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Ronin
Publisher: Green Little Thing
by Bruce [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/25/2023 17:56:20

I've enjoyed playing through Ronin, creating my wandering samurai (who has gigantism as his notable trait), wandering from place to place, getting into trouble, making allies and coming up against the villains that have it in for him. It probably took me about 2 hours to play through and I enjoyed it a lot. The encounters were memorable. The fights were tense/epic, particularly the last one which saw my ronin fight against his former master (possibly even his brother as they both had gigantism).... I also enjoyed the villains killing off my poor hapless allies to set the stage for the final duel.

  • I would note that there are some minor errors in the document (translation errors, links to a non-existent table etc). I've attempted to contact the author via the Discussions in order to correct these. But they don't interfere with gameplay.
  • Would definitely recommend Ronin!


Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Ronin
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Beyond Countless Doorways
Publisher: Malhavoc Press
by Bruce R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/26/2023 02:37:56

I love this sourcebook and I have used it extensively over the years to support planar expeditions for not just D&D but other role-playing games as well. The worlds that Beyond Countless Doorways introduces are generic enough to be used in many different game systems. There are a number of fleshed out worlds, but also a lot of little stubs for worlds which are great fun in themselves. After many years leveraging a dog-eared printed copy of the PDF, I hunted down and acquired a hardcopy of this book. I highly recommend this book.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Beyond Countless Doorways
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BattleTech: Jihad: Turning Points: Sian
Publisher: Catalyst Game Labs
by Bruce R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/26/2023 02:26:47

Used this sourcebook as the basis for a series of linked battles for Battletech Alpha Strike. Highly recommended supplement. We had a lot of fun.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
BattleTech: Jihad: Turning Points: Sian
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Solo Adventures compatible with Stars Without Number
Publisher: Parts Per Million
by Bruce R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/26/2023 02:25:03

I found this product very helpful. I use the wheels which appear within the book for a lot for a variety of different games to generate ideas/plot complications. Highly recommended.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Solo Adventures compatible with Stars Without Number
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Coral bay 48" x 48" RPG Encounter Map
Publisher: Loke BattleMats
by Bruce R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/26/2023 02:21:58

I have bought a number of maps from BattleMats but this one in particular is gorgeous.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Coral bay 48" x 48" RPG Encounter Map
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Pro RPG Audio: Open Sea
Publisher: Plate Mail Games
by Bruce R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 07/26/2021 04:23:25

Used this as backing sounds for a Savage Worlds 50 Fathoms game where the PCs are on a sailing ship. It is purely sounds of the sea, the ebb and flow of waves, no boating sounds which is perfect. It could be used in practically any seaborne adventure. Highly recommended.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Pro RPG Audio: Open Sea
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Heroic Maps - Ships: The Bloody Sunrise
Publisher: Heroic Maps
by Bruce R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 07/26/2021 04:21:05

Happy with this ship, which we're now using for Savage Worlds 50 Fathoms.

The images are clear and evocative, perfect for a group of scurvy dogs who are going to prey on poor merchantman. I highly recommend this ship map.

The only thing that I don't like is the positioning of the helm - why is it so far forward rather than on the poop deck? Also, doesn't the helm connect to the rudder via a mechanism in order to enable steering - it looks like this has been missed out on the lower decks.

I wish there were some way to add/remove details to these maps - eg: change the Bloody Sunrise so that it only has 4 cannons, or no cannons. No problems with this having 8 cannons - it would be great to change little details though.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Heroic Maps - Ships: The Bloody Sunrise
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Tyrnador Player Guide
Publisher: GRAmel
by Bruce R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/09/2021 23:30:01

I'm very happy with this purchase. Calling out the specifics of what I liked:

  1. Funnel characters. It is a great idea to have the opening adventure being played by ordinary people who are not yet Novice level heroes. Players will play a small number of these funnel characters in the opening adventure - some will die but those who survive may go on to become heroes. (The Secrets of Tyland adventure produced by Gramel is a great example of this). I ran a test adventure of this with some friends (and my kids) and they had a ball.
  2. World explanation / history of the world, including information on mundane like flora/fauna. The world of Ventar feels a little like Middle Earth - a grand realm that has been 'damaged' - there is a feeling of hope but also menace.
  3. I like the changes made to the Magic system, especially the addition of the Cantrip power and the Burned Power Points (basically burning your power points for 'the big stuff', and it takes time to recover those)
  4. I love the rules for cooking and eating the monsters that you find (you get hungry in the dungeon)
  5. Tyrnador rules for Illumination (when do the lights run out?), Reputation, Resting and Absorbing Damage (at the cost of your armour)
  6. Mass Battle Rules (woo, who doesn't like a mass battle - and there is a chance to use it in The Secrets of Tyland adventure)

I haven't yet had a chance to use the Downtime Phase rules but there is meant to reflect that there is a period for Adventuring, and there is a period for in between Adventures where the heroes are doing stuff like crafting items, training up, maintaining a stronghold etc. It feels a little bit like the Downtime Phase from Blades in the Dark where the heroes (crew) rest between Scores. I think this is a really good idea, because it allows you to focus on the action (Adventuring Phase) then skip through the period between adventures (Downtime Phase).

All in all, another solid supplement provided by Gramel. We'll be starting a campaign of Secrets of Tyland (Tyrandor) in the next two months.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Tyrnador Player Guide
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Tyrnador: Secrets of Tyland
Publisher: GRAmel
by Bruce R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/09/2021 21:50:16

Tyrnador, Secrets of Tyland provides an immersive world that the heroes can explore which will take them from Funnel Characters (more on that later) up to Veteran level.

The main campaign is time-based and I believe it'll take my group about 12-18 sessions to play through. I like that a lot because it has a definitive story arc which has a definitive ending which will end about 3 months of game time. My group wants to play something that has a clear beginning, middle and end - and this definitely ticks those boxes.

Secrets of Tyland has a combination of the main campaign arc, plus events which are triggered by location, events triggered by time (because the villains are doing stuff) and a number of events which are triggered by players' actions. It's a very clever sandbox which I'm already making plans to extend.

The overall plot is extremely interesting (which I won't spoil), and the PCs will slowly piece together what is going on over the course of time (and adventure). If they deal with the threats/events that come up, they will be better positioned to deal with the end-game. If they don't - either by ignoring threats/events or by failing to deal effectively with it - then it makes things harder for them.

I love the starting setup for the Funnel Characters. The players are playing a few would-be heroes each (Funnel Characters) in the first session - some will die horribly but those who survive will become the heroes of the game (unless of course the players choose to use regular Savage Worlds heroes). I've already test-run this opening adventure and my kids loved it. Basically the heroes are travelling on a stagecoach in the pouring rain, the driver is killed in an attack, the horses bolt and the entire stagecoach goes off the bridge and crashes into the ravine below. The heroes are the survivors of that opening disaster swim ashore and find the entrance to a cave. The cave, of course, is the first dungeon that the would-be heroes need to navigate - they are a mismatched bunch of randomly generated characters, they have limited gear, and the cave is .... occupied.

And even though this opening dungeon may seem to be randomly placed, it isn't. What is going on in that dungeon is the opening act for that main campaign arc.

Assuming the heroes deal with this dungeon and get to their destination in one piece (most won't), some of them (ie: those who will be promoted from Funnel Characters to Savage Worlds Novice-level characters) will stay in the area and start being drawn into the other plots (Savage Tales) that are in flight. There is a good reason provided to stay in this area and not to simply move on. Like I say, this is an immersive world that (I think) will pull the players in.

So this is the next campaign that my gaming group is gearing up to play..... I've read this book cover to cover and am very impressed. (Typically books produced by Gramel are first rate and this is no exception)



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Tyrnador: Secrets of Tyland
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Shadows over Ekul
Publisher: GRAmel
by Bruce R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/09/2021 21:28:04

I had a lot of fun running Shadows over Ekul. From my point of view this is one of the two best Beasts and Barbarians adventures. I ended up running this as part of a Lords of Gossamer game (not Savage Worlds) but it could easily be adapted to any D&D/swords and sorcery game system.

Shadows over Ekul is a wonderful four-chapter adventure that can be run over 2-4 game sessions. It starts with a classic case of mistaken identity (one of the PCs is mistaken for the local Prince), and quickly becomes a job opportunity where the heroes are asked to perform a dangerous mission (and the PC who looks very much like the Prince has to pretend to be the real Prince, and go on a 'diplomatic' mission).

My PC group had a lot of fun impersonating the Prince and his entourage - it allowed for some excellent roleplaying opportunities.

This adventure has it all - role-playing, rivalries, action, plot twists, chases, assaulting a castle, climbing sheer cliffs to sneak into baddies' lair, rescuing a Princess. It has excellent examples as to how to set up an interesting dungeon based on card-draws.

High praise for Shadow over Ekul. I will almost certainly run this adventure again. One of the best.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Shadows over Ekul
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Tyrnador Music
Publisher: GRAmel
by Bruce R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/09/2021 18:20:23

I've been using the Tyrnador music for a D&D game (but will be running Tyrnador Savage Worlds shortly in about 2 months and will use it again then).

The track 'Deep into the Dungeon' music is suitably long and creepy for a dungeon crawl. (My kids really praised this track as very creepy)

The track 'The Necromancer's domain' is perfect for those dungeon moments when undead are involved.

The 'Through the forest of Tyrn' is great for forest exploration (again, suitably creepy to create the mood).

I haven't used all of the tracks in game yet but 'Inside the city of Bridgegate' feels like a city exploration but again there is a bit of underlying menace to the track.

All of the travelling/exploration tracks are long enough (10+ mins) so that they don't feel repetitive. I was going to reach out to Gramel and find out who the composer is and whether the composer has any more tracks like these.

Highly recommended.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Tyrnador Music
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Alone Against the Flames
Publisher: Chaosium
by Bruce R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/20/2020 07:59:54

Thoroughly enjoyed this adventure. I played through it in an evening, had dreadful luck and thought that my fate was doomed because of my poor dice rolls but I still managed to come through the adventure singed but intact.

Having read and re-read it a few times since, the adventure is very cleverly done. Choice plays a part, luck is certainly a factor but I never felt railroaded or cheated. Even though I suspected what might happen to my poor PC, and some of what I suspected did actually come to pass, I was never quite sure and the level of suspense was 'just right'. Some of the successful rolls told me important information and some were completely unimportant which made me feel that the dice rolls that I failed at were not necessarily important to the overall story. I just didn't know.

I would have been satisfied with the outcome even if I had not survived through it because the tension was carefully built and I was quite immersed in the story. I haven't tried replaying this solitaire adventure yet but having read fragments of the alternative plotlines, I think this adventure deserves a replay - and maybe the 'dice gods' and my choices will yield a completely different outcome.

I'm going to check out the other "Alone Against the" titles produced by Chaosium. I really enjoyed this one.

Cheers,

Bruce



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Alone Against the Flames
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BattleTech: A Time of War the BattleTech RPG
Publisher: Catalyst Game Labs
by Bruce R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 10/17/2009 11:17:04

I'm giving this one four stars - the role-playing rules for Battletech have come a long way since Mechwarrior 1st edition and the additions made are an improvement:

-- Character Generation includes traits, quirks, and a lot of permutations depending upon your character's upbringing ("modules" for the phases of early childhood, late childhood and higher education). All positive in my book. -- The overview of the Inner Sphere's history strikes that delicate balance of providing enough information to run the game in the "Present Day" of 3076 without bombarding the reader with intricate details of each of the Houses/Clans which have been built up over the last 20 years. I could pick this book up and there is enough material here to build the framework for a campaign - they have left the universe open enough to give the Gamemaster room to move and not been overly prescriptive. -- I like the information about available Equipment (including prosthetics, types of armour etc, weapons). -- The index is easy to use (a strip down the right hand side of the page tells you which section of the book that you're in)

Of course, the stats for the Battlemechs themselves and the rules for playing Battletech as a wargame (on hex maps) are contained in other supplements. (this is mentioned on page 31 of the rules).

There are a handful of adventure seeds contained within (about one page worth) but there needs to be a lot more (probably 8-10 pages of ideas) and a proper sample adventure so that prospective GMs can see what could be done. This is probably the only area that is lacking in this supplement.

Some other comments: -- There is a multi-page spread that shows the Inner Sphere and all of the fiefdoms/dominions and the territories that they control, but no page that I can find which shows the star systems within one of the regions or even the key star systems of note. This could be a positive (blank canvas anyone?) or a negative. -- There is a history of the Inner Sphere which shows which powers were in control of what regions of space over time which I think is a great synopsis (in 3 pages) of the Battletech background. It's a good way of bringing new people up to speed quickly but there is no additional information for the GM to set the game in any other period but the year 3076 (ie: not in the classic 3025 period). This appears to be deliberate on the part of the publishers - this supplement is already 406 pages long!

Am pleased with this purchase.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
BattleTech: A Time of War the BattleTech RPG
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Wilderness Survival Guide (1e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Bruce R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/17/2005 00:00:00

Am totally satisfied with this product. I needed a weather creation system and there is no current product on the market (for any system) that has improved upon this book. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to bring their wilderness adventures to life with realistic weather, terrain, food-finding etc.<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: All the material is there.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: There is a slight graininess in some of the pages as though there is a faint grey image behind the original text. Very minor issue.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Wilderness Survival Guide (1e)
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