Scott Wolf Books

This is a good book. While it production values are nothing like many other books in the series, it still has a lot of interesting information. Specifically, there are a myriad number of feats that make playing a forsaken character far easier. There are also feats that lend a greater feeling to interacting with spirits. Several of the prestige classes are good. How ever, some seem redundant, like the fact that they have shadow hunters and spirit champions, both of which fulfill a similar theme. The monster classes in the book are a tad over power (ie the ogre mage). All in all I found it useful.

It is a nice book. It takes me back to the days in 1978 when I learned to play dugeons and dragons using a paper and pencil.

But I was looking for a book to help me with the online version of World of Warcraft. And this is not the right book for that.

It does give some of the background information on the storyline. It was just the wrong book for my needs.

This book delves into the rich background and history of the primary Horde races - namely orc, tauren and (forest) troll and it accomplishes this feat surprisingly well, while also introducing other playable races like the half-ogre, half-orc and abomination.

You will also find several horde only prestige classes like the Lightslayer, Plagueshifter and Shadow Ascendant along with new magic items (e.g. kodo helm of devouring & wyvern tamer gloves), tech-devices (e.g. doubleslammer, totem wings) and feats. The book is well worth the purchase if you are a fan of the horde, if you plan to enrichen your WoW rpg experience or if you want more credible foes for your Alliance themed game. Enjoy!

Very well written and essential for fans of the setting. The tabletop opens vistas heretofore inaccessible. Combined with Lands of Mystery, this book is invaluable for running a Kalimdor campaign.

This is a very deep and thurough look at the scavenger lands. The only bad part of it is that it often leave certain things without stats, as in these tombs of former exalted that annhilate their would be thieves...eh,jsut pet piev though. But all in all, if you are interested in this part of the game world, buy it.

A must-have if you want to run games in the setting used in the Exalted books. Though the Core book gives some basic setting information, Scavenger Sons actually gives you enough detail to provide starting points for adventures and campaigns, as well as interesting backstories for characters, for any area of the world (not just the Scavenger Lands, as the name implies). If you play like I do, having more setting detail is extremely helpful. Overall, the book is well-written, though be warned that there isn't a whole lot in the way of new rules - if you buy books only for the crunch and could care less about setting detail, you might want to save the money for a new fatsplat instead. However, keep in mind that when the new edition comes out, this book won't become obsolete like many of the others might.

This sourcebook is meant for the Exalted role-playing game and details the lands surrounding the Blessed Isle (known as the Threshold), including the Scavenger Lands to the East. Overall the book is very well done, providing interesting adventure hooks and details to bring the people, customs, and cities in the Threshold to life. The chapter on Nexus is especially well done with lots of adventure ideas and will be useful for GMs who plan to take their games there.

The only con is that there are no maps provided (except one for the Scavenger lands in Chapter 5) and you will have to rely on the maps that came with the main Exalted rulebook.

The chapters are:

Ch1: The North.
Descrbes the frozen lands north of the Blessed Isle and its people, customs and cities. Includes details of the Haslanti League (a loose confederation of city-states on the shores of the White Sea), iceships and airboats.

Ch2: The East
Describes the lands to the East of the Blessed Isle, but deals mostly with the areas outside of the Scavenger Lands proper which has its own chapter. There is a detailed section on the Sijan the city of the dead, and sections on the people, customs and creatures of the forest lands.

Ch3: The South.
Describes the cities and inhabitants of Gem, Chiaroscuro, the Varang City-States, Harborhead, and the surrounding lands. Nexus is described in a separate chapter. There are notes on Firedust and weapons (e.g. Firewands) using this unique substance.

Ch4: The West
Details the islands of the West, including Wavecrest, Coral , Skullstone, and the dreaded Lintha pirate family.

Ch5: The Scavenger Lands
Describes the so-called Scavenger Lands and includes a detailed history of the River Province. The cities of Lookshy, Great Forks, Sijan, Greyfalls, and Denandsor are described in some detail. A separate section deals with the unique creatures of Mount Metagalapa (hawkriders,birdmen, and great rocs).

Ch6: Nexus
An in-depth description of the teeming megapolis of Nexus which includes descriptions of the surrounding lands, laws, the council, the guild, and the various districts and neighborhoods. A separate section details the First Age Tombs of the Exalted in Nexus, complete with their deadly traps.

Appendix1: Groups and Organisations
Describes the various power factions in the Threshold including the Guild and the Children of the Wyld in greater detail.

Appendix2: The Fair Folk
A thorough discussion on the Fair Folk. This chapter covers the varieties of Fair Folk and their unique powers (Glamour) done in much greater detail than the sections in the main Exalted rulebook.

America Offline was written like the other Psi Order/ Area books of Trinity. The color section contains general information that most people in the game world would have access to. The black and white section has information that is mostly for storytellers.

The sections on Orgotek were good. The subdivisions provide more choices for PCs who don't want to play a corporate drone or an engineer. Orgotek's goals and beliefs make it very PC-friendly. It generally isn't a big evil corporation like Pentex. The section on alternative Electrokinetic powers was very interesting. The technology section was rather light considering the fact that Orgotek makes a ton of neat bio/hardtech gadgets.

The section on the FSA gets the job done but wasn't very thorough. It does drive home that the U.S. is now a fascist empire where the rich are at the top and the masses are down at the bottom. There should have been more information on culture and the day-to-day activities of the citizens. It seemed like all the people in the FSA are either drones from Orwell's '1984', anarchists, or violent nomads. If that is what the people are like then the section on the FSA did its job. Also, there should have been more information on the FSA's Warmachine agenda. I wanted to know when the war of aggression will end. Perhaps the FSA's war will never end.

Despite some of my complaints this is a good book. It is a must for storytellers who want to run a Trinity game with Orgotek or in the FSA.

really a good idea for a N America Campaign. Gives new powers to Elecktrokinetics. Great thing to have!

As a storyguide beginning his third MAGE chronicle and as a player starting in a separate chronicle, I found this book very useful in further detailing the ways in which true shamans work in the World of Darkness. In some ways, the book continues the themes expounded in the Dreamspeaker tradition book, but it goes further and is not limited to Dreamspeakers alone.

That said, this book does focus on shamanic methods and viewpoints, and has a heavy emphasis on interaction with spirits. It's not a spirit compendium, unlike Werewolf's Axis Mundi, and though it touches on shamanic possibilities for all Traditions, it seems far less useful for non-shamanic groups like the Celestial Chorus and the Order of Hermes.

Outstanding features involve blessings and curses of being a shaman, new merits and flaws, the potential "catch-all" nature of Spirit magick, discussion of totems and the World Tree aspect of the Umbra, and finally a new collection of spirit-related rotes. It's all well-written and presents minimal rules-related content. The story is illustrative without being intrusive.

Bottom line was that this gave me a greatly expanded perspective on what it means to be a shaman, the responsibilities as well as the benefits. The only drawback for me was that the authors chose not to explore alternative visions of shamanism, such as technomancer or Hermetic possibilities. Consequently, the book will be primarily useful to chronicles featuring Dreamspeakers, Verbena, or Cultists.

This is a fun book-- the premise is, a page shows an extreme close up of something from Disneyland (for example, the crest above the castle, or the lions near the Haunted Mansion). You have to figure out what it is; turn the page to reveal a larger photo that reveals the location. Kind of neat :-)

A friend of mine interned down at White Wolf Games during the Phil Brucato era. Brucato was working on the original WoD: Sorcerer, and per my friend, he referred to it as the "Here It Is, Now Shut the F^^k Up" book.

I bring this up to illustrate a particular point about the original World of Darkness setting (aka the oWoD): there was a demand by players to play humans who could wield magic. However, many of those same players didn't like _Mage: the Ascension_ (2nd edition), and were quite vocal about it. Why didn't they like it? Some felt the magic rules were too complex and wanted something simple, others didn't like the idea of any humans in the WoD being able to incinerate a vampire at the drop of a hat or teleport a pound of silver into a werewolf's stomach.

Regardless, the 1st ed. _WoD: Sorcerer_ book was written to appease that vocal segment of the fanbase, while not invalidating the magic system in _Mage: the Ascension 2nd edition_. Thus, _WoD: Sorcerer 1st ed._ gave the hedge wizard some fairly formidable magical abilities, while at the same time making them less flexible, less magically-fast, and overall less powerful than True Magi. This was a good compromise, allowing the GM of other oWoD games the opportunity to add human spell-casters who were compatible with their chosen system (V:tM, W:tA, etc.) but leaving the really high-level magical power in the hands of True Magi.

_WoD Sorcerer: Revised_ essentially invalidates a good chunk of of the _M:tA 2nd ed_ (& Revised ed.) magic system, by making the hedge wizard every bit as powerful as the True Mage, to wit:

(1) the writers retcon the difference between hedge wizards and True Magi. Before, any Mage with Prime 1 could see the difference between True Magic and hedge magic when it was cast; now, the difference is so subtle and obscure only a handful of scholars can even tell it's there. The writers claim the differences were artificial, but those of us who've played since 1st ed. know better.

(2) Hedge wizards are now the equal in casting speed, technique, and knowledge acquisition. If there's a chance a Mage can know it and do it, then so can a hedge wizard. Hedge wizards are now so close to True Magi in terms of magical ability that the book even provides optional rules for hedge wizards to gain Paradox if the GM feels that they are unbalancing.

(3) Socially, boundaries are dissolved as well: hedge wizards can now serve as those who guard and hold the actual beliefs of a Tradition -- they're the ones who perform the magic that one can point to and say, "That's what the Order of Hermes is about!" while the more Awakened magi go out and push the boundaries of that magic and do the things that get HIT-MARKs sent after them. Gone is the social tension between the groups.

Bottom-lining it: This book is _Mage: the Ascension_ for people who hate _Mage: the Ascension_ rules.

The above is both good and bad, depending on what you're doing in the oWoD:

(1) If you're a fan of oWoD cross-over adventure/campaigns, this book is probably a godsend. Let's face it: the rules incompatability across the oWoD game lines sent many a GM into screaming fits. If you're a GM who wants a human spell-caster who can hang with Kindred/Garou/Wraith/Changelings *without* unbalancing your game, have your player generate a character according to these rules. (Or switch to the New World of Darkness).

(2) If you're running straight-up _Mage: the Ascension_ 1st/2nd/Revised ed, your PC options suddenly become more complicated. The power level of hedge wizards now makes them practically indistinguishable from True Magi, and the fact that they don't gain Paradox in the process will attract twink-players to your table. In addition, if you have a story structure that involves any social tension between hedge wizards and True magi (master-disciple interaction, both sides arrogant about their own perspectives, etc.), this book will kill that dead. Consider carefully before allowing _Sorcerer: Revised_ at your M:tA table.

On the plus side:

(1) The hedge wizard society write-ups are wonderful. You have the option of integrating a hedge wizard into an existing Tradition, or having them be of their own independent society, or even making up one of your own.

(2) The psychic rules are great (psi are considered seperately from wizards). They were strong in the original WoD: Sorcerer and this book only improves on them.

(3) The chapter in the back on GM advice (hedge magic for other semi-supernaturals in the oWoD, like kinfolk or ghouls; moods & themes; rules for making new Paths, etc.) is superlative. I would recommend this book to any oWoD fan on the strength of that alone.

(4) Finally, all of the above gives you everything you need to run a sorcerer and/or psion chronicle. This is technically a supplement but is so well-written and organized that it feels like a stand-alone. You could easily use the material to build a human-focused oWoD story, or even use it for a generic horror game.

So, I give this book three stars: I applaud its completeness and the material it offers to the cross-over GM or the GM looking to mix things up a little with his stories. However, I recognize that Brucato gave the original edition of this book its nickname for a reason: _Sorcerer_ (in both its incarnations) re-writes _Mage: the Ascension_ for people who don't like _Mage: the Ascension_. If you like M:tA, you may not have much use for it.

I frankly cannot understand how ANYONE could dislike this book. It is well laid-out, well-written, the rules are balanced nicely. Some of the skills are a bit lame, but that doesn't matter. It is an excellent book. I'd recommend you buy it.

This book covers the so-called Hedge Wizards, or sorcerers, as opposed to those who practice "True" magic. Although their magic is not as flexible or open-ended as that of "true" magic, it can be just as potent and is much more focused. Plus it doesn't have Paradox! The book opens with a general intro fiction about a farmer calling down rain to end a drought, and then moves on to a typical introduction and terminology. Surprsingly, the first chapter (written in-character by an acolyte) delves into what "hedge magic" is, and the various hows and whys that accompany it. This then quickly moves to the next chapter, which points out very clearly that the distinctions between "hedge magic" and "true magic" are pretty much pointless, as both are magic and only a handful of scholarly types even make the distinction. We then get a look at how Sorcerers fit into all of the Traditions, from Akashic martial artists to Dreamspeaker shaman to Euthanatos necromancers to Verbena witches, often because of cultural affiliations. They exist amongst the Hollow Ones and Orphans too, and even the Technocracy has those who specialize in "advanced" chemistry, engineering or other such sciences.

From there we are given a look at "independant" societies as well, the ancient Egyptian cults of Isis and Osiris, the Bata'a voudonists and santeros (who maintain a seperate identity within the Dreamspeakers), the anti-Semitic infernalists of the Nebuu-Afef, the near maruaders of the Silver Portal, the UFO conspiracists of the Star Council and more. The smaller factions are also looked at, and the reasons for their decline (the African Uzoma and Mayan Balamob joining the Dreamspeakers, for instance, the Irish Fenian and Mormon Nephites joining the Celestial Chorus and the dark pagan Asatru Futhark being destroyed). The next chapter gives the general Character Creation guidlines, along with new rules, Backgrounds, Traits and Merits/Flaws specific to Sorcerers. Most of the stuff is quite appropriate too. This is followed by a look at roughly 15 Paths, like shapeshifting, teleportation, alchemy, summoning, weather control, elemental control, divinations, shadow control, alchemy and so forth. Each path includes a number of rituals and even variations on paths (like necromancy, high-tech chemistry and so forth).

In the next chapter we are given a look at another alternative: psyhics, along with rules for psychic powers as magic, chi-manipulation or whatever (this option is especially appropriate for Akashics, Dreamspeakers or Ecstatics). Like with hedge magic, some 20 Psychic Powers and variations are given, like telepathy, mind shielding, clairvoyance, pyrokenesis, psychic vampirism, animal psi, astral travel, biocontrol and the like. Theres also a couple psychic fellowships given, though none are particularly large or powerful. The next chapter, though, is quite useful, covering guidelines for running a sorcerer/psychic chronicle. Themes, mood and concepts (like seeker of forbidden secrets of chem student) are given, along with rules and options for hedge magic and other supernaturals (as well as half-supernaturals like ghouls, kinfolk, kinian, etc). This covers both learning it and being affected by it. Theres also an examination of the limits of hedge magic, and rules for making new Paths. All in all, this was a very useful section, of a very useful book. Go check it out if you enjoy Mage: the Ascension or even just want to add a darker, supernatural element to other World of Darkness games.

This is a truly useful book. It describes Sorcerous societies and tells about the roll of Sorcerers in the World of Darkness. It now makes the distinctions between Sorcerers and Mages clear. One type of magic isn't necessarily more powerful than the other, yet the magic is learned differently: mages gain overarching understanding while Sorcerers gain their knowledge in a specific area a little bit a time. Best yet, the book can be used with any game just to give it a little extra flavor. Overall, if anyone is interested in Sorcery (or Linear Magic as the book calls it) or wants to add some extras to existing games, then this book is for you.

White Wolf has been alluding to the (somewhat ridiculous) term "Hedge magicians" for years, to distinguish these folks from True Mages. Finally they "clear it up." There's no real difference between the magic of a Sorcerer and that of an Awakened Mage. One is "linear" and the other is "affinative" (whatever THAT means.) Why then, if they cast the same spell, does a Mage incur paradox but a Sorcerer doesn't? Why wouldn't Mages study Sorcery, to have a few paradox-free tricks in their bag? The book even goes as far to claim that "trying to create divisions is a waste of time -- magicians have better things to do." Huh? The Order of Hermes NOT making divisions?

The second part of the book deals with Psychics -- neither Mages nor Sorcerors, who have powers markedly similar to Vampires (i.e. Obfuscate, Movement of Mind, etc.) I'm not sure how they connect to Mages or Sorcery, or if a connection was even intended.

Yet it's still a neat book. What's cool about Sorcerers is their independence -- no Traditions, no Ascension War, none of metaphysical pomp and circumstance of Mage. As far as magic goes, this IS your father's Oldsmobile: alchemy, hellfire, and broomsticks. But the system is coherent and interesting, and as a stand-alone game, Sorcerer might actually be fun.

Scroll of Kings is a collection of rules, etc., centered around the theme of armies and warfare. Within are clarifications to the mass combat system, stats for siege weaponry, info on the military practices and sample units from a variety of nations (including several not previously covered), and other stuff of that nature. There is also info on the major directional gods of war, their worship and agendas.

The one potentially confusing thing is the overall organization. The book is arranged by direction, such that the rules for sieges are in the section on the South, whereas naval combat is in the chapter on the West. It makes thematic sense, but it means you have to have a good sense of the themes involved (or have read the whole book already) if you want to just look up a particular thing. Of course, the whole thing isn't that long, so it's not a big problem. Also, most things with stats are at the end in the appendices, so that while naval combat is discussed in the West chapter, the actual ship stats are in the back.

On the whole, it's a nice addition to the series that will come in handy for players interested in making use of the War Ability, or for Storytellers of a series set during wartime. The additions and clarifications within are useful and welcome in that case but not essential for those less interested in games focusing on this particular theme.

The Mass Combat rules for Exalted need quite a lot of work. They're clumsy to work with and some of the mechanics are simply poorly thought out (e.g., the way Morale scales for larger armies provides for ridiculous results in which a very small force of mortals can, without much trouble, rout most of a 10,000 man strong enemy force of mortals. No Exalted or heroic mortals need be involved). I'm running a campaign in which an important battle is coming up, and so I bought this book assuming that it would feature a better and streamlined ruleset that would save me a lot of time and provide for a better play experience.

Unfortunately, the book doesn't deliver.
It outlines a lot of flavor for military forces in the different regions of Creation, including a few stat blocks for different kinds of troops. It also features some mildly useful information for ships and other military equipment, such as siege engines and cannons. These details are useful, to be sure. But what use is this level of detail when the system itself won't work without extensive house-ruling?
I own most of the Exalted 2nd Ed books, and this is the only one which I regret purchasing. You can obtain a great deal of the flavor from the relevant Compass of Terrestrial Directions books, and statting out armies and units isn't that hard. The main contribution this book should have made was improving the core system of Mass Combat, and that is exactly what it doesn't do in any shape or way.
With so many other excellent Exalted supplements, I suggest you pass on this one.

Those familiar with White Wolf products (especially the Exalted line) will note the substantial editing problems. Only the most grammar conscious or irritable would claim that these really detract from the quality of the product, I feel, but then again I have been acclimated to this sort of shoddy editing by years of it.

Scroll of Kings is a solid book, containing a great deal of setting information necessary for running campaigns dealing with military campaigns and the like. Each of the first five chapters covers one direction (South, North, West, East, Central) and introduces rules and mechanics that pertain to the conditions most common in that direction. The armies of major nations and cities in each direction are also given a thorough treatment, complete with Mass Combat statistics for one unit per locale. All in all, this material is very sound and satisfying and makes an enjoyable read. I was especially fond of the discussion of each direction's war gods, their rites, rituals and dispositions. History buffs will be alternately entertained or frustrated, depending on how picky they are about "realistic tactics and equipment," but the relevance of such a discussion within a fantasy line is a perennial argument that will not disappear anytime soon.

With regards to the treatment of Exalted canon, your mileage may vary. An example: The presence of projectile firing shore and deck cannons in the old Savage Seas supplement always nudged me the wrong way (since it contradicted most explanations for why Firedust was not gunpowder and could not be used the same way) and now that has been somewhat retconned with the introduction of steam cannons. The same principles apply ... one need only use the firedust to vaporize water in a boiler and then the steam does the work of pushing the stone or shell.

While I like steam-cannons in my setting, others have expressed their distaste. The individual preferences of each reader ought to be considered.

The last thing that bears mentioning is the degree to which various rules and mechanics are scattered throughout the chapters. I enjoyed this organization, but I also understand the outrage and frustration of others who find it messy and irresponsible.

I am well satisfied with it and eagerly anticipate the next supplements in the line.

I thought the book was pretty decent. It has stats for ships and their weapons, rules for ship to ship combat and even mass combat rules for crew vs crew fighting which could be used for other arenas of combat.
I liked the sections about life at sea and how ships are run. It also talks about the details of navigation in a world which actually is flat and where the pole used for navigation is in the center.
Savage Seas also has some new charms, mainly geared towards use at sea, some new spells, terrestrial and celestial, and a few minor artifacts.
What it didn't have were things like whole chapters about individual pirate groups, or various navies. Those things were pretty much summarized between 2 chapters. Alot of that stuff was covered in other books, or left for storytellers to customize.
All in all, if you run a sea-based series then this book will be a good resource. If you're landlocked, then you might not want to buy it.

Since Exalted was released, I have been a huge fan of the setting and system and hence, purchasing each supplement as it comes out. However, this is the one supplement that I wish that I hadn't wasted my money on.

This book is nothing more than a breakdown of ship design and ship terminology. Save your money, this book is fairly worthless for a campaign.

This book has two goals:
1) give storytellers an overview of "realistic" ancient seafaring life/culture/technology; and,
2) give storytellers fantasy specifics about how 1) works in world of Exalted.
I believe it strongly succeeds on both accounts. The material is not a campaign or module per se. What it does is provide an immense amount of cool, detailed material storytellers can work into games of their own design. So if you want something to "plug and play" with minimal effort than this isn't for you. If you're looking for "thinking fuel" and inspiration ... you won't be disappointed. My favorite parts were the one's that provided glimpses of First Age ships. Loved it!!!

This black and white comic gives the story of the Wolf's Dragoons after House Marik murders Joshua Wolf. As expected from the title, Natasha Kerensky (the Black Widow) must work with her unit to avenge the deaths of the murdered Dragoons. The book also comes with a Battletech RPG scenario at the end...a barroom fight of all things. Still, if you can find this, it is a story that helps to further explain the actions of the Dragoons in the Inner Sphere.

An interesting find if you can get it. Found my copy in a little comic shop off the beaten path about eight years ago. Old-school battletech stuff is some of the most fascinating. Like leafing through tomes forgotten by Comstar. Brings you back to a time before so much of the Battletech universe was mapped and the worlds were still young, as it were; when the sphere was still filled with so much tragic and epically grand mystery.

Thus far, this publication is quite informative. I have read the first three chapters and am very impressed. I would recommend this book to other students

I used this book for a college intro to economics class. It has a lot of information for someone who doesn't know a lot about economics and the economy...maybe too much.

I found myself pushing to get through chapters because they were boring and many of the diagrams were confusing. Some of the concepts aren't very clear.

The CD that came with mine was a huge help. I would print off the study guides before I read the chapter, so I would pay the most attention to those parts because those are the ones the author thought were important.

This book had a lot of econ math in it that I was unable to understand. The CD didn't address that very well. Consequently, those are the questions that I missed on the tests.