Old School Fantasy Returns!

"Old School Essentials - Genre Rules" by Gavin Norman
Published and Distributed by Necrotic Gnome
ISBN-13: 978-3-96657-0046-0 -- 48 Pages
The Second Book of the Retro Adventure Game Books

There is currently a revival of "Old School" type rules for Dungeons and Dragons. I've bought and/or looked at and/or played and ran several of them, and this is one of the better ones.

This remake takes the old Tom Moldvay Basic and Expert ("B/X") rule sets, and dissects them into five Retro Adventure Rulebooks. This volume is available separately and as part of a great boxed set. This book covers the Genre Rules for Fantasy within Necrotic Gnome Retro Adventure Games, and is probably the one most people will buy.

There are seven classes available to choose from: Cleric, Dwarf, Elf, Fighter, Halfling, Magic-User, and Thief. Newer players would certainly say that races are not classes, But that =is= the way they were portrayed in OSR. Game Masters should have both the Core Rules, and the Genre Rules, as well as the Classic Fantasy: Cleric and Magic-User Spells book.

There's a two page spread for each class, giving each the table of progression (in other words: How much experience do I need to go up a level?) and other very general info. Equipment is next with general adventuring gear, then Weapons and Armor. After that is info on Vehicles and Mounts, Hirelings, and Strongholds.

Once again, Necrotic Gnome packed this book as full as they could get! Even the inside front cover, and the inside back cover have important tables for very easy access!

The Open Gaming License and a handy index of Tables complete this work.

I've played some other games, and I've been gaming for over 40 years! I started in 1976 with what is commonly known as "The Little White Box" which contained four digest-sized booklets: 1) "Men and Magic", 2) "Monsters and Treasures", and 3) "Underground and Wilderness", and a small white pamphlet with very necessary tables. I feel as though my experience with gaming and role-playing in particular, gives me memories of the game as it was originally published, and thus real life experiences to use in this review.

I supported this through Necrotic Gnome's Kickstarter, and also received a module for the adventurers to explore called "The Hole in the Oak". Right now, I cannot think of a better retro-clone of older D&D. It reminds me of the original red booklet which was one of the first types of first edition. Highly Recommended.

Demons and Daemons and Devils - Oh My!

"Encyclopedia of Demons and Devils [One]" by Various
Published and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment
ISBN-10: 0-971-3234-3-7 -- 224 Pages -- FAF 2004

This was one of the first books by Fast Forward that I bought. I wanted to put Demons and Devils in my campaign. I was so impressed by this tome to get the Encyclopedia of Demons and Devils Two.

It has an alphabetical index of the Demons and Devils available - from the "Aatxe" to the "Yunwi Djunsti". At the back of this book is a section on Summoning Demons and Devils. Only fifteen pages of non-specific information out of a book with 224 pages. Only five pages out of the front of the book is non-specific info. The normal Open Gaming License and one page of advertisements closes this volume. That leaves over two hundred pages of info on Demons and Devils.

Similar to a generic Monster Manual, each entry has a stat block, description, and info on combat. They each have a black and white 'photo' as well. There are 173 entries in all. The monster's picture is generally next to the stat box. The stat box starts with type (such as "Large Outsider") and continues through Hit Dice, Initiative, Speed, AC, Attacks, Damage per Attack, Face and Reach, Special Attacks (if any), Special Qualities (if any), Saving Throws, Ability Scores, Skills, Feats, Climate/Terrain generally found in, Organization (if any), Challenge Rating, Treasure, Alignment, and Advancement Range. The Challenge Rating is the most important thing to look at if you want to include an encounter with this thing. They range from a CR of 1 to an incredible 33! The average seems to be from an eight to a thirteen challenge level.

The only thing I miss about this book is that it should have an index of creatures by Challenge Rating. This might have given the book a little more info that a harried GM might need in a hurry. What I like about this book is that it adds quite a few demoniac and a few devilish creatures to a campaign. I may create an index of the Challenge Ratings myself,

Aligning this work well with your standard D&D campaign might tip the balance of the scales toward the evil underground. Take a really good look at it before you decide to buy it, but it has one of my better recommendations.

Conclude your Adventures in the Green Lands

"Slave Pits of the Goblin King" by James M. Ward
Published and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment
ISBN-10: 0-971-3234-2-9 -- 48 Pages

This is the third and final module set in Fast Forward's "Green Races" universe. This booklet is black and white throughout. It is designed to follow "Fortress of the Ogre Chieftain" and "Temple of the Troll God".

A very short Table of Contents unfortunately also serves as an index at the front of the booklet. Twenty Two places of interest are in the valley. The Green Dragon Inn serves as a perfect place to hole up before staring, and after returning from adventures. It is a vital part of the city of Rothyra.

It contains lead-ins to the mini-bosses and the major boss. It is designed for characters from 5th level to 9th level. It also contains maps and descriptions of the "Valley of the Dragon Goblins", and has new monsters including many Goblins, including the new "Dragon Goblins", three others, two mini-bosses, a "Bunyip" and the avatar of the Deadly Sin of Anger, ("Tanar'ri"), and the major boss, "Devalpa", who is a very powerful and very large "Outsider" ("Tanar'ri"). The very best that any party could do to him is to do enough damage to force him to retreat back to his own plane. Note that this also creates a big-time bad guy who will be able to return to their world after a year and a day seeking revenge! Talk about a recurring enemy!

There are thirty five monsters on the inside back cover. These creatures, found in six different areas, give possible occupants. The Mini-Boss, and the Big Boss of the dungeon are last.

An OGL and a few advertisements conclude the booklet. A map of the "Valley of the Dragon Goblins" is on the inside back cover. Recommended for four to six characters of 5th to 9th level. One of the nice things about this booklet is that it is the final part of a three-part adventure in the World of the Green Races. The other two parts are "Fortress of the Ogre Chieftain", and "Temple of the Troll God".

Potential GMs will need at least the "Player's Handbook" and "Dungeon Masters Guide", along with the "Green Races" campaign world book. Consideration should also be given to the remaining two booklets. I can't recommend this without also recommending them all.

As part of a much larger realm, this serves as the best adventure to follow "Temple of the Troll God". If you want to use the "Green Races" book without making it a campaign setting, or if you want to make these an integral part of the "Green Races" world, these booklets can't be beaten! Unfortunately, Fast Forward has been out of business for some time, but if you look long enough, you can generally pick these up relatively inexpensively! A good recommendation if you want to use the "Green Races" book as either a part of your world, or as its own campaign. Recommended.

Tackle the Temple of the Troll God!

"Temple of the Troll God" by Timothy Brown
Published and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment
ISBN-10: 0-971-3234-1-0 -- 48 Pages

This is the second module set in Fast Forward's "Green Races" universe. This booklet is black and white throughout. It is designed to follow "Fortress of the Ogre Chieftain" and is a lead-in to "Slave Pits of the Goblin King".

It contains seven parts as lead-ins to the mini-boss and the major boss. It is designed for characters from 4th level to 7th level. It also contains maps and descriptions of the "Temple of Afnar", and has nine new monsters including many Trolls, three others, a mini-boss, "Aatxe", and the major boss, "Afnar" or "Abraxus", who is a very powerful and very large "Outsider" ("Baatezu"). The very best that any party could do to "Afnar" is to do enough damage to him to force him to retreat back to his own plane. Note that this also creates a big time bad guy who will be able to return to their world after a year and a day seeking revenge! Talk about a recurring enemy!

Of course, Trolls make up the majority of challenges, not only in the area containing the old "Temple of Afnar", but on the roads and in the temple, and all nine of its levels! There is a very handy Monster Statistics Table on the inside front cover, and another map of the Temple on the inside back cover.

Ten new monsters are given the usual stats and can provide a GM with creatures of any level they wish. These creatures, found in six different areas, give possible occupants of the area. The Mini-Boss, and the Big Boss of the dungeon are last.

An OGL and a few advertisements conclude the booklet. Recommended for four to six characters of 4th to 7th level. One of the nice things about this booklet is that it is the centerpiece of a three-part adventure in the World of the Green Races. The other two parts are "Fortress of the Ogre Chieftain" (for four to six players of 3rd to 5th level), and "Slave Pits of the Goblin King" (for four to six players of 5th to 9th level).

Potential GMs will probably need at least the "Player's Handbook" and "Dungeon Masters Guide", along with the "Green Races" campaign world book. Consideration should be given to the remaining two booklets. I cannot recommend this without also recommending the others.

As part of a much larger realm, this serves as the best adventure to follow "Fortress of the Ogre Chieftain". If you want to use the "Green Races" book without making it a campaign setting, or if you want to make these an integral part of the "Green Races" world as its own campaign setting, these booklets can't be beat! Unfortunately, Fast Forward has been out of business for some time, but if you look long enough, you can generally pick these up relatively cheaply! A good recommendation if you want to use the "Green Races" book as either a part of your world, or as its own campaign. Recommended.

OSE Core Rulebook

"Old School Essentials - Core Rulebook" by Gavin Norman
Published and Distributed by Necrotic Gnome
ISBN-13: 978-3-96657-004-6 -- 80 Pages
The First Book of the Retro Adventure Game Books

There is currently a revival of "Old School" type rules for Dungeons and Dragons. I've bought and/or looked at and/or played and ran several of them, and this is one of the best.

This remake takes the old Tom Moldvay Basic and Expert ("B/X") rule sets, and dissects them into five Retro Adventure Rulebooks. This volume is available separately and as part of a great boxed set. This book covers the Core Rules for all of the Necrotic Gnome Retro Adventure Games and is totally indispensable.

Creating characters for use in whatever type of game your GM wants to use is first, and is the way the person you create becomes more realistic and can be used in the game. The most popular genre is the "Classic Fantasy" Core Rules, which comes with the boxed set, Necrotic Gnome packed all of these books full of very useful information. There are even charts on the inside front covers, and the inside back covers! These placements of rules is a very nice touch!

This book is about the basics of how to create your character, combat, magic, monsters, adventuring, and treasures. A good Table of Contents, which also serves as the Index, starts the book, with a short introduction about the game, and other primary rules.

Players are covered next with core rulebook information. Once everyone has created a character they like, and giving that character life and possessions, they may move on to the next phase.

Adventuring follows, and has parts on player and group organization and other rules for their characters.

Next comes Magic, which has basic info, but if the GM wants actual info on the spells your character may cast, that is in Book Two.

General notes on critters follow, and merely mentions them, because they are covered in more detail on each of them in the Third Book.

The next chapter is about actual play of the game. It focuses on running adventures and quite a bit about being a Game Master. The Game Master is like a referee. They are generally supposed to be a neutral party that is the final arbiter of the rules, and they handle the game as a Judge, a Jury, and occasionally an Executioner. They control all the items, the monsters and NPCs, and the game's system (which in this case will be the Old School Essentials books), and the setting - whether it may be outside traveling, in cities and sewers, in crumbling ruins or dungeons, in the wilderness and the villages, towns, and cities, and awarding Experience Points ("XP").

Assorted treasures rounds this book out. It includes where to place treasures, and what kinds are there, including Magical Items, Armor and Shields, Gems and Jewelry, Potions, Rods, Staves, and Wands, Rings, Scrolls and Maps, and finally Swords and Weapons.

The Open Gaming License and a handy index of Tables complete this work.

I've played some other games, and I've been gaming for over 40 years! I started in 1976 with what is commonly known as "The Little White Box" which contained four digest-sized booklets: 1) "Men and Magic", 2) "Monsters and Treasures", and 3) "Underground and Wilderness", and a small white pamphlet with very necessary tables. I feel as though my experience with gaming and role-playing in particular, gives me memories of the game as it was originally published, and thus real life experiences to use in this review.

I supported this through Necrotic Gnome's Kickstarter, and also received a module for the adventurers to explore called "The Hole in the Oak". Right now, I cannot think of a better retro-clone of older D&D. It reminds me of the original red booklet which was one of the first types of first edition. Highly Recommended.

Begin your Adventures in the World of the Green Lands!

"Fortress of the Ogre Chieftain" by Timothy Brown
Published and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment
ISBN-10: 0-971-3234-0-2 -- 48 Pages

This is a module set in Fast Forward's "Green Races" universe.

It contains four preliminary encounters as a lead-in to the main event. It contains maps and descriptions of the Ogre Fortress. It also has mew monsters including "Spirit Dragons", "Ghost Dragons", Goblin Chieftains, Ogre Chieftains, Shamans, Fungi, and Molds!

Sixteen new monsters are given the usual stats and can provide a GM with creatures of any level they wish. Tables of creatures normally found in two different areas give possible occupants of the Goblin Southlands and Troll Lands.

Of course, Ogres make up the majority of challenges, not only in the area containing the old "Sun Fortress", but inside the watchtowers and the castle itself. Simple maps of the towers (all considered identical except for occupants), and the large Castle of the Sun King. Although no information exists about any underground area, history says the fortress was attacked from below, and it is hard to imagine that Ogres would not have expanded that area into full dungeons.

An OGL and two advertisements conclude the booklet. Recommended for four to six characters of 3rd to 5th level. One of the nice things about this booklet is that it is the beginning of a three-part adventure in the World of the Green Races. The other two parts are "Temple of the Troll God" (for four to six players of 4th to 7th level), and "Slave Pits of the Goblin King" (for four to six players of 5th to 9th level).

Potential GMs will probably need at least the "Player's Handbook" and "Dungeon Masters Guide", along with the "Green Races" campaign world.

But as a part of a much larger realm, this serves as a good adventure for post-beginner characters from the "Green Races" book and/or the Players Handbook. If you want to use the "Green Races" book without making it a campaign setting, or if you want to make these an integral part of the "Gree Races" as its own campaign setting, these booklets can't be beat! Unfortunately, Fast Forward has been out of business for some time, but if you look long enough, you can generally pick these up relatively cheaply! A good recommendation if you want to use the "Green Races" book as either a part of your world, or as its own campaign.

Return to the B/X edition of D&D!

"Old School Essentials - Black Box Edition" by Gavin Norman Printed and Distributed by Necrotic Gnome ISBN-13: 978-3-96657-016-9 --- Total of 304 pages "Old School" Role-Playing games are coming back in a big way! There are probably literally dozens of current RPG's that try to duplicate that 'Old School' feel of games like Original Dungeons and Dragons. One of the better ones out there is Necrotic Gnome's "Old School Essentials". It distills the old "B/X" rules (the Moldvay/Cook Basic/Expert (B/X) rules) into a very replayable version of one of the first editions of Dungeons and Dragons. The Black Box Edition was first offered on Kickstarter and was so successful that it spawned quite a few books of its own, and even made it to your Friendly Local Game Store (FLGS). The box contained five books: 01) Core Rules (ISBN-13: 978-3-96657-004-6) 02) Genre Rules (ISBN-13: 978-3-96657-006-0) 03) Cleric and Magic-User Spells (ISBN-13: 978-3-96657-008-4) 04) Monsters (ISBN-13: 978-3-96657-010-7) 05) Treasures (ISBN-13: 978-3-96657-012-1) Many copies of the Black Box also contained an introductory adventure: "The Hole in the Oak" (ISBN-13: 978-3-96657-021-3) The original Black Box contains hardcover copies of the five main books. "Core Rules" has the rules for creating characters and magic, battles, and exploration and requires the use of one of the genre rulebooks available, The one included in Classic Fantasy. "Genre Rules" has sections on Clerics, Fighters, Thieves, Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings. Yes, even Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings were each their own class! "Cleric and Magic-User Spells" is exactly what it means. 34 Clerical Spells and 72 Magic-User Spells are detailed. "Monsters" is, of course, the creatures your characters will run into! Many different types are described - from Acolytes (some good and some not), to Zombies. A few very good Encounter Tables are included. "Treasures" are what your party may find after encountering (and surviving) the monsters above! From Armor and Shields to Weapons and small parts about Sentient Swords and magic weapon powers. I've seen quite a few of these attempts to recreate the flavor of the old game some of us remember, and this one is by far one of the best. I'll be also posting reviews of each of these separately, but whether you are a fan of retro-clones or just beginning to try them out, I can't recommend any other book or series about this any higher! My =very= highest recommendations!

Monster Geographica: Marsh and Aquatic

"Monster Geographica - Marsh and Aquatic" by Various Published and Distributed by Expeditious Retreat Press ISBN-13: 978-972-937-633-7 Digest Sized - 208 Pages This slim volume is simply a collection of creatures and monsters from several other sources. There are 200 critters to baffle your players with. There are no drawings in the book, which might prove to be a problem, but I found that this made the book smaller and less expensive. You should normally give players a description of a creature anyway. The format of the book is digest-sized, making it easier to carry around for outside the home gaming. This particular book lists creatures the prefer Marsh and/or Aquatic living areas. This unique idea allows a GM to quickly seize a book that complements the environment that players are passing through. The entries are not sorted alphabetically (there is a Table of Contents that does this), but by Creature Rating, so that GM's can turn to an appropriate CR for the group playing their game. There's also an index of monsters by type in case you need a specific type. So, instead of seeing an Arboleth (for instance), the first creature in the book is a "Lurking Lizard" CR rating 1/4! The final entry in the book is for a Northern Sea Dragon, CR 20! In the upper corner of every page is the creature's CR. This feature makes it easy for a GM to choose creatures that will perplex characters, and give them a workout without Total Party Kill. This unique idea is almost invaluable to a harried GM! There are five of these books altogether, making a library of various monsters that might be in your setting. At first, I thought that not putting them in alphabetical order was a bit strange, but I quickly warmed up to the idea of sorting by Challenge Rating. This is the first of these that I have bought, but it will =not= be the last! Even though the statistics for creatures is for D&D 3.5, most GM's can convert these easily. Based on my reading of this volume (#2 of 5), I shall be looking for the other four very soon! My recommendation for GM's needing a few unusual monsters is very high!

Monster Geographica: Underground

"Monster Geographica - Underground" by Various Published and Distributed by Expeditious Retreat Press ISBN-10: 0-972-9376-2-5 -- Digest Sized - 208 Pages This slim volume is simply a collection of creatures and monsters. There are 200 critters to baffle your players with. There are no drawings in the book, which might prove to be a problem, but I found that this made the book smaller and less expensive. You should normally give players only a description of a creature anyway. These creatures are from a wide variety of sources, mostly Third-Party - so your players won't know what to expect! The format of the book is digest-sized, making it easier to carry around for outside the home gaming. This particular book lists creatures the prefer Underground living areas. This unique idea allows a GM to quickly seize a book that complements the environment that players are passing through. The entries are not sorted alphabetically (there is a Table of Contents that does this), but by Creature Rating, so that GM's can turn to an appropriate CR for the group playing their game. There's also an index of monsters by type in case you need a specific type. So, instead of seeing an Arboleth (for instance), the first creature in the book is a "Barrow Rat" CR rating 1/4! The final entry in the book is for a "Quickner", CR 20! In the upper corner of every page is the creature's CR. This feature makes it easy for a GM to choose creatures that will perplex characters, and give them a workout without Total Party Kill. This unique idea is almost invaluable to a harried GM! There are five of these books altogether, making a library of various monsters that might be in your setting. At first, I thought that not putting them in alphabetical order was a bit strange, but I quickly warmed up to the idea of sorting by Challenge Rating. There are five of these "Monster Geographica" books: 1) Underground (this volume) 2) Marsh and Aquatic 3) Forest 4) Hill and Mountain 5) Plain and Desert This is the second of these that I have bought, and the first published, but I am certainly looking for the remaining three! Even though the statistics for creatures is for D&D 3.5, most GM's can convert these easily. My recommendation for GM's needing a few unusual monsters is very high!

Could this be the most monsterous campaign ever?

"Green Races" by Timothy Brown and James M. Ward Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment ISBN-10: 0-9719598-1-1 --- 224 Pages "Green Races" is an entire campaign setting for D20 in which races that are generally considered monsters are trying to outdo one another to control the world. Fifteen factions are described, with quite a bit of background, classes and prestige classes, their armies, and at least one location for each that this race protects. The major races that are attempting to do this are: 01) Bugbears 02) Derro 03) Dragon Goblins 04) Drow 05) Duergar 06) Gnolls 07) Goblins (Group 1) 08) Goblins (Group 2) 09) Half-Orcs 10) Hobgoblins 11) Kobolds 12) Ogres 13) Orcs 14) Trolls (Group 1) 15) Trolls (Group 2) There are also many races trying to keep all of the above from accomplishing their aims. These include Humans, Dwarves, Good Dragons, Demonic races (believe it or not), and Evil Dragons! Not to mention the non-aligned races, such as Efreeti (called "Azazel's Horde"), Elementals, Fire Giants, Hill Giants, "The Hives" (a collection of bug-like races), Nameless Ones (mostly Undead), Necromancers (led by "Pearat"), Stone Giants, and Swamp Folk (mostly lizardfolk). A few maps, the OGL, and three pages of advertisements end this book. There are also three 'modules' set in the world of the Green Races: "Fortress of the Ogre Chieftain", "Temple of the Troll God", and "Slave Pits of the Goblin King". Yes, a few good aligned races are scattered throughout, and a very crafty GM and intelligent players could make for a bang-up series of adventures, and even a campaign! If you believe that this combination of races at each other's throats creates a world filled with battle, danger, and pure excitement, you're right! I've managed to collect all of Fast Forward's books, and this is by far the best! Your characters may become =any= of the races above, and make them their own! In addition, each race has at least one prestige class! The book begins with a two page spread map of the world, showing where each of the races dominate. The fact that this book is designed for monstrous characters, and primarily evil characters, makes this an attractive volume for GMs who are tired of the "same-old-same-old" campaign. Fast Forward Entertainment had created many books for the D20 system, and it is very unfortunate that it appears to be lost in space. Fast Forward did such a good job of creating material, that I ended up owning them all! Of that list, "Green Races" is at the top of the heap! One of my very best recommendations for D20!

Not just a Gazetteer

"Demon Wars - Gazetteer" by R. A. Salvatore and Others Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment ISBN-10: 1-932201-54-8 --- 128 Pages The fourth and final book in Fast Forward's Demon Wars series, this book also features art from "Crossgen Comics". This supplement is designed to add new material to the first book, "Demon Wars Campaign Guide", the second book, the "Player's Guide", and the third book, "Demon Wars - Enchanted Locations". A short introduction leads you directly into the first major part of this book, the creatures section. Following that is another section about three of the places in the world, and finally more unusual creatures, and the Open Gaming License and four pages of advertisements. The first section covers four of the creatures you will find in this world in depth. They are: 1) Goblins 2) Powries 3) Elves 4) Giants Each of the creature sections has info on the regions of the world they are commonly found in, a history of the race, their outlook on life, their society and culture, their relationships with other races, their equipment, their magic and lore, and a look at one of the places they reside. There are differences in each race description, in that some include other material about that race. There is a single page about humans that divides the two types of entries. The second part has detailed info on three of the locations in this world: 1) Alpinador 2) Honce-the-Bear 3) Behren Each of these sections includes the regions within that part of the world, its history, the area's general outlook on life, their society and customs, their equipment available, their magic and lore, and concludes with a part on one location within that region. Other creatures take up the final info from this book. This book is ideal for GMs who want even more material to fill out the world of the Demon Wars, and also can be used in a campaign that has nothing to do with Demon Wars! I must say that I love R. A. Salvatore's stories, so getting these books was a "No-Brainier" for me. These four books cover just the first trilogy in the series. Salvatore wrote a second series in this universe that takes place after the original trilogy. There is no material from the newer four books included. Yet another book from my older collection that may make it into a part of my campaign world. If I can use this book then you can, too! Recommended. Your mileage may vary.

Six locatioms for Demon Wars

"Demon Wars - Enchanted Locations" by Thomas M. Reid and James M. Ward Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment ISBN-10: 1-932201-53-X --- 128 Pages The third book in Fast Forward's Demon Wars series, this book also features art from "Crossgen Comics". This supplement is designed to add new material to the first book, "Demon Wars Campaign Guide", and the second book, the "Player's Guide". The short introduction explains what you need to play and also the start of an adventure - "The Bridge Adventure" which continues on through the book. Info also includes how to use the included locales in your campaign, and even a paragraph on using these sites in other campaigns. A major boss NPC is introduced, who is designed to perplex the characters though the six locations and eleven parts of the whole adventure. The book shows the suggested order of the eleven places to visit. A two page spread black and white map of the known world of Corona is last. The six major places include: 1) St. Mere-Abelle 2) Andur'Blough Inninness 3) The Barbacan 4) Tymwyvenne 5) Path of Starless Night 6) Walk of Clouds Each of these sites has an introduction, a mini-history, a prominent NPC, a map or two, material on what it is like today, a layout, and another part or two of the Bridge Adventure. Five of the six locales have two-part adventure sections. Six creatures fill out the rest of the book, except for the Open Gaming License, and three advertisements. This book is ideal for GMs who want some locations to fill out the world of the Demon Wars, and also can be used in a campaign that has nothing to do with Demon Wars! I must say that I love R. A. Salvatore's stories, so getting these books was a "No-Brainier" for me. These four books cover just the first trilogy in the series. Salvatore wrote four other books in this universe that takes place after the original trilogy. There is no material from the newer four books included. These six locations, along with the material on each section, make for a great book to add to your collection, especially if you are running the Demon Wars campaign. They also could serve as locations in another campaign, making this book quite a bit more useful. My personal favorite place to use from this book is the Monastery near St. Mere-Abelle. The primary use of this structure is to train Monks. That makes this an ideal start to a campaign in which one or more players want to be a monk. The full page map of the monastery indicates the huge size of the building and grounds, although the site only has one dock and pier, this pier is quite large enough for almost any ship to visit. It is a deep water wharf, with room for two large sailing vessels, one on each side of the pier. The breakwater that sticks far out into the All Saints Bay is totally man-made. An extremely long first wall protects the residents from attacks fro the west, and the almost equally wall extending from it protects from attacks from the East, or the Sea. At every turn of either wall is a guard tower that is always manned. Quite a few farms and fields stretch north and south from the Monastery which provide food and drink for the citizens. In addition, there are three underground levels that continue almost from every corner from the building above. The quarry that is in the third subterranean level provides the rocks that are shaped from the granite walls and are then taken to use as replacements for worn down pieces of the walls. Yet another book from my older collection that may make it into a part of my campaign world. If I can use this book then you can, too! Recommended. Your mileage may vary.

Expand the Demon Wars!

"Demon Wars Players Guide" by R. A. Salvatore and Others Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment ISBN-10: 1-932201-52-1 --- 128 Pages The second book in Fast Forward's Demon Wars series, this Player's Guide features art from "Crossgen Comics". This supplement is designed for adding new material to their first book, the "Demon Wars Campaign Guide". There are three new races, six new classes, six new Prestige Classes, a guide to Earth Magic, seven new magic items, twelve new creatures, and a few pages on how the saga continues. That makes eight sections for you to consider adding to your Demon Wars Campaign. Most, if not all, of the material in this book is supposed to be for players. A GM should look at this book to see if it will fit into their current campaign. GMs could use any section, or all of this book to allow players to expand their characters, including choosing one of the new races, and/or new classes, and/or making a mage into an Earth Magic specialist. A canny GM could use this material for another campaign that is not Demon Wars. The seven new magic items add two new stones for rings, twenty-four new weapons, nineteen new types of armor, twenty-two new rings, and fifteen new types of other types of jewelry, twenty-six new wondrous items, and thirteen new artifacts. Several of these new items will need to be looked at by the GM to make sure they will not unbalance their campaign, especially the Wondrous Items, and the Artifacts. The next section is for New Creatures. Fourteen new monsters for the GM to decide to use. All contain one piece of art to show the GM what the creature looks like. The challenge level of these new creatures ranges from a measly 1 to an impressive 15. The book concludes with quite a bit about how this book, and this material, fit into the Demon Wars Campaign Saga. Starting with a glance into different timelines,(PS: This book, being a new part of the Demon Wars saga, is a bit further forward in the timeline created by the Demon Wars Campaign Guide}. The "Trial by Fire" storyline takes place sometime after the Demon Wars Campaign. The Trial by Fire mini-campaign contains five sections that are designed to work one right after the other, bur a canny GM could put aside quest in between any of the parts, A section about the races and their ways follows, each race having info on their history, their culture, their religions, and four new races for NPCs. It also contains six NPCs for GMs use. The book concludes with the usual Open Gaming License, and three pages of advertisements. If you are considering running a Demon Wars campaign, this book adds plenty of new material for both players and GMs. There is plenty of art from Crossgen Comics that looks great! I just wish all of these books to be in color! This book doubles the information about the world of the Demon Wars! I must say that since I love R. A. Salvatore's stories, so getting these books was a "No-Brainier" for me. These four books cover just the first trilogy in the series. Salvatore wrote four other books in this universe that take place after the original trilogy. There is no material from the newer four books included.

Begin the Demon Wars!

"R. A. Salvatore's Demon Wars Campaign Setting" by various. Published and distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment. ISBN 10: 1-932201-51-3 128 Pages Details a complete world setting based on R. A. Salvatore's first "Demon Wars" trilogy. The "Demon Wars" trilogy includes "The Demon Awakens", "The Demon Spirit", and "The Demon Apostle". Although there is another series, ("Mortalis", "Ascendance", "Transcendence", and "Immortalis") those books are not included in this volume. Although you'll still need the 3.5 edition of the Players Handbook from D&D, there are many places where the info in the PH is basically useless and has been replaced with new info from this book. Chapters include: "A Song for Sadye", Characters (and you'll be surprised at what is and is not included!), New Skills and Feats, Gem Magic (a big factor in the novels), Magic Items, Treasure, Creatures, and The World. There's also a short summary of the first three Demon Wars novels. The large section on gem magic, gems, and what they do is well worth considering even if you take it out and drop it in your own campaign. The chapter on Creatures even includes the Demon, Dactyl, the series' major bad guy. The tables in Treasure give enough random examples so as to not have a lot of duplication. The art is very good, even though it is black and white. Note that there are three other Fast Forward books about the Demon Wars: "Player's Guide", "Enchanted Locations", and "Gazetteer". Also note that "Demon Wars: Reformation" although set in the same universe, is =not= D20 compatible, although a good GM might be able to make it work as a continuation of the series. Altogether, this 128-page hardcover is a very well put together tome. For fantasy gamemasters, I'd say this one is well worth picking up. Highly recommended.

Discover the Secrets of the Mistborn

"Mistborn" by Brandon Sanderson Printed and Distributed by Crafty Games ISBN-13: 978-0-9826843-9-9 -- 584 Pages Folks, I think you almost can't go wrong when deciding on a new role-playing game, when the game is also written by the same person who wrote the novels it is based on! Brandon Sanderson's "Mistborn" novels are a six-book (so far) collection of good solid fantasy. I can't recommend them highly enough! So, I also bought the Mistborn role-playing game published by Crafty Games. The usual short fiction piece, called "The Eleventh Metal", begins the book. It gives flavor to the remainder of the text. An introduction to "The Final Empire" follows, with info on the people, the land, and the world. It also mentions the four novels that had been printed before the game's release. Between the intro and the fiction, this takes up the first 42 pages of the book. Then we jump right into Book One - "The Mistborn Adventure Game". Here you build your character, improve your character, find the basics of the rules, how to use contests, setting up conflicts, including physical conflicts, social conflicts, and mental conflicts, how your characters can change the world, and a special new character called a "Kandra". Kandra are natural shapeshifters and must adhere to a strict contract of conduct. Kandra are interesting characters, but I would only suggest them to a player with some role-playing experience. Book Two contains "The Treatise Metallurgic", which is the gist of magic use in The Final Empire. Magic-Users are also limited to a narrow band of classes. "Allomancy" allows mages to eat (yes, =eat=) metal and use the properties of that metal to cast spells. Less common is "Feruchemy", which uses metals as storage containers for various traits and capabilities which can be used to release that stored energy - granting the user superhuman abilities far beyond those of Allowmancy. "Hemalurgy" is the rarest type of mage, who can drive steel spikes into people, killing them, and stealing their characteristics or abilities, then subsequently drive it into another person's body (without killing them) and then passes its contents on to that person as long as they have the spike driven into their body. Following that is a section on the metals and what characteristics each possesses. These fall into four categories, Physical Metals, Mental Metals, Enhancement Metals, and Temporal Metals. There are also two so-called "God" metals. Nineteen known metal descriptions are next. Book Three, "Always Another Secret", dips into what wizards have hidden behind the curtain (which, I may assure you, is not the "Wizard of Oz"). This whole civilization has secrets on top of secrets, underneath secrets, next to secrets, and hidden secrets galore. This is a section primarily for the Game Master. It also has example characters, including the heroes of the Mistborn Trilogy, the Rogues Gallery, and how to create NPC's. An appendix ends this book, and has a rules summary, and sheets such as a Character Sheet, other record sheets, and a good index. A nice feature of this book are the black marks where each chapter is divided, making looking for that elusive rule a bit easier. To give you an idea of how much I love this book, I had Brandon autograph it (as well as the rest of my then trilogy). The concepts of the very unusual mages makes for a very different feel to this fantasy. Some prospective GMs may find this book a tough sell to players, but run correctly, it could make for a very interesting long term campaign, especially due to Mr. Sanderson's new books in the series. It's not based on any other game system, and has three categories for statistics, Attributes, Standing, and Resilience, each of which is broken down into three other stats. My suggestion on this one is to pick it up in a store that has a good place to sit, and scan it to see if you might like it. Fans of Sanderson's books may also want to take a look. Recommended - but only to players and Game Masters with a bit of gaming experience under their belts.

Agents of the Apocalypse

"Catalyst" (Boxed Set) by Alexander Jerabek Printed and Distributed by Cherry Picked Games ISBN-13: 978-1-304827-28-9 --- 270 Digest Sized Pages Including 142 "Action Cards" In the near future, a 'portal' or 'doorway' opens between the known Earth and the world of Demons. This near-future post-apocalyptic setting really tweaked my interest. Thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Demons and their "friends", invade our world. Also, their arrival brought with them a disease that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of humans. Very few remain. The good news is that opening the portal between our world and theirs also brought an awakening of magical and/or Psionic powers in most remaining humans. So - we can fight these beings from another world or another dimension with their own abilities. I don't know what "possessed" me to buy this game, as except for one or two, I generally dislike Post-Apocalyptic settings. But, because it reeks of something that might have been caused by the finale of the End of Time, I decided to get one. This game also uses a unique system - there are no dice - but a deck of 142 cards (in the base boxed set) serves as your actions. Each player and the game master place one of the cards in their hand on the table face down and then flip them all at the same time. Once down on the table, you cannot change the action you have chosen, even if it does not do much of anything - or if it somehow causes one of the other players in the game to take the damage you meant to hit the villain with. Ideally, you hit one of the enemies, and possibly do damage, or even kill it. There are only six chapters in the book: 1) "Flotsam on the Sound" 2) World 3) Playing Catalyst 4) Combat 5) Equipment 6) Appendix Catalyst starts with a piece of fiction set in the time of Catalyst. Only four pages, but it still manages to give readers a sense of the 'now'. A section on the world is second, with parts for Humans and their roles in the game, as well as for Demons. The third is information about playing and running Catalyst. The Game Master is featured first in this category. Then info about creating characters, their attributes, their "veins" or magical abilities, spells, skills, abilities, talents, and traits. Chapter four is info on combat. One of the nice things about this chapter is that the first entry gives an example of a battle. Tables for a Cerberus and a Demon are first, then two example characters. Following that are twelve scenes of their battle described, including maps. An explanation of how to use the included cards to complete each turn follows. A flowchart for combat might make it easier for GMs and Players to execute a turn. Complete definitions for mapping battles and the conditions they may create are given. Equipment is fifth, where weapons, explosives, clothing, and other gear are located. Here are the tables for firearms, melee weapons, explosives, clothes, magic items, and weapon enhancements, clothing, and other things. The Appendices follow, starting with advice to GMs, a small bestiary, some sample characters, a background creation section, the spell descriptions, ability descriptions, and supplements, and, believe it or not, finally, at the very end of the book are the credits! As I said, I'm not generally fond of apocalyptic games, but this one grabbed me and won't let go! I'm already deep in the process of creating a game to run for my friends with it! I'll probably use some material from other games ("Delta Green" without the Cthulhu creatures) springs to mind as a source center for the Agents that will be part of the apocalypse and being Delta Green agents fighting the demons, I believe will be just the thing! I'm going to be looking for the extra material that Cherry Picked (What an appropriate name!) has made for this game, including five PDFs you can download for free! They have a good home on my machine, and the only other physical thing I might get is the cards that go along with the PDFs. Folks, if you like post-apocalyptic games, this one deserves a close look! Highly Recommended!

The Ways of a Witch

"Way of the Witch" by Janet Pack, Jean Rabe, Megan Robertson, and Christina Styles Printed and Distributed by Citizen Games ISBN-10: 1-929474-39-3 -- 104 Pages "Way of the Witch" is a D20 sourcebook that adds Witches as a playable character class. Although set in the fictional world of "Myrra", it can be plugged into any D20 type campaign. Nine chapters make up the body of this work: 1) Introduction 2) Witch Classes 3) Skills and Feats 4) Witch Magic 5) Candle Magic 6) Familiars 7) The Way of Witches 8) Witch Organizations 9) Witch Adventure Ideas No index, but a very good Table of Contents. The front cover shows a witch with two wolf companions. According to this work, only Witches may have two familiars. The art throughout the book is black and white but does an extremely good job of conducting to the viewer a mood for this volume. I was very impressed by the art, and it added a lot of 'color' to the book, even if all the art is black and white. Like most more modern volumes, the first chapter is an introduction to the book in the form of a fictional portrayal of events, including a world timeline. Classes, the second chapter, has the usual 'how to create a character' part, but presents it in a very unusual way. Items about Witch language, definitions of Witch creation, good and bad karma, and creation of a spellbook before the Witch levels table, the Witch spells per day table, and the spells known table. Classes are next, with four entries: Black Witches (your evil-aligned sort), Brown Witches (almost like druids), Gray Witches (almost True Neutral in nature), "Vitae" Witches (who serve as guardians of covens), and finally White Witches (your good-aligned kind). The skills and feats you can take are most of the Third chapter. A small set of new skills and what each does, a collection of new feats, and a table for poisons. The Witch spell list is Fourth, describing all-new spells with a handy list of Witch spells by level. The remainder is just a list of spell definitions. Candle Magic, the Fifth chapter, is one of the ones I found very useful, not only for Witches, but as something you could pull out and place in your campaign even if you decide to not have Witch in it. Candle color properties and what each does is described. I may allow Witch player characters in my next Fantasy campaign, but I will use this section even if I decide to not allow players to have Witch characters. Sixth is Familiars, another chapter that could also serve in campaigns that do not allow Witches as PCs. There are tables for normal Witch familiars and what they are and what each can do. I can't even begin to tell you what this chapter will do to my next fantasy campaign, but I can tell you that I will use this info regardless. The ways of Witches is Seventh, and contains Coven membership and formation, a great section of musical and moon goddess types, clothing, holidays, and accessories. Witch Organizations - called "Gatherings" is Eighth, and gives large sets of covens specific names and what each believes and does. Seventeen gatherings are described. These large international groups could really spice up the various Witches that belong to them, each with their own ends, means, and ways. Characters do not have to belong to any of these groups, and could even decide to start their own. Finally, in the Ninth chapter are eight possible adventures and some sample characters probably best used as NPCs. These six NPCs are good examples. The appendix has a glossary and the Open Gaming License. I did not know quite what to expect from this book before purchase. The back cover, strangely enough, has a fiction component as well as a short bit about what lies inside. There was one sentence that made me hesitate - it indicated that this book had its own setting. But, I've always wanted to use Witches as NPCs or PCs. so I bought it and took it home and read it. Now, I =really= want to use this book as a resource for PCs and NPCs. The mood of this book was set by the art, which was drawn by Thomas Denmark. It stood out as a wonderful work, and I may go so far as to look for other art by Thomas. If you are thinking of adding Witches to a campaign, I can't think of a better choice than this one. Highly Recommended.

Are Witches Fated Souls?

"Witch - Fated Souls" by Elizabeth Chaipraditkul Printed and distributed by Angry Hamster Publishing ISBN-13: 978-90-824628-0-7 208 Pages If you have a strange bent of mind (and you know I do) then at least check out "Witch - Fated Souls". Set in the modern world, this book takes a hard look at the type of person that would be willing to 'sell their souls to the Devil'. This is a truly dark fantasy setting, in which players create witches in the modern world. The trade-off here is that =all= of your players are evil! This book should probably be marked as "For Mature Audiences Only". Several of the illustrations are quite graphic, and at least a few have nudity. Like quite a few gamebooks today, there is a short piece of fiction in the front (six pages) that might give prospective buyers a feel as to whether or not this book is for you. There is a short Chapter Overview that is supposed to serve as a Table of Contents but has no page references. Once past the fiction, there are nine chapters: 1) Character Creation 2) Vital Statistics 3) Magic 4) Higher Spell Levels 5) Mechanics 6) Expanded Mechanics 7) Setting 8) Animals, Entities, and Foes 9) GM Guide Within Chapter One, "Introduction" are small sections about the game (an intro to the game), the basics of Character Creation, and a handy "Character Creation Cheat Sheet" with a summary of what the beginnings of your player's character ideas might be, and a bit about Fates. Following that are seven sub-sections about the seven-character types: 1) Djinn 2) Druids 3) Heks 4) Liches 5) Seers 6) Sosye 7) Yokai The color illustrations for this part are very nice, and the two-page spread on each tells prospective players what each character type is and what part they play. This is a 'leg up' for both players and GMs. Chapter Two covers your player's vital statistics: what the attributes mean, what skills are available to each class, which pursuits they might like to follow, and what talents each possesses. Another part is about experience and skill levels. Chapter Three gives everyone information about magic - the spells broken down by class, Rituals known, both spiritual and practical, what potions can be created and/or used, a two-page chart of potions, and finally, magical alterations. Fourth is about higher-level spells. These are called "Deireadh" spells. Although small, these spells should only be learned or attempted by fairly high-level characters. GMs especially should look at them and find out if learning and casting these spells might unbalance their campaign. Chapter Five explains all the basic and advanced mechanics in your campaign. How Players and GMs should roll, Non-combat skill use, Combat specifics, and a food selection of weapons, explosives, and armor. Six is about expanding mechanics. Wishes, the "Devil's Deck" (which is an ordinary deck of Tarot Cards), Familiars, and artifacts. There is a two-page spread of what can happen when using artifacts, some of which are very good, some are good, some are just mediocre, some are bad, and some are very bad. Chapter Seven is about the setting for the game. The prospective GM should really pay close attention here, as it includes the back story, the present day, the Cosmos, which has three kingdoms, the kingdom of man, the kingdom of the dead, and the kingdom of the Changing Ones. The normal "planes" (if you will) of the Changing One, including the inner and outer planes of existence, and some notes on places and spaces, which include six cities. Eighth contains material about the Demons (with some very nice color plates), the monsters of the world, (with one totally nude being), and a few notable NPCs. The GM's Guide is Ninth, a smattering of information about the campaign's feel and plot, how a GM would handle negotiating with Demons and dealing with the "Deireadh" spells if they want to include them. Finally, there is a short appendix, in which you find a Lexicon,a very good index, and how to use a character sheet, and, of course, the character sheet itself (managing somehow to be only one page!). My take on this book is that, first of all, it contains a lot of information that may not be suitable for younger audiences, and may require the GM to decide if they want to run this at all (!). If you have the proper audience, you probably should go over the prospective campaign system and settings with your players to see if anyone has any objections to this type of system and setting. For instance, I am just twisted enough to try to run this system and setting, but I have no idea whether or not my current players would want me to. However, one place where this book would really shine, is as an extra piece of a another game that you want to run. Although meant for the current day, it would be easy enough to set this whole book into a fantasy medieval campaign, or as an adjunct of a post apocalyptic setting. My recommendation is to let the buyer look at it carefully enough to want to spend money on in order to either run it separately or as a very good part of their own world (although I would not recommend it for a science fiction setting). Your mileage may vary.

Underground denizens for D&D 3.5

"Monster Geographica - Underground" by Various Published and Distributed by Expeditious Retreat Press ISBN-10: 0-972-9376-2-5 Digest Sized - 200 Pages This slim volume is simply a collection of creatures and monsters from several other sources. The entries are not sorted alphabetically (there is a Table of Contents that does this), but by Creature Rating, so that GM's can turn to an appropriate CR for the group playing their game. There's also an index of monsters by type in case you need a specific type. So, instead of seeing an Arboleth (for instance), the first creature in the book is a "Barrow Rat" CR rating 1/4! The final entry is for a "Quickener", CR 20! There are 200 critters to baffle your players with. There are no drawings in the book, which might prove to be a problem, but I found that this made the book smaller and less expensive. You should normally give players just a description of a creature anyway. The format of the book is digest-sized, making it easier to carry around for outside the home gaming. This particular book lists creatures the prefer Underground locations. This unique idea allows a GM to quickly seize a book that complements the environment that players are passing through. A good majority of these creatures are not from any of the regular sources, such as the various D&D "Monster Manuals", but from other sources that GM's may not have in their current collection! There's also an index of monsters by type in case you need a specific type. So, instead of seeing an Arboleth (for instance), the first creature in the book is a "Barrow Rat" CR rating 1/4! The final entry is for a "Quickener", CR 20! In the upper corner of every page is the creature's CR. This feature makes it easy for a GM to choose creatures that perplex characters, and give them a workout without Total Party Kill. This unique idea is almost invaluable to a harried GM! There are five of these books altogether, making a library of various monsters that might be in your setting. At first, I thought that not putting them in alphabetical order was a bit strange, but I quickly warmed up to the idea of sorting by Challenge Rating. Although this is the first in the series, this is the second of these that I have bought, but it will =not= be the last! Even though the statistics for creatures is for D&D 3.5, most GM's can convert these easily. Based on my reading of this volume (#1 of 5), I shall be looking for the other three very soon! My recommendation for GM's needing a few unusual monsters is very high! You should also consider looking for the remaining volumes: #2 = "Marsh and Aquatic" Creatures. #3 = "Forest" Denizens. #4 = "Hill and Mountain" Types. #5 = "Plain and Desert" Beings. There seems to have been a plan to do a sixth volume called "City" but I do not believe they ever did that one.