Roleplaying Books

This is a useful book and cards to
learn from and so I do recommend
it to anyone interested in learning
and growing spiritually.

Lynn Andrews has been a teacher of mine for many years. Although I've never met her, she has taught me more about myself than any other author I've come across. These cards are based on cards used in one of her books, and each one has meaning based on teachings of the different directions. Even if you have no experience with her books or native american shamanism, these cards' images and beautiful words will touch your soul.

This deck of 45 cards purports to reveal the secret wisdom of the universe, but the "secrets" turn out to be the usual stuff. Destiny, centering, creativity, balance, courage-- these truths have been around for a very long time. The pictures are beautiful, but there is a certain sameness and repetition to them. Floating globes, the planet Earth, sky where the ground should be, bursts of light, waterfalls, a lot of trees, flowers, rocks and birds: it's as though the artist was working with a small pile of artistic concepts which he combined in random and different ways for each picture.

Each illustration has an explanation on the back, but I don't think it would make much difference which words went with which picture. The Zen Garden with Floating Earth, the Buddha with Orchid and Flying Eagle, Stonehenge in Space, the Boat and Heron with Floating Globes: these could be combined with Magic, Truth, Essence, Virtue, Innocence, or any one of the 45 descriptions.

The wisdom of the cards is the standard New Age stuff. "Know that the powers of the universe are within you." "Your being is like a spirit lodge." "We are all in need of world harmony." "Awaken the power of your will, and find your joy and your laughter."

I was disappointed in this deck.

I love these cards, but find the book a duplication of the cards. As with the tarot, I shuffle and feel when to pick out the card(s) of particular reference for the day. Like the tarot and the I Ching, spirit speaks and the message in the card(s) chosen is always relevant to the events of the day, as well as enlightening and motivating. For those not experienced in other methods of connecting to intuition and the gift of prophesy, these cards are a great way to get started. For those who are experienced, these cards augment and clarify a reading. I recommend them highly.

My cousin bought me this deck and book and since then I have used it in many ways and for many reasons. I feel a real connection to this deck. It can tell me more about myself and others than any set of tarot I have worked with. This is a wonderful way to learn about yourself. It is a great way for self improvement and even my great friend who reads tarot at fairs has started coming to me in times of need because he feels it is more accurate. Wonderful book! Wonderfully written!

Paladium tackled vamps in an all new way. These critters are the bane of any Rifts campaign! This book was awesome in that it opened the first new area of the Rifts World. If your heroes think they are tough, send them into Mexico. I promise you hours of entertainment!!

Prsonally I like all the vampire goodies it has in there. As it's a unique and refreshing look at them, and there society.

I think that Kevin jumped into this book head first and gave it one heck of a go. When i was first starting to role play, Rifts really attracted my attention. I relish the detail that the Palladium the masters threw into this series of books and have been playing for 6 years. Vampire Kindoms is one of the most in depth books i've seen so far for Rifts. This book comes highly recomended from some one who has been with Kevin ever since the release of the RPG. Bang up job Kevin and all the guys at Palladium. Just one more thing, I need to see more art work from Long.

This book could have been way better! After all it is Kevin Siembieda's first world book. World book Two Atlantis is a MAJOR improvement in writing! The only things in this book I found semi-redeming were: stats for the Vampire, TW anti-vampire weapons, Reid's Rangers, gangs, and travling shows.

The book fleshed out cities more than ENTIRE KINGDOMS in other books! I also think Mr. Siembieda made the vampires WAY to hard to kill by a "normal human"- you have to be a dragon or something! I hope all the G.M.'s out their feel free to modify the Vamps stats, (esp. the wooden stake thru the heart not killing it!)

Like the summary states the South America books+Atlantis have PLENTY of nasty things to throw at your P.C.'s!

All in all the book wasn't great but wasn't bad.

The premise of the Vampire Kingdoms is that with the collapse of human government, vampires thrived in the dry (i.e., no rainstorms to wipe out an unwary undead)wastes of Mexico. Towards the north, near Texas are human cities and outposts like Ciudad Juarez, Tampico, and the anti-vampire crusaders like Doc Reid.

Now, if you had a nation of vampires that are as strong as say, the vampires in Ravenloft or AD&D in general, humanity is going to die. So what Palladium did was weaken vampires considerably from what you would see in other gaming systems (they are basically the same as vampires in Beyond the Supernatural). Therefore, PCs will have a fighting chance. I personally think they may vampires less fearsome, and while I make vampires much less numerous and organized, I make them more personalized and stronger (I yoinked ideas from Ravenloft for this).

Despite my gripes, I really like most of this worldbook. Ciudad Juarez is described in great detail, with loads of information on the gangs, government (often indistinguishable from the latter item), and people of the city. I wish that Rifts Atlantis had a similar eye for detail--Splynn could have been fleshed out better. The technowizard anti-vampire weapons are a particularly good concept.

Now what I really dislike is the often graphic nature of the worldbook. Yes, vampires are gross--never get an undead supplement expecting cheeriness!--but some of the Vampire Kingdoms often have an Auschwitz twist to them (these are one of the aspects of the vampires that I delete for campaigns). Likewise, many of the Reid's Rangers have become hardened and depraved by continued exposure to the undead, which can become a little unsettling. But by making those dark elements in the Rangers, Palladium gives PCs a chance to be heroes who can redeem a noble idea, so perhaps I'm being too pessimistic.

A book is only an outline for a GM--if you are willing to exercise discretion and are not particularly put-off by the book (I wasn't, and I hope I didn't make the few bad points too magnified), this is one of Palladium's best pieces of work.

Sharn: City of Towers is a nice addition to any Eberron collection. I found that it was a good book to help plan an adventure or a course of action because the layout of the book is not very good. So it actually takes a while to find a district of Sharn on the spot. There is no index in the book so you kinda have to guess where to look. Unless you read this book all the way through you will never really know what's in it. It does do a good job laying out the different districts of Sharn and gives some good NPC info. Otherwise I would say the book is a DM manual for sure.
I do enjoy this book and the content of it is useful, it's just hard to figure out. Also the CD that comes with this book is a nice soundtrack for gameplay.

This book is only useful if you are a DM running an Eberron Champagn. If that describes you, then this book is a must have. Most modules, characters or general adventures start out in Sharn, the capital of Korrivare's melting pot. It's the onlt place really that anyone of any race and nation can meet up, without half of them being persicuted and hunted before you start. This book details down to every districe and level what Sharn is. It also provides NPCs, such as the Mayor of Sharn. This book also normalizes an important city, in that since you don't need to invent it, the city's integrity will run throughout your champagn and someone elses. Take note that this book is only background fluff. There are a few city maps, but other then that it's purely information.
Also take note that the CD is poor at best.

I found the book to paint the city in vibrant tones. It took the immense job of describing a multilevel edifice of a city in a way that was while general provided specifics for character where needed. Over all a very enjoyable read as well as informative.

I would agree with the other reviewers in that this book is an excellent buy but for it not having an index. Luckily, the author of the book, Keith Baker, has been putting together a detailed index on his website.

You can download it for free here:
http://www.bossythecow.com/sharnindex.htm

The NPC, Locations, Services, and Organizations sections have been put together with the rest, I believe, coming soon.

If you're looking for a highly detailed city book for an Eberron campaign you can't go wrong here. Sharn provides endless outlets for adventure, from thieves guilds to corrupt officials to exotic and interesting locales in the city itself.

This setting book is focused almost exclusively on the city of Sharn itself, with only a brief discussion of the rest of Eberron and how it relates to Sharn politically and economically. Those who are looking for additional crunch - rules and Prestige Class - will be disappointed, though what is here is very well integrated with the city.

The bulk of the book breaks the city down into Districts and presents extensive information on these smaller sections of the city. Prominent businesses, guilds, NPCs, and other such information is presented. Politics, law and order, and life in Sharn each receive their own detailed chapter.

Eberron fans can't pass this one up. While the information is only focused on the city of Sharn, the feel of the book is entirely Eberron.

This was a very good module in many ways, but it fell short in many others. Some of the pluses where the layout, the plans of tactics, and the very nice illustrations to pull out at key moments of the adventure. The variety of foes was also very nice, though it really began to stretch credibility in the second section.

Some of the things that issue was found with were the lack of treasure rewards for the challenges faced and the near need for railroading players along some lines if their character concepts did not fit at all with how some futhering of the plot was planned (had some particular problems getting the group to warm up to the introduction of the Luminary Knights). The later was as much an issue with my running of it as anything, but the first issue raised was a pretty big one.

By the DMG, there should be a certain level of wealth for a character at a certain level. Not necessarily cash, but including things like items, armor, etc. In 3.5, this was one of the main ways of pumping your character up enough to handle the coming challenges. If a character has a severe deficit in wealth, they might not have the resources to handle the challenges thrown at them as written. And many modules are notorious for being stingy to some degree with treasure... even when they have guidelines in place to help determine how much treasure should be in place in a particular adventure.

The first section of the module was by far the best. Low level PCs, really strange and creepy environment, some difficult foes but with some restraints on them to keep them from being over-powering, and some unusual encounters. The second section was the weakest as while there were many possibilities with it (the whole political ramifications of such a major family siding with the forces of evil), it more or less bypassed all that. There was also practially no connection between part two and part three, unless the party goes to work with the Knights Luminary. The third part was a moderately decent wrap up of the campaign, though in ways it threw in foes of a higher challenge than the characters were ready to handle (in part due to that earlier issue of low treasure). This became especially bad when the tactics used began to group foes from different encounters together (while understandable, the grouping of say the gnoll archers and the hill giant made for a very deadly encounter. One definite PC death and a near party wipe).

Good points: artwork, first section, layout, tactics, premise of the campaign

Bad points: second section, low treasure to challenge ratio, at times excessively high challenges to party level.

This adventure sets a campaign background, and sets an excellent adventure pace for 3 dungeons, as well as dropping great hints for the DM to set up side adventures during and after the dungeons.

I ran this adventure for a group of 5 players, and it was excellent.

The encounter format is typically 2 pages, with room and encounter description going together, along with monster tactics, in some cases, broken down round by round, explaining when monsters flee, etc.

I'm very satisfied with this product.

When i first came upon the adventure at a local used books store i fell in love with the layout because it reminded me of the old 2nd edition box sets. I bought it right then and there and have since read through it twice. Unfortunately the layout was not quite as good as i had thought it would be and the adventure itself was lacking. The problems with the layout begin with the settings book and the campaign book where they have split up the dungeons and while the first two are in the settings book the final one is in the campaign guide. Then there are the handouts which really don't seem that useful but i won't complain because they are extras. The play map included looks like it will be useful but i hardly ever use the poster playmats included because they are too small and lacking.

Now comes my main complaint. The Adventure itself is a standard boring dungeon crawl and while it's true that a lot of information about the surrounding area is provided and fleshed out as to make it a mini campaign the overall story is lacking.

I don't like standard dungeoncrawls and my players hate them. So after seeing a few reviews on here i thought i would post mine. I normally don't post a review until i have ran or played an adventure but unfortunately i will probably not be running this one any time soon. I will have to take the campaign info and make an interesting story from it and there are just too many other great campaigns out there like ...red hand of doom and expedition to castle ravenloft which are both mini campaigns with a lot more story than "The Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde." I will probably eventually run it but with 4.0 on the rise it will probably get pushed back behind some of the newer campaigns before i find time to convert it.

For all of the negatives ive stated i still like the packaging and the adventure idea as well as the areas that are mentioned rather than the dungeon itself. I actually think the surrounding areas are more interesting. So that being said i wish they would have just went all out and made it a boxed set and doubled the size of the guides, i would gladly pay 50-60 bucks for a nice box set full of info, maps, and key items. Wizards will never produce box sets and i think this will be just about as close to those classics as we ever get. (Note: the new 4.0 quest seems to be packaged the same way but i'm not sure if it contains more than a standard quest and quick rules)

In closing, Shattered Gates was a great step in the right direction for wizards in layout. I would rank it #4 in mini campaigns from wizards of the coast behind redhand of doom, expedition to castle ravenloft, and expedition to the ruins of Greyhawk. As an overall quest i would rank it farther back behind some of the other greats. It is a good adventure even if it is a standard dungeoncrawl and it can be fleshed out. I just don't think its worth my time to flesh it out right now and may come back to it down the road but if your looking for a big dungeon (all 3 parts can be connected)or a mini campaign with 1st edition flavor then this one is for you.

This is a great way to introduce begginers to the way a D&D adventure could be played and ran.

This module has done everything right, Beautiful color, great maps, not only is each room easily noted on the map but each room has its own map on its pages as well as ways to either up or lower the difficulty of various rooms.
All modules should use this as their standard.

this books got every thing you need to get a good feal for the empire.give you good ideas for campaigns as well great buy!!!

This book is one of the best products by Warhammer I have ever seen.
As a GM I use it as often as "Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: A Grim World of Perilous Adventure" or PH (Player's Handbook). ))

You have lots of useful information on history, politics, society etc of the Empire.

This book helps with the background, history, beliefs, people breakdowns, and other useful informationon the Empire. the map could be a little more expansiveas some things in descriptions are not shown onthe map, but otherwise it is quite interesting and one of the first books a Gamemaster should get if running in the Empire.

Too many roleplaying games release expansions that are little more than addenda to the rules comprising of pages upon pages of extra classes, feats and the like with setting information getting a few paragraphs here and there. Sigmar's Heirs reverses this trend - mechanics and rules take a backseat to the exploration of the Empire. All of the Imperial provinces are covered in detail, including local sites of interest, personalities and the like. The Empire itself is also covered including religion, politics and history. The core rulebook isn't required to derive use from this book, it's great for pleasure reading or as an idea mine for your game.

This is a great resource for those people who aren't as familiar with the setting. It also brings those familiar to the setting form older books up to date with the current time line. While I'd have like to see a little more for the price it's invaluable for the GM. As well as a fun read for the player with a bit of extra cash who wants to understand the setting better.

In the very early 1980s, contemporary D&D modules typically troubled themselves with story lines only long enough to get you underground; once you were in the dungeon, you slogged through hours of room-to-room combat and hidden pitfalls. The only thinking required was "How do I kill this thing?" Sure that was fun for a while, but this adventure illustrated that our gaming brethren in the UK were taking D&D to a more sophisticated level. This is definitely a thinking player's (and DM's) adventure with clues to be digested and a plot to be figured out; it gets high marks for innovation.

That said, the adventure is actually somewhat lacking in many ways. Yes, it lays out a plot with a twist or two, but the secret is not really very sinister, or even that well concealed. The "dungeon" portion of the adventure, including encounter descriptions, maps, and NPCs are uninspired and the designers really left far too much up to the DM. What you get are reminders that the DM will have to develop so-and-so NPCs and encounters or come up with this-or-that villain strategy just when you're hoping that they'll give you something meaty to dig your creativity into. It seems to be a lot to lay on a person who spent $6.50 of their hard-earned paper route money to play this adventure back in 1982; especially considering that at least 4 pages of this module were wasted on full page illustrations and useless visual aids. Still, if the DM is willing and able to flesh this thing out, it should lead to one of the better D&D experiences from that era.

"Sinister secret of salt marsh" is a first edition AD&D module for starting levels (1-3) set in the Greyhawk setting but is easily converted to current edition of Dungeons & Dragons and can be set on any world that has a coast line ;0) The creative effort really shows in this module. . This is certainly NOT a hack and slash, the story line is well padded and easy to DM .A sense of suspense can really be felt when playing it. There is enough of a twist to keep players guessing without loosing them totally ;0) Use this module for beginners and experienced a like. I love to bring this module out time and time again.

I didn't like this adventure. I thought it was short and to simple. However I did not have the following two adventures (U2 & U3) which seem to have made the whole series playable. Even though I give this adventure bad marks (and don't recommend it at all by itself) maybe a rerelease of the whole series in a single adventure book is in order similar to what has been done for the Against the Giants series.

Although the module series lost steam towards the end (The Final Enemy was a little boring and predictable), this first module promoted creative thinking instead of mindless violence which has been more too common in today's role playing games. Combining exciting adventure and diplomacy in a dark, eerie seaside setting, uncovering the mystery of this one was more fun than any other I've played.

Here's the impressive introduction to the most under-appreciated Greyhawk trilogy! It's a curious stigma - some DMs of the time were highly resistant to the "encroachment" of UK sensibilities within the game. But, they were missing one of the best-scripted, adventurous, dramatic and intelligent series in AD&D! Vile things are beginning to happen in Saltmarsh - the "haunted" house that everyone has talked up to keep unwanted attention away is actually now home to a sinister presence. The untested heroes (levels 1-3) dare to prove their mettle within the ruins, but what awaits them is one of the all-time classic plot twists of Greyhawk... the "mundane" (?) secret will turn them healthily paranoid for the duration of their careers. :)

Star*Drive is unlike most other settings you find in science fiction today. It's a "space-opera" type setting with a brain. 13 "Stellar Nations" have colonized a region of space that was cut off from humanity when these nations went to war. When they return, all hope to profit, but aren't necessarily welcomed back with open arms. Something sinister has happened out there, and trust is no longer taken for granted.

The technology is different from the standard "ray-gun" and starfighter mix, and the social concepts offer a unique flavor. Never once did I find myself thinking "Oh, that's a Star Wars / Battlestar Galactica knock-off idea.", or "Sound like Star Trek / Babylon 5." The feeling was of a setting that was unlike anything cooked up before, charged with overt and covert motives and the several layers of depth that make for good plot-building.

The thing you'll probably have the most trouble with if you Game-master a S*D campaign, is introducing your player's characters to the setting's complexity and rich detail without burying your story in it. It will be worth it, for the immersive qualities of the storylines you can generate.

This game wouldn't be successful without the superb writing and information given in these books. It creates a -very- realistic setting for the game.

Star*Drive is a campaign setting for the popular Alternity sci-fi gaming system, and requires both the Alternity Player's Handbook and Alternity Gamemaster Guide for play. In a game that emphasizes a build-your-own world approach, the Star*Drive universe provides a quick but customizable campaign and a large selection of compatible add-ons.

This 256-page book describes a 26th century world of faster-than-light speed travel, frontier exploration, alien-human commerce, war, and interstellar nations. The comparison with Star Trek is obvious but not an over-riding factor; Star*Drive has its own flavor and plenty of room for your own additions, whatever your TV, movie, or literary favorites might be.

Mutants, psionics, and cybertech-enhanced beings (all optional in the basic rules) are included in this campaign. Also given are statistics and descriptions for 26th century technology (ships, military, medicine, robots, and much more), the 13 stellar nations of Old Space, and 18 solar systems of the Verge (the edge of Star*Drive's frontier). Brief histories of campaign technology, alien contact, and wars are also covered. The five alien player character species will be familiar from the Alternity Player's Handbook (Fraal, Mechalus, Sesheyan, T'sa, and Weren), as are the five basic professions; however, Star*Drive offers several subcategories under each profession (49 total) as models for your character.

Accessories for the Star*Drive campaign include Alien Compendium: Creatures of the Verge, Planet of Darkness, Outbound: An Explorer's Guidebook, Arms & Equipment Guide, and Threats from Beyond.

Star*Drive offers excellent possibilities for your Alternity game.

--Sharon Daugherty for Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine

I am NOT a TSR fan. Haven't played their games in years. But I picked this up and its great. The artwork is stunning, the information is very detailed, and the setting is very interesting. I am looking forward to adventuring in the Verge.

As a veteran gamer who probably has more gaming material than should be healthy, I'm pleased to see TSR introduce this book for the very promising Alternity game.

Unlike much of the game products out there, this book is vividly written with inspiration and flair, bringing alive the technology, citizens, and cultures of the setting. All this is finished off by quality art as well. This terrific book prompted me to add the Alternity game to my gaming cabinet.

OK, I haven't been playing Traveller for decades like these other geeks, but I don't see where they are coming from. This book isn't that good. It isn't very well written and could have been so much better. I started playing this version of Traveller and have since read other versions. I am looking forward to checking out even more of the older versions. I doubt any of the other ones can be as poorly done as this one is. This basically falls into the category of better than nothing. It's a fun game, but this version doesn't make it so. The book is thin. Not just in pages for the money, but also in information.

Sure, I started out on D&D like everyone else, but the Original Traveller (note capitalization) was my first true love. The day that little black box appeared in my life (supplied by my mom, who is an even bigger SF devotee than me) was a life changing moment. Yeah, my D&D players refused to convert (half their players died in character generation, the other half fell to The Charmax Plague) and went on strike until I relented to DMing D&D again. What do you do if your friends hate your girlfriend? Get new friends!
Which I did not do, by the way. But I have carried that little black box from move to move, it's corners getting fuzzy with love...
Much credit is due to Mongoose Publications for doing such an excellent job of taking us back to those halcyon days of free traders and d6 fun. My only complaint (and it's small but pertinent) is the change on the character sheet from hexidecimal values... it made things simpler, not harder, when your basic traits were a simple line of six figures. (It looks way cooler, too.) Still, the decision to maintain the appeal of the iconic black cover with the red stripe makes this old gamer feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it.

I began playing Traveller way back in 1977, and have played, run, and written for various editions of the game ever since. I'll admit that I ordered the book with some reservations, as I saw it as a step backwards.

Happily, I was wrong. Mongoose Traveller is an excellent repackaging of the feel of the Traveller early days with updated rule concepts that bring everything into the 21st century. Character generation is smooth, the dice mechanics are simple to remember and use, and the rules in general are easily grasped.

My only complaints are with the artwork. Traveller has a feel, one developed over the last 31 years, and the artwork in this book had more of a WH40K look to it. Also, the equipment selection was very limited.

This is a good buy for fans of Traveller from the old days, or anyone looking for a simple SF-RPG.

A worthy upgrade for fans of classic 2d6 Traveller, although the book tends to be much more focused on rules and random generation than on providing information about the Traveller universe, especially compared to previous Traveller releases. This lack of setting shouldn't be a problem to those who are already familiar with the Traveller Imperium, and the openness invites those who are unfamiliar to create their own futuristic setting in the vein of Starship Troopers, Judge Dredd, Firefly, or Star Trek (the rules even include notes on alternate rules for different universe settings, including different types of FTL travel and variations on world generation). And though it may be lacking in the area of story material, the book includes all sorts of supplementary material that other, more financially focused publishers might withhold for further publication. The book contains everything you could possibly need to run your own campaign, from world creation and interstellar trade, to aliens and thorough random encounter tables (it really is possible to play a campaign with no premade material, and just randomly create settings and encounters). That said, Mongoose is releasing plenty of supplementary material in further books, which ought to provide the details about the Traveller setting that the core rule book lacks, as well as expanding player options (such as more detailed rules for playing aliens, as well as alternative career paths) and Referee tools (760 Patrons, for example).

As exemplified by its cover, and true to Traveller tradition, the book isn't flashy. It has simple, retro, grayscale illustrations, in addition to straightforward deckplans and an example sector map (I actually prefer the illustrative simplicity, although I've heard others complain). The focus is really on the rules, on their clarity and playability. A comprehensive index to the book gives it an on-the-fly advantage over "Thousand Suns" and "Serenity" (or at least over the version of "Serenity" that I have).

The randomness of character creation in Traveller has always been both a blessing and a curse. Players want to be able to create and play compelling characters, and the Traveller rules aren't always so friendly; a player may find his bright-eyed naval pilot wannabe, after failing to pass the Navy's entrance exams, quickly degrades to an aged drifter plagued with multiple enemies and a limited skill set. The new rules seem to be tackling the sense of uncontrollability in character generation, and the changes to the generation process are very compelling. Each term spent in a career will yield--in addition to somewhat random skills or characteristic improvements--events which are interesting but loosely defined, allowing the player to fashion the background and "feel" of the character, even if he or she can't control the nature of the events. Furthermore, a Connections Rule has been added which encourages (through the reward of precious skill points) PCs to know each other through the events in their backstories. And for added insurance, each character in a Traveller campaign gets to select a number of skills from a skill set related to the campaign's general theme, thus ensuring that a pilot or medic will be available despite a lack of such skills in their backstories, or, at worst, some redundancy of skills among the characters. The rules also accomodate a couple point based character generation systems, but they're not as fun.

The book's list price is somewhat expensive, but I was able to get it for about $25 after taking discounts and memberships into account at my local bookstore.

The flavour has returned to 'classic traveller'. Mongoose rules seem to take all the good stuff from the latest generation of games (d20, White Wolf etc) and elegantly blend them into the original traveller setting. The basic task system uses 2D6 and you make checks against a target number and add your skill and ability bonuses, so players from d20 and d6 etc will have no problem getting into this system. The skills system has been updated to include 'modern' concepts such as opposed checks, degrees of success, timeframes, chained/sequenced and teamwork checks.

Character creation allows for a broader range of backgrounds than CT and optional rules are also given for point based creation, instead of traveller career based creation. At first parse, all the original elements of the game are included in this book - including much material (eg. deckplans) that used to be in supplementary material.

The text is well layed out and the black and white artwork is first class. I can remember when GURPS traveller came out, I was generally pretty disappointed because it was basically just a conversion tool to bring your Traveller campaign over to GURPS Space rules, and the artwork let it down. However I still have the GURPS stuff because the library data (background fluff) by Loren K. Wiseman was excellent. Mongoose have left the Imperial fluff stuff to a minimum much like the original traveller book. To address this they have released a separate book for the Spinward Marches sector (the default traveller setting).

If you liked the classic hardcover Traveller Book, then you'll LOVE this because it is magnitudes better. As a generic SF rpg, I think its much better than GURPS Space, as well. It certainly got me thinking about starting up a 'hard-SF' campaign.

I usually write detailed reviews of my gaming books, but the "Dazed Genoshan" already has a great detailed review of INVICTUS, so make sure that you read his review.

As far as my own opinion, I definitely think that INVICTUS is the best of the line of covenant books:
-First is its value; the Invictus are everywhere, and the PCs will most likely have to interact with them. So there needn't be Invictus PCs in your chronicle to get a lot of use from this book.
-Second is its originality. I thought of the Invictus as filling the "political power" niche while other covenants got the "mystic power" niche. This is not completely true - the Invictus have blood oaths that carry occult force, while a house dynasty can create a mystic bond. I thought that giving the Invictus occult abilities would be cheesy, but it is pulled off well and really fits the flavor of the covenant.
-Finally, it's just well written. I could have easily imagined a book written about "bad guys" or The Man holding people down. Instead of being described from such a simplistic point of view, the Invictus do what they do because it's safe, efficient, and produces results. It's the sort of dictatorship I could imagine lasting millenia.

I think INVICTUS is one of those books that every VAMPIRE: REQUIEM player and storyteller should own.

I just finished reading this and I have to say Im sold. Vampire is one hell of an rpg setting. Of all the covenants in the new game this is the best one. It exemplifies the kindred like no other covenant and it has rules on how to expand on classic vampire merits like herd and status.

I also love the rules on managing fog of eternity and how vampires live for hundreds and thousands of years to lay out their plans. I also like the rules for vampire dynasties where a group of vampires rules the estate of an elder who is in torpor to lower his blood potency. This rule makes it possible for players to have power early in the game, the potential for great storytelling is excellent.

The book also gives details (foggy at best) regarding the origins of the covenant after the fall of the Camarilla which was the ruling body of vampires during the time of Rome. It also has rules for ghouls who serve this clan and a few bloodlines.

I cannot wait to use this covenant in my games. Next to Ordo Dracul its my favorite. Great supplement!

Recomended for any VTR players. It has a few blood lines that are kool.

Presenting the vampire Covenant (political faction) known as the "First Estate," Invictus provides well thought out insights and clever plot hooks for the oldest and most powerful vampire Covenant. New Factions, Bloodlines, Disciplines, Devotions, Merits, and Ghoul Families are presented along with a substantial amount of descriptive setting material. In every instance the new game mechanics support organizations and ways of thinking within the Invictus, and provide more than just a list of new toys.

I haven't been much of a fan of the Invictus since I started reading about and playing Requiem. So when I went to my local gaming store and started reading through this book, I was expecting to not be surprised at what was inside.

However, this book ended up being one of the most pleasant surprises I've ever run across in gaming. Of course, the book mostly focuses on power structure, since that's the nature of the Invictus covenant. Yet there are also enormous details about the Invictus' relations in the World of Darkness, the history of the covenant, why and how one joins, what happens as time goes on, and bloodlines and factions- including the very interesting cyclical dynasties. There are also portions of the book that deal with the treatment of Ghouls, a few Ghoul Families created by the Invictus, and Blood Oaths.

This book is fantastic! I can't recommend it enough. Even if you're not going to have any characters in the Invictus, it can be used for NPC creation, or for storyteller information. Get this book, it's worth it.

Gives the user all up todate information on weapons and weapons and brawling. Features swords and guns alike.

The gun is said to be the great leveler. It doesn't matter how big or small you are, weak or strong, skilled or unskilled at fighting, a shotgun blast to the chest will take you down. Obviously, in a world of supernatural monsters, the humans are going to want a boatload of guns. Sometimes, though, you need something sharp to finish the job, and sometimes you have to fight with whatever you have on hand. And sometimes, you just REALLY have to blow something up. Nuke it from orbit; it's the only way to be sure.

ARMORY is a supplement for the core line of White Wolf's World of Darkness. It's critical for mortals to have some kind of arsenal, but mages need kevlar vests as much as anybody and a werewolf might find an antique silver butter knife to be the most effective weapon against her opponent. ARMORY has all that and more.

Also, it seems that every group has a gun nut, or a sword enthusiast, or someone who just plain knows how to brawl (I had an artilleryman, for example). They know a lot more than the ST about the equipment they specialize in and can overwhelm you with their technical knowledge. ARMORY at least keeps you informed about the difference between ACP, LR, and magnum ammo.

I originally thought ARMORY would just be a list of equipment and how it modifies dice rolls. And how much stuff could there possibly be to describe? Well, ARMORY covers improvised weapons, guns of all kinds, heavy weapons and explosives, WMD's (chemical/biological/nuclear), vehicles, and equipment. And it doesn't just list weapons, it tells how to use them. This is really invaluable, and you will learn a lot about how firearms work, how bullets deal damage, what kind of nerve agents are out there, and how a kevlar vest protects you when it is nothing but tightly woven cloth. It is really quite fascinating (and a bit chilling) to read and really understand the myriad ways that human beings have for killing each other.

ARMORY also includes new combat merits, including fighting styles. The "sniping" and "Spetsnaz knife fighting" styles are probably the most impressive.

Overall, ARMORY is an amazing book and so much more than an equipment list. After reading ARMORY, you'll have a much deeper understanding of weapons and defenses, and knowledge is a powerful weapon in the World of Darkness. But a Magnum Research Desert Eagle is even more powerful.

I appreciate most about this book what it does that isn't typical of an equipment guide. It offers legal context for items. It lists common myths about weapons and the truth behind them. It gives results for the often silly and overly cinematic things that the players may try. It offers guidelines on how high a character's skill should be based on background and training, often giving creative means to justify having a score (Weaponry dots justified by playing baseball, for example). Lastly, it doesn't feel the need to provide lists and lists of weapons, rather it encourages the Storyteller to just use the stats of the most similar item provided. Not at all what I expected and I am very happy with it.

I was reluctant to get this supplement. My games are not combat heavy or combat focused, but this book does an excellent job of detailing any possibly weapon a player can use in the World of Darkness game. It is also usable in any WoD game such as Vampire the Requiem or Werewolf the Forsaken. It even covers combat merits and maneuvers for developing good cinematic action games. I am very glad to make this book an essential part of my gaming library.

Armory presents a wide variety of new weapons, vehicles, and equipment for any World of Darkness game. New fighting styles and other merits add many new combat options for characters, and the discussion of how real world equipment and weapons training works is very helpful. If you want more detail than the World of Darkness corebook offers, or just don't know a lot about guns and weapons, then this is a great product offering enough detail and discussion to flesh out equipment without overwhelming the reader with endless lists of identical weapons.