Monday, 13 March 2023
TTRPG REVIEW: Vampire the Masquerade V5 Core Book- Renegade Game Studios
Publisher: Renegade Game Studios
A Storytelling game of personal and political horror.
You are a vampire, struggling for survival, supremacy, and your own fading humanity—afraid of what you are capable of, and fearful of the inhuman conspiracies that surround you. As a vampire, you suffer the pangs of the Hunger, the relentless and terrible thirst for human blood. If you refuse to deal with it, it will overcome your mind and drive you to terrible acts to slake it. You walk this razor's edge every night. This is the original and ultimate roleplaying game of personal and political horror.
Fifth Edition is a return to Vampire's original vision, moving boldly into the 21st century. While the rules have been redesigned, this new edition honors the deep story of the original, advancing the metaplot from where it left off and detailing exactly what has happened in the world of the Kindred up until tonight.
Mature Warning: contains graphic and written content of a mature nature, including violence, sexual themes, and strong language. Reader discretion is advised.
As a vampire, struggle for survival, supremacy, and your own fading humanity Suffer the pangs of Hunger, while navigating undead politics and avoiding deadly hunters. Honors the history of Vampire: The Masquerade while advancing the story with streamlined 5th Edition rules.
REVIEW:
Ok, I'm returning to Vampire the Masquerade decades after I last played (2) and there have been quite a few changes from the earlier version I played to this one. The key one being that you no longer have a blood pool to utilise your powers and this mechanic has been replaced with hunger dice which can, and will, play havoc with your rolls.
Its a great new mechanic that always gives the player a chance to have to be inventive alongside the DM whether you roll, what Dumb Dumbs and Dice call a "Messy Successy" (when you pass your roll but the hunger dice comes up 10) where things will succeed but in a rather messed up way with consequences as your beast pushes it through, or a critical failure (where you roll a 1 on the hunger dice) with no successes leads to other consequences such as being spotted etc with repercussions.
Its definitely a fun mechanic and really leaves the players on tenterhooks as the dice are rolled. But other than this mechanic, what else does the core book bring to the table?
To be honest, its full of beautiful art, but for me the biggest problem is that it feels pretty jumbled in the order it appears, so much so that I have to break it down as follows:
1) Character creation feels pretty messy if you follow the step by step in the book and its so much easier if you create at the same time as following a You-Tube video who explains it in detail, however this is a failure in the system.
2) The reference system for finding information is pretty haphazard so if you have to find a piece of information, it can take you out of the game as the Storyteller, takes 10-20 minutes to find the nugget they're looking for.
Don't get me wrong, if you love Urban Fantasy it is a really cool game to play but when you need help as a newbie to build your character and have to spend time rereading to understand some of the information that isn't clearly worded it can leave you feeling out of sorts with the whole game and might leave a number of people wondering why they bother.
All in, the World of Darkness is a very cool world and whilst I understand that each itteration of the various inhabitants takes time to get out there, I'm a little sad that currently you're restricted to either Vamps or Hunters, with the Were's, Mages and Wraiths still a long way off. Finally I will play VtM and I look forward to weaving various adventures but when the clans are heavily restricted (you have to buy other books to get full access to all of the playable clans), it does leave a bitter taste that having spent so long commissioning the art and getting its placement within, that they weren't able to deliver something more comprehensive and easily understood.
Saturday, 11 March 2023
PAINT PLAN FOR Orc Miniature - Artisan's Guild
Model Creation: Artisan's Guild
Something a little different, as promised, we've been ordering some miniatures that we really want to paint and are dipping our toes back into the mini game 25 years after we last painted.
However they always say you need a paint plan for when you're aiming to get started on a new guy and this is currently the one we're thinking of. This may modify when we've got the model and primed it, but as we get on with it, we'll explain each step as we go along>
Hopefully you'll join us on this journey and we can all learn as we develop.
Hopefully you'll join us on this journey and we can all learn as we develop.
Wednesday, 8 March 2023
TTRPG REVIEW: Dead Letter Society - Rori Montford
Publisher: Digital (DriveThru)
Dead Letter Society is a two-player game of letter writing and journaling. Each player assumes the role of a vampire with hopes, dreams, and fears. During the game, the vampires write letters to each other, asking questions, giving advice, discussing their intentions, revealing secrets, and speculating on curiosities discovered over time. Between writing letters, the vampires delve into topics that interest them and learn more about the world around them.
This game can be played in person, remotely, or a mix of both styles. Modifications for solo play and shorter games are also included.
REVIEW:
Im a TTRPGer who loves to look at new concepts and delve deep into the mythos alongside being able to find a way to create a story that is not only unique but something that doesn't always require 4 or more players, which is why this offering from Montford Tales is something that a lot of people are going to have a ton of fun around.
Within this game, two players, get to play the classic undead who through time and letters weave intricate stories that allows the world to fully develop in such a way that its not only organic but you can literally see the pulse as each character fleshes out their own world as they uncover clues to thier grand mystère.
Its definitely unique, gets each person to think about questions and responses whilst all round generating an epic offering that could easily be turned into novels and for me, the firing of the imagination throughout this title, really does give the players an experience that will linger, longing for each new letter to see what is to come. A truly wonderful experience.
Dead Letter Society has been fully crowd funded and for all the latest updates please visit the authors own website here.
Tuesday, 7 March 2023
We're Back!!!!!! New Content to come
Hello, Greetings and Salutations,
Having taken a hiatus from the blog for a while, we're returning after takinga long look at what we want and where we're wanting to take you. We're still going to be reviewing, Video games and books as well as films, but we also are returning to our roots where we will post painting video's, scenery creation and TTRPG books.
As such we have plans to review the two new Dungeon and Dragons Fiction titles: The Road to Neverwinter as well as The Druids Road. We hope you'll enjoy seeing what we think as well as having us reviewing various roleplay systems not only from established creators, but also from independents.
As such its going to be an exciting time for us, so here's hoping that you'll join us for regular fun and chaos and if we manage it, we might also be able to link some cool TTRPG actual play podcasts for you.
Have fun and we'll return soon with our first new post.
Thunder Mouser
Wednesday, 27 January 2021
URBAN FANTASY REVIEW: Stranger TImes - CK McDonnell
Publisher: Bantam Press
There are dark forces at work in our world (and in Manchester in particular), so thank God The Stranger Times is on hand to report them . . .
A weekly newspaper dedicated to the weird and the wonderful (but mostly the weird), it is the go-to publication for the unexplained and inexplicable.
At least that's their pitch. The reality is rather less auspicious. Their editor is a drunken, foul-tempered and foul-mouthed husk of a man who thinks little of the publication he edits. His staff are a ragtag group of misfits. And as for the assistant editor . . . well, that job is a revolving door - and it has just revolved to reveal Hannah Willis, who's got problems of her own.
When tragedy strikes in her first week on the job The Stranger Times is forced to do some serious investigating. What they discover leads to a shocking realisation: some of the stories they'd previously dismissed as nonsense are in fact terrifyingly real. Soon they come face-to-face with darker forces than they could ever have imagined.
The Stranger Times is the first novel from C.K. McDonnell, the pen name of Caimh McDonnell. It combines his distinctive dark wit with his love of the weird and wonderful to deliver a joyous celebration of how truth really can be stranger than fiction.
REVIEW:
I love a book that takes the world and flips it on its head, and whilst this tale has a certain feeling of good omens within, its totally unique with the addition of solid characters and a world that is like our own but with the creepy nature to one side.
Well written with good prose and of course characters that you not only want to spend time with but feel fleshed out with their dialogue will have you thinking of people you know as we all have some characters within our daily lives, cracking twists, personal drama alongside apocalypic world bending conspiracy theories go to make this a book that whilst I found a little hard to get into originally was more than pleased I carried on to the end.
All round a top notch read and an opener to a series that will hit the spot with a large number of readers especially fans of not only Terry Pratchett but Tom Holt. Definitely a series to watch and for me gives me something else to look forward to during this pandemic.
Thursday, 7 January 2021
SCI-FI CRIME THRILLER: War of the Maps - Paul McAuley
Publisher: Gollancz
On a giant artificial world surrounding an artificial sun, one man - a lucidor, a keeper of the peace, a policeman - is on the hunt. His target was responsible for an atrocity, but is too valuable to the government to be truly punished. Instead he has been sent to the frontlines of the war, to use his unique talents on the enemy. So the lucidor has ignored orders, deserted from his job, left his home and thrown his life away, in order to finally claim justice. Separated by massive seas, the various maps dotted on the surface of this world rarely contact each other. But something has begun to infiltrate the edges of the lucidor's map, something that genetically alters animals and plants and turns them into killers. Only the lucidor knows the depths to which his quarry will sink in order to survive, only the lucidor can capture him. The way is long and dangerous. The lucidor's government has set hunters after him. He has no friends, no resources, no plan.
But he does have a mission.
REVIEW:
Paul has always been an author that I've loved to spend time with. He's known for rich world building, creating characters that I want to get to know and above all else giving me a pace that is crafted well knowing when to let me take a breather and when to keep me holding my breath through the high octane sequences.
This title is no exception and with this book, Paul;s principle characters put personal ideal's above those of superiors. Its delightfully dark in a dystopian way, brings a hero to the fore that whilst flawed is multi faceted and is just fascinating to be around. Add to this a cracking crime aspect within alongside dialogue that moves the story forward, all round makes this a book that will easily occupy the reader away from the very real worries of the world.
Thursday, 12 November 2020
SPIRITUAL REVIEW: Elemental Magic - Nigel Pennick
Publisher: Inner Traditions
Learn how to use the principles and practices of natural magic for personal development and spiritual empowerment
• Offers detailed descriptions of the magical properties of minerals, animals, plants, and the earth’s cycles and how to use them in your own practice
• Explores the magical laws of nature and how to guide your inner energy to work in concert with cosmic energies
• Details how to design your own ceremonies, practice elemental meditations, and craft your own magical talismans, wands, and divining rods
An expert on European rural folk magic traditions, author Nigel Pennick presents a comprehensive introduction to the principles, rituals, practices, and magical tools required to draw on the magic inherent in the natural world. He explains how people throughout the centuries have built a relationship with the elemental energies around them using simple, everyday practices in order to attune themselves to nature, the seasons, and the cosmos for magical purposes.
The author explores earth, mineral, and plant magic as well as the magical properties of the earth’s cycles and concentrated places of power within the landscape. He examines magical workings with animals, drawing on authentic traditions such as the Toadsmen or Toadswomen, whose power is given by toads, and the Berserker qualities conferred by magical bondings with wild animals like bears and wolves. He explains how to craft your own magical talismans, wands, and divining rods; design your own ceremonies; practice elemental meditations; fortify your health with herbs and crystals; and set an altar with the right food and drink for your intention.
Pennick also describes how the practical techniques of natural elemental magic work through interactions between the inner world of the mind and spirit, the outer world, and the otherworldly. He shows that having a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all things and the inner power of these magical elements strengthens the practitioner’s harmony with nature, and thus their power. By harnessing the elemental energies around us, we can work with nature for personal development, spiritual empowerment, and the successful achievement of our desires.
REVIEW:
Whilst only a small title weighing in at 148 pages, this book is one that I found to be quite an interesting read. Not only does it delve into the various aspects of respecting and utilising the elements in your every day life but for those who feel a greater kinship with them rather than other new age practices. its well written, explains how differing culture around the world work with the elements in their own practices and how some are replaced with others to help the world make more sense.
The author is knowledgeable, has an easy going manner and through their tutourage allows the reader to fully make sense of everything. Definitely a book I was more than happy to spend time with and whilst my own beliefs are different from those within, I do find common ground amongst this title alongside pieces that fit into my own philosophy. Whether your wiccan, pagan, or other I highly recommend this title, after all anything that helps you find other knowledge to help make your own life happier has to surely be a good thing and with chapters on utilising crystals alongside animals and plants to create rituals its a title that has a lot to offer.
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