Gamebooks Books

Did not have a single problem with this item. Came well packed and wrapped. No complaints.

This is an extremely well-written campaign, filled with tons of optional encounters. I was very impressed with the number of options many parts of this campaign had, taking the pressure off of the person running the setting. Highly recommended for a Dragonlance gamemaster without a lot of spare time to come up with homebrewed ideas.

In this great adventure (almost gigantic adventure), the players finally understands who is the final enemy, one of the Dragons Overlords who dominated Krynn in the beginning of the 5th age. In a perfect conclusion, we also see what happens to one of the Heroes of the Lance (a sad end, at last, in my home game).
There is adventure enough for a year or more in this final part of "Age of Mortals", and even DMs who doesnt like prefab adventures will find that there is much to "inspire" in the news things (like something that will have great impact on my campaing, the "allomanya").
To be a perfect, could come with maps in more pratical handouts (altought you could just coppy the maps, to avoid damaging the book).

This product rocks in every way. It gives plenty of outside opportunities to expand on for future play. It works well as a series or short adventures or long adventures. It follows and builds well on the best fantasy world there is (in my opinion) keeping to the theme and feel. For pure gaming, it is easy to use and follow and is not confusing. Better than Castle Ravenloft or the Fantastic Locations BY FAR. My favorite module from 1st, 2nd, or 3rd edition. THANKS!!

Dragonlance is the classic 80's campaign for D&D. It is the occasion for you to enjoy this beautiful saga.

Dragons of Despair is the beginning if the saga. Heroes gather after long wanderings at Solace, the small city build of their childhood. They're going to meet 2 new fellows who bring the first clue about the lost gods of the world. An incredible journey should conduct the PCs to the sunken city of Xak Tsaroth. At the same time, tales of war and slaughter come from north along with streams of refugees. Rumors tell that Dragons are rising in the skies again...

The DL series was a huge leap forward for TSR - these modules featured a new emphasis on drama and storytelling that made the gaming MUCH more fun and involved for the PCs and the DM. Of course, at heart, being TSR modules from the 80s, they're still dungeon crawls! In this chapter, the heroes must come to grips with a grim new world where dragons no longer exist, gold is worthless, and the gods themselves have forsaken mortals, and clerics are powerless... a classic of dark adventure for levels 4-6.

That last review said it all. I agree with everything. Needs a little conversion to 3.5 but that's no biggie. Great artwork, original characters, nice format, excellent product.

Buy it.

I recently received the Red Star compilation as a gift, so imagine my surprise upon learning that the same team of artists had also published a D20 supplement. Quality tends to follow quality, so I picked this up for my own game as well.

Dramatis Personae provides profiles and full background on 24 primary characters from levels 4 to 11. These NPCs run the gamut from brave warriors to evil monks to wizards and criminals. The character concepts are distinct and fresh for the most part; some are downright unusual, although there are one or two clichés as well (not necessarily a bad thing in D&D).

Essentially, whenever you need a quick and interesting villain or ally, this book allows you to take any of the characters within and plunk them down anywhere in your campaign as needed with little to no work on your part. Full statblocks are provided for each character, along with a detailed description, background, and combat preferences. For the most part the NPCs are all of moderate to major importance and ability- no bartenders here.

Following the character section there is also a healthy selection of new magical items as well as a handful of new feats and spells. Most of these are tied to the NPCs themselves.

As a GM aid this book could prove indispensable in a pinch or as a resource for new ideas. For players it might be somewhat less useful, but it could still provide hooks for a memorable character.

Now let's get to the artwork. It is unfortunate that the entire book wasn't done in color, because the cover is truly stunning. The interior pages are black and white with gray shading, but even so, the character pictures (which are done by some very respected comic book artists) are on par or better than the artwork in any other D20 material out there.

I'd also like to make note of the fact that this is just about the most error-free D20 product I have ever seen. The errata, which can be found at the Archangel Studios website, lists a mere handful of typos.

Dramatis Personae uses the D&D 3.0 rules, but if you're the GM, then your players don't have to know that. However if you really are that anal, then the changes to 3.5 are minor.

Overall, I was extremely pleased with this purchase, especially considering its modest price. I would recommend Dramatis Personae to any GM who was seeking to spice up his or her campaign, or to anyone who simply wanted a useful, high-quality D20 supplement that can take a place of pride in any collection.

And yes, the cheesecake fairy on the cover is also in the book. No, you don't want to mess with her.

I'm just learning how to play and score in Duplicate Bridge. This is a very helpful book and would recommend it to anyone new to Duplicate. It's an easy read.

If you're looking for in depth strategy and complex bidding systems for winning duplicate bridge, this is NOT the book you seek. If, however, you are looking for a quick read before you go to your first duplicate game, or if you are saddled with the task of organizing an impromptu tournament to "try something new", you won't regret purchasing this book. Furthermore, it will give you a firm foothold from which to explore the more detailed books on strategy and bidding.

You'll laugh! :) If you enjoy playing mad libs, this is another great one... and if you're from a dysfunctional family... and who isn't???...all the more!

It's a great price and I had no idea these products existed! Shipping was very fast.

If play Earthdawn,you must have this book. Also,Earthdawn books are no longer in print, so if you find one you think you may use, BUY IT!

If you had to get a few other ED books besides the rulebook this is one of them. Includes spells and talents and skills for disciplines beyond the 8th cirlce all the way up to the 15th. This is the book to make those extra-high level characters.

The emphasis on this book is on how to think when on defense. How to think about:
- Clues from the bidding - shape and distribution of the two unseen hands.
-Clues from the opening lead - why did pard lead a suit and not another. Ex. Pard bid Spades and you supported, but he lead Diamonds. Maybe he has the unsupported Ace.
- Counting HCP
- Counting Declarers tricks - if you can see that his finesses will win you may have to take a risky action, like leading K from Kx, its your only chance. (This wouldn't work well at MPs)

Basics are covered such as:
- How to choose an opening lead , especially when to lead trump
- How declarer plans on making his contract i.e. how dummy will be used. For ruffs, for long suit establishment, etc.
- When to defend actively vs. Passively

Lets say Dummy has A Q 10 8 7 in a side suit and you lead another suit and pard wins and returns a trump. Why did he do that? Throwing away the tempo!!! Its probably becaus he has K J 9 x behind Dummy and knows declarer isn't making much in that suit and will need another source of tricks.

- How to thwart declarers plan - eliminate entries to dummy, lead trumps to cut down on ruffs, etc.

An all around great book, material clearly explained, with good examples and quizzes.



Note: Carding concentions are presented IN DEPTH in the authors other book "Modern Bridge defense".

It is a complete book on the subject. Chapters are well organised and basic principles are so licidly explained that any astute reader will be immense beneficial out of this book. The examples choosen are not only cute in a sense of its presentation but also make a most difficult thing understable so easily. It is not a book of the Intermediates rather experts could also refresh their knowledge before Championship. Quizes not only explain one particular point but also brought to the surface many other co-related issues. It is a must in every bridge players desk.

Fist of all I must say that the notation in this book is descriptive. But I think any one who has I. Q. can usually get used to it. If you have brought Soltis book on " Why Lasker matters ". Then I strongly recommend you to buy this book as well. Though I think some annotation of games may be false, since this book was first problished in Germana in 1952 and later translated into English. I think one very important point that Soltis' lacking is the human side of Lasker. Both chooses hundred of games, but this book spends considerable pages on the biography of Lasker. Lasker really is a " figher", as I have written in the review on" Soltis " book, if all the past champions can re-incarnate, then learn the current opening theory etc, and play matchs with Fischer or Kasparov, only Lasker can draw or even beat F or K. As stated in the mentioned review, the reason is not other champions who ches ability miles away compared with Fischer or Kasparov, the fact is simply these " Champions cannot cope the the tremendous pressure generated by F or K. " BUT Lasker can." I also wants to mention one more thing is that, besides a Chess World Champion, Lasker was also a great mathematcian of the firt category with contributing to the ring theory of Algebra. But Lasker is only forever remembered as a great Champion only especiall today.

First published in 1959. With a foreword by Albert Einstein. Emanuel Lasker held the World Chess Championship for a record period from 1894-1921. During this time he dominated his contemporaries in elite events such as St Petersburg 1896, London 1899, Paris 1900 and St Petersburg again in 1914. He won numerous matches against such greats as Steinitz, Marshall, Janowski and Tarrasch, as well as defending his title in a drawn match against Schlechter. This account of Lasker's life and games reads like a novel - how as a young man he fought his way to the world title while still in his twenties, how he survived the First World War and the later Nazi persecution of Jews in Germany, and how Lasker emerged at over 60 years of age to once again carve out a career for himself amongst the hungry young lions of world chess.

Lasker is one of the all time chess greats and this gripping book does full justice to his achievements. The author Dr Jacques Hannak was a German expert and chess author of the first half of the 20th century. He was also responsible for a biography of Steinitz. The translation into English is by Heinrich Fraenkel, the endgame study enthusiast, who wrote a regular column for the New Statesman magazine under the pseudonym Assiac. Hardinge Simpole have also reprinted Assiac's other main contribution to the literature of the 64 squares - Delights of chess.

Given the fact that few chess players wish to play anything other than orthodox chess, it is amazing how many variations there are on the theme of chess. Pritchard catalogs hundreds of them. Pritchard explores the world of chess variants from micro chess played on a 4x4 board to tai shogi, a Japanese chess variant played on a 25x25 board with hundreds of pieces. Pritchard does his best work when he is describing the many historical and regional variants of chess. Two regional variants are described in detail, Chinese chess (xiang qi) and Japanese chess (shogi). Chinese chess may actually be played by more people than orthodox chess, and Japanese chess may very well be a better game than orthodox chess. If you are interested in the history of chess, its ancient and regional variations, and the odd lengths to which human imagination can go in modifying the game, this book is for you.

You can see different ideas from other games (and not only) from the point of view of chess.