposes of fueling any individual group’s adventures – and some is of benefit to all players. Night Horrors: Immortal Sinners is a book that is fascinating to read for any aficionado of the setting, but is likely best left to the GMs (or “Storytellers” in White Wolf’s World of Darkness parlance) as it spends most of its 160 pages detailing powerful vampires that the players’ characters could bump into in-game.

The personalities detailed here run the gamut of vampire experience. The book leads off with Solomon Birch, a notable in the Chicago area and leader of the local chapter of the Lancea Sanctum – vampires who believe they are God’s instruments, intended to torment humans in order to keep them on the straight and narrow. Birch is powerful and mean, but like most vampires he takes the long view; his plots and schemes take years to fully bear their tainted fruit.

There are many surprises to be found in this book. Some of the creatures within can pass for human; some are truly monstrous, their only real connection to the humanity they left behind ages ago is, perhaps, language and material goods. Their habits, their attitudes, their very thought processes are now so totally alien to humanity as to represent something entirely different. The final example in the book, The Unholy, is a creature out of a vampire’s worst nightmare. Terrifyingly fast even by a vampire’s standards, she is so ancient that mere human blood is no longer sufficient to sustain her – she requires the blood of vampires to keep her moving. She also has a nasty quirk that frightens vampires more than anything else; her regular habit of diablerizing other vampires; that is, draining them of their blood and consuming their very soul as well. She can occasionally be bargained with – as the running flavor text throughout the book artfully demonstrates – but in the end she will have her prey, come hell or high water.

Night Horrors: Immortal Sinners is part of a series of Night Horrors volumes, including Wicked Dead (also for Vampire: The Requiem); Grim Fears for Changeling: The Lost; The Unbidden for Mage: The Awakening and Wolfsbane for Werewolf: The Forsaken. Each is usable with any of the World of Darkness setting books, but the creatures presented within are most highly recommended as encounters for their primary setting by virtue of meshing more easily within that world. At the same time, it could be a dazzling conundrum for vampires to tangle with some ancient Fey creature, or for werewolves to have to come to grips with a coven of mages or an immensely powerful lone sorcerer; the possibilities are many, and hopefully inspiring.

Reading Night Horrors” Immortal Sinners is an intoxicating journey, drawing in the Storyteller and suggesting numerous plot hooks and storylines for years worth of game nights. Its relatively low rating is only because of its limited usefulness – intended for Storytellers rather than all players. Regardless, it’s an excellent read for any fan of vampires and the World of Darkness settings, and is a worthy addition to any bookshelf. Players, check with your Storyteller before reading about these nasties… you wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise, would you?

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review by Bill Bodden

Related posts:

1. Night Horrors: Unbidden Review
2. Night Horrors (Werewolf & Vampire) RPG Review
3. 30 Days of Night Movie Review

Available at RPGNow.com

This is a monumental work, a comprehensive and scholarly history of the role-playing industry from its inception in the early 1970s to the present day. The focus is interesting, concentrating on the individuals and companies that have made role-playing what it is today rather than looking at the games themselves.

Whilst detailed, the writing flows well, making it eminently readable and often entertaining, a fascinating survey of the companies and people who have shaped role-playing and are responsible for most of the books on my shelves (or, these days, lurking on the RPG hard drive) – and who have provided me with years of entertainment and passion. If your interest in role-playing goes anywhere beyond the next dungeon delve, if you like to know the background and history of the games you enjoy, you should find something here catches your attention… and once caught, be warned, it may be a while before you can tear yourself away!

The chosen approach gives an overview worthy of the most epic campaign showing how the waxing and waning of public interest in role-playing has affected and been affected by developments within the industry as a whole. Depending on your particular interests, you can follow a particular company’s or designer’s fortunes, explore the state of play of the industry at a time of your choice – an interesting place to start, perhaps, is what it was like when you first took die in hand – or see which developments or innovations in role-playing or even the world around it had the most significant effects.

There is even material here that could attract the sociologist or social historian, or the budding game designer who seeks to understand the heritage of his craft as well as learning the nuts and bolts of game design. Should anyone offer a course in role-playing games, this is likely to feature on the reading list! And if that isn’t enough, it does not presume any prior knowledge of the role-playing industry, introducing and explaining even the people who – to grey-haired ladies like me who grew up with role-playing and have been involved in it all their adult life – are notable industry personalities or even friends. None of the insider deigning to enlighten you here, but a clear exposition of the industry and those who shaped it.

For the scholar, there are quotes and references a-plenty – but entertaining and informative enough that the more general reader is not put off. If you delve far enough you can find out the context in which your favourite games or, often, individual books were published – fascinating insights that will ensure I return again and again as I develop my RPG Resource website.

Authoratative, entertaining, a fine and detailed survey of the development of this fine hobby from its earliest days to the present, filled with personalities and drama… this is a triumph of a work worthy of the highest praise.

Review by Megan Robertson

Related posts:

1. Bust: Explosive Roleplaying Review

Available at RPGNow.com

Red Eye of Azathoth, published by Wolfgang Baur and the Open Design LLC, is an unusual adventure for Call of Cthulhu. This campaign pack has the investigators following an evil madman through centuries of effort to summon the Daemon Sultan Azathoth to earth, an event that would cause our planet’s near-total destruction.

In a unique twist, players take on the roles of different characters in each separate scenario – each time battling the same villain, who has possessed a different victim to further his diabolical ends. The pack is presented as being playable either as an extended campaign, or as a series of stand-alone adventures. Red Eye is currently only available in download or print on demand format. You can ask for it at your Favorite Local Game Store (FLGS) but chances are they can’t get it for you.

The premise of REoA is that evil entities seeded a phony, vague prophecy to lure someone into opening a rift in space so that Azathoth may enter Earth. Further, the dread god must be awakened to unleash the full force of it’s mindless fury on the world. A comet, the harbinger of Azathoth’s close proximity to our planet, passes close to the earth every hundred years as a signal that the time is right.

An ancient Chinese sorceror, Lei Peng, discovers this prophecy and, thinking it pertains to him, seeks to perform the necessary rituals. He also discovers alien technology that will allow his spirit to move from the Dreamlands to possess another human from a different time or place in order for him to be in the right location at the right time for each phase of the ritual. The alien technology requires someone to find one of these brass orbs in order for the scholar to possess that person, which means the likelihood of the scholar being present in consecutive arrivals of the comet is pretty slim. Further complicating matters are Denizens of Leng, who want to steal the technology of Lei Peng’s brass orbs so that they may possess humans, allowing the Leng-ites to inhabit other times and places besides the Dreamlands en masse, and to inflict their corrupt and terrible whims on on unsuspecting world. They do not want Azathoth summoned to destroy that which they fought so hard to conquer for themselves, though they do want to help achieve some parts of the ritual.

Red Eye of Azathoth represents a formidable challenge to the players as well as to the Keeper: in each scenario players must adopt the role of a completely different personality. Not only that, it’s conceivable they may not know what their previous selves learned in the past event. Utilizing a new skill, Incarnum, the Keeper assigns points in this skill to each of the Investigators. Players may roll against this skill in an attempt to remember critical pieces of information relating to this threat from past life experiences. The time periods of the various scenarios are 887 AD in Viking-ravaged Britain; 1287 AD in feudal Japan; 1487 AD in Spain during the Inquisition; 1587 AD in the Roanoke Colony in the New World and 1887 AD in the Arizona Territory.

One possible drawback to this group of scenarios has been the relative lack of success for Call of Cthulhu scenarios set in times other than the 1920s/1930s. However, the style of this adventure pack would lend itself perfectly to convention play. Conventions could easily host an ongoing tournament using the Red Eye Of Azathoth, with players on a literal timetable to complete each scenario in succession  over the weekend.

This is an interesting concept for a Call of Cthulhu adventure. The players are required to do actual role-playing as opposed to going in guns blazing; most of the settings pre-date reasonably accurate gunpowder weapons anyway, so they’ll have to rely primarily on their wits to solve the problem. Each adventure represents a significant challenge in its own right; stringing them all together requires the Keeper to keep track of the previous adventures, as the results from the past scenario has a very concrete affect on events in the current chapter.

Red Eye of Azathoth is unlikely to appeal to every fan of Call of Cthulhu and the Lovecraft Mythos. However, it is a lovingly-crafted series of adventures that will present an interesting challenge to players with a good attitude and a reasonably high curiosity level. It is a challenging series of adventure to be sure, but well worth the effort to stave off the forces of trans-dimensional evil.

Rating: 3.5 out of Five stars

Related posts:

1. Age of Cthulhu: Shadows of Leningrad Review

Available at RPGNow.com

Diving straight in, the work opens with a brief note about how it provides a ready-made, populated location for gamemasters to use, or useful background for players whose characters are scumborn or belong to a scum faction… and just in case you are not sure what that means, it then launches into an introduction to the whole concept. Briefly, a scum swarm is a space-faring community with a very democratic – even anarchic – approach to everything: collective decision-making, consensus… and little regard for rules or reverence to what more settled societies may find important.

From such generalities, the narrative turns to a specific group, the Stars swarm. Born out of industrial unrest in turbulent times, the swarm began with workers in lunar orbital facilities taking control of the resources around them… just when the situation back at headquarters took a turn for the worse, and so nobody was in a position to object as the collective upgraded propulsion systems and took off, gathering many other refugees as they departed. Rather more ordered than some swarms, they now follow a set route around the system, trading as they go but still adhering to their original libertarian collectivist lifestyle.

Looking at the swarm’s relations with others also provides ideas for how they may feature in your game. Provided you are not in a hurry, for example, hitching a ride can be an interesting way of relocating to a different habitat or planet. Some habitats send those they don’t want around any more to the swarm in a form of exile. The swarm does the same in reverse, dropping off those unable to conform to their particular way of doing things. There are plenty of examples of specific collectives and individual ship crews for you to select one whose interaction with your characters should prove interesting. As for characters wanting to have background or history with the swarm, there’s plenty for them as well. Most of what is here is what would be regarded as ‘common knowledge’ – or at least what you could acquire with minimal research – so there should be no difficulty allowing players access to this work.

Next comes descriptions of some of the actual vessels that comprise the physical swarm, sufficient for any interaction or character visits you may have in mind. This is followed by a selection of NPCs to populate the vessels, or act as representatives of the swarm wherever your characters meet them.

Finally, if what has come before hasn’t already given you plenty of ideas, a selection of plot hooks is presented to help you interweave the Stars swarm into what is going on in your campaign.

Overall, this adds an extra, fascinating element to the already rich tapestry of life in this setting. If you are happy with a lot of adaptation, you could retool the swarm to provide a really unusual encounter for any other spacefaring game that you play.

Review by Megan Robertson

Related posts:

1. More Nachos Entertainment acquires rights to Eclipse Phase
2. 3:16 – Carnage Amongst The Stars

Available at RPGNow.com

The Gumshoe mechanic gets tested on a new genre: sci-fi. In Ashen Stars, players enter the Bleed where they play Lasers, law enforcement of sorts. This heavy (305 pages) book is a stand-alone game that fully details Law’s sci-fi setting and delivers the Gumshoe rules. I have enjoyed the previous Gumshoe setting, particularly Mutant City Blues and Esoterrorists, so I was intrigued to see what the future held.

The layout and artwork of the book holds the same feel as Trail of Cthulhu and MCB. Bordering is neat, but doesn’t attract much attention. Sidebars are tight. The artwork has more hits than misses, though nothing really stands out as excellent. One thing I do like is the full color splurge on the book. It makes reading a volume of this size all the more pleasurable.

Law’s setting is imaginative and I enjoyed seeing him get away from Trail of Cthulhu. His character types offer an excellent mix that lends to creating player groups that compliment one another (Sidebar: for those of you who don’t know, the Gumshoe engine works best with a group that has a mix of abilities rather than a group of Wolverines/Batmen/Dick Cheneys). The depictions of these alien races were some of my favorite pics although the description of each did wonders alone.

One new aspect thrown into this setting is the idea of Drives. There are lots of familiar ground here (Exploration/Justice-Seeker) sided with newness (Footloose and Nowhere Else to Go). These drives help define the character’s core a bit more fully, which I think “good” players already do, but, hey, this will be somebody’s first game.

There are not many sci-fi settings that I like; however, this is a damn good setting. Law populates Ashen Stars with interesting alien races, an excellent back-story, and tons of ideas to get players started (why not you, Totems of the Dead?). The aides for the game start on page 260 and include such greatness as name creators (for each RACE), multiple examples of combat (hand-to-hand all the way to ship-to-ship), and more sheets for reference than your printer will
want to handle. Most of these sheets can be handwritten on the fly (the others will make a GM screen look amazing).

If you want to take a trip out to the stars, Law’s new book may be your ticket.

Overall: A strong Four out of Five Dice (a little more umph to the art would have been great)

Review by Todd Cash

Related posts:

1. Ashen Stars RPG Available Now!
2. Pelgrane Week: The Ashen Stars Pre-Order
3. Hard Helix RPG Review

Available at RPGNow.com

This ambitious Savage Worlds setting mixes Norse and Pre-Columbian Native American lore into a sword and sorcery setting I find damn interesting. First, the artwork and layout of the book is an outstanding mix of watermarked images, detailed artwork, and fresh creativity. I’d love to see this book in color, which is really my only complaint about the book. Consider me spoiled.

There are few times that a supplement supersedes the production value of its core work. This is one of those times. The artwork of this book easily bests the majority of Savage Worlds releases, including the core book.

The writing is excellent, providing a rich background for players to explore. There are many character options, everything from beast men to Amizani (you’ll know them as Amazons) to various tribesmen. The character creation goes further than just new types as new Edges and Hindrances (as well as expansions to existing ones) fill out some interesting character sheets.

Readers will find everything they need to make an excellent character in a rich setting. Game Masters who want an easy start (as most Savage World settings offer) will be disappointed. There is an immense amount of new information for absorption, which quickly makes this game an involved process.

You can’t just pick it up and run with it. As a guy who reads the same game books years later though, this isn’t a major concern for lots of readers. I would have given this game five dice if it had been in color and a bit more friendly to the quickstart crowd.

Overall: Four out of Five Dice

Review by Todd Cash

Related posts:

1. Savage Worlds Deluxe RPG Review
2. Shanghai Vampocalypse Player’s Guide (Savage Worlds) RPG Review
3. Hellfrost: Bestiary RPG Review

Available at RPGNow.com

Anthologies like The Unspeakable Oath are a mixed bag. Dragon, Dungeon, White Wolf Magazine, Eden Studios Presents, and others are testament to this. Sometimes a great collection of talent can make the uninteresting (to me) fascinating. The other is likewise true. No particular title is safe. You have to take each edition as a singular creature.

First off, I find that the included art to #20 is top notch, particularly the cover artwork by Todd Shearer. The interior illustrators offered a surprising volume of artwork to the collection. The layout ranged from the scribbled nonsense (fine for the subject matter) to smooth looking black bars. Some ads are scattered throughout the book, even put into the columns of articles. It’s a smooth fit.

There is a terrific amount of material in this installment, much of which is aimed at Delta Green (fine by me). Adam Scott Glancy’s Directive A-Cell and Bret Kramer’s “Arm” are great additions to the book. Shane Ivey’s thoughts on gunfights (violence in general) in Call of Cthulhu is an excellent and insightful read, my favorite for this edition. Although it wasn’t my “thing,” the in-depth article on Assassins in Cthulhu was wonderfully researched and developed. “Let’s Learn Aklo” by James Haughton is a mind-bending adventure involving Delta Green, time distortions, and more.

On the downside, the reviews aren’t overly helpful. I found the comments having no direct relationship with the number of phobias attributed to the review. I believe the reviews could cover more than strict CoC products. There are plenty of horror games, movies, and music that have nothing to do with the Mythos that could still inspire games based on it. I believe a wider variety of review material could make for a stronger review section.

Overall, TUO#20 is a great addition to any Cthulhu gaming library, especially one geared towards Delta Green (there is a wealth of DG material in the book . . . probably to stir up excitement for the DG releases). Fans of the classic setting won’t be disappointed either (even the DG material can be altered for a 1920′s campaign with minimal effort). There is a year’s worth of gaming material in the book for the uninspired, more for somebody who really wants to
use it!

Review by Todd Cash

Related posts:

1. The Black Seal (Issues 1-3) Review
2. Unspeakable Words Game Review

Available at DriveThruRPG.com

Where has the time gone? Knowing this game has been out for twenty years seems wrong to me. There are gamers in my group who were ONE when I was thumbing through my first copy of the original edition. Wrong, so wrong! Rather than share my Vampire recollection here, I’ll instead talk about this massive (529 pages) winner of the (I assume) 2012 Origins award.

One aspect to the book that is unchanged is it’s layout. The book looks identical to the 2nd release in terms of fonts and structure. Mixed with art both new and old, this makes for a strong sense of nostalgia. The look of the book–fenced in borders, eye-catching headers, and more–was excellent twenty years ago and has aged well. If anything, they have enriched it by adding much-needed color to the mix.

Which lends towards discussion of the amazing art one finds in the book. First, Timothy Bradstreet returns with a bevy of models to bring in the book’s many chapters. The new full-page looks at the Nosferatu and Toreador are just great. In fact, I’m fairly sure the lead pipe-wielding Nos has shown up in a Denver campaign I ran many, many moons ago. Not all the artwork appealed to me. How could it? We’re talking about hundreds of pieces generously scattered throughout the book. Where I had most of my dislikes fell at the individual clan/bloodline depictions. I also didn’t care for Christopher Shy’s artwork making this book as it had no place in the book 20 years earlier. I consider Shy’s role in the artwork one of the factors that pulled me away from the line in the first place. There were other things as well (cough-Metaplot-cough), but because his art was so distinguishable, it just became the most memorable thing I hated about those books . . . and one of the things I don’t like about this one. It’s a shame really since I’ve seen Shy’s other excellent styles that he chooses these.

The writing and editing of the book is an impressive feat. I enjoyed looking through the hybrid of writing to see such a satisfying final product. The book’s layout is identical to the original (Riddle, Becoming, and Permutations), although with a great deal more material.

Readers will find all 13 clans, numerous bloodlines, many disciplines, and more. It’s almost like packing the corebook, the clanbooks, and Sabbat books in one tome (boiled down to their key ideas). It might even be too much.

The book was a semi-transparent project that sought out fan input. Since I believe fan input causes a ruination of the product, there are just aspects of the book that seem too much. Let me go ahead and offer a caveat. I realize this book is created for fans, not newbies. With that realization, I know it makes PERFECT SENSE to have fan input throughout the project.

I’m just not the typical fan of the mythos, so it made sense I’d have problems with the book’s direction. What are some of these complaints? Since you asked:

I don’t think the book needs to be large just because it can be. Bloodlines can be ditched. Opening the book with discussion of Vampire: the LARPing just started the book off on the wrong note. Yes, the live-action side of Vampire is a force to be reckoned with. In fact, most of the most enthusiastic fans I’ve met at conventions over the year enjoy LARPing over Tabletop.

My point though is that (with pictures removed), the discussion of Live Action only merited about a page and a half in the original book. It is the original book that is getting the 20th anniversary, not the Masquerade. It’s its own entity and doesn’t deserve placement here. What becomes strange is what was allowed to remain dated. We have Witch-Hunters instead of Hunters the Vigil or, Hell, even Hunters the Reckoning. We have Fairies, not Changelings. That which merited an update and that which didn’t is beyond me. I simply don’t get it. At least I still have my stats for Spiders.

I believe this book is an excellent GPS for taking a trip down Memory Lane. It does an excellent, excellent job of letting gamers (okay, me) access old memories of games gone by. I suspect my friends will argue this point, but I don’t remember putting as much love into any game as I did Vampire. This book is running into an old college girlfriend. She’s different, but damn the attraction is still there. Of course, she’s got to go (White Wolf isn’t kicking off the Masquerade line again). Maybe I’ll see her again in ten years.

Fans of the series who don’t get this book will probably kick themselves. Newcomers may be fearful of the sheer volume of information contained within the book, especially if they want to keep pace with the setting. If a setting ever deserved the attention though, it would be this one. It was and is still a game-changing book.

Overall: Five out of Five Dice (a Labor of Obvious Love)
Artwork: Three out of Five Dice (omit one artist and my score goes up)
Writing: Four out of Five Dice (a bit too much, but still worth reading)
Yeah, I know the sum is greater than its parts. Just gotta go with it.

Review by Todd Cash

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1. Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Ann. Edition Now in Print and More [Updated]
2. Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition eBook is available now!
3. Announcing the Vampire: the Masquerade Retrospective and Open Call

Available at RPGNow.com

The Introduction begins with an overview of the Druid class – a divine spellcaster drawing on the limitless power of the natural world, and with Wisdom as his primary ability. Special abilities include Wildshape, the ability to change form; whilst druids need to concentrate on the things they are good at with their spells – controlling the natural environment, participating in combat and acting in concert with their animal companion. This page is illustrated with a delightful sketch of a Welsh Archdruid from the 18th century, a time when romantics tried to recreate ancient practices, something that led to the establishment of the Gorsedd and the Eisteddfod, something completely different from Druidism as practiced within a fantasy game!

After some advice on feat selection, the discussion moves on to introduce some new class abilities for druids. This begins by exploring a novel option for Wildshape: namely being able to change into several identical animals or even a whole swarm of critters instead of but a single one. Similarly, druids may choose to have a flock of creatures as companions – rats, crows, bats… – instead of a single individual, numbers and size being restricted on a Hit Dice basis, with various options becoming available as the druid rises in level. They can also grant companions the power of speech, and at high levels empower them to cast spells as well.

Next comes some new Druid archetypes. Moon Druids (not, as one single solitary typo would have, Mood Druids!) embody the cycles inherent in nature, life and death, and transformation; and may favour the full moon or the new one. Phase Druids are also interested in change, but for them it is the continuous flux, the fluidity of nature that is important. Green Wardens care about life, growth and renewal, hating anything that disrupts the natural flow or which mimic it in an artificial manner. They are able to harm undead creatures as a result of this hatred. The Forest Child connects with the deepest, darkest reaches of the woods, being particularly close to fey and others who dwell there… including the very plants themselves, enabling them to take on some of the characteristics of a plant. Elemental Shamans form close bonds with one of the elements: air, earth, fire or water; gaining specific abilities related to the element chosen.

These are followed by some new spell domains that druids may acces. Bird, Hunting, Insect, Transformation, and Tree: each with their own specific powers and appropriate spell lists. Then there are a few new creatures suitable – or so tis claimed – to be animal companions. Electic lizards I can understand, but a brain ooze? Or a fast flytrap? (A Venus flytrap-style plant, in case you are wondering. Can you really see your druid wandering around with a plant pot under one arm?). Finally, some new feats.

This is a nice exploration and enhancement of the Druid class, although not all the options sound as if they would be easy or interesting to play. A Forest Child, for example, would thrive in a group that spent a lot of time in wild primordal forests, but would be at a loss in a city or a desert. Some may work better for NPC druids whose location and part in your plot is served by the option in question. There’s certainly scope, and druids tend to be rather neglected amidst the flashier and more exciting spell users. Worth a read if you like playing druids, or run campaigns where wilderness adventures feature.

Review by Megan Robertson

No related posts.

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Let me first confess how much I love Savage Worlds. I’ve been a huge fan of the mechanics from my first game (the Tour of Darkness setting) where I learned how deadly tossing grenades back at my opponents could be. What I love about the system is how malleable it is. With a few tweaks, you can lay out a 1940s pulp setting or a star-flung sci-fi one. There have been numerous releases for the engine over the years, giving players and game masters a wealth of material to mine. This release isn’t “new” as much as it is dressed in its Sunday Best. I’m going to focus on the changes for the purposes of this review rather than detail the entire work.

The lavish artwork is generous throughout the book. Since the engine is designed for players to play damn near anything, the artwork is varied. There are multiple excellent action pieces and the character pieces have more hits than misses (I liked 34, 57, and 70 the best). Much of the artwork is borrowed from other Savage Worlds’ releases either as a direct or inspired work. I liked seeing the under-appreciated Slipstream character types throughout the book. The layout is typical for these books, which is to say great. They have done this well since their first release and continue doing so. I particularly liked the pog-type pieces for the bestiary. One thing about the book were advertisements within the book for their other lines. Yes, the artwork looked great for them, but I couldn’t see any reason why they needed to be thrown into the Introduction.

The biggest thing about this version are the design notes. I love reading design notes. Chad Underkoffler did them well in his Zorcerer of Zo. White Wolf did them well in their Old School Player’s Guides. Here? Not so much. Most of the design notes were validation for choices of design, which is fine for wild decisions people may actually question. For example, suggesting cards for initiative is better than dice or offering a countdown as a means of generating tension. These topics really don’t call for discussion. This is an established line of games that many feel strongly about (go to any gaming convention and see). There were tons of things that could have been approached as a design note rather than what was given. Savage Worlds runs the risk (because the core book is all about system) of reading like GURPS. In the past, I never felt that way. With this version, there were hints of it. There were five one-sheet adventures to get players accustomed to the rules (many settings/some specific looks at rules), but they felt a bit uninspired.

At the end of it all, throwing the word “deluxe” at the end of the last version of Savage Worlds doesn’t mean much if the extra bits add too little. Don’t get me wrong. I love this engine and, if you want to try it out for the first time, you’ll be thrilled with this release. On the other hand, if you’ve been playing it since its release, this version has less appeal. For that reason, I can’t really grade this game as I normally do. I’ll just leave it as a great game for the new player who wants to try something different without getting too bogged down by meaningless mechanics. It’s an excellent “pick-up” system and has been since its conception. I just wish the writing shared that excitement.

Review by Todd Cash

Related posts:

1. Zombacalypse (Savage Worlds) RPG Review
2. Shanghai Vampocalypse Player’s Guide (Savage Worlds) RPG Review
3. Gaslight (Savage Worlds) Review

Available at RPGNow.com

Haunts have been one of the most intriguing and (from my side of the GM’s screen, anyway) entertaining additions to the panoply of challenges to throw at characters… and here they take another novel yet classical twist: the haunt that is associated with an item rather than a location.

The work opens with a pseudo-scholarly account, the sort of thing you might cast before the more intellectual kind of adventurer to send them haring off into the horrors you have prepared for them. This leads in to the promised collection of some 30 haunted objects, by way of a note on persistent haunts, which can be a bit puzzling. As haunts duplicate spell effects whatever they do has a duration which can be ‘instantaneous’ or it can last for a set period. A persistent haunt with an instantaneous effect is one which hangs around firing it off repeatedly, while ones whose effects last longer are considered persistent only if there’s a variation in the normal spell duration, it is triggered anew each round, or it is an effect that if you were creating it by casting a spell, you’d need to concentrate for the entire duration of that spell. A new ‘trigger’ is introduced as well. Haunts are normally triggered by proximity or touch, but some of the ones described herein are triggered by a gaze, by being looked upon. You defend against these in the same ways as you might protect against a gaze attack… but of course, you only take those sort of precautions if you are expecting one! Blindfolds and averted eyes can be very inconvenient when exploring…

The actual haunts are associated with a selection of items familiar to anyone who likes spooky stories, particularly those of a darker turn. Charred corpses, bloodied beds… and each one, of course, has a specific method of destroying the haunt, one that is not always obvious so if you use it you will need to work out how to present appropriate clues so that those characters who manage to stop running away and screaming long enough can figure it out. A delightfully sneaky one called the Determined Device, for example, resets a trap which the characters have already disarmed… as well as more classic examples like a flute that forces you to dance, a blisteringly-hot door knob, or a mirror that traps souls.

This magnificent array is followed by a description of an abandoned (and of course haunted!) temple and the ghost that masquerades as the resident deity. This location is the one described in the opening flavor text, complete with its own set of apposite haunts, and the whole could be used as a minor adventure in its own right.

The haunts are all well-developed, with coherent reasons as to how they came to be as they are, and logical ways to dispel and destroy them… can the characters but figure them out! Plenty to play with as you design your next game and pick one or two to terrify, annoy, or distract the characters. Build their stories into the plot you are weaving, and add atmosphere to your game.

Review Megan Robertson

Related posts:

1. 30 Haunts for Houses (Pathfinder) Review

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As the Wiki sez, Steampunk “is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternative history, and speculative fiction that involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain—that incorporates elements of either science fiction or fantasy, and often features anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them.”

Steampunk is wild and funky; it is innovative and adventurous; it offers us with a glimpse of a world that never was but could have been.  These days there is no shortage of steampunk novels and stories; Anti-Ice by Stephen Baxter was my first real exposure to it, but one can go all the way back to 1967 and Queen Victoria’s Bomb by Ronald W. Clark to get your fix.  And, yes, I know Agatha Heterodyne is part of a “gaslight fantasy”, but she’s too cute to omit.

In games, however, it becomes a little more difficult to get your steamy fix.  I’m not talking video games–we all know there are some out there with the true vibe.  But tabletop has always been a little lacking.

Not any more.

Brass & Steel, a tabletop game by Pamean Games, brings 1905 Not-Quite-Earth to the table and not only gives you a well thought out world in which to play, you get Mad Science, Magic, and Dreaming!  Oh, and Tarot Cards, too, but later for that–

Character creation is a very simple 12 step process–13 if you want to work on your costume for LARPing.

It’s all done with character points: 300 for a “humble” character, 600 for a competent one, and 900 for your elite Monster of the Air People. Those might sound like a lot of points to play with, but once you start factoring in Advantages, Attributes, Skills and the like, they burn up quickly–as can be gauged by one  handy chart showing the costs skills and attributes. There are many good Archetypes to pick from if you’re looking to get into the game quick and not interested in munchkining up Sir Hardcore Kickbuttus, but even without one it appears that building a character might not take more than an hour or two.

There is a very nice humor that permeates this whole section.  Attributes are Might, Vitality, Reason, Agility, Willpower, Wit, and Fate to which there is a note that players use the helpful acronym “MVRAWWF,” pronounced ”mmmvarwoof,” to help remember the attributes. Skills go by names of Bash and Stab; Devious Devices; Olympian Spirit; and Clarity of the Self.  Advantages can be No Fate But What We Make and, probably one of the best, Smarter Than The Player for those times when your character can figure out things you, the player, can’t. Gimpy Leg is a great Disadvantage (it can still be eaten, you see), and Parasites are a Disadvantage every player should have.  One weapon is the “Humble Prison Shiv” and another is the “Little Friend”, which, unfortunately, does not involve a cannon slung under your rifle and an outrageous accent.

By far the best line in the book is in the section on damage, found in the paragraph on “Fire”, and states, “Characters who are on fire should put themselves out, or have someone else do it for them.”
But . . . can’t I be Johnny Storm?

Task resolution is all D20s with rolling under the target number, with a 1 being You Bringing The Critical and a 20 being an Epic Fail.  Combat is much the same, though with Initiatives  you have the guys failing the worst stating what they are going to do first–which may seem wrong, but since the rules state that a person with a higher Initiative can declare their actions last, it truly does leave the poor suckers to get their butts handed to them in a major way.

Magic (or Arcanism as it’s called in the game) and Dreaming add an element to the game that might not be seen elsewhere.  Magic can be performed by most anyone who gets into the study of such things, but the “inoculation” of “Alchemical Salts” can make you an even more kick ass mage–with the inevitable side effects of making your eyes glow, your skin crawl and, eventually, your brain leaking out of your ears.  But, hey–major fireballs until then.

Dreaming is a bit like the astral state, but can be entered only while dreaming–duh!  There are realms that one can visit, information that can be gathered by invading the dreams of others, ideas that can be passed along to alter another’s thinking, and even fighting.  (Totems not included.)  A Dreamer can’t directly affect the real world, but while in the Dream Realms they can look for and capture Ephemera to bring back, and that can be used to create limited illusions while waking–and if your idea of fun is creating a purple bulldog that tells stories like Eddie Izzard  with a Welsh accent right before he appears to chew someone’s leg off, then you’re gonna need some Ephemera.

Fate Cards are used to change the course of the game for a player.  The cards in question are Tarot Cards, and while the game shows how one could use regular playing cards to achieve the same effects, use the Tarot.  It’s gonna be more fun, and who knows?  Maybe between Cheetos runs someone can learn enough to be able to do fortunes on the side.  The minor arcana are used to modify skill tests, and suit is associated with a particular set of skills (as another chart shows), while the major arcana are used to affect game play in a major way–though “major” is a definition set by the GM, ’cause the last thing a GM wants is a bunch of throttle heads ripping though the game version of the Ottoman Empire laying waste to everything because they somehow managed to load up on major arcana cards.

The tips on gaming philosophy are short but important.  Too many times a GM can get lost in the idea that it’s their story and the Players are but characters on a stage to be sucker punched and mutilated at the GM’s leisure.  And the first bullet point of “Be a Good Loser” is something GMs and gamers alike should take to heart.

And lastly, the world.  It’s a rich one; Euro-centric (Britannia rules the waves with a very spry Queen Victoria on the throne–no word if she’s a werewolf, though) with Germans and Russians ready to cause trouble, and a  British-controlled Ottoman Empire and a weak Austria-Hungary and pint-sized United States that still can’t get west of the Miss Hip because of those magical natives (or “aboriginal tribes” as they’re called in the book) kicked into the mix, along with the Aztlan and Inka Empires waiting in the wings to turn everything into a three-ring circus.    There is a very nice time line of how the world got to the present era (and you wanna make me happy?  Timelines.  I love them) as well as a quick run through Constantinople to get everyone in the mood for the Steamy and Punky.  If there is anything I could fault, it would be some maps of the world, but otherwise–the world is a wonderful, living thing.

Yes, there are few typos here and there, but nothing that would make me throw the book across the room (and since I do everything on PDFs I don’t know that I’d want to send my Seagate through a wall), and the combination of detail of the world with the simplicity of character creation and game play make this one game I would put at the top of a list to play.  It has it all: adventure, romance, the world as a stage–and mad science!  The steampunk heart is worn on the sleeve here–so what more are you looking for?

Pack your bags; I hear your airship getting ready to depart.

Review by Ray Frazee

Related posts:

1. Brass & Steel: A Game of Steampunk Adventure

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Wicked Heroes is the latest in John Wick’s Little Games line. In this RPG, players take on the roles of damned super heroes rather than the typical spandex fare. While the game may claim to be “little” this setting could be fleshed out so much more. It could easily be as meaty as Houses of the Blooded.

I’m not going to focus on the artwork of a 16 page RPG, because, well, the art isn’t there. There is no reason it should be. I will take a second to talk about the covers though. I hate them. Solid. Black. Covers. Really? Yes, A printed copy of a book (little or not) needs a cover and these covers could be much friendlier. When the final project comes out, does it means each chapter will start with these blackened pages?

The story itself is interesting. The gist of it can be found on the items blurb at RPGNow.com, so I won’t expand it.

With such a small game, character creation is direct. You answer five questions, draw a few cards (standard poker deck), check a graph or two, and you’re set. Beautiful. You’ve got everything you need to game in a Wick Super Hero game. The graphs I mentioned are related to super powers (what card equals what power).
Some of the powers are much better draws than others. Not complaining. For every Wonder Woman there is an Ice or Fire. Some of the powers get confusing based on the demands of the game, but since the confusion comes from a spoilery kind of area, well, I’m not going to pose those concerns here.

With system, Wick has an approach to super heroes that seems more Heroes inspired, something he cites at the beginning of the book than comic book inspired. He writes that “Characters from superhero comics should never have to roll for their powers.” I personally found this the only thing in the writing I didn’t like. It’s a degree of taste. Should the Hulk roll to lift a car? Nah. Should the Hulk roll to life a card while Crusher Creel is leeching off his gamma radiation? Hell yeah. Automatically succeeding when you use a power just doesn’t work for me.

Besides, it only counts if nobody else is using a power too! See, if Creel is using his leech on the Green Goliath, then all bets are off! With a mix of motivations, powers (gifts), and Slammers (like the name), there is plenty of chance to be enjoyed.

I did have a bit of confusion about the example in the book. It mentions that all the players are using their gifts, yet there is no mention of their gifts in the example? Does just possessing a gift mean you get the benefit? That’s not cool.

The final three pages (The World of the Obsidian Mirror) is just odd enough to set off a wide variety of campaigns (you have over 200 years to work from). I personally like the “Masks and Capes” section. Darkness where you’d lest expect it. I found it strange that the final two pages move from a single column to a two-column format. It seems Wick wants to hold to 16 page count quite seriously. Maybe there is a game to that too.

All in all, my biggest concern for this game is that it’s just not living up to what it could be in size and scope. I like what is here. I just want more. My scores for Wicked Heroes are:

Artwork: One out of Five Dice (Cover Art kills the score)
Writing: Four out of Five Dice (Grabs ya)
Overall: Three out of Five Dice (Still haven’t seen one of the little games have more merit than The Flux).

Review by Todd Cash

No related posts.

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City of the Damned: New Orleans
A Sourcebook for Vampire: The Requiem
White Wolf Publishing, 146 pages
Authors: Ari Marmel and C. A. Suleiman

Setting books are a tough sell in most role playing games. For one thing, if the game master opts to set the adventures of the characters in a different city then those offered – or the players’ characters find themselves drawn in another direction entirely – setting books become less than completely useful. Also, since they will only sell – for the most part – to game masters, more than three-quarters of the potential audience is already uninterested in purchasing it.

Such is the problem with city guides for the World of Darkness; despite aiming for fascinating cities with a great many points of interest besides vampires, werewolves and the like, they just haven’t sold well enough to justify others in the line. However, they are well worth a GM’s time and cash outlay to obtain; besides a wealth of interesting NPCs that might show up in one’s own game, the city books are filled with fantastic plot hooks and useful information that is easily adapted to any chronicler’s setting.

The City of the Damned: New Orleans book has another problem, one that is unique to the Crescent City and the Gulf Coast: Hurricane Katrina. On sale mere weeks before Katrina devastated New Orleans, a good many bits of local color and specific geographical information in CotD:NO are now woefully obsolete. To be fair, this is likely to only be a real issue to people who reside in or know and love the city well. Besides the horrific death and destruction toll it took on real-life residents of the city, White Wolf had to be cursing their timing that something as seemingly safe as a reference guide to a fictional version of a major US city becomes partially obsolete literally overnight.

New Orleans, as reckoned in the World of Darkness, is a city under the sway of an ancient, Lancaea Sanctum Prince named Augusto Vidal. Because of this, the city is bursting with tensions – political, spiritual and economic. Vidal rules the city with an iron hand, and tolerates the presence of the Circle of the Crone – the covenant supported by one of his major rivals for power, the Nosferatu elder Baron Cimitiere – but only barely.

The city is also largely carved up into territories already; newcomers may have trouble feeding without stepping on the toes of others. This is precisely the way Prince Vidal wants it: the local Kindred are (mostly) beholden to him for their very existence. It helps him maintain control over the Big Easy – control that has lasted for more than 200 years. The information in this book expands on the data provided in the final chapter of the Vampire: the Requiem core book, adding many new minor characters, a handful of locations, and more background information plus a short, original adventure to introduce the new kids in town to New Orleans.

If I have any complaints about this book – and they would be minor ones to be sure – it’s that the book seems a bit scattered; organization appears to be an afterthought here. It’s challenging to find the stats for the power players in the city, and it shouldn’t be so. This is not a new concept utilized for this book alone; it has been applied to a number of the WoD books I’ve purchased, and I find it mildly annoying. Rather than have a chapter where all characters’ stat blocs are collected, they are placed in scattered clumps. Sometimes there seems to be a reason to this dispersal – putting all of one particular faction together, for example – but usually the groupings are less tightly organized.

Also, I wish White Wolf had taken the same road with this book as they did with the World of Darkness: Chicago tome. There are clearly far more forces at work in the Big Easy than just vampires, but other types of supernatural creatures rate only a passing mention in sidebars. Keeping in mind what I mentioned earlier – that these guidebooks tend to appeal to fewer players by virtue of being primarily intended for GMs – it seems natural to make them as easy as possible to integrate into any type of WoD campaign, whether Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, or something else.

All that aside, City of the Damned: New Orleans is exactly what a guide to a specific setting should be; intriguing, full of mystery and potential, and offering intoxicating glimpses of another place. At an MSRP of $26.99 for a print copy (less for a PDF download), CotD:NO is well worth the money for the setting material alone.

Three out of Five Stars

Review by Bill Bodden

Related posts:

1. The Lost City RPG Review
2. City of the Damned: New Orleans Review
3. City of Ashes Fiction Review

Available at RPGNow.com

Graham Walmsley’s The Rending Box is moderate-sized (30 pages with handouts) adventure for Trail of Cthulhu (though it could be modified for Call of Cthulhu with little hassle). While it isn’t an overly challenging adventure, it perhaps puts too much potence into the hands (literally) of the players. Characters will find that Pandora had it easy with her little box.

Huguenin’s artwork is appropriately gruesome for this chapter of the three-scenario Purist adventure. His cover piece is atmospheric while his interior works, such as the lovely Jakob Tulving removing his eyes so that he can see better looks like something from a 1950s pre-code horror comic book cover (that’s a compliment for those who don’t know me). I also love the detailed image of the box itself (a great handout to toss on the table before declaring “this is what will ruin your lives).

The key aspect Walmsley drives home in The Rending Box is the stability and sanity loss characters experience through the course of playing in Lovecraft’s vast sandbox. This adventure is less forgiving than the two before it, but feels most in-line. The scenario provides a slow decent towards an understanding of the Mythos that cannot be undone. One of the beauties of the adventure is how the author twists each drive towards rationalization, which leads towards desolation.

Excellent ideas on running madness are peppered throughout the book, many of which are thick with inspiration.

The biggest hurdle for this game would be the players. Most players familiar with sanity loss hijinks may not play the adventure as true to form. Kudos to the gaming group that holds to character well enough to make this adventure shine (because it will). I’d recommend this for a group less familiar with the material who just want to have a good scare. It’s got all the required elements for a good one:

1. Insanity? Check.
2. Cultists? Check.
3. Something for the Cultists to worship? Check.
4. Pointlessness, bordering on the absurd? Play the game.

I think what I enjoyed most about this adventure is that it made a tried and true formula an interesting read. With nearly 30 years of RPG adventures on this subject alone, I consider it quite an achievement. My scores for The Rending Box are:

Writing: Five out of Five Dice (a solid story with a familiar formula)
Artwork: Five out of Five Dice (Great. Creepy. Perfect.)
Overall: Five out of Five Dice

Review by Todd Cash

Related posts:

1. Trail of Cthulhu: Rough Magicks RPG Review
2. Armitage Files (Trail of Cthulhu) Review
3. Trail of Cthulhu RPG Review