Kingbeast's Lair

-== What is it? ==-

The Trail Of Cthulhu Resource Book (RB) & Keeper’s Screen (KS) is an accessory for Trail Of Cthuhu (TOC). The screen and resource book were primarily written by Simon Carryer with additional information from Adrian Bolt, Lee Valentine, and Kenneth Hite. The RB was published by Pelgrane Press in 2008.

The KS is three panels at 8.5″ x 11″ in portrait format. The three outside panels are in color. The three interior panels are in black and white. The KS is made out of a light card stock.

The RB has a color cover and an entirely black and white interior. The book is 8.5” x 11” and is 68 pages in length. I am reviewing a print copy that I bought. I have used the RB and KS when I ran a TOC campaign.

-== What I Like ==-

The KS screen has very nice artwork o the exterior panels. In shows a picture of a group of intrepid explorers outside of a creepy looking sphere in a mountainous terrain that could be somewhere in Tibet. It fits perfectly with the main TOC book.

There is a good selection of tables in the KS. When running my campaign I found that most of the data I needed was on these charts.

The RB starts with a detailed look at all of the Investigative Abilities, General Abilities, and Occupations. The text has a lot of depth, includes examples of how Spends might be resolved, shows a LOT of research, and has GREAT box text. In fact this materials is so good that it almost feels like content that was edited out of the main TOC rulebook. Fantastic stuff.

Next is a section with NPCs that the Keeper can use during play. I love the layout of this section. Each NPC is given a quote, a summary, a sample stat block, some quirks, and hooks that include how the situation can be escalated. This layout for NPCs should be used by Pelgrane in other products.

The last section of the RB is a recap of the Sanity rules. There is a lot of great detail here in a very compact space. This section is very well written and should be cut into future version of the main TOC rulebook if possible.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

The card stock of the KS is not that thick. It bends quite easily. I would have liked to see it be a bit thicker.

I prefer to have GM screens in landscape format. I think it provides less of a barrier between me and my players. A neat option would be to have landscape versions available in the PDF version of the product.

The package also includes a link to a web site with period pictures that can be used during the campaign. I thought this was a really neat idea but there could be more pictures available.

-== Summary ==-

The The Trail Of Cthulhu Resource Book (RB) & Keeper’s Screen (KS) is a detailed product that really aids the GM in running a TOC campaign. I thought the material was well presented and evocative. This is simply a product that I think every TOC GM needs to own. Go buy it already! 🙂

I give it 9 out of 10 paws.

You can get a copy at Amazon for $17.02 at this URL. Noble Knight has copies at this URL for $18.95. Finally you can get a PDF copy at DriveThruRPG for $8.50 at this URL.

Here is a list of the 2013 ENnie Award winners in gold and silver. I’ll put my picks in italics.

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
Paizo is a recurring theme in the awards as usual. Nice to see Achtng! make the list.

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
Glad to see Unspeakable Oath get the silver. Well deserved.

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
Privateer Press seems to have motivated their fans this year.

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
Cool small press win.

Best Blog

Gnome Stew
The Illuminerdy
Nerd Trek
Triumph and Despair
The Rogue Warden

My Take
Nailed this one.

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
Random House…huh. Shadowrun got some love.

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
Glad to see Pinnacle get an award.

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
Glad Hero Kids took the silver. I agree.

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
Nice wins here.

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
Paizo again.

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
Privateer Press fans definitely got busy voting. Also glad to see Ken get some love.

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
Pathfinder and um…Paizo.

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
Paizo squared.

Best Podcast

Atomic Array
Indie Talks
Haste: The Official Obsidian Portal Podcast
TableTop: Dragon Age
Transmissions from the Ninth World

My Take
YEAH! Glad Table Top took the Diana Jones Award as well. 😀

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
Shadows again…huh.

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
Interesting wins here. 🙂

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
Iron Kingdoms again…huh…may have to check that out. 🙂

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
Midgard didn’t even place…surprised. Glad to see Iceland take the silver.

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
Meh…no comment.

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
Go Shadowrun! 😀

Best Website

Adventure-A-Week
The Escapist
Gnome Stew
Modus Operandi
See Page XX

My Take
Nailed this one too.

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
Bummed that Never Unprepared did not get an award. 🙁 Glad to see Ken here. He is a wonderful writer.

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
Paizo and Shadows.

Lots of Pathfinder players out there but some dark horses also took home some awards. Bit bummed that Champions Complete did not win anything. Fun stuff! 😀

GAME ON! 😀

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! 😀