2012 ENnie Award Nominations
Here is a list of the 2012 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
Dead Rock Seven (Pelgrane Press)
Invasive Procedures (Pelgrane Press)
Madness at Gardmore Abbey (Wizards of the Coast)
Streets of Zobeck (Open Design)
The Rending Box (Pelgrane Press)
My Take
GO PELGRANE! Well deserved…they have some fantastic products out right now. My vote is for Dead Rock Seven.
Best Aid/Accessory
DungeonMorph Cards (Inkwell Ideas, Inc.)
GameMastery Chase Cards (Paizo Publishing)
Masks: 1,000 Memorable NPCs for Any RPG (Engine Publishing)
Mutants and Masterminds GM’s Kit (Green Ronin)
Shadowrun Runner’s Toolkit (Catalyst Game Labs)
My Take
I only have experience with Masks but it is a really fantastic product. My vote is Masks.
Best Art, Cover
Black Crusade: Core Rulebook (Fantasy Flight Games)
Cthulhu by Gaslight (Chaosium Inc.)
Mutants and Masterminds Gamemaster’s Guide (Green Ronin)
Neverwinter Campaign Setting (Wizards of the Coast)
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box (Paizo)
My Take
The Cthulhu By Gaslight cover is pretty great…that one gets my vote.
Best Art, Interior
Book of Drakes (Open Design)
Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple (Evil Hat Productions)
Dragon Age: Set 2 (Green Ronin)
Legend of the Five Rings, Fourth Edition: The Great Clans (Alderac Entertainment Group)
The One Ring: Adventures Over the Edge of the Wild (Cubicle 7)
My Take
Dragon Age: Set 2 and Do are both beautiful products but I have to give the nod to Daniel Sollis…Do is a work of art.
Best Blog
Campaign Mastery
Gaming as Women
Gnome Stew
Roving Band of Misfits
Sly Flourish
My Take
I follow the top three. Really enjoying Gaming As Women for its fresh take on the industry. It gets my vote.
Best Cartography
Harker Asylum – Virtual Boxed Set (0One Games)
Madness at Gardmore Abbey (Wizards of the Coast)
Mass Transit III (Maps of Mastery)
Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Jade Regent Map Folio (Paizo)
The Shadowlands Conversion Guide (BlackStar Studios)
My Take
No experience here.
Best Electronic Book
Advanced Encounters: Terrain Toolbox (Sneak Attack Press)
Cthulhu Apocalypse: The Apocalypse Machine (Graham Walmsley & Pelgrane Press)
GURPS Social Engineering (Steve Jackson Games)
Spookybeans: The Gothic Comics RPG (Chapter 13 Press)
Way of the Wicked Book One: Knot of Thorns (Fire Mountain Games)
My Take
No experience here.
Best Free Product
Black Crusade: Broken Chains (Fantasy Flight Games)
Dragon Age Quickstart Guide (Green Ronin)
The One Ring: Words of the Wise (Cubicle 7)
The Shadowlands Conversion Guide (BlackStar Studios)
Pathfinder Module: We Be Goblins! (Paizo)
My Take
Lots of GREAT stuff here. My vote is the Dragon Age Quickstart Guide. Excellent layout. High quality.
Best Game
Cosmic Patrol Core Rulebook (Catalyst Game Labs)
Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple (Evil Hat Productions)
Hollowpoint (VSCA Publishing)
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game (Margaret Weis Productions)
Savage Worlds Deluxe (Pinnacle Entertainment Group)
My Take
I have Do, Marvel, and Savage Words Deluxe. All are top notch products but I really think the creativity of the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game will get my vote. Fantastic piece of game design by some RPG masterminds that normally work for Evil Hat.
Best Miniatures Product
Dungeons and Dragons Dragon Collector’s Set (Wizards of the Coast)
Monster Medallions Set 1: Deadly Encounter Groups (Fiery Dragon Productions)
Pathfinder Battles: Heroes and Monsters (Paizo)
Serene Fist Set Four: Katana Schoolgirls vs. Zombie Furries (Okumarts Games)
Steam Tower (Mayhem in Paper)
My Take
No experience here.
Best Monster/Adversary
DC Adventures: Heroes & Villains, Vol. 1 (Green Ronin)
Deathwatch: Mark of the Xenos (Fantasy Flight Games)
Hacklopedia of Beasts (Kenzer and Co.)
Hunter Sheets Issue Two—An SLA Industries Supplement (Nightfall Games)
Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale (Wizards of the Coast)
My Take
No experience here.
Best Podcast
Haste – The Official Obsidian Portal Podcast
Iron GM
Jennisodes
Law of the Geek
Role Playing Public Radio
My Take
I listen to LOTS of RPG podcasts but on this list I only listen to Jennisodes. I love her interviews so she gets the nod.
Best Production Values
Hacklopedia of Beasts (Kenzer & Co.)
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box (Paizo)
Smallville High School Yearbook (Margaret Weis Productions)
The One Ring: Adventures Over the Edge of the Wild (Cubicle 7)
Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition (CCP Games/White Wolf Publishing)
My Take
No experience here.
Best RPG Related Product
Carnival Arcane (Midnight Syndicate Soundtracks)
Complete Kobold Guide to Game Design (Open Design)
Cthulhu Wrapping Paper (Gaming Paper)
Lords of Waterdeep (Wizards of the Coast)
Tales of the Far West (Adamant Entertainment)
My Take
Lot of fun stuff here. I am partial to Tales Of The Far West. That will get my vote.
Best Rules
Bulldogs! (Galileo Games)
Hollowpoint (VSCA Publishing)
Lorefinder—The Pathfinder / GUMSHOE Mashup (Pelgrane Press)
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game (Margaret Weis Productions)
Spellbound Kingdoms (T. Shield Studios)
My Take
I have experience with Bulldogs! And Marvel. As I mentioned above the game design in Marvel is just fantastic and really a neat take on the superhero genre. They are getting my vote.
Best Setting
Ashen Stars (Pelgrane Press)
Cthulhu Apocalypse: The Apocalypse Machine (Graham Walmsley & Pelgrane Press)
Cthulhu Britannica: Shadows Over Scotland (Cubicle 7)
The Investigator’s Guide to Occult London (Pelgrane Press)
Unhallowed Metropolis, Revised (Atomic Overmind Press)
My Take
I actually have all of these EXCEPT Cthulhu Britannica: Shadows Over Scotland and it is currently on my buy list. (Shadows has won some RPG awards in Europe.) This is probably the toughest category for me. I’m going to give the narrow nod to The Investigator’s Guide To Occult London. The love that went into this book really shows. Evocative stuff.
Best Supplement
Agents of Oblivion (Reality Blurs)
Cthulhu by Gaslight (Chaosium Inc.)
Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Options: Heroes of the Feywild (Wizards of the Coast)
GURPS Horror, Fourth Edition (Steve Jackson Games)
Star Hero (Hero Games)
My Take
I only have experience with Star Hero but it is a wonderful product. My vote will go to Star Hero.
Best Website
D&D Insider
Obsidian Portal
Pathfinder Wiki
See Page XX – The Pelgrane Press Webzine
RPG Geek
My Take
I have experience with all of these EXCEPT the Pathfinder Wiki. Boy I love all of these sites so this one it tough. They also fill different needs which makes is hard to pick a favorite. I guess I will give my vote to RPG Geek. I really think they provide a GREAT service and I am nearing gold contributor status in several departments. 🙂
Best Writing
GURPS Horror, Fourth Edition (Steve Jackson Games)
Panopticon (Posthuman Studios)
Stealing Cthulhu (Graham Walmsley)
The Investigator’s Guide to Occult London (Pelgrane Press)
Your Whispering Homonculous (Open Design)
My Take
I have experience with GURPS, Stealing Cthulhu, and the Investigator’s Guide. I think my vote will go to Stealing Cthulhu. The tone and editorial comments in the book really make this a fun read. Graham did a great job on this one.
Product of the Year
Cthulhu Britannica: Shadows Over Scotland (Cubicle 7)
GURPS Horror, Fourth Edition (Steve Jackson Games)
Hacklopedia of Beasts (Kenzer and Co.)
Hollowpoint (VSCA Publishing)
Madness at Gardmore Abbey (Wizards of the Coast)
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game (Margaret Weis Productions)
Masks: 1,000 Memorable NPCs for Any RPG (Engine Publishing)
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box (Paizo)
Star Hero (Hero Games)
Stealing Cthulhu (Graham Walmsley)
My Take
What a truly fantastic list! I have experience with Marvel, Masks, Star Hero, and Stealing Cthulhu. Of the four that I have I’ll give the nod to the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game. This is a wonderful product and highly recommended even if you only plan to read it and never play it. 🙂
GAME ON! 😀
