Gamer's Corner
Rules Compendium
Submitted by whtknt on Tue, 2007-11-06 15:02By John Grigsby, Staff Reviewer
Initiative Round
The Rules Compendium is a Dungeons & Dragons supplement from Wizards of the Coast. This 160-page full-color hardcover is edited by Chris Sims and features cover art from Warren Mahy depicting a warrior with dual axes facing an unseen foe. The interior art is recycled from other sources. The Rules Compendium retails for $26.95.
Which comes first; frightened or cowering? How much damage would a character take if he fell from a 100-foot cliff into the water below? How much time would it take for the rogue to make his dagger look like a wand (perhaps as part of a disguise)? What is the DC necessary to discern a creature in gaseous form from normal mist or fog?
The Grand History of the Realms
Submitted by whtknt on Thu, 2007-11-01 14:51The Grand History of the Realms
By John Grigsby, Staff Reviewer
Initiative Round
The Grand History of the Realms is a Dungeons & Dragons supplement from Wizards of the Coast. This is a 160-page full-color hardcover by Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood, George Krashos, Eric L. Boyd, and Thomas Costa, with input from Richard Baker, Bruce R. Cordell, Steven Schend, and Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel. The cover art is by Todd Lockwood and depicts a rather famous drow elf and his panther companion looking over a mountainous region. Kyle Anderson, Glen Angus, Steve Belledin, Matt Cavotta, Rafael Garres Cervantes, Ed Cox, Daarken, Wayne England, Jason A. Engle, Emily Fiegenschuh, Carl Frank, Ralph Horsley, Andrew Hou, David Hudnut, Jeremy Jarvis, Dana Knutson, Ginger Kubric, Stephanie Law, Howard Lyon, David Martin, Dennis Crabapple McClain, William O’Connor, Lucio Parrillo, Jim Pavelec, Michael Phillippi, Steve Prescott, Wayne Reynolds, Ron Spencer, Stephen Tappin, Joel Thomas, Derek Thompson, Franz Vohwinkel, Eva Widermann, and Sam Wood all contribute to the interior art. The Grand History of the Realms retails for $29.95.
Since it’s debut, way back in the early days of Dragon magazine (often referred to in cryptic articles by Ed Greenwood), the Forgotten Realms has been steadily growing and expanding, its history being defined and rewritten with each product that is released. With numerous boxed sets, multiple adventures, and more novels that you care to count, the Realms has a well-defined and developed history, perhaps more so than any other fantasy world to date.
Dungeon Tiles Review
Submitted by Ghostwind on Fri, 2007-09-21 16:20By Ian Strelec, Staff Reviewer
Initiative Round
Released so far in four sets, Dungeon Tiles is produced by Wizards of the Coast as an aid for Dungeons and Dragons. Each set comes with an assortment of cardboard tiles, all of them marked out in a grid pattern of 1-inch squares. The tiles come in a different collection of shapes and sizes, with many and varied designs on them to reflect different environments.
Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures: Icons Gargantuan Blue Dragon Review
Submitted by Ghostwind on Fri, 2007-04-13 16:38By Ian Strelec, Staff Reviewer
Initiative Round
First in the Icons series was the Gargantuan Black Dragon, a fearsome beast from the swamplands dripping in acidic terror. Next was the Colossal Red, a terrifying force of nature’s fire. Now, the Gargantuan Blue, master of the desert sands.
Built to scale with other D&D minis, the Gargantuan Blue’s is painted in great detail in a pose designed to be awesome. The stats are absolutely amazing as well, with 600 hp, the ability to act twice per phase, and 6 times per round in total, and numerous abilities that make it very, very dangerous. Its breath weapon and crush attacks are particularly dangerous, allowing it to simply blast away or stomp over the opposition with almost ridiculous ease.
Faery’s Tale Review
Submitted by Ghostwind on Fri, 2007-04-13 16:34By Ian Strelec, Staff Reviewer
Initiative Round
Faery’s Tale can be quickly summed up as an extremely basic roleplaying game, though admittedly there is more to it than that alone.
Of the 62 pages of this short booklet, the first 18 are devoted entirely to lore on fairies. Afterwards, it moves into character creation. You first pick a Pattern, which is a Pixie, Brownie, Sprite, or Pooka. These are your essential races. Then you get 3 points to spread out among their base attributes, Body, Mind, and Spirit. Each Pattern has a different spread of 6 points among these attributes. You then get a limited pool to use to buy titles, gifts, or boons. Titles would be like Knight or Lord, gifts are special abilities, and boons are favors owed you.
Dreamblade Collectible Miniature Game: Chrysotic Plague Review
Submitted by Ghostwind on Fri, 2007-03-30 17:26By Ian Strelec, Staff Reviewer
Initiative Round
Dreamblade – where monsters from your very subconscious are summoned forth to do battle for control of the dreamscape itself. Dreamblade, once again, filling its roster with a host of random creepiness that may disgust and horrify certain people and leave others going “That is SO awesome!â€
Grand Tribunal: The Ars Magica Board Game Review
Submitted by Ghostwind on Mon, 2007-03-26 14:58By Ian Strelec, Staff Reviewer
Initiative Round
“Since time immemorial, wizards from all corners of the world have met in secret conclaves called Tribunals. The most important of these is the Grand Tribunal; held every thirty-three years, the Grand Tribunal draws magi from far and wide to display their magical creations for the approval of the archmages. These powerful judges vote on their choice for which three magic items are the best at each Tribunal, and award only the very best wizard the title of archmage at the Grand Tribunal. The next Grand Tribunal is fast approaching, and it’s your chance to prove yourself as a true master of ars magica - the art of magic!
Dungeoneer: Call of the Lich Lord Review
Submitted by Ghostwind on Mon, 2007-03-26 14:20By Ian Strelec, Staff Reviewer
Initiative Round
“The dark god of death and magic has raised his most faithful servant – the Lich Lord – back to undeath! Heroes who survived the Tomb of the Lich Lord have been called back, along with daring new allies, to destroy the Lich Lord forever. But this new crypt is more dangerous, his minions more powerful, and the Lich Lord himself more terrible now that he possesses the dark god’s sinister gift.†– the Scepter of the Shadow Plague.
Call of the Lich Lord is a two- to four-player Dungeoneer card game from Atlas Games.
Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures: Icons Gargantuan Blue Dragon Review
Submitted by Ghostwind on Mon, 2007-03-26 14:04By Steven Creech, Exec. Chairman
Initiative Round
Gargantuan Blue Dragon is the third release in the Dungeons &Dragons Icons line for the D&D Miniature Game. Manufactured by Wizards of the Coast, this 8 ½†long miniature carries a $39.99 retail price. In addition to the miniature, this product comes with a full color battle map (designed by Jason Engle), skirmish rules and a scenario.
Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures: Unhallowed Review
Submitted by Ghostwind on Fri, 2007-03-23 16:03By Steven Creech, Exec. Chairman
Initiative Round
The newest set for Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures is called Unhallowed. Wizards of the Coast has released another 60 figure expansion with a retail price of $14.99 per booster. The theme of this set isn’t undead or evil-oriented as one might think; rather it is a broad spectrum selection. Thirty miniatures are nonevil and thirty are evil.
