The Forgotten Role Playing Game

The Forgotten RPG Almost everyone in gaming, and quite a few non-gamers, have heard of "Dungeons and Dragons". Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson first published the first real "Dungeons and Dragons" books in 1976, which most gamers call "Original D&D". They developed it from an earlier booklet called "Chainmail" which was basically rules for adding fantasy elements to war games. Quite a few gamers have heard of Greg Stafford, who first published material from his "Glorantha" setting, which he called "Rune Quest", also in 1976. But even most gamers have forgotten the real first role playing game. In 1974, M. A. R. Barker privately published his game world, which he called "Tekumel", also known as "The Empire of the Petal Throne". The first professional publication of Tekumel, strangely enough, was from the same company as Gary and Dave founded, called "Tactical Studies Rules", commonly called TSR. Today, that particular edition garners very high prices on eBay and other sales sites, if you can find someone willing to part with it. But, for some reason, Tekumel (abbreviated "EPT") never caught on as well as did Runequest, and certainly not as well known as D&D. Tekumel is far better detailed by Mr. Barker than is either D&D or RuneQuest. Barker even developed his own language for his game world. The rich setting certainly is very similar to J. R. R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings". Fortunately, Barker had enough of a following that a company was set up called "The Tekumel Foundation" which is quietly reprinting some of Barker's works. If you are interested in following up on this, I can do no better than to direct you to: ( https://www.tekumel.com/ ) wherin the Tekumel Foundation sells and distributes reproductions of some of M. A. R. Barker's Tekumel material. I would like to suggest you start with purchasing the three reprint books, "Empire of the Petal Throne", and the two volume set of "Swords and Glory", the Player's Handbook, and the Tekumel Sourcebook. I do not think you will be disappointed.

Beware! The Faza are coming!

"Faza" by Ben Farahmand. Printed and Distributed by www.thefaza.com. Fun and sort of silly, theis game assumes that Earth is under attack by aliens called "Faza". The eight characters included means that any one player could conceivably start the game eight times without duplicating that style of play! Then there's the map - instead of a static board, the map is made up of 16 tiles which are shuffled before placing them in a four by four grid, making replayabilty very high! Summary: One of the better board games I have played! Pros: Replayability very high! Cons: One of the only things my group found that was for a fun pick me up type game, it took a little too long to play. Solutions: You could vary the amount of hits a mothership needs to take before they are disabled. From a six (for a long game) to as low as a one (although that might be too quick!). Three or four hits per ship seems about right.

Travel the Sundered Reaches

"Sundered Reaches" by William W. Connors and James M. Ward. Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment. ISBN-10: 1-932201-31-9 -- Softcover -- 128 Pages. This is my second favorite book in the Fast Forward line. It contains a good solid framework for a whole new campaign setting. The tag line for this book reads: "A Unique Fantasy World of Grim Survival and Ancient Mysteries." For this it uses the Red Planet - Mars. But this is not the Mars you might think you know from fiction. It is a whole new planet, frameworked into a small 128 page book. It contains nine different races that are 'native' to this version of Mars, Each race is quite different from the others. Although humanoid, most usually bear some resemblance to a standard humanoid, two arms, two legs, etc.. But two of the Martian Races, the "Orid Nar" and the "Parehla" do not. The "Orid Nar" are ten-foot-tall reptiles, with fine shiny silver scales and three eyes. They have darkvision, and have a three foot long tongue. They have three upper tentacle-like limbs, and three legs that end in huge sharp talons. The "Parehla" are even stranger. They are also ten feet tall, but have five legs and a large torso with three huge arms. Although they can use their hands normally, their hands are spade-like when closed, and make efficient digging tools. Five eyes encircle their head and provide 360 degree vision. The "Orid Nar" are a warrior race and very Patriarchal. They do not attack other tribes of "Orid Nar", but they will attack any others, except those of the "Lumari", and those of the "Parehla", with whom they have had a long-standing trade agreement. Unlike the "Orid Nar", the "Parehla" are a peaceful race and prefer farming. The "Lumari" I'll let you find out about yourself. There is an odd 'rule' in this book near the center that most GMs taking their characters here may want to avoid. New arrivals to Mars =may= start to transform into Martians! GMs that allow this might want to pre-prepare an adventure or two that allows the players to reverse this. There are ten new skills, and 36 new feats. There is an interesting chart near the center that gives PCs and NPCs a chance to discover what the technology that they have found really does. GMs should read "Understanding Technology" thoroughly. Following that is a list of equipment, including Trade Goods and their prices. Then there are the Spells. Some PCs and NPCs may know that a "sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.' A great section on Artifacts of the so-called "Star Children" follows. Info about the Strange Cities of the Lumari and other features is next, followed by a table of Red Planet encounters. Only eight new creatures, but this Mars is dangerous enough! Finally, there are a few adventure nuggets, and at the back is the usual OGL and three advertisements. Given the unusual method of arriving on Mars for some of its inhabitants, it's possible that =none= of these races are native to Mars, but the nine given here have been there so long that it really doesn't matter. Although this is not the Mars I love (see Modiphius' new "John Carter" game for that!) this is still a great campaign book for a GM who really wants to run with it. I would love to combine this with my knowledge of 'Barsoom' and possibly the "Green Races" book for a really wild and wooly ride! It's too bad that Fast Forward Games disappeared from the market. However, these Fast Forward Entertainment books rarely disappoint me. Very Highly Recommended!

Why fight the Demon? BE the Demon!

"Devils Player Guide" by Various. Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment. ISBN-10: 1-932201-30-0 -- Softcover -- 128 Pages. Now you have an extra race to add to their 'Green Races' characters, this time providing huge details for Devils. The final volume for their "Green Races" line-up, and, as far as I know the last book ever produced, this one deserves a question - and the answer! Tired of fighting Demons? BE a Demon!!! Starting with the usual credits, Table of Contents, and introduction, this book adds Devils (and, by association, Daemons and Demons) to the type of races you can play with the "Green Races" Core Rulebook! A short section about Devilish Campaigns leads off, and discusses the benefits (and obvious disadvantages) to running what should be seen by most as an evil oriented campaign. Ways to run those campaigns, including Motivations, Evil Versus Evil, and Hunting - both hunting by them and hunting for them. Or are you helping them by doing some hunting for them such as for a special potion or magical item? Using Devils in campaigns is much more useful. as it describes how to use the creatures in this book as NPCs. There's a nice section on PCs becoming Devils and the influences of "The Seven Deadly Sins" (Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Pride, Sloth, and Wrath). Which of the Seven Deadly Sins are -you- working for? Then come the various races of Devils - Barbazu, Botis, Cornugon, Erinyes, Flauros, Gelugon, Hamatula, Imps, Kyton, Osyluth, Pit Fiends, and Shabriri. That's twelve types of creatures to add! There are a few templates, too - including the Chosen of Hell, Devilish Servant, Half-Devil, the Reborn, and those Touched by the Hells. But the best part is the Devilish Classes. What? You thought all Devils were the same? You thought wrong! Mages, Bards, Druids, Fighters, Monks, Rogues, Warders, Warriors, Knights of the Hells, and Priests of the Pits are just a large part of the classes available. Then there are Prestige Classes - Servants, Foot Soldiers, Infernal Generals, Infernal Lieutenants, Infernal Lords, Mortal Spokesperson, and Soul Corruptors. With another section of Devils as 'normal' classes! There's a great list of devilish feats, and even more devilish spells! Devilish Magical Items including both normal and those that are cursed! Or all they all cursed? Finally, an eight page starting adventure with two maps! This book could be used both ways, making it one of the more unusual books of this type. Do you really want to run Devils - or let ordinary PCs chase them to their home and their home plane, where they can not only be fought, they can be destroyed! Don't forget two things if you do this: 1 - On their home plane, they should be much stronger! 2 - More importantly, they can call for help easier! At the back is the usual OGL and two advertisements. These Fast Forward Entertainment books rarely disappoint me. As a companion to my favorite "Green Races" book, this one can't be beat! Highly Recommended!

Yes, You, too can now be a Monster (Part Four)

"Complete Monsterous Undead Companion" by Various. Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment. ISBN-10: 1-932201-30-0 -- Softcover -- 128 Pages. This makes a wonderful companion book to their "Green Races" volume. Now you have an extra race to add to their 'Green Races' characters, providing huge details for Undead. "Green Races" was the first book I know of that really allowed players to become a race that isn't in the PH! This expansion to "Green Races" cannot be missed! If you have "Green Races" already, you -need- to add "Undead" to the available races! I've seen enough Zombie stuff in gaming, I could just about barf. But =this= one I like a lot! It allows players to use Undead as player characters. For instance, all Zombie Hordes need a leader! Why shouldn't it be you? Five undead races are covered in detail: 01 - Devourer 02 - Poltergeist 03 - Reaper 04 - Shadowe 05 - Wraith But don't think that this is all! There are templates to use to create twenty-two more races! Ever wanted to be a Vampire? Now you can! There are also nine Prestige Classes if you really want to toughen stuff up! A couple new Skills and a couple new Feats, new magic spells and items, Artifacts, and more! The final chapter gives examples of playing Undead as characters, and some hints on how Undead PCs could unbalance your game. I don't know a single player I've ever met who hasn't at least thought of the idea of using a monster as a player character - and this book lets them do that. =Years= before the idea of allowing all intelligent races to be any alignment surfaced recently! Oddly enough, the new races at the center of the book -is- a Zombie! There's a good idea of what a Zombie character would look like, including all the standard stats. Right after that, though are three Mortal templates. My favorite in the whole book is the Demon Hunter included here. The new trend in D&D is towards eliminating the 'requirement' that all of a single entire race needs to be a single alignment was used here first by FFE in about 1972! So this book may have even more usefulness today! Although this race is not included here, one of my favorite PCs used a 'converted' mind flayer as a PC. She 'got Religion' and felt that it was her ultimate goal to bring her new religion to the her fellow Mind Flayers. Tired of fighting Zombies? BE a Zombie!!! At the back is the usual OGL and one advertisement. It's too bad that Fast Forward Games disappeared from the market, as many of these books also included online material which does not seem to be available anymore. However, these Fast Forward Entertainment books rarely disappoint me. As a companion to my favorite "Green Races" book, this one can't be beat! Highly Recommended!

Yes, now you, too can be a monster! (Part Three)

"Complete Monsterous Wizards Companion" by Various. Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment. ISBN-10: 1-932201-38-6 -- Softcover -- 128 Pages. This makes a great companion book to the "Green Races" volume. Now you have expansions to their 'Green Races' characters, providing new details for the Wizard Class. Details for Wizards for the new monsters are included. It adds Centaurs, Janni (We would call them Genies), Minotaur, Rakshasa, Satyrs, and Trogolodites! Six new races, five new classes, twelve new Prestige Classes, a few new spells and feats, a huge list of new spells, and some equipment. The final section of the book deals with playing these Green Races. Four new campaign ideas, and how to use Monsterous Spellcasters. I don't know a single player I've ever met who hasn't at least thought of the idea of using a monster as a player character - and this book lets them do that. =Years= before the idea of allowing all intelligent races to be any alignment surfaced recently! As an example, the 'new' race in the center of the book is the underused Hobgoblin. Quite a lot here to admire, as their backgrounds, normal regions inhabited, their culture and cultural advancement, a typical tribe called "The Hundred", The 'Buffalo Rider' Prestige Class, the class skills, a typical Hobgoblin Lair, and other information. The new trend in D&D is towards eliminating the 'requirement' that all of a single entire race needs to be a single alignment was used here first by FFE in about 1972! So this book may have even more usefulness today! Although this race is not included here, one of my favorite PCs used a 'converted' mind flayer as a PC. She 'got Religion' and felt that it was her ultimate goal to bring her new religion to the her fellow Mind Flayers. At the back is the usual OGL and one advertisement. It's too bad that Fast Forward Games disappeared from the market, as many of these books also included online material which does not seem to be available anymore. However, these Fast Forward Entertainment books rarely disappoint me. As a companion to my favorite "Green Races" book, this one can't be beat! Recommended.

Yes, you, too, can now be a monster! (Part Two)

"Complete Monsterous Fighters Companion" by Various. Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment. ISBN-10: 1-932201-30-0 -- Hardcover -- 128 Pages. This makes a great companion book to the "Green Races" volume. Now you have expansions to their 'Green Races' characters, providing huge details for the Warrior Class. Details for Fighters for the fifteen new player character races are included, and there is a Prestige Class associated with each one. There are four totally new classes, twelve new Prestige Classes (yes, intelligent creatures can and do learn to specialize!), a few new skills, a few new feats, new equipment and new magical equipment, and spells! The final section of the book deals with playing these Green Races. Their religions, their vital statistics, their motivations, the conflicts between them and other Green Races, and how to use them in a non "Green Races" campaign. I don't know a single player I've ever met who hasn't at least thought of the idea of using a monster as a player character - and this book lets them do that. =Years= before the idea of allowing all intelligent races to be any alignment surfaced recently! As an example, the 'new' race in the center of the book is the underused Hobgoblin. Quite a lot here to admire, as their backgrounds, normal regions inhabited, their culture and cultural advancement, a typical tribe called "The Hundred", The 'Buffalo Rider' Prestige Class, The class skills, a typical Hobgoblin Lair, and other information. The new trend in D&D is towards eliminating the 'requirement' that all of a single entire race needs to be a single alignment was used here first by FFE in about 1972! So this book may have even more usefulness today! Although this race is not included here, one of my favorite PCs used a 'converted' mind flayer as a PC. She 'got Religion' and felt that it was her ultimate goal to bring her new religion to the her fellow Mind Flayers. At the back is the usual OGL. It's too bad that Fast Forward Games disappeared from the market, as many of these books also included online material which does not seem to be available anymore. However, these Fast Forward Entertainment books rarely disappoint me. As a companion to my favorite "Green Races" book, this one can't be beat! Recommended.

Yes, you, too, can now be a monster! (Part One)

"Green Races" by Timothy Brown. Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment. ISBN-10: 1-9719598-1-1 -- 224 Pages. Readers, this is my very favorite Fast Forward book! It allows players to do domething unique... Instead of the usual Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and etc., this allows players to choose what would normally be considered NPCs - Goblins, Kobolds, Orcs, Trolls, and many more! Along with the fifteen new player character races, there is a Prestige Class associated with each one. Rise through the ranks of one of the Green Races, possibly even becoming warlord of an entire race! I don't know a single player I 've ever met who hasn't at least thought of the idea of using a monster as a player character - and this book lets them do that. =Years= before the idea of allowing all intelligent races to be all alignments surfaced recently! Although this race is not included her, one of my favorite PC's used a 'converted' mind flayer as a OC. She felt that it was her ultimate goal to bring her new religion to the rest of the Mind Flayers. As an example, the 'new' race in the center of the book is the underused Hobgoblin. Quite a lot here to admire, as their backgrounds, normal regions inhabited, their culture and cultural advancement, a typical tribe called "The Hundred", The 'Buffalo Rider' Prestige class, The class's skills, a typical Hobgoblin Lair, and other information. The new trend in D&D is towards eliminating the 'requirement' that all of a single entire race needs to be a single alignment was used here first by FFE in about 1972! So this book may have even more usefulness today! At the back is the usual OGL and four advertisements. This book was the capstone of the Fast Forward books if my limited opinion matters. What's even better, with a little bit of homework, it could be used with almost any edition of D&D or Pathfinder. It really does deliver what it promises. It's too bad that Fast Forward Games disappeared from the market, as many of these books also included online material which does not seem to be available anymore. However, these Fast Forward Entertainment books rarely disappoint me. I will go one step further - if you decide to buy only one Fast Forward book, IMHO, it =needs= to be this one. One of my very highest recommendations!

Prestige Classes

"Encyclopedia of Prestige Classes" by Various. Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment. ISBN-10: 1-932201-68-8 -- 128 Pages. The cover of this book proudly exclaims: "A Fantastic collection of Thrilling Prestige Classes!" Just in case you don't want to read any further, this book achieves its claim to fame. The first chapters in this book are the usual Credits, Table of Contents, a one-page Preface, and a one-page Introduction. There are eight great new skills, but some of them are geared towards a campaign that allows gunpowder. It's up to the GM to see if they allow gunpowder weapons in their campaign. There's also seventy-two (72!) great new feats although some of them are for campaigns that allow gunpowder. It's up to the GM to see if they allow gunpowder weapons in their campaign. Then the classes. Sixty-One (61!) altogether, starting with page twenty-seven, and lasting through the end of the book. My favorite was the "Wrestler" who also can be used for a Sumo Wrestler! Some of the new classes are geared more for NPCs rather than for players. Check any of them out before allowing a player to choose one! At the back is the usual OGL and four advertisements. This book was a fine addition to my D20 collection. What's even better, with a little bit of homework, it could be used with almost any edition of D&D or Pathfinder. It really does deliver what it promises. It's too bad that Fast Forward Games disappeared from the market, as many of these books also included online material which does not seem to be available anymore. However, these Fast Forward Entertainment books rarely disappoint me.

Quest for the Ultimate Egyptian Treasures!

"Treasure Quests - Tombs of Ra" by Various.

Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment.

ISBN-10: 1-932201-29-7 -- 128 Pages.

The cover of this book proudly exclaims: "Ancient Curses, Ancient Evils, and Priceless Treasures!"

Just in case you don't want to read any further, this book achieves its claim to fame.

This is a companion volume to their earlier "Treasure Quests". It also could make an ideal book to add to their "Dungeon World" series.

The "Legend of the Valley" begins this softcover book, followed by an introduction, and a full page map of the valley, showing the locations of all of the dungeons. Then a three page "Random Encounters" generator, six new monsters, and one new Prestige Class, the "Tomb Finder".

Then comes the Quests, divided into three sections, the "Lower Valley", the "Side Valley", and the "Upper Valley." Each section contains one map per level. All together, the book contains 30 adventures.

There are 12 quests in the Lower Valley section, 13 in the Side Valley, and five in the Upper Valley. Each of the five quest in the Upper Valley contain at least two levels, a first level and a second level, and the final Upper Valley quest contains seven, each more difficult to pass.

The "Tomb of the Old God" contains six "Cataracts". PS: If you want to throw a little fear into your players, I'd call this "The Tomb of the Elder God" and watch all of the players think that Cthulhu or another elder god might be here. If you =really= want to do this, I'd say: "Have Fun!".

At the back is the OGL and three advertisements.

Egyptian themes have always appealed to me, so I had to get this book. I really enjoyed taking my players through these tombs. You probably will too. The short narrative piece at the beginning of the book was a nice touch. I'd use this as a true rumor. If you want to begin a series of tombs yourself, there is a method of creating your own tombs in the front.

As usual, this book is a fine addition to my D20 collection. What's even better, with a little bit of homework from a GM, it could be used with almost any edition of D&D or Pathfinder. It really does deliver what it promises.

It's too bad that Fast Forward Games disappeared from the market, as many of these books also included online material which does not seem to be available anymore. However, these Fast Forward Entertainment books rarely disappoint me. If you are hosting a powerful party, or just want some higher level adventures, you cannot go wrong by looking here!

NPCs both Friendly and Foul!

"Encyclopedia of Villians" by Various.

Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment.

ISBN-10: 1-932201-34-3 -- 128 Pages.

The cover of this book proudly exclaims: "Dozens of Deadly Enemies to Torment Heroes of All Levels!"

Just in case you don't want to read any further, this book achieves its claim to fame.

This is a very nice collections of NPC's both benign and evil. Of course, the characters all have friends.........

This set of thirty-nine malcontents can be a great aid to a GM looking for the party's next villian. Each has a black and white portrait, and some contain lairs as well! They are listed in the Table of Contents by Challenge Rating (CR). There is a short intro and a one-page overview of the main villians.

Indexing these by CR is a nice touch, especially to a GM that still hasn't settled on what to use in the next adventure.

My favorite in this book was "Lady Veritie Skredder" who is the owner of a manor home and large textile mill both just outside the city limits. Not only is she not quite what she seems, but her ownership of the manor house "The Stoffhus" is not quite all it seems to be either. Many parties are given here, including one annual festival that 'no one wants to miss'.

Then there is the Textile Mill itself, supposedly the largest in the world, that manufactures a great deal of clothing, all of which meets or exceeds the standards by which Masterwork items are constructed. These are mostly Noble clothing of cotton, silk, wool, and other cloth. In addition, the mill makes blankets, cloaks, shirts, and vests, and does a roaring business in internationlly sold silk rope.

The mill can also make any oftfits listed in the Player's Handbook, and other official material. THese items are at least double the amount listed in the PH, but since they are of Masterwork Quality, this is to be expected. Everything made by this mill can be enchanted permanently. They also sell carpets and tapestries of intricate design, many fulfilling jobs as magical items.

At the back is the OGL and three advertisements.

As usual, this book is a fine addition to my D20 collection. What's even better, with a little bit of homework from a GM, it could be used with almost any edition of D&D or Pathfinder. It really does deliver what it promises.

It's too bad that Fast Forward Games disappeared from the market, as many of these books also included online material which does not seem to be available anymore. However, these Fast Forward Entertainment books rarely disappoint me. If you want to really challenge your players and their characters you can't go wrong by getting this book. Highly Recommended.

Deadliest Creatures? You Decide!

"Deadliest Creatures Tome" by Various.

Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment.

ISBN-10: 1-932201-37-8 -- 128 Pages.

The cover of this book proudly exclaims: "The Most Dangerous Monsters Ever Designed for D20 Campaigns!"

Just in case you don't want to read any further, this book achieves its claim to fame.

After all these years, I have begun to believe that most role-playing game companies have produced at least one bestiary. This tome goes one step further, and produces some of the most dangerous creatures I have ever seen.

There are 60 new critters in this volume, ranging from the lowly Anakim (CR 1) to the almost unbelievable Deathstorm (CR 24). They are listed in alphabetical order by name.

Even one Anakim might be enough for almost any party of adventurers. Sure, they only have one hit point. But with a Dexterity of 28, characters might have a hard time hitting it.

The Young Feyoak looks enough like a Treant to fool almost anyone who is not familiar with this creature. And if a Wood Dryad chooses this tree as it's home, it is even more powerful. It was hard for me to believe that the Feyoak is only a CR 3 creature.

These two examples of the material serve as a great idea as to how this book will serve its stated purpose. But serve it cold, because I cannot remember this many =really= dangerous, deadly, creatures have ever been collected in a single book.

At the back is the OGL and one advertisement.

As usual, this book is a fine addition to my D20 collection. What's even better, with a little bit of homework from a GM, it could be used with almost any edition of D&D or Pathfinder. It really does deliver what it promises.

It's too bad that Fast Forward Games disappeared from the market, as many of these books also included online material which does not seem to be available anymore. However, these Fast Forward Entertainment books rarely disappoint me. If you want to really challenge your players and their characters you can't go wrong by getting this book. Highly Recommended.

Could this be the Ultimate Crossover?

"The Dread House" by Danny O'Neill.

Published and Distributed by Hammerdog Games.

ISBN-10: 1-59180-057-9 -- 288 Pages.

I recently bought "The Dread House" by Danny O'Neill. If I had known that it was going to be =this= good, I would have bought it =much= sooner.

The Dread House is a take on one of the oldest tropes of Role-Playing Games - a Haunted House. The most important feature of this book is its compatibility with Pathfinder 1.0, and 5th Edition D&D, =and= Call of Cthulhu!

I cannot think of any other product that claims the distinction of having D&D, Pathfinder, and Call of Cthulhu in the same volume! Given this, there is a very real possibility of being able to have PCs cross over from one system to another system to yet another system!

In the darkness, an old ruined manor house sits -- waiting for its next victim. If this sounds a bit like "The Shining" to you, you are close to correct!

There are only three sections in the book:

1) "The Time of Myth and Magic: The Dread House in Medieval Times".

2) "The Time of Mythos and Machine Guns: The Dread House in the Roaring 20's".

3) "The Time of Connected Dependence: The Dread House Today and Tomorrow".

There are dozens of full-color maps of the manor, including a master map on pages 54 and 55. Each section of the house is broken down into smaller pieces, each appearing in an appropriate section of the book. The marvelous map of the area beneath the manor should drive prospective players who map insane, for tunnels twist and turn, frequently overlapping each other. The chosen artists have been selected well. All of the included art matches the tone of the setting.

Section 1 - "The Time of Myth and Magic: The Dread House in Medieval Times"

Storyline One: "The Dread Wedding". This is what happens that makes the Dread House haunted. This occurs in a Medieval setting. "The Dread Wedding" is presented as it happens. PCs may try to stop this from happening, but this is difficult since the Dread House also exists in the 1920's, and the modern-day, and even possibly, in the future! In addition, in order to truly end the reign of the Dread House, they must complete the second part of the story.

Storyline Two: "Scions of Solaria" is also about the Dread House, but the PCs are led to find eight different parts in this prequel to the "Dread Wedding" and this can take beginning Pathfinder or D&D characters from Level One to Level Six. In this chapter, there are references to "Solaria", Goddess of Life and Light. Complete information about her is found in the back of the book. Copying the single page about Solaria might be a good idea, since at least one, if not more, party members should worship her.

Both of these sections includes info about 5th Edition, Pathfinder, and Call of Cthulhu.

Section Two -- "The Time of Mythos and Machine Guns: The Dread House in the Roaring 20's"

Storyline Three: This section is designed to work best with Call of Cthulhu, but also has stats for 5th Edition D&D and Pathfinder 1.0! It is divided into six scenarios:

1) "Piercing the Veil"

2) "13 Ghosts"

3) "The Tome of the Dead"

4) "The Machine Man"

5) "Ghostcatchers"

6) "Dread Secrets"

This part can span a timeline of sixteen years! There is a small piece of fiction about each of the six parts. Each of these six scenarios may be run as stand-alone adventures.

"Section Three: The Time of Connected Dependence: The Dread House Today and Tomorrow".

Storyline Four: Because of (I believe) the Call of Cthulhu material, the manse can also exist in the modern-day, and even in the future! Storyline Four consists of two sections:

1) "Stay the Night" and

2) "Geist in the Gears".

At the end of the book are three good appendices, which include "Optional Rules", "Dread Ghosts", and "The Arcane and the Eldritch". A GM toolbox at the end has a nice summary of effects. An advertisement for their other mega-dungeon, "The Grande Temple of Jing" ends the book. There is no index, but a good Table of Contents.

I was impressed enough by "The Grande Temple of Jing" to seek out other products Hammerdog produced. This book even exceeded my expectations! If you like Pathfinder 1.0, and/or, if you like 5th Edition D&D, and/or you if like Call of Cthulhu, I think you almost can't go wrong by picking this book up! If you like two or all three of these, my suggestion to you is to buy this! This book now has the distinction of being in my "Top Ten Gaming Books of All Time" list!

Odyssey of the Dragonlords Mega-Module?

"Odyssey of the Dragonlords" by Various. Published by Arcanum Worlds and Distributed by Modiphius. ISBN-13: 978-1-912743-40-7 -- 478 Pages.

There was a great deal of hype about this book, which led me to purchase it. The Friendly Local Game Store that I usually shop at included the separate map.

I must say that I was a little disappointed by this book. I'm a big fan of making material for RPGs that are set in the Greco-Roman period. This book is set firmly in the Grecian period. In its thirteen chapters, and seven appendixes, it covers almost all of the Grecian myths, including several I knew already, and a couple I had never heard of.

Strangely enough, the Introduction is basically an overview of the world of Thylea, its Gods, its structure, and many other parts of describing why this world is different.

This book is basically a mega-module allowing the characters placed there to have seventy adventures in the area.

This is the section that I did not care for. The way I see it is that to me, this book is a huge step-by-step module designed to take characters from about First Level to about 12th to 15th Level. What was wrong about this was that the flow of this book seemed very linear. The GM takes you by the hand and you have your adventures in the order in the book. There are a few side quests, but this book =almost- reminds me of the old "Choose Your Own Adventure" books.

Starting at the first chapter, for instance, the book has six mini-adventures, each one with its own few paragraphs about what must happen in that area. For example, the "Heroes of the Prophecy" section is the beginning of the book, and then a section called "The Poet of Mytros" with the GM reading aloud the parts which give the PCs a place to rest for the evening, and a place to purchase things that they may need.

The second mini-adventure begins when the PCs hear the rumor in the barroom about a Wild Boar near the small town. Some of the patrons of the bar are all talking about this, and it has injured a couple of farmhands and destroyed crops. With info from the bar's patrons, the PCs should go kill the Wild Boar. Don't forget to use one of the townsfolk to tell them about bringing the beast's body back.

After whatever happens, once the Wild Boar is killed, the PCs are asked to sacrifice the boar's body to the local Gods. If this occurs, the PCs could receive either a blessing or a curse depending on which God they offer the beast to. In order to do that, though, the characters must take the body to the nearby Temple of the Oracle, which is the next adventure in the book.

The Temple is the last part of Chapter One. It seems almost impossible to reach the temple, as there is a large river in their way which is boiling hot with many unpredictable boiling hot geysers within it. They will eventually reach the temple, and manage to get by the few guards in the temple's chambers, and guarding the grotto beneath the temple. Once the Oracle is freed, she will give the PCs a prophecy and tell them of a few mini-adventures nearby.

I have given this summary of what occurs in the first chapter to indicate the flow of these adventures continues in the same direction all the way to the 12th chapter. The side quests that are given are good, but the focus is on completing the Odyssey of the Dragonlords. This book would be very useful to a beginning GM, but I found it boring. But, then again, I've been GMing for about 40 years.

Although the FLGS gave me the accompanying map, it is sold separately. The Map of the Land of Thylea is on one side of this nine-panel map, and the city of Mytros on the other. Should you decided to purchase this book to use as a campaign, the map is almost invaluable.

Despite all of it's shortcomings, I'd be willing to use this book as a complete campaign lasting several sessions. I can recommend it.

Devilish Dens for Demons

"Devilish Dens" by Anne Brown and Kevin Melka.

Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment.

ISBN-10: 0-971-9598-3-8 -- 48 Pages.

A very short Intro and Table of Contents are combined on the first page, and the next two pages are about the owners of each of the dens, along with small pictures of the Demons that own them and a short paragraph about each one.

This small booklet contains a total of ten dens of iniquity for your players to explore. This book works best if you have "Encyclopedia of Demons and Devils 1" and/or "Encyclopedia of Demons and Devils 2", but neither is absolutely necessary.

The first of these dens is the home of Asmodeus! Even high level characters should think twice before entering there! Each of the ten adventures has four pages of detail, and a small map. None of these adventures are suitable for low, or even medium level, characters. Not to mention that each of these dens can be used as separate adventures! Each of these confrontations should serve well as almost a final chapter for the PCs. If battles occur, I suspect that each of these adventures could last much, if not all, of one session of gaming!

Ending this booklet are the usual Open Gaming License, and three advertisements.

I own both of the Encyclopedias, and I find this book to be an invaluable aid if my players have characters that are high enough level. Since these lairs are actually part of the plane of existence of each of the owners, they provide a way for my players to follow the demon that they may have dispelled on the Prime Material Plane to their home. But remember -- any damage done to them on the Prime Plane will be restored in their home, plus the demon has all of their spells again, and some even have new ways to approach any oncoming party that arrives by simply being on their home plane.

As you know I love Fast Forward, and recommend these books to prospective GMs!

Can you escape Dungeon World?

"Dungeon World" by Timothy Brown and James M. Ward.

Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment.

ISBN-10: 0-971-9598-0-3 -- 192 Pages.

I've seen a lot of mega-dungeons. 50 Levels, 60 Levels, and many more. But I believe that this book is the largest dungeon ever printed. Why? Because the entire planet is one big dungeon! In very small print under the title, it says "Universe". There are a couple additions to this tome, "Dungeon World: Secrets of the Enemy Capital", and "Dungeon World: Catacombs" that should also be counted as part of this campaign. There are two other books by Fast Forward that would dovetail nicely into Dungeon World: "Treasure Quests" and "Treasure Quests: Tomb of Ra".

This book is separated into many parts: first are notes about Dungeon World, including the Prologue and Introduction, a small chapter on the nature of Dungeon World, how to reach it, how to escape, putting it into your campaign, and a section on how to use this book for an entire campaign, and finally a bit about the Caretakers of the world, and the Heart of Dungeon World - known as "Nex"!

After that, the book is broken down into levels, from 1st Level all the way up to 25th Level! There are also side quests - 25 of them - which will need to be fleshed out by the GM. Based on the diagram on page 35, there are 26 levels total. Should the characters survive all the way to the 26th Level, they will find a spiral staircase, going up, that has exits on each and every level back up, and finally comes to rest inside a building on the surface!

Technically, Dungeon World is on its own plane of existence. Somehow, it lies in such a different plane of existence that it really isn't connected to other planes at all! But it is very close to the Elemental Plane of Earth, within the Elemental Sub-Plane of Stone. But it's really easy to get there - thru portals, through sadistic Dungeon Keepers that want you to really feel pain, and others. There are a few methods of escape - but these are either rare or hard to find, or both.

Sure, you can get away with calling Dungeon World a 26th Level Dungeon with 192 pages. But, if you include their other Dungeon World Books, it's even larger! "Enemy Capital" adds 128, and "Catacombs" adds another 128, making 448 pages total, and if you decide to include "Treasure Quests", which is 160 pages, and add "Tomb of Ra" which is another 128 pages, it equals 736 pages, rivaling Monte Cook's "Ptolus" in length!

You can see by the above why I bought this. It covers not only up to 20th Level characters, but continues to 25th Level Characters! Quite a few maps of levels, and many new creatures to meet are included! At the back of the book is the usual OGL and three advertisements. This gets one of my highest recommendations!

Quest for Treasures Campaign?

"Treasure Quests" by James M. Ward. Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment. ISBN-10: 0-971-3234-7-X -- 160 Pages. Treasure Chests is one of my favorite books by Fast Forward Entertainment! First of all - the spiral bound lay flat binding is a stroke of genius! This tome can be opened to any page and will not lose that page! The fantastic Table of Contents in the front of the book also serves as an Index. Generally, I prefer books with both a Table of Contents and an Index, but this Table of Contents works for this book. The short Preface, Introduction, and a two page section about "How to Use this Book", make up the front matter. There are thirteen chapters, starting with an adventure for beginning characters called "Village of Stret", and ending with an adventure called "Tomb of the Ancient Lords" that I would only recommend for level 13 PCs or higher. This means that if you decide to use all of this book, it would make a great campaign world all by itself! Each of the chapters also have a black and white map of the area the players are in. The Table of Contents has a bold faced name for each level, so you can find where you left off easily, and you can find an area that matches up with the average group's level quickly. The thing I like the most about "Treasure Quests", is that they can also be used as individual adventures that a GM can insert into his own campaign world. Stuck for an adventure for this week's game? Get out this book, find the chapter that matches up with the party's average level, and have a blast! These Fast Forward Entertainment books rarely disappoint, and this one has one of my highest recommendations!

Wield these Rings of Power!

"Rings of Power" by Various.

Printed and Distributed by Fast Forward Entertainment.

ISBN-10: 0-971-3234-4-5 -- 160 Pages

The first in the "Powers" series, Rings of Power does not disappoint. The Powers series is: this book, "Swords of Power", "Wondrous Items of Power", and "Occult Items of Power".

This book is divided into nine major sections:

1) "Rings of Legend".

2) "Beast Rings".

3) "Dragon Rings".

4) "Necromantic Rings".

5) "Artifact Rings".

6) "Heroic Rings".

7) "Rings of Destruction".

8) "Fey Rings".

9) "Ruling Rings".

There is a short Preface and Introduction at the front, and another short section in the back for "Creating Magical Rings", "Game Statistics", and the usual OGL. The Preface, and the Introduction are only one page each.

Altogether, there are 78 Rings of Power. Each section has a very short definition of the type of ring. Each ring has one or two pages each. Each ring also has a photograph of the ring. Yes, a real photograph. These rings could actually be found in the real world! Although powerless, imagine the shock of your players when you drop a =real= ring on the table!

At the back of the book are pages for "Magical Ring Creation", Game Statistics for each ring, and a Price List for the once supported purchasing of a prop Ring of Power (which no longer are available), and one advertisement.

I like Fast Forward Entertainment enough to buy every single thing they ever produced. This one is no different. It's nice to have a larger Treasure Trove have at least one magical item. These make great treasure fillers, especially the ones that seem to be good, but end up being bad! It's very nice to have a large list of special treasures for players to fight over. Do not forget that either you must use the ring, or you must have it identified. Once again, one of my higher recommendations!

Equipment for Everyone!

"Ultimate Equipment Guide" by Matthew Sprange.

Subtitled: "Supplementary Rulebook 3"

Printed and Distributed by Moongoose Publishing.

ISBN-10: 1-903980-81-X -- 256 pages.

Now I know why these three volumes (This one, "More Equipment" and "Ultimate Equipment Guide 2") are so hard to find inexpensively. No one wants to part with them!

Ultimate Equipment Guide is probably one of the best deep looks at equipment there is. Almost every piece of Equipment is illustrated, giving Players and GMs a real look at what these things look like!

It is broken down into nineteen chapters, some of which contain other information.

01) Introduction.

02) Equipment in Your Campaign.

03) Designing D20 Equipment.

04) Arcane Sorcery.

05) Bards and Theatres.

06) Clerics and Temples.

07) Food, Drink, and Herbs.

08) Honor Amongst Rogues.

09) In the Wild.

10) Knick-Knacks of the Little Folk.

11) Psychic Mastery.

12) The Armoury.

13) The Dwarven Forge.

14) The Elven Retreat.

15) The Fighters Trade.

16) The Monastery.

17) Tools, Trades, and Crafts.

18) Rules Summary.

19) D20 and OGL License.

Just by this list alone, you can tell that this is a much more comprehensive look at all types of gear, ranging from items for Wizards, Mages, and Sorcerers; to Items for Common NPCs and the Tools, Trades, and Crafts that use them.

I'm not going to give you a detailed list, but I am going to tell you that this is one of the best books available for Equipment, both benign and deadly, and everything in between!

Items for every class, and a part about Designing D20 Equipment make this almost an indispensable book for GMs!

The very handy Rules Summary at the back of the book shows the ordinary tables of details for all of the Equipment above. But 36 pages of tables? You bet!

There's also a good Table of Contents, and a fine Index. The normal OGL is at the back.

Some of this material is from Third-Party publishers, too! Twenty-Eight different Third-Party Publishers! The addition of this other material makes this even more interesting.

As it is, I consider this book to be a godsend, but there's more! Believe it or not, there was enough material left over to make a second book, "More Equipment", and later a third book, "Ultimate Equipment 2!"

You do not need the other two books, as each can stand alone as a great resource of Equipment, but together they make up what amounts to an encyclopedia of gear! One of my very highest recommendations!

Venture In If You Dare!

"The Dread House" by Danny O'Neill.

Printed and Distributed by Hammerdog Games.

ISBN-10: 1-59180-057-9 -- 288 pages.

In the darkness, an old ruined manor house sits -- waiting for its next victim.

In "The Dread House" book are rules for 5th Edition D&D, Pathfinder 1.0, and, believe it or not, "Call of Cthulhu"!

I cannot think of any other product that claims the distinction of having D&D, Pathfinder, and Call of Cthulhu in the same tome. Given this, there is a very real possibility of being able to have player characters cross over from one system to another system to yet another system!

There are only three sections in the book:

1) "The Time of Myth and Magic: The Dread House in Medieval Times"

2) "The Time of Mythos and Machine Guns: The Dread House in the Roaring 20's"

3) "The Time of Connected Dependence: The Dread House Today and Tomorrow".

There are dozens of full-color maps of the manor, including a master map on pages 54 and 55. Each section of the house is then broken down into smaller, but no less valuable, pieces, each appearing in an appropriate section of the book. The marvelous map of the area beneath the manor should drive prospective players who map insane, for tunnels twist and turn, frequently overlapping one another. The chosen artists have been selected well. All of the included art matches the tone of the setting.

"The Time of Myth and Magic: The Dread House in Medieval Times" - Storyline One: "The Dread Wedding" concerns itself with what happens that makes the Dread House so Haunted. This is a section that occurs in a Medieval setting. "The Dread Wedding" is presented as it happens. Characters might try to stop this from happening, but this is very difficult, since the Dread House also exists in the 1920's, and the modern day, and even possibly, in the future! In addition, in order to truly end the reign of the Dread House, they must complete the second part of the story that is also set in Medieval Times.

"The Time of Myth and Magic: The Dread House in Medieval Times" - Storyline Two: "Scions of Solaria" is also about the house, but the characters are led to find eight different parts of the prequel to the "Dread Wedding" and can take beginning Pathfinder or D&D characters from Level One to Level Six. In this chapter there are references to "Solaria", Goddess of Life and Light. Complete information about her is found in the back of the book. Copying the single page about Solaria might be a good idea, since at least one, if not more, party members should worship her.

Both of these sections includes info about 5th Edition, Pathfinder, and Call of Cthulhu. These sections, like the rest, can exist in multiple timelines simultaneously.

"The Time of Mythos and Machine Guns: The Dread House in the Roaring 20's -- Storyline Three" makes up the Call of Cthulhu section of the book, but includes options for 5th Edition D&D and Pathfinder. It consists of six parts:

1) "Piercing the Veil"

2) "13 Ghosts"

3) The Tome of the Dead"

4) The Machine Man"

5) Ghostcatchers

6) "Dread Secrets"

This part of this book can span a time of sixteen years! There is also a small piece of fiction about each of the six parts. Each of the six scenarios may also be run as a stand-alone adventure!

"The Time of Connected Dependence: The Dread House Today and Tomorrow".

Because of (I believe) the Call of Cthulhu material, the manse can also exist in modern times, and even in the future! The storyline here is broken down into two parts: "Stay the Night" and "Geist in the Group".

At the end of the book are good appendices, which include optional rules, Dread Ghosts, and the Arcane and the Eldritch. A GM toolbox has a nice summary of effects. An advertisement for their other mega-dungeon, "The Grande Temple of Jing" ends the book. There is no index, but a fairly good Table of Contents.

I was reasonably impressed enough by "The Grande Temple of Jing" to seek out any other products Hammerdog produced. This book even exceeded that book! If you like Pathfinder 1.0, and/or, if you like Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons, and/or you if like Call of Cthulhu, I think you almost can't go wrong by picking this book out! I now believe that this book is in my top 10 gaming books of all time!.