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Henshin! A Sentai RPG
Publisher: Cave of Monsters Games
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/14/2020 12:42:20

I feel like my review should come with a trigger warning. The authors of this product go out of their way to be edgy and new but at the same time very, very sensitive.

I originally scooped up this product with the intention of running it for my kids.The premade playbooks made it look really newnewnew player and kid friendly.But, the more I read into this, I'm not sure it would be a good fit with an all adult group, either.

It does an okay job of emulating the genre, but it falls down hard on a couple of things I look for in an RPG. The first is dice. It's diceless. There is a nominal use of tokens, but not that much in terms of a "system" It seems more like sitting around a table with prompts to talk about our characters' feelings. Maybe it's a good therapy excercise, but it definitely lacks that "Mighty" and "Morphin" vibe.

Thats where I see the second failing of this product. There's not much game. It's more like sitting down to write an episde of the tv show and we absolutely have to work off the list of pre-ordained motivations and tasks. It's an awesome high school or college writing excercise, but not much by way of an rpg.

I'll say points for effort for the authors. It's a good first attempt. As for me, I'm going back to the drawing board for a system that really captivates the players and still emulates the genre.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Henshin! A Sentai RPG
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Mobile Suits
Publisher: Little Red Goblin Games
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/11/2020 05:49:38

Would have rated this higher, but I can't in good conscience let this go by. For starters, it refuses to open properly in Adobe Acrobat Reader. Luckily I managed to get it to work with another app, but I shouldn't have to.

Second is the price. $4.99 for 20 pages. I bought another Mecha supplement for a different game that cost a whopping $1.99 for double the page count, better story background, better flavor text, and actually loaded properly. What am I getting for $4.99? Yes, shame on me for not reading the page count. Yes, the artwork is nice. But is it really worth the price?

Last, I have some issues with the game mechanics. To me, it just seems like a re-hash of the Starfinder Mecha rules, which are okay-ish to begin with. There are some neat ideas here, like the different fantasy races takes on mecha. Okay. Cool. The pilot archetype is cool. Overall, the are some gems here. There just needs to be more, in my opinion, for the price.

How to fix? If it were up to me, I'd say cut the price to about a third. Ease up on the graphics or make a printer-friendly version. Add roughly triple the content. What makes a "Mobile Suit" more special? What makes an Elven pilot any different than a Vesk or an AI? We have frame options, but I think there needs to be a massively expanded weapons table, more armor options, more shielding options, movement options... All that cool crunchy stuff that fans love!

Also, there was mention of a different sector. What is the history of mecha in that sector? How is that different from Paizo's canon sector? I think this product is a good start of a supplement, but it needs to be fleshed out considerably.



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
Mobile Suits
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INDEX CARD RPG Core 2E
Publisher: RUNEHAMMER GAMES
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/14/2018 15:20:45

We tend to start a lot of rpg reviews by saying the game is impressive and/or outstanding, The Index Card RPG 2nd Edition lives up to that standard and more. It’s not just a remarkable starter game. It’s not just a good generic RPG engine. It’s also packed with unique concepts, print-and-cut minis, and functions as a plugin to other RPG’s. The thing I like the most is- it’s a world designer’s dream come true. It might not be the greatest system ever invented, but it is ridiculously useful.

I can’t remember the last time I was this excited for a new game. Although I was shocked a second edition followed so closely on the heels of the first one, I was pleasantly rewarded once the waiting was over. It reminded me a little bit of opening that certain red box all those years ago. The funny thing is, there really aren’t any startling new concepts, genres or worlds in this game. Originally, when it was first released, I glanced at it, scoffed and moved on. It wasn’t until I downloaded the free QuickStart that I saw how ridiculously flexible the system is and how it could fit with several pre-published worlds.

ICRPG breaks several tried and true game designer rules when it comes to organization and layout. It wastes no time teaching you how to jump right in and make the most of your game using its very simple rules. It threw me off slightly when I went digging for the standard indices of character creation, races, combat, vehicles and spells. While all of those things are there, they are scattered throughout the book, especially the vehicle rules. As a writing teacher once told me, “do it all wrong.” The approach this game has to layout and organization is unique and wonderful. Please, keep it up. I am thankful the PDF is fully indexed and searchable, though.

I like how combat in this game has the potential to be an impeccably bloody affair if the GM so desires. The character death rules are even very well spelled out early on in the book. A solid hit or two from a weapon or monster and you could find your character down for the count. It definitely makes you think before you act.

That brings me to my next point. I love, love, love the turn taking and initiative mechanics in this game. If I come away with nothing else, I’m likely going to adopt this part of ICRPG for many of the other games I run. Not only does it cut down on cross-table chatter, but it makes people think before they act. The other amazing thing is the timer system. This game puts the clock into play for the characters any time the GM deems it necessary and there’s potential for a lot of heart-pounding, intense rounds with timers winding down.

ICRPG tends to be very medieval fantasy/sci-fi oriented. That’s not intended as disrespect, but just an honest statement of fact. Nor is this the time and place for a lengthy debate about whose genre is better. In fact, some of the world’s best, most well played, well loved rpg’s started out this way, or just doing one or the other very well. While the rules allow for kit-bashing almost any genre together, it just doesn’t seem suited very well toward non-magical modern espionage or modern warfare types of games. The skill system, turn-taking and timers work well. But, I'm still working out how a loot progression is going to work with an espionage or WW2 game.

I love the DIY attitude of this game. It took me a while to really grasp it and get behind it. (My apologies, Sensei Ferinale, I had not received your wisdom yet.) Your character in this game is pretty much defined by history, personality and, in terms of statistics- loot. Loot is the key to this game. It truly makes more sense this way. Screw big, chunky lists of feats, spells, and level bonuses.

The skill system in this game is just ingenious. No long list of skills to look up. No complex cross-referencing. And the best part is- complex skills are a matter of time and skill. Need to decipher a musty tome? It might take a few rounds. Need to disarm a bomb? You’ve got three turns. Better make them count. If it’s reasonable that your character might know what he’s doing, you can roll for it. If not, it might be a Hard roll and only a d4 Effort, but go for it.

Another advantage ICRPG has, as do many simpler games, is the ability to bring in creatures or characters from other games. Monsters convert in mere minutes. Other character classes with GM approval, are a simple matter of starter abilities and loot. Converting a race to your ICRPG bioform takes a description and some vague idea what they’re capable of. Role-playing games like Star Wars, D&D, Mech Warrior, and Deadlands are easily brought in. In fact, there are already examples within the ICRPG book for some of them. Of course, D&D or any other fantasy genre game is pretty easily emulated with ICRPG. A campaign world somewhat similar to Deadlands actually appears in the ICRPG Worlds book (sold separately, but well worth the investment.)

ICRPG is an amazing game to start kids on. I’m pretty sure this is going to be my own kids’ first experiences in role-playing. It’s what I would refer loosely to as a gateway game. If you can grasp the basic concepts of ICRPG, you can move up to any d20 based game easily. It covers the basic concepts of die rolling, skills, combat, gear, minis, and so on so much better than any game I have owned prior to this. I wish I had taken first ed more seriously.

Another thing I would like to point out is that my physical copy of the book came to me printed very poorly. It was lopsided within the binding. I hope this was an isolated incident. However, the nice folks at DrivethruRPG need to be commended for a prompt response and replacement of the book. Awesome job, guys!!!

The last thing I have to show a ton of praise for is the fan base for this game. It reminds me so much of the early days of D&D when a small but devoted cadre of game nerds sprouted up in Lake Geneva WI and blossomed from there to places like Des Moines, IA and all the way to California, and then the rest of the world. ICRPG has a remarkable fan following on Google Plus, Facebook, and even on DrivethruRPG itself. I see new posts every day on Google Plus that reminds me of my enthusiasm of being a new gamer, drawing maps for minis on brown paper grocery sacks in my parents’ dining room. I love the dedication and comradery shown even in the GM section of the book itself. It has brought back the love of the game and what it means for me to be a GM.

Thank you so much for the Second Edition Core Rulebook! You’re doing a great job with this game. Keep up the good work!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
INDEX CARD RPG Core 2E
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Entropic Gaming System
Publisher: Mystical Throne Entertainment
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/05/2017 13:51:33

I keep buying new “generic” rpg systems in the vague hope of finding ‘The One.’ Much like dating or finding the job, I’ve gone through a lot of different rpg’s that didn’t quite make it. I raised an eyebrow when I saw the Entropic Game System. It has a lot of things I like about a generic game and Mystical Throne Entertainment about a game company for the most part.

I bought the pdf +print copies of the EGS Core Rulebook, Science Fiction, and Fantasy. Generally speaking the art, layout and typesetting on all three were top-notch. I like the use of sidebars. The length of each book was appropriate to its price. The depth of information in the Core rulebook was very appropriate to a generic rulebook. In other words- not too much crunch, not too much fluff, and enough pertinent info to start a campaign in any given genre without having to fill in all the blanks yourself. Still, there was plenty of room after the Core Rulebook to fill in those blanks for any given genre, which is nice for a generic game. The system is very adaptable and useful for a wide variety of games. I love the variable dice and attribute + skill type rolls. The system, as others have commented, reminds me a lot of Cortex or Savage Worlds. I actually think of EGS as being a kind of “lite” version of these games. The mechanics are very easy to learn and work with. The Weird rules are well thought out and generally not too complicated. A lot of games fall apart rapidly when it comes to magic/psionics/ki and other similar mechanics, but EGS deals with them very elegantly. The only thing I felt was truly missing from the Core Rules was any kind of real treatise on vehicle rules, which I’m hoping are covered in the warfare book?

Character creation for this game is a breeze once you get the basics down and have a short chat with the GM. It goes a lot more smoothly if you have an exact character archetype in mind or want to emulate a character from your favorite tv show or anime. If you don’t really have any grasp on what kind of character you want to play or were looking to roll random, this game is not the way to go. I love it because my players who can’t or won’t write a background have to use their heads a little. I guess if all else fails, you can have your GM fill in the blanks. Like so many other games these days, players must have qualities to use for in-game heroic points and at least some in-character justification for some of their abilities.

I’m not a big fan of games with fixed damage. I mean, why have all these cool dice if you’re not going to use them, right? Luckily the designers included a way to convert the fixed damage values to random rolls. Otherwise, I’d say the combat works fine. I find myself again looking forward to purchasing the warfare rules to see if we get vehicle combat and a better assortment of heavy weapons…

The only real head-scratcher for me was the talk of the Open Game License v 1.0. You can publish? your own material for the game? Or maybe you need Mystical Throne Entertainment’s approval to indicate any sort of compatibility? Or maybe WotC’s since that’s what is on the OGL? I don’t understand where any of this jibes with D&D 3.0 core rules. Maybe there needs to be an EGS system resource document? My primary interest in getting into EGS was to have a flexible system to possibly publish my own material under. Right now, I’m still trying to figure out if I’m going to get the Pinnacle Entertainment (not open game) snub of “send us everything so we can tell you you’re not pro enough,” or the patented WotC “or we’ll sue,” if I try to sell something that says it’s EGS compatible. Or if I’m back on hunt for a new universal system? I'll gladly add a fourth and maybe a fifth star onto my rating if I can get some clarity on the whole OGL issue.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Entropic Gaming System
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FrontierSpace Referee's Handbook
Publisher: DwD Studios
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/16/2017 09:30:53

FrontierSpace Referee’s Handbook Wow! This book made two very strong first impressions on me. The first is the speed at which it came out. I never expected to see the Referee’s manual so fast on the heels of the FS Player’s Handbook. It’s rare to see such good production quality and well-timed execution from a game company.

The second very good impression this game made on me was, at first glance, I was almost looking for a boxed set with the Player’s book, some maps, player handouts, cardboard counters, a poster, some plain dice, and a crayon to “ink” the dice. Then I realized the sheer volume of this book. While I wax nostalgic for the good old days of boxed sets which are now all but obsolete because of prohibitive costs, this really did remind me of diving into one for the first time.

As gamemaster books go, this one is by far one of the most well put together, professional, and useful I have seen in the last twenty years of being a player, gm and writer. I love everything about this book from cover to cover. It shows a real passion for not just the game and the genre, but for being a referee as well. We know this game has its roots firmly in old school Star Frontiers, and this book not only emulates those golden days of sci-fi gaming, but goes far beyond the scope of quality the old T$R designers could have only dreamed about back then. This is one of the few Referee/GM/DM guides I have ever dove into and gone from cover to cover just amazed at everything. I can only think of a handful of gaming books that have ever captivated me this much. Thank you Bill and Larry. It brings me back to my younger years.

A quick romp through all of the chapters. Chapter 1 is a basic Referee’s how-to for running the game itself. There’s an alignment system of sorts; earning/spending DP; a lot of the standard RPG fare of how to deal with combat, injuries, repairs, etc; npcs; and psionics. Normally psionics in any game is a major turnoff for me the moment I see them. (I feel like it turns every game into a supers campaign of sorts.) However, FS saves the day on this by giving differing levels of psionics available and leaves it in the hands of the ref up front. Thank you for that!

Chapter 2 is all about technology. I found some of this chapter reminiscent of Covert Ops, which is cool because I like that game and the weapon quality table therein. This chapter does a lovely job covering all of the mundane-ish aspects of life in space and helps a GM decide where he should probably set the tech level for his campaign. The weapon, robot, vehicle, and starship qualities tables really add to the game, should you choose to use them.

Chapter 3 is so outstanding, it could have been an entire sourcebook by itself. Back in the day, it probably would have been a couple of pages in the GM Manual and a separate $12 sourcebook later on. Regardless, this chapter covers everything you could ever want from a xenomorph with acid for blood all the way up to all the freaky looking aliens wandering around in the cantina or zocalo of your favorite sci-fi franchises. Yes, there’s probably even a way to build those honor bound warrior aliens with the ridges on their heads and arm them with their ‘battle-eths’, etc.

Chapter 4 is also a tip of the hat to Covert ops, but provides a ton of really good mission/adventure building stock. Combined with the beautiful material from Chapter 5, it really would make for a really cool hex crawl in space campaign. Again, Chapters 4 and 5 could probably stand on their own as a sourcebook. Chapter 5 boldly does what many other hard sci-fi games have attempted before. This chapter covers the generation of planets, planetary systems and sectors. It’s clear, concise, and useful without going overboard. It’s not a catalog of everything possible under the stars, but enough for most referees without having to go to work for NASA.

Chapter 6 is not long, but inspiring nonetheless. There’s a good primer on sci-fi games which a lot of old school gamers already know, but invaluable to a new ref. The storytelling advice is brilliant for any ref, and greater for a novice referee. There are also forms in the back of the book for everything discussed in the chapters which prove very useful.

I’d also like to compliment the artwork in this game. Even the headers look great. The layout of this book is clean, too. Overall, I can’t say enough good things about this book. If you’re looking to run a science fiction game of any kind, this book is definitely worth a look. Even if you’re not planning to run FrontierSpace, it’s a great resource for any space-based game.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
FrontierSpace Referee's Handbook
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FrontierSpace Player's Handbook
Publisher: DwD Studios
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 10/20/2017 13:42:16

FrontierSpace is the latest creation from the brilliant minds at DWD. It has proven to be everything that was promised or hinted-at in previews, developer logs, etc. The system should be familiar to anyone who plays Covert Ops or BareBones Fantasy. Interestingly enough, the look and feel of the game should be familiar to anyone who loves the old T$R Star Frontiers game. (This is not a coincidence- Bill and Larry are huge Star Frontiers fans.) All around, I think this game has a lot of appeal and came out at a time when space games are in the spotlight more, perhaps. With the recent release of the new Space Trek, Space Wars and Space Finder games, players are just feeling a little more spacey. By Space, I mean “Star” but slightly more lawsuit-proof. That having been said, one of the nicest things about FrontierSpace is that it is not set in a well renowned science fiction franchise. There are no preset expectations or character roles and no canon to infringe upon. Much like the good old days of gaming, FrontierSpace gives players and gamemasters a framework, some standard references and rules, but leaves the rest to be created. No one should be jumping up at the table and yelling, “But a real SpaceFleet Jed-Hi wouldn’t do that!” And thankfully there are no space elves, space gnomes or pesky spellcasting. It’s more of what we would call hard science roleplaying. Of course, all this is subject to change at the whim of the GM. As written, this game reminds me of Traveler, or even GURPS Space in its approach, only I don’t have to practically have a degree in astrophysics or work for NASA to understand it. I can construct a new ship for the game without having to practically build it in my backyard. Another thing I love about FrontierSpace is the openness of the campaign world. You can build deep relationships and delve into freaky intricate alien politics just as easily as you can fly from one star system to the next slug it out with aliens and find an attractive green alien girl to fall in love with before the end of the game session. It’s really in the hands of the GM (and players.) I’m considering trying a hex crawl type campaign only with space hexes instead of on land. I’ve also thought it might be cool to do a Lost In Space type of game where the pc’s are stranded outside known space trying to find their way home. This game screams sourcebook potential at full volume. There could easily be a starship book, one for vehicles, gear and guns, one for robots, and especially one for alien races. Given the outstanding BareBones sourcebook for fantasy races, I think an alien guide would be easy pickings for DWD. (Just please limit the number of buganoid 3 meter tall cockroach/praying mantis knockoffs to just one or none?) There are less obvious sourcebook choices worth exploring such as one for planets and one for hostile creatures/environments. I would also like to see a Gamma World book done in a similar style, given this was originally spawned from Star Frontiers. Overall huge kudos for art, layout, genre emulation, rules, new player friendliness, expandability, flexibility and campaign world. Great job!*



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
FrontierSpace Player's Handbook
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ICONS: Origins
Publisher: Ad Infinitum Adventures
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 10/12/2017 05:03:53

Exselsior! Astounding! Amazing!

I love ICONS. It's by far my favorite still-in-print superhero game. It reminds me so much of the classic DC Heroes and Marvel Superhero RPG (T$R d100, not Saga) that I grew up playing. Origins adds another dimension to the game without getting too technical. And as always, the art in this book is phenomenal. Keep up the good work, Dan Hauser.

The Archetypes are perhaps long overdue. It's something I treasured in Mutants & Masterminds (Thanks Steve Kenson...) As a GM. I enjoy having them handy as villains or even rivals that can be thrown together on the fly.The math is even explained for each one, which some games don't do. They're balanced and very well thought out.

A lot of veteran ICONS fans were probably already generating characters in the system described in By the Numbers, but it was nice to see it officially outlined in a book. There were a few things some of us may have been guessing at.

I really enjoyed the Character Modeling section. I've attempted to approximate iconic characters from DC and Marvel before, often with staggering point totals and stats completely unbalanced with regular ICONS characters. Most random or 45 point ICONS pc's are like Peter Parker, any of the Teen Titans, or most of the New Mutants in their earliest fledgling days, which is good for an rpg setting. Lots of room to grow. However, if a full, experienced version of any of the named characters shows up in a regular ICONS game? The pc's may as well put in for vacation. Unless of course, the whole group is built and approved this way!

Thanks again for the benchmarks!

The background generator rocks, especially for players who don't have an extensive background in comics or gaming. It's also a nice idea generator for veteran gamers and GM tool.

It was great having the Specialties and knacks expanded upon. If you don't have ICONS A-Z, this was a great introduction to knacks.

The roles section was proprobably a little old hat for veteran supers gamers and life long comic fans, but again very well written an super useful for demonstrating the concepts to beginners. Good refresher course for the rest of us. I think every game needs new blood, and any way to bring more players in and make them feel at home is awesome.

Last, but worthy of mention and much praise, is the expanded list of supporting characters. I can't thank the authors enough for this time-saving treasure. Anything that makes ICONS, which is already a joy to GM, go any faster or easier, is very welcome.

A+ All around. I can't wait to see what comes next.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
ICONS: Origins
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Writing With Style: An Editor's Advice for RPG Writers
Publisher: Rogue Genius Games
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 10/01/2017 03:43:04

Since the tender age of ten, I've been in love with RPG's. I learned the fine art of writing for professional publications as a starry-eyed college student. I've taken more writing classes as a journalism major than I care to remember, plus all the English, history and creative writing I could pack in on top of gaming.

This book takes all that great technical advice from any given print journalism or English class and rolls it into one concise document for RPG writers. It also catches a lot of practical mistakes that many of us have had to learn the hard way. (i.e. getting barked at by our editor or boss.) I can't recommend this book enough.

Please, if you are considering writing anything for a game company, self publishing any game content, or even starting your own game company- Do yourself, your fans, and potential customers a huge favor and read this book! Follow this advice as much as you reasonably can and you won't go wrong.

Also, I wanted to give a big shout out to the examples in this book. Not only are they perfect for illustrating the points being made, but they're extremely amusing. I must find a way to use Tum Tum the marshmallow elemental somewhere in a game, just not anything I intend to publish. Lots of love for the T$R mage word replacement anecdote, too.

Keep up the good work!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Writing With Style: An Editor's Advice for RPG Writers
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Adventure Writing Like A Fucking Boss
Publisher: Kortthalis Publishing
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/14/2017 04:54:11

I like to read/collect books about adventure writing and GM'ing. I stayed away from similar titles from this line of books because I think dropping an "F-Bomb" in your title is a bit juvenile, crude, ill-mannered, unprofessional, makes you sound uneducated and is done strictly for shock value. While I don't advocate censorship, I advocate responsible, sensible writing and editing. I have been known to drop foul language in front of my kids, old people, etc, just not when writing gaming material. I started gaming when I was 10. Do I really want my 11 year old son picking this up?

That said, I could have just walked away from this pdf all together. Then curiousity took hold...

It's really short, including a big logo, several sidebars, a full page illustration and a long quoted scene from Resevoir Dogs. I think this might have made for an okay-ish article in a fanzine or the like, but I'm not sure it was worth much to me in terms of the money I spent.

Shameless plugs are okay in moderation. I think this author went out of his way to include them.

Some of the advice was good, maybe even great with some polish. Some of the examples made me chuckle. There's a lot of potential here, but I feel it was mired in the author's personal opinions and negative examples. Some of this advice was redundant with other sources such as "How to Write Modules That Don't Suck" and basic writing advice you would get in any given course. However, it was done in the author's very distinctive style, which merits mention.

Good effort and intentions, just needs a lot of work on revision and substance.



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
Adventure Writing Like A Fucking Boss
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O.L.D. The Fantasy Heroic Roleplaying Game v1.3
Publisher: EN Publishing
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/29/2017 06:07:24

First off, I just have to say WOW!!! This book is amazing! I rarely give a Five Star review to anything, and this game earns it. In all fairness, no book is perfect, but I have very few things to point out that need to improve. As the author points out, fantasy rpg’s are a dime-a-dozen. This game attempts quite successfully to break the mold. Much like N.E.W., it leaves a lot of ground for specifications to the GM. In other words, it’s flexible, GM friendly, and easy to learn. Character creation can be done in minutes and the game is fairly new player friendly as well. I must confess, I originally bought the PDF along with another fantasy rpg on PDF just to save money. I will most definitely be coming back for the O.L.D. hardcover in the near future. The layout is quite impressive. The tables are easy to find. The artwork is outstanding- tasteful, fantasy inspired, and not trashy or tacky. Even the page borders and margins deserve many compliments for making the book a pleasure to look through. I especially liked the used of sidebars in the magic section. I would encourage any starting game designer to take a good look at how this book is laid out. I’m going to jump ahead to the game master’s area of the book for a minute. This is the part of the book that drew me into buying the book originally. The world building and GM advice are solid. The system allows for amazingly simple customization. I’m already scheming and coming up with new careers, origins and items. I’m glad the example of how to build a race was there, even if it didn’t seem necessary to me. I’ve struggled for years trying to find a good system that wasn’t too rigid or mechanical for me to really build the settings I want to run, but also wasn’t too character/plot focused that it was pretentious or artsy-fartsy. I have searched for a flexible, easily customizable system with a solid balance between crunchy stats and solid character personality traits. This system really encourages players to think their characters through. It also encourages players to think outside of the box and build a background. No longer are you stuck with being a cookie-cutter ranger, fighter, mage, rogue or cleric. The combinations of careers and origins for characters are vast and mind-boggling. Perhaps one of the absolutely best parts of this game is the amount of support it receives from the publisher. O.L.D. doesn’t just encourage you to play the game. It encourages you to use their system to publish your own work, probably more than any other game on the market, unlike other games that pretty much insist that you be a “professional” game designer in order to even think about contacting them. The website, EONS- the fanzine for all the woin games, and ENWorld’s forums are all outstanding resources. I think the gear section is one of the best in a fantasy game I’ve ever seen in my life. I haven’t drooled this much on a gear section since Unearthed Arcana came out for 1st Ed AD&D. Great art, descriptions and a very wide variety of both western, European and eastern gear. Additional kudos for the organization building concepts. Out of the gate, I’ve already seen a couple of new origins I’m going to add for my campaign. Same with careers. Not that the base careers in the game are lacking, I just need to add some specific to my world. I’ve definitely got some monsters to build. As I’ve stated, this game makes all the prep work before the first actual session a breeze. The only two things I didn’t love were the dice (d6’s) and the magic system. The d6 thing has been done. A LOT. Dice pool successes vs difficulty has been done a lot. I got my fill of all things d6 back when West End was still making the original SWRPG and the fine folks at FASA were making Shadowrun. That said, this game will allow me to bridge the gap from Hero Kids into a more serious fantasy game with my own kids. There are also dice conversions on the website which may prove useful. GURPS, back in the day, left a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to magic systems. O.L.D. originally reminded me of the long, drawn-out, convoluted spell casting systems, but it really comes down to A+B= spell Kerpoof! It’s a good spell. And players don’t have to sort for days through various colleges and sub-skills just to risk catastrophic spell failure. I thought implements (Staff, orb, wand, etc) were extremely well done in conjunction with the magic system. I'm thinking it still might be best to present my players with a spell list rather than letting them concoct their own on the fly. Overall, this game really knocked my socks off. I can’t wait to get going to my campaign. Thanks to all at E.N. Publishing. Keep up the good work. Can’t wait to see N.O.W.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
O.L.D. The Fantasy Heroic Roleplaying Game v1.3
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OWB001: WWII: Operation WhiteBox
Publisher: Small Niche Games
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/15/2017 05:52:08

I was very impressed by this book. Having owned/played/GM'ed many, many modern games over the years, I found this to be a refreshing take on an old system and a relatively under-used genre. I have been very impressed by many of the games coming from Small Niche Games and I plan to continue following them to see what other role playing gems they put out in the future. The support for this game has already been tremendous, with a prolific number of adventures already available in a short amount of time.

The system is still OD&D, but the class structure isn't overwhelming. One of the things I love about OWB is that it uses the grandfather of all fantasy rpg's without being one. You won't find a hint of elves, magic users or dragons in this book. It's a very good take on a modern (by that I mean guns and tanks, not swords and horses) historical rpg. It was nice that they tipped their hat toward weird science and Nazis in space, but the game isn't inherently set up around anything surreal.

At first I was a little dismayed reading through the stats, weapons and combat. I kept thinking, "What about Hit Dice? Why is the weapon damage so flat-rate? Why just d6's?" Of course I was expecting more of a D20 Modern layout to all these things. Then, after I read through the introductory scenario, it all hit me. This isn't an 80's movie action take on WW2. It's extremely realistic. You have 1d6 hit points. Most weapons do at least 1d6 damage. If you run out in the open yelling, "Shoot me Shoot me Shoot me!" Someone will likely quite lethally oblige you. It's a refreshing change of pace. In fairness, you can still play in heroic mode and bump up the Hit Dice, etc.

I also really like the fact that there is no advancement beyond Level 5. It totally makes sense given the war itself didn't last that long. It also helps keep the combat realistic and somewhat gritty. Your character is part of the war effort, not winning the war single-handedly in both theaters of operation, and not coming out at the end with millions of gold coins, his own castle, and hundreds of followers.

My only real recommendations for improving the game are an expanded list of equipment and vehicles, by primary country and dates of deployment. (US, USSR, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, and Japan) There don't need to be volumous notes on everything, just enough to give each country's gear a somewhat realistic feel beyond "Rifle, Large." or "Tank, Medium." Also, it might have been a good idea to focus a little more on languages. The language barrier for Americans in Europe and Japan should probably come up on a regular basis in game. A little more detail overall on the timeline at the beginning of the book or in the GM section would have been helpful for a younger crowd or one with less familiarity with history. This is one of the only games I've ever seen where some outside research is fun and helpful in running and even playing the game. My players are getting brief history lessons with their rpg time Bwah ha-ha! and that's awesome.

I was also balked slightly when the hardcover was made available the day after my softcover arrived in the mail. If only I had waited... Oh well. I just have to take really good care of this softcover until I can find a friend to give it to and order the hardcover for me.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
OWB001: WWII: Operation WhiteBox
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Creator Reply:
Hi Jeff. Thank you for such an in-depth review! Really glad you like the game. Just so you know, sourcebooks with more detailed descriptions of weapons (M1 Garand, Kar-98k, Springfield '03, etc.) and vehicles (Sherman tank, T-34, kubelwagen, etc.) are on my radar if the game continues to be successful. Sourcebooks of the different nations involved (Germany, America, GB, Italy, Japan, etc.) as well as specific breakdowns of the different Theaters of Operation (Eastern Front, North Africa, the Pacific, etc.) are also on the horizon. I'll also add that OWB has a very non-restrictive compatibility license which allows others to publish these kinds of sourcebooks on their own. Sorry about the delay in print releases. If you email me, I'll be happy to send you a discount link. Be sure to check out our WWII: Operation WhiteBox Community on G+ to receive news and connect with other OWB gamers. Thanks again! Peter C. Spahn Small Niche Games
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Savage Rifts: Glitter Boy Preview
Publisher: Pinnacle Entertainment
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/30/2016 03:52:31

I wish I had known and had money to throw at this Kickstarter. It seems the publisher has more regard for the Kickstarter backers than us regular consumers. I understand being nice to the backers, but what about the rest of us? The backers got their pdfs two weeks ago and it still isn't available to us peasants. Why? I've been a Rifts fan from day one and a Savage World from Deadlands first ed. But, between the way this Kickstarter was handled and Pinnacle's seeming disregard for regular fans, I don't know if I can buy or recommend the finished product (if/when the rest of us are deemed worthy to see it.



Rating:
[1 of 5 Stars!]
Savage Rifts: Glitter Boy Preview
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Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
Publisher: Gun Metal Games
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/19/2016 00:11:15

I very rarely read any gaming supplement from cover to cover, but this was one of the exceptions. I absolutely love this book. As with the IZ core book, there is brilliant side commentary and deep immersion into the setting. I love the way the geography and culture is laid out. It is exactly how I would expect Japan to be, grounded fairly well in modern as well as ancient Japanese culture.

A+ for dropping enough information to make the setting playable. And even more- dropping subtle hints for potential plots and adventure ideas. Even the document's author character is a bundle of plots. The characters in the side commentary are potential plot hooks. All of the area descriptions and cultural info is teeming with potential storylines.

I like the gear, golemmechs, and augments. I thought there could have been a lot more. I would have loved to have seen the Hindrances, Edges, Augments, Exo-Suits, robots, weapons, vehcles and golemmechs double or triple their length and variety of selection. The government agents should statted more upgraded, state of the art gear. Japan is kind of the giant robot capital of the world, after all. And the Japanese are notoriously tech-upgrade crazy.

I should mention there are a few typos here and there. I didn't write them all down, but the "salvery" on page 30. The overall awesomeness of this book far overshadows a few minor editing issues.

Interface Zero in general and this book especially capture a wide variety of staples in the cyberpunk genre. I especially like that I can replicate/emulate several anime/manga that I love. This is very Shirow-punk. Appleseed and Ghost in the Shell especially. You can also do Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor and Bubblegum Crisis. I also like that the door was opened for kaiju.

One of my mild dislikes of IZ in general is the introduction of psionics. Luckily, this book doesn't delve into a lot of that subject. The zeek population of Japan is small and well contained. Personally, in my campaign, there are no zeeks, but I don't begrudge other people needing that "magic" type element in their game. I thought the presence of hybrids, bioforms, etc bordered on going overboard, also in the medieval fantasy way, but also subject to GM editing, easily avoidable. I got a chuckle out of the knockoff Pokemon/totoro bioforms, though. (Kami-Cuties.)

The only otther addition I thought about would have been Zen archery or even Zen gunslinging. The attitude would be something to the effect of anything worth practicing is worth perfecting. The Zen Master archetype as presented is really not prone to ranged combat.

Overall, other than a little post-editing, completely amazing book. Well worth the money.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
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Act Ten Core Rules
Publisher: Act Ten Game Studio
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/04/2016 00:54:18

It's got nice art. The layout is really bright and a bit over-done to the point where it begins to detract from the text and becomes distracting. I give it big points for marketing and presentation. However, I think it seriously lacks substance. Another thing that didn't work for me was that there was a lot of large print text. To me, that says you were hurting for actual content.

The system itself spends way too much effort attempting to focus on overblown simple mechanics. This is not a solid system and needs a lot of polish and a lot more content to really be worth the price tag. It needs a better-defined skill set, combat rules, vehicle rules and some notion of whether this is supposed to be a generic game or some sort of cyberpunk-esque thing. The Division setting needs a lot more details and specifics before I would consider it to be a solid setting.

The other factor I felt really detracted from Act 10 is the author constantly inserting personal opinions and oddball comments throughout the book. I felt like I was reading the design notes more than an actual full-fledged game. I'm all happy that Kickstarter was responsible for this game's initial success. I'm glad I didn't back it. I want a solid game system instead of a lot of crazy graphics big text and designer notes.



Rating:
[1 of 5 Stars!]
Act Ten Core Rules
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Creator Reply:
Sorry to hear that you weren\'t happy with the game. This was my first book, so while I\'m proud of actually getting it done, I won\'t deny it\'s got a few problems. I\'d love to hear more of your thoughts so that I can try to avoid some of the \"design note\" pitfalls in the future. If you\'re willing to talk, you can e-mail me at: doc@actten.com I\'m fixing a few of these problems in my next book, like text size, formatting, and art. My next book will also have a more in depth setting as well. Once I get back to work on this project, I\'ll be planning on fixing things up on this book as well (by way of a second edition). This book was a labor of love, and I\'m hoping with some revisions it ends up being a better version of itself. I will say we have a blast playing it though, and problems aside I think there is a great game in there :)
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Cypher System Rulebook (2015 edition)
Publisher: Monte Cook Games
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/04/2016 00:20:27

I think this book is well-laid out. The art is nice. It's one of the longest gaming books I've seen in ages. There's even a full print version available at Monte Cook's website. At least it uses somethng other than plain six-sided dice.

I'm not going to recap all of the nice things said in other reviews. Yes, the system is okay-ish, the character types, skills, etc are okay for some genres. But as a generic system, this game fell critically short of my expectations. Cypher shouldn't be called a "generic" system. It should be called a "generic FANTASY system."

This game is great for fantasy and hand-wavey laser-sabre science fantasy (as long as you don't need space combat...) It's okay for Cthulhuoid modern horror where guns aren't an issue. Cypher fell down for me on the same thing practically everything Monte Cook's name appears on. It's a fantasy game written for fantasy gamers.

If you want a game with guns, firearms combat, big guns, vehicles, giant robots or starships- this is not the system for you. From the very start, reading the character types, you can see this system is designed around magic, psionics and the supernatural in every game, every genre it touches. It's geared toward medieval fantasy, modern horror, and maybe supers on a stretch. If you want lots of spells, psionics, cartoon fluffy bunnies, radioactive elf mages, Cypher works. If your game setting is some sort of alternate reality, possibly with pretentious naming conventions, that looks nothing like Earth, it's great.

However, right out of the gate, if you want any sort of non-magic modern setting for your game, Cypher falls flat. Basic firearms skills that should be available at character creation don't appear until character tiers 3, 4 or 5. Dual wielding pistols? Not likely. Starship combat? Mecha? Vehicle combat in general is not adequately covered. Supers? The character types and power scaling aren't a good fit.If you want a cyberpunk game, mecha, historical, modern without a supernatural component, martial arts without a mystic element, or a starship-troopers type game- look elsewhere. Despite it's advice about running games and handling different genres, (as long as they look pretty much like D&D or Call of Cthulhu, or WoD,) it really just doesn't do everything a generic system should do. I'm sure it works fine for Numenera or Strange.

Also, Cypher claims not to support the "zero-to-hero" mentality, yet Tier 1 characters pretty much scream "chumps!" at full volume. You start out somewhat competent, but you still have to spend xp to level abilities and gain tiers. A lot of zero-to-hero issues revolve around how GM's treat the player characters. Cypher, unfortunately, really doesn't discourage that mentality when you see what the characters really aren't capable of at character creation.

Sorry, I can't justify a higher rating for this game when it completely fell apart on every tangent of the three settings I wanted to use it for. It's got a lot of cute gimmicks and it's great if you want yet another medieval fantasy system for medieval fantasy gamers. Really, I think the gaming community needs to stop feeding the already over-inflated egoes of T$R, White Wolf and WotC alumni. Looks like I'm back on the hunt for a new, good generic system or slowly and steadily designing my own system-only to see it never reach publication. Sigh.



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
Cypher System Rulebook (2015 edition)
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