More fun right out of the gate.
General
If you hit hard enough in round one, there is no round two. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to attack rolls and skill checks in your first round of combat. This starts at the start of your turn and end at the end of your turn.
Thoughts?
Product-Shadowrun Sixth World Companion
System- Shadowrun 6th Ed
Producer– Catalyst
Price– $19.99 here https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/396661/Shadowrun-Sixth-World-Companion-Core-Character-Rulebook?affiliate_id=658618
TL; DR– If you want to build a new characters and are new to the shadows yourself, this is a solid place to start. 93%
Basics– WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!? Sixth World Companion focuses on how to build characters for Shadowrun players of all levels. The book has rules for newer players to build characters with guided character build packs and blocks of gear with a simple cost like buying bundles off a shelf. For more seasoned players you have new qualities, subraces, and methods to build characters instead of the older point buy. Let’s dive into my thoughts on this one.
Mechanics or Crunch– This book fills an interesting gap in Shadowrun. Newer players are often intimidated by character creation needing a paired down method with less option paralysis, and more roleplaying heavy players want a more thematic character creation process. This book delivers both these options to broaden the game’s appeal. Older, seasoned players get the rarer races and some newer toys but no magic options or real new gear. What is here is good, but some players might not find anything they really want if you know what you want to build and don’t want to play some crazy creatures in the shadows. 4.5/5
Theme or Fluff– How much you like this book will honesty boil down to what you are looking for. If you want some thematic methods for building characters or new races and lore for them, then you will love this book. If you want a box of new net gear or some magic tomes to blast enemies with, then you will likely not get as much out of it. It doesn’t expand the main story of the universe, but it does fill in some edges on things that are missing in the sixth edition’s world. 4.5/5
Execution– Catalyst has learned many lessons on book layout and design. This is a hyperlinked book with MANY tables to help you find what you’re looking for, as well as solid pictures, design, and text to make reading this a breeze. I enjoyed the text and didn’t suffer through it like other books. Nor did I have any trouble finding what I wanted. Solid book production Catalyst. 5/5
Summary– This is a book where your mileage will vary. What you want will really determine if you will like this book. If you need new character build guidelines or story build building options, then this is a solid book. If you want lots of new toys, spells, or expanding the world and story of Shadowrun, then this is not the book you are looking for. In either case, it’s a solid book with amazing execution showing that Catalyst has learned how to make books you will enjoy reading and easily navigate. 93%
Time to win the initiative war!
Starting Line
You like to work quick and efficient. Gain the following benefits:
Thoughts?
Ok, one list luck feat-now for Pathfinder 2nd Ed!
General
You always are a boon to those around you! When you or another creature within 30 feet of you spend an hero point, that reroll gains a +2 status bonus.
Thoughts?
Better to be lucky than good.
There is always a reason they keep you around.
Prerequisites: Diplomacy 5 ranks
Benefit: When an ally or yourself spends a resolve point to do an action, that action either gains a +2 luck bonus any d20 roll or the target of the ability gains a -2 penalty any associated d20 roll.
Thoughts?
More edge fun!
Cooler (1-3)
Things just don’t work around you.
• Bonus: 10 Karma
• Game Effect: When edge is spend within 10 yards, that character must spend an additional edge point to gain the intended bonus.
Thoughts?
I need to play more Shadowrun!
Luck Charm (1-3)
It’s always luck to have you around.
• Cost: 15 Karma per level
• Game Effect: For each level of this quality, when an edge is spend within 10 yards of you an additional die is rolled on the edge ability or a die is rerolled a second time for each level you have in this quality. This affects friends and foes alike as you have no control over who gets the benefit of this.
Thoughts?
Product-Guns and Gears
Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!
Product-Guns and Gears
System- Pathfinder 2nd Ed
Producer– Paizo
Price– $14.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq029xk?Pathfinder-Guns-Gears
TL; DR– Solid new Pathfinder toys and toy based characters! 95%
Basics– BRING THE BOOM! Guns and Gears brings solid steampunk and introductory industrialization to the Pathfinder setting with new technology and themes, two new classes, a new race, and countless new character options and items.
Mechanics or Crunch– Paizo knows their system the best and they bring the best new materials for their toys. The new classes are fun parts of an ever expanding world. The Inventor is the steampunk inventor you may be searching for, with no magical background or ties like the alchemist. The Gunslinger brings pure boom to any encounter. The new race the Automaton is an interesting, but well supported addition to the world of Golarion. There is just a TON of materials with all kinds of new toys such as new guns, tools, and magic items that can help turn the tide of battle. My only complaints are that the Gunslinger feels a bit under-powered. It is an absolute crit machine, but guns can fall flat if a character spends a day hitting but not critting. That said, what Paizo has here is a FANTASTIC addition to the crunch of Pathfinder. 4.75/5
Theme or Fluff– Guns and Gears is not a small book and there is just an absolute TON of new stuff here. Now in a tool book you would think its just item lists, and there is that, but there is also a bunch of fluff to bring the new stuff into the old game. Pathfinder 1st ed is about 10 years ago in the world of Golarion, so this helps advance the world as the fantasy world gets a bit more pre-industrial. All that said, one thing sticks out and this may just be a me-problem: automatons. I always hate new races in old parts of the world as if we just magically found them in the same places we were. That and they feel out of place and honestly more like a warforged in PF2. Not a game breaker, but something I don’t think I would have wanted in my game. Another nitpick is there are no new spells here, and I feel that’s a reasonable, but somewhat annoying choice. If you want some gun spells, look elsewhere. The writers wanted to focus more on mechanics and less on magic, so while I might want some spells, it’s ok they are not here. 4.5/5
Execution– It’s Paizo- they know solid book production. Good layout, art, font, hyperlinking, and all the pieces I expect from a AAA RPG company. It’s a 50 buck book, but as an evil millennial, I mostly like PDFs, so the 14 bucks for a digital file is extremely worth it. 5/5
Summary-I honestly love Pathfinder 2nd Ed. It’s all the pieces of 4th, 3rd, and 5th Edition DnD I want. And differentiating itself from DnD by moving to a more steampunk and pre-industrial culture will help it grow by further making its own path. Guns and Gears is a solid step in that direction with amazing classes, items, and class options. The missteps I see are maybe more opinion; even if they are not my favorite things, they are done well. If you want less magic and more mechanics mayhem in your Pathfinder 2nd Ed, you need this book now! 95%
Ever fire a round to clear the way?
Flourish Gunslinger
Trigger Your attack with a firearm misfires.
Sometimes you just need to clear the barrel of all the smoke to make it fire. When you misfire, you can spend a round and fire to clear the chamber. This removes the jam as an interact action and cant be used on the same gun until you take an hour to fully clean the gun fully.
Thoughts?
Throat Punch Games 