Puzzles Books

If you're interested in the history of Faerun, this is a excellent book. It goes into great detail and has a lot of extras, like relics and historical weapons. Great art and a good read.

I always loved the 3.5 (3.0) Forgotten Realms accessories, but I must say that this book is perhaps the best in the series.

This books gives you a +10 competence bonus to your Ancient History(Faerun) skill, as it offers you in-depth knowledge on almost all of the great empires of the past. You can learn all, about the great elven empires, about the history of the Sword Coast, about the phaerimm manace, etc.

Also, you will find some great feats, prestige classes and spells in the book. Some of them are not really for players, but for the DM (and to the NPCs). Players will also find it interesting, if for nothing else, then to add some flavour to the game.

I found it also great that young DMs get some help in a separate chapter to create adventures based on the "ancient theme". Of course, even old DMs, like myself can learn a lot from it.

I greatly looked forward to this book and was not disappointed. The Forgotten Realms is extremely rich in history that has been developed over the long years of its publication and this is truly a comprehensive source of that. The authors have touched on just about every area I can think of and they have done it well.

The book is divided into several sections, each dealing with a different geographic or cultural area. For instance, one section deals with the crown wars (wars between elves almost exclusively) and the elven nations involved (which covers a large area of Faerun) while another area covers the North and includes detail on several elven realms that had little part in the crown wars. They have timelines for each section of the book.

To be clear though, these histories are given not as a tool to play during those times, but as reference points to incorporate the locales of these ancient empires into the current timeline and an existing campaign. They bring the histories up to the current timeline and give you a good idea of what is going on in the ruins of these empires and the doings of the decedents of these empires.

On top of all of this rich history and information is a great deal of good crunchiness. There are several prestige classes, all of which seem well balanced and a great section on new spells and magic items. They even have specifics on mythal creation which is just plain cool to me. Going back to the integration of the past to the present, there is a section about Hellgate Keep and there they specify magic items of goodly races know to have been lost by fallen heroes there (items from the PGtF and this book).

All in all, a great tool for ANY dungeon master running ANY Realms Campaign for its information on ruins (dungeon - hint, hint) and its balance of historical information and crunchy bits. By far one of the most useful Realms products for any edition.

Very well detailed and has a great amount of information that can be used in adventures. I would give it 4.5 if I could because of the usual lack of REAL MAPS that Wizards of the Coast seems to neglect. Great book though and a must have for DM's and Players in the forgotten realms.

I found this title the best supplement ever written. That says a lot, since this series has been around since 1987. At last, in one volume, the history of this magical world is laid bare. I have speculated and wondered in the past why the world is like it is. This volume has given up most of those secret! I stand in awe of most of them. This is the flower of Realms lore. Most are not intended for most gamers. I read the novels and continue my illustrations outside this "gamers" world.

I can only say that the Forgotten Realms have come alive at last with a rich and frightening history in its past. Long live Netheril!

No nonsense, brilliant and fascinating. Gives me an appetite for more. The best book I have ever read on the subject. Harry's software is fantastic too. It is a real eye-opener.
A MUST read for any serious lottery player.

I enjoyed this book very much and read it in about 2.5 hours. Written by a programmer-mathematician, I learned how to improve the odds of winning by using a well-tested checklist which helps you reduce & eliminate silly mistakes and redundancies when creating your number sets. I'm using this book as a foundation because I also realize that intuition and developing your own gaming style is also a part of winning, as well as other variables.

And one of the biggest challenges is keeping organized. Simplicity works best. I generally create my draws, check them, fill out a lottery number form, check it, then submit it.

My gaming style, to date, includes numerous ways of generating draws and I've won small pots from working a mathematical approach, using Quick Picks, and following my hunches which led me to picking 4 out 6 numbers once. Besides winning money, playing the lottery is fun if you want to improve your math skills. I don't play more than $2-$4 a week (sometimes less, or on occasions, a bit more). Sometimes I get pools started.

I found this book to be concise and to the point. Written by a mathematician but in plain, easy to understand English. I read it in one sitting. I was so impressed by the book that I ordered his Lottery software program the following day. It's a smart investment if you're serious about winning the Lottery.

Sick of the hype of lottery systems for sale but still want something that works? Do you want a system that is based on scientific fact but is also easy to use and understand? Then this is the book for you. I love this book! I spoke to the author on the phone and he exudes honesty and sincerety. Also his software is so easy to use. It does all the figuring of his scientific system that is based on statistics. Though the book is a must! So you can understand the system. And you can choose your numbers from the easy instructions in the book. You dont have to have the software. You owe it to yourself to buy this book, if you buy lottery tickets.

Well done Harry Schneider. Your lottery book and software are very impressive. Simple design and layout with effective easily understood results. Saw your comments on the opening screen of the software and closing comments in the book. It's if I had written them myself - brilliant! You have put in a lot of work to produce your book and software and it will certainly meet all my own needs. On the one hand I am depressed that I had not written this book and software myself but on the other hand I don't have to go through all the work and headaches that you have gone through developing it. The pro's are what all gamers want:- Handy sized book - not too onerous; Small file to download; simple design; no gimmicks; No reading through pile of other peoples' winning anecdotes - gives me the impression that I'll be telling my own winning story! Does the job exactly as designed very effectively; very fast; extremely powerful filters; a pleasure to read and use. As I said before - WELL DONE HARRY!

This book is packed with so much information, it could easily have been a series of books. The author speaks to the reader in a coversational style,as if you are right there with him at the tables.

Never has there been a more accurate book published on precision shooting. The author takes you inside the Only way to consistently beat the craps tables. Everything you need to know is right in this book, so take my advise and start with this one if you want to win consistently.

If you read this book, and follow it exactly, you will be successful.

This book is tremendous, the cutting edge on influencing the dice. Chapter six and the charts in the back are the definitive work on this subject.

Hello Reader,

I am new to Craps play. You must realise that this review is written by someone who has only started playing Craps a month or two ago and it is written in Dec. 2007.

I would tell you that the Mad Professor has a good book here, but, it is not a book I would use to perfect my throw. There is plenty of knowledge in it. It is a good book. However, a person like me needs more concentrated information on the subject of making the dice level to the table.
When I bought this book I also bought Frank Scoblete's Golden Touch Dice Control Revolution. The two, together, were the best case scenario for a starter such as me. Frank has the teacher's perspective and Gino Gambino has the endurance perspective. It was, I think, a good combination at this time.

Personally, I would not call my book a bible. I think the Mad Professor made a mistake there. I am a Catholic and calling your book a bible needs to be backed up like the Pope backs up his liturgy - this book does not do enough to accomplish that. There were no Adam and Eve here, I need a book that addresses the fundamentals. And as far as I am concerned, the fundamentals are the physics of a rigid body. I am hoping the sharpshooter has the physics for a great new book.

In short, this book is a good read. I would give it the compliment that it conveys a great deal about the sport of craps shooting for profit. It seems no book can do it all, and that is not a surprise. This book is one I want in my library. The author is fluid and determined, he has the spirit of a winner at the craps table, and that is inspiring.

I guess I have said nothing with so much one one side and as much on the other. I think the author has been shooting craps so long he missed the basic instructional technique to bring a neophyte into the best case scenerio, but, still, it is a good book. I gave it a 4 of 5 stars as the result of I could not shoot the dice as well as the author expects me to without some mentoring from a teacher who writes to the novice.

Unbelievable! This is probably the best book ever written on Craps! I have read 6 books on Craps and this one is head and shoulders above them all. For the beginner or the seasoned pro this book will help you at the Craps Tables. This book will assist you into making Craps a game of skill - not a game of chance. If you purchase just one book on Craps - this is the book!

Back in the nineties a handful of craps players came together in gaming chat rooms with a novel concept - that it was possible to influence the outcome of the dice roll in casino craps and gain an edge over the game. The Mad Professor - aka Tino Gambino - was right there in the heart of it all.

Okay, before you head for the White Pages I'll just tell you that Tino Gambino is the pen name of one of the top dice controllers in the world. You aren't going to find our friend the Mad Professor in the phone book. But what you'll find in Mad Professor's book is just about everything you'll ever need to know about dice control and the game of casino craps. Among the subjects that caught my eye:

The Pincer Grip and Its Variations; Two-Finger (Thumb and Middle Finger) Pincer, Two-Finger (Thumb and Ring Finger) Pincer. Four-Finger "Crab" Pincer. and the Five-Finger "Full-Balance" Pincer.

You learn how to debug the Pincer Grip and eliminate double pitch bias. Then you'll move on to the Low, Slow and Easy Toss.

Learn the dynamics of throwing speed, release and backspin, sweet spots and critical landings.

There are sections on Palm-Up Tossing and Forward Spin, why it works so well and how to do it.

You'll even find some timely tips suggested by the some of the other players who haunted those chat rooms in the nineties. You'll hear from the likes of Irishsetter, Shooter57, DiceDoc, Jeffry47 and (ta-da) yours truly - Heavy.

And you'll get the inside scoop on how to tailor your bets to your skill levels, how to adapt to live casino play and adjust to different table types, and how to create shooting opportunities.

Last of all, you'll get the classic "Tough Way to Make and Easy Living."

Mad Professor's on-line articles and essays have drawn millions of hits through the years. The Crapshooting Bible brings you the Best of Mad Professor's essays plus a ton of brand new material you won't want to miss. It is jam-packed with information you can use to make more money at the tables. I highly recommend it.

Stephen Haltom
aka Heavy
Axis Power Craps
CrapsFest.com

I enjoy this book, but strongly suggest not buying it unless you have exhausted/outgrown the other Sudoku books. This is the hardest book I have found by far. I didn't work through levels 1 - 3 (probably should have). The next hardest book I have is "Even Higher Sudoku". The latter might be good to try before moving on to this book.

As someone who searches for seriously difficult sudoku, I love this book. The puzzles are all very hard, but still require a variety of solving methods, some of which I find approachable, and others of which are truly painful, at least for me. I agree with another reviewer that it would be nice to have "speaking" solutions, that is, solutions that explain how the puzzle was solved, but solving methods vary so much by player that this is probably only a dream. There are truly no linear solution methods, which is what makes sudoku so attractive.

Compared to the many other books that claim to offer very hard sudoku, this one stands way out as telling it like it is.

I criticised the "Mensa Guide" book for its fragile binding and tiny grids, so I have to award big points for the spiral binding and large grids of this book.

This is the only Sudoku book I've found where I can't do over half of the puzzles without notes. So if you want to tax your brain a bit and know about Gordian Polygons then this is the sudoku book to buy. Makes the "black belt" and "ultimate ninja" books look easy by comparison. Still all logic and no guessing required.

These are some really, really challenging sudoku. It would be nice in the next edition if we could have some descriptions on how to solve using the more complicated techniques. It would also be nice if the answers included reference to which of the more difficult techniques were used to solve them.

Mostly very tough puzzles, that (like book #3) lived up to the books' name. We're very happy to have bought #3 and #4.

Question, does Mr Longo know there are duplicate puzzles in #4?
#69 is duplicated in 75, 82, 95, 99, 119, and 127.
#134 is duplicated in 202.

I didn't knew how to play blackjack at all before reading this, but this book explains you all the rules, the strategy, how to count, and more in a very clear way. I cant figure out better ways of teaching you the secrets of the game. To be honest, it's well explained but definitely it's not easy to count cards, if it were everybody would be doing it, and if you can't do it, at least you will do much better in normal play without counting.

High recommendations for this book. Straight forward and unconfusing instructions. Hornik also educates the reader the about the subtleties of, and what to expect while sitting at a blackjack table. With consistent practice (play with your friends), you will play without initimadation!

I bought this book for many friends who frequent Vegas and all of them raved about it!

Mensa Guide To Blackjack is a no-nonsense handbook of tested and proven techniques to win at casino blackjack. Written by a former professional solo and team blackjack player, as well as a member of the MIT Blackjack Team, Mensa Guide To Blackjack explains card-counting strategies and dispels common myths - one does not have to be extraordinarily skilled at math to count cards; card-counting is neither cheating nor illegal; and no one can be arrested for card-counting. Card-counting will get one banned from a casino, if one is suspected or caught doing it, because casinos know card-counters can win - therefore Mensa Guide To Blackjack offers simple exercises and techniques to practice until card-counting becomes so ingrained, one won't give away telltale signs while doing it (although betting and winning too much at high-limit tables may well tip a casino off!) Chapters cover both basic blackjack and rules variations, betting to win, refining basic strategies, playing with a team, and much more. An absolute "must-read" for anyone who wants to play casino blackjack to win.

This fun to read guide to blackjack is great.
I headed to Vegas with my new information and came home
a winner.
Even people who don't play more than once a year will
enjoy this book.

We want more Terry Stickels... he ranks up there with Gardner and Stewart

Terry Stickels' Mind-Bending Puzzle series (soon to be 4 volumes and 7 card decks... plus his yearly calendar) is still the best thing going in puzzle land. Even the legendary Martin Gardner is a fan. ( He has written the forward for the first in this series.) I hope Pomegranate Publishing keeps producing his material... they do an excellent job.

How is it that Terry Stickels' work keeps getting better and better? Every student and most adults should have Mr. Stickels' puzzles as part of their daily diet. Bravo, sir... and please keep those puzzle books coming!

Don't even waste your time with the other puzzle books being written. Stickels has them all beat. His spatial - visual puzzles are the most creative and challenging I've seen. His more difficult math puzzles are the most original.

Terry Stickels ALWAYS makes his puzzles fun, while still educational, and the variety of types of puzzles, and varying levels of difficulty in the problems make certain than everyone will find something worthwhile within the pages of his books.

What you get in this tome: 150 excellent puzzles that I will look back over many times in the coming years. Also look on Amazon for Terry's other puzzles books, calendars and (if/when Amazon starts to sell them) his top notch Knowledge Cards, of which there are now many decks.

Mokole is a wonderful book detailing the werecrocodiles and weredragons of the World of Darkness. The writing is superb, truly bringing to life the Mokole, and portraying what it is like to posess a racial memory back to the time of the dinosaurs. The feel of incredible antiquity, the weight of ages of Memory and wisdom, keenly permeates this Breedbook. This book does not merely describe the Mokole and their culture, it builds a vivid atmosphere, describing these ancient relics of a distant golden age, and does an excellent job of immersing the reader in their very unique worldview.

The book focuses most on the Australian Aboriginal culture of the Gumagan tribe, although it also describes the other tribes and their cultures. I hardly know anything about Aboriginal culture, but it looks like the authors of Mokole did a good job of respectfully including it in the book without the dreadfulness of Rage Across Australia, and I am glad to see Australia covered in another W:tA book.

The Mokole are an amazing race, and I am eager to play them someday. Their war-form, the Archid, is a dinosaur or dragon, and it is customizable and completely different for each character. The Mokole have all unique totems, rites, gifts, and fetishes, including ghostly totems from extinct species. Although they posess immense physical power - they are weredragons! - they are truly focused on peaceful functions. The are very different in feel and function from the Garou, and should provide many new opportunites for players and STs. Although the Mokole are usually antagonistic toward werewolves, they can work with Garou in the Hengeyokai and the Ahadi, and the book's metaplot provides possibilities for inter-Breed interaction outside of these coalitions.

Every Breedbook includes the Breed's version of the history of the world and their part in it, but the Mokole's story of history spans 200 million years! The Mokole can remember a previous Apocalypse that wiped out the dinosaurs and an earlier intelligent race, the Lizard Kings, and they know of even earlier Apocalypses that came before that one. They believe that Gaia will survive the current crisis. Mokole revolutionizes the history of the World of Darkness. Even among Changing-Breeds, they take an extremely long view, and their insights and stories are interesting to say the least! The Mokole recall the Wars of Rage like they were yesterday, and their tales describe three entire Changing-Breeds that are now exinct. There are even basic rules for constructing games set in the Mesozoic, mostly intended for stories contained in a modern character's Memory.

Finally, although the Mokole are weredinosaurs and speak frankly about evolution and geological Eras, the entire feel of the book is still as fully mystical as the rest of Werewolf, without drifting into genetics or other Weaverish explanations.

The one major problem is the end of the fictional story. The resolution of the story's conflict makes no sense and is silly. Except for that, this is a totally awesome book!

Mokole is a book for an addition to werewolf the apocalypse. You must have the "werewolf: the apocalypse" book in order to use this one to it's fullest ability. Mokole is a book about and how to play a were-alligator, were-crocodile, were-moniter lizards, were-gila monsters, were-caiman, and most importantly... they are all were-dragons! The mokole gives you mnesis, an ability to remember back to the time of the dinosaur kings. If you want to look like a big lizard, godzilla, dinosaur, sea serpent, fire breathing dragon, or oriental dragon.. then this is a book for you. The werewolves are the warriors of gaia, the mokole are her memory.

Out of all the kin books for the Wherewolf The Apocalypse game i like this one the most. It gave the much needed variety in the game and allowed for a great game. Allowing characters with these new and interesting powers is great fun, and by adding new sources and titles to your WW library you can laugh and have more fun with your friends that you play with.
I suggest this book to everyone and hope you take my word on it.
great great fun.

This book is everything you need to play the Mokole, were-reptiles who remember (and embody) Gaia's past, the days of the Dragon Kings (dinosaurs). As naturally, the book opens with a comic adventure telling of the Garou Peter Ward's quest to Australia to meet with the Mokole themselves and learn of his heritage. The book then gives the typical introduction, lexicon of terms and an explanation of what it is to embody the dragons, dinosaurs and sea serpents of the past through your Rage. From there it goes on to a great history, telling of the Mokole's creation and the reptilian civilizations of prehistoric times. The Mokole can even remember previous Apocalypses (like the one that destroyed the dinosaurs) and fully expect to live through this one. Details on the Wars of Rage and the War of Shame are given, along with lost Fera (were-bulls, boars and bats) known only to the Mokole. In addition, brief mention is made of human times, like ancient Egypt, the Slave Trade and so forth ("western" history doesn't really matter, since most Mokole come from the tropics).

The next chapter covers the four Streams (tribes) of the Mokole: the Gumagan of Australia who share ties to the Dreamtime, the Makara priest-kings of India and neighboring lands, the primordial Mokole-Mbembe of Africa, the American Southeast and the Amazon and the scholarly Zhong Lung of East Asia's Hengeyokai. Specifics are given for each (like how the Gumagan have strong ties to the Umbra, differences in Mnesis and how the Zhong Long and Makara follow different auspices). Views on other Fera, vampires and even stranger factions (like mummies, voodooists, tribal shaman and Egyptian magi) are given, along with details on names and Duties (the Mokole Litany). The next chapter gives the crunchy bits, covering the Mokole solar auspices, new Traits, forms (not all are crocodiles or alligators; gila monsters, Komodo dragons and gharials are also represented) and Crinos traits (their Crinos form consists of various traits borrowed from other reptiles, like horns, armor, wings, frills, venom and so forth). Details on Totems are also given, along with new Totems, Fetishes and Merits/Flaws. All of these fit right in, from the reptile Totems to Fetishes drawn from Aboriginal culture.

The next chapter covers Gifts for the Mokole, including general Gifts, solar/seasonal auspice Gifts and Stream Gifts, many of which are quite interesting. A number of useful (and uniquely Mokole) Rites are also presented. In the following chapter, we are given a look at useful information on Mokole breeding, Mnesis (their racial memory), the "Innocents" (ghosts of dead metis), camps and relationships with the Nagah (were-snakes). We also get the standard templates, like the Native Rights guerilla and the rainforest ethnobotanist, and NPCs, including Uncle Monday (a centuries old Florida Conjure Doctor), Sister Rae (who has True Faith in the sun), Morwangu (who was involved in the story in the book) and Braney (a Wyrm corrupted children's show host). The book closes out nicely with details on RL crocodilians, monitors and gila monsters, the hatred for vampires (particularly Setites), Mnesis spirits, the Dragon Kings, prehistoric birds and marsupials that once served as Mokole kin, and stories set in the final days or the War of Rage.

The end also includes the typical template for creating and running Mokole characters. This can be used just as easily for western Mokole as it can for the eastern Makara/Zhong Lung (who follow slightly different creation rules). Needless to say, this book blew me away. The Mokole are probably my favorite Fera, and this book is invaluable for playing them. I also appreciated the strong focus on Australian Aboriginal culture which permeates much of this book. All in all, I think this book is quite useful for any Mokole Chronicles (and quite a head ache for those who want to try and figure out the World of Darkness's "cosmology").

This is a great book. It helps to portray the true peril that the changing breeds are in and it also shows what those who truly desire to restore the balance, not just destroy the wyrm (dissolver) are capable of. This book has enthralled me since I bought it and now I really want to get an all Mokole game off the ground (too bad that my compadres insist on involving Bastet, Changeling, and Vamps :P). If you're considering buying it to this point, DO!

If you started playing Magic before the "stack", two main phases and an end of turn step, this is the book for you. It clearly explains the changes that happened when WOTC changed from old rules to the new (and, once you get the hang of it, simpler) way of playing Magic.

This book is terrific if you have been playing Magic at the starter level and now wish to expand your play, or if you (like me) have been away from the game for a while and wish to get an update on the latest card set-- the 6th edition.

There have been some simplifications and clarifications to the rules, and Mr. Buehler explains those very well. The book also contains chapters on strategy, deck construction, and the tournament scene, as well as a complete card list for 6th edition including everything on the cards except the art.

I highly recommend this book as THE resource for the 6th edition.

It's execellent if you want to start playing Magic. It is the best strategic card game out there.

The perfect book if you want to start playing Magic or if you want to improve your Magic skills!

This book is not only a great way to learn the NEW 6th ed. rules this book gives lots of great tips lit single card stratigies, constructed deck building, sealled deck building and lots of just plain good facts. I've been playing magic sense 1994 and I still found this book to be very usful. Buy it really you'll thank yourself later I promise.

I thouroughly enjoyed the book and found it well written. The Shih are the absolute characters I have seen in the World of Darkness.

I've had this book for a while now and from reading through both books, it far exceeds Hunter: The Reckoning. Just based on that, and the fact that I know Demon Hunter X is a very excllent sourcebook, I'd highly recommend it over Hunter: The Reckoning...this is just what my opinion and current course of action though. Do with it what you will...

Let me Just say WOW!!! First of all Demon Hunters are incredibly powerful. it has great describtions of the Shih and the Strike Force Zero(aka SF0). Both have intresting pasts and present about how they deal with the Shen>. And as an added bonus it has Great art work (even though a little graphic) but still "DA BOMB". Now if only they rest of the World of Darkness was Anime.....

this is another must buy supplement for anyone wishing to play in the east. whether you play one of the shen or wish to play one of the hunters, demon hunter x adds a whole new dimension to gaming. when will white wolf get the hint and make KoE a division of its own.

Demon Hunter X details a lot of information for running a Kindred of the East campaign for Vampire. The Shih are well detailed as is Strike Force Zero, and one is hard pressed to choose which to play. Not everyone takes the Shen lying down, and both the Shih and SF0 are at odds on how to truly deal with these demons. A great opening story and lot of info on how the Shih and SF0 hunt down and destroy the Shen, this book is highly recommended to anyone even remotely interested in the hunters in the Middle Kingdom.

This is a very fun RPG game. Great for one shot sessions. Imagine Logans Run mixed with Monty Python. You play a Clone in Alpha complex. You have six clones. You will need them .The computer that runs the complex is insane. You go on troubleshooting missions for the computer and try to have traitors arrested or killed. You are a traitor, as is everyone else on your team. You just don't know it yet ! It pits the players against each other and the DM runs them through scenarios. Its really fun. And goofy.
The computer is your friend. Hail the computer. Remember happiness is mandatory. If your not happy report for termination.

This is the single most entertaining RPG book on my shelf. As far as reading the material goes, it's a perfect example of what you can do by turning normally frowned on RPG behavior into a drop dead riot of a game. The emphasis here is on the drop dead part.

While the text of the game goes to great lengths in instilling in the reader a sense of how the game is supposed to be played, in the end there are only two rules that need following.

1. The GM is always right.
2. Happiness is mandatory!

It's that simple, and it couldn't be more fun to read this book. Once you understand that every bit of it is cleverly written to convey the theme of Paranoia to the reader, you don't feel like you are being lectured yet again on the proper application of an attack roll. Rather you are learning what it is to be a GM/Player of this great game.

I only hold one complaint which is so minor that it didn't even effect me giving this game a perfect score.

Normally I don't find it necessary to print two seperate books for the core of a game. I actually prefer many games where GM and player information can be easily included together in one well laid out tome. Basically I don't think it's normally necessary to have to have two or more books to play and run a game. However in this case I think I would've preferred a division of the book into a distinct Player's guide and a distinct GM's manual. I think this is truly one of those games where the player's are better served to discover the ins and outs through regular play. In the case of Paranoia, the fun is in the failure.


ADVICE TO ASPIRING TROUBLESHOOTERS:

If you intend on playing this game, take the books advice and don't read the GM only section. Trust me when I say the tension caused by the unknown is the bread and butter of an enjoyable Paranoia session.

If you're the one buying the book for your group, gather the money together from fellow players and give this as a gift to your GM. He'll thank you, and any GM worth his weight will itch to run this game once he gets his hands on it. After all, what's the point of owning a book you are only supposed to read 48 pages of. PLAY THE GAME FIRST, AND THEN AFTER A WHILE BUY THE BOOK FOR YOURSELF. DON'T RUIN THE FUN BY READING TOO MUCH!

All in all, even if you do intend to ignore my advice and read it all, you'll have a blast doing so. I haven't had this much fun reading an RPG in a long time (with the possible exception of Godlike).

STAY ALERT! TRUST NO ONE! KEEP YOUR LASER HANDY!

Paranoia XP is the newest and in my opinion best version of the Paranoia game line. Here are people who need not apply (just to get you guys on to games better suited for your playstyle):

Gamers who like heavy combat tactics needn't look into Paranoia XP. Most of the weapons will kill a clone in one shot.

Gamers who like strategy in character generation or advancement needn't look into Paranoia XP.

Gamers who tend toward heavier systems (D&D, Rifts, HERO, GURPS) probably should tread with caution, as Paranoia XP's system is one die roll-under for everything. The rules are simple: roll a d20, get under Skill. Then if the GM decides you succeed, you succeed.

Gamers intent on character growth and development can find some support for such here, but under Classic rules, characters die often and hilariously.

If you like intra-party harmony, a good idea for nearly all RPGs, shouldn't look here. Paranoia is about backstabbing your fellow Troubleshooter.

If you enjoy having larger than life heroes, don't look into Paranoia XP. Paranoia XP characters are incompetant, ignorant, and insane.

Well, if you're still here, you either don't care about the above, or you're still interested to hear about the game itself, well, here goes:

By the way, you might have noticed I'm not bothering with any "HAPPINESS IS MANDATORY!" or "NOT AVAILABLE AT YOUR SECURITY CLEARANCE!" stuff, because I know it can be quite offputting to those looking into the game. It's an "in" joke, and using it against people who aren't "in" yet is a bit mean and/or foolish.

The game is about a complex, an underground post-modern utopia called the Alpha Complex, which is run by an AI called The Computer. Or it would be a utopia, if The Computer wasn't insane and paranoid, looking for commie mutant traitors. The Computer has security cameras everywhere, and regulates everything in the complex: air, food, plumbing, industry, economy, etc. Everything. But that's not the worst of it.

The mass of population is heavily medicated, usually happy in their existence mowing about the complex and doing their assigned duties. But not the player's characters! They have gotten the honor of being moved up in security clearance, from a lowly INFRARED to the slightly less lowly RED. Their job has been reassigned to Troubleshooter, and they get a laser gun! They go on fantastic suicidal/impossible missions for The Computer to root out commie mutant traitors, secret society members, and other sabateurs of The Computer. There's only one problem...

All the characters are mutants, and all belong to a Secret Society (perhaps even Communists). All the characters are traitors. And it's not like players don't know that everyone is a traitor. Instant mayhem, just add water and stir.

If this sort of game doesn't interest you, Paranoia XP is not for you.

This is one of the best RPG's I've come along in a long time...it's extremely unique, fun, relevant to the times, and hillarious! Imagine a dark, dystopian, 1984-like future...except more comic, more insane, and more deadly. It's worth it to buy just to read the book, it's written very well with a dashing brand of twisted humor. My brother loved it too, and just *had* to borrow it once he had read through a bit.

The rules though, I have no idea about...whenever I GM an RPG, I just skip most of the rules and run things in a more story-based, freeform way. So that I can't vouch for...but even if they suck, the setting should make up for it :)

The new Paranoia XP (PXP) is a refreshing breeze for the game. Well written, obviously very thought out, without the problems of 5th edition. It's hard to give a review without comparing it to older editions, of course. Suffice to say that this might be the edition that brings Paranoia out of gaming limbo.

Everything is well thought out, from mutations to secret societies to the history and functioning of Alpha Complex. The increased use of personal computers, PDAs and the Internet is now reflected in PXP. The humor is present, but in measured doses, and there was (thank goodness) no attempt to go "over the top" with things. No acronyms simply to make funny acronyms, for instance. Character creation is notably different from previous editions (no stats for Strength, Intelligence, etc.), but now characters can improve themselves. With the addition of three play styles - Zap, Classic, and Straight - they may actually live long enough to do so! ("Straight" Paranoia, for instance, presumes a dark, gritty, realistic game, while Classic is 1st/2nd edition style, and Zap is simply "everyone shoots everything and each other".)

The downside? Well, the index isn't as helpful as you might think, and it's hard to find the chapter breaks. Several times when I wanted to look up a specific table or information, I ended up leafing through the book to find what I wanted.

Also, a mention on the artwork. Jim Holloway was the original Paranoia artist in 1984. He's been tapped again for PXP, and it appears his style has not evolved or improved in 20 years. Paranoia purists might enjoy it, but I was hoping for something a little more updated, more in keeping with the times. No, that doesn't mean I wanted a "manga" look, but there have been other Paranoia artists (Greg Guler, Valerie Valusek, Brian Schomburg, Sonya Obrochta, etc.) who might have been used. I've played Paranoia since 1st edition, and Holloway's artwork has not aged well. Unfortunately, the official word is that Holloway's art will continue to appear in PXP products.

Art and index issues aside, this is a good return to the series' roots. Old-school Paranoia fans should be pleased. I hope PXP will bring new fans into the fold as well.