Roleplaying Books

All the books about the world of Krynn have entertained and this one is no exception. good action and characters give you a book hard to put down. Definitely recommend!

If you like books like this one, might I suggest another I've recently come across. The Unsuspecting Mage by Brian S. Pratt. It's another fantasy adventure sure to please. I highly recommend it.

This book is fantastic. There is so many variations included from the main storyline that this book is wwell worth the price.

No where on this webpage does it say that this is a campaign setting. Yet its titled the exact same as the trilogy name. Quite decieving. Other that that I dont know about the book I returned it.

This is an awesome addition to the books made by Sovereign Press. Glad to see the alternate Krynns. This book does a lot of major things in it, including showing Tas, Caramon, Raistlin going back to the time of Istar and Kingpriest Beldinas, along with the Dwarfgate War, Abys, and the Blue Lady's War. The battle section is great. The alternate Krynn's is every DM dream. I highly recommend this to anyone.

I've played this once in a group of skilled roleplayers and the GM who had experience with pretty much every game system under the sun.

It is hands down, one of the best games to play with a group mature and skilled enough to bring the story to life. I say mature enough because some of the gameplay topics are definately harder to handle. The common response for most people when they hit that level of uncomfort is to attempt at bringing humor in to help them get past it. If you can work through this point though it will scare you and make you think.

I don't recall what we did that particular night in game, but I rememeber it involved a playground, an a county fair, clowns, and me driving home with the dome light on in my car afterwards.

I'm rather glad this game never made it mainstream it makes it all that more interesting when you pull it out in a group of gamers who've never seen it. One recommendation if you're running a game: Bring a box of random assorted toys for people to play with for about 30-60 minutes before starting and while creating their character. It really helps set the mood and puts people in the right mindset.

I think also, just recently having had a child, that it will really change the way you view the game when you play. It plays both on the childs fear and the parents fear.

This is a wonderful, yet mechanically speaking, very simple role-playing game that should be much better known than it is. The premise is simple- you're a child whose terrors are real and live in a place called Closetland. The monsters of Closetland want your innocence, your soul, and sometimes your body, and the only thing that can stop them is belief in items that are very important to you.

The game, unfortunately, is out of print and very expensive. However, if you can get your hands on it, it's fantastic. I recommend it. It's one of the best role playing games I've ever seen.

I'm a big fan of RPG's, and I tend to like them the darker the better. And boy, this is one of the darkest RPG's I've ever seen. It's one of the best written books I've seen, next to Nobilis. It's /truly/ creepy to read and the fiction that starts the book literally made me cry. Not a book to read at night on your lonesome.
The basic theme of the game is that as we age we forget that the things that scared us as children were actually real. The Bogeyman, monsters in the closet, things under the bed. They were all real and all vicious and murderous. Children dissappear every day and sometimes they go to Closetland, where the monsters are to become slaves of the monsters or worse. You play a child, and you have to fight back against those monsers and what they want to do to you and your friends.
The authors pull no punches. One of the monsters is a pedophile. Another keeps her immortal beauty by bathing in the blood of children. There's definately glimpses of humor and cuteness in the game, but only to play up the depths of horror.
I have to admit I haven't actually played the game, mostly because other people who read the book are too weirded out to try. But from what I've seen of the game mechanics they look pretty viable if simplistic. It's more a game about atmosphere than hack and slash.

Since the beginning, role playing games have been primarily about one thing; wish fulfillment. Basically it's about people becoming what they could never really be, doing what they could never really do, and reaping rewards they could never really have. The horror RPG genre turns this dynamic on its head, generally casting the heroes as normal folk facing odds they cannot overcome with brute force. "Little Fears" takes this one step further. Here the players are facing overwhelming odds, but they don't even have the strength or influence of a grown-up to face them with! Power-gamers will turn up their noses at such a prospect, but for those of us who truly enjoy a role-playing challenge "Little Fears" is a must-get.

The premise is that all the nightmares of childhood; the Boogeyman, the monster-in-the-closet, monsters from the movies and a host of other villians that children can't even conceive of but their parents have been conditioned by sensationalist media to dread, all live in a parellel world called "Closetland." The monsters of Closetland seek to steal children's innocence and sanity, and whenever possible the children as well. Adults, having grown out of innocence cannot perceive the creatures of Closetland, so the children are on their own to protect themselves from these menaces.

The system uses only six-sided dice. The characters have five primary stats; muscle, feet, smarts, hands and spirit. Game play revolves around using a single die to either roll under a stat for success (i.e. a "quiz") or rolling over an opponent's stat when an action is opposed (i.e. a "test"). The author gives descriptions for some monsters, particularly the "leaders." Details about what the "rank-and-file" monsters are like and what they can do are vague. This allows the GM to create customized creatures that only s/he knows about. Any GM who has been frustrated by "Call of Cthulhu" players who just happen to own a copy of the rulebook will appreciate this, although it does mean a lot of work.

Overlaying the premise of supernatural monsters stalking children, is the very real threat of child abduction. Although it is billed as the game of "childhood terror," the author often blurs the distinction between the fears of children and the fears of their parents. Thus the rules contain references to eating disorders, cannibalism and other scenes of horror that some readers may find difficult to read, and even harder to place in a workable game. Only the most mature of players, for example, should even consider writing a scenerio involving the "king of lust," whom, the rules describe in chilling detail. As a result, even some fans of horror gaming may be tempted to avoid "Little Fears" as being just too much to take.

Again, I thoroughly enjoyed reading and playing "Little Fears." Its unique premise makes it a powerful and compelling break from other games. But even as a devoted fan I cannot play it too often, and do not begrudge those who would not play it at all. "Little Fears" is a five star game, but it is not for everyone.

Many of us hardcore fans have waited a long time for this kind of book. No longer must we attempt in vain to create a format for a Kai Lord player character for our D&D adventures now that August Hahn's adaptation has hit the shelves for our gaming delight.
Using the popular d20 system (D&D 3rd edition) rules, this book allows players to make characters such as the Kai Lord, Brother of the Crystal Star, and even a Gunner of Bor! The combat system is a "watered-down" version of the normal d20 system, omitting such things as feats and attacks of opportunity, but for those fans of D&D 2nd edition, this may be a welcome event.
The magic system greatly differs from the 3rd ed D&D rules, but is very pertinent to the world of Magnamund and has the flavor of the game books from the 80's & 90's. Similarly, the advent of psychic combat is simple, yet very functional.
The "Gazeteer" section of the book could be considered a treasure trove of Magnamund history, and those who have ever owned the elusive "Magnamund Companion" (out of print) book,you will be especially delighted to see descriptions of ALL of the countries and elaborations of the Magnamund timeline far beyond what that book provided. Also, for those who own the "Companion", you may get a little "giddy" at the mechanics of the Crystal Star mage and how similar the powers and progression of the character type are compared to the mini-adventure at the end of the "Companion".
On the negative side of things, I found the artwork lacking in content. Although not horrible, a trained eye will notice inconsistencies in the physics and shadows. Its good, but not great. Another thing is that not all of the creatures described in the "Gazeteer" section have an illustration, which would have been useful for those of us who may never seen the illustrations found in the game books.
All in all, I found that this book is great for anyone wanting to revisit the elaborate and sprawling world of Magnamund, or is perfect to adapt items within to any existing D&D campaign.

Lone Wolf makes his most daring journey yet... into the 21st century! This book heralds the return of this fabulous series, and has turned it into a not-so-bad RPG. Now, briefly, the good and the bad.

The good:
The information. This book is a veritable gold mine of Lone Wolf history and setting. The whole book is worth it just for that.
The ease of combat. Combat is much easier to resolve than it is in D and D, without losing any of the excitement or diversity.
Character creation. Character creation has been simplified, still giving you tons of room to customize, but without making you fliip through hundreds of pages to see what stats a Half Dwarven Bard raised by humans would have.
True to the original world. This feels like Magnamund. Hell, it IS Magnamund. Fans of Lone Wolf must get this or feel forever cheated by Fate. Okay, maybe an exageration, but... I digress.

The bad:
First and foremost, crappy index. For a book with as much information as this book has, it really needs a better way to find stuff quickly.
Clarity. Some rules haven't been clarified well at all, and GMs will find they have a lot of room for interpretation concerning magical combat. At the same time, some of the rules have been overdone, and make it clunky, especially item creation.
Balance. Some characters defenitely seem to have an advantage over others, and some classes are lacking in abilities that would really round them out. Many classes have glaring weaknesses to exploit, and some would have a really hard time in a small group.
Misinformation. Despite August Hahn's attention to detail, there are some things that are in contradiction with the gamebooks. Nothing glaring, mind you, and much of it is fine. Still, the fact that there are any inconsistencies had to be noted.
Lack of supplemental material. While there have been two excellent supplements released, it is unlikely that more will be released any time soon. However, there is a large fan base which occasionally puts out their own material, and thus there is a lot of player support for this product.

All in all, this is a must have for fans. Players of RPGs will also find the system interesting, as it has removed some of the more hated aspects of D and D without adding any complications. Beginner role players will be drawn in by the rich setting, but may be confused by some of the less clarified rules. To them I have this advice: just use what you think works best. One of the nice things about the Lone Wolf system is that it is easily adaptable.

If you are not familiar with Lone Wolf (or even if you are), go to www.projectaon.org, where the original books have been legally reprinted in html format and check them out. It's well worth it.

Fans of Lone Wolf have been cobbling together rules to fit Kai Lords into their fantasy campaigns for nearly two decades. Now that the rulebook for role-playing in Joe Dever's setting has finally come to print, fans of the series can show their friends the richness and diversity of Magnamund to their gaming group.

There are seven classes available in the core rule book: Brotherhood Mage, Kai Lord, Telchos Warrior (much like an amazon), Shadaki Buckaneer, Dwarven Gunner of Bor, Magician of Dessi, and Sommerlund Knight of the Realm. The seven classes are well thought out and immediately playable, each having a very satisfying progression as they level up. Like one who is familiar with the game books would expect, new abilities are gained every level, whether it be Kai disciplines, Brotherhood spells, Dwarven gun tricks, etc.

Also included in the rulebook are creatures and equipment unique to Magnamund, details on each country in both northern and southern Magnamund, and tips for role-playing in this world.

The combat system is simplified from D&D to allow a quicker resolution of combat. Those who enjoy the level of detail in D&D may miss this, but it holds true to the 'feel' of the game books of the '80s (including using the same 'Lone Wolf' font; people familiar with the original books know what I mean). In addition, psychic combat is a strong factor in the rules, as Magnamund's population has a high percentage of psychic abilities.

About the only negative thing I could think to mention is the lack of art, though it could be argued that more artwork would take space away from the content.

All in all, I find that the 20 year wait was well worth it in the end. If you're as much of a fan as I am, there's no reason to not get a copy.

There are those within the RPG community who have waited for nearly 20 years for such an event. Wait no longer. August Hahn's adaptation of Joe Dever's original award winning series fully captures the essence of this dramatic world of Magnamund. Using the ever-popular d20 mechanic, August and his fellows and Mongoose stripped down the mechanics in efforts to make it more "friendly" towards first time players. d20 enthusiasts might be put off by a lack of old standards to the system such as Feats, Attacks of Opprotunity, and specific spell lists. The lack of these elements dramatically decreases any slow-downs to game play, maximizing how much enjoyment is gotten from actual game play.
The book includes scaled-down and simplified combat (d20, of course), a complete Gazetteer of various nations and regions around Magnamund, a choice Bestiary of some of the more notorious fiends within the realms, and a beautiful full-color map in the back of the book: be warned - the map is attached by glue to the book itself and not easily removed. This feature does prevent loss of the map....
As for the lack of feats, after a close look at the core classes, one can easily see that bonuses similiar to those received from feats are built in and automatic at every level up.
There are few negative things to be said about the book: there is some substandard art, especially compaired to the original gamebooks by Mr. Dever. The core classes are limited to those of heroic stature - there are no rogue-like classes, no clerics, only regional-specifics like the Kai Lords, Magicians of Dessi, etc.
But for pure entertainment, this book has it in droves. It is, in my opinion, a great introduction to both Magnamund and d20 role-playing as well. Enjoy it as a Core d20 game (as it is intended) or as a world setting for your existing campaigns!

The first Psi Order/Area book for White Wolf's Trinity game was useful and enjoyable. The ISRA didn't seem that interesting in the main sourcebook. Yeah they had some long-range and perception powers but they were also a bunch of monk dudes sitting on the Moon who also happened to be pilots. Though you can still play characters like that, Luna Rising introduced other interesting alternatives for ISRA characters. There are groups in the ISRA who are similar to ravers, detectives, activists, and intelligence agents.

Luna and Olympus was finally given sufficient coverage. The culture of the various levels are so diverse and varied that many adventures can be had on the Moon, no matter what the taste. Olympus is a very happening place that rivals New York City, Rio De Janeiro, Hong Kong, and any other big city on Earth. The book provides plenty of information on each sector and its associated culture. You'll be surprised to learn about Lunar casinos, amusement parks, and the fate of the first Lunar landing site.

The new psionic powers, subdivisions of the ISRA, gear, and Lunar information should help GMs assemble many fascinating games in Near Space and the ISRA. A good book overall.

Robert Scott Martin is a fabulous writer and makes his wide scope of knowledges clear in this simple and lovely work. Clairsentients are exposed as being quite the important and opportune character, and like Robert Scott Martin's other contributions to White Wolf, this bears the mark of gentle scholarship and half-mad, magnaminous creativity.

Makes Clarisents into much better psions, even for people who like to hack and slash. Clarisentsa at first seemed to weak, but other important uses for thewir powers are shared in this sourcbook

White Wolf has done well with the first area supplement for Trinity, making the least imposing group of characters - ISRA - much cooler than the original book. The color section is well done, and the information is valuable. My only complaints are that the B&W section blends player and GM information and there is too little equipment.

Rigid screen , very classy , nice illustrations , verid solid and good tables .

When I first saw this product listed as "Hardcover", I assumed it was a typo. I've never had an RPG screen that wasn't just cardstock paper. This is really hardcover - the same material that the books use. It has 4 panels that fold away, so it fits on the shelf nicely with the rest of the line (it can be read like a book, too, given the way the book folds). The front image is the same as the cover for the Mage book (green, turquoise swirls with gold lettering and holographic overlay).

The contents are pretty helpful - some of it is reminders for the Storytelling system and some is for Mage in particular.
Tables:
Combat Summary (stages and dice modifiers)
Grappling summary
Melee weapons
Ranged weapons
Armor chart
Extended Actions (how often you roll and the target #successes)
Fire types & Damage
Explosives (for Call of Cthulhu players :)
Sample Objects: durability, size, structure, damage potential
Feats of Strength (dot ratings = lift potential)
Electrocution damage
poisons (toxicity ratings)
Sympathetic Magic penalties
Paradox (rolls and severity)
Effect of Gnosis levels
Spell Factors (dice penalties - very handy)
Experience costs
Gauntlet Strength
Aura signifiers
Wisdom Chart

My big complaint is that there is no list of rotes w/ reminders, like "req. 1 mana", vulgar/covert, and instant/extended casting. Make it tiny print, whatever, it just is very time consuming to look up each rote when it is used if you are inexperienced (and if I were experienced, I wouldn't need the screen!) Anyway, I still highly recommend this screen as a reminder table of almost everything you could need.

I just got my new Mage: The Awakening Screen and I have to say right out of the box I was impressed. As the previous review stated it is made from the same materials as the covers of the books. This screen will stand on it's own and take some abuse.

And the derth of the information is huge. It has all the magic items on one panel for easy reference, Combat, damage, auras. All info that I now won't have to look up everytime.

A definite must for any ST!

I think that the Storyteller's Screens put out by White Wolf have only done nothing but improve over time. In year's past, the screens were slightly flexible and not nearly as sturdy as they should have been, and not nearly as nice looking as they could have been. This one is definitely nicely done.

Firstly, the screen itself is made of the same material as the hardcover books you buy from White Wolf. In and of itself, this is a huge leap forward, as the screen is about as sturdy as you can get, at the same time being easily folded up for transportation. It's also a nicely sized screen, covering plenty of area that you want to obscure. And the cover itself is very similar to the designs and patterns on the Mage book.

The screen has plenty of information from the original WoD book (so you don't need to have it open all the time), as well as plenty of material from the Mage book itself. Definitely something that makes it a bit easier on the spines of those hardcover books (which is a shame to damage in the case of the very beautiful looking Mage book). In some respects, it's almost too packed, as there is literally information all over the 4 folding sections of the screen. So, you definitely get what you paid for.

Which is really my only complaint; the screen is almost too full of information. So, it can be hard to find stuff as there's a lot up there. The large type face makes things fairly easy to find, but it still has a lot all over the sections facing the Storyteller. Many might find this a hard complaint, as the more information available at a glance the better... But there's always some little bit of less referenced information that can be left off.

Still, all in all, it's an excellent piece of work. For the $14 or so price, it's worth it.

This was the finest box set printed during the 2nd Edition era. All the books were useful, including the pre-made adventures that let you know how you should frame your adventures. Add to the fact it had nice expansions, and its hard to beat this book, save for the new d20 version.

Ever wondered whats like to play a Ravenloft campaign in the world we live in? This boxed set gives you everything you need to get started in gothic like horror role playing in Earth, in the year 1890. A general map, the character classes and abilities. Its just another good oportunity to role play something quite new... You'll love it.

The Gothic Earth setting is by far the most realistic adventure setting from TSR in decades, but, as noted in another review, successful play requires a good knowledge of the late 19th century, its customs, technology, etiquette, etc. This is NOT beyond the scope of anything required by any "steampunk" RPG, such as "Space 1889" or "Castle Falkenstein" or the "Cthulhu by Gaslight" 1890s campaign. Any background research into "our" world which has been done for any of those games is just as valid for Gothic Earth, and this campaign setting should actually require less mental gymnastics than "Falkenstein" or "1889."

The boxed set is VERY nice, and the maps and illustrations are unexpectedly beautiful (in a horrifically Gothic way, of course!), far above typical TSR standards, but the presentation and background of "the Red Death" entity (Gothic Earth's answer to the Voices of the Mists of Ravenloft) is rather feeble; most skilled GM's could come up with something better as a house rule. The mini-module, "The Red Death," which is included in the boxed set is, however, a very different matter; based upon Poe's "Masque of the Red Death," I adapted it to a "Falkenstein" game (it would have worked just as well in any other 19th century game) and shocked the heck out of my players; it is so obviously based upon the Poe story, however, that player knowledge can easily become a problem.

By and large, it's worth the price, and far less grim than Ravenloft itself.

This is by far the most original campaign setting in the AD&D line. While all other campaign settings are rather hack and slash, medieval settings. This setting takes you to 19th century earth in the 1890's. Where you can fight the villians some of the lords of Ravenloft were based after. You can fight Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, Mummies in real Egyptian tombs, and many many more. The only problem is that to do a really good game of Masque, one must do a whole lot of research about the 1890's. I ended up reading 3 books about the History of L.A. where my campaign was taking place in. But if you love to do real good research for a campaign, this is the world for you! Oh, H.P. Lovecraft stories are really great adventure ideas for this setting!

H2: The Mines of Bloodstone is an AD&D (1st edition) adventure module for five to seven characters of level sixteen to eighteen. That's right, this is a wide-ranging adventure for high-level characters. Following up on the module H1: Bloodstone Pass, the characters now find that the town of Bloodstone is under attack once again. The source of Bloodstone's danger is the abandoned mines just outside of town. What lies within those mines? And, is it beyond what the characters can handle?

Now, this module is different than most, in that parts of the story require the use of the BATTLESYSTEM rules that allow unit based warfare. However, I must say a clever Dungeon Master will be able to handle the warfare side himself, and guide the characters along using the standard AD&D rules.

As for the rest of the module, well I must say that this is a really great module with lots of action and grand adventure - adventuring on an epic scale! There's lots of danger here, and lots of really high-level monsters. In general, if you have wanted an AD&D adventure that reminds you of the epics of J.R.R. Tolkien and other fantasy authors, then this is the module for you!

H2: The Mines of Bloodstone is an AD&D (1st edition) adventure module for five to seven characters of level sixteen to eighteen. That's right, this is a wide-ranging adventure for high-level characters. Following up on the module H1: Bloodstone Pass, the characters now find that the town of Bloodstone is under attack once again. The source of Bloodstone's danger is the abandoned mines just outside of town. What lies within those mines? And, is it beyond what the characters can handle?

Now, this module is different than most, in that parts of the story require the use of the BATTLESYSTEM rules that allow unit based warfare. However, I must say a clever Dungeon Master will be able to handle the warfare side himself, and guide the characters along using the standard AD&D rules.

As for the rest of the module, well I must say that this is a really great module with lots of action and grand adventure - adventuring on an epic scale! There's lots of danger here, and lots of really high-level monsters. In general, if you have wanted an AD&D adventure that reminds you of the epics of J.R.R. Tolkien and other fantasy authors, then this is the module for you!

The incomparable Bloodstone saga continues as the intrepid lords (PCs levels 16-18) delve into the most dangerous dungeon of all time! Your unbelieving players (who will probably never forgive you) will face demons, iron golems, red dragons, the Tarrasque, and yes, Orcus, the Prince of the Dead himself; hopefully, they're half as good as they claim to be, or this adventure will usher in an exciting new campaign for their 1st-level replacements. The one and only epic - not deep, but unforgettable!

The 2nd of 4 adventures set in the Forgotten Realms world. Brave heroes fought outside influences to protect the Bloodstone lands, what was thought just another angry band of monsters leads them to the abandoned bloodstone mines, once mined for its rich bloodstone minerals. It appears theres more than originally meets the eye as their investigations bring them ever closer to the unceasing force behind it all.

I have a few problems with Mutants & Masterminds 2E (M&M2E) at it's core. It's a good game, but it feels just a bit "blah" to me in play. I have issues with the linear d20 system, as well as a bit of a "bored now" feeling toward it's Toughness save in lieu of rolling gobs of damage dice against traditional Hit Points. I heard the Mastermind's Manual would have a few optional rules to help people like me customize M&M2E to what we saw as the exemplary superhero game, if M&M2E wasn't already there. I was mistaken. There are a few HUNDRED optional rules listed herein.

This means the Mastermind's Manual is geared more toward system (crunch) junkies, and setting (fluff) junkies will probably find the book lacking. I am both a system and setting junkie, and bought Freedom City 2nd at the same time as this book to sate both needs ;-).

What you have here is a 160 page tome of pure substance. If you pay for page count the price is terrible, but if you pay for content, the price is peanuts. Nearly every system of M&M2E is given an optional rules and replacement rules treatment, among which are my quest for a bell curved resolution system and hit points/damage system.

But there's so much more. Systems and tweeks that can change M&M2E into a different game. M&M2E at core is designed for closer to Four Color superhero play (like Justice League), but several options presented within the Mastermind's Manual can easily scale it down to gritty Street level play the likes of Punisher, Batman, and Daredevil. Also, some options exist to bring the game into the other direction, scaling the power level up to resemble something like Nobilis (godlings).

Now, I'm not saying you'll use (or even like) all 200 optional rules, because you probably won't. I don't even come close, I only like/use about 10 of them for my version of M&M2E. But having them all there to peruse is a real treat, as it shows exactly what the system can be customized to do, as well as how far the designer will go to help fans houserule the game into their perfect superhero RPG. Every rule seems to have been playtested to iron the kinks out, every question I came up with was clearly answered in the text. While I don't like and won't use many of the rules, it's good to see the breadth presented in an effort to make the book useful to anybody, not just those with a particular taste.

This book also shows how to create Powers from scratch (including breaking down the Powers from the core into their component parts), and handling Powers in different manners than just the core.

The main merit of this book (as in a merit to any group, even those that love core M&M2E with no changes), in my opinion, is the GM tips and tricks. For superpowers that tend to break the plot (you know - invisibility, mind control, esp, incorporeality, mind reading, precognition, etc), utilizing both the "real lives" and the "super lives" of the superhero characters, even different possibilities in the roles of superheroes vs. the society around them.

All this, and I've barely scratched the surface on the Mastermind's Manual, giving you what I would say is a weak selection of the sheer mass of options within. Let me just say that this book turned me around when it came to M&M2E's system. It took me from "blah" to "whoa!" in no time. I can't say as to whether it will do the same to others, but it seems likely to be a good addition to anyone's M&M2E library.

At its heart, the Mastermind's Manual is a smorgasbord of new rules options for a 2nd Edition Mutants & Masterminds campaign. The Manual contains dozens of options for all aspects of the game, including character creation, feats, skills, powers and combat. In addition to the rules options there is gamemaster advice and expanded rule systems. The book also includes a FAQ about the game, as well as errata for the 2nd edition - a nice inclusion.

I liked some of the rules options better than others, but overall most seemed both well thought out and interesting. Some of them, like the rules for extra attacks, could easily have been included with the core rules. Others, like the optional level-based advancement rules or rules for using hit points could make significant changes to how the game is played.

What's missing? I would have really liked a chapter devoted to `plug ins' like a sample bank map, a template for a runaway robot, etc. that I could easily drop into my campaign. Maybe I'm just greedy, but these would be more useful to me than a discussion of tech levels or other general advice.

The Mastermind's Manual is a book geared primarily towards the game master of the Mutants and Masterminds game. In it you will find suggestions, tips and tricks for running what can be one of the greatest superhero role playing games ever devised. Several more Martial Arts styles drawn from the real world are tallied up in terms of feats for ease of reference as well as revisiting ones in the second edition main book. This can be likened to the DMG of M&M. Anyone who is running or is thinking of running a Mutants and Masterminds campaign really should consider this book. Freedom City gives you a setting, the main book has all the basic rules for play. But the Mastermind's Manual is for the GM who wants a few extra cards up her figurative sleeve to tinker with the system when it gets to be somewhat contrary to his or her vision. Not exactly an essential book, but for the Mutants and Masterminds game, it does help the GM do his job a lot better.

You don't. What you do is, you give people the tools so that they can can make things better in their own way.

The Mastermind's Manual was described by lead writer and gaming guru Steve Kenson as "Unearthed Arcana for Mutants and Masterminds". Unearthed Arcana, a Wizards of the Coast supplement for Dungeons and Dragons, was a compilation of dozens of optional rules for that game, so you know from the start that you're going to be getting a book of optional rules. Many of these were options included in the first edition of the game that had to be cut from the second edition's page count; quite a few of them are the status quo of the first edition, offered as options for those who don't like the way the second edition does things. And there are also some rules for gamers who aren't happy with the changes that Mutants and Masterminds introduces to the basic rules set. (Of this last category, the only ones that make me wince are slightly ham-handed attempts to reintroduce hit points and experience levels to the system.)

But there's more. There's a short section explaining how the various powers in the main rulebook are put together, and explaining how one can go about building new ones. There are sections offering advice about simulating natural hazards, and about world-building and different styles of games. It's obvious that the designers have put a lot of thought into their work, with many sidebars on "how and why you might (or might not) want to use this."

What has most contributed to the so-called D20 revolution is less the freedom to use the system offered by its creators to other publishers, then its recognition that most, if not all, gamers don't necessarily just use the game systems we're offered "out of the box". We tinker, we invent house rules. We say, I like this idea that I've come up with better than what the publishers came up with. This has never really been sanctioned before, and I say that it's about time. Kudos to Green Ronin for offering the tools to make their great system even better.

There is a lot to this book. some you won't like, some you will. Over all I am glad it is sitting on my shelf.

Necropolis is an epic, high-level adventure set in fantasy Egypt, detailing a journey to the tomb of an ancient undead evil. The structure is straightforward: it describes stops along the way to the dungeon, culminates in a lengthy dungeon exploration, and includes some supplementary information on side locations, Egyptian gods converted for use in D&D 3.0, and monsters and classes appropriate to the setting. I hesitate to call this a "campaign" as much as a lengthy, detailed single adventure. But what an adventure it is!

E. Gary Gygax writes in a style that can be justly described as 'unique.' This is a massive opus of Gygax in his purest form, filled with plenty of evidence that Gygax has a tremendous vocabulary. It is also one of the most brutal, well-thought-out dungeon crawls I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The actual Tomb is an epic sequence of nasty traps and horrific encounters that build, one upon another, into a tremendous climax. Reading through it, I thought, "Wow. Do people have gaming groups that enjoy this level of challenge?" As a source of adventure ideas and an example of a truly fiendish dungeon, the supplement is magnificent.

There are a few blemishes, however. Necropolis was not originally published for D&D 3. It's been converted from another game system (Dangerous Journeys, I believe), and there are some traces of the old setting scattered throughout the book. Also, this adventure is very clearly D&D 3.0, not the current D&D 3.5, and some adjustments will need to be made to run it under the 3.5 rules. That said, if you're a GM looking for an exotic campaign ending in an exceptionally grim dungeon, and you have players who will still love you even after the third Total Party Death, I doubt you can do much better than Necropolis.

Finally a well written, well illustrated, and well designed book has come upon the scene. It looks fantastic...the interior design elements don't over shadow the illustrations or the text within (very different for most of these kind of books).

This module has great new ideas as far as tomb raiding and undead are concerned. The undead have a fresh feel to them and will provide a good challenge to most adventurers. The setting seems to be in keeping with general Egyptian lore and will satisfy most seasoned adventurers. Newbies should beware as this dungeon will eat up lower level characters like popcorn on a movie night. I have the older Dangerous Journeys version also but it is good to see it adapted to the new DND 3rd edition rules setting.

Wraith - The Oblivion is a great book. I just read it and I couldn't stop reading it. It adds a whole new dimension to WOD. I use to love playing Vampire the Masquerade but now my frineds and I play wraith. Charon plays a role similar to Caine, but he has his own accomplishments. Try to figure out who is Able (he is not under that name in the book). The Hierarchy is what I believe the Camarilla should have been created like. There is the Rebels for the rebels out there and theres the Heritics for you True Faith Players. The Shadowlands is a whole new world to roleplay.

Wraith - The Oblivion is a great book. I just read it and I couldn't stop reading it. It adds a whole new dimension to WOD. I use to love playing Vampire the Masquerade but now my frineds and I play wraith. Charon plays a role similar to Caine, but he has his own accomplishments. Try to figure out who is Able (he is not under that name in the book). The Hierarchy is what I believe the Camarilla should have been created like. There is the Rebels for the rebels out there and theres the Heritics for you True Faith Players. The Shadowlands is a whole new world to roleplay.

I consider this screen to be the best White Wolf has made. It has the normal wraith/chains artwork, and spans an extra page from the other Stroyteller's Screens (4 pages total). Beyond that, it has similar information. I just feel it looks much better than the others, and I use it most of the time when I run my games. The book, Buried Secrets, has many little-known facts that are quite interesting. It has the most secrets about what's really going on in Wraith excluding, of course, Ends of Empire. While it is not incredibly useful from a gaming aspect, the book is a great tool to help design role-playing scenarios, as it gives enough information to better flesh out certain adventures that the main rulebook is vague on. I would recommend this book at least for storytellers, and for anyone who wishes to know more about the secrets of Wraith.

This storyteller's screen is suitably moody, and the "Buried Secrets" book is useful, but neither is 100% essential for a good game of Wraith: The Oblivion. If you have a few bucks to spare, the elegantly dark screen will definitely contribute to the mood of the atmosphere (it looks great by candlelight), the nicely organized reference tables will be a great convenience, and the "Buried Secrets" book will give you a few good ideas.