Tag Archives: fantasy

Board Games and TCGs

Ruins of Symbaroum 5E is Getting Two Exciting Expansions!

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The Ruins of Symbaroum 5E is getting two new expansions: The Throne of Thorns Part I and The World of Symbaroum. You will need the 3 core Ruins of Symbaroum (Player’s Guide, Gamemaster’s Guide, and Bestiary) and a fundamental understanding of the 5E OGL rules to play the expansion. I can see you running games with just the Gamemaster’s guide, but there is always room for more flavor. The expansions bring new characters, monsters, and adventures to fans of Ruins of Symbaroum 5E. If you’re looking for a way to spice up your next campaign, you might want to look into the Ruins of Symbaroum 5E.

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What is Ruins of Symbaroum 5E?

Ruins of Symbaroum is a dark fantasy TTRPG that uses the 5th Edition OGL rule set as a foundation, but expands on it with its intruduction of new settings, mechanics, and classes. If you enjoy 5E but want to change things up without having to learn a new system, Ruins of Symbaroum might be worth looking into. While there is a lot of content to keep you busy for a while, all you really need is the Gamemaster’s Guide. Everything else you can purchase as you need it. 

Synopsis

The rich and nuanced Symbaroum setting revolves around the Ambrians – a civilization that two decades ago were forced to flee their ancestral soil after a devastating war. Their new and promised land borders on the vast forest of Davokar, covering the remnants of the Empire of Symbaroum which fell into ruin hundreds of years ago. Brimming with natural resources and mythical treasures, the forest calls out to the Ambrians to be explored and plundered, but the road into its depths lays far from open. Not only are the shadows beneath the foliage fraught with danger, monsters and infectious Corruption; there are also the elves of the Iron Pact who have vowed to die to keep anyone from disturbing the ruins of old, warning that the ancient evil of Symbaroum stirs in its sleep. 

Throne of Thornes I

Throne of Thornes I contains the first two episodes of the epic adventure chronicle. Designed for players levels 7-9, the book takes adventures on a perilous expedition into the dark depths of the Davokar Forst. The stakes of this adventure are high as heroes must fight off cultists, monsters, and other horrifying dangers that fill its pages. The book introduces:

  • 20+ color maps with new towns and areas to explore
  • 50+ stat blocks for new NPCs, monsters, and advesaries
  • New side quests and adventures
  • Handouts for clues and other important information

I’ll need to see the book and read through it to form a better opinion, but the world seems pretty neat so far. If you’re looking for a new campaign in the Ruins of Symbaroum universe, Throne of Thornes I might be worth the preorder. You can preorder the beautiful hardcover from the official Free League Publishing website for $47.85. Preordering the book also gives you instant access to PDF so you don’t have to wait for shipping. 

The World of Symbaroum

The World of Symbaroum is more of a resource book for the GMs who enjoy the world but want to create their own campaign. The book expands on existing lore and settings presented in the Ruins of Symbaroum Gamemaster’s Guide by diving into the history of the world and introducing new people, places, and events. The book also provides Gamemasters with 34 plot hooks, 18 historical secrets, and 7 adventure landscapes in the forest of Davokar for level 5-10 adventurers. 

I’ll need to get my hands on this first before I can form an opinion, but this seems like a wonderful resource for people who are already invested in this game. If you have a table that cares about lore, or just need some ideas to freshen up that next session, go preorder The World of Symbaroum. You can preorder The World of Symbaroum from the official Free League Publishing website for $47.85. Preordering the book gets you instant access to the PDF so you don’t have to wait for shipping. 

Conclusion

These expansions seem to be geared more toward people who are already invested in the system. I recommend you check out the core book and move from there. If you’re already invested, make sure you put in your preorder! I’ll be doing a preview of the core book soon, so make sure you stay tuned for that.

Board Games and TCGs

Running Dragonbane for a Party of One

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I’ve been running Dragonbane for a couple of weeks now, and yesterday was the first game where only one of my players could make it. I was about to cancel the game, but my friend asked if I could run it anyway with just him. I’ve never run a 1 on 1 campaign before, but I figured there was no harm. He was ready to play, and I had a rough idea of what to run. 

I’ve been going through the rewritten content in the core rule book, but I went a bit off-script for this adventure. It is always good to go off-script if that’s where the narrative takes you.

The party had made it to the Temple of the Purple Flames where a group of cultists opened a portal to the demon realm to bring forth their lord. The party found the portal and needed a way to close it before more demons got through. The book has rules on what happens if the players go through the portal. I ignored these and created an adventure out of it. 

Prep

Prepping for the game took me thirty minutes. I run my game on Foundry VTT, and the official module has everything I need to put an impromptu adventure together. We used theater of the mind of this adventure, but having the stats and tables to roll from is always nice.

All I needed to do was comb through the bestiary for monsters to build thematic encounters and copy them to a new folder. I then wrote down some key descriptions to set the mood and created an NPC for roleplay and direction.

Gameplay

Dragonbane has rules for solo play, but I didn’t have enough time to look those over. Instead, I ran the game like normal but made a few adjustments that I thought worked out well.

For starters, I gave my player an extra turn in the initiative. I know there is a feat for that, but in the game, it was a blessing a random demon NPC gave him. This made it so that when he was outnumbered, he wasn’t waiting around for his turn. It also made boss encounters more exciting. Two turns gave him the option to parry or dodge without feeling like a turn was wasted. I also let him heal 1D6 for free after every encounter because I didn’t want to kill his character.

Reaction

The friend I ran this for is the least experienced in the group. We’ve been playing D&D for only a couple of years, and it was really cool to see how comfortable he’s gotten even with a new system. He came out of the gate roleplaying and got into character fairly quickly. I had designed the adventure thinking he would want to fight everything, but he kept trying to avoid conflict. I did my best to accommodate his creativity and had a blast crafting a unique narrative together. 

One of the features that I like about Drabonbane is how they handle leveling. At the end of the session ask a series of questions to the table. 

✦ Did you participate in the game session?

✦ Did you explore a new location?

✦ Did you defeat one or more dangerous adversaries?

✦ Did you overcome an obstacle without using force?

Every yes gives players a marker they can use to level up a skill. Players roll a D20, and if the result is higher, the skill increases by one. For example, if the player wants to increase their Evade, they would use one of these markers to attempt to increase it. If their Evade score is 12, and they roll a 15, their new Evade score is 13. 

What I like about this system is the question about overcoming an obstacle without using force. In Dungeons and Dragons, I had to go out of my way to describe NPCs as non-threatening because everything ended in a fight. In Dragonbane, my players try to find alternatives wherever possible because they want that extra mark for leveling. It makes for interesting RP moments, and it creates a nice balance of combat and Roleplay that I’ve enjoyed tremendously. 

The extra turn made combat feel great. I did have a few issues balancing a couple of the encounters, but I was happy overall with the results. My friend ended up rolling the best he’s ever done. He rolled two dragons and saved at every pivotal point. It definitely made for an exciting session.

Conclusion

I’ve been having a lot of fun with Dragonbane, and running this 1 on 1 session was a real treat. It gave me a chance to hang out with my buddy and mess around in the system in ways we normally can’t. If you’re thinking about running a 1 on 1 adventure, go for it. Do your prep and have fun with it. For those of you interested in Dragonbane, I recommend you start with the free Quick Start guide. 

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Board Games and TCGs

Explore Vaesen, a Supernatural Mystery TTRPG

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There are still slots available for the free Vaesen learn-to-play event happening over at StartPlaying Games on Thursday, December 28 at 10 AM PT, and Tuesday, January 2nd at 2 PM PT. The event is hosted by the good folks over at Alchemy VTT through Discord, and it gives potential players a chance to learn about a new system and virtual tabletop. I sat through one of the sessions, and it’s gotten me curious about the Vaesen RPG. I’ve written about the class in a previous post, but you should sign up anyway since it’s free. 

If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

Recently, Free League Publishing was nice enough to send a bunch of their games to review. I am currently running through my first Dragonbane campaign and loving every minute of it. Till I can get to the rest of the games, I’ll be previewing all the games in the Free League Publishing library. These will be my initial impressions since it wouldn’t be fair to review a game I haven’t finished a campaign in. 

I’ll begin with Vaesen because it is the game I have the most exposure to outside of Dragonbane. What drew me to Vaesen initially was the artwork. The art in this book is beautiful. It reminds me of the old children’s books my father used to read to me when I was little.

Background

Vaesen is the spirits that exist in this mythical 19th-century Scandinavia. There used to exist a symbiotic relationship between the humans and the Vaesen. The humans would know how to keep them happy through things like offerings, and the Vaesen would bring them rain or make the fields grow. It was a relationship that worked, but one that didn’t last forever.

War and industrialization change the landscape. People begin to move to cities, and people begin to forget about the Vaesen. Years go by, and the corruption of industrialization begins to change the Vaesen. Strange and unexplainable events start to haunt the people, and they demand answers.

Only a few people exist with the ability to see the Vaesen. They have formed a secret organization to investigate and stop any nefarious supernatural activity.

Flavor

What I like most about is the flavor. The 19th-century aesthetic is neat, but the folk tale and lore are what sell this RPG to me. The core rule book is full of lore for the different Vaesen that can appear in your campaign. I enjoy reading about the different monsters, and can already have a few ideas for one shot. If your table enjoys dark supernatural mysteries, you might want to consider Vaesen.

I like how classes are handled in Vaesen. Each class has unique abilities, motivations, and equipment that help build the world of the RPG. The core book does a good job of giving players ideas for things like motivations, secrets, and trauma to help with character creation. For example, you can play a priest who is on a sacred mission because he wants to atone for being possessed by a witch, but he still hears the devil speak to him. You can also create your own, and the possibilities are endless. I like that the adventurers are just normal people who have been called to keep the world safe from the supernatural. It’s giving me fun monster of the week vibes, and I am here for it.

Gameplay

Vaesen is a D6 system. You only need six-sided dice to play. There is combat and checks which seem pretty straight forward, but the main focus seems to be on the roleplay. The game is about investigating supernatural events so players will be asking questions, searching for clues, and although there is combat, you don’t always have to kill the monsters. This is something you should consider before buying into the system. This one might be a little hard to sell at my table, but they’ve surprised me before.

Where to Buy

You can pick up the core book from the official Free League Publishing website ($52.91 + shipping). You also get access to the PDF so you won’t have to wait to get started. The core book is also available on Amazon ($64 book only) and DrivethruRPG ($24.99 pdf only).

video game reviews

Guardians of Holme is an Adorable Deck Building Tower Defense

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I was sent Guardians of Holme for free to review on my site. While I am grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

Guardians of Holme is a tower defense deck builder available now on PC. Demons and monsters are making their push toward Royal City in their campaign to destroy humanity. The fate of the world falls in the hands of a few skilled artisans. Build traps to stop the attacking forces before they can get to the city. Can you stop them before it is too late?

Players start each run of Guardians of Holme with a randomized deck of traps. This deck is upgraded and expanded throughout the run, and the cards players have access to expand over time. The longer you play, the more diverse your card pool becomes. The goal of the game is to set up traps to prevent the hoards of monsters from destroying the core. This makes for a soothing and relaxing gaming experience, but it can also be a bit repetitive. There are a few features that mitigate the monotony like being able to speed up rounds, the RN, and different heroes you can play, but the loop will always be the same.

I loved Guardians of Holme because it combines two of my favorite genres well. Other than a few reworks, the deck building is solid. The game is cute and relaxing, but the repetitive loop makes it hard to recommend, especially at the price point. I find the repetition soothing, and I enjoy the genre enough to justify the price, but it isn’t going to be for everyone. If you are looking for a relaxing game that isn’t much of a commitment, Guardians of Holme is an option. If you love Tower Defence games and want a cute one to fill your downtime, this is a solid choice. 

You can pick up Guardians of Holme for $12.99.

Board Games and TCGs, gaming news

Official Dragonbane Mini Subscription now on MyMiniFactory

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Our friends over at Free League Publishing have partnered with Titan Forge and MyMiniFactory to release a series of high-quality miniatures for their fantasy tabletop RPG, Dragonbane. If you have access to a 3D printer and need a way to spruce up your next adventure, you’re going to want to subscribe to The Adventure. 

The Adventure is a subscription service by MyMiniFactory that offers players high-quality miniatures from the Fantasy TTRPG Dragonbane. Subscribers will get the STL files for the five pre-generated characters from the core rulebook’s prewritten adventure, and one printable monster or enemy file every month. The Makander mini alone should be enough to move this subscription. 

Subscribers also get 10% off a purchase of Dragonbane content from the Free League Publishing store, 10% off other MyMiniFactory purchases or subscriptions, and story teasers for Dragonbane. The subscription is $9.99 a month, or you can pay for the whole year in advance for $89.88 ($30 savings). If you’re in the market for officially licensed minis, The Adventure is definitely worth looking into. 

What is Dragonbane?

I recommend you check out the quick start guide before you buy anything. It gives players and DMs a nice taste of what to expect from the full version, and it’s free. I’ve written a post about my experience running the Quick Start guide for those interested.

If you’re ready to buy into this system, there are a few options. If you play online, you’re going to want the PDF. It’s searchable, and the most cost-effective way to get started. You can pick it up on DrivethruRPG for $24.99.

Now if you’re playing on a VTT, I always recommend Foundry VTT. I am not an affiliate. It’s just what I’ve been using, and I love it. I’ve written a post about why. You can pick up the official module for $27.87 and it has everything you need to get started. You don’t have to use the module to play on Foundry, but it makes things easier. Check out my previous post where if you want more details.

If you want to play in person, all you need is the core rulebook, some dice, and a pencil. You can pick up the core rulebook for $43.70 on the official website. Now there are other special items to spruce up your games like special edition books, the core set, and dice available, but that depends on how much you want to invest in the game. I’ve been having fun, I recommend you check it out as well.

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Board Games and TCGs, gaming news

Alchemy VTT Hosts Free Seminars for the Horror TTRPG, Vaesen!

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The team at Alchemy VTT is holding 1-hour workshops to teach players how to play Vaesen. Alchemy VTT aims to create an immersive experience that is easy to use and even easier to stream to your favorite platform. With features like integrated video chat, automated NPCs, and animated spells and effects, Alchemy VTT is sure to be a spectacular hit at some tables. You will need to buy your content and pay a subscription for added features, but it might be worth it for the experience it provides.

The seminar will feature the official Vaesen module for Alchemy VTT. The team will go over how to get started with game and character creation, and showing off some of the immersive gameplay Alchemy is capable of. If you are interested in checking out Vaesen or Alchemy VTT, make sure you sign up for one of the available time slots. (As of writing this)

DATETIME
12/27/20236 AM
12/28/202310 AM
1/2/20242 PM

I was sent a book to review before this announcement, so I’ll be joining the seminar for the free overview. I also don’t mind looking into a new VTT. The trailer made it look like such a neat experience, especially with all the integrated features.

The event is free to join, all you need is an Alchemy VTT account and you must join the official discord. It is really cool to see a VTT work closely with developers to not only create a catered experience for their players, but to also onboard new ones. So if you have an hour to spare and want to check out a new game, make sure you check out the seminar! Seats are filling up fast!

If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

What is Vaesen

In dark forests, beyond the mountains, by black lakes in hidden groves. At your doorstep. In the shadows, something stirs. Strange beings. Twisted creatures, lurking at the edge of vision. Watching. Waiting. Unseen by most, but not by you. You see them for what they really are. Vaesen.

Welcome to the Mythic North – northern Europe of the nineteenth century, but not as we know it today. A land where the myths are real. A cold reach covered by vast forests, its few cities lonely beacons of industry and enlightenment – a new civilization dawning. But in the countryside, the old ways still hold sway. There, people know what lurks in the dark.

They know to fear it.

– From the Free League Publishing website

Vaesen is a horror RPG where players solve supernatural mysteries. The art is beautiful, and the flavor is fantastic. I’ll need to run a few games in the system to judge it even further, but it has my attention. The core book will have everything you need to get started, like the rules, pre-generated characters, and a prewritten mystery. If Vaesen appeals to you, make some time to join in on the seminar.

Where to Buy

You can pick up the core book from the official Free League Publishing website ($52.91 + shipping). You also get access to the PDF so you won’t have to wait to get started. The core book is also available on Amazon ($64 book only) and DrivethruRPG ($24.99 pdf only).

The Core Rule book includes:

  • Ten ready to use archetypes let you create a character in minutes – or use the included life path tables and let the dice decide.
  • Quick and flavorful rules for combat, investigations and horror.
  • Rules for developing the player characters’ headquarters during campaign play.
  • A detailed gazetteer of the Mythic North setting and the town of Upsala.
  • A score of bloodcurdling vaesen to encounter, all beautifully illustrated by Johan Egerkrans.
  • An introductory Mystery called The Dance of Dreams.
gaming news

Grab Destiny’s Newest Exotic Bow, the Wish Keeper!

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The Final Shape releases on June 4th. I was sent a copy to cover the release. I haven’t played in a while, so I’ll be taking time to gear up and get ready for the expansion. With the Giving event and trying to regain my bearings, it’s going to be a busy week. Those of you thinking of hopping onto Destiny make sure you head over to Epic Games and grab the Legacy Collection. The collection is free until December 20 and includes The Witch Queen, Beyond Light, and Shadowkeep DLCs. That should be enough to keep you busy until the summer. If you have Destiny 2 on Steam, the DLC doesn’t carry over. You’ll have to play the Legacy Collection on Epic Games. 

I am going to have to keep a calendar. With how much I need to catch up on, it is a bit of a daunting task. At the moment, I am working on collecting the Dawning Event while I go through the bits of the story I haven’t finished, and work on the Season Pass. The Season of the Wish just kicked off which means new rewards and cosmetics, but most importantly, a new raid and weapon. I am nowhere near ready for that yet, but I can still appreciate how cool the Wish Keeper looks.

I mean this bow looks sick, and the effects look like the best time! To obtain the Wish Keeper, Guardian’s must complete the newest Dungeon, Warlord’s Ruin. Guardian’s will travel to the Black Garden and uncover the remains of an ancient Ahamkara. The Raid is up, the bow is live, and there are already a ton of tutorials to get you ready! Go join a fire team and go get that bow!

Chapter 4, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers Chapter 4-1: The Two Dragons

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I know this is late, but work has been crazy. Make sure you always support the original. If you enjoy this project, please leave me a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. Thank you for reading!

No one will stand in my way. I’ll turn the whole Digital World upside-down if I have to. I will find her. I will get her out. 

The center of the wall slum erupted in chaos as Code Crackers and guardians clashed. The plan had worked, and now Code Crackers from around the world gathered for one crucial push towards the Gateway. To them, this was all a game. But to those in the higher echelons of the Sons of Chaos, it was a chance to break through. The network was taking its bold step at something that had never been done, and the outcome was sure to create ripples.

Dorugoramon, Mega, Beast Dragon, Data

A battle rages at the center of the Wall Slum. Rockets fly in every direction. Beams of burning light light up the sky. Lightning bolts reach out hungrily and explode violently. The Wall Slums glows brightly with explosions and newly formed fires. The laughter of Code Crackers slowly creeps through the chaos. To them, this is just a game. But to the few in the upper echelons of the Sons of Chaos, this was their chance to break through the gateway. 

Perched above the chaos, at the edge of the caldera, Dorugoramon watches intently. Explosions reflect off its body, giving it a warm glow. Its long neck stretches as it examines the battlefield. Long sharp blades come down its wings where the bones should be. They twitch as it smirks. Its claws itch in anticipation. 

All the pieces are in play. Kosuke thinks to himself. 

Ouryumon Mega, Beast Dragon, Vaccine

Suddenly, a blinding beam of light falls from the sky. It slowly dissipates to reveal the gold-armored dragon, ​​Ouryumon. Each taloned hand holds a sharp golden blade that seems fixed on its prey. Dorugoramon has taken flight, and the two dragons charge fiercely at one another.

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

“Not even a hello, Yulin?” Kosuke asks calmly. 

The two Digimon clash as blades and swords collide, creating white hot sparks with each impact. Yulin lets out a gasp as Kosuke’s voice reaches her. She knew she would have to face her old friend, but she wasn’t ready to hear his voice so soon. 

Ouryumon doesn’t break its stride. All four of its blades slash furiously against swift silver claws. Ouryumon usually only needed two blades to best his opponents, but Dorugoramon was no ordinary Digimon, and Kosuke was no ordinary Code Cracker.

“So this is what the captain of the Digipolice is capable of…should I call you the Crossroads Witch? For old time’s sake?” Tartarus taunts. 

The two dragons separate for a moment. Ouryumon growls as it readies its swords for the next attack. “That person doesn’t exist anymore.” A hint of sorrow seeps into Yulin’s words. 

“Didn’t expect to fight a mega so soon.”

“You digivolved first.”

“What an honor..” The two clash again, this time with a more intense ferocity. 

“What do you hope to achieve from all this?” Yulin asks. The Golden dragon grits its teeth in frustration. 

“You’re about to witness the greatest revolution in human history! Isn’t that right Dorugoramon?”

Dorugoramon clasps its talons together, stretching them away from its body. Glowing light begins to gather between its palms. 

DORU-DIN!

A shockwave of pure destructive energy rips through the air. Ouryumon’s blades raise quickly, blocking the attack with a loud clang that rings over the battlefield. Some of the attack crashes onto unsuspecting Digimon and Gatekeepers, sending them flying in every direction. The rest explodes into the wall behind Oryumon. Large chunks of the wall fall towards the gate, leaving a massive hole behind. 

Satsuki Tamahime

Sastuki watches the clash from below, marveling at their sheer destructive power.

“Captain!” she shouts involuntarily. She had never seen the captain go all out before, or seen a Digimon capable of keeping up with her.

The squad of Cargodramon carrying additional units descended upon the caldera, dropping heliborne units that quickly formed along the interior wall. Numemon slides down after them. Its eyes bob through gaps of the Mekanorimon it sits inside of.

“All squads, get in position! The Sons of Chaos are our targets, don’t worry about anyone else,” Satsuki orders. “Don’t let them open the Gateway!”

The Commandramon and the officers pilot their answer with a resounding “Yes sir!” as they scurry into position.

“Ememy sighted. 9 O’clock,” one of the Commandramon warns. Satsuki turns to asses the danger. A swarm of Gatekeepers charges towards them. Satsuki clicks her tongue, spinning the Mekanorimon around. She targets a single Gateker before firing a Twinkle Beam. The hot laser flies through the air, vaporizing the Gatekeeper.

“Open fire!”

Bullets rain down from the Cargodramon’s rattling guns, annihilating the oncoming swarm. The stench of gunpowder fills the air. “So we gotta fight those things too…great!” Satsuki huffs. “I could take these guys out easy if I could just go ultimate.” But Satsuki was under strict orders. She would act as squad leader and pilot the Mekanorimon. Satsuki grows frustrated as she can make out the sounds of the clash above her.

“Seals one, reporting in,” a voice interrupts Satsuki’s thought.

“This is Satsuki. Do you have eyes on the target?”

“Search is underway,” the Sealsdramon replies as it searches the battlefield for the SoC leadership.

“Keep looking. Tartarus’ big splash here might be a diversion. The other could be lurking, waiting to strike.”

“Copy that. Over.”

A loud thud startles Satsuki, as something suddenly lands on top of the Mekanorimon’s domed head. She lets out a yelp. Someone was using her as a stepping stone to join the fray behind her.

“What the hell are you doing Eiji?!”

“My bad. I slipped.”

Loogamon

Loogamon and Eiji stand facing Sastuki, its tail wags excitedly. Satsuki becomes consumed with rage. 

“Eiji and your stupid mangy mutt,” she growls. 

“Wait…how did you know my name?”

“Who are you calling mangy?” Loogamon snarls. 

“Wait I know that voice…”

Loogamon looks around at the uniformed Digimon surrounding him. “Dammit Eiji…We landed in the middle of a Police unit.”

Sastuki smirks. “This is going to be so much fun!” 

“Sastuki?” Eiji says as they search for her Numemon. “So you can pilot the Maenormon?” He asks, finally noticing Numemon’s eye stalks poking out.

“So the slug found its shell,” Loogamon says with a snicker. 

“Careful Loogamon, she’s crazy.”

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” 

GYRO BREAK!

Mekanorimon’s arm begins to spin rapidly, letting out a terrifying mechanical whirr. It heaves forward, launching a corkscrew punch flying towards Loogamon. Loogamon hops out of the way. The arm drills into the empty space Loogamon leaves behind. 

“Urgh!” Eiji lets out as a hunk of rock smacks him in the chin. 

“This is war Eiji Nagasumi!” Satsuki shouts as she aims her next attack. The Commandramon move into position and train their riffles at the wolf. 

“Eiji, get into the core!” Loogamon yells. Eiji had already vanished. 

Commandramon

“So what am I wanted for now?” Eiji asks from the safety of the Digicore.

“Wanted? This isn’t some ordinary Patrol. This is war. The Sons of Chaos will answer for their crimes!”

“What?”

“We’re taking you out, whether you like or not. Fire!”

Muzzles flash as the Commandramon unleash a hail of bullets Loogamon. But Loogamon had anticipated the attack and dives behind a nearby boulder. The bullets clang on the stone around them.

“Are you okay?”

“She’s got a squad of 100 or more out there. This is an upgrade from the last time we fought her.”

“She said she this was war.” Eiji begins thinking of ways to deal with Satsuki. As the bullets crash nearby, Eiji realizes this isn’t a game anymore. It never was.

“If it was just Numemon, we’d have nothing to worry about,” Loogamon adds.

The rudders of the Corgodramon circle overhead. Occasionally, they let down a rain of bullets to chip away at their cover, pinning Loogamon to his hiding spot.

Mekanorimon

Satsuki watches Loogamon through a live feed from one of the Cargodramon. “Ready one of the DCD bombs,” she commands. “We’re going to smoke them out.”

“This is Seals One. Target aquired!” A voice shouts urgently over the radio.

“Send me the coordinates!”

“I would but…they’re nearly on top of you!”

An explosion lights up the sky as the Cargodramon takes a hit from the side. Smoke fills the around it as it spins towards the ground. The remaining Cargodramon scatter.

“Starting without me Eiji?” Mervin says as Airdramon appears through the smoke.

video game reviews

Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom is the cutest retro RPG

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I was sent Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee. 

Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom has finally come to the West, and fans of the original can now enjoy this cute and quirky RPG on their favorite modern console.

Synopsis

Though true love is the destination, there are many magical paths that can lead you to it. Experience the stories of Cornet, the queen of Marl Kingdom, her daughter Kururu, the “Tomboy Princess,” and other lovestruck souls in Marl Kingdom, all of which span the past, present, and future of the Rhapsody series. Tales of true love both new and old await you, including the fate of Kururu’s impending marriage, two star crossed lovers and their warring families, and the journey of Cornet’s mother, Cherie. The trials and tribulations each of these characters face will put their hearts to the test like never before. Will true love truly prevail?

Gameplay

Combat is straightforward, but the randomness of the ally attacks is what makes it exciting. I loved it when my little buddies took the initiative and took the last hit on a boss I had trouble with. There is a grind like there is in most games of the genre, but there is an auto-battle feature that makes it manageable.

If you enjoy retro RPGs, especially from the early 2000s, you’re going to want to look into this game. While the game runs fine, it feels like an older game. This isn’t a criticism, but it is something to think about. The PC port runs fine, but there are some stutters in performance, and some of the interactions are a bit finicky. I enjoyed it for the cute retro experience that it is.

Story

The story is adorable. I love the tone, and the musical numbers were appreciated. I haven’t played any other games in the Rhapsody saga, but I didn’t feel the need. The story is relatively self-contained except for a few references to previous titles. Even when these references showed up, I didn’t feel like it took away from experience. The characters are all unique and adorable, and I enjoyed the general silliness of the adventure.

Conclusion

Despite some minor performance issues, I enjoyed the game. The art is cute, the music is fantastic, and the gameplay is relaxing. I loved reliving the classic era of RPG and found the game’s quirks a refreshing change of pace. If you enjoy retro RPGs and want something cute to fool around in, check out Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom.

You can pick up Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom for $49.99 on PlayStation, Switch, and Steam ($24.99). There is also a collectors edition available on the official NIS store for fans of the series who want some extra goodies. The bundle includes:

  • Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles Deluxe Edition
  • “Memories in Melody” Hardcover Art Book
  • “Ballad of the Little Princess” 2-disc Original Soundtrack
  • “Memories of Marl Kingdom” 2-disc Original Soundtrack
  • “Royal Crescendo” Art Cards (Set of 3)
  • “A Duet of Adventure” Acrylic Display
  • “Generations of Song” Acrylic Display
  • “The Show Must Go On” Cloth Poster
  • Collector’s Box
Board Games and TCGs, video game reviews

Dragonbane on Foundry VTT is Amazing!

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We’ve had our third session of Dragonbane, and have been enjoying every minute. It was a rough start as we learned and adjusted to the new rules, but things are running more smoothly. 

What has made the transition easier has been playing on Foundry VTT using the official module. You don’t need the module to play Dragonbane. All you need is the quick start guide and some dice. You don’t even need the official module if you’re using Foundry, but it makes things so easy that you’re doing yourself a disservice by not using it. 

I’ve written about why you should use Foundry VTT as your virtual tabletop, so make sure you read that post if you haven’t done so already. Foundry VTT is easy to use, it has tremendous community and dev support, and it has a lot of the features you want from a VTT for only $50. There is also a demo you can try if you need more convincing. 

The Dragonbane module costs $27.22 with everything you need to play the game. You get:

  • 144 Actors.
  • 28 Journal Entries.
  • 370 Items.
  • 164 Rolltables.
  • 20 Scenes.
  • 5 Macros.
  • 6 Card Stacks.

Starting a game has never been so simple. The module splits up everything you need into easy-to-search journal entries and chapters. You can choose to play one of the ready-to-play pre-generated characters. But if you want to make your own, the module walks you through the simple process of character creation where you can roll your stats, and drag and drop everything you need. 

Running the prewritten adventure is even easier because you have everything you need at your fingertips. It splits up the adventure into manageable sections with quick links to help you navigate decisions. You have tables to roll from, monster stats you can easily drag onto maps, and you can roll for the monster abilities. Maps come with all the lighting effects, walls, doors, and hidden areas which is sure to impress your table. I’ve never had an easier time prepping running a game. Now this will change if you want to run your own adventure, but if you want to start with the prewritten content, the module is a boon!

The only issue I’ve been having is getting used to the system. While the system is easy to learn, my table is full of busy dads who somehow manage to make time for our weekly games. It’s been fun, and getting better as we grow more comfortable with the system.

If you’re playing Dragonbane, or thinking about running your first game online, I recommend you get this module. You’ll get more than your money’s worth, especially if it ends up being your tables main RPG.

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