Kingbeast's Lair

-== What is it? ==-

Fantasy Hero Battlegrounds is a sourcebook for Fantasy Hero from Hero Games that was written by Allen Thomas and Jason Walters. It contains detailed descriptions for three fantasy genre related locations and briefer descriptions of eight others.

The book has a color cover and an entirely black and white interior. Fantasy Hero Battlegrounds is 8.5? x 11? and is 127 pages in length. There is a fairly detailed table of contents but no index. I have used Wickshine’s Last Inn in my Fantasy Hero campaign but the other locations I have only read at this point. I purchased a printed copy that I will be reviewing.

-== What I Like ==-

The first of the more detailed locations covered in the book is titled, “A Night Out Of The Rain”. It details the Wickshine’s Last Inn, the staff and guests, as well as a great mystery story. This one might be my favorite in the book for several reasons. First I really enjoyed the NPC presented in this section. The staff and a set of guests are each given quite a lot of detail and many are very original. The story and background of The Wick, as the locals call it, is also very nicely done and could easily be snapped into any campaign world. I made just slight changes and I was able to port it directly into my Spirit Storm campaign which is a bit different from many fantasy settings. The maps are also extremely useful. The main inn map can be used over and over again. (If you pick up a copy do a quick search on the Hero Games forums and you can find a link to a graphic version of the maps in full color that is just great. 😉 )

The third long location covered in Fantasy Hero Battlegrounds is called “Eisburk-Beyond-The-Shoals”. This setting is a castle and nearby surrounding area. The adventure involves the castle being besieged while the PC are visiting. I thought the NPC from Eisburk were fine but not as original as those from “A Night Out Of The Rain”. The castle maps are nice and could be reused with little to no changes. I was not so happy with the adventure. There are some moments of intrigue but I wanted to see more player focus and less mass combat. I’m not sure I would have picked a setting with a mass combat adventure for likely the only location book that I might produce.

The other eight locations that are covered in less detail include an abbey with a dark secret, a noble manor, an ifrit’s bottle, a raucous taproom, a potion shop, a prison, a farmhouse, and a mage tower. I particularly liked the abbey, ifrit’s bottle, and prison. The abbey has a neat twist and felt like it could easily be slipped into any campaign world. I liked the ifrit’s bottle because it is really original and tons of fun. This location is not about the reuse but more about the associated adventure. I like the way the ifrit’s bottle adventure sets up rooms to test the party physically and mentally. Very nicely done. I thought adding a prison was a nice touch as it instantly made me think about fantasy setting prisons in my own campaign. This place is waiting to be broken in to or out of. I was not so happy with the taproom or mage tower. I thought the taproom was too over the top. The NPC feel like someones party and it doesn’t sit good. The maps are fairly useful though. The mage tower was not one of my favorites because of the NPC. The NPC are “goody-goody” and the adventure suggestions are too much like “Kindergarten Cop”. I would have rather liked to see an evil mage tower with all the trappings.

As you might imagine cartography is important in a book where the focus is on locations. The maps were done by Keith Curtis and they are excellent. There is just enough detail and texture without going overboard. I also really like the fact that the maps are repeated at the end of the book for easy reference.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

The second of the detailed locations is called “From Out Of The Depths”. This was my least favorite setting in the book. The setting involves a mine with an alien ship at the bottom. That’s right…an alien ship. Putting a crashed alien ship at the bottom of your Fantasy Hero dungeon crawl may work for some campaigns but for most it will fall very flat. As it is one of the detailed settings there is also a lot of details on each room. Boy it really feels like wasted space to me. Along similar lines these maps have little to no reuse value. I would have rather have seen this be one of the shorter locations and have the prison or abbey given more pages.

Even though I really like the cartography in Fantasy Hero Battlegrounds I am not super happy with the color cover art. Keith Curtis did not only the cartography but the cover art as well. In my opinion the cover feels a bit juvenile and does not catch one’s eye from across the room. The interior art is done by different artists and it fine to good.

-== Summary ==-

If you are looking for some well done fantasy locations for your Fantasy Hero campaign I would definitely give this product a look. The cover price is $24.99 which seems just about right for this page count and content. You can get it in PDF format at DriveThruRPG at this URL for $16.99. Here is a link to the product at Noble Knight Games for $18.00. FInally you can get it at Amazon.com for $24.99 at this URL.

I give it 7 out of 10 paws.

-== What is it? ==-

The Esoterror Factbook (EF) is a supplement written for The Esoterrorists. It is published by Pelgrane Press and written by Robin Laws. The book has additional background information, setting material (NPC and locations), optional rules, and a mini-campaign setting where the PC can play in the paramilitary arm of the Ordo Veritatis (OV) called the Special Suppression Forces (SSF).

The book has a color cover and an entirely black and white interior. The book is 8 1/2? x 11″ and is 150 pages in length. It includes a detailed table of contents, a one page glossary, and an index. I have not played a game using this supplement (i.e. I have only read the book).

-== What I Like ==-

When I read The Esoterrorists my biggest complaint was with the lack of background material on the OV. The information in the main book is very sparse. Well…here it is in the first section of EF. This information really explains the OV and how they operate in the field. There is a lot of fantastic detail here. Frankly this section should be added to the main rulebook if Pelgrane ever decides to release an updated version of the main rulebook.

Following this is a section about the SSF. It is fairly short and would appeal to those who want to play The Esoterrorists with a stronger military presence. Personally I think the key to the system and the genre is the investigation aspect so I was not super keen on this section.

After the SSF material is a section with optional combat rules. I like the way these are approached as the GM is encouraged to pick and choose from the options to select the ones they want use. I really liked several of these rules and my combat hungry players would pick up on several of them very quickly. The Critical Hits rule is simple and nicely done.

I loved the section called The Enemy. This section covers various enemy personality types and how they can be interrogated effectively. The way this section is written makes it a blast to read and really informative. I really think this section should be read by most players and GM who are playing in ANY genre where people are being interrogated. This section is frankly that good. 😀

The setting information includes data on suspected cells and their key members. I really enjoyed how Robin tied all of these together. The bits that connect the various factions really makes them feel realistic.

Locations where events have occurred in the past (aka LMSLs (Low Membrane Strength Locations)) are also covered. These LMSLs range from prefabricated houses to a meteor crater north of Siberia. These again tie back to the cells and suspected Esoterrorists in a very organic fashion. This setting material is really fantastic stuff that every GM can adapt to their campaign.

Jerome Huguenin did a great job on the cover for The Esoterror Factbook. The shadow in the background is creepy and it is tons of fun examining the cover closely to find that extra clue. I also think the pinkish coloring is different and catches your attention from across the room.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

One of my few complaints with the book is the busy and dark interior layout. I am fine with artistic layouts but especially in a book like this with supplemental information that could be referenced often it needs to be readable.

-== Summary ==-

To put it mildly this book is a fantastic addition to The Esoterrorist product line. I honestly think that this might be one of the best supplemental books that I have read for ANY setting…it is that good. If you are going to buy The Esoterrorists save your money until you can both the main rulebook AND this one. The book sells for $29.95 which feels a bit high but not outrageously so. You can get a copy from Noble Knight Games at this URL for $24.95. You can get a copy at Amazon.com at this URL for $29.95. Finally they have it in PDF format at DriveThruRPG for $14.95 at this URL. Wow! $14.95 is cheap! I may have to get the PDF version too. 🙂

I give it 9 out of 10 paws.

-== What is it? ==-

World Builds Book Of Places Volume 1 published by Dog Soul Publishing and written by Deborah Balsam is a collection of 14 settlements that can be deposited into your fantasy genre campaign world. Each settlement is comprised of a 2 page entry. The first page includes a summary section, Places Of Interest, Persons Of Interest, and Interesting Facts. The second page is a full page map. Settlements range from small villages to large cities. I am reviewing a PDF version of the product that I purchased online then printed.

The book has a color cover and an entirely black and white interior. The book is 8 1/2? x 11? and is 31 pages in length. The last page is a note from the author. There is not a table of contents or an index.

-== What I Like ==-

Many of the settlements have very unique elements. These elements include details on specific inhabitants, an interesting locale, or possibly a particular theme. For example, there is a village that lives on a cliff over an ocean.

Many of the settlements have a slightly Asian flair that I enjoyed. It is hard to describe but I liked the feeling.

The summary section at the top is nice. It sets the tone of the entry quickly and efficiently. One thing I might have liked was having a quick blurb in the header that summarized the entry. For example, “Mvalienisu (Noble city on a lake)”. This way I could actually grab an entry during a play session and run with it.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

The map provided with each settlement is frankly a complete waste of space. They do not include a lot of detail. I would much rather have been given double amount of settlements with no maps at all.

Another thing I would have liked to see are plot hooks for each entry. Even a couple of bullet points with one sentence hooks would have been helpful.

Another enhancement idea is to have some of the cities tie together. Maybe have one village provide goods or raw materials to another. These connections make places feel more realistic in my opinion.

-== Summary ==-

As long as the buyer understands that what they are getting is 14 settlements that can be dumped into a campaign world then you will be happy. World Book Of Places Volume 1 can be picked up at DriveThruRPG at this URL for $2.65. This price point is pretty cheap but I think it should be for what I consider to be only 14 pages of useful material.

I give it 4 out of 10 paws.