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Swords & Six-Siders
by John A. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 02/24/2018 17:09:34

This rules-lite RPG is brilliant in its simplicity. Contained in these 60 pages is everything you need to play, gamemaster, and design your own monsters and adventures. Monster design and their tiny stat block are ingenious. Plus, I love Steve Robertson's art. It is a perfect match to his text, only detailed enough to be inspiring in its simplicity.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Swords & Six-Siders
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Swords & Six-Siders
by Jerry L. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 02/23/2018 21:56:24

Swords & Six-Siders is basically a 1d6 version of the original role-playing game. It is dripping with old-school goo (that's a GOOD thing), from writing to art to the feeling of nostalgia just by reading it. No other dice are used except a good ol' d6, the most convenient type that is accessible in every home, even if you have to raid a dusty old board game tucked in a closet. Your standard races are present (Dwarf, Elf, Halfling, Human) and there are three of the four familiar classes (Fighter, Thief, Wizard). No Clerics, but there is the Myrmidon class which is a compromise since they can fight and cast spells. Your level of play goes from 1-6, the equivalency of levels 1-12 in other OSR games. Monsters are handled so efficiently by the genius of using Monster Levels (ML) to determine their stats. No more extensive stat blocks followed by long-toothed descriptions. Combat's a cinch. Roll 1d6 +/- any modifiers and hit the opponent's Armor Class. Other things I like about the game is that any natural roll of "6" is a success and "1" is a failure. Yep, even the greatest heroes and foes have at least a 1-in-6 probability of flubbing, and the weakest still have a chance for success. This game is so easy to build your own adventures, races, and monsters for -- and with the forthcoming supplement license, we'll soon be creating and sharing our ideas enough to elevate this little gem of a game to new heights previously unimaginable. With enough buy-in from all of the great OSR gamers and authors (and there are a TON of you, FWIW), it should be a fun ride!

Disliked: Myrmidons instead of Clerics - easily remedied with the Supplement license... hint, hint ;) Liked: Everything else!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Active Exploits Diceless Roleplaying
by Goran E. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 02/11/2018 13:33:41

First, let's get rid of a common mistake. It's written diceless not rules-less. so it has rules, quite a lot in fact but they all circle the single identical idea of resource manageament. It's not that this is a bad idea at all, but for example you won't find the grand world-shattering competitive ways to roleplay that Amber introduced. Because yes you need to talk about Amber when you talk about diceless rpg.

So Active Exploits is not designed with a stable group of players in mind, there is no bidding process and all. Here you buy things, and there are quite a few to pick from: ABILITIES which are stats, there are 4 of them. ASPECTS namely luck and discipline which have base values according to game level of reality, SKILLS that you may take and a which level still according to reality level, GIMMICKS (as many as you want as long as the referee agrees) and PRINCIPLES like codes, faults and objectives. Creating a character is easy in fact, the reality level telling all you need, however it is not written in the most explicit way I've seen, but it's just my opinion. What is important is that it is quick, easy, but that players really need to be able to make the differences betwen all the differnt names given to all different possible values.

In fact the system is built upon the idea that you have a base value equals to ability + skill and that you need to burn points of bo uses (like luck etc) to get a sum that is over the target level. You can even spend XP spent on skills to get a temporary boost. It's quite crystal clear except that you need to make really sure players are aware of the many pools they can pick pints from. Especially with the advanced rules that introduces even more pools like flairs (say subskills), convictions, fields of expertise, threads linking characters.

The main problem according to me are these advanced chapters. Because you have character creation, system and combats THEN advanced versions of the same ones then others. All in all I love the way things get described with category after category enhancing game experience. But I must admit that this very depth is also the deepest flaw of the game system because it's easy to get lost and not being able to succeed because you fail at giving a reason why you could add this bonus or that one.

It is a very good game, not doubts. But there are so many resources to manage from that I wonder how far it is a playable game. You need a very committed group that will move farther, advanced option after advanced option. And that will be very difficult to introduce new players in the middle because of the sheer amount of variables to take into account when comes the moment to chose where you pick points from. I tried two games which is not a lot I admit, but each time we had to shatter that wall of "how I am supposed to do that?". In a typical dice-driven game you don't have it because you have clear values to add to a random die result. Here you never know if burning a point or a skill XP on that is useful or silly. On the first game I made all characters were quickly exhausted and succeeding difficult tasks became impossible, on the second one it was the reverse: nobody wanted to burn a dot and the story wasn't proceeding on.

I love this game but I don't know how to make it work properly in fact. How do you play a resource management system when you have no resources left or when no one does want to spend them? And it's the moment we get back to Amber...



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Active Exploits Diceless Roleplaying
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Disposable Heroes Superhero Statix 1
by Michael M. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 01/15/2018 10:50:42

I was looking around for superhero paper miniatures. I tried a couple on DriveThruRPG and this one is the best of the bunch. High quality images formatted for inch squares. Nice selection of generic superheros. Comes with bifold and trifold (like TSR's Marvel Superheroes Fold Ups) versions. Definitely going to look at the publishers other offerings for other genres. If your looking for generic superhero miniatures this set is a solid 5 star.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Disposable Heroes Superhero Statix 1
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Coyote Trail: Shady Gulch Revisited
by JD S. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 01/04/2018 05:34:50

A very solid product. Good attention to detail. Since I have to use 50 characters, I will also say I enjoyed it.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Coyote Trail: Shady Gulch Revisited
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The Solo Wargaming Guide
by Peter J. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 12/29/2016 15:37:22

The system for determining weather will be particularly useful. I also enjoyed reading the examples of the author's campaigns.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
The Solo Wargaming Guide
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Bloodshadows: Fantasy-Noir RPG (Third Edition)
by Thomas B. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 09/27/2016 05:12:04

Thoughts:

  • I like the openness of the world. Given how undocumented the world is, it's easy to insert pretty much whatever you want, from places to creatures. Doubly so when you factor in that the setting explicitly hasn't closed its doors to other dimensions.
  • I am a huge fan of the magic system. Reminds me a bit of the system from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which has both a similar flexibility and danger.
  • The book is black and white, and the whole aesthetic feeds into the "noir" tone of setting very well. None of the art is very bad, most of it is very fitting, and a lot of it is downright great.
  • The species options almost seem a little over the top. With 16 options, some of them seem excessive (or downright weird, looking at you, Orrim). While I generally err on the side of "give them choices", the "Points of Light" setting with humans at the top of a food chain that includes 15 other viable species (plus the NPC options) feels like a stretch to me, unless each species is in such low of numbers that they have no real power. This clearly doesn't apply to Taxim, at least, as they are the most powerful union in Selastos.
  • I've always like the idea of exploits in GenreDiversion. I've never tried the system in play, but I'd be willing to.
  • Experience can be used in ways other than advancement, as "creative editing/story control" that allows you to introduce subplots to the game, or invoke specific features based on your role (like a Sentinel being able to call in reinforcements or a Private Detective automatically noticing a clue). I dig mechanics like this in games, especially when it's light and unobtrusive.
  • It's weird and doesn't make any sense, but the setting is juuuuust a bit harder to wrap my head around than it should be, even though it's really just a fantasy setting with fewer swords and orcs and more gumshoes and night clubs. I love the concept (and the magic..a lot) and I like the game mechanics, but I just gotta get past that setting hump (since noir assumptions are no weirder than quasi-Middle Ages assumption in any other fantasy setting).

Thumbs up on this one, even if I'm not convinced I wouldn't be too intimidated by the weirdness of a few of the setting elements to make it work at my table.

For my full review, please visit http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2016/09/tommys-take-on-bloodshadows-third.html



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Bloodshadows: Fantasy-Noir RPG (Third Edition)
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Barbarians Versus... RPG
by Luca L. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 07/17/2016 06:34:38

Easily one of the most funny and entertaining rules-light RPGs on the scene.

The setting is loosely defined, with broad strokes that help creating the mood and give more inspiration than hard data, the rules are very friendly both to newcomers to the tabletop RPG world and to old grognards that will enjoy the modicum of creativity given to players and GMs alike. A simple and very intuitive system to handle most situations - from combat to social mayhem, as barbarians are destined to - provides a very solid yet flexible framework.

Players and GMs should work together to build up and better define the world and the situations to face during the adventures, and a fair bit of homework is needed to have something that will work for more than a one-shot adventure. It is also highly customizable for something different than cimmerians against dino-aliens, from something more akin to classic sword-and-sorcery to quite outlandish results.

The real gem, is the sum of the parts: the fun factor of playing a bloodthirsty, loud and headstrong barbarian is surprisingly addictive in such a fast flowing game.

Recommended.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Barbarians Versus... RPG
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A Fistfull of Miniatures 2E Basic PDF
by Charles E. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 06/18/2016 09:13:15

I played the fantasy version long ago and like this historical update. The "advanced' rules mentioned would be interesting.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
A Fistfull of Miniatures 2E Basic PDF
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Disposable Heroes Soldier Statix 1: WWII
by Evan H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 03/25/2016 21:08:39

Very well-drawn set. I especially like the varied poses. Only thing that bugs me is that the colors don't quite "feel" right. I may be wrong, and this set may depict variant colorations, but I usually picture World War II German uniforms as a gray-green, and American uniforms as lighter and more brownish than depicted here. Still, a great set for the money, and a good buy for anyone looking for inexpensive World War II minis.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Disposable Heroes Soldier Statix 1: WWII
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Maelstrom Storytelling (Dogbound Edition)
by Scott F. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 12/05/2015 22:53:41

The classic Story Engine in its infancy, with a full world setting, coupled with the fact that the Story Engine Rules (sold separately), can be fused seamlessly with it makes this a true gem for lovers of Roleplaying over Roll-playing. An influence on most modern storytelling games, Maelstrom deserves a solid place on your shelf. Although a little outdated (the Story Engine is a more refined and clarified set of rules), Maelstrom still holds it's own, with a setting, races, and numerous factions to play any type of game with. From murder mysteries to adventuring, Maelstrom offers players a broad selection of options to choose from. If you're a fan of FATE, Precis Intermedia's other RPG systems, such as the Masterbook system, the genreDiversion3E or Story Engine rules (or any of the more other "scene-amatic" games) Maelstrom still offers up the goods, even at the expense of its age. Prepare your Krel Airship and sail into the realms of the twin suns or journey through realms of your choosing. It all starts here.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Maelstrom Storytelling (Dogbound Edition)
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Exiled in Eris
by Stephen Y. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 06/14/2015 15:04:10

Out of 172 pages, 168 are the contents, including character sheet (2 pages). It appears to be a variant d20 system, looking at the pages on skills and combat. Example: Melee (Major Action: Dex+Melee Fighting+1d20); Difficulty: 20 (difficult). For skill rolls, etc: add your attribute, applicable skill bonus, bonuses from specialties, situational modifiers and add the result of a 1d20. Compare that with a difficulty/target number from the GM (easy: 16, Difficult: 20, challenging: 24, etc).

I only spotted 2 typos (page 154 & 152), so far.

Plenty of data on the various species, creatures, land areas, etc. There's a world map (not too bad).

Parts of the book remind me of Mekton 1&2.

Apart from data on supernatural powers, there's also a Game Masters Resources section (premise, alternatives, themes, genre, motivations and rewards, and artifacts).

At £3.24/$5.00 it's not bad for a variant d20 system; worth buying just for the background information/data.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Exiled in Eris
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Exiled in Eris
by Jacob R. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 05/18/2015 23:06:21

This is a fantastic little game. I haven't heard any buzz about it, but it deserves to be well-known. The game is presented as a pulpy planetary romance, and it delivers. The system is easy to learn and plays quickly. The one thing it could stand to improve is that a couple of the esoteric disciplines aren't fleshed out very fully, but the ones that are fleshed out give incredible detail.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Barbarians Versus... RPG
by Thomas B. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 05/02/2015 00:04:40

SIX POINT SUMMARY

  • Random Barbarian Facts (Barbarians argue with Barbarians, they fight with everyone else) are scattered around the book and are pretty humorous.

  • The game reads like it's hard to take seriously, and the adventure backs that up by being too lite. A good, goofy random adventure table could have gone a long ways here.

  • The system is simple, but easy to play around with, as evidenced by some of the combat options. Some of those examples serve as a nice example of how a little description can sell the action more than tables of modifiers can.

  • The price point is pretty good, especially with the "read the PDF, upgrade to the print" option.

  • The sample settings can give you more ideas on how to tweak the setting. Barbarians vs Elves? Barbarians vs Vampires? Barbarians vs Underground Psychic Bomb Worshippers? Most of the book focuses on Barbarians...you can play around with it and figure out who they fight.

  • Because this stuff MATTERS in a game about Barbarians, you also get a random loot table to make the GM's job easier when determining what the Barbarians' latest victims had.

Barbarians Versus is a cute and fun book with a solid skeleton under it, and options that allow a GM to play around with the setting, suitable for a one shot or short campaign play and priced accordingly.

For my full review, please visit http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2015/05/tommys-take-on-barbarians-versus-2nd.html



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Barbarians Versus... RPG
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Atomik CyberTek
by Harry S. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 03/26/2015 13:54:53

Simply one of the BEST 'cybertek' books ever published. I could say the same about all of the other ATOMIK products as well!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Atomik CyberTek
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