Tag: RPG

Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Dungeon Crawl Classics #109: Beneath the Isle of Serpents 

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Product– Dungeon Crawl Classics #109: Beneath the Isle of Serpents

System– DCC RPG

Producer– Goodman Games

Price–  $7.99 here https://www.drivethrurpg.com//product/539156/dungeon-crawl-classics-109-beneath-the-isle-of-serpents?affiliate_id=658618  

TL; DR– A solid picture of an adventure but the framing is muddy.  93%

Basics- Time to stop a war!  Beneath the Isle of Serpents features a mysterious island off the coast where people disappear, and fights not only among the humans lead to horrors no one expected.  This is an adventure for 2nd-level characters.

Mechanics or Crunch: This has classic Goodman Game polish for the crunch.  It’s low crunch but fun with fights, social encounters, tables galore, and exploration across both dungeons and a mysterious island.  The math is solid and fun.  5/5

Theme or Fluff– When we are on the island, stuff works, but getting there is a bit harder.  The hooks of a war don’t really matter.  Also, there is a bit of stuff happening between the intelligent monsters.  Those things I feel are not as well developed.  But the other parts and random things in the dungeon are all fun.  The pieces on this island are fun, but the framing doesn’t quite line up.  4.5/5

Execution: This adventure has all the awesome parts of a classic Goodman Games adventure, but it also has the faults of one.  Goodman Games harkens back to the old school adventures of ol’.  But modern audiences might not like that layout and setup.  I do, and I want more.  But I respect the opinion that the layout is not user-friendly.   4.5/5

Summary: This is another solid Goodman Games adventure.  The crunch is solid with fun fights, good social, and tables of such random materials that it’s a crazy fun time.  The story in the crawl is fun, but getting there is a bit off.  Not horrible, but a bit hard to fit into a perfect story.  The execution is good, but it’s Goodman Games OGL style.  If you love that, you will love this.  I think this is a fun side crawl in The Caverns of Thracia campaign.  93%

Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Abaddon: The Angel in the Void

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Product– Abaddon: The Angel in the Void

System– Demon Lord Engine

Producer– Schwalb Entertainment

Price–  $4.99 here https://www.drivethrurpg.com//product/545187/abaddon-the-angel-in-the-void?affiliate_id=658618  

TL; DR– I’m intrigued by this level of hell.  97%

Basics- Who are you among the saved?  Abaddon is a new setting for the Demon Lord Engine.  It’s a far-flung future post-apocalyptic setting.  Let’s break it down.

Base Mechanics- Like Demon Lord?  Then you know this.  The big difference is the d666 system.  What this means is roll 3d6 and use the numbers to pick from a random table.  Not bad, but you can’t have a Schwalb system without a little bit of satanism!

This is an intro book, so it’s helpful, but it’s just the intro to the world.

Mechanics or Crunch: The big question for mechanics is Do you want Future Demon Lord?  If you want guns in your fantasy, then you will enjoy this.  The mechanics don’t really change, but that’s not bad, as Demon Lord is a tight system that’s fast.  5/5

Theme or Fluff– This setting focuses on a city where angels keep humans safe, but they are unknown.  The angels look like H. R. Geiger decorated the Sistine Chapel, but I expected nothing less from Schwalb.  The town where the angels make food, but the food doesn’t have flavor.  Humans are allowed to do anything, but not mess with the angels’ business.  And, the angels are letting a select few humans exit the town to explore the wastes after the demon destroyed things a long time ago.  You get to play the explorers in this world.  That’s solid stuff right there.  5/5

Execution: This is a good intro, but it’s missing pieces.  Its got a good layout, but it needs more art.  There is one angel picture, and that’s enough to keep you up at night.  The world is described, but needs more.  There is a solid intro adventure that will kill a few players.  Then again, I also have my one major gripe- no pregens!  I know Demon Lord makes characters in about 3 minutes, but give me six to hand to my friends with no prep.  It’s small things, but it would help.   4.5/5
Summary: This intro has solid information, but misses a few things.  I like the world that is built.  The history is good, but vague enough to be filled in later.  The locations will be similar, but warped by time and hell itself. The system is one I like and one that will always be fun and fast to play.  The book is good, but here it misses a few pieces.  Give me pregens and a bit more art.  That said, if my issue is the pieces that are not here, you’ve done the job of intriguing me enough to get more.  97%

Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-07: Sewer Dragon Crisis

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Product– Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-07: Sewer Dragon Crisis 

System– Pathfinder 2nd Ed

Producer– Paizo

Price–  $5.99 here  https://store.paizo.com/pfs-scenario-5-07-sewer-dragon-crisis/ 

TL; DR– A handshake or a slaughter, your choice.  100%

Basics- Ok, we screwed up.  What do we do to fix this?  The Sewer Dragons backed the Pathfinders, and they paid a HEAVY price.  Now, your job is to help the friends we left along the way.

Mechanics or Crunch:  This is a fun adventure, and it changes based on what the players do.  This adventure has one mandatory combat.  If you are a combat monkey, you can choose violence. If you are social, you can also get your way.  It also has a skills section, so the skills person gets a chance to shine as well.  It’s a good mix.  5/5

Theme or Fluff– This adventure will take two hours or five hours.  There is little in the middle.  The story is solid, but a combat team will struggle and end up killing lots of things.  That’s fun.  If you are a social butterfly, this is much shorter, as you convince enemies to back down and corrupt people to do their jobs.  It’s fun, but if you have a mixed team, some people will not get exactly what they want.  5/5

Execution:  Ah, classic Paizo layout.  I love the older style.  Pictures for the monsters.  Stat blocks and an easy-to-read adventure all make this a solid adventure.  5/5

Summary:  This can be a feel-good adventure or a slaughter.  Either can be fun if you want it.  I loved running this one, and my players had a blast too.  Choose your team well, and you will too.  100%

Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Starfinder Society Scenario #1-03: Disaster at Dreamlink Labs

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Product– Starfinder Society Scenario #1-03: Disaster at Dreamlink Labs 

System– Starfinder 2nd Ed

Producer– Paizo

Price–  $5.99 here  store.paizo.com/starfinder-society-scenario-1-03-disaster-at-dreamlink-labs/ 

TL; DR– Space Horror Story! 95%

Basics- What was that?!  Dreamlink Labs found …something.  And someone else wants it. Where are the scientists?  Are they alive?

Mechanics or Crunch: This is a pretty simple one for crunch. It’s only a few fights.  There is some craziness in the second fight, but you can tell this was designed to fit in two hours.  The fights are fun, but short.  4.5/5

Theme or Fluff– This is a short one, but a good one.  It’s space horror.  We have some Aliens mixed with Lovecraft, and some Predator thrown in.  I love all those, so it’s a solid fun experience.  5/5

Execution: I like this one a lot, but I have a few minor issues.  It’s got great layout, fun extra bits to add tension, and pictures of most of the parts.  I don’t like that the pictures are in the middle of the book, not in the end, but I can deal with that.  It’s short, but there’s enough to get at least two hours of stuff done! 4.75/5

Summary: I love cosmic horror and good space-station horror.  This is that.  It’s that, but short.  But, its still those things.  I would like it a bit longer, but I am ok with what’s here.  I can’t see where they go with the new god and the remains of a planet it broke out of.  95%

Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Dungeon Crawl Classics #110: The Sacrificial Pyre of Thracia

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Product– Dungeon Crawl Classics #110: The Sacrificial Pyre of Thracia 

System– DCC RPG

Producer– Goodman Games

Price–  $5.99 here  https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/539158/dungeon-crawl-classics-110-the-sacrificial-pyre-of-thracia?affiliate_id=658618 

TL; DR– Either add more or remove to help with this one. 93%

Basics- Where are they!?  Cultists are attacking your lands.  Find where they are, make friends along the way, and route them out from their caves!

Mechanics or Crunch: Standard fun for DCC in this one.  Lots of low-level enemies to fight and kill.  There is a bit of socializing, a bit of exploration, and lots of combat.  All as balanced as random can be!  5/5

Theme or Fluff– I love the pieces, but I either want more or less of them.  This adventure has a hex crawl.  This goes without saying-THERE IS NOT ENOUGH HEX CRAWLS IN THE WORLD!  But the hexes are kind of empty.  There are random encounters, but I’d like more storytelling with finding specific things along the way. Give me more staged stuff to do.  You wonder and find things, but you don’t get much of a story till you find a village.  Events and findings outside the village will help a bit.  This might also save on the other problem of the adventure-time.  Hex crawls with random encounters are either the most amazing thing ever, a snooze, or a slog.  It’s random, so you don’t get the sweet spot of the number of encounters the creators hoped for often.  I’d either add more to the hexes or just cut that and have a combat and a social outside the volcano to save time.  The volcano lair is fine.  Nothing beats a fight with bad guys in a dead volcano.  4.5/5

Execution:  This is DCC.  It’s got the best part of old school, but it’s got a few warts of old school with the layout.  If you know how to read these, then it’s completely fine.  If you are new, this might be a bit harder.  Not bad, but less clean than your WotC-produced adventures.  But I go to tons of less pretty places with amazing menus, so for a bit of atmosphere and disarray, you will be fine here.  4.5/5

Summary: This is a solid, fun adventure that randomness can completely mess up.  I love a good strange hex crawl, but those hex crawls can be a pain if the dice roll weird.  I’d like a bit more story in some hexes to really amp up the overall story, but what’s here is solid enough. Good fun for you and your friends as they enter Thracia! 93%

Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Dungeon Crawl Classics #101: The Veiled Vaults of the Onyx Queen

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Product– Dungeon Crawl Classics #101: The Veiled Vaults of the Onyx Queen 

System– DCC RPG

Producer– Goodman Games

Price–  $9.99 here  https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/390356/dungeon-crawl-classics-101-the-veiled-vaults-of-the-onyx-queen?affiliate_id=658618 

TL; DR– Old school in the best and wartiest ways!  93%

Basics- WAKE AND STAB!  You awake as sacrifices to a demon lord!  Will you gather enough power to end those who sought to end you?

Mechanics or Crunch: This adventure is a crawl and a funnel all in one.  You have lots of bad guys who can die from your fists.  You have a few puzzles to solve and some socializing.  Those are the things that make the crunch of an adventure.  The adventure’s crunch is solid! 5/5

Theme or Fluff– The pure awesome of DCC is on display with some of its warts.  DCC doesn’t really have a default setting.  The setting is built book by book, and that’s awesome.  This one adds in a whole demon lord and a cult based on it.  And that is awesome.  If the GM runs this well, you can build characters and really get involved in the world.  BUT, the world is missing a bit of a setting, so that lack can kind of spring stuff on players.  Are you a devotee of a particular god?  Awesome!  Do you even know that god exists?  Less awesome.  It’s a minor problem, but the adventure has a solid enough flow that this might be the adventure where you finally learn about the bits making this world work. 4.5/5

Execution:   DCC is its own beast.  I love it, but it’s like the beat-up dog you know and love.  It’s not the prettiest.  It works, but it’s your ugly dog!  DCC has some criticism for being a bit too old-school in its design and layout, with extra art, layout, and design work to make DCC adventures a bit more approachable.  And those are valid criticisms, but I like the old school feel of DCC.  But this commitment to old-school adventure is not the most beginner-friendly.  This one is pretty easy to run and understand, even if you are newer, so while some other adventures may have smaller mechanics that are not quite understandable, this one is a fun, straightforward funnel.   4.5/5
Summary: I love me some DCC.  This game is crazy fun with strange things happening around every corner.  That said, I also see some faults.  Those are on display here.  The lack of a world hurts the game just a tiny bit.  You don’t know who you are when you start.  That’s good, as funnels are fun, but it’s bad when you want to really hook a player and character into the world.  The book is fun, but it’s got minor issues that might dissuade the new.  But the issues are only small compared to the fun and craft of this adventure.  This is worth a look if you want a fun funnel to draw people into DCC RPG! 93%

Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Flail

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Product– Flail

System– Flail

Producer– Games Omnivorous

Price–  FREE here https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/games-omnivorous/flail-an-old-school-fantasy-brawler  

TL; DR– The author’s love letter to old school hex crawls.  93%

Basics– Let’s do old school!  Flail is a love letter to old school RPGs and gambling.  How much are you willing to push?  Let’s break this one down.

Core mechanic– This is a bit of a mix.  For skills, these are called saves.  You roll a d20 and roll under your ability score.  For attacks, it’s roll a number of d6s and attempt to get at least one 1.  More ones mean more successes.

Advantage and disadvantage– If you are good or have some kind of bonus, you have an advantage.  Advantage on saves is to roll twice and take the better.  Advantage on attacks means roll an additional d6.  If you have a penalty or are not great at an action, you have disadvantage.  Disadvantage on saves is roll twice, and take the worse.  Disadvantage on an attack is roll one less d6.

Combat– Combat is pretty simple.  Initiative is determined by rolling a dexterity save.  If you succeed, you go before the enemies.  Fail, and you go after.  Then, on your turn, you get to do an action and move.  When you roll an attack, a single 1 gives you a success, and you deal damage equal to the weapon.  When you roll two 1s, it does double damage.  Roll 3 s and it instantly kills the enemy! Enemies do not have armor, but do reduce damage by a set amount.  If you are hit, you can use one of the usages of an armor, and it negates the damage.  Things like heavy armor have more usages.

Magic–  There are multiple classes that use magic.  All of them have a basic idea of choosing how much of a resource to spend, and you get to roll that many d6s.  If you succeed, different spells have different effects.  Some magic classes need just one success to make the spell happen.  Some have you add the dice together, and that determines an effect.  It varies by the caster and the spell.

Ok, let’s review this!

Mechanics or Crunch– This is a love letter to someone’s choices, but they might not be my favorite.  The splitting of the base mechanic makes this game offer interesting choices, but also breaks the flow of play.  I can absolutely respect the mashup between Call of Cthulhu skills and Shadowrun damage rolls, but it’s less elegant than either of them.  But it’s not bad.  It’s just not my cup of tea.  4/5

Theme or Fluff– This game feels like a solid 80s style.  It’s committed to old school, and it’s got art and aesthetics to match.  The game is pretty and horrific in a metal cover sort of way.  The authors wanted to publish a game of their own, and they absolutely did.  And I love it.  5/5

Execution– The book is everything I expect from a modern PDF and a system intro book.  The book is hyperlinked, easy to read, and quick to navigate.  The book includes multiple pre-generated characters so you can start playing instantly.  There are several places to play and hexes to crawl right out of the box.  Again, the authors wanted something, and they did it well.   5/5

Summary– This is someone’s pet project, and they poured their whole soul into it.  The mechanics are not my favorite, but they are done well.  The story and feeling of the world are on display.  The book is everything I expect from an intro product.  I might not love this one completely, but if you want an old-school hexcrawl with your buds on a Friday night, with some cold beer and hot pizza, then this is absolutely the product you need to pick up.  93%

Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-16: A Star’s Journey

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Product– Starfinder Society Scenario #1-02: Mystery of the Frozen Moon

System– Starfinder 2nd Ed

Producer– Paizo

Price–  $5.99 here https://store.paizo.com/pathfinder-society-scenario-7-16/ 

TL; DR– Most of the map wasn’t used.  73%

Basics- Where’s Star?  An ally of the society has gone missing.  Can you find him?  What took them?

Mechanics or Crunch: The adventure is balanced, but there just isn’t much.  The players have a fight with some intro monsters, a small puzzle, and then a final skill challenge.  Those are all balanced, but it needs more.  Give the players and GM more to do. 4/5

Theme or Fluff– The story here is light.  The story shows something new, but even that is small. The characters meet something new, but then that’s about it.  Even the reason why Star is missing really isn’t explained, just solved.  That’s all due to the time constraints of the new adventures.  What’s here is good, but it needs more.  4/5

Execution: What’s here is good, but it needs more.  The standard Paizo polish is on display, but It needs more.  This adventure used the exact same map as the last published level 1-4 adventure.   That’s not great as almost ALL the level 1-4 use that, but then again, most of that map didn’t have stuff to do in it. No descriptions of anything.  Couple that with a small gripe about names, and this was five bucks for less than two hours of game.   3/5

Summary-Everything here is ok.  The encounters are ok. Social is ok. Puzzles are ok.  It just too short.  The goal is 2-3 hours.  This is maybe 1 hour if you don’t mess around.  I do online gaming and even with tech issues, a biobreak, folding sourdough, and wrapping up after, this was two hours.  The fact that most of the map lacked descriptions is also a major issue.  I can get past the map being reused again, but the fact that it’s not even covered makes this a problem.  Add more to these adventures.  Nothing is bad here, but it just needs more.73%

Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Starfinder Society Scenario #1-02: Mystery of the Frozen Moon

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Product– Starfinder Society Scenario #1-02: Mystery of the Frozen Moon

System– Starfinder 2nd Ed

Producer– Paizo

Price–  $5.99 here https://store.paizo.com/starfinder-society-scenario-1-02-mystery-of-the-frozen-moon/ 

TL; DR– Good, but length hurts product and story.  83%

Basics- What’s on the moon?  A new moon has been discovered, and there are ruins there.  What else could be stirring on the frozen moon?

Mechanics or Crunch: This adventure has a decent mix of combat, skills, and some social.  There are multiple NPCs that you get to know.  They don’t do much, but they help set the scenes for future adventures.  The combats are simple. There really are only two.  There is one major skill challenge as well.  I don’t hate this, given the design philosophy of the Starfinder society now.  It’s short, but there are the key pieces I want.  5/5

Theme or Fluff– There is a lot of story in a small package.  The story is light, but the adventure sets the stage for the future.  You meet multiple characters.  Those characters are there to help you learn the next pieces in the next adventures.  That’s again, not bad, but aside from some social, two combats, and a skill challenge, the story is light.  It does end on something big, so it works well enough.  4.5/5

Execution: Paizo is losing the Paizo polish to the internet.  The adventure features new creatures, as in any good Star Trek adventure, as they explore a new planet.  But it’s missing pieces, like pictures of the major NPCs.  I can’t find pictures of somethings anywhere.  Also, this adventure is 6 bucks for about 2 hours of RPG.  That’s kind of a lot for missing pictures of one of the two things you fight.  4/5
Summary– This adventure is good, but the changes in Paizo’s organized play are hurting the product.  The short adventures are ok, but it means there is less here.  I also have fewer physical products to look at or show the players.  Those changes hurt the product.  I enjoy the story and adventure, but the constraints hurt the product.   83%

Ring Side Report: RPG Review of DCC Day #3: Chanters in the Dark

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Product– DCC Day #3: Chanters in the Dark

System– DCC RPG

Producer– Goodman Games

Price–  $6.00 here https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/395901/dcc-day-3-chanters-in-the-dark?affiliate_id=658618 

TL; DR– Good DCC up till the end. 90%

Basics- Who calls from below?!  Chanters in the Dark is a one-shot adventure where the characters are drawn into a world of intrigue and subterranean threats.  Will they be able to save everyone, or will the things from below eat them all?

Mechanics or Crunch: This adventure covers a lot of places, but fumbles a bit at the end.  The bulk of the adventure is urban, as the players meet new people, possibly kill them, and then have to escape.  The escape is the least fun.  Basically, the characters have to run away.  It’s not as exciting as a final fight, but it does make thematic sense. 4.5/5

Theme or Fluff– This is a good mix of exploration, combat, and skills, but the end is less fun.  The town the players explore and the religion they may attack are both fleshed out.  It’s a very meaty adventure for a book this size.  The one issue is the end, as the players just run.  Nothing else, but climb quickly.  That diminishes the other parts.  Not enough to not make it fun, but I saw some players lose some interest.  4.5/5

Execution: DCC polarizes some with its layout, and here it’s a bit less troubling but still old-school.  There are multiple pages of two columns.  It reads more easily than the real old-school, but if you are annoyed by the basic layout, this will not win you over.  I would like more art, but what’s here is solid.  4.5/5

Summary– This is a good adventure that fumbles in the last minutes.  The bulk is lots of fun , but I’d like the end to be a bit more active than a few rolls.  It works as a story, but a bit more would be fun.  That said, I enjoyed it and suggest everyone check this one out.  90%