Tommy's Take on Thanos Rising

I know board game reviews aren't what tends to draw folks to this blog (and based on my blog views since Google+ died, I'm not sure anything really draw people here), but my son(s, actually) and I have been playing Thanos Rising by USAOpoloy, and I thought I'd post some thoughts.

Tommy's Top Six of 2015 and Birthday Blog Giveaway

It's that time of year again...a New Year and a time to look back on my past year in gaming. I reviewed a ton in the first half of the year, then spent the second half of the year doing way more writing than reviewing. But I did still hit on six products that filled me with a particular joy, so here we go.

The rules, as arbitrarily decided by me: 1) One game per publisher. 2) My primary exposure to the game must have been in from December 1st of last year to November 30th of this year. 3) I must not have been involved of the production of the product (but you should totally check out Savage Tales of Horror, ya'll).

AMP Year One (by Third Eye Games)

1) Perfect for those wanting a Heroes-style "emergent supers game", rather than a traditional comic book-style setting.

2) The unique setting helps the game stand out in the pack of superhero RPGs in the world right now, as the system and setting are married together quite well.

3) Strong adventure support is a focus for the line, as AMP Year One got multiple adventure packs upon release, and Year Two has added in Faction Books with adventures.

4) The metaplot provides interesting twists and turns in the setting, with a five year plan mapped out for the setting and new elements being introduced as the setting develops.

5) The powers are neat and flavorful, and the new powers have thus far done a great job of providing new options, rather than power creep.

6) I loved this setting enough that I worked on two of the Year Two faction books (TRAC and the upcoming Hounds books...to clarify, I only had a hand in two supplements, not on this book at all).

Camp Grizzly (by Ameritrash Games)

1) I have never had a bad game of this. We've busted it out repeatedly, and had a blast each time, including the time Otis just spent the whole game mauling us.

2) The game is lite enough that you can run multiple characters to ensure you have a full spread of counselors, even if you only have two or three players.

3) The game is just full of slasher movie tropes, clearly crafted by fans of the genre, for fans of the genre.

4) Every character in the game, from Counselor to Otis to the campers and the cameos just screams that they walked out of an 80s Friday the 13th knock-off. From the little girl that keeps you from a little late night action, to the a-hole cops that can interfere with you, the brave lifeguard counselor who runs to stop Otis when he appears nearby to the little psycho girl who is going to grow up and live in a horror movie of her own someday...just a great cast of characters.

5) The Finale System (8 unique finales, depending on where on the board you initiate it at) provides ample uncertainty as to how the game will end and what you have to do to stop Otis. It may turn out that Otis was never there at all, and it was just an imposter, or Otis may aim to take you with him as he goes. We still have not played all of them, but the finales are arguably the the strongest part of an already great game.

6) For a simple roll and move game, the interaction between counselors, Otis, random placement of objectives, the 8 finales and the sizable card decks just overflowing with horror tropes ensures that there is a lot of replayability, and five expansions were unlocked with the Kickstarter and are still coming.

High Strung (Precis Intermedia Games)

1) Do you know a lot of other RPGs about playing a members of a rock band who are trying to make it in a harsh and unforgiving industry (as opposed to members of a rock band who fight crime and/or monsters)?

2) Lots and lots and lots of random tables, which obviously draws my attention.

3) Short and sweet. Whole thing comes in well under 50 pages, but provides a full game with no big, gaping holes.

4) The premise is "rock band", but the drama is on the personal events that surround the group in their pursuit of the big dream, essentially making it about a band who is trying to succeed in spite of themselves, especially as Hope (the game's big in-game currency) is stolen from player to player.

5) Brand new layout from the original version released by Flying Mice Games adds an additional visual flair, while still maintaining the indie charm that a game like this requires.

6) Player versus player with no player elimination, great for a change of pace if your group is one that likes to butt heads every now and then, but are capable of doing so without hurt feelings.

Shadow of the Demon Lord (Schwalb Entertainment)

1) Random tables for every aspect of your character, plus Interesting Things and even how you learn your new Paths. Have I mentioned that I love random tables?

2) Evocative art that constantly reinforces the slightly grimy, slightly "off" feel of everything about the setting, from character Ancestries to monsters.

3) The setting is at once a broad strokes kitchen sink, while also having a very distinctive feel and tone to it. While not a true "horror" game, it is definitely "weird", as everything just feels a touch "off".

4) Definitely a change of pace from high powered heroics of modern fantasy games, harkening back to older games with more "expendable" characters, combined with newer design concepts (such as unified subsystems, the Fortune mechanic and so on).

5) The Paths are fantastic, allowing you to guide your character through the career paths of their choice. You can even willingly become, say, a Warrior at level 1, turn Thief at level 3 and transform into a Magus at level 7, hitting three of the four major "multiclass" points. Obviously, certain combinations of Ancestries and Paths will mesh better together, but none are forbidden.

6) Shadow of the Demon Lord was one of my favorite purchases of the last year. Not least because of all the cool stretch goals I got in the Kickstarter, but the corebook itself as proven to be worth it, both reading and in play.

Star Wars Force & Destiny Beginner Game (Fantasy Flight Games)

1) Great introductory set for what can otherwise be a confusing system to get your heads around. The handy charts breaking down the dice symbols on each character folio made running and playing the game very smooth.

2) As is to be expected with both Star Wars and Fantasy Flight Games, the production values are top notch and intentionally evoke the darker mysticism of the Star Wars universe.

3) The included adventure not only provides multiple encounters, but multiple ways to resolve those encounters as well. One of the PCs in the game I ran was a top flight negotiator, and he managed to talk his way through half the adventure, whereas the other PC would certainly have had to fight.

4) The system, once you get the dice symbols down, is both simple and flexible. Struggling to explain some of the "Yes, but..." and "No, but..." results can be a problem, but in a pinch you can always hand out Boost and Setback dice to keep it moving.

5) The Force system is great in that it can force "Conflict" without automatically turning you to the Dark Side. Essentially, it randomizes your concentration and emotions (based on your Force Rating), providing actual incentive to tap into darker feelings to use The Force.

6) It convinced me to not only buy the Force and Destiny rulebook, but Age of the Rebellion and Edge of the Empire as well.

The Super Villain Handbook (Fainting Goat Games)

1) Available in ICONS, Fate and Supers! versions, each villain archetype has a set of sample stats for the system in question.

2) If you have the Field Guide to Superheroes, it has an appendix that discusses how to tweak those archetypes into villains.

3) The focus is on who the villains are, not what they can do. The ability to shoot bolts of energy from their eyes should define a good villain less than that they are a white supremacist who is using that power to "cleanse the genepool".

4) Multiple examples are provided for each archetype to draw a mental connection between the character types and actual villains you have actually read about.

5) Each entry breaks down not only the abilities that the archetype is likely to have, but the qualities they are likely to have, as well as the stories you can tell with them. This is useful to drive home the fact that there is more than one way to make an Assassin, or a Mastermind or a Cult Leader.

6) This book is at least as useful to me as a writer as it is for me as a GM. Honestly, even if you're running a supers RPG that this book hasn't been released for, it's still a valuable resource. It's that good.

And now, for the part you have all been waiting for...The Birthday Blog Giveaway! The blog turned six years old today, and we have prizes! Send me an email to "tommybrownell(a)gmail(dot)com" with the subject "Birthday Blog Giveaway" and send me your choices for prizes in order of preference. The prizes are:

- Two (2) PDF copies of AMP: Year One.
-  One (1) PDF copy of High Strung.
- One (1) PDF copy of the Victims of the Demon Lord Starter's Guide.
- One (1) PDF Copy of The Super Villain Handbook (ICONS, FATE or SUPERS!, your choice)
- One (1) Print Copy of The Super Villain Handbook (ICONS)
- One (1) Print Copy of The Super Villain Handbook (FATE)
- One (1) Print Copy of The Super Villain Handbook (SUPERS!)
- One (1) set of Laser Cut Wood and 3D Printed Gaming Terrain by Daft Concepts

For the Print Prizes and the gaming terrain, I can only ship them to the continental US, sorry. All entries are required by 11:59 Central time on 1/14, after which I will select winners! I do require a valid email address to provide to publishers for the digital rewards, and valid US mailing addresses for the physical rewards!

Good luck, thank you to the publishers for the prize support, and thank you to everyone who is still reading!

Tommy's Take on Camp Grizzly

I like slasher films. I pretty much think Halloween (the original) is the perfect slasher film, but I am a big fan of the Friday the 13th film series (for the most part).

Camp Grizzly is, largely, Friday the 13th with the serial numbers filed off...and it is also an absolutely crazy amount of fun.

100 Days of Halloween Tabletop Horror Recommendations

Hey guys, for those that don't follow me on social media (or who have long since tuned me out), I was guest blogging on The Monster Guys blog, posting 10 games I think you should consider this Halloween.

Two swell dudes.

Without further ado:

Tabletop Horror 1: Zombies!
Tabletop Horror 2: Fantastic Horror
Tabletop Horror 3: Camp & Circumstance
Tabletop Horror 4: Fresh Meat!
Tabletop Horror 5: The Call of Evil
Tabletop Horror: Honorable Mentions (Michael's, not mine)

Enjoy!

Tommy's Take on Firefly: The Game

Apparently it's Firefly Week on the blog, as I now tackle the board game by Gale Force Nine.

Tommy's Take on Buffy the Vampire Slayer Board Game

Let me preface this by saying that this review is the first review I had ever written of anything, and appeared at RPG.net over 12 years ago. Since then, I have encountered a number of board games that trump this one, but I still maintain that this game was head and shoulders above the licensed games and typical Wal-Mart shelf fare available at the time (or, y'know, now).

Enjoy my first ever review. Ever.

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Looking around a nearby game shop not long ago, I found the Buffy the Vampire Slayer board game from Hasbro. Looking it over, I wound up putting it back on the shelf due to lack of funds. A couple of months later my girlfriend picked it up for me, since she's a fan of board and card games, if not RPGs.

Man, I love her.

Tommy's Take on ATOE Hero Packs 1 & 2

Yes, more A Touch of Evil reviews. Why? In part because I've been playing the game a lot lately. Now, I'm going to tackle the two Hero Packs, even though they came out three years apart. Hero Pack 1 was released around the same time as the big box expansion Something Wicked, while Hero Pack 2 was released in conjunction with big box expansion The Coast.

A TOUCH OF EVIL HERO PACK 1

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: A small box expansion for A Touch of Evil, retailing for about $25 (or less if you find can a good deal), including a handful of cards to expand the existing Shadowbrook town decks, but also (more importantly) four new heroes and a villain. Each hero comes with a new figure and a Hero Card, and the villain has a large Record sheet. First up, the Heroes:

Harlow Morgan, Inventor: This Ben Franklin looking fellow is high on Cunning and Honor, but not Spirit and Combat. He can generate Investigation each round, due to his genius, and spend Investigation for extra Fight Dice as he brainstorms ways to fight the bad guys.

Lucy Hanbrook: Lucy is actually the daughter of two of the Elders in the game, and appears as an Ally card in the main set. She gets an alternate starting position (the Hanbrook Manor) and the ability to force opponents to re-roll a die, as well as healing quickly.

Adrianna, The Foreign Traveler: A mysterious blind chick that has heightened senses, allowing her to discover the secrets of the Elders easier, as well as allowing her to land blows before her opponents do in combat.

The Scarlet Shadow: Portrayed by the game's designer, Jason C. Hill, The Scarlet Shadow is one of the more unique heroes. He has an Honor of 6, starts off on Road spaces, and can lose Investigation for venturing into town. Oh, and if he rolls a 6 for movement, he can go anywhere on the board. Like Lucy, he is also available as in Ally (in the Allies web expansion).

The new villain:

The Necromancer: A depraved man who has studied dark Magik in order to lash out at those he feels has wronged him, The Necromancer spawns Walking Dead like crazy, sending them towards Town Hall every Mystery Phase, and requires the heroes fighting him to beef up Spirit and Cunning or they'll have trouble. The Necromancer is assumed to use the Vampire Minion chart.

It also introduces a new rule covering the drawing of Ally cards for people already in the game (it can score you both Investigation) and new cards (like Event cards that allow you to add traits together when fighting, or team attacks).

WHAT WORKS: Three of the four heroes are GREAT (I don't care for Lucy), and the Necromancer can be an awesome villain with some modifications (see below). I'm also a pretty big fan of the "add one stat to another" Event cards.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: I've had some bad experiences playing as Lucy, and the Necromancer using the Vampire's minion chart is kinda weak, but a fan-made Necromancer minion chart filled the voice nicely.

CONCLUSION: Three great characters and a villain who is awesome with a bit of house ruling, and this makes for a worthwhile addition to your ATOE games.

A TOUCH OF EVIL HERO PACK 2

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: As with Hero Pack 1, you are getting a small box expansion that retails for about $25, includes 10 cards, four heroes and a villain (this time with its own minion chart). The Heroes:

Abigail Sturn, Student of the Occult: Another "ascended ally", Abigail Sturn first appeared at The Inn in Something Wicked. She can use Cunning in place of Combat, which may not seem like a huge deal...until you realize that she gets +1 Cunning for every book she has, and some of the Book items add to Cunning as well.

Jack Fellows, Privateer: A good alternate to Karl, The Soldier for a low-maintenance character, he's a stout, well-rounded fighter who can re-roll any missed to-hit rolls.

Frederic Leon, Foreign Diplomat: A French diplomat, Leon can acquire his own personal Militia to follow him around the board.

Sara, The Bright Witch: She scores 2 Investigation a turn, trumping Harlow, and can stop damage from being inflicted with a die roll and Investigation expenditure, and gains a bonus against certain monster types.

And the new villain:

The Reaper: Every bit as bad as he sounds, The Reaper is essentially death incarnate. He marks Elders for death, spreads death across the land and gains Wounds every time he kills an Elder. He will strike often, as well.

New cards include Lighting strikes that blast random locations (attacking any Heroes who happen to be there) and location cards like the chest at the Windmill that lets you carry more cards.

WHAT WORKS: Cool new concepts for characters, and a villain that just seems like a horrifying force to deal with.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: I need to play some more, but the new heroes seem a tad powerful compared to the earlier ones...power creep would be a bad thing, as it could hamper the fun factor of playing with parties of new and old characters.

CONCLUSION: The Villain is a bit cooler this time around, but the characters are a little less fun compared to Harlow, Adrianna and The Scarlet Shadow. Still, for an ATOE enthusiast, it's a strong recommendation. I certainly didn't feel like I wasted my money.

A Touch of Evil: To The Last Man Variant

So A Touch of Evil started off with eight characters and a single board...but has now blown up into 24 characters and three boards...it makes it pretty easy to never really play with some of the characters, especially since we tend to use random draws for our characters, so tonight we went with new variant:

- Everyone draws a random hero.
- If that hero is KOed, they are assumed to be killed.
- The Shadow Tracker moves 1 step closer to darkness.
- Roll d6 and discard Investigation, Allies and/or Items as normal.
- During the Mystery Phase, bring a new Hero into play. The Investigation, Items and Allies are given to the new Hero for taking up the fight for Shadowbrook.

We actually tried to play with this variant, but the three characters we drew (Heinrich Cartwright, Harlow Morgan and Eliza the Witch Hunter) actually stayed alive until the Showdown with The Sunken Seven, when Harlow's death pushed the Shadow Tracker to 0.

Still, seems like a promising variant for those times in which we are lamenting not using all the heroes.

Tommy's Take on A Touch of Evil Web Exclusives

Flying Frog Productions has released three supplements to A Touch of Evil that are only available online...and I'll be giving them short reviews here because A Touch of Evil is awesome.

The front of the CD case, a mix of ATOE, Something Wicked
and the first Hero Pack characters.

Track list.

SPECIAL EDITION GAME SOUNDTRACK

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: The Flying Frog soundtracks get ridiculed a lot of times, but I'm actually a pretty big fan of them. The soundtrack with the core game includes 13 songs on it, but the Special Edition amps that up to 18. In addition, two cards are included, a Mystery Card and an Event Card. The Mystery Card, Ominous Overture, causes the heroes to gain more Investigation, but also increases the frequency of Mystery cards being drawn. Song of the Dead is an Event card that can prevent KOed heroes from being penalized for their KO.

CONCLUSION: Easily the most "optional" of the supplements, and this is a good thing because it is apparently out of stock at Flying Frog. The bonus cards are nice, but not amazing, so if you don't like the music, you should probably pass on it. Last Night on Earth fans get an easter egg as the Drifter's song in here has callbacks to the Drifter's song in that game's soundtrack.

THE MADNESS

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: This is a web-exclusive card set (14 cards) retailing for about $10. The flagship card is The Madness, a wicked card that curses you and takes away your movement...not freezing you in place, but moving you from random location to random location. Cards are included for each of the four "corner" locations on the main board, featuring both useful items like the Rope and Dueling Pistol as well as dangerous encounters.

CONCLUSION: This is the web-exclusive I've noticed the most in play, because Madness is a big deal when it shows up, as it can rob you of your best laid plans...especially if it hits late in the game, when you are gearing up for a Showdown. Definitely recommended.

ALLIES

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Again, 14 more cards, designed to bolster the heroes and their efforts. These largely include new allies like Carla, The Blacksmith's wife and The Scarlet Shadow (available as a playable character in Hero Pack 1), as well as cards like Entourage which allows you to have more allies than normal. The villains get tossed a bone with Domination, which can turn your allies against you.

CONCLUSION: For sheer in-game utility and cool factor, I'd rank this ahead of the Soundtrack and behind The Madness, but still a worthwhile purchase if you're a fan of A Touch of Evil.

[A Touch of Evil] Breaking The Gargoyle

This was an actual play report originally posted at Boardgamegeek.com for A Touch of Evil, some three years ago.

In the upper right corner: The Gargoyle

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Set-up: This was a solo play with a team of 4 vs The Gargoyle. In use were the base set, Something Wicked, The Madness and the Hero Pack. (Still don't have Allies or the SE Soundtrack).

Heroes and Villain determined randomly.

Breaking the Gargoyle

Eliza the Witchhunter

Adrianna the Foreign Traveler

Katarina the Outlaw

The Scarlet Shadow

Round 1:
Eliza ventured to the Ancestral Tomb in the Abandoned Keep, where she was confronted by Grotesques! They left her badly shaken before she killed them.

Adrianna began a slow trek to The Manor, stopping off at The Church first.

Katarina arrived at The Windmill, where The Beast in the Dark was lurking! It hit her once, but she struck quickly and deadly, finishing it fast.

The Scarlet Shadow entered The Olde Woods where he happened upon a Runic Amulet.

Grotesques that had appeared at the Forgotten Island took flight, hovering over The Monastery. However, The Scarlet Shadow was attacked by The Gargoyle! He failed to penetrate the stony hide of The Gargoyle, but he dodged its efforts as well.

Round 2:

As Adrianna continued onto The Manor, Militia were sent ahead for her and to the Monastery.

Katarina’s timing was either good or bad, as The Gargoyle struck at The Windmill while she was headed toward The Fields. The Gargoyle left behind Living Statues as a parting gift.

The Scarlet Shadow marshaled his resources and headed to The Crossroads, on his way to Echo Lake.

Eliza headed to The Doctor’s Office for some healing.

The Living Statues left The Windmill. The Gargoyle struck at The Abandoned Keep, leaving clues behind. The Living Statues arrived at the Blacksmith’s, while the Grotesques took flight toward The Inn.

Round 3:

Katarina had a very useful meeting with The Elders at The Manor. She also discovered that The Gargoyle wears a second face: Lord Hanbrook!

The Scarlet Shadow crept softly into Echo Lake.

Eliza returned to the Abandoned Keep to search for clues. The stairs gave way and she fell down below! Luckily for her, she found a Rosary when she landed!

Arriving at The Manor, Adrianna sensed something under the floor, but failed to locate it.

The Living Statues arrived at Town Hall. All four travelers found themselves at The Monastery, where The Gargoyle was waiting, sneering! Unfortunately for The Gargoyle, Adrianna armed herself with Holy Water, Katarina with a Crossbow, Scarlet Shadow with Robes, and Scarlet Shadow thrust his Runic Amulet into the hands of Eliza! Katarina struck a fierce blow with the Crossbow, but paid for it when the Gargoyle lashed out and smashed her into a wall. The Gargoyle clipped The Scarlet Shadow, but he struck back, finding the weakest point he could and forcing The Gargoyle to scream in pain! Eliza and the Militia attacked with little effect, and the poor Witch Hunter found herself slowly hardening! Adrianna smacked The Gargoyle, but he blasted her out of the fight. Katarina struggled to her feet and hit, but got taken out seconds later. Seeing his team fall and The Gargoyle charge, The Scarlet Shadow slipped out of his robes as The Gargoyle grasped for him, and slipped away to the North Docks. To top it off, the arrival of more Living Statues at Town Hall, plus appearances at The Crossroads and the South Dock made Shadowbrook very nervous.

Round 4:
The Scarlet Shadow ventured to the Forgotten Island, where he discovered a Weathered Skull.

The rest of his team recuperated at the Monastery.

The Living Statues continued their march. The women recovered, though Adrianna and Katarina lost their gifts from the Monastery. Though Scarlet Shadow beat back the oppressive darkness, The Gargoyle’s healing from its grievous wounds began in earnest, as a murky fog settled over the town.

Round 5:

Eliza sought clues at the North Dock, and “corrected” a rumor about the Lady Hanbrook also being involved with The Gargoyle.
Adrianna moved down the road to The Inn, actively seeking out the Grotesques. She struck quick and true, eliminating them before they could threaten her. She also discovered something else: The otherwise arrogant Sophie hiding from the Grotesques. With a disapproving shake of her head, Adrianna headed on to The Inn.

Katarina crossed Echo Lake to hunt down the Living Statues, but her first blow bounced harmlessly off of them! They struck back, taking a lot of the fight from her. She failed to harm them with her second attack, before being knocked unconscious until monks could save her.

The Scarlet Shadow arrived at the South Docks and sought clues. The Statues suddenly picked up their pace on their march to Town Hall.

Katarina and The Gargoyle healed further, but Grotesques attacked Katarina at the Monastery! She’s really having her doubts about that place now. They struck her, but by the time the Militia came running, she already had them dead. Meanwhile, Sophie spread all kinds of crazy rumors around town.

Round 6:

Adrianna arrived at The Inn, hearing the voice of Sebastian Skinner calling her to Room 216. Unfortunately, it was a trap and a swift assault left her unconscious in the hall until another mysterious monk hauled her onto his cart and took her back to the Monastery.

Katarina decided to move under the town, slipping through the tunnel from The Monastery to the Manor. Once there, Selena the Housemaid, frightened by the transformation of Lord Hanbrook, offered to join her!

The Scarlet Shadow was very much impeded by the fog, but his resolve only grew stronger.

Eliza sensed a shadow beneath the surface as she rowed to the Forgotten Island, but her resolve held.

More Statues arrived at Town Hall, sending the townsfolk into deeper panic. The Gargoyle grew stronger as its wounds disappeared. It celebrated its returning strength by killing some of the Shadow’s men at the Abandoned Keep and turning them into Living Statues. The crazed machinations of the Hanbrook persona of The Gargoyle moved the town ever closer to darkness.

Round 7:

Katarina slogged through the fog, trying to make it to town to prevent any further damage from the Living Statues.
The Scarlet Shadow returned to the South Dock, seeking more clues, as an ominous Full Moon appeared overhead.

Eliza, impeded by fog and her stony curse, found herself stranded on the Forgotten Island. As further proof that God hates Eliza, a Spiteful Totem infected her with a Werewolf Curse! Ominous full moon indeed.

Adrianna, quite furious after the ambush by Skinner, stomped down the path to the Inn. However, she found herself inside the Rose Room this time…where the echoes of Lost Souls whispered in her area cryptic clues about the location of The Gargoyle.

Eliza felt her animal side growing, while the Gargoyle neared 100% health. The Statues began to surround the town. The Gargoyle killed again, this time in the Olde Woods, leaving more Statues behind. Then, he did it again at the Doctor’s Office, though no Statues were produced this time.

Round 8:

The Scarlet Shadow arrived in the Olde Woods, where he attacked the Statues there. He struck true, but they are hardy and hit back. He pressed the attack and destroyed the stony servants at the cost of his own health, due to the effect of the moon on them. Some of his men scooped him up and carried him to the keep.

Eliza, without full recollection, appeared at The Inn with Adrianna. There, she found the Book of Death, which quite intrigued her. She also thought Adrianna looked scrumptious.
Adrianna moved to The Bog, picking clues along the way.
Katarina charged Town Hall, intent on stopping the Statues there. Her opening salvo left them wounded, and they retaliated in kind. As they struck back fiercely, Katarina callously sacrificed Selena to their assault. Like Shadow before her, she beat them at the cost of her own health.

The Gargoyle finally returned to full health as Katarina and Shadow recovered, and Eliza transformed into a werewolf, then stalked Adrianna in the Bog! Adrianna struck first, and the curse-weakened reflexes of the Eliza-wolf weren’t able to pin the blind traveler down. She ran away in the night, leaving

Adrianna confused and flustered. The terror of the Gargoyle continued to reign over the town. The Gargoyle was growing more brazen, placing a sense of urgency on the heroes.

Round 9:

Eliza crept slowly down the path to the Bog.

Adrianna, impeded by the fog, slipped closer to the Crossroads.
Katarina bravely moved to the Magistrate’s office, to trade blows with the Living Statues there. Again, she stopped their advance, but again, it was at the cost of her own health.

The Shadow, pinned in by the fog, stayed at the manor: where Statues attacked! His initial attack bounced right off of them, and he got hurt. They smacked him again, but he unloaded a furious attack that crushed the minions. The Shadow’s contacts also brought him news: The Gargoyle was holed up in the Blacksmith’s.

Eliza-wolf struck again, this time getting to Adrianna and weakening her. Katarina recovered, as the Gargoyle began openly attacking anyone and anything indiscriminately. He killed again, this time at the North Dock.

Round 10:

Arriving the Woods, Adrianna encountered hanging skulls, listening to the sounds echoing through them…sounds that told her Magistrate Kroft, one of their best hopes for stopping the Gargoyle, is in fact a pawn of the Gargoyle. The tide turned much worse, with the skulls telling Adrianna all Sophie could possibly tell her…but the Gargoyle sensed this and turned the Midwife into a crumbling stone statue. Some good news came at last…Reverend Harding (who was also into Witchcraft) went on the hunt, and happened to be in the vicinity of the Blacksmith’s. Doctor Manning joined Adrianna’s cause, seeking to atone for his hidden warcrimes.

Katarina moved to the Doctor’s Office, trying to hold the line against the statues. Again, they traded blows. Katarina quickly took the worst of the exchange. There was no double knockdown this time, as the statues smashed her and began their advance to Town Hall.

The Shadow slowly slipped toward a town that hated him nearly as much as it did the Gargoyle.

Eliza moved slowly through the Bog, finding a party invitation for her troubles.

Eliza-wolf got smacked by Adrianna, but slashed the traveler down and infected her now as well. Adrianna and Katarina both recovered at Town Hall to find Living Statues staring them down. Katarina killed them, but was left barely standing. The Gargoyle struck at the Inn, creating more minions and sending Shadowbrook into near hysteria. Then, just because, it struck again, this time in the Fields.

Round 11:

Katarina, in desperation, moved to the Blacksmith’s and called out the Gargoyle. Reverend Harding tossed Katarina a pistol, while The Scarlet Shadow loaded a musket as the two stalked the Gargoyle with Adrianna and Eliza in tow. Katarina’s opening shot winged the Gargoyle, while it smashed her to the ground. The Scarlet Shadow blasted it as well, and while it did smack him down, Dr. Manning moved quickly to aid the outlaw. Eliza gashed her hand open as she aimed the Runic Amulet at the Gargoyle, blasting it. Her sacrifice was repaid by being crushed against the wall. Adrianna attacked, staggering the Gargoyle, but it lashed back, wounding the traveler though she avoided his stony touch. Katarina blasted the Gargoyle and got knocked unconscious. Rev. Harding pulled her to safety. A well-placed shot ripped through the Gargoyle’s face, and Dr. Manning’s guiding voice kept the Shadow out of the reach of the Gargoyle! Adrianna was the next to fall, leaving the Shadow, the Doctor and the Gargoyle. The Shadow shot for the heart, but the stony beast roared and charged. Shadow took it hard that time, and Dr. Manning could do little for him. As the Gargoyle stalked Manning, The Shadow raised the musket once more, and a shot tore an ear from the Gargoyle. The Gargoyle missed the Doctor and went after the Shadow, but he again avoided the stony touch while the Doctor moved quickly to cover his wounds. When The Gargoyle finally did pin down the Doctor, The Shadow sacrificed the Weathered Skull to save him. The Doctor repaid that several times, tending to The Shadow and guiding him from the stony grasp. The Gargoyle, nearing its end, went for the Doctor once more, but the Shadow again reached the Skull and used it to save the Doctor. The Gargoyle lashed out in desperation, but Dr. Manning saved his charge and allowed the Shadow to unload with a shot at the cracked façade of the Gargoyle, shattering his face and ending his evil.
And, to boot, Dr. Manning helped The Shadow escape the town, all parties silently understanding that Katarina, Eliza and Adrianna should take the credit.

Thoughts: God hates Eliza...clearly. Nice, dramatic end for the Scarlet Shadow. The combo of The Shadow and Dr. Manning (and Hero of the People), plus a LOT of luck were the only things that pulled this out for the Heroes. First time using Shadow or Adrianna at all. Shadow's abilities were gimped due to the Weather, so he never got to "appear anywhere". Eliza got REALLY hampered with the Stone Curse AND Fog impeding her movement. The Stone Curse' penalty to fight dice probably kept Adrianna going longer as well.

If I had the time just to sit and do it, I would try to "dramatize" it into story form, but there ya go...solo session report.

Tommy's Take on A Touch of Evil

I *like* the photo art. Quite a bit, actually.

I like board games quite a bit, as I've alluded to in the past. Board games have become impressive creations these days, with miniatures, glossy game boards and so on. And A Touch of Evil is a game that nearly derailed my Savage Worlds group when we found it a few years ago.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Retailing for $49.99 (but you can find it cheaper on Amazon), A Touch of Evil is the second board game released by Flying Frog Productions (their first being the best zombie board game I have ever played, Last Night on Earth). It is also probably my favorite board game ever. Set in the 19th century, in the mysterious town of Shadowbrook, A Touch of Evil is a monster-hunting game filled with twists, turns and secrets.

The players all play as travelers who have arrived in town, taking up the call to arms against a supernatural horror threatening Shadowbrook. The extra twist is that the town's six Elders have secrets of their own...they may be dirty gossips, they may be monster hunters themselves, they may be in league with the villain, and they may BE the villain itself.

The game uses a static game board, with the town in the center (divided into the Town Hall, Church, Blacksmith, Magistrate's Office and Doctor's Office), and has four "corner" locations (The Manor, The Windmill, The Abandoned Keep and the Olde Woods), as well as Fields, a Marsh, a Covered Bridge and a Crossroads.

You can play Competitively, Cooperatively or even Solo, moving around the board, investigating locations, encountering minions, unraveling the secrets of the Elders and trying to pin down the location of the Villain's Lair so you can attempt to destroy it.

Eight heroes are included in the base game, each with stats of Spirit, Cunning, Combat and Honor, each with a different number of Wounds depending on the character, and each with their own special abilities:

Karl, The Soldier - The simplest option to play as, having the highest Combat among the characters, three Wounds and the ability to ignore the first Wound in play. Note that not all encounters can be thwarted in physical Combat, though.

Heinrich Cartwright, The Drifter - Gets to draw extra cards (and choose the one he keeps), but isn't trusted by the Elders or other travelers (which can have an effect in gameplay).

Victor Danforth, The Playwright - He can take back any card that's been played whose title is a quotation, has high Spirit and Cunning and can draw Event cards more frequently than others (Event cards being good things, generally).

Thomas, The Courier - A stranger with a dead eye, Thomas moves more swiftly than the rest of the travelers, and can begin play knowing an Elder's secret.

Inspector Cooke - High Cunning and he can generally pick up more Investigation per action than anyone else.

Isabella Von Took, Noble Woman - Generally regarded as the most broken of the initial characters, in that if she's given the time and opportunity to hoard Investigation points, she can steamroll through most anything given her ability to spend Investigation to prevent Wounds.

Anne Marie, The School Teacher - Can't use anything bigger than a Pistol, but her Combat goes up for every Book she owns.

Katarina, The Outlaw - High Honor (Honor among thieves and such), hits more frequently than others, and is tied with Cartwright for the highest number of Wounds in the base set.

Each hero includes a mini figure and a character card, as well as a short bio in the rule book.

The four Villains in the main set cover the iconic choices for a horror setting like this, each having a token, a villain card (with rules for the Basic game and Advanced game) and a two-sided Minion Chart (Basic and Advanced). They are:

The Spectral Horseman - He likes to appear in a location and ride to Town Hall, attacking everything in his path before disappearing. He gets stronger with every kill, and summons hounds and ghost soldiers to do his bidding.

The Scarecrow - As the fear level in Shadowbrook grows, he gets stronger and stronger. He summons locusts and crows, and can turn the very environment against the heroes, though he does have a vulnerability to fire...if you can find him.

The Vampire - Looking like a classic Nosferatu, turning into mist, unleashing bats, wolves, succubi and walking dead, and he's even able to turn Elders into vampiric minions to do his bidding.

The Werewolf - He attacks before you, he hits more frequently than you, he can turn you into a werewolf...pretty much the only advantage you have is that he's easier to find than the rest because he doesn't cover his tracks very well. His minions include werewolves and rats.

Each of the Six Elders have Spirit, Cunning and Honor scores, which can be used in place of your characters if you have them along with you, and each has a special ability, with some elders being more useful against certain types of enemies than the other. If they go evil, you flip their card over to get a red-tinged, evil version of their portrait, with a new tagline for them.

Various events can force the Shadow Track down as the game goes on, and if it ever reaches the bottom, the town has collapsed into fear and chaos and you have lost. Throughout the game you can get Event Cards, either by landing on certain spaces or rolling low for movement (as compensation), which include things like ability bonuses (represented by tokens placed on your character card), "I Think Not" (which can stop the Shadow Track from moving, or cancel cards being played), Reassuring Speech (which can push back the Shadow Track if you play it in town) and Militia, which allows you to put Militia tokens in play on spaces, allowing anyone in that space to join the Militia in fighting any adversaries there.

These are countered with Mystery Cards, which prompt additional villain attacks, spawn new minions, turn the Elders against the heroes (for instance, forcing Magistrate Kroft to confiscate Guns in play, taking those weapons away as options for the heroes), and Weather Cards like Fog that reduce movement.

Exploring a location is a matter of card draws as well, with each "Corner Space" having its own deck.

The Manor has allies you can recruit like Lucy Hanbrook, as well as events like Nightmare (which lets you witness one of the Elders doing unspeakable things, allowing you to draw a Secrets card, look at it and add it to an Elder), Secret Passage (which, if found, lets you travel anywhere on the board) and items like the Sabre (which boosts you Honor and your Combat).

The Abandoned Keep includes cards like Collapse (which causes the floor to give way, making you take Wounds and lose cards AND draw a new card at the Keep), Old Prison (which can give you clues if you roll well enough with your Cunning), weapons like Rogue's Rapier (bonuses to Combat, Honor and Cunning) and enemies like the Spectre (which has to be fought with Spirit and not Combat).

The Olde Woods include cards like The Witch of the Woods (which can either give you a bunch of Investigation or can cost you clues and dump you off at Town Hall), Timber Wolves (who are more ferocious the more allies you have), Franklin the Old Hound (a useful ally) and Crossroads (an eerie encounter with an owl that can give you clues if you roll well enough on a Spirit test).

The Windmill gives you chances of things like Pitchfork (which boosts your combat but can break), Wicked Altar (which can give you Investigation, but also exposes you to attack), Whistling Wind (which can give you a Lair card for free if you roll Cunning well enough) and Murky Water (dipping your hand in can net you Investigation, an Item card or merely a Wound).

In Town, you can spend Investigation to buy Items that can help you, like some weapons, Torches (which fend off Weather cards), and even neat items like Tools of Science that allow characters to use their Cunning in place of their Combat, which can be a huge game changer for some characters.

When you gain a Lair card, usually by purchasing them with Investigation (they get cheaper as the Shadow Track goes down and the Villain gets stronger), you can initiate a Showdown with the Villain by going to the Location on the card and spending the amount of Investigation listed to "find" the Villain. Not all Lair cards are created equal, however. One Manor Lair card, for instance, lets you immediately recruit Town Elder Lord Hanbrook to your side, while another Manor card makes you immediately roll an Honor Test and, if you fail, an Elder is killed.

Combat is handled by rolling a number of dice equal to your relevant trait (usually Combat) and every 5 or 6 counting as a hit (unless you or the Villain has a trait that says otherwise). There is no player playing as a Villain, you just take turns rolling for them depending on who is fighting the Villain (or their minions).

If you defeat the Monster in a Showdown, you win. If the Shadow Track bottoms out, the Monster wins. If you are playing Solo or Co-Op and the Villain KOs all heroes in play at once, you lose.

Multiple expansions have been released, free, premium and even fan-made, and I plan on covering the official ones at a later date.

With the exception of the map, which was drawn by Matthew Morgaine (who also portrays Heinrich Cartwright), virtually every piece of art in the game is a combination of photography and special effects. Some folks have scoffed at how some of the characters (especially villains like the Vampire) look, but I've always thought it added a certain charm to the game.

The game also includes a soundtrack CD, which I've actually kept in fairly regular rotation in my CD player. Yeah, I'm a fan.

Lastly, there are optional rules, like Team Play and the Showdown Chart, which can add extra chaos to the Showdown with the Villain, but can also dramatically extend gameplay.

Showing off the Werewolf, Lucy Hanbrook, some of minis and more.

WHAT WORKS: Theme, theme, theme. The whole game oozes it. When I had a regular roleplaying group, there were many times that our planned adventures got derailed for playing this instead...and that was BEFORE I got the expansions. The different combinations of cards, characters and villains have provided a flexibility to the game that I didn't even expect, and aside from a time or two when the Noble Woman overtook the game, I haven't experienced nearly as many balance issues with this game as I have with others.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The more you add, the bigger the set-up time is, unless you keep things VERY organized. There's technically no solo rules in the base set, but you can push the Coop rules there with little effort. I have had one person play it with me who could not wrap their heads around Investigationt tokens as an abstract for all currency in the game, from buying items to powering abilities to finding the Villain's Lair.

CONCLUSION: Look, I don't have a lot of bad to say about this, because the proof is in the fun, and after my first time stumbling through a game, I haven't had a bad time playing this, whether solo, with my kid, or with a whole group of buddies. The villains all feel distinct, the characters all feel distinct. Yeah, you can have bad runs where the dice or cards fall against you, and there are certain combinations of Hero vs Villain that are easier or harder, but there's not a villain that we haven't both beaten or lost to. I've heard the game called Arkham Horror-lite, and I've heard it called a rip-off of Arkham Horror. I've recently played Arkham Horror for the first time, and so far I prefer A Touch of Evil (though they both have their merits). I like the feel of it all so much that I've even been tempted to turn it into a Savage Setting a time or two. I firmly believe it doesn't get enough love at all.

Tommy's Take on The Dark Woods

The Game Arts Guild were responsible for the interesting RPG Squawk a while back...now they've released The Dark Woods, which is a very specific RPG, straddling the line between board game, RPG and story game. The most important question, however, is "is it good"?

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: The PDF is only $4.99 at RPGNow, but you can order the softcover for $7.99 and a bundle for $9.99. The game is built for 4-8 players, but doesn't use a GM. The book is pretty small, only 37 pages (inclduing covers). The premise is that The Dark Woods are ruled by a dragon sorcerer and his minions, and the PCs form teams to fight past each other and take on the dragon sorcerer. There's no GM, so each each side alternates between playing their sorcerers and playing the enemies the other side is fighting.

The Dark Woods are filled with denizens from boggarts to dryads to dragons to nagas to humans (who almost always become corrupted and wind up transforming into something else) to varana (humans who have turned into lizard men) and more. Pretty much all of these have pictures accompanying them to help you out.

The rules are given next, using a single d20 and adding modifiers in order to beat a difficulty number. Each character has three defenses, which are derived from various abilities and include Agility, Intelligence and Strength. In addition, they have a Toughness ability which helps determine Hit Points.

Next are the breakdown of abilities, with pretty much everything having Toughness. Next are Attack abilities, which include Shooting, Knockout and Wrestling. Stalking Abilities are Stealth and Detection. Movement Abilities cover Acrobatics, Flying and Swimming. Support Abilites are things like Healing and Command. A 1 page rules summary follows, with a combat example following that.

From there we get to character creation, with abilities purchased by spending 24 character points. Toughness is the most expensive, and the one that everyone must have. A handful of sample characters are provided, including a dragon sorcerer not unlike the Big Bad, a human big game hunter and a Morlock necromancer. Once PCs are created and paired off, each team has to pick an association to belong to, with options including Necromancers and Rangers, and each faction having special rules in place for when they encounter certain types of creatures in the woods (like Necromancers that encounter undead immediately forcing them to attack the other team instead).

A map is included, and the teams move around the map, encountering enemies along the way (sometimes set for the map space and sometimes based on a random roll). As you beat enemies, you can drain their essence and gain more power. Stat blocks are listed for everything you can encounter.

Rules are provided for extending the game, which basically just entails whoever overthrows the Dragon Sorcerer becoming the bad guy for the next game, as well as six sided die and card variants for people who don't own - or hate - d20s. A short story is included for flavor, as is an index.

WHAT WORKS: A nice mix of stock fantasy elements combined with some new and/or relatively rare fantasy components. Simple system with easy enough character generation, good for a pick-up game. A ton of art for a tiny book, it never gets in the way and especially does a nice job of depicting the more uncommon elements.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Honestly, the book feels like it was almost laid out backwards. I'm used to flavor fiction at the beginning of the book and not the end, and I almost always prefer character generation before rules.

CONCLUSION: I'm not sure I'd call it an RPG aside from the character generation, and I'd be hard pressed to call it a story game. It's really almost a board game in a book, but given how easy the map is to print, and the low price point, I don't think that's a bad thing. If the physical book is laid out the same as the PDF is, I'd recommend getting the PDF over the book and just printing out the map, since the map is almost smack in the middle, then using some kind of tokens or figures to track movement around it. Definitely has the potential for a fun beer and pretzels type game.

Tommy's Take on Castle Ravenloft

I'm a pretty big fan of Ravenloft. Even as I've decided I don't really care about every trying to run D&D again, I still love some of the settings, with Ravenloft the foremost among them. I also don't really care for D&D4e at all...but I did get the Castle Ravenloft board game by Wizards of the Coast, which does a hefty combination of the two.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: This is a high end board game, with lots of minis (unpainted D&D minis), map tiles and so forth. It retails for $64.99, but you can usually get it for around $20 less at Amazon.com.(And buying from Amazon through that link helps support this blog). It's recommended for ages 12 and up, but my eight year old and I have played multiple cooperative games together. It supports anywhere from 1 to 5 players.

The "story" of the board game boils Ravenloft down to its basic elemements: Strahd and his nefarious evils are lording over the village of Barovia until a handful of heroes move in to stop him.

The system uses a streamlined 4e...streamlined to the point that the heroes are distilled down to Armor Class, Hit Points, Speed, Surge Value and Powers. Yep, Healing Surges are present here (the default being each group having two), with characters who are reduced to 0 health coming back at half strength.

The game is played without a GM, with each monster and villain have a list of tactics that pretty much govern everything they do (move closer to hero, what attacks they use in which situation, etc). The game board is made as you go, using a series of map tiles that range from big, open rooms and hallways to Von Zarovich family tombs, laboratories and magic circles.

Each turn is simple: Each turn you can Move and Attack, Attack and Move or Move Twice. If you end your turn at the edge of a tile, you flip over a new one (which guarantees the arrival of a monster). Every player's turn has a Villain Phase, in which the "Boss" of the adventure, if active, takes his turn, followed by every monster whose card you control taking a turn. Additionally, there are Encounter Cards which are played if you draw tiles featuring black arrows, and these are almost always Very Bad (and are also drawn if you fail to explore on a turn).

Combat is simple: Roll d20, add your attack bonus (based on the attack you are using and any relevant magic items), compare to Armor Class and apply damage. Most non-bosses only have 1-2 HP. You get a magic item for killing them and add their card to the XP pile, which you can use to block Encounter cards or level up to level 2 if have enough XP when you roll a 20 during gameplay (granting you an extra Daily Power, boosting your stats and giving a Critical Hit bonus).

Each Adventure has its own goals, and usually additional rules, giving a sense of variety even though the gameplay is pretty basic. Usually you have a boss fight of some sort to deal with, and occassionally a secondary goal.

The Daily, Utility and At-Will Powers - as well as each character's unique ability - make the characters feel different as well.

Hero options include a Human Ranger (who can "Explore" tiles she's not next to, and has lots of ranged attacks, as well as powers that allow her to either put space between her and the bad guys to open up her ranged attacks), a Dragonborn Fighter (who can breath fire, give an AC bonus to any ally on the same tile, and force monsters into combat even if they aren't adjacent to him), a Dwarf Cleric (who can heal himself and others, and has a few Powers like Bless and Flame Strike which'll be familiar to long time D&D fans), an Eladrin Wizard (who gives his allies bonuses to hit due to his knowledge of monsters, the ability to make a short range teleportation and some classic Wizard Powers like Magic Missile, Dispel Magic and Shield) and a Human Rogue (who gets a bonus to disarm traps, and has a lot of sneaky, high-probability, low damage attack options).

Most of the monsters feel very "Ravenloft", with Zombies, Ghouls, Skeletons, Gargoyles and Wraiths, as well as more esoteric choices like Burning Skeletons. Wolves, Spiders and Rat Swarms also feel at home, though I probably would have left Kobolds out.

The Villains include a Kobold Sorcerer named Klak, a Howling Hag, a Werewolf, a Flesh Golem, a Zombie Dragon, a Dracolich named Gravestorm and Strahd himself.

Treasures you can find include items like Thieves' Tools, Magic Swords, Holy Avengers (which provide an extra bonus against the undead), Crystal Balls and Potions of Healing, as well as Blessings that let you move faster for a turn, heal a hit point or even regain a spent Power.

The Encounter Cards are very flavorful, including things like Animated Armor attacking you, bat swarms filling the Castle to provide penalties to ranged attacks, Strahd getting into your head and forcing you to make an attack against an ally, and even a few Encounters that can go either way, like a movement in the corner of your eye that can either be a sneak attack or a friendly spirit who restores one of your powers.

The game includes 13 adventures (I've played 11 of them), from a solo scenario in which you have to escape Strahd's tomb before he wakes up, to an escort mission in which you have to lead a villager to the Dark Fountain before he transforms into a vampire, to a seek and destroy mission in which you play each of the five heroes (one after the other) taking out as many of Strahd's followers as possible in a blaze of glory, to a two-part mission in which you attempt to finally hunt down and destroy Strahd himself.

Additionally, Wizards of the Coast provides a few free adventures, and this game is also compatible with its sister games Wrath of Ashardalon and The Legend of Drizzt (and you can make your own scenarios, of course).

WHAT WORKS: The minis are great, and will see play in games outside of just this, I'm sure of it. Gravestorm is a particularly impressive centerpiece, although the Flesh Golem is amazing as well. The Heroes all feel unique with their various abilities, and the theme feels about as close to Ravenloft as you can get in a hack and slash dungeon crawler.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: It's HARD. Like, almost TOO hard. I think that we have only won once, defeating the Kobold Sorcerer. It is a meatgrinder, in part because so many of the monsters and encounters inflict a point of damage even if they miss (as opposed to 2 or 3 if they hit). The rulebooks really needed tighter editing, and it is REALLY easy to overthink the rules sometimes (Tip: Whatever the card, rule, etc, is, read it literally. That's usually the right answer).

CONCLUSION: If I got to roleplay more, the game would have been worth the price of admission for the minis alone. That said, the production values are fantastic and the gameplay is fun, if very difficult. I've had a blast playing with my son, in part because he takes it upon himself to roleplay his character, talking in character as we adventure through the castle, which usually sparks me into doing the same. It would just be nice to actually WIN sometime. Now I know how everyone that played in my Ravenloft games felt. Still, I don't regret the purchase at all. Probably not the best "gateway game", though, given the Meatgrinder effect.