Critic's Corner
Expedition to Castle Ravenloft Review
By Steven Creech, Exec. Chairman
Initiative Round
In the early days of AD&D, Tracy and Laura Hickman penned a little adventure that incorporated some elements of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, subsequently naming it Ravenloft. (The module was given the alpha numeric designation I6.) Ravenloft was the first adventure to strongly showcase gothic horror in D&D. It introduced us to the master vampire Strahd, and showed us how truly terrifying a vampire can be. It is considered to be a classic among gamers and became so successful that it was the foundation for a whole campaign setting during the days of 2nd edition (and briefly during third edition). Now that adventure has been updated for 3.5 and is ready to scare a whole new generation.
The Sinister Spire
By John Grigsby, Staff Reviewer
Initiative Round
The Sinister Spire is a Dungeons & Dragons adventure from Wizards of the Coast. This 64-page folder is written by Bruce Cordell and Ari Marmell. The cover art by Steve Prescott depicts a medusa standing before a life-like statue of Regdar, the iconic fighter. In the background, the looming spires of an underground palace can be seen. The interior art is by Wayne England and Mike Schley serves as your cartographer. The Sinister Spire retails for $19.95.
Deep beneath the surface of the earth, in the realm known as the Underdark, the waters of a sunless sea meet a pebble-strewn shore. Beyond this boundary opens a wide vista shimmering with pale cave-light. Titanic columns as large as castles march miles into the misted distance. The wide, steeply sloping base of the nearest colossal column is carves with streets, walls, and elaborate structures, many with gaping, empty windows. A few glimmer with faint illumination. Are you brave enough to explore the spire-city and face the terrors that lurk within?
The Dungeoneer's Field Guide to Hazards Review
By Casey Smith, Staff Reviewer
Initiative Round
The Dungeoneer’s Field Guide to Hazards is a recent print release from the author of well over a dozen pdfs, Philip J. Reed. As the title and slime-adorned front cover would indicate, this is a book filled with all sorts of dangerous subterranean things that your player’s won’t be eager to find. The Dungeoneer’s Field Guide to Hazards is a compilation of Mr. Reed’s line of hazard-based pdfs, such as A Dozen Dungeon Hazards, A Dozen Wilderness Hazards, and A Dozen Hazards of the City, as well as some other open game content hazards. The Field Guide is 60 pages in length and goes for $16.95, but I was lucky enough to get the book for $8 with a special pre-order deal.
Spycraft 2.0 RPG: Conspiracies Review
By Steven Creech, Exec. Chairman
Initiative Round
Conspiracies is a supplement fpr Spycraft 2.0 by Paradigm Concepts. It is the first print supplement (to my knowledge) for the new Spycraft 2.0 originally published by Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG) and now supported by Crafty Games. Conspiracies is written by Lee Hammock, who is a very talented writer but somehow flies under most people’s radar. Additional material and assistance is provided by Eric Weiner, Andrew “Fish” Popowich and Scott Gearin (a familiar name among Spycraft fans). Veronica Jones, who has provided the cover art for every single print Spycraft product to date, once again gives us a fantastic and fitting cover piece. The book retails for $19.99 and is 80 pages in length.
The Book of Unusual Feats Review
By Casey Smith, Staff Reviewer
Available at the Ronin Arts Online Store
Initiative Round
The Book of Unusual Feats is a recent product from veteran author Phillip Reed (the latest being the promising The Dungeoneer’s Field Guild to Hazards). The title should leave no mystery about what this product’s contents: feats, feats, and more feats. Worth mentioning is the fact that The Book of Unusual Feats is a compilation of the author’s other recent offerings: 101 Feats, Another 101 Feats, and 101 More Feats. By my calculations, that’s 303 feats. The Book of Unusual Feats comes in both print (a first for the company, I believe) and pdf versions; the print (which I am reviewing) is an impressive 70 pages long and retails for $16.95 . . . but those of us who won initiative were able to preorder it for a mere $8. So, is it possible to have too many feats? Click that link below to find out.
Dragons of Autumn Review
By John Grigsby, Staff Reviewer
Initiative Round
Dragons of Autumn is a Dragonlance d20 adventure from Sovereign Press. This 176-page softcover is based on an original design by Tracy Hickman, Harold Johnson, Douglas Niles, and Michael Dobson, and is adapted by Clark Valentine and Sean Macdonald. The cover art by Larry Elmore depicts the black dragon Onyx rising from a well to confront Sturn Brightblade, Raistlin Majere, and Flint Fireforge in the ruins of Xak Tsaroth. Lindsay Archer, Daniel Bryce, Larry Elmore, Dennis Cramer, Chris Dien, Jeff Easley, Alan Gutierrez, Jennifer Meyer, and Chris Tackett all contribute to the interior art. Dragons of Autumn retails for $29.99.
I can clearly recall the day I first discovered Dragonlance. I’d been a D&D player for about seven years, and in the back of a Toy Store at a mall, I found a D&D module labeled DL1 Dragons of Despair. The cover had a black dragon in a ruined city battling a quartet of adventurers. For a high school student working a summer job, the $10.95 price tag was dear (this was, after all, 1984), but it would be worth it. The cover alone assured me of that.
The Golden Eel Inn Review
By Megan Robertson, Staff Reviewer
Available at RPG Now
Initiative Round
The Golden Eel Inn is a 16-page PDF supplement for D20 Dungeons & Dragons, produced by 0one Games in June 2006. It is written by Tim Hitchcock and is available for $4.00.
This is the opening product in a new line, designed to meld 0one Games's map designs and mastery of PDF technology with descriptions of the locations depicted populated by well-rounded NPCs... who as a bonus are provided in both generic and D20 formats, and with some adventure seeds to get you started.
Spycraft 2.0 2nd Printing Review
By Megan Robertson, Staff Reviewer
Available at RPG Now
Initiative Round
Spycraft 2.0 2nd Printing is a 496-page PDF core rulebook for Spycraft 2.0, produced by Crafty Games in May 2006. It is written by Alex Flagg, Scott Gearin and Patrick Kapera, and is available for $24.95.
This is the revised version of the original Spycraft 2.0 originally published by Alderac Entertainment Group before the Spycraft line was bought out by its authors when they set up Crafty Games.
Spellbound Vol.1: The Channeller
By Megan Robertson, Staff Reviewer
Available at RPG Now
Initiative Round
Spellbound Vol.1: The Channeller is a 33-page PDF supplement for Spycraft 2.0, produced by Crafty Games in January 2007. It is written by Scott Gearin and is available for $6.00.
The book opens by explaining what it is attempting to do. This is, to introduce classical ‘fantasy’ magic into the contemporary or future setting by presenting the D20 SRD (system reference document, the ‘open source’ reference to the D20 system) spells in a suitable manner. In the effort to explain how magic operates within [b]Spycraft 2.0[/b] a little less sales pitch and a bit more coherence about how it is all intended to hang together would have helped – the introduction to magic reads more like a product ‘blurb’ encouraging you to buy it than an explanation of how to use it in your game.
Bag Full of Guns: This is My Rifle Review
By Megan Robertson, Staff Reviewer
Available at RPG Now
Initiative Round
Bag Full of Guns: This is My Rifle is a 6-page PDF supplement for Spycraft 2.0, produced by Crafty Games in July 2006. It is written by Alex Flagg and is available for $1.50.
This product is designed as the first of a series that will look at a range of different weapons for use in the Spycraft 2.0 game. Naturally it is of particular use if you are the sort of player who likes to go into technical detail rather than just have a handgun or a rifle; but even for those of us who are not ‘gun nuts’ it provides interesting flavour and detail when planning what your character is going to carry.
