2013 ENnie Award Nominations
Here is a list of the 2013 ENnie Award Nominations with some editorial comments on product where I have an opinion. If you want to see the list on the official site go here.
Best Adventure
Achtung! Cthulhu – Three Kings (Chronicle City/Modiphius Entertainment)
Deadlands Reloaded: The Last Sons (Pinnacle Entertainment)
Enemy Within (Fantasy Flight Games)
Pathfinder: Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition (Paizo Publishing)
The Zalozhniy Quartet (Pelgrane Press)
My Take
I have passing experience with Achtung!, Last Sons, and Zalozhniy. Going with Last Sons here.
Best Aid/Accessory
All We Have Forgotten—Music for Ashen Stars (Pelgrane Press)
Night’s Watch (Green Ronin)
The One Ring Loremaster’s Screen & Lake-town Sourcebook (Cubicle 7)
Protodimension Magazine Issue 13 (Kinstaff Media LLC)
The Unspeakable Oath (Arc Dream Publishing)
My Take
I only have experience with Unspeakable Oath but it is a wonderful magazine full of Chtulhu goodness. That gets my nod.
Best Art, Cover
Champions Complete (Hero Games)
Iron Kingdoms (Privateer Press)
The Magnificent Joop van Ooms (Lamentations of the Flame Princess)
NPC Codex (Paizo Publishing)
The Whole Hole Volume 01: Keister Island (Mutha Oith Creations)
My Take
These are all VERY nice but my vote goes to Joop. Great cover. 🙂
Best Art, Interior
Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster’s Forgotten Realms (Wizards of the Coast)
Night’s Black Agents (Pelgrane Press)
Night’s Watch (Green Ronin)
Shadows of Esteren Book 1 (Agate Editions)
The Whole Hole Volume 01: Keister Island (Mutha Oith Creations)
My Take
I have Night’s Black Agents and Whole Hole. Whole Hole is really quirky and wonderful. Andy Hopp gets the vote.
Best Blog
Gnome Stew
The Illuminerdy
Nerd Trek
Triumph and Despair
The Rogue Warden
My Take
Surprisingly I only subscribe to Gnome Stew on this list. It gets my vote.
Best Cartography
Ancient Temple Interior (DramaScape)
Deep Blues: Nautilus (0One Games)
Drake Starship Map (Blackwyrm Games)
The Lands of Ice and Fire (Random House)
Sprawl Sites: High Society and Low Life (Catalyst Game Labs)
My Take
No experience here.
Best Electronic Book
Curse the Darkness (Growling Door Games, Inc.)
Deadlands Reloaded: The Last Sons (Pinnacle Entertainment)
The Deadly Seven (paNik productions)
Experimental Paradigm of Cinematic Horror (EPOCH) (Imaginary Empire)
Hobomancer (Hex Games)
My Take
I have only passing experience with Last Sons so I won’t make a pick here.
Best Family Game
Doctor Who: Adventures in Time & Space—11th Doctor Edition (Cubicle 7)
Hero Kids—Fantasy RPG (Hero Forge Games)
Mermaid Adventures (Third Eye Games)
Project Ninja Panda Taco (Jennisodes)
Wandering Monsters High School (Bold Pueblo Games)
My Take
Really glad the ENnies added this category. As a “Gamer Dad” it is very appreciated. I have Doctor Who, Hero Kids, and Mermaid Adventures. Even though my favorite setting is Doctor Who I think it is a bit adult for my boys (8 and 10 years old). Hero Kids is wonderfully light and gets my nod.
Best Free Game
Mazes and Perils RPG (WG Productions)
Phantasm (2010) (End Transmission Games LLC)
Nights of the Crusades (Aetheric Dreams)
Silent Memories (Morning Skye Studio)
Throwigames Simple Roleplaying System (Throwigames)
My Take
No experience with these…since they are free that is a problem I can fix! 😀 Glad the ENnie folks decided to split out this category.
Best Free Product
Battletech: A Time of War Quick-Start Rules/Shadowrun Quick-Start Rules (Catalyst Game Labs)
EPOCH: Road Trip (Imaginary Empire)
Fools Rush In (Privateer Press)
Night in the Seyvoth Manor (Darklight Interactive)
Wayfinder #8 (Paizo Fans United)
My Take
Ditto.
Best Game
Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea (North Wind Adventures, LLC)
Broken Rooms (Greymalkin Designs, LLC)
Champions Complete (Hero Games)
Iron Kingdoms (Privateer Press)
Night’s Black Agents (Pelgrane Press)
My Take
GREAT LIST! I have Champions Complete and Night’s Black Agents. I have passing experience with Iron Kingdoms. I think Champions Complete gets the nod here.
Best Miniatures Product
Dungeon Command: Blood of Gruumsh (Wizards of the Coast)
Freeblades: Black Rose Bandits (DGS Games)
Pathfinder Battles: Shattered Star Gargantuan Blue Dragon (WizKid Games/NECA)
Pathfinder Bestiary Box (Paizo Publishing)
Spot of Bother Set One: Royal Highland Guards (Okumart Games)
My Take
No experience here.
Best Monster/Adversary
Champions Villains Vol. 3: Solo Villains (Hero Games)
DC Adventures Heroes & Villains Vol. 2 (Green Ronin)
Inner Sea Bestiary (Paizo Publishing)
Mutants and Masterminds Threat Report (Green Ronin)
NPC Codex (Paizo Publishing)
My Take
I have copies of Champions Villains Vol. 3 and Threat Report. The Champions Villains volumes are all wonderful…gorgeous art, great write ups, and of the highest production quality. Voting for Champions Villains here.
Best Podcast
Atomic Array
Indie Talks
Haste: The Official Obsidian Portal Podcast
TableTop: Dragon Age
Transmissions from the Ninth World
My Take
I have listed to Atomic Array and Table Top in the past. Atomic Array is not one where I wanted to regularly subscribe. I actively subscribe to Table Top and love it. That gets my vote.
Best Production Values
Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea (North Wind Adventures, LLC)
Doctor Who: Adventures in Time & Space—11th Doctor Edition (Cubicle 7)
Iron Kingdoms (Privateer Press)
Rimward (Posthuman Studios)
Shadows of Esteren Book 1 (Agate Editions)
My Take
Have only Doctor Who here. I’ll pass on voting here.
Best RPG Related Product
Edition Wars (Gamer Nations Studios)
Eighth Day Genesis: A Worldbuilding Codex for Writers and Creatives (Alliteration Ink)
The Express Diaries (Innsmouth House Press)
Kobold Guide to Wordbuilding (Kobold Press)
The Lands of Ice and Fire (Random House)
My Take
Surprisingly I don’t have any of these…and I love these kind of products. I plan to research these… 😉
Best Rules
Champions Complete (Hero Games)
Dungeon World (Sage Kobold Productions)
Experimental Paradigm of Cinematic Horror (EPOCH) (Imaginary Empire)
Iron Kingdoms (Privateer Press)
Night’s Black Agents (Pelgrane Press)
My Take
LOTS of winners here. I have Champions Complete, Dungeon World, and Night’s Black Agents. This is one category where I think Champions Complete deserves to win. It grabs the massive Hero System 6th edition beast and tames it into a purring pussycat. Wonderful work Derek! 🙂
Best Setting
Broken Rooms (Greymalkin Designs, LLC)
Magnimar: City of Monuments (Paizo Publishing)
Menzoberranzen: City of Intrigue (Wizards of the Coast)
Midgard Campaign Setting (Kobold Press)
Mythic Iceland (BRP/Chaosium)
My Take
I only have experience with Midgard on this list but it is some kind of wonderful. Midgard should hopefully win this one hands down…wonderful setting. 🙂
Best Software
The Crawler’s Companion (Purple Sorcerer Games)
Cthulhu Mythos Encyclopedia (E-book Edition) (Arc Dream Publishing)
Dice & Dragons – 3D Dice Roller (simpleFun)
PCGen (PCGen)
Roll20 (The Orr Group, LLC)
My Take
No experience with these.
Best Supplement
Dark Roads & Golden Hells (Kobold Press)
Doctor Who: The Time Traveler’s Companion (Cubicle 7)
Night’s Watch (Green Ronin)
Menzoberranzen: City of Intrigue (Wizards of the Coast)
Shadowrun 2050 (Catalyst Game Labs)
My Take
No experience with these. Likely Menzoberranzen will win…WOTC…drow…done.
Best Website
Adventure-A-Week
The Escapist
Gnome Stew
Modus Operandi
See Page XX
My Take
I follow The Escapist, Gnome Stew, and See Page XX. Although See Page XX is a great vehicle for Pelgarane I don’t see it as a general website that helps gamers. My vote is Gnome Stew.
Best Writing
Doctor Who: The Time Traveler’s Companion (Cubicle 7)
Kobold Guide to Worldbuilding (Kobold Press)
Never Unprepared: Guide to Session Prep (Engine Publishing)
Night’s Black Agents (Pelgrane Press)
Wolsung Steam Pulp Fantasy (Kuznia Gier/Studio 2 Publishing)
My Take
I have Never Unprepared and Night’s Black Agents. Although Ken Hite is really a master I have never seen a product like Never Unprepared and I think it is wonderful. After being a GM for 30+ years this book actually changed the way I prepare for games. Per my blog review I think this product is awesome.
Product of the Year
Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea (North Wind Adventures, LLC)
Broken Rooms (Greymalkin Designs, LLC)
Champions Complete (Hero Games)
Doctor Who: The Time Traveler’s Companion (Cubicle 7)
Experimental Paradigm of Cinematic Horror (EPOCH) (Imaginary Empire)
Iron Kingdoms (Privateer Press)
Menzoberranzen: City of Intrigue (Wizards of the Coast)
Night’s Black Agents (Pelgrane Press)
NPC Codex (Paizo Publishing)
Shadows of Esteren Book 1 (Agate Editions)
My Take
WOW WHAT A LIST! 😀 Unfortunately I only own Champions Complete and Night’s Black Agents on this list. Both are really exceptional products. Even though the setting in Night’s Black Agents is truly exceptional I will stick with Champions Complete. Since winners of the ENnies are often WOTC or Pathfinder it is not likely to win but it will still get my vote.
Judges’ Spotlight Winners
Hooper – Leviathans (Catalyst Game Labs)
Matthew Muth – School Daze (Sand & Steam Productions)
Jakud Nowosad – Deniable Asset (Random Encounters)
Megan Robertson – Killshot: Director’s Cut (Broken Ruler Games)
Kurt Wiegel – Eldritch Skies (Battlefield Press, Inc.)
My Take
Again I have no experiences with these and that is a shame. I really want to check out some of these…if it wasn’t for that darn buying freeze! 🙁
GAME ON! 😀
