Basics– You’re building a what? The Winter Queen is homesick and trying to revolutionize her country at the same time. Bids are being taken to build a train, but what is a train? And who wants to stop it?
Mechanics or Crunch– This adventure isnt so much crunch, but world building. There is a social interaction, then a chase, then combat! It’s short, but its fun. The encounters are balanced for everyone. It’s just a bit short. 4.75/5
Theme or Fluff– This is a callback. If you played First Ed Pathfinder and killed Rasputin in an adventure path, then you will recognize all the key players here. Those who didn’t, won’t miss anything, but it’s a call back. The story is interesting, and it builds out some of the world of Pathfinder in fun ways that everyone will enjoy. 5/5
Execution– It’s Paizo. Solid layout, production, art, and even text makes this something to be studied. 5/5
Summary– This is a solid, if short, adventure. The short issue depends on roleplaying. The combats are fun, and the story offers the players a chance to change the Society and the World via their choices. I loved this one. 99%
Concentrate Manipulate Mental Traditions Occult targets a creatures comes within five feet of you Defense Will save
Stay away! When a creature comes within five feet of you, you can force the target to make a Will save..
Critical Success The creature is unaffected. Success The target stops the action that moved it within five feet of you.. Failure The target stops the action that moved it within five feet of you. It then uses another action if able to take a stride action to move away from you. This action can provoke reactive strikes. Critical Failure The target stops the action that moved it within five feet of you. It then uses another action if able to take a stride action to move away from you and you determine the path the creature takes. This action can provoke reactive strikes.
roll 1d4: (1) You move so fast it looks like a shimmer. (2) You just flash between points. (3) The world slows to a crawl around you. (4)Things just happen around you.
1
failure, power may not be used again today
2-11
failure
12-13
Increase your Agility by 1 and your AC by 1
14-17
Increase your Agility by 1, your reflex save by 1 and your AC by 1
18-19
Increase your Agility by 2, your reflex save by 2 and your AC by 1
20-23
Increase your Agility by 3, your reflex save by 3 and your AC by 2
24-27
Increase your Agility by 3, your reflex save by 3 and your AC by 3
28-29
Increase your Agility by 4, your reflex save by 4 and your AC by 3
30-31
Increase your Agility by 4, your reflex save by 4 and your AC by 4
32+
Increase your Agility by 5, your reflex save by 5 and your AC by 5
TL; DR-Solid nature materials with a layout misstep. 98%
Basics– Who let the centaurs in the sub? Howl of the Wild is a character options book with new races, spells, items, and archetypes for characters who want a bit more animal in their characters. In addition, the book has a framing story about an expedition to uncover the guardians of the wild and the monsters they encounter, providing GMs with new monsters and story hooks for them to dig into.
Mechanics or Crunch– Paizo knows their math and it shows here. The new items, options, monsters, and characters all expand Pathfinder into fun new places. And the new grafts allow characters who are plain human to even get into the action. Some archetypes require the characters to have some animal parts, but with the right addition, anyone can play. It doesn’t feel exclusionary, but lets people specialize into something new at the same time. The monsters are fun and bring some old creatures back into the mix as well. 5/5
Theme or Fluff– Howl of the Wild feels like it fits in Golarion and adds to it at the same time. I love the new races, and since its set far away from the main setting areas, they don’t feel like they are tacked on. The new stuff all fits into the world and has fun descriptions and art to help you see what the authors wanted to add. I also enjoyed the story the book told as the explorers try to find the guardians of nature. They do, AND THEY ARE BIG. If you want some end bosses for a nature based game, here you go! 5/5
Execution– This book is good, but feels like a step back for Paizo’s normal work. What’s here is good. I like the flow and pictures, but this book doesn’t have the short tables and descriptions of feats, spells, and items. It honestly makes it a pain. Also, while there are dividing pictures, the different sections are not as well defined. One change to a new subject was so jarring, I redownloaded my copy thinking I missed some pages in an error. I figured it out, but the older layout decisions are a better way to display the materials. I’d rather have less stuff and more tables to summarize all the pieces than too much to really take in. 4.5/5
Summary– This is a good book with a single error. I love the new crunch; it adds new character options and even tools for the GM to get to play with. These are all great additions to the game. I love the new story. It’s fun to see a new part of the world and to see the new characters who live in it. It also builds out the world for the GM, so they can make new stories and monsters to challenge the players. My one issue is the layout. What’s here is good. It reads fast and easily, but the lack of tables makes skimming hard. As both a GM and a player, I want to be able to skim character feats, spells, and items quickly. Bring those back! But, overall this is a good addition to the world of Pathfinder. Check this out if you want to walk on the wild side. 98%
ManipulateMental Traditions Occult Range 60 feet; Target 1 creature Defense Will; Duration 1 or more rounds
You force the target to think it is sick with the mind causing the body to fail. The effects are determined by its Will save. Critical Success The creature is unaffected. Success For 1 round, choose either slowed 1, clumsy 1, or enfeebled 1. Failure The target gains slowed 1, clumsy 1, and enfeebled 1 and can attempt to save for all these continues in one save at the end of each of its turns. Critical Failure As for success, but the duration is automatically 1 minute.
Been thinking about minor actions and spells. Let’s put one out there.
SLAP
(Indirect Combat)
RANGE TYPE Duration DV Damage LOS P I 3 0 A quick little spell—a quick flick of the magic buffets the target. Slap targets individuals and only does damage based on net hits that can be amped up, but can be cast as a minor action.
Basics– DnD 3.5/5e/Shadowrun IN SPACE! This is a new riff on the 5e system by building in classless systems into the basic math of 5e. The universe has gone to war in a way that nearly destroyed it and now at least four different dimensions are all interacting.
Let’s break down the system.
Classless, but not levelless– This system does use levels, but when you take a level you choose a profession and possibly an archetype within it. This gives you places to spend forte and fine-forte points. These are the equivalent of skill points. You can freely change profession when you gain a new level.
Base mechanic- 5e has proficiency, but you don’t really change your class in 5e. Here you do things a bit different. It’s still a d20+number, but how you get to that number is a bit more complicated. Your modifier is ½ ability modifier +½ forte modifier + fine-forte modifier. This way almost all things have the feeling of 3.5 DnD and Shadowrun skills as you choose where you spend skill points to make some better or worse depending on how you want to build your character. Saves, attacks, and skills all have this basic mechanic built in.
Powers and special abilities- Characters gain resources on level up that come back and are used like hitpoints, but this system also introduces focus points and energy points. DCs are determined just like basic 5e, with one exception being how we determine bonuses (described up above) When you do something cool or use psychic powers, you spend the points as needed. Again, it’s classless so multiple paths will get you the same powers and abilities.
There is always more, but that’s the basics to get you mechanically in. Ok, now to my thoughts.
Mechanics or Crunch– This is an interesting system that might be a bit over complicated. The idea of classless 5e is a fun one. I do miss the days of crazy class combinations (until I play some 3.5 with a friend who has at least five different classes in a 7th level character). But this builds nicely together. It’s a tad clunky as its DEEP point management at level gain, but that’s what the designer wanted. That’s not bad, but it’s an intentional thing. A cheese stick of basic 5e vs the fondue of this system. Both are highly rated and good, but it’s what you want when. Some streamlining may help with this system though. 4.5/5
Theme or Fluff– For the fuff, the big question is do you like Mass Effect? That’s the big question here. If you like the idea of flying a ship around and meeting creatures of multiple races with multiple different goals, then this is the game for you. I do, so this has some crazy fun places to go. 5/5
Execution– This book has some solid things, but some near unforgivable issues. Let’s start with the unforgivable that can easily be fixed: no pregens, character build walkthrough, nor premade adventure. As I get older, I want to pick up a book and play with six buds ASAP. Sure, I need to read how to do the dice things with this dice game, but give me an adventure and pregens and a four hour simple adventure I can print off and play after I glance over your rules. It has some pre-made things, but give me those please. For a new system, that is a requirement! Next, this is a pretty deep pool to dive into without a step by step walkthrough of one character build. That would make the issues I had in mechanics evaporate. There are examples of how to do some things, which are great. And, while missing those things is unfortunate, what’s here is good. There’s art to break up text. The text could be a different font or background to make it more readable, but it works decently enough and my tablet can zoom in. There’s hyperlinks in the text, so I can hop around quickly to get to where I want to be. Some of you may not like its Midjourney art, but this is an extremely small publisher with an over 400 page book and one author. That’s a feat! Just give me some quick start assets built in and I’d be much happier. 3.5/5
Summary– If you want 5e classless Mass Effect, then this is what you want. That’s the basic summary. I like the basic mechanic, even if I think its a tad overcomplicated. The theme is the sci-fi I love. The stumble is the lack of quick start and pregens to the book. I don’t even need a crazy space adventure with ships, just a dungeon crawl fighting something in a cave would be nice. Even a link to a free adventure would fix that need, but there isn’t one quite yet. One is coming, but not yet. However, I like what’s here enough to stay interested for when it does. 87%
Throat Punch Games 