Ring Side Report-Board Unboxing and Game Review of Unrest
Category: Ring Side Report
Ring Side Report- RPG review of Starfinder Playtest Scenario #4: Rescue at Shimmerstone Mine
Product– Starfinder Playtest Scenario #4: Rescue at Shimmerstone Mine
System- Starfinder 2nd Ed
Producer– Paizo
Price– $5.99 here https://paizo.com/products/btq04v06?Starfinder-Playtest-Scenario-4-Rescue-at-Shimmerstone-Mine
TL; DR-Good, but outside flaws hurt the adventure. 95%
Basics– Hey Kid, want to find some miners for us? Rescue at Shimmerstone Mine is a quick adventure for level 15 Starfinder 2nd Ed characters. Players are contracted to find some missing miner after communications went dark. What happened in the mines?
Mechanics or Crunch– It’s high level Pathfinder/Starfinder 2nd Ed content by Paizo-it’s good. The math works well here as it’s more of the classic formula with players attempting to find all the missing miners. There are fights, traps, and puzzles for them to solve. Mathematically it works well. 5/5
Theme or Fluff– For what it is, it’s a solid adventure. This is a three hour adventure, so if you want more story, you will be a bit out of luck. It is an engaging story of a mine that went crazy and understanding why the mine exploded into crazy riots is part of the Starfinder RPG system and Starfinder universe update, but the adventure’s story works well enough all on its own. For a short adventure, it’s a fun one. 5/5
Execution– Paizo did a good job here, but dropped the ball in some very serious ways. It’s hyperlinked, well laid out, yadda yadda and the standard good things that Paizo does. But, there are serious issues as well as some minor issues. The minor: the adventure says there are x number of miners and you will not find that number. That’s minor, but it drove a player of mine mad! The majors are Paizo didn’t put in a separate picture page for the NPCs. They do that in the Pathfinder and Starfinder adventures, but why not here? It’s even more of an issue because they literally put pictures of the NPCs in the text. Give me a page with them alone to show the players. But the biggest sin here is the lack of pregens. Paizo wants players to make level 15 characters. No, give me some you think my players would build. You did it for level 1 and 5, but why not 10 and 15? You can find them online as people are making them, but that’s a big issue here. This is a good adventure with some serious outside execution issues. 4.25/5
Summary– I like this one, but the flaws are here. In terms of pure math and crunch, it’s solid workmanship showing off the system. For the story itself, it’s fun and expands the world. For the execution, there are a few faults. No pregens is a big red flag. GIVE ME THOSE PREGENS! Make this plug n’ play for tables! Beyond those issues, it’s a good adventure that will play in 2-3 hours while expanding a bit on the world. 95%
Ring Side Report- RPG review of Xcrawl Classics RPG (XCC RPG)
Product– Xcrawl Classics RPG (XCC RPG)
System- DCC
Producer– Goodman Games
Price– $41.99 here https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/499743/xcrawl-classics-rpg-xcc-rpg?affiliate_id=658618
TL; DR– Miss old school wrestling and RPGS? HERE YOU GO! 100%
Basics– FROM THE TURNBUCKLE! Xcrawl is the crazy spawn of DCC and American Gladiators. Players are crawlers in a world where magic happens, but Emperor Reagan used a DnD game to keep the masses in check. I am not making that up. You quest LIVE on TV for MONEY and PRIZES while dungeon judges or DJs put traps and monsters in your way. Think a much more light hearted version of The Running Man. Let’s look at this.
Core mechanics- Can you play DCC? Then you can play this. If not, can you play DnD 3.5? If not, we’ll teach you in about five minutes. It’s D20 + numbers vs another number as the main mechanic. Solid, fast and fun.
Character classes- Like any other major DCC set, this one features several new classes. We have the standard set of Fighter, rogue, wizard, cleric, but they are much more focused on combat and less outside stuff. The fighter has two spiritual successors with one being all grappling and one being just about bringing pain to monsters. The wizard gets a new class that is all about blasting stuff because Emperor Regean decreed it be (yes really!). This book’s classes are much more combat based, but still have that DCC feel.
Mojo and Fame– DCC has luck where you can spend points to gain stuff, and this game has mojo and luck. Mojo is the favor of the crowd. You do a signature move or do something cool, and you gain mojo. But, mojo isn’t for you-it’s for your friends! You spend mojo points to help a buddy with a roll. It’s all about team work! Fame is what you get as you become more famous. You spend it to be recognized or get stuff out in the real world. Fame is how cool you are.
Ok, now the review.
Mechanics or Crunch– Do you like DCC? That’s going to determine if you like this. Do you want simple 3.5 mechanics with just crazy stuff happening in the mechanics? If you don’t, then this won’t be for you. I love crazy and I love the DCC simplicity, so this is just more of a homerun for me. 5/5
Theme or Fluff– How much do you like 80s wrestling and the movie The Running Man? That’s the theme of the world. I am honestly a bit disappointed that the book isn’t more neon to drive the 80s aesthetic deeper into your mind. But it’s a world where DnD was so popular that the God-King had to have geeks help him maintain social control through Wrestlemanina mixed with GenCon. So, yeah, it’s nuts, but man is it fun. 5/5
Execution– Goodman games makes games that look like you would find them in the zine sections of a bookshop in 1985, but they are built and laid out like they were created in a major New York publishing house. It reads fast with tons of pictures. It’s searchable and hyperlinked, and the book comes with a reference book that I can give to players to help you make that level 1 character on the fly. This is exactly what I want in a game. 5/5
Summary– I love what this book is, but I can promise that no matter how well its done, some of you will hate it. If you need LotR levels of serious in your game night, keep moving. No offense taken or meant, but this is not for you. If you need Traveler or Shadowrun levels of crunch in your games, keep going. You build your character by rolling a bunch of dice and then throwing the characters into a thing called a funnel. Most will die, but your surviving person has a hell of a story! If you like DCC and want some Kentucky Fried Crazy added to the mix, then this is for you. Considering I’m writing this while watching the documentary on American Gladiators and have bored my wife with stories of 1980s wrestlers, this might have been made for me in particular. Give this one a look if the theme and mechanics are up your alley. 100%
Ring Side Report-Board Unboxing and Game Review of Forges of Ravenshire!
Ring Side Report- RPG review of Pirate Borg
Product– Pirate Borg
System- Pirate Borg
Producer– Free League Publishing
Price– $19.99 here https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/441728/pirate-borg-core-book?affiliate_id=658618
TL; DR– If you like Borg, you need to journey to the Dark Caribbean! 97%
Basics– YAAAARR! Pirate Borg brings Mork Borg to the high seas during the age of exploration. Avast and shiver timbers and anything else you would expect in this VERY deadly RPG. I will tell you right off the bat, if you don’t like Mork Borg, go away now! If you love Pirates of the Caribbean and simple, fun, and deadly RPGs, hop aboard!
Mechanics or Crunch– This book does exactly what a splat book should do. Pirate Borg provides classes, lots of random tables, rituals, and even sea shanties the players can use to fight things in the Caribbean. But, it also massively builds on the base setting by providing vehicle combat rules. You CAN’T have pirates without ships for them to plunder and fight. At worst, the book adds a new mechanic called Devil’s Luck. These act kind of like hero points in Pathfinder but in a much crazier way. You can use Devil’s Luck to prevent fumbles, reroll dice, and even reduce damage to your character. That alone with just a string of random tables will give you fun things to add and steal from this book. What’s here works and builds on the Borg system in a fun and fresh way. 5/5
Theme or Fluff– I like the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Mork Borg, and Lovecraft. That’s honestly the sales pitch. You have crazy cultists, magic rituals, and the 1700s English just being evil to attract you to a world where you and your pals take to the high seas in a new sandbox that you can play in. All of this is laid out in what the book calls the Dark Caribbean. I am not leaning too hard on the Pirates of the Caribbean comparison, because you absolutely tell where this book comes from. It’s not copying the Disney homework, but adding its own bizarre, crazy, and amazing touches to build a world I enjoy. I love all those things, as my podcast feed can attest to, and if you’re this far into the review, you will too. 5/5
Execution– If the Borgs have one fault, it’s the dedication to being Borgs. The borgs are not badly laid out, but they are laid out like metal vinyl record inserts. That dates me and if you have seen them, those inserts prioritized style over legibility. That’s the one fault here. It might not read as easy as the latest DnD manual. That said, I own vinyls and love the metal aesthetic, so it’s fine with me even if the occasional page might look a tad too much like death metal band name logos. The other thing I don’t like is the lack of pregens. Now, I get that you can literally roll a character in about 2 minutes, but bring out some dead to make my life a bit easier. But, there are multiple character generators, so its not a major issue. Aside from those gripes, it’s a well done book. My complaints about being too artistic means the book is very artistic. It beautifully looks like Darkest Dungeon. And given the deadliness, that might be an amazing comparison. The digital version has books for JUST the players. I love that. What’s more, the base book comes with a whole sandbox adventure. It might be a bit deep for starter GMs, but honestly I LOVE when books do that. Any help a book and publisher can give me to just buy a book, skim, and get me and my buddies playing in 10 minutes wins my heart and soul over to you. The PDF even comes with character sheets for your ships! This books dedication to itself might hurt newer Borg players but is more of the quality I expect from all things Borg. 4.5/5
Summary– The Borgs are a fun family of games. I love everything about them, but they are what they are. It’s Death Metal: the RPG. This is Pirate Metal: the RPG. I enjoy that aspect of this game, but I can see how your average players wanting heroic fantasy might not want this. That said, this book builds into a fun place with excellent worldbuilding and craft. The period of exploring the high seas is fantastic and adding the magic and mysticism of Borg is a fun touch. This is a game you should check out if you want any of that at your table. 97%
Ring Side Report-Board Unboxing and Game Review of Path of Civilization
Ring Side Report- RPG review of The Painted Wastelands
Product– The Painted Wastelands
System- Old School Essentials
Producer– Agamemnon Press
Price– $35 here https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/498797/the-painted-wastelands?affiliate_id=658618
TL; DR– Makes me think I have not done enough hard drugs for this awesome adventure! 99%
Basics– Fungal wine-not even once! The Painted Wastelands is a hex crawl adventure. And that sells it WAY too short. This book has maps, dungeons, encounters, tons of art, new classes, new spells, and loads of resources for any gonzo Old School Essentials game. Let’s break this down.
Mechanics or Crunch– Old School Essentials is a rules-light game, but this doesn’t skimp on content here. The basic content of some monster and dungeons with traps is here, and it’s done well. The extra is what sells this book. Want to play a cat? You get a pet human! That’s the level of this book. And that right there might sell a ton of you on this book. Beyond that are just tons of random tables with random events and tons of background characters that you can interact with and kill. This is a sandbox, and the book gives you all the toys you need to play in it. 5/5
Theme or Fluff– This is a fever dream of content. Two guys making a book that’s a hex crawl would be fantastic for just 35 hexes of content with a few dungeons. This has art on almost every page and it’s not standard fantasy art. It’s stuff that makes most hallucinations look tame, but not in a bad way. It’s crazy, it’s otherworldly, and it’s gorgeous. It’s a world that is completely alien but oddly inviting. The story is light. You don’t get the standard spoon feeding for a story, but there is a random chart with story hooks. But the star of the book is the world itself. Again, this is a fever dream of bizarre, alluring content, and a place I want to throw my players into. 5/5
Execution– This is a near perfect setting and hex crawl. First my angry one comment-no player map! Give me a map that I can give my players with stuff they might know and blankish hexes that I can use to let them play on. Too many hex crawls don’t do that! But, that’s the last bad thing I have to say. This is a hyperlinked book that is laid out well, reads fast, and has glorious art. I can quickly hop around this book and get to where I want to and read fast enough that I don’t need to spend hours prepping an adventure. There are also dungeons and maps of places they can explore and lots of pictures of NPCs they can interact with. It’s a fantastic world that I am honestly drawn into. 4.95/5
Summary– So if you are looking for a standard “save the princess from the dragon”, medieval europe fantasy adventure, keep looking. This is not that book. If you want an LSD fever dream that will make Alice in Wonderland seem normal while you kill both Mad Max monsters and undead wizards, then this is the book. AND YOU CAN BE A CAT! There’s a bunch more from spells, to more realistic classes, to whole political things, but bla bla bla CAT! Not a Cat -person race, a straight up CAT! That’s gonna get so many people who don’t care about RPGs to hang with their friends in this world. I can’t stress how much this book is crazy, and I love it. It won’t be what everyone wants. I love sushi and even if you go to the top sushi in the world, some people will turn their noses up. This is near perfect sushi, and I can’t get enough. 99%
Ring Side Report-Board Unboxing and Game Review of Undergrove
Ring Side Report-Board Game Review of Dragon Vs. Kingdom
Ring Side Report- RPG review of Discworld RPG Kickstarter
Product– Discworld RPG Kickstarter
System- Discworld RPG
Producer– Modiphius
Price– FREE here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/modiphius/terry-pratchetts-discworld-rpg?ref=4ogp2x
TL; DR-Solid, narrative game. 99%
Basics– Only the turtle knows what’s coming next. A new edition of the Discworld RPG is coming! Let’s look at the breakdown and see how its played.
Base Mechanics and stats- There are no stats, but your character is a write up with a few sentences. When you want to do anything, you tell the GM what you want to do and explain why you’re good at the action. The GM then tells you to roll any die from a d4 to a d12. Bigger dice means you are better at the action. The GM then rolls a d8. Whoever has a higher roll gets their desired result. Ties succeed, but a mix of results happen. Negative results cause conditions such as a wound, damage, or something else happening for the characters.
And that’s it!
Mechanics or Crunch– So, there are dice and things happen, but the mechanics are VERY light. This game uses a much more narrative system. It also relies on a LOT of trust between the GM and the players. If you enjoy that, it works. If you need the +1 from this and the +4 from that, you will absolutely HATE this system. I don’t mind it, but your experience will be determined by your personal preferences. 5/5
Theme or Fluff– Do you like Terry Pratchett? That’s honestly what will determine if this game’s theme is good for you. This a lot more theater and a lot less crunch than most systems, so be aware of this. Again, if you need dark fantasy or more logic like Lord of the Rings, maybe give this a pass. I LOVE Pratchett, so I love the idea of this game. 5/5
Execution– This is a near perfect demo for the game. You have a decent rundown of the game, fun worldbuilding, and a FULL four hour adventure with multiple premade characters. It reads fast and easily, but no hyperlinks! That is the lone issue with this book’s construction. This is almost a copy of my last review, but it still holds true! 4.95/5
Summary– This game is a litmus test for you and your gaming group. If you need the crunch, you will not like this game even if you like Pratchett. If you can’t stand satirical fantasy regardless of the narrative gameplay, you will not like this. I am ok with both, depending on the group. The book reads like Pratchett and has the right flavor of the world. That honestly makes me profoundly happy. I don’t think Pratchett lends itself well to DnD-style kill-goblin games. Discworld is more funny stories with a purpose. And for the price, go check this one out regardless. 99%
Throat Punch Games 