Tag: Review

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Shadowrun: Shoot Straight (Runner Resource Book)

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Product– Shadowrun: Shoot Straight (Runner Resource Book)

System- Shadowrun 6th Ed

Producer– Catalyst

Price– $19.99 here https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/445271/Shadowrun-Shoot-Straight-Runner-Resource-Book&affiliate_id=658618 

TL; DR– Advice, but light on crunch. 90%

Basics–  Do you know your head from a hole in the dirt?  Get some help from the old chummers!  This book is an advice book about how Shadowruns go down. It’s written in the style of several older runners discussing how to properly do a job in the Shadowrun universe.

Mechanics or Crunch– If you want ANY crunch in this book like qualities or items, you will not be happy with this one.  This book is NOT a sourcebook but it’s more a strategy guide of how to play.  It’s fun, but know what you are getting into!  -/5

Theme or Fluff– What’s here is good, but if you have a Shadowrun game, this might not be the most useful.  The advice from the old guys is always a good place to start learning a game.  But, if you are an old guy, then you won’t find much in this book.  I enjoyed the material, but it is mostly things I learned listening to the older Shadowrun players.  4/5

Execution– PDF? Yep.  Hyperlinked?  Yep. Solid Art?  Yep.  Good layout? Yes. I’m pretty happy with this book, and I think Catalyst has learned from their past mistakes regarding layout and design.  5/5

Summary-This book is really designed for players who don’t yet have a group.  If you have a dedicated Shadowrun group that has played multiple editions, then this won’t really give you much new information.  If you know the game, then I might give this a pass.  If you are new and looking for tips and tricks on how to play and do well, then this is gonna be a great book to learn the ropes.  90 %

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Shadowrun, Sixth World Core Rulebook: City Edition: Seattle

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Product– Shadowrun, Sixth World Core Rulebook: City Edition: Seattle

System- Shadowrun 6th Ed

Producer– Catalyst Game Labs 

Price– $19.99 here https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/286850/Shadowrun-Sixth-World-Core-Rulebook-City-Edition-Seattle&affiliate_id=658618 

TL; DR– Solid new package on the 6th Ed rules 90%

Basics–  Ready to hit the Shadows Chummer?  City Edition Seattle is a revamp of the new 6th edition rules for Shadowrun.  It’s full of errata and new layout for the same 6th edition you know.

Mechanics or Crunch– If you were hoping for a completely new edition, this is not what you want.  Sixth edition has been slightly controversial, but this book clears some of the issues with included errata.  It’s still fundamentally 6th edition however.  It works decently despite some misgivings that I have with some minor choices like only gaining a maximum of two edge per turn or deemphasizing strength for melee damage.  4/5

Theme or Fluff– While Shadowrun players may not like all the mechanical choices from the system, almost everyone loves the fluff the world provides.  It’s deep and engaging with lots of short stories.  Mechanics do match fluff and the arts and stories tie all of that together as well.  This will make you want some cyberpunk tabletop in your life.  5/5

Execution– PDF? Yep.  Hyperlinked?  Yep. Solid Art?  Yep.  Good layout? Slight missteps.  Catalyst did a good job putting a lot of errata into one package, but some things are still buried into the text.  It’s much cleaner from what was before, but some things are still buried and its easy to miss small things with huge implications like how strength might not play the major role in damage but how almost all physical contests have Strength as a major factor in a contest of ability.  4.5/5

Summary– This book is a repackage of the rules that you may or may not love.  It makes them more approachable and easier to read, but it will not fundamentally change them.  The quality of life changes to the rules are fantastic, and the usual art and story are great as well.  It’s now just if you like the basic rules or not.  I have some issues, but overall it’s still Shadowrun to me, so I am having a blast. 90%

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-05: The Arclord Who Never Was

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Product– Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-05: The Arclord Who Never Was

System- Pathfinder

Producer– Paizo

Price– $6 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02dw7?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-405-The-Arclord-Who-Never-Was  

TL; DR-Good overall story, but small issues in the middle beats.  83%

Basics– Who is the skull?  You find a talking skull…what the heck is up with that?  Find out who the skull is and continue the mystery of the fey who want it!  

Mechanics or Crunch– The math is all balanced for this adventure, but the progression of it is a bit skewed.  This adventure is basically several skill tests, a potential fight, skill test/fight, plot, skill tests, then end fight.  Players who are combat monsters will be a bit bored as the goal of most damage will not be a major time sink for the game.  It is all balanced for the numbers and skills used, but the game is moving to much more explore, report, corporate and less destroy all things.  4/5

Theme or Fluff– The overall story of this adventure is great, but the beat by beat is a bit off.  The basics are to learn about the skull.  Characters are introduced in throw away lines and given full pictures, but I don’t honestly know who they are and how they fit into the flow.  This leads to players asking questions that I honestly can’t answer.  It’s nice to have, but it feels off.  One example is a NPC who talked to the skull as a person, but that person is mentioned exactly four times. All four times are either in the paragraph saying he talked to her or his pictures.  NO real description of who he is and why we care.  The major pieces are fun and the second half of the adventure comes together well. The first half has good things that just don’t fit true.  3.5/5

Execution– PDF? Yep.  Hyperlinked?  Yep. Solid Art?  Yep.  Good layout? Yep!  This is what I expect from a Paizo adventure.  I complained that there are TOO many pictures.  That’s a good problem to have.  5/5

Summary– I like the metaplot between the starter adventure, this adventure, and the last of the trilogy about this magic talking skull.  The crunch is good, but not even.  If you just want to beat things, this is not your adventure.  If you want to explore a magic town, this is a blast.  As a GM, some pieces don’t quite work.  I want more background on some characters.  Help me use the NPCs and their pictures to fill out the social bits of the adventure.  It’s physically well done, and the big story is a blast.  I just need more flow in the middle.  83%

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Starfinder Society Intro: Year of Fortune’s Fall

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Product– Starfinder Society Intro: Year of Fortune’s Fall

System- Starfinder

Producer– Paizo

Price– $6 here https://paizo.com/products/btq02eg2?Starfinder-Society-Intro-Year-of-Fortunes-Fall  

TL; DR-Welcome to the sixth season! 90%

Basics– LET’S GO TO THE… museum?  The Starfinder society is partnering with many different groups to show off artifacts of the past.  What wonders will be shown, what friends will be made, and who might want to mess with this display?  

Mechanics or Crunch– Paizo has a solid adventure here, with a decent balance of talking and combat.  The flow is mostly talking for the first half and then combat for the second.  There are a lot of NPCs to sway, so combat might get a little bit left to the side as its really only two fights.  That said, it’s done well.  4.5/5

Theme or Fluff–  This is a one building adventure.  You really only spend time in one museum for the entire adventure, schmoozing with different people learning about things that  will happen later in the season’s adventures.  That is pretty standard for the first adventure in a Starfinder Society season.  My one issue is the adventure is pretty short.  Most of the time I run this it’s less than three hours for a five hour session.  The players have fun and the story is decent.  Overall, its a good addition to the first adventures of each season. 4.5/5

Execution– PDF? Yep.  Hyperlinked?  Yep. Solid Art?  Yep.  Good layout? Yep!  This is what I expect from a Paizo adventure.  Things are not perfect, as they give good pictures for everything except for one enemy type, so you will need your own picture.  It’s not bad by any means, but it’s one small thing.   4.5/5

Summary– This is a fun adventure.  It’s short and a little unbalanced in story tempo if you are a combat monster, but overall it’s a good one.  I had fun, and so did my players.  It’s not perfect, but definitely one that I will be gladly running for multiple groups this year!  90%

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Dungeon Crawl Classics Dying Earth #1: The Laughing Idol of Lar-Shann

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Product– Dungeon Crawl Classics Dying Earth #1: The Laughing Idol of Lar-Shann

System- DCC RPG

Producer– Goodman Games

Price– $7 here https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/393055/Dungeon-Crawl-Classics-Dying-Earth-1-The-Laughing-Idol-of-LarShan?affiliate_id=658618  

TL; DR-Solid adventure with a bit of crazy ending. 97%

Basics–  Who wants a drink?  Drawn to a small town where a particularly special liquor is made, you find a massive idol barking orders.  Can you find the liquor before the idol counts down to… something?

Mechanics or Crunch– Ah first level Goodman Game scenarios!  These guys know their mechanics, so everything is solidly done with the right amount of random and fun monsters to fight.  My players and I all had a blast killing monsters, searching, and finding the secrets of the idol.  5/5

Theme or Fluff– Overall this is fun, but I feel the ending gets a bit off.  There are a ton of fun in this  adventure and has some crazy turns that are just perfect for the Dying Earth.  There is one problem with the adventure.  I won’t spoil anything, but I feel like one enemy would not attack the players at the end.  That said, if you run it how you want, it won’t be a problem!.  4.5/5

Execution– PDF? Yep.  Hyperlinked?  Yep. Solid Art?  Yep.  Good layout? Yep!  This is what I expect from a Goodman Games adventure.  Solid work Goodman games!   5/5

Summary–  Ah crazy Dying Earth fun.  This with all the other adventures makes me want to read more Vance.  I love the crunch and the design, but I have a few issues with the ending.  That said, you write your own story as the Judge, so fix it on the fly!  This is a solid adventure that I loved, and I think you will too!  97%