Judges Guild is back!

Yes, for all of you old school games, Judges Guild is making a restart on Kickstarter.



Come on and pledge for one of the best, if not =the= best, Old School gaming settings!

Bruce

Linwood Whitsel passed away a few days ago, and his wife and friends are having a Celebration of Linwood Whitsel Party at American National University on Country Club Rd on Saturday March 22, at 2pm.  Many friends and family are attending.  If you cared in any way about my good friend, I suggest you try to be there.

Lost our cat today...

We had to put down our cat just a couple hours ago - giant tumor in it's intestines.  Just too much money to fix - and that's if the tumor was benign.  His name was Smokey and he was only three.  Please send positive thoughts to me and my daughter as we deal with this tragedy......

Birthday Blast!

Hi!  It's my birthday this Sunday February 2!  I'm planning a get-together and gaming session probably with the new Pathfinder Card Game (Rise of the Runelords).  C'mon out and have a good time at the Dragon's Hoard, 17 East Johnson St, Staunton, VA 24401.  I plan on getting there at about noon.  I may bring some other treats. 

13th Age at Comic Toast in Harrisonburg VA

I'll be trying to get a group up for 13th Age tomorrow, Tues 19 Nove at 5:30 pm. Anyone availablr is invited. I hae dice and blank character sheets, as well as some pre-gens if you want to go that way. 13th Age is sort of a D&D clone with lots of dieeference.

Burning Suns - Looks Like a Great Board Wargame...

 

 http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/suntzugames/burning-suns?ref=category

Burning Suns is an intense tactical science fiction game set in an expansive universe, where you'll be competing for supremacy through technology, diplomacy, exploitation, and destruction.

Tactical 4X thematic action > Burning Suns is not a traditional 4X game. It takes the 4X actions and gives you complete tactical control. This means you'll have to adapt and improvise on the way to victory.

A strategy can only take you this far, in the meantime you'll have to rely on your abilities to analyse the situation and calculate the best possible moves ahead of you.

Being able to force, trick, and outmanoeuvre your opponents is key to success. Seize opportunities as they arise and don't wait for the perfect moment - because it doesn't exist! It's about being proactive and reactive according to your chances and the risk you're willing to take!

Create an Empire > You'll be able to create no less than 343 possible empires, using the 3 elements of Ideology, Race, and Structure. All with unique strengths and weaknesses.

Galaxies in motion > Galaxies can be created just as you see them fit. And they might evolve during a game.

Immediate actions > The order in which actions are executed will change every turn. All actions in Burning Suns are carried out immediately and players are therefore involved throughout the game - bringing downtime to a minimum.

Your empire, your strategy > In Burning Suns there are many ways to victory. Depending upon your empire, how you use abilities, leaders and agents, whether you choose to ally or conquer worlds and how you choose to engage your opponents with the many various units.

Probably one of the better board wargames with miniatures I've ever had the chance to look at.  Pledged enough to get a copy, and, since it's already funded, can't wait to see it in person.  Feel free to add your name to the list of supporters even though it's already funded.  Looks like a lot of fun...

...and another good author leaves us

Sad news...

Boing Boing is reporting that Author Ann Crispin has died. Ann, one of the founders of Writer Beware who published 23 novels writing as A.C. Crispin, is perhaps best known for her Starbridge series of science fiction novels, as well as several Star Wars novels (The Han Solo Trilogy) and Star Trek novels (Yesterday's Son). She also wrote 2 books in the Witch World series (Gryphon's Eyrie and Songsmith).

One of my favorite authors is getting ready for the final leap...

Ann Crispin is saying goodbye, farewell and thank you. The acclaimed author of her own, original StarBridge series and novels set in the Star Wars, V, Alien and Pirates of the Caribbean universes, as well as, of course, such beloved and bestselling Star Trek tales as Yesterday’s Son, Sarek and Time for Yesterday, has revealed that she’s nearing the end of a protracted battle against cancer.

“I've been hesitant to make this post, but it's time,” Crispin – whose pen name is A.C. Crispin -- wrote today on her Facebook page. “I want to thank you all for your good wishes and prayers. I fear my condition is deteriorating. I am doing the best I can to be positive but I probably don't have an awful lot of time left. I want you all to know that I am receiving excellent care and am surrounded by family and friends.

“I wish all aspiring writers the will to finish and a good contract. Please continue to monitor Writer Beware and be careful who you sign with. Victoria Strauss and Richard White are there to help.
“I've asked Michael to collect and read me your messages. As I don't know how things will proceed, I don't know if I'll have the strength to post on Facebook again.”

Giant Equipment List for Pathfinder

"Ultimate Equipment" by Jason Bulmahn and others,
published and distributed by Paizo Publishing.
ISBN = 978-1-60125-449-8.  PZO # 1123.

Quick Look-see:
01) Arms and Armor
02) Gear
03) Magic Arms and Armor
04) Rings, Rods, and Staves
05) Wondrous Items
06) Artifacts
07) Appendices
08) Index
09) OGL

Detailed Look:

Part 01 - Arms and Armor.  Covers Armor, Weapons, and Special Materials.

Part 02 - Gear.  Sections about Adventuring Gear, Tools, Animals and their gear, Clothing, Entertainment, Food and Drink, Lodging, Alchemical remedies, Alchemical Tools, Alchemical Weapons, and Poisons.

Part 03 - Magic Arms and Armor.  Armor Special Abilities, Specific Magic Armor and Shields, Weapon Special Abilities, and Specific Magic Weapons.

Part 04 - Rings, Rods, and Staves.  Sections about many rings, rods, and staves.

Part 05 - Wondrous Items.  Belts, Body, Chest, Eyes, Feet, Hands, Head, Headband, Neck, Shoulders, Wrists, and slotless items.

Part 06 - Artifacts and others.  Artifacts, cursed items, and intelligent items.

Part 07 - Appendices.  Section 1 - Treasure Generator, Section 2 - Gems and Jewelry, and Section 3 - Art.

Part 08 - Index.  A decent index for the book.

Part 09 - OGL.  The usual Open Gaming Licenses.

This is probably one of the best and most thorough collections of items for PC's and NPC's alike available.  It includes a section on firearms should you want to include them in your campaign.  The small drawings throughout, I believe, helps you visualize your tools of the trade.  No less than eight tables of slotless equipment - four pages of random item generation.  Altogether, 400 pages of crunch for both players and GM's.  There are almost too many to count pages of random items.  Each section includes a table of items and costs.  The book includes both a good Table of Contents and a comprehensive index.

This is another hardcover book from Paizo that should be indispensable for GM's, and close to indispensable for players.  One of my higher recommendations.

Not just about campaigns...

"Ultimate Campaigns" by Jason Bulmahn and others,
published and distributed by Paizo Publishing.
ISBN = 978-1-60125-498-6.  PZO # 1125.

Quick Look-see:

01) Character Background
02) Downtime
03) Campaign Systems
04) Kingdoms and War
05) Index
06) OGL

Detailed Look:

Part 01 - Character Background.  Everything from creating a background for your character, to Story Feats.  My favorite part in this chapter is the random background generator.

Part 02 - Downtime.  What =is= your character doing when they are not being currently played?  My favorite part in this chapter is the buildings and organizations section.

Part 03 - Campaign Systems. Covers a bunch of ideas including everything from your character's alignment to younger characters.  My favorite part in this chapter is the Magic Item Creator.

Part 04 - Kingdoms and War.  The two sub-sections are: Kingdom Building and Mass Combat.  My favorite part in this chapter is the whole section on mass combat.

Part 05 - Index.  A decent two page index to the book.

Part 06 - OGL.  The usual Open Gaming Licences.

My major unusual "complaint" about this book is that it spends 195 pages of its 254 pages for character development.  Although characters are a vital, nay, indispensable, part of any campaign, DM's that pick up this book were probably looking for less about character development, and more about campaign development.  This info probably should have been in an "Ultimate Characters" book. 

"Character Development" is the area where GM's should consider putting things that link the character to their campaign world.  This should become an idea factory for things that can crop up during your campaign that affect a single character while providing adventures for all your other characters.

"Downtime" includes stuff like repairing and maintaining equipment, and resting to name two.  It even starts by going into building a single building, hiring managers to run your business while you are adventuring, and some ideas on random events that can occur in the city.

The "Campaign Systems" section has a lot that I don't consider part of campaign systems, as it is about single campaign development.  This is where I would like to have had more about building a world.  One of the better parts of this section is the "Companions" part.  There's also a really good section about purposely losing skills that you don't want anymore, and retraining that now empty slot for another skill, with ideas for all character classes. 

The "Kingdoms and War" section includes a really good part about building kingdoms, although it seems to me to be geared towards PC use.  But, it still is a really good idea factory for GM kingdom development.  But, for sheer usefulness to GM's, you can't beat the mass combat section.  There's a lot of info about building a single building and what they cost.  Buried in the K&W section is a great part about special abilities. 

Even including all that, though, this is another hardcover book from Paizo that should almost be indispensable for GM's, and close to indispensable for players.  One of my higher recommendations.

Dangerous Denizens

"Blackdirge's Dungeon Denizens" by Aeryn Rudel, published and distributed by Goodman Games.

ISBN = 978-0-9816663-8-9  GAG # 5224

This 144 page book includes many new monsters from the Goodman Games line of Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure modules up to slightly over DCC 50.  There are tables for monsters by keyword, monsters by type, and monsters by origin.  There are 64 different types of monsters, many of which have at least one, if not more, variants. The back of the book lists racial traits and monsters by level.  The monsters by level chart reveals creatures from the ordinary level ones all the way to level 30 (!).  Although there are a couple pages of advertisements, the vast bulk of the book consists of creatures that even jaded players have never encountered.  There's a short Preface and Intro, both of which are a single page. 

Although I generally do not use 4th Edition, the chance to pick up a bunch of new critters was hard to resist.  There were pictures for almost every monster.  Personally I'd usually rather convert these monsters into, well, let's just call it "3.75".  I found the stat blocks from each creature easy to read, and the creatures that exceed level 20 a good match for an well experienced party.  There are only 13 of these upper level creatures, including the evilest dragon I've ever seen.  I can't wait to pull a few of these monsters out of my hat to plague my players.  I recommend this book to GM's looking to spice up a campaign.

Finally! A "Cities of Fantasy" done right!

"Sheoloth" by Sam Witt, published and distributed by Mongoose Publishing.
ISBN = 1-9034577-20-2.  MAP # 5005.

Quick Look-see:
01) History
02) Overview
03) Life in Sheoloth
04) Powers of Sheoloth
05) Magic of the Drow
06) Darkness and Heresy
07) Ward Descriptions
08) Ashen Bulwark
09) The Blood Tithe
10) Burning Pit
11) Cabal Hold
12) Charred Gate
13) Crystalspine
14) Ebon Dock
15) The Foreign Ward
16) The Fungus Pits
17) The Glory Crypt
18) Granite Circle
19) The Hordes
20) The Leviathan Shield
21) Night Seal
22) The Noble Labyrinth
23) Outland Thieves
24) Roaring Gate
25) Rusted Vein
26) Shrieking Hive
27) Silver Street
28) Sun Gate
29) The Vault of Tombs
30) The Wailing Way
31) Web of the Dark Mother
32) Witch Daggers
33) Ward Summary
34) OGL

Part 01 - History.  Includes info on the Schism, The Benighted Age, The Reign of Karzai, The Nobles Rebellion, the War of Vengeance, Tears of Stone, The Second War of the Elves, The Coming of the Dark Mother, the War of Terror, and the Reconstruction.

Part 02 - Overview.  Layout of the City, including a cross-section map, Building Materials, Food and Water, The Powers of the City, and the Merchant Guilds.

Part 03 - Life in Sheoloth.  Disposable Slaves, Valued Slaves, the Fleshcrafted Slave, the Outsider, the Commoner, the Merchant, the Drow Noble, Clergy of the Drow, a look at Air, Food, Light, Waste, and Water, Law and Order, the Economy, the Military and Defences, and Holidays and Customs.

Part 04 - Powers of Sheoloth.  Religion, the Nobility, Criminals, Arcanists, and Merchants.

Part 05 - Magic of the Drow.  Necromantic Domination, the Secret of Domination, the Process of Domination, Fleshbuilding, and Virurgy.

Part 06 - Darkness and Heresy.  The Incabulos Heresy, and the Woven Mothers.

Part 07 - Ward Descriptions.  A quick look at how each ward is discussed, Building Types, and Business Types.

Part 08 - Ashen Bulwark.  A quick look at the Ashen Bulwark Ward, including four locations.

Part 09 - The Blood Tithe.  A quick look at the Blood Tithe Ward, including four locations.

Part 10 - The Burning Pit.  A quick look at the Burning Pit Ward, including three locations.

Part 11 - Cabal Hold.  A quick look at the Cabal Hold Ward, including two locations.

Part 12 - Charred Gate.  A quick look at the Charred Gate Ward, including two locations.

Part 13 - Crystalspine.  A quick look at the Crystalspine Ward.

Part 14 - Ebon Dock.  A quick look at the Ebon Dock Ward, including two locations.

Part 15 - The Foreign Ward.  A quick look at the Foreign Ward, including a location.

Part 16 - The Fungus Pits.  A quick look at the Fungus Pits Ward.

Part 17 - The Glory Crypt.  A quick look at the Glory Pit Ward, including two locations.

Part 18 - Granite Circle.  A quick look at the Granite Circle Ward, including two locations.

Part 19 - The Hordes.  A quick look at the The Hordes Ward.

Part 20 - The Leviathan Shield.  A quick look at the Leviathan Shield Ward, including two locations.

Part 21 - Night Seal.  A quick look at the Night Seal Ward, including two locations.

Part 22 - The Noble Labyrinth.  A through look at the Noble Labyrinth Ward, including several locations.

Part 23 - Outland Thieves.  A quick look at the Outland Thieves Ward, including three locations.

Part 24 - Roaring Gate.  A quick look at the Roaring Gate Ward, including two locations.

Part 25 - Rusted Vein.  A quick look at the Rusted Vein Ward, including two locations.

Part 26 - Shrieking Hive.  A quick look at the Shrieking Hive Ward, including a location.

Part 27 - Silver Street.  A quick look at the Silver Street Ward, including two locations.

Part 28 - Sun Gate.  A quick look at the Sun Gate Ward, including four locations.

Part 29 - Vault of Tombs.  A quick look at the Vault of Tombs Ward, including three locations.

Part 30 - The Wailing Way.  A quick look at the Wailing Way Ward.

Part 31 - Web of the Dark Mother.  A quick look at the Web of the Dark Mother Ward.

Part 32 - Witch Daggers.  A quick look at the Witch Daggers Ward, including two locations.

Part 33 - Ward Summary.  Tables of merchants present in each ward.

Part 34 - OGL.  The usual Open Gaming Licenses.

This is the fifth and last in a short series from Mongoose called "Cities of Fantasy", although the Cities of Fantasy logo is not present.

Now, =this= is a city book.  In previous Cities of Fantasy, there was a shortage of material that covered the city.  But here we have a city book (Hardcover!) that has 256 pages of info for creative GM's.  This is the first of the series that I consider almost ready to "just drop" into a campaign.  The look at each ward within the city provides jumping off points for many adventures.  There are over 45 encounter locations, and it would be easy to add more. 

Although maps are present, and well done, it was hard to consolidate them all and really see what Sheoloth might look like.  But, despite the shortcomings, I'm giving it a strong four stars and might have gone to five stars if a really good map of Sheoloth was available.  Great for enterprising GM's that want to add a living Drow City to their world.  It has my recommendation for any GM - but not for players.

Complete Content an Illusion?

"Stonebridge" by Patrick Younts, published and distributed by Mongoose Publishing.
ISBN = 1-903980-82-8.  MGP # 5004.

Quick Look-see:

01) Introduction
02) History and the Present Day
03) Palazzo, Piazzo, and Sandstone Streets
04) Vineyard, Farm, and Villa
05) Dragons, Dreamers, and Builders
06) Stonebridge Adventures
07) Beasts, Magic, and Wondrous Machines
08) OGL

Part 01 - Introduction.  The intro includes a one page short story, and a short intro to the book.

Part 02 - History and the Present Day.  A good timeline, info on the citizens, Apprentices, Masters, and pursuit of genius, Science in Service, Guilds, Religion, Government and the Law, Military Service, and the Cycle of the Seasons.

Part 03 - Palazzo, Piazzo, and Sandstone Streets.  Stonebridge at a glance, Landmarks, the First Terzo, Ponte Sofferenza and the River Canyon, the Second Terzo, and the Third Terzo.

Part 04 - Vineyard, Farm, and Villa.  The River Canyon, its north side and south side, and several locations.

Part 05 - Dragons, Dreamers, and Builders.  Five important NPC's, four dragons (!), and a bit about the city watch.

Part 06 - Stonebridge Adventures.  Nine adventure seeds set beginning in Stonebridge.

Part 07 - Beasts, Magic, and Wondrous Machines.  One new critter, one new Prestige Class, six new Feats, seven new Spells, and eight new Magic Items.

Part 08 - OGL.  The usual open gaming licence.

This is the fourth in a short series from Mongoose called "Cities of Fantasy".  Mongoose has used almost every open space in this book for info on Stonebridge.  The map of Stonebridge is on the inside front cover, but on the inside back cover are advertisements from Mongoose.

Stonebridge suffers from the same 64 page limitations as its earlier predecessors, "Skraag", "Stormhaven" and "Highthrone".  I thought all of it could use a little bit more fleshing out - maybe even enough for a 128 page book.  There just doesn't seem to be enough info to "just drop" this city into your campaign. 

Having said that, though, I still think enterprising GM's could supply this city with enough detail to last a hundred adventures.  Only three stars from me, although I =might= have given it four if it had been even 80 pages.  Not for Players.

Doesn't Quite Reach the Clouds

"Highthrone" by Alejandro Melchor, published and distributed by Mongoose Publishing.
ISBN = 1-903980-43-7.  MGP # 5003.

Quick Look-see:

01) Introduction
02) Highthrone - Overview
03) Lay of the City
04) Valley of Crowns
05) The Terraces
06) The Mines and the Floating Islands
07) Factions and Players
08) Running Highthrone Adventures
09) Creatures of the Peaks
10) Magic and Secrets
11) OGL

Part 01 - Introduction.  The intro includes a one page short story, and a short intro to the book.

Part 02 - Highthrone - Overview.  Looks at the history of Highthrone.  There's a look at The Long Walk, the Voice of the Wind, the First Invasion, Unearthing Windsteel, the Second Invasion, the Coming of the Assembly, the Stormbreaker, Commercial Dominance, the Giant's War, the Growing City, the Mountainside, the Valley of Crowns, Flora and Fauna, Natural Resources, Weather, and Trade and Relations.

Part 03 - Lay of the City.  Government, the Armed Forces, Life Above the Clouds, Law and Order, and Religion.

Part 04 - Valley of Crowns.  Market Square, Forest of Sun and Wind, Ossuary, Shipyards, Warehouses, Longhaven, Arms Plaza, Condor Trail, and the Plazas.

Part 05 - The Terraces.  Terrace Features and Neighbourhoods.

Part 06 - The Mines and the Floating Islands.  The Mines and Clan Thorbrindas Holdings, a small map of Thorbrindas Holdings, and details on the various floating islands.

Part 07 - Factions and Players.  Six organisations, five well-wrote-up NPC's, and some generic city defenders.

Part 08 - Running Highthrone Adventures.  Details on using Highthrone in a campaign, including plots and story hooks, Altitude Sickness, Terraces, the Flying Ships, Skyships, and other flying devices.

Part 09 - Creatures of the Peaks.  Three new critters.

Part 10 - Magic and Secrets.  Three new feats, two new divine forces, and a description of Windsteel.

Part 11 - OGL.  THe usual Open Gaming License.

This is the third in a short series from Mongoose called "Cities of Fantasy".  Mongoose has used almost every open space in this book for info on Highthrone.  The map of Highthrone is on the inside front cover, but on the inside back cover are advertisements from Mongoose.

Highthrone suffers from the same 64 page limitations as its earlier predecessors, "Skraag", and "Stormhaven".  I thought all of it could use a little bit more fleshing out - maybe even enough for a 128 page book.  There just doesn't seem to be enough info to "just drop" this city into your campaign. 

Having said that, though, I still think enterprising GM's could supply this city with enough detail to last a hundred adventures.  Only three stars from me, although I =might= have given it four if it had been even 80 pages.  Not for Players.

Stormhaven - A city needing more info...

"Stormhaven" by Patrick Younts, published and distributed by Mongoose Publishing.

ISBN = 1-903980-22-4.  MGP # 5002.

Quick Look-see:
01) Introduction
02) Stormhaven - Overview
03) Upside - Castles in the Sky
04) Driftdowns - Pillars of Broken Dreams
05) Sailors, Soldiers, and Scoundrels
06) Sailor's Tales
07) OGL

Part 01 - Introduction.  The intro includes a one page short story, and a short intro to the book.

Part 02 - Stormhaven - Overview.  Looks at the history of Stormhaven, but leaves important background info for the GM to play with - if they want to.  There's a look at Stormhaven today, including local government, outside nations, the military, festivals, religion, and magic.

Part 03 - Upside.  A term sometimes used for Upside is "Castles in the Sky".  Upside includes a look at the "World Disk", "The Black Crown" - a place where scholars of the arcane of all types meet, The Staircase District, the Noble's Quarter, the Warehouse District, the Government District, and The Rat's Nest.

Part 04 - Driftdowns.  Far below the World Disk, lies the Driftdowns, a collection of less-fortunate souls.  Important Neighborhoods include: The Central Piers, the Dockyards, the Sailor's Sleep quarter, the Driftwood Kingdoms, and the Underdocks.

Part 05 - Sailors, Soldiers, and Scoundrels.  A few important NPC's are here, as well as five organizations, and some short info on Driftdown area guards.

Part 06 - Sailor's Tales.  This is a very short section on various rumors and legends, as well as 2 new feats, 2 new spells, and 3 new magic items.

Part 07 - OGL.  The usual Open Gaming License.

This is the second in a fairly short series from Mongoose called "Cities of Fantasy".  Mongoose has used almost every open space for info on Stormhaven.  The rather basic maps of both Upside and Driftdowns is on the inside front cover, and on the inside back cover are basic diagrams of Rat's Nest Rowhouses. an Embassy, a typical pub, a typical Driftdown Apartment building, a typical Driftwatch Storefront, a look at a basic rendering of a Fire Tower, and a diagram of Driftwatch Station. 

When they say in the intro that Stormhaven is "ripe for a game master's customization", they aren't kidding.  Stormhaven suffers from the same 64 page limitations as its earlier predecessor, "Skraag".  Some thought appears to have been given for this, but the solutions Mongoose found just aren't big enough for a book detailing a whole city.  I thought all of it could use a little more fleshing out - maybe even enough for a 128 page book.  There just doesn't seem to be enough info to "just drop" this city into your campaign.  Having said that, though, I still think enterprising GM's could supply this city with enough to last a hundred adventures.  Only three stars from me, although I =might= have given it four if it had been even 80 pages.  Not for Players.

Skraag - City of Orcs

"Skraag" by Wil Upchurch, published and distributed by Mongoose Publishing.
ISBN = 1-903980-15-1.  MGP # 5001.

Quick Look-see:
01) Introduction
02) City History
03) Government
04) Ecology
05) Daily Life
06) Commerce
07) Religion
08) Defences
09) City Tour
10) Movers and Shakers
11) Skraag in your Campaign
12) OGL

Part 01 - Introduction.  The intro includes a one page short story, and a short intro to the book.

Part 02 - History.  A look at the former inhabitants of Skraag, how they were driven out, rebuilding Skraag, what happened after the first rebuilding, and the present day.

Part 03 - Government.  The current leaders of Skraag, their opposition, a new Prestige Class, and penalties for various crimes.

Part 04 - Ecology.  Food and water supplies, and shelter.

Part 05 - Daily Life.  One new Feat, and a two page summary of daily life.

Part 06 - Commerce.  A one page summary of Skraag commerce.

Part 07 - Skraag Religion.  Including one church, one cult, two new Prestige Classes, one new creature, one new spell, and the former High Shaman of Skraag.

Part 08 - Defences.  The Orc Horde, and factions within it, four Skraag siege weapons, four new spells, and the Skraag guard forces.

Part 09 - Tour of the City.  12 major city attractions, two new creatures, and a generic map of Skraag.

Part 10 - Movers and Shakers.  Nine major NPC's, a look at the opposition forces, a few other NPC's, and another new Prestige Class.

Part 11 - Skraag in Your Campaign.  Campaign and scenario ideas, including a couple example scenarios.

Part 12 - OGL.  The usual Open Gaming Licence,

This is the first in a fairly short series from Mongoose called "Cities of Fantasy". Life is short and not very precious in Skraag.  This 64 page book is nowhere near big enough to squeeze in what probably needed to be there.  I felt that all of the sections could have been fleshed out a little better.  They really needed a better map of Skraag (look at what passes for a map on page 45). Putting Skraag in your campaign may require a little bit more tweaking.  However, there are some really good ideas on how a Orc city would operate without tearing each other limb from limb.  GM's should at least look at this book if possible, Players don't really need it.  Only three stars this time - I =might= have given it four if it had a much better map of Skraag.

"Undead" by various, published and distributed by Alderac Entertainment Group.

ISBN = 1-887953-39-6  AEG # 8504

Quick Look-see:

Introduction

Part 1 - That Which Cannot Live
01) The Land Beyond Death
02) Why Seek Undeath
03) The Hammer of Faith
04) Controlling the World

Part 2 - Hunters of the Dead
05) New Skill
06) New Uses for Old Skills
07) New Feats
08) 14 New Prestige Classes
09) Undead Hunter's Kit

Part 3 - Beyond the Flesh
10) Worshipping Death
11) Lords of Death
12) New Domains
13) New Spells
14) New Magic Items
15) New Artifacts

Part 4 - More than Flesh
16) Undead Archetypes

Part 5 - Beyond the Pale
17) Undead Campaigns

Part 6 - Secrets of Undeath
18) Liches
19) Mummies

Part 7 - OGL
20) OGL

The intro is a one page short story.

In Part One, is an overview of undeath, a few pages about why some seek undeath, a look at faith among the undead, and a couple pages about how to control the world from beyond the grave.

In Part Two, there is one new skill, Craft (Autopsy), and a few new uses for old skills. There are 14 new prestige classes, including Wastelands Druid, Unbeating Heart, Sacred Theurgist, Risen, Raider, Puppet, Paladin of the Pale, Knight of the Eternal Eye, Hunter of the Fallen, Faith Hunter, Exorcist, Dying, Chirurgeon, and Champion of the Dead. There's also a description of a basic undead hunter's kit.

In Part Three, there are two pages about the soul's journey and worshipping the dead, a bit about the Lords of Death, including the domains available from those deities, 13 domains and the spells available from each domain, 19 new spells, 12 new magic items, and 7 new artifacts.

In Part Four, there are 8 new archetypes, including The Avenging, Free Ghouls, Ghostly Advisors, Guardian Mummies, Mad Wraiths, Power Hungry Liches, Vampires, and Zombie Servitors.

In Part Five, this book looks at the possibility of having an entire campaign based solely of undead PC's.

In Part Six, there are many details of Liches and many details of Mummies.

In Part Seven, there is nothing except the usual Open Game License.

This 128 page book is jam-packed with info about many types of undead, and how to add them to a campaign.  With the exception of the 10 pages of unusual ideas about a PC based undead campaign, this book can serve up really detailed undead of various types.  The fourteen new Prestige Classes give quite a bit of flexibility to GM's hungry for more than the basic info on undead, and since most of the new Prestige Classes are meant to be monsters at worst, or evil NPC's at best, the section of new Prestige Classes gives many ways to beef up the usual horde of skeletons.  The larger section of info about Liches is very useful, as is the larger section on Mummies.  There are illustrations throughout the book.  All in all, I'd say that this is another great effort by Alderac - I bought one, and GM's should at least take a good look at it.  Four Star recommendation.

"Gladiators" by Matthew Sprange, published and distributed by Mongoose Publishing.

ISBN = 1-903980-05-4  MGP # 2001

Quick Look-see:

Introduction

Part 1 - Arenas and Campaigns
01) Overview of the Arena
02) Races of the Spectacle
03) The Arenas
04) The Gladiator Campaign

Part 2 - Gladiatorial Combat
05) Characters of the Arena
06) Gladiatorial Feats
07) Types of Matches
08) Fame, Mercy, and the Crowd
09) Chariots
10) Exotic Weaponry
11) Dirty Tricks of the Sands

Part 3 - Sands of Death
12) Sands of Death
13) Sample Gladiators
14) Designer's Notes
15) OGL
16) Rules Summary

The intro is a two page short story and a short bit about the book.

In Part One, they have an overview of the arena in general, another bit about why they are built, a few paragraphs about gladiators in general, another short section on Stable Masters (the controllers of the slaves), a very short look at managers and contracts, some info on the crew of the arena, another section on the crowd, and a bit about smaller arenas. Races of the Spectacle include: Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Halflings, Goblinoids, Orcs, Half-Orcs, and other races.  Arenas include Pit Fights as well as larger outdoor arenas.  Outdoor arenas are split up into smaller and larger venues.  Finally, in The Gladiator Campaign section, there are thoughts about a gladiatorial based campaign, including a few plot hooks. 

In Part Two, they look at characters of the arena, including a new character class of Slave, the Gladiatorial Champion character class, the Beast Handler character class, and the Charioteer character class. Then there are new feats, info on types of matches, Sacrificial Games, blind fighting, and mounted entertainment, including Chariots and Jousts.  There's also a short section devoted to fame and mercy.  In addition, there are a few pages devoted to Chariots and how they operate, another couple of pages on exotic weaponry, and finally some dirty tricks Gladiators need to watch out for - or use.

In Part Three, they create a whole mini-game to use either in a regular role playing game campaign, or, believe it or not, as a stand alone product. There are rules for running "The Sands of Death", including some sample Gladiators. If you've ever had the desire to portray a "Stable Master", with gladiators under your control, this is the section for you. Finally there's the usual OGL, a rules summary, and a sample Stable Master's record sheet.

Although this is an 80 page book, I found the section on "The Sands of Death" almost useless, and it takes up 15 pages, including the inside back cover.  However, the sample Gladiators, of which there are 15, might be useful as either PC's or NPC's.  In addition, there are no diagrams or maps of any type of arena.  These two flaws, which I consider major, are the reason I'm only awarding this book three stars.  Had there been, maybe, even one good diagram/map of an arena, I =might= have give it four.  In this case, I'd say to stay away unless you =really= want to add Gladiators to your campaign.

What's =your= fate?

Hi!

Those of you who know me well, know that I usually do not accept advertising for my blog.  I'm just here to have fun and tell people about my adventures in the Gamers Circus.  But this time, I have a cause to parrot.  Evil Hat Productions, the current holder of the "FATE" rules for RPG's (a sub-set of the FUDGE rules)  is doing two Kickstarter programs for their company.  The first is to eventually release a hardcover book for the FATE core rules.  This Kickstarter has already completed, with an initial goal of only $3,000 and exceeded its goal by having $433,365 pledged.  With that kind of support, they went ahead and started a second Kickstarter for FATE dice.  The FATE dice Kickstarter is still going on (at this writing only 61 hours left!).  Although they have successfully exceeded their initial goal, two "stretch" goals remain, both of which I would like to own.  At this time, they are at $56,407, and need to get to $60K to "unlock" the "Leather and Brass" set, and need to get to $70K to got to the "Eldritch" set.  I would especially like them to reach both of these goals.  If you would like to pledge to this cause please use the following URL (=none= of which goes to me!):

Fate Dice™: Dice For Your Fate & Fudge Games

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/evilhat/fate-dicetm-dice-for-your-fate-and-fudge-games

Please, if you use either FATE or FUDGE, consider pledging enough to buy a set (or two...).  And with FATE Core coming out "real soon now", if you don't use FATE or FUDGE, you'll have a chance to look at it in the stores.  Then you'll have a reason to buy a set (or three...). 

Bruce Gray

Could this be the best RPG Atlas ever?

"Kingdoms of Kalamar Atlas" by various, published and distributed by Kenzer and Company.
ISBN = 1-889182-63-X  K&C # 1005

Quick Look-see:

Introduction
1) Brandobia
2) Kalamar
3) The Young Kingdoms
4) The Wild Lands
5) Reanaaria Bay
6) Svimohzia
Appendix A: Geographical Abstracts
Appendix B: Pronunciation Guide
Appendix C: Land Types
Appendix D: Languages
Appendix E: Geographic Features
Appendix F: Primary Population Centers

Introduction: Features of the book, a map reference, and a map symbol key.

Chapter 1: Brandobia: From page 7 to page 36, nothing but maps of the Brandobian area. Also includes a small stat block for each map.

Chapter 2: Kalamar: From page 37 to page 58, nothing but maps of the Kalamar Kingdom area. Also includes a small stat block for each map.

Chapter 3: The Young Kingdoms: From page 59 to page 76, nothing but maps of the Young Kingdoms. Also includes a small stat block for each map.

Chapter 4: The Wild Lands: From page 77 to page 94, nothing but maps of the Wild Lands. Also includes a small stat block for each map.

Chapter 5: Reanaaria Bay: From page 95 to page 114, nothing but maps of the Reanaaria Bay area. Also includes a small stat block for each map.

Chapter 6: Svimohzia: From page 115 to page 146, nothing but maps of the Island of Svimozia and surrounding area. Also includes a small stat block for each map.

Appendix A: Geographical Abstracts: A look at Trade Routes, Ocean Currents, Wind Currents, Precious Metal Deposits, Utilitarian Metal Deposits, Industry, Fishing Herding and Ranching, Grain Production, Military Deployments, and a strange map of the continent.

Appendix B: Pronunciation Guide: How to pronounce the weird names found in this book.

Appendix C: Land Types: Everything from mountains, to prairies, to tropical forests.

Appendix D: Languages: A complete list of languages spoken on the planet, an untranslated word, and the translation.

Appendix E: Geographic Features: A list of geographical features in the kingdom, and where they are, both in the Atlas and in the book(s) they appear in.

Appendix F: Primary Population Centers: In alphabetical order by town name. This reference chart shows the population, the country, the Atlas page number, and the latitude and longitude.  THis is the longest of the appendixes, as it covers even smaller villages.

Folks, here is almost a master work of Atlases.  240 pages of the entire Kingdom of Kalamar, and there's enough blank areas to fulfil any GM's desires for customization.  I use Kingdoms of Kalamar reference materials for my campaign.  (P.S.: Geanavue and Loona are on page 45. :-).  The map stat blocks provide names of included cities and population.  The trade route section shows both sea routes and land routes.  There's even some small pictures of the various land types.  If you play using Kingdom of Kalamar info, then you should at least look at the Atlas.  If you are a Kingdoms of Kalamar GM, this book is almost indispensable.  I don't give out 5 star reviews often, but this one deserves it.  One of my highest recommendations.