Free League Publishing has released a set of 20 high-quality figures to fill your next session of Alien TTRPG. The set comes with a condensed rulebook for skirmish play for players who want to enjoy some wargaming in the Alien universe. Most importantly, the miniatures are ready to fill your world whether you are following one of the prewritten adventures, like Rapture Protocol, or you are creating one of your own from one of the many high quality source books. Whether you leave them unpainted, or get a little creative with the paint, these are going to look great on any table.
What is Skirmish?
Skirmish is Alien TTRPG’s pvp mode. The game is designed for two players (or teams) as they fight for survival. Booklet includes three unique scenarios to help players get started, but there is room for some solid homebrew potential. For example, a team of humans must fight their way through a Xenomorph infested planet to retrieve keycards to help them escape. The game is over if the humans complete their objective, or the aliens kill all the humans. There are rules for army creation, combat, and even a fear mechanic to make the game very thematic. I am a huge fan of the radar mechanic because it makes the game flavorful. If you’re into Alien RPG for just combat, definitely look into the skirmish mechanics.
Thoughts on skirmish
I am not very good at wargaming, so I appreciate how easy this mode is to get into. I got destroyed the times I played, but I had a lot of fun doing so. The game mode is full of cool flavor that will make fans of the Alien series very happy. The fact that Xenomorphs start as blips of a radar until discovered is terrifying. The fact that one of them turns into a cat is fantastic.
Combat is strait forward, but engaging. I am not very good at army building, but there seems to be a good amount of options for some diversity. I am sure there might be a meta, but I had fun playing what was cool. I had a lot more fun playing the Xenomorphs, but only because I was better at it.
I love that the rulebook comes with the miniature because it makes the set a board game you can pull out when you are not running games.
Review
If you like the Alien movies, you might as well pick up this miniature set. This is a very cool set that will be a lot of fun to paint, even if you don’t end up playing the tabletop game.
Quality
I am amazed, but not surprised by how good the quality of these miniatures is. Free League Publishing consistantly produces high quality products for all their IPs, and it can be clearly seen in the amount of work that went into each sculpt. The Xenomorphs look terrifying, and the humans look like they are ready to survive the invasion. I had a lot of fun looking examining each figure and appreciating all the small features. The ripples of the muscles, the poses of the figures, and even face huggers look cool. I definitely wish I was good at painting.
Is it worth it?
Yes. If you are a fan of the series, the figures have the detail you need. Buy these, paint them, and add them to a cool scifi display.
You don’t need miniatures to run a campaign of Alien TTRPG. Before this set, I was just using coins, but it does make my players a lot more excited. The first time I pulled one of Xenomorps to attack the party is a memory I will treasure for ever. It is a very fun and useful accessory, if you have the space and need for it. I only bring these out for combat, so its nice that the set includes rules for a standalone game mode.
If you are buying this for skirmish, I think it is a fun little game mode that you can pull out when you don’t want to run a full session. Skirmish isn’t my thing, but I did have fun the times I played it. I’ll probably mostly use it for all my tabletop rpgs I run moving forward because of how good they look on the table. Now I just need to convince my wife to paint them for me.
I was sent a custom Elderwood Academy spellbook as a gift for the Riftbound launch. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, this will be my honest review of the spellbook. Make sure you check out the official Elderwood Academy page for unique tabletop RPG accesories.
Table of Contents
What is Elderwood Academy Spellbook?
Elderwood Academy Spellbook makes high quality TTRPG accessories. They make unique wooden dice trays, dice towers, and journals in the form of spellbooks. They offer hundreds of customization options so that you can get a book that not only fits your RPG needs, but fits your personality. If you are looking for a a clean and cool way to carry your tabletop accessories to your next campaign, check out what the Elderwood Academy has to offer. As a forever DM, I am a huge fan of their Master Tome DM Screen. It looks like a cool spell book and can carry everything I need to run my next campaign.
What I got
I didn’t get any of the Tabletop products to review, but I did get a special Riftbound Spellbook. As far as I know, it is a unique item that was created in collaboration with UVS, the people behind the Riftbound TCG.
The wooden box is lined with faux leather with the Riftbound, UVS, and League of Legends logo printed in shining text. My copy came personalized with my full name. The wood is smooth with a nice finish to give it that elegant flare, and the inside is decided to fit the four trial decks and booster packs snugly inside. The book closes securely with a magnet that is strong enough to keep your contents from falling out.
Review
The tome is very impressive. It is crafted from high quality materials with a good amount of care and attention. Unfortunately, isn’t very practical for my TCG needs. That said, I am impressed enough by the design and quality to look into the rest of their official line.
Quality
This spellbook was a very happy surprise. At first glance, it looks like a real book. The leather binding is very elegent, but the edges run a little long. I suspect they will wear down with travel and years of use, I can only hope they don’t start looking ratty instead of a used book. I’ve been carrying this around my bag and the edges don’t look as bad, and the wear seems pretty reasonable. Some of the letters are starting to crack which is normal, but the design is still visible. None of it has fallen off. It should survive a few years of normal wear and tear.
The wood bits are impressive. They have clean and clear designs and everything is smooth. Companies that cut corners will have pieces that start to crack or flake a the seems, but everything here looks well designed. All of the compartments are firm. Nothing felt loose or flimsy, even against my unrealistic force tests. Everything is staying in place.
The magnet that holds everything in place is very impressive. It is strong enough to keep your contents safely secured during travel, and can even survive a few hard shakes. I wouldn’t go flipping it upside down though.
The Fit
Elderwood Academy has an impressive attention to detail. The book is perfectly designed to fit its contents in a nice presentation. This book looks very cool with all four decks boxes snugly fit inside. The problem is, it only fits the four deck boxes and the unsleeved trial decks. It does not fit my entire sleeved deck, even if I remove the deckbox. The compartments are too short and anything taller than a 50 card single sleeved deck is spilling into the rest of the box. Your cards may not fall out because of the strong magnet, but you will need to do some reorganizing when it is time to take them out.
Taking them out is also a bit of a chore. The snug compartments are perfect to hold the deckbox, but it is a bit too tight for sleeved cards. I could take out most of the deck, but there was always a bottom portion that got left behind. I am afraid that using this tome as a regular deckbox will result in some damage to my cards.
To be fair, the book was not designed as an everyday deckbock. It was a giftbox to hold the trial decks, and it is perfect at that. If I didn’t sleeve the decks and kept them in the box, there are no issues. Unfortunately, I sleeve everything and the book can’t be used as anything more practical as decoration. This is a shame because I was very excited to take my cool looking deckbox to my next locals, and if they ever design one, they will take all of my money. It would be cool if they have a way to fit three decks and a slot for dice and accessories and even a notepad. They can even get a little extra and make their own deckboxes to fit the different compartments.
That said, if the quality of the specifications say anything about the brand, the Elderwood Academy TTRPG accessories are a guarantee banger.
Conclusion
Even though I am disappointed at the lack of practicality of my spell book, it is still a very cool gift that I will keep on display. I think the unique high quality feel makes up for the lack of utility, and it definitely makes me want to look into the rest of their line. I might even try to do a little modding of my won to repurpose it into a proper deckbox.
Free League Publishing sent me a free copy of the Mutant: Year Zerocore rulebook to review for my blog. While I am very happy for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. Make sure you also check out my reviews for Dragonbane and The One Ring.
Table of Contents
What is Mutant: Year Zero?
Mutant is a tabletop roleplaying game about mutants at the end of the world. The game runs on the award winning Year Zero system which is a D6 system where things happen on 6s and 1s. Six is good and one is bad. There are no modifiers. Instead, stats and gear tell players how many dice they need to roll. More dice generally means better odds. Finally, Mutant is a survival game where the world is harsh, people have powers, and starvation is always a bad roll away.
Hook
Before the fall of civilization, Earth existed in a constant state of conflict. War broke out across the globe, quickly turning nuclear. Those smart and rich enough quickly found shelter in secure underground bunkers while others fled into the safety of space. Everyone else either died in the first wave, or had to rot away in the fallout. As the Earth became toxic, many began to mutate and develop powers.This was the next stage of evolution of man, but one that also marked its end. Mutants are sterile, and while there are tales of powerful folk that roam the wasteland, the population is aging towards is final days.
Some survivors band together and form flourishing communities known as arcs in an attempt to recapture what they lost, others turned to the harsh wasteland and let it transform. You were fortunate enough to grow in one of these arcs, and spend your days working towards a common goal. As the years go by, resources start to dwindle and the world becomes a harder place to live. Eventually, you and a promising group are tasked with going out farther than the usual patrol in search of anything that will extend your time on this planet. What secrets will you uncover beyond those walls? What will you bring back? Can humanity ever be saved, or are you merely surviving till your final days?
Gameplay
Mutant is a very easy game to pick up, but has enough depth to keep players engaged. The survival mechanics give players agency, without ever feeling like a chore. The mutation mechanic adds fun flavor that players can explore through their character, and it makes for some fun and interersting interactions. If you’ve ever wanted to be Xmen at the end of the world, pick up Mutant Year Zero.
Resources
Resources at the end of the world are limited. Players will need to spend their time constantly hunting for food, water, and other materials to survive the harsh dying world around them. Resources like food and water are expended every day for survival, but they are also used for healing. Rationing this precious resource keeps a high level of tension for the players. Players can choose to be at full health for the next encounter at the risk of starving to death. The system is streamlined so the bulk of the game is focused on the game rather than resource management, but you can make it more hard core if that is fun for you.
In Mutant, bullets are the most valuable resource after food and water. While players don’t need bullets to survive the wasteland, they are useful currency when it comes time to trade for better gear or materials. Bullets are also used for guns, and no one wants to be short a bullet in an important gunfight. Players will constantly need to weigh the benefits of trading away their bullets, and that will make for some difficult decisions.
Rot
The world rots away under the effects of the lingering radiation. While there are a few clean and hospitable areas left on this planet, there are pockets of deadly radiation spread in between. These areas give players rot points that slowly kill them. The only way to get rid of rot is to rest in a clean area, but those may be far in between during an adventure. The best bet is to avoid rot all together, or find some rot protection over time. Unfortunately, sometimes the only way forward is through a puddle of rot, and sometimes the only drinkable water is contaminated. The problem then becomes finding ways to mitigate the rot, and live with it.
Mutations
You can’t have a Mutant’s game without cool mutant powers, and this book has a very good selection of them. The DM can allow players to choose their mutation or roll for them at a table. I prefer rolling because that randomness gives the game its flavor. Survivors in this world wouldn’t have been able to choose their powers, neither should your players. That said, I’ll let a player choose their mutation if they have a fun idea that won’t kill the fun for anyone else.
As you would expect, mutations give players abilities they can use in and out of combat. Every player gets a mutation point per mutation at the start of each session that rolls over to the next if not used. Mutation points are the resource used to power the mutation. Because mutations are so powerful, this limit is used to balance the game. If the player could use their mutation as much as they wanted, things could get out of hand. Mutations can also backfire. They can explode or work as intended. They can also further mutate the user, leaving them weaker but with a cool new power to use.
Combat
Combat does not get any simpler than in Mutants. Attacks succeed on 6s and fail on 1s. Additional 6s give the user extra boons like bonus damage or the ability to disarm. Additional 1s can mean the weapon breaks, leaving its user defenseless. Weapon and gear do break in this game, and players will need a skilled craftsman for repairs, or enough bullets to buy the replacement.
What makes combat deep is the health and cover system. The way health works means that players will need to think carefully before rushing in. They may not have the resources to heal back, or they can get an injury that affects their performance. Learning how to effectively use the environment in combat is extremely important. Effectively finding cover in a gun fight or exploding a barrel can easily mean the difference between life and death.
Leveling
I love the leveling system in Mutant because it is streamlined and accessible. Players will need to answer the following questions:
Did you participate in the session? (You get 1 XP just for being present.)
Did you perform a Day’s Work for a project in the Ark?
Did you explore at least one new sector in the Zone?
Did you sacrifice or risk something for your PC buddy?
Did you sacrifice or risk something for the NPC you want to keep safe?
Did you sacrifice or risk something to mess with the NPC you hate?
Did you sacrifice or risk something to reach your big dream?
Players get 1xp point per yes, and they level up when they earn a total of five. Leveling means players will get put a point into a skill of their choice or pick up a new talent. This system not only eliminates the guess work you would see in something like D&D, and it allows players to customize their character. Personally, it forced my players to act in ways they wouldn’t normally because they wanted an XP point. Where in a D&D campaign they wouldn’t care if the NPC died, they went out of their way to keep them alive and get to know them. I was not ready to RP as much as I have in Mutant, but I am not complaining.
Other Mechanics
There are other very cool mechanics that make this game unique and fun to play, but I don’t want this post to get too long. I pulled out the most notable that set it apart from other systems I’ve played, but also the systems I’ve liked the most. While I do not currently run a hardcore survival campaign, its nice to play something more bleak and I’ve been enjoying the story that has come from it.
Review
Mutant Year Zero is easily one of my favorite TTRPGs. I love how accessible the game is. It is easy to learn, and this is important for table of busy dads. Mutant also has some fantastic flavor with the mechanics that make for a good story.
Quality
I did get a copy of the physical book, and it is beautiful. The printing is high quality with vibrant colors, and the book is very high quality. I love the comic book style art. It gives the game its distinct personality and the book looks fantastic on my table.
The cover is phenomenal. I love how it draws the attention to the survivors combing a burning crumbling city for danger and supplies. Their nonchalant expressions suggest that they’ve grown used to the wreckage, and remain unfazed by the apocalypse. The worn mismatched outfits fit the flavor of the world, and the colors tie it all together. I love that each character has a hint of their ability showing. It is just enough to make a statement about their power, while still evoking curiosity. Are these good guys? Bad guys? You’re going to have to play and decide.
Story
The corebook has a prewritten adventure, and it is a very good place to start if you’re a beginner or just need a little help. The adventure offers a solid mystery with an interesting hook to get things rolling.
The players start at the arc, with an aging leader and dwindling supplies. They are sent out in search of more, but find hints to the fabled Eden. Eden is a place of abundance, populated by the most brilliant minds to find a cure for mutation. Some say the cure exists somewhere within its walls, the trouble is finding it. Others say its all a cruel joke told by those too dumb to realize it is all over. As fate has it, your players find themselves chasing a legend, and what they find isn’t what they expected.
Adventure
What I like most about how the adventure is written is that it gives players to tell their own story around the main goal. The adventure outlines a meta story, fills it with important NPCs and location, and sprinkles enough clues to create agency. The gamemaster players have the freedom to do what they want. I’ve never had my players more invested in the world building, because we were building our world. We had a session where we just talked about the fake mutant animals that existed in the one zone and creating bits of random lore that carried throughout the campaign. I love that I was not tied down by a dungeon crawl because it allowed us to tell some very cool stories.
Most importantly, I love that my players liked the meta story enough to keep playing through it. I’ve ran modules where I stopped using the source material because my players wanted to do something different within that world. I wasn’t ready for them to start asking questions about Eden and actively working towards it because of how much time we spend messing around in character.
Roleplay
This is one of the games where my players got into unique characters. I think the random mutation forced them to play a character they wouldn’t usually which was very cool to see. It might also help that I ran this game with theater of the mind using Alchemy RPG. The official module for Mutant is fantastic. Maybe the lack of math and battle maps gave players the room to get creative with their roleplay. Whatever the answer, it was a lot of fun.
Theater of the Mind
You can get as fancy as you want with Mutant. You can use maps with intricate terrain and figures, or load up your favorite VTT and do it digitally. Run this game in whatever way is most fun for your table. The system will work no matter what. At my table, we run games through theater of the mind. I’ll use maps here and there, but I like the focus to be the story and the current format works for us.
As a theater of mind game, Mutant is a fantastic system. The year one system makes checks and combat easy to manage, and the mechanics give enough depth without needing much outside aid. If all you have is the rulebook, some dice, and a dream, you are ready to run Mutant Year One.
Survival
Do not be intimidated by the survival aspect of this game. Run this game as hardcore as it needs to be for your table. I run a casual table and would frequently forget to manage resources. There wasn’t enough scarcity, and I didn’t deduct enough resources. I did break weapons and give players rot points, but I wasn’t running the game as intended. That said, the game never felt like it lost any of the survival element. Players were still cautious with their decisions, and scavenging when they could. My campaign, as silly as it was, was still a survival campaign. I like that freedom.
Conclusion
If you want to run a survival campaign with cool mutant characters and have a good amount of freedom to tell a cool story, pick up your copy of Mutant Year Zero. This has become our favorite, and it is going to be hard to switch to anything else. You can pick up your copy of the Mutant Year Zero rule book on the official Free League Publishing website, or on DriveThru rpg if you want to go digital.
Paizo sent me a free copy of the Starfinder 2e: Galaxy Guide to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinion. This will be my honest review. Always support your LGS if they carry Starfinder, but you can grab your copy of the guide on Amazon through my afilliate link. Make sure you also check out my newest sponsor, NordVPN.
What is the Galaxy Guide?
The universe is an endless space of adventure, mystery, and treasure. The Galaxy is shaken by the awakening of the newborn. Some flock to its side with zealot hunger. Others take to space to profit off its ever reaching effects. Gather your crew, load your ships, and find your adventure amongst the stars. What kind of stories will you find?
The Galaxy Guideis a helpful resource for the Game Master that needs a bit of inspiration for their next pathfinder campaign. The guide gives GMs ideas for running different genre’s of space themed adventures. I personally love the ideas for a horror themed adventure, but there is a good mix of ideas that can adapt to any table. The Guide is a good place to find planets, cities, factions, and other world building tools to fill your Galaxy. On the player side, the guide introduces new archetypes, backgrounds, and ancestress for some fun and fresh new characters. It might not be mandatory, but it is a nice resource to have when needed.
What do I think?
The Galaxy Guide is a very good looking book. I am always impressed with the high quality of the Paizo resource books, and the Galaxy Guide is no exception. The illustrations are colorful, vibrant, and inspiring. I loved looking at the different races, planets, and ships. The guide includes a galaxy map for a bit of added immersion.
As far as lore goes, the book is so much fun to read. It is a little bare, but I think the point is to inspire and guide rather than be the definitive source of an adventure. Remember, you can always make things up, but it is always nice to have some lore at the ready. Especially when you have inquisitive players who are hungry for lore. The different locations are neat, and I got some cool ideas for my own adventure. Looking forward to running a horror-themed, escape from a prison planet campaign. As far as player content goes, I saw a few cool ideas for character’s I’d love to run, if I ever get to play.
As far as resources go, the Galaxy Guide is an optional luxury. While the book has some cool flavor and ideas, it isn’t needed to run a good campaign. All you need is the core rulebook, some dice, and your vivid imagination. That said, this is a very cool book to have, even if you only end up reading through it. I loved reading the different bits of lore and flavor, but I definitely wish there were more. As someone who can get too busy for any proper planning, it is nice to have lore I can easily sprinkle when needed.
The Broken Palaceis book two of the Shades of Path adventure designed to take players from level 4 to 6.
The players venture deeper into the broken palace on their search for Lady Nalushae, but find themselves trapped in an ancient cellblock. Now, they must venture into its dark, dank, vampire infested prison for a way out. With their supplies dwindling and threats around every corner, players must learn to be resourceful. Can they make their supplies last long enough to save the world? Can they navigate the complex tensions between the three vampire factions that rule the Underheaven? What secrets will they uncover? What treasures will they find?
Impressions
The cover art is an immediately draws the eyes. I love the use of red. I love Naulusha’s design and how her pose strikes commands attention. I love the image of what I can assume are player characters struggling against a vampire. This series is supposed to be a darker, more horror oriented type of adventure, and the cover does a good job at setting the appropriate mood. The art throughout the book is equal as striking, and I enjoy flipping through it, just to look at the art. If you like vampires, undead, and horror, the book has some very good looking flavor and some fantastic flavor to go with it.
Now the overarching meta story is solid. I enjoyed reading the different bits of lore, and the warring factions are interesting. Most importantly, the book gives players many ways to solve the story. It doesn’t have to all be fighting, but it can be if that’s the kind of table you have. The dungeon design is fine. It has some neat encounters I will definitely borrow, and it builds a good amount of tension and urgency.
One thing to note about this adventure is that there is a survival mechanic that you will need to manage. Players will need to keep track of their food and water supplies to survive. The game does streamline the mechanic so it doesn’t feel like work without taking away any of the tension, but GMs are free to get as hardcore with their mechanics as they want. You can play without this mechanic, but I felt like it took away a lot of the urgency and tension. I like how there is this pressure to save the world from eternal darkness, the desire to explore this tomb of an advanced civilization, and the ever present threat of dying from starvation along with all the other threats that lurk in the shadows.
Overall, the adventure is fine. I enjoyed the flavor and lore, and there are some very cool encounters and monsters to play with. It was a fun path to explore, but I think my table is a bit too casual to take advantage of the survival mechanics. The survival mechanics are easy to manage, but we would often forget to keep track and that definitely took away from the tension. We still had fun, which I’d argue makes the adventure worth trying, but there are definitely some decisions my players wouldn’t have made if we were keeping better track. There is also the danger of being too hardcore about the survival mechanics. If the survival mechanics is that if it takes away from the story or fun, you’re doing too much.
Honestly, if you like vampires and don’t mind the survival mechanics, this is a solid horror campaign. It has a cool creepy setting filled with neat monsters and encounters and I am very interested to see what comes next.
I do want to take the moment to commend Paizo for the quality of their books. Everything I’ve gotten so far has been printed to a very high standard. Everything is clear, vibrant, and the books feel durable. I spilled all of my coffee on this book, and while I don’t recommend anyone try it themselves, I was surprised by how good it cleaned up. There is some warping and some staining, but the book looks good, and is still very usable.
Paizo sent me the first book of the Shades of Blood adventure path, Thirst for Blood to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, this will be my honest opinion of the resource book. I will also be using Amazon affiliate links where possible, but you can always buy Thirst for Blood directly from the Paizo store.
Shades of Blood: The Hook
Where the once great Alzanti empire stood, now sits fragmented remains scattered across islands and at the bottom of the ocean. The Alzanti once held dominion with its advanced technology, now its scraps are sold as oddities. Its been years since its collapse, and more of the lost empires secrets have began to surface. Unfortunately, not all of them are good.
At the bottom of the ocean, hidden behind a labyrinth of traps and stone, sits a prison for the empires most dangerous foes. Among these is an ancient vampire by the name of Nizca Irocol. Nizca was so powerful that the only way to stop her was to keep her in a state of perpetual stasis. Unfortunately, the Earthfall has shaken the force that kept Nizca locked away.
Newly freed, Nizca seeks to reunite with her long lost lover. To do this, she plans to use ancient Alzanti technology to put the world into perpetual darkness, and releasing a prison full of blood thirsty creatures into the world to sow chaos.
As fate would have it, a group of eager adventures have been hired in a nearby town to investigate the sudden anomaly. What will they uncover? What treasures will they find? Do they have what it takes to save the world, or will it fall to vampires?
What is Shades of Blood?
Thirst for Bloodis the first leg of the Shades of Blood saga. It takes players from levels 1-3, and acts as an introduction to the world, game, and characters. The players will arrive to the town of Talmandor’s Bounty, where they have been hired to aid a local astronomer. Everything erupts into chaos as the sky turns to black and an army of blood thirsty creatures starts attacking the city. The adventures now find themselves investigating this sudden chaotic outburst. Players will need to travel to a nearby island, and begin their delve through this fascinating mystery.
Impressions
If you are planning on running this adventure, you are going to need the GM Core. The adventure path doesn’t include any of the rules, or all of the stat blocks. There is also a free player’s guide to help players prep for the campaign. I’ll drop the file below for your convenience, but you can pick it up on the official Paizo site.
Thirst for Bloodis a solid start to the adventure. It has a few alternate modes of play (not everything is solved by combat), and it does a good job at getting players involved with the world. The early missions of the game has players interacting with NPCs as they complete chores around the starting city, and slowly introduces the games many mechanics. This is a very beginner friendly resource, and a good way to get into Pathfinder.
My only concern with the first chapter is that players need to be willing to roleplay to make some of the chores fun. I do appreciate that the game sets up ample opportunities for players to grow comfortable with their characters through the many social interactions. While chapter one does a great job at helping break the ice, some of the quests can be boring depending on the roleplay.
The rest of the adventure is a solid dungeon delve with fantastic flavor baked throughout. The book introduces fun enemies for players to fight, and provides a neat mystery for them to solve. I’m sure your players will find clever ways to skip around, but there are some cool ideas that I will be using in other campaigns. Overall, if you’re into a strait forward delve, this is a great place to start.
The book itself is very cool. I love the art, and the book is printed with the high quality standard I’ve come to expect from Paizo. I am a little bummed that it doesn’t include all of the stat blocks, but I guess it is fair that they assume players will at least a GM Core handy.
Aside from my issues with the first chapter, this is a solid resource. If you like vampires and dungeon crawlers, this a cool book to own. I personally enjoy reading about all the adventure’s lore, but there are also a few stat blocks I will be borrowing for future campaigns.
You can pick up the Thirst for Blood adventure path for $29.99 from Paizo and Amazon.
I have been running my recent campaign with Alchemy RPG, and I have a few opinions that might prove helpful if you are in the market for a new TTRPG. I have run a DND module and am currently running Mutant RPG. I also bought both modules I’ve used to run my games, but the books were given to me by the publisher to review for my blog. That said, this will be my honest review of the virtual table top.
What is Alchemy RPG
Alchemy RPG is a VTT that aims to enhance games played through theater of the mind. It provides players with not just the rules they need to run their games, but modules with striking visuals and powerful soundscapes to set the mood. The platform has an expanding library of sounds, visuals, and systems to explore, but players have the freedom to run their games with their own media. If you only run your games online, Alchemy does have voice, text, and video chat function. This is great for those who don’t want to have another program open. There are also some nifty features for content creators who like to stream their games online.
Running a game on Alchemy RPG is free. A GM can host up to three games for free, and players can create/import up to three characters. There is a paid subscription service. $8 a month or $88 a year gets you unlimited characters, campaigns and universes. Games can be run from the many available modules that can be purchased in the shop, but there is nothing stopping a game master from programing everything by hand. While GMs can make due without modules, they grant access to resource books, pre-programmed functions and items, and tailored visuals and sounds. It also saves a lot of time.
Review
Alchemy RPG has interesting functions and unique offerings that should be considered when choosing a VTT, especially when running games through theater of the mind. While the game does offer options for battle maps and quick combat, other VTT’s handle combat and battle maps better.
It took me a couple of sessions to start enjoying Alchemy, but it was mostly because I was set in my ways. I have used a few different VTTs trying to find the right home for our games. I look for something that is easy to use, even easier to teach, and has cool features for combat. At least it was at first. As we’ve grown together, combat on a map became less and less important. I enjoy the story telling part of the hobby, and my campaigns saw the shift to theater of the mind.
I made my shift to Alchemy because I wanted a VTT that let me focus on the story telling, gave me access to the rules, but was easy for my players to learn. Alchemy does all of that, and I have the option of running combat on a map if I really want to.
Setting up a campaign in Alchemy is incredibly easy. If you use the modules, you just need the funds to do so. If you have the time, inputting all the rules, creatures, items, and visuals is easy but time consuming.
Onboarding players is incredibly easy. Not everyone at my table is tech savvy, so I always try to find solutions that is the least work. The last thing I want to do is frustrate my players before the game even starts. Character creation is both systems was very easy, especially for my less savvy players. I do like that I can edit character sheets from my end if they ever gets stuck tho.
Running the actual game is great. The moving visuals create a striking backdrop, and the UI is clean and easy to navigate. Clicking through the different menues, switching between characters, and most importantly, rolling is all easy to do. The audio is a little hard to hear, but you can always add your own and at least it isn’t distracting. Most importantly, I love how easy things are to set up, like on the fly encounters, or creating new units or items.
My only complaint is that you still need a rulebook even if you buy the module. I found some of the bock of texts hard to read and navigate, especially when running a prewritten adventure. This might be the font and my dyslexia, but it is a problem I have. It is not undoable, but searching a PDF or flipping through a book is a better experience.
Overall, I love Alchemy because it doesn’t distract from the narrative. Being easy to learns means we can start quickly. Everything being preprogrammed and working properly not only cuts my prep time, it means we spend more time playing the game. If you play tabletop RPGs to create a collective story with your friends, I don’t think there is anything better than Alchemy RPG.
I was sent a free copy of the Urban Shadows 2E core book 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. I will also be using my amazon affiliate links when possible. Always support your LGS, but using my link helps me out!
What is Urban Shadows?
Urban Shadowsis an award winning TTRPG that just received its second edition.
In large metropolitan cities, a supernatural society operates in the shadows. Unbeknownst to the average citizen, there is an ever presence conflict between four warring factions as they try to gain dominion over the city. The balance of power is in a state of constant flux, and the political landscape of the city is forever shifting. Fate, chance, or whatever you want to call it has brought you into the this world, and it is up to you to find your place within it. Make deals, earn and pay off your social debts, and climb your way up the ladder. Who will you become? How will you shape the cities narrative? How will you let the city shape you?
The Gist of It
This is a massive book, but the gist is this:
In Urban Shandows, players navigate the complex social network of the supernatural society of a major city. They must broker deals, climb the social ladder, and most importantly, operate in the shadows.
Whatever the city, there are four factions that fight over its dominion: Mortalis, Night, Power, and Wild.
Mortalis are the humans that find themselves in the world, either by chance or by choice. Some hunt the monsters that roam the night. Others smuggle supernatural items to sell for a profit. Others play with the idea of giving up their humanity to join this world permanently.
Power is full of the people who can wield the magic of this world. It is full of the wizards, oracles, and immortals who seek to gain more power from this world.
Night is the faction of people who have been transformed into a supernatural creature of the night, and must wrestle with this new found identity. These are the vampires, werewolves, and ghosts of the city and the smaller sects that form within them.
Wild is the faction that lives on the fringes of society that wield powerful ancient magics that rival the other factions. These are the faeries, demons, and constructs that roam the city’s shadows.
The important thing is that these factions have an established hierarchy, and the players must find their place within it. The faction a player starts with, doesn’t have to be the one they end in. They don’t even have to be the same character, there is a mechanic that allows players to retire. Climbing is not easy, and it isn’t black and white. While players can fight their way through the city for territory, there are more diplomatic approaches that might prove more efficient. Trying to change an outcome with emotion or persuasion instead of fists is just as viable, if not more. The city is always moving and changing, and players need to adapt to keep up. Whether they can shake up the foundation of the city is up to a few actions and a couple dice roles. Within those four factions are 12 unique classes for players to choose from. Each class feels unique and gives players abilities to help them navigate their social mobility. There is a lot of flavor in this game, and while you can adjust your narrative to fit your vision, the book has a lot of valuable helpful examples to get a newer Master of Ceremony (game master) started.
What sets the game apart is the focus on urban fiction, which takes players to the streets of their favorite cities at any time in history. Want to start in the present and time skip to a time of calamity? Go for it! The landscape may be in constant flux, but the narrative belongs to the city.
The Book
Review
Urban Shadowsis a very good resource for any new game master, even if you don’t plan on running the game itself. The amount of resource, examples, and detail that make this book the hefty beast that it is can easily be translated into other systems. The book spells out every mechanic and feature in a way that is easy to read and understand, and is filled some very cool art to break up the information.
The game is powered by the apocalypse system, and the system is easy to learn and teach. This is important, especially for newer players who just want to hop into the game and not worry about intricate nuances. The game has its complexity, but I feel like there was less time spent arguing about rules, and more time enjoying the world and story for what it is.
Character creation is easy with the class system, and every class feels balanced and unique. More testing is required of course, but it all felt fine for the bit that was done. I like that the game doesn’t have to revolve around combat (it can), and how creative solutions to problems can be. The death and retirement system is interesting. The on death abilities each class has makes death sting a little less, and I like that players can retire a character if they just want to try something new.
What is important to note about the system is that it is going to be a bit more roleplay heavy. Yes dice rolls will sway the narrative, but you are going to have to ask for favors, or gather clues, or broker deals in a way that is limited by your social standing. For people who are more interested in the political side of roleplay, this is a great choice with lots of room for good story telling.
If you enjoy physical media, the book is a fantastic addition to any collection. Its a good quality book with some great illustrations. As far as resource books go, you’ll have everything you need to run a good campaign. There are helpful examples, tables, and a couple cities. There is an appendix with a bunch of charts and tables for the GM that needs to create an meaningful encounter on the fly.
I’ve read a few different resource books and nothing comes close to how detailed this book is. For veteran game masters, it is a little over kill. But for those just starting out in the space, it doesn’t get any better. When I started my journey, I did hours of research. A lot of what I’ve learned is packaged neatly in this book, and while there is lot a GM will learn through practice, its a great place to start.
Urban Shadows is a little too RP heavy for my table, but we had fun running it. We enjoyed how easy everything was to pick up, and the flavor is sound. I ran my games in San Francisco because that is the city I know best, but the borrowed a couple of the examples in the books to fill its underworld. I really enjoyed the shift to Urban Fantasy. We play a lot of high fantasy with the occasional scifi story, and it was nice to explore a modern city with modern problems and a supernatural element. I’d absolutely come back to the system if prompted because there is a lot of room for good story telling, and some very epic moments.
Urban Shadows is a solid TTRPG. If you like werewolves and vampires and mitigating the intricacies of social advancement, I don’t think you can find anything better than Urban Shadows.
You can pick up Urban Shadows and related products on the official Magpie store, and on DriveThruRPG if you don’t care about physical media.
I was sent a free copy of Mutant: Year Zero core rulebook to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. These will be my honest impressions of the game.
What is Mutant: Year Zero
Mutant: Year Zerois an RPG about surviving the end of the world. After humanity has been descimated by plague and war. Those left on this dying planet have developed strange mutations and must fight to survive. Factions have formed, some creating new life on the ruins of the old cities, others roam the Zone in search of survival. You are one of the lucky few to venture into this rotting landscape in search of a new way to survive. What secrets will you uncover? What stories will create?
Why Session Zero?
After taking a short break for life events, our play group got back together for a new campaign, and a new system. We were all excited to be back together, and even more excited to start our new adventure. I’ve learned the importance of hosting a Session Zero before the start of a new campaign over my short life as a game master. Session Zero is the space where the group can talk about rules and expectations (because we all have the right to a safe space to roleplay), and create our characters.
I like to have my players create their characters together because we’re a play group of busy dads, and I don’t want to give them homework. Since I am always jumping between systems and platforms, my players always have questions, and it is nice to have a space where we can learn things together. It also helps break the ice as they start planning their characters. Some players come with ideas and building takes seconds, others will take their time to do it during the session. We have fun talking about different mechanics and characteristics.
After we create our characters, I like to slowly introduce mechanics. I give them a space to Roleplay to help them get into the space, I through some checks and a bit of combat to give them a taste of what is to come. Depending on how long the planning session takes, I try not overwhelm my players with too much content on the first day.
I used to skip session zero and go strait into the first game. I’ve learned that having that space where we can jokes around, answer questions, and build our characters gets us ready for the upcoming adventure and gets us started on a strong note.
Impressions
Setting up for our Mutant campaign was easy. The book lays the character creation process clearly, and using the official Alchemy RPGmodule made things even easier. Most of my players created their character from scratch, but one of my players edited one of the premade characters. How balanced each method is yet to be seen. The most exciting part of character creation is rolling for the mutation. Mutations are random and permanent in this game, and that first gamble of the game shapes a players identity. At least it did at my table.
I very much appreciate how each player focused on a different part of the book. One was more interested in the lore, another the mechanics, and together we were able to answer most questions. I found the more we talked about the game, the more excited we grew. My players are itching to use their mutations and explore this new world, and I can’t wait to run it for them.
I am running the included Path to Eden adventure, and so far, I’m hooked. The lore is interesting, and I like that it gives me the freedom to create the adventure I want between the meta narrative its left for me. I will need to do a bit more digging, but so far, we are happy with the system. Stay tuned to see if that changes.
I was sent a free copy of Vaesen: The Lost Mountain Saga 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 opinions of the campaign book.
What is Vaesen: The Lost Mountain Saga
The Lost Mountain Sagais a stand-alone mystery that you can run in any Vaesencampaign. Note that you will need access to the core rulebook if you want to run this adventure.
The northern Swedish city of Abisko used to be a prosperous mining town till the mines went dry. A recent gold rush has reopened the town for business, but not without events. There is something strange happening to the town, and it’s unclear what. Kids go missing in the night, livestock is slaughtered for no reason, and some people hear mysterious disembodied laughter. Fear is taking its hold, creating tension between its citizens. There is a witch hunt brewing, and The Society seems to be the only organization to help restore the peace to this sleepy mountain peace. Can your party find the truth before it is too late?
The Book
This book is printed in impeccable quality. It looks and feels like an old fairytale book. It has a textured hard cover and is printed on thick high-quality paper. Most importantly, the illustrations in this book are beautiful. The colors are vibrant and the art style is unique and thematic. You can always get the PDF version of this adventure, but the book is going to pop on any table.
Impressions
The Lost Mountain Sagais a valuable resource for the GM who needs a place to start or just wants to run a prewritten adventure. This book isn’t mandatory, but it is nice to have. This is a high-quality book with a solid adventure that will run great at any table. The book features a solid mystery with all the resources a GM needs to run it properly, provided they have a table for enthusiastic players to help bring the story to life.
The story is a little dark, as is expected from Vaesen, some trigger warnings may be required. The story is fine for my table, but the millage always varies. Make sure you always talk to your players.
The Lost Mountain Saga is a great resource for those who need it. If your looking for a new mystery to run for your next campaign, this is a good place to start.
You can pick up the book for $34.46 on Amazon, and the pdf for $19.99 on DriveThru RPG.
