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O.L.D. The Fantasy Heroic Roleplaying Game v1.3
Publisher: EN Publishing
by Curtis G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/28/2017 22:14:01

A very good game - in some ways it feels like "greatest hits of other systems" and in others it's very innovative.

Broad basics - system is dice pool system - you add dice and try to beat a target number. It uses nothing but D6. System is Lifepath - you gain a career, and it gives you attributes, choices of skill and choice of "exploits". You buy this with experience, you can also buy those individually, but cheaper in a career. Personally if/when I run this, I will require a % to be purchased individually. Been playing 3.5 and Pathfinder for years for that. This covers similar ground, but more flexible - and a little more "rulings not rules" - so a little looser. But still detailed enough that I enjoy.

Specifics (random thoughts on the game)

All skill checks are just attribute checks. If you have skills (or equipment) that are applicable you may add those dice as well. Max dice you can roll is based on Rank (# of careers). however that is only for stat, skill, equipment. If you have exploits or situational modifiers, that can exceed the rank limit. Skill are undefined - you can make them up, or pick from examples listed. Skills are not assigned an attribute - the GM will call for an attribute roll for something, and if you have an applicable skill, you mention it, and add it to skill roll. So Climbing could be used in a Dex check to climb, a Logic check to see how hard something would be to climb, or a STR check to hang on to something if you start to fall. That idea was the first idea for a skill system for 5th ed D&D playtesting (back at D&D Next). they got rid of it. I loved that idea. It's sort of the reverse of Savage worlds. System is very open to tinkering - I love that. This is a review for OLD, which is fantasy - NEW is the Science fiction game. NOW will be 80's action/adventure. All same system, all scaled similarly for characters - so you can mix and match to make what you want - makes it a universal system. The magic system is interesting - you have skills (that give you what you can do) and secrets (what you can effect). You make spells from those - so if you have Evoke as a skill, and fire as a secret you can do firebolts, fireballs etc, then if you get "Ice" as a secret, you can start doing the same with ice. The system really makes it difficult to be a "master of all magics" - which is fine with me. Overall fantasy feels more like Fantasy Hero or FAntasy Age than D&D - very few "I win" spells. Based on the Elements of Magic that was first written for 3.x. It has an OGL, and is open, so anyone can make supplements. New idea - Countdown pool - if you have a time limit, but don't want to have it exact (to raise tension) - you set up a number of dice - and at the end of the round, you roll it, and remove some of the dice. So you know you time is getting close, but not exactly when.

When I read it, it reminded me of pieces of Traveller (lifepath), Savage Worlds, D&D, D6 and others, but the parts work together wonderfully, and has lots of really nice new touches.

The writing is very conversational - makes it easy to read (as opposed to formal reference book).

Other thoughts

There are narritive elements to the system, but not in specific gameplay, more in background feel. The "heroes in war" system is not a wargame with armies, but the battle has "victory points" and start at specific value. Each day the PC's side loses X victory points. PC go on mini adventures (destroy those catapults, take out this special unit, etc), and those gain victory points. So you aren't running the actual battle as a simulationist would, it's all focused on the story of the PCs.

The two games I think feel the closest (not necessarily by mechanics, but in overall feel) to it are Fantasy Age and Savage World. The game is fast, flexible and detailed. This has become my go to fantasy game.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
O.L.D. The Fantasy Heroic Roleplaying Game v1.3
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Warrior Prestige Archetypes (PFRPG)
Publisher: Purple Duck Games
by Curtis G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/13/2015 15:22:42

This review is for the Golden Legionnaire specifically - DTRPGdoesn't seem to let you review a product withing a subscription you purchased.

isclaimer this review is based on reading the material, not in specifically playtesting it.

Golden Legionnaire is the next offering in the Purple Duck Games Prestige Warrior Archetype line. They previously had a similar group of general prestige, while this one focuses on fighter types.

These classes are a 20 level base class that incorporates elements of the classes going into the prestige class as well as the prestige class itself. This allows a player to play something that feels like the prestige class from level one; something I think as a great idea.

Golden Legionnaire is based on Fighter and Ranger going into the title prestige class.

At first level the Golden Legionnaire gains Defy Danger, one of the main abilities of the prestige class. 2nd level gets intercept. This really sets the tone for what the class is right away. As the class progresses more of the prestige class abilities come into play, as well as armor training from the fighter. Other abilities include being able to target an enemy that attacks an ally and gain bonus to hit and damage, giving AoO to those that use a 5 foot step, and improved aid another.

As a comparison to the Edition-which-shall-not-be-named – if you were looking for something that feels like one of the Defender classes, this is a great Pathfinder approach to similar feel.

Overall the class is well balanced to provide a very defensive fighter class, with quite a number of interesting abilities so it doesn't get samey to play.

It includes a sample golden legionnaire at 1st, 5th and 10th. A 7 page PDF and has bookmarks. Layout is easy to read and follow.

Overall a very solid class, but nothing reaches out to say "PLAY ME NOW!" 4/5.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Warrior Prestige Archetypes (PFRPG)
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Really Simple Prestige Classes
Publisher: Little Red Goblin Games
by Curtis G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/25/2014 09:05:41

Disclaimer – this review is based on read through and not actual playtesting.

Prestige classes have always had problems. In the olden days before Pathfinder, they were easy to abuse, dipping a level here and a level there to get something really super optimized. Then there was the fact that a lot of classes got boring at later levels, and prestige classes generally were a better choice than staying in your base class. Pathfinder changed that; the rule gave reward to those staying in a base class – lots of abilities based on class level, and new abilities gained, as well as capstone abilities. You take even 1 level outside your base class you lose your capstone ability. Not many campaigns get that far, but it does weigh on the mind.

Most prestige classes in Pathfinder are just not worth the effort. And some combinations of multiclassing don't work. The Exalted in Inner Sea Gods is an example of a different approach to prestige classes that weren't quite so problematic.

Really Simple Prestige Classes does this well.

Each class in the book is a 3 level prestige class, and aside from Runner, you cannot get into before 6th or 7th level. Runner, if you are human you could get into at 2nd level.

A lot of these classes seem unbalanced at first look – they seem too powerful – but that is a design point of the book; the classes presented make it a tough choice to take the class or take a level in your base class. Something most prestige classes don't do. Normally you are making a character to get a specific prestige class to get a character built around it. These classes are only 3 levels and give you character something really special to call their own, without requiring building from the ground up for that class. It lets you “dip” into the class for 3 levels and maintain balance with characters who stayed in base class.

I'm not going to go into the details of the classes, but this is a quick description of each posted in a thread by the publisher.

Acrobat: A three level class based around increases to acrobatics, evasion, and uncanny dodge. Arcane Dabbler: Pick up a few useful spells and metamagic feats without impacting your BAB or HD too much. Beastlord: Need an animal companion? Gain one that will be useful for the remainder of your levels as well as some nice abilities that focus on defeating/detecting beasts and magical beasts. Enchanter: Is magical crafting your thing? Enchanter cuts down on crafting time and grants you some of the much-needed feats, allowing you to bypass a lot of red tape. Magic User: Expand your spell list, boost your casting stats, and overall make your spellcasting more versatile. Metamagister: Metamagic feats getting you down? Offset them with this class without sacrificing your caster level. Runner: Need to get somewhere quicker? Runner boost your movement speed, deal with terrain challenges with ease, all while still offering attracting options for skirmishing characters. Weapon Master: Why be good at one weapon when you can be good at all of them? (As a designer put it, “This one is a golf-bag fighter”.) Weapon Specialist: Why be good at all the weapons when you can be an undisputed master of one? Gives early access to some weapon specific feats

Things I'd love to see in an update: Bookmarks – while it is only an 18 page PDF, 16 pages of content, bookmarks to take the reader to each class would be nice. They are presented in alphabetical order and it's small so scrolling to the class is easy.

There were a few editing mistakes.

These little drawbacks don't impact the worth of this book, nor it's amazing content. This is one of the best player centric books of the year – both in content, and taking the idea of prestige classes in new directions and making them very useful. Hope more books follow, and it inspires other publishers to do similar things. 5/5



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Really Simple Prestige Classes
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Age of Electrotech
Publisher: Radiance House
by Curtis G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/06/2014 11:14:22

Snap Judgment Review: Age of Electrotech

Disclaimer: This review is based on initial read through and impressions. Balanced concerns are touched on lightly.

Chapter One presents the Technician, a new 20 level base class designed around using the tech in this book. It is a 6 level “casting” class. The Technician uses Gadgets, which give bonuses using a point pool and 6 levels of Tinkers, effectively spells. Tinkers and Gadgets draw from the same pool. These choices are made at the start of the day. It feels like a cross between Incarna (or Essence if you follow Dreamscarred Press Akashic material) and a prepared Psionic – where you allocate your points at the start of the day. To be honest it would be pretty easy to reflavor this with magic for a more traditional settings – Gadgets are magic items, and Tinkers are spells, or maybe one time use magic items – to have a D&D 3.5 Artificer like class in your game.

This class has mechanical depth, flexibility and great flavor. There are numerous archetypes, and the class itself has Trades, or paths the Electrotech follows, for greater flavor and role definition. Note that one of the archetypes is a class that deals with symbiotes instead of gadgets. This is one of the most flavorful classes I have seen in quite a while. Looks very fun to play.

The next 2 chapters deal with tech, and then the Gadgets that an Technician uses. It is a good collection to get you started. Personally I'd like to see more in an expansion, but I'm greedy.

The last chapter deals with game mechanics outside of the class: 2 new races, skill use, advice on how to work the systems into your game. Here we have Favored Class for every class before the Advanced Class guide; and the Technician has favored class bonuses for every race in the Advanced Race Guide. Also included is a history generator for use in the class section of Character History from the Ultimate Campaign Guide; there is support for buildings, towns and kingdom building from the same book, utilizing Electrotech. This level of support for the more “fringe” books is something you don't see very much from Third Party support, and it really should be done more often. Kudos to Radiance House for doing this – here is hoping more publishes take this approach. I would have loved to see Mythic content too, but as I said, I'm greedy.

Included is advice on how to include electrotech in your games, and at what level in impacts the world. The default nomenclature creates a feel for a pulp style approach, I'm using it for a steampunk feel, but change the names to real world names and it is perfect for modern settings – thus allowing for a broader use of the material.

I saw two or three minor editing mistakes.

The layout is easy to read, the art evokes the material.

Overall an excellent book and highly recommended.

5/5 stars.

P.S. If you use Interjection Game's Tinker class, the work Tinker gets multiple definition, I would humbly suggest the word “Widget” for the one time use effect items that a Technician uses.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Age of Electrotech
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