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Review: Amulet Volumes 1 – 3 by Kazu Kibuishi from The Hopeless Gamer

The Hopeless Gamer — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:33:00 +0000

Comics aren't just for adults anymore.

I don't tend to review a lot of comic books around here, but when stuff comes along, whether a movie, book, or comic book that shines bright with its gaming potential, I find myself compelled to pass it along and let other people hear about it.

Amulet is a children's comic by Kazu Kibuishi. I use the phrase "children's comic" lightly here as it's definitely mature and deep enough for me, a 25 year old man, to really enjoy it. Anyway, it's a comic centered around a family of two children and their mother who, after moving into their grandfather's house somehow found their way into a Narnia-like land called Alledia. Keep Reading to find out how awesome combining anthropomorphic animals and giant monster fighting can really be!

Alledia is awesome. I may have been a little misleading with the Narnia comment. The only similarities it really shares with C.S. Lewis' fantasy world is the fact that it's a hidden world and animals talk in it (ok, and have some pretty awesome sword-fighting moves). Alledia is a crazy amalgamation of lots of really cool fantasy and sci-fi ideas. Before I get into too much detail trying to describe the world I want to make sure one thing is clear - they all work together. Everything seems like it should be too stark and different, but it all clicks. That, combined with the relationships that form the center of the story, is was makes Amulet click. Here's some stuff you'll find in Amulet:

Tentacled Lovecraftian Horrors
Giant Robot or Kaiju Fighting Complete With Launching Rocket Fists
Evil Pale-Skinned Elves
Ultra-Cool Bounty Hunter Types
Mecha
Talking Robots Including One That Is A Pink Bunny
Talking Animals a la Disney's Robin Hood
Airships
Jedi-like Powered Individuals (powered by the titular Amulets)
Flying Lost Cities In The Sky

Volume 2 features extra comic bang for your buck!

Are you not entertained? Like I said, it all clicks and works to form one very original and exciting world where you feel like literally anything could happen and any new concept could be introduced. It's like the best of Disney meets modern urban fantasy and horror. As you can see there have been three volumes released so far. They're a little bit slow going with the releases, but considering they're each around 200 pages and written and drawn by one person, it's not bad at all.

Volume three was just released and has yet again blown me away. Let me offer a little more explanation on the relationships bit from above. There are really two primary family relationships that seem to run the story. The first, and the one that follows our protagonists, is the family of Emily (the star of the book), her younger brother Navin, and their mother. Emily "inherited" or found and grabbed her great-grandfather's Amulet which imbued her with awesome powers. It also pulled them into the world of Alledia and towards the dangers of the evil Elf King. Speaking of which, the other relationship driving the plot is that between the Elf King and his son, Trellis. The Elves in Alledia are cruel, pale-skinned, and just down-right evil. It's a harsh contrast between Emily's and Trellis' families and cultures, but each are given access to their own power with their Amulets.

Vo. 3 should be titled "In Which Navin Continues to be Awesome."

That, of course, is the serious stuff. There's a lot of serious stuff in Amulet, don't get me wrong, but a ton of it is just over-the-top action. Navin, the younger brother, is probably around 10 years old, but by the third book he's shown off his piloting and technical skills so much (something you'd expect of a young boy in the age of video games) that it's completely believable he's expertly piloting an airship by Volume 3. While Emily has this epic destiny of the Stone Keeper, Navin is not over-shadowed at all, and I kind of love that about the book.

And let's not forget Leon Redbeard. I have a strong skepticism of talking animals, but it's really not fair nor is it earned. I love Mouse Guard afterall, and those mice speak like Olde English Professors. The Resistance, basically the good guys of Alledia who fight the Evil Elf King, is largely populated by people are have been cursed and slowly turned into more animal-like people. Leon Redbeard, the fox pictured on the covers above, is my favorite of these animal folk. I think a lot of it comes from the fact that Robin Hood is one of my favorite Disney movies, but enough about me! Leon acts as a sort of Amulet guru and personal bodyguard to Emily, and he is one mean dude when you pick a fight with him!

Why yes, those are walking houses.

Ultimately Amulet offers a lot of great story for a very small price. The artwork (seen left here) is just jaw-dropping, and the colors are insanely vivid. Everyone once in a while you'll come across a two-page spread like here and just want to take a couple of extra seconds to soak it all in.

I can recommend Amulet for anyone who likes fantasy stories - modern or classic. I feel like Amulet as a story is only really just beginning. The world of Alledia is huge and can incorporate pretty much any crazy and fantastical thing Kibuishi can dream of. That's one of the huge reasons I could see it being a fantastic role-playing setting. It's just so imaginative and incrorporates so many classic concepts in a new way. While it starts off a little slowly - the first half of Volume 1 takes place in our world - it sets the tone and the stakes early on and just builds from there. Give it a shot!

RPG Magazines That Time Forgot… Dungeon #12 from Siskoid's Blog of Geekery

Siskoids Blog of Geekery — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:05:00 +0000

Dragon Magazine #12, July/August 1988Tag line: Adventures for TSR Role-Playing GamesMakers: TSR Inc.What is it?Where Dragon featured role-playing articles for various games (not just AD&D), but no adventures, the bimonthly Dungeon featured nothing ...

Come blog at my table… A review of the Open Game Table Anthology volume 2! from Stargazer's World

Stargazer's World — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:00:45 +0000

As a relative newcomer to blogging (only since February) I can’t say I kept abreast of the blogosphere. Of course I read some blogs but it was not a conscious effort, but since I’ve begun my wonderful foray into this community I’ve discovered great blogs, exciting ideas and made some wonderful friends. I’ve tried to [...]

The PAX Report from Critical Hits » RPG

Critical Hits — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:00:32 +0000

Like all good things, PAX ended. Due to required nuptial witnessing, it ended on Saturday for me. Oh, I'm not bitter. In fact, I feel privileged that PAX is local. With all this good stuff happening before, during, and after the show, it's sure to become one of my yearly rituals. Here are some high points of my trip to the show.

Happy Birthday, Star Trek from Greyhawk Grognard

Greyhawk Grognard — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 01:18:00 +0000

On September 8, 1966, "The Man Trap" aired on NBC television (I being slightly over 3 months old at the time), ushering in a new era in science fiction.Today, 44 years later, Star Trek is still going strong, bringing enjoyment to legions of fans young ...

Quick Fix: About the Reviews from Reality Refracted

Reality Refracted — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:38:00 +0000

I just wanted to point some things out really quickly about the reviews, to help people get an idea for how they work.Don't Expect Many 10s or 100s, If AnySo, first off, a 10 to me is a very big deal. It means that there is no way conceivable that some...

Review of DDS2: Caves, Sea and The Great Outdoors by Taurus XII from NEUROGLYPH Games

Neuroglyph Games — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:18:13 +0000

“A connecting principle / Linked to the invisible / Almost imperceptible” ~ Synchronicity I (The Police, Synchronicity, 1983) Just before GenCon, I had the good fortune to get a review copy of the recent Kobold Quarterly Issue #14. And in the course of writing the Review of KQ14, I had my DM’s perspective shaken up a [...]

Fantasy Flight’s Talisman 4th Edition Massive Review – Base Game, Reaper, Frostmarch, Dungeon, and the Highland from Troll in the Corner » Role Playing Games

Troll In The Corner — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:05:03 +0000

I love Talisman (well, all but the 3rd edition). I've played the 1st edition once or twice, I've owned everything for the 2nd edition and logged hours and hours of play, passed on the 3rd edition to keep playing the 2nd. Now the 4th edition has arrived. What follows is a review of the 4th edition revised game, with every single available expansion thrown in to the mix, as played by 6 players. Related posts:

Review – ICONS: Superpowered Roleplaying from Reality Refracted

Reality Refracted — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0000

I mentioned before that I wanted to try my hand at reviewing, perhaps establish some 'cred' before trying for 'press' badges if I ever manage to get going to cons. Besides, it'll give people a reason to rip into me if I ever get M.A/C.C into stores. My...

What about the new D&D comic? A review! from Stargazer's World

Stargazer's World — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:00:41 +0000

Some of you may or may not know that IDW Publishing will soon begin publication of officially licensed Dungeons & Dragons comics. They recently published an issue #0 to promote the new series and give fans a taste of what’s to come. I had asked my local comic book store to pull out a copy [...]

Looking at Hero Lab: A Review from Kobold Quarterly Magazine: Monsters and Magic for D&D Gamers

Kobold Quarterly — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:12:26 +0000

As a writer, a GM, and player, I need tools to help me get to the game table faster while making play smoother and easier. Hero Lab is one of those tools. For this review, I used my workhorse machine—a Pentium dual-core, 2.20 GHz, 4 GB RAM, Windows 7 on an Asus K60IJ notebook. We won’t get [...]

Review: Pathfinder Chronicles: Dungeon Denizens Revisited from GM Oracle

Phil Reed — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:01:14 +0000

Within this 64-page book is detailed information on the motivations, tactics, ecology, and history of these classic monsters, all reimagined for the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting while staying true to their roots as iconic elements of the game. Learn about rare and deadly variant creatures, and the best ways of separating them from their treasure. I’ve recently started spending a little more time with Paizo Publishing’s (website, Twitter) series of Pathfinder RPG* books and I’ve gotta say that overall I’m loving the work. And while the RPG is excellent (especially if you’re a hardcore 3.5 fan and have no interest in switching to 4e), I think I can now safely say that it’s Paizo’s storytelling — the “fluff” for those of you who prefer that term — that keeps me entertained and inspires creative thoughts when I’m reading their books. And it’s rare when an RPG sourcebook has fluff that’s as ...

D&D Starter Red Box: The Solo Adventure and more… from StupidRanger.com » rpgbloggers

StupidRanger.com — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:31:54 +0000

Over the weekend, Stupid Ranger and I secreted ourselves in a mountain cabin outside of Colorado Springs and we brought along with us the D&D Red Box. We were accompanied by another couple who had never played D&D before. This was a recipe for distilled awesome, so on Sunday we introduced D&D to two new [...]

The free PIE RPG. from Troll in the Corner » Role Playing Games

Troll In The Corner — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:31:50 +0000

This isn't exactly a review, as I've not actually had a chance to run this system yet, but instead a call to attention for the awesomeness of free stuff. Related posts:

Review: MECHA from Stargazer's World

Stargazer's World — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:00:02 +0000

I love the mecha genre! I remember back in the 80s when we got cable TV I watched Robotech on some British TV station, although I couldn’t understand most of it. It has been many years later when I finally had the chance to rewatch the series. And this time I could finally understand what’s [...]

I was attacked by an owlbear from Meta Gamemastery

Meta Gamemastery — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:17:17 +0000

I have to apologize to all the people I missed at the PAX Prime 2010 DM Challenge. Literally, one minute before I walked out the door I was attacked by a raging owlbear also know to some as my wife. I had my laptop and projector packed in my backpack. All my minis were picked out. I had printed out the stats for my ...

I Was Attacked By An Owlbear from Meta Gamemastery

Meta Gamemastery — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:17:17 +0000

Review: Dark Sun Campaign Setting, Part 4: Welcome to Athas from My Girlfriend is a DM

My Girlfriend Is A DM — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:45:56 +0000

Now, after three posts devoted to player content from the Dark Sun Campaign Setting, we finally get to the DM content. And there is no shortage of stuff for DMs despite the decision to cram it all in the same 220 pages. None of it is insignificant in any way, and it comprises about half … Read more

Review of Dark Sun Creature Catalog by Wizards of the Coast from NEUROGLYPH Games

Neuroglyph Games — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:00:37 +0000

“He’s got huge, sharp… er… He can leap about. Look at the bones!” ~ Tim the Enchanter (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975) The world of Athas is a completely unique D&D setting in many ways. Isolated from the rest of the “multiverse” of worlds, torn apart by wars and ecological disaster, and even separated [...]

King of the Monsters 2, Winner Crowned! from Kobold Quarterly Magazine: Monsters and Magic for D&D Gamers

Kobold Quarterly — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:12:12 +0000

First off, please excuse the eye patch. I don’t remember what happened last night, but I seem to have had a bit of an accident… and my head is absolutely throbbing. Too much partying I guess, am I right? (I always seem to have the worst luck at these events.) Anyway, I’m super excited to be the one [...]

Freeport Companion: Pathfinder RPG Edition Review from Creatively Anomalous

Creatively Anomalous — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 05:16:58 +0000

The Freeport Companion: Pathfinder RPG Edition (affiliate link) does a great job of translating Green Ronin’s classic setting into the Pathfinder RPG system. I also have the Savage Worlds version of the book, and somewhat prefer the Pathfinder implementation. The … Continue reading →

NewbieDM Review: Red Box Starter Set from www. Newbie DM .com

Newbie DM — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:12:12 +0000

I’ve been struggling with this review for a few days, and I can’t quite come to terms with how it is I feel about this new Red Box as a starter set to D&D. I’m also struggling to find for whom exactly this set was designed for. Was it for the completely new players who [...]

Forgotten Realms Issue 15 – Fallen Idols (Part 1 of 4) from A Hero Twice A Month

A Hero Twice A Month — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:12:00 +0000

This issue begins with Foxilion Cardluck running for his life. He has the fabled Timepiece of Dragons hoisted over his head and is being pursued through caverns by a highly diverse group of goblinoid creatures. Luckily for him, the rest of the ...

Review – ION Guard: ICONS Edition from Gaming Brouhaha » RPG

Gaming Brouhaha — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:40:01 +0000

ION Guard is a setting/organization supplement for the ICONS game that presents a new intergalactic organization of heroes. All of the ION Guard’s members wear a golden ION Fist, which provides them with a suite of superpowers including flight, bla...

News in Review for Aug 30 to Sept 5 2010 from NEUROGLYPH Games

Neuroglyph Games — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 17:26:43 +0000

It was a bit slow for 4E News this week, being in that odd transition between August and September with the Labor Day Holiday approaching, but there were still some very nice pieces that are definitely worth mentioning. This week from official channels, Wizards of the Coast offered the new D&D Podcast, as well as launched [...]

Review: Dark Sun Campaign Setting, Part 3: Still More Player Options? from My Girlfriend is a DM

My Girlfriend Is A DM — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:01:18 +0000

In the previous installments of this in-depth look at the Dark Sun Campaign Setting, we’ve examined the new builds for existing classes and the new races introduced by this well-hyped book, as well as the new options introduced for players such as character themes, wild talents and arcane defiling. In my opinion, the entirety of … Read more

King of the Monsters 2, Final Voting! from Kobold Quarterly Magazine: Monsters and Magic for D&D Gamers

Kobold Quarterly — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:20:45 +0000

Today’s your last day to vote! The crown is up for grabs, and you actually get to choose your new overlord! Who else offers that? Right now, there’s a good possibility that eye patches will come back in style real fast, but it’s not over yet. With several hours remaining, who knows what could happen. Find your favorite [...]

Philosophical Reading from Transitive Property of Gaming

Transitive Property of Gaming — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:12:00 +0000

I just stumbled across a blog called "Points of Light: Mostly for D&D games". As the name says, it's mostly about D&D, which I don't play a lot of. It's also got a lot of Edition wars related posts (he really likes 4th and hates Pathfinder), which are of limited interest to me. Every single paragraph has at least one "fucking" which seems a bit excessive. But stepping past those complaints, as I

Wizards Watch: Of Podcasts & Unearthed Arcana from NEUROGLYPH Games

Neuroglyph Games — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:51:23 +0000

“Let’s talk of graves and worms and epitaphs…” ~ Richard II (Shakespeare, The Life and Death of Richard II {Act III, Scene 2}) This week started out as a fairly lackluster one in the realm of content from the official Wizards of the Coast site. It is somewhat understandable, what with the month of August drawing [...]

graverobbing over the Glyph from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:20:21 +0000

Let's rob a king's grave! Some West African kings were buried in a manmade hill. First the king and his treasures, along with some unlucky servants, were interred in a wooden dome. Then tons of earth was piled on the dome. Finally the new hill was covered with clay and fire-hardened. This was a difficult [...]

The Week in D&D Hardcore: September 3, 2010 from Save Versus Death

Save Versus Death — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:56:59 +0000

Week in Review I’ve Been Cheating on You With Another Blog: An explanation on why I haven’t called in so long. To make it up, I made you some original content – a high-quality papercraft obelisk! Voting began this week for Kobold Quarterly’s King of the Monsters 2 contest. While voting still remains open for [...]

Free public beta version of Synapse RPG available from Gaming Brouhaha » RPG

Gaming Brouhaha — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:35:23 +0000

You can download a copy of the beta version of the upcoming Synapse RPG here.

Gamma World Unboxed from Gaming Brouhaha » RPG

Gaming Brouhaha — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:27:29 +0000

Check out the video here.

Worldbuilding of a Different Sort from The Labyrinth

The Labyrinth — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:26:00 +0000

I'm sure many GM's feel the same type of frustration that I do... You have this crystal clear vision in your head of this amazing campaign world, but how can you convey all that to your players with just words. Well you don't have to rely just on word...

RPG Circus Season 2 Episode 16 Now Available! from RPG Blog II

RPG Blog II — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:15:00 +0000

This was a fun podcast episode, with a great guest. This week, we discussed:

-All sorts of stuff, in an interview with our special guest writer/editor/hobby superwoman Jess Hartley;

-A review and discussion of the new sword-and-sorcery Shadow, Sword, & Spell RPG, from Rogue Games

-GM Screens: Benevolent Game Master’s Aid, or Instrument Oppressive Fascism? (OK, perhaps we didn’t couch it in those terms, but you get the idea).

Download it now, and give yourself gaming sustenance in the days to come.

Random Generation: Interview With Chaotic Shiny’s Hannah Lipsky from RPG Blog II

RPG Blog II — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:02:00 +0000

Readers of this site know I'm absolutely crazy about random generation, tables, and charts in role playing games--I love 'em, and think they're tremendous fun. Today, I have an interview with Hannah Lipsky of Chaotic Shiny Productions, someone who knows as much about random generation programs for RPGs as anyone out there. Hannah is here to talk about her awesome new Kingdom Builder II program pack, her other available generators, Chaotic Shiny's other projects, and a bit about being a small-press gaming company.

Best of all, as a thank-you to RPG Blog 2 readers, the first twenty people to use the code "RPGB2ROCKS" at the Chaotic Shiny store this month receive 25% off any purchase! Act fast, because those twenty uses will go quick! How awesome is that? Now, on to the interview!

Chaotic Shiny has one of the largest collections of RPG generator tools I've seen. How did you get involved in writing these sorts of programs?

I started freeform play-by-post roleplaying way back on AvidGamers. I noticed that a lot of sites there had similar names, so I made a couple site name generators as a joke. Not long after, I realized I was playing a lot of similar characters, so I made a character generator as a way to help stretch my creativity.

A while later, I was running a tri-stat dX game and having a lot of trouble coming up with taverns on the fly. The tavern generator was the first really detailed generator I made, and the first one specifically for use in tabletop RPGs.

After that I made a generator whenever I thought I'd need something original on the fly during a game, and then I started making generators off other people's suggestions, or just because I had a cool idea.

What can you tell us about your upcoming generator, Kingdom Builder II?

It combines some of the existing generators on Chaotic Shiny, like the Law and Fashion gens, with some totally new generators. The Events gen comes up with things like "A new species of minotaur has been sighted near a southern forest, and there have been severe thunderstorms. A popular scion may be involved." The Conspirator gen gives you interesting people to build hooks from. And of course there's the visual Flag gen, which makes pictures of flags - you can even use your own image as the charge.

It's based on suggestions about the original Kingdom Builder pack, which is my most popular product to date. You can use the two together to create a fully fleshed-out kingdom brimming with plot hooks, or use any of the generators on their own whenever you need them.

How often do random charts, generators, and tables factor into your own games?

I used to use my generators during my games all the time. Recently I've been trying to run with just a notebook and pencil, no laptop in sight. It's a bit of a relief to run with just what's on the table in front of me, but it does mean that if I want to use my generators, I have to plan ahead.

You've also been working on some things with Chaotic Shiny Productions, both some generators and books like Martial Flavor, a 4e sourcebook regarding martial cultures. What are you currently working on?

The next book we have coming out is Arcane Flavor, the sequel to Martial Flavor. It has five unique cultures that each put their own twist on magic - from the half-fey city of Cailleath to the shadows where the Ternion stalk their prey, and the ringing peaks of Valok where evil bards reign supreme.

I'm very happy with the cool stuff I've come up with for the book, and the art by Rachel is absolutely gorgeous. She takes my artistic direction of, "I dunno, tall buildings and fire and stuff - and try to have fewer women this time; people complained" and comes up with digital paintings that are exactly what I envisioned, only better.

As a small press company, how do you compete with larger concerns that can perhaps afford more helping hands, art direction, or have more resources?

I don't. I do this because I love it. If I can break even or even make a profit, that's awesome. I certainly can't pay myself a living wage doing this, but that's why it's not my day job. Not to say I'm not serious about the business side of things - I am. But I know I'm not going to be the next Paizo, and I'm okay with that.

What's been the biggest lesson you've learned on the publishing side of things so far?

Never announce deadlines. Real life comes up, both for me and other people, and there's nothing worse than having to nag a friend who's already stressed out just so you can make a deadline you ignorantly set six months ago. Now I have general times when I shoot for releases, but I never make a specific date public. That way, when my internet goes down for a week or I'm invited on a spur of the moment camping trip, I don't need to apologize to my fans.

What sort of continuing impact do you see the digital revolution having on smaller gaming publishers, and, indeed, RPG publishers as a whole?

I wouldn't be able to publish at all if it weren't for the online market. It's made it possible for small press to exist, by drastically cutting down costs and making it easier to get the word out. As for larger publishers, that really depends on how they react to it. I think there's a lot of cool things that can happen if big publishers go with the new technology instead of trying to resist it.

What can we look for for the rest of this year and going into 2011?

I'm going to keep coming out with free generators on Chaotic Shiny, of course. I aim for two a month, though real life has been getting in the way a lot more frequently now that I have a full time job.

There will be more generator packs from Chaotic Shiny Productions, though I'm not sure yet what the next one will be. I'll be coming out with Arcane Cultures, taking the cultures from Arcane Flavor and releasing them in a (most likely) systemless form.

I'll keep coming out with cool free stuff like Tavern Tables, the Damager and 10 Fantasy Coins. Free products let me play around with new ideas without the pressure of making something that will sell, so they're a lot of fun to work on.

I'm working on some cool collaborative projects with some other people, though I can't say too much about them yet. Suffice to say that they are very shiny indeed.

Again, thanks to Hannah Lipsky for a great Q&A and a great special for the readers. Remember, the code for 25% off at the Chaotic Shiny store is "RPGB2ROCKS"! Hannah rocks, too--make sure to let her know!

Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist Now Available! from Kobold Quarterly Magazine: Monsters and Magic for D&D Gamers

Kobold Quarterly — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:12:23 +0000

You and your companions are trapped underground in a lightless hell with miles of lethal traps and hungry monsters between you and the surface. Betrayed… lost… your situation seems hopeless. But each of you has unique abilities: ways with the blade, the spell, and the fist that set you apart from other adventurers. Those abilities [...]

Dungeon Trick Generator from Save Versus Death

Save Versus Death — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:53:14 +0000

I’m really excited to announce that the first version of my Dungeon Trick Generator web app is done! The concept is simple – each time you load the page, it generates a trick that can be easily dropped into any dungeon adventure for any edition or system. Like all random generators, some entries [...]

Essentials Red Box final thoughts from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:00:17 +0000

That's it! We've blogged everything we could blog about the D&D Essentials starter set. Blog of Holding will now stop spamming people with hourly updates and return to a once-a-weekday schedule. On the whole, I think the new Red Box is a very good intro to 4e D&D. Although it's mostly useless to me, it's [...]

tokens from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:10:35 +0000

Besides the books, power cards, and character sheets, the D&D Essentials comes with a one-page ad for other Essentials products, a card with a redemption code for another solo adventure (yay!) a two sided dungeon/wilderness map, and tokens for PCs and all the monsters in the DM book. Each monster type comes with four tokens, [...]

Incongruent Future Web Supplement 1 from The Spirits of Eden » RPG

The Spirits of Eden — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:04:51 +0000

Perhaps you don’t read enough Axe Cop. Maybe you grew up without a Nintendo. It might even be possible that you never watched Shark Week on the discovery channel, sitting in awe at the killmaximal might of Mother Nature. But … Continue reading →

character sheets from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:00:30 +0000

The Essentials Red Box comes with 4 character sheets. The sheets fit on one one-sided piece of paper! It's roomy enough that almost 1/3 of the sheet is devoted to "character notes". The last time an official character sheet was presented so tidily was, I think, the 1983 Mentzer Red Box? It's definitely a starter [...]

magic item cards from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:00:08 +0000

Every magic item in the D&D Essentials starter adventure comes with a power card. Or a magic item card, I guess: none of the magic items (lifedrinker greataxe, darkleaf leather armor, magic staff, chainmail armor, bag of holding, amulet of health, 2 potions) actually have a power. None of the cards are marked Common, Uncommon, [...]

Wizard At-Wills from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:30:15 +0000

I was looking over the Wizard at-wills, and some of them are pretty powerful! Paul already talked about Hypnotism, so I'll focus on the others: Wizard!: Stone Blood + Freezing Burst: I'm surprised it took so long for the wizard to get one of these. It's been something WotC has talked about since the release [...]

Retrospect wins RPG Geek’s 24-hour RPG Contest from Gaming Brouhaha » RPG

Gaming Brouhaha — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:22:11 +0000

…and in case you didn’t know, I wrote it. ;op The complete list of winners can be found here. You can download the free, 24-hr version here. Once I have complete feedback and some playtesting data I will publish a revised version whic...

power cards from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:01:54 +0000

I've finished reading the Essentials Player's Book and DM's Book. Others have taken pictures of the power cards and tokens, so you can get more complete spoilers there. I do have a couple of power-card powers that I'd like to call out. Hypnotism is a very flavorful wizard at-will. On a hit, you force the [...]

meet the kobolds from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:00:37 +0000

Of the three kobolds in the Essentials DM's book, two (kobold tunneler, a level 1 minion and kobold quickblade, a level 1 skirmisher) are new. The Kobold Slinger is updated from the MM1. The Kobold Slinger's attacks have been made more accurate, and damage has been slightly fiddled with, but the big change is that [...]

Review: Dark Sun Campaign Setting, Part 2: More Player Options from My Girlfriend is a DM

My Girlfriend Is A DM — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:05:02 +0000

In the first installment of my look at the Dark Sun Campaign Setting, I dug into the new builds provided by the book for existing classes and the two new races introduced. They’re all pretty cool, but one of the best things about this book is that it expands on the flavor possibilities of characters … Read more

rogue Weapon Finesse from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:00:28 +0000

According to the Essentials Red Box rules for leveling up, rogues get the Weapon Finesse class feature at level 2. That gives them +1 to attack and damage with light blades, light crossbows, short bows, and slings. According to the Thief preview from the WOTC site, Weapon Finesse is granted at level 1. It's not [...]

official 4e random treasure table from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:00:41 +0000

In Encounter 6 in the Essentials Red Box adventure, we get the first random treasure generation table that I've seen in D&D 4th edition: Each character who spends time searching through the [crate of] supplies for something useful or valuable can make a DC 12 Perception check. For each character that makes a successful check, [...]