Half-Dozen Heroes: Solomon Kane

Got a pretty decent response for the Half-Dozen Heroes for Caladon Falls...and I had my Solomon Kane book sitting right here when it was requested for the follow-up...so here goes!

Everything on this page was created soley using the Savage World of Solomon Kane book.

Thomas Serpentbane was a family man and mediocre farmer until his family was attacked by poisonous snakes one hot summer day. Thomas grabbed his sword, and old family heirloom he had recently inherited, and killed the snakes. The next day, snakes attacked again, and this time Thomas wasn't so quick. Given the vicious, multiple attacks by snakes, he became convinced that there was something more to their activity...like a larger force was controlling them. Soon, he became convinced that snakes were all part of a larger conspiracy, and when he encountered his first Snake Man, it settled his delusions into his skull.

What Thomas has never figured out is that his sword is the very reason serpents react in a malicious manner, be they garden snakes, giant serpents or snake men. Attor, a Snake Man priest, has been tasked by his vile Gods with killing Thomas and destroying his sword before it can slay any more snakes...so maybe he's not completely crazy after all.

Thomas Serpentbane
Seasoned
Agility d8
Smarts d6
Spirit d8
Strength d6
Vigor d6

Fighting d10
Guts d8
Investigation d6
Knowledge (Serpents) d4
Notice d6
Riding d4
Survival d6
Throwing d4
Tracking d6

Charisma: 0
Pace: 6"
Parry: 7
Toughness: 5

Hindrance
Delusional: "All snakes are part of an ophidian conspiracy" (Minor)
Vow: End the Ophidian Nightmare (Minor)
Enemy: Attor, the Snake Priest (Major)

Edges
Alertness (+2 to Notice)
Danger Sense
First Strike (free attack when an enemy moved adjacent)
Hard to Kill (Ignore Wound Penalties for Knockout tables)
Quick (Redraw cards lower than 5)
Trademark Weapon (Venom)

Gear
"Venom" Short Sword Artifact: Str+d6 damage, +8 damage vs serpents (including Snake Men), wielder is immune to poisons, all serpents within 12" can sense the blade's presence. Throwing axe (Str+d6)

Tenzan is an honorable samurai warrior who could have been a great general for the Empire...until he was set upon by undead fiends and nearly killed. The pilgrim Solomon Kane saved him, Tenzan's code of honor demanded that he walk Kane's Path instead, and Kane offered one demand: Protect the children of the Winthorpe family, whose parents had recently died. Tenzan now travels as the bodyguards of the twins, the boy secretly a sorcerer and the girl a swordsman who is capturing the samurai's heart.

Tenzan
Seasoned
Agility d6
Smarts d6
Spirit d8
Strength d8
Vigor d8

Fighting d8
Guts d8
Intimidation d8
Knowledge (Battle) d6
Notice d6
Riding d6

Charisma: 0
Pace: 6"
Parry: 8
Toughness: 9(3)

Hindrances
Code of Honor
Phobia (Minor): Undead
Vow (Major): Protect the Winthorpe Siblings

Edges
Block (+1 Parry)
Combat Reflexes (+2 to Shaken Rolls)
Command (+1 to Troops' Shaken rolls)
Sweep (Attack everyone adjacent with -2 penalty)

Gear
Katana (str+d8), Armor 3

Anthony Wyndham traveled in very dark circles, and for all his bluster, his heart grew cold when he came face to face with one of the dark forces that seek the worship of sorcerers. Wyndham tried to steer his allies from their path, but was rejected and set up to appear as a devil worshipper. Horribly branded as such, Wyndham was ultimately able to escape, but now he uses has arcane powers - and pistol - to fight back the darkness...and destroy his old circle.

Anthony Wyndham
Veteran
Agility d6
Smarts d12
Spirit d8
Strength d4
Vigor d6

Driving d4
Fighting d4
Guts d8
Healing d4
Intimidation d6
Investigation d6
Magick d10
Notice d4
Shooting d6
Taunt d6

Charisma: -2
Pace: 6"
Parry: 4
Toughness: 5

Hindrances
Arrogant
Branded (-2 Charisma)
Death Wish (Break up his old circle)

Edges
Arcane Background (Sorcery)
Dirty Fighter (+2 on Tricks)
Jack-of-All-Trades (+2 on Smarts based skill rolls)
Marksman (+2 on Shooting)
New Power (x3)
Strong Willed (+2 on Taunt/Intimidation)

Powers
Deflection
Fear
Grave Speak
Puppet
Shape Change

Gear
Two-Barrel Pistol (2d6+1)

Gwandoya is an escaped slave, paranoid that he's being hunted, so rarely staying in one place. Gwandoya has dreams telling him where to go, and the giant man does so, sticking to the fringes of society and helping people as best he can. Gwandoya does not believe he has a greater destiny before him, even as he's unwittingly used as an instrument for good.

Gwandoya
Novice
Agility d6
Smarts d4
Spirit d6
Strength d10
Vigor d6

Climbing d8
Fighting d6
Guts d6
Intimidation d8
Survival d6
Swimming d6

Charisma: 0
Pace: 8"
Parry: 5
Toughness: 6

Hindrances
Clueless (-2 Common Knowledge)
Glass Jaw (-2 Soak)
Illiterate

Edges
Brawny
Fleet-Footed

Gear
Club (str+d4)

Nicodemus Dowling is an inquisitor who roots out evil wherever it can be found...with "evil" defined as "having differing beliefs". Nicodemus is an adept leader and ample combatant who can prove terrifying if he's allowed to corner a foe. Nicodemus believes fully in his cause, which gives him frightening power at times...luckily, he can usually identify the larger threat in a given situation, so he and his men often target the darker fringes of society, though they have occasionally focused on the well-meaning instead.

Nicodemus Dowling
Heroic
Agility d6
Smarts d8
Spirit d10
Strength d6
Vigor d8

Fighting d6
Guts d6
Intimidation d10
Persuasion d10
Riding d6
Shooting d6
Taunt d8
Tracking d8

Charisma: +2
Pace: 6"
Parry: 5
Toughness: 6

Hindrances
Code of Honor
Jingoistic (Minor)
Vow (Uncover and destroy the witches)

Edges
Command
Connections
Conviction
Fanaticism
Fervor
Inspire
Marksman
Noble
Strong Willed

Is Basil Flynn the greatest swordsman who ever lived? He would tell you yes. An absolute beast with a blade, Flynn can strike you when you move near, strike you before you move near, strike you if you fail to strike him, hold off multiple combatants at once, and one of his favorite tactics is to dig in close, hook your arm and dig into you stomach with his dagger.

Basil Flynn
Legendary
Agility d12
Smarts d6
Spirit d8
Strength d6
Vigor d8

Fighting d12+2
Gambling d6
Guts d8
Lockpicking d10
Notice d6
Persuasion d8
Streetwise d6

Charisma: 0
Pace: 6"
Parry: 11
Toughness: 6

Hindrances
Big Mouth
Overconfident
Cocky

Edges
Close Fighting
  Improved Close Fighting
Dirty Fighter
Entangle
First Strike
Florentine
Lunge
Mighty Blow
Professional (Fighting)
  Expert (Fighting)
Quick
Riposte
  Improved Riposte
Trademark Weapon
  Improved Trademark Weapon
Weapon Master
  Master of Arms
Wall of Steel
Two-Fisted

I nearly made a pirate and a blind swordsman, but I ditched the latter because I couldn't figure out how to make him work without him being horribly penalized to the point of unplayable. Of the six, I think I would most like to play Gwandoya in a game, even though Thomas Serpentbane is loosely based off my real experiences!

Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments!

Tommy's Take on Dark Harvest: Resistance

Last week I reviewed Dark Harvest: The Legacy of Frankenstein, an interesting alternate history set in the closed-borders country of Promethea, better known to you and I as Romania. Now, I've been given the opportunity to review the Resistance supplement in advance of its release.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: The cover lists a retail price of $29.99, but you can buy the PDF at RPGNow for $16.99. The core was about 216 pages in PDF, this one is about 177. The art in this line is typically gorgeous, and the cover of Resistance, showing a Frankenstein-ish creature being shot in the back as it carries a woman to safety (at least, that's how I saw it), is no exception.

The book opens with a couple of foreword type pieces before launching into a comic which didn't really hold up the quality of the fiction or art in the first book.

The first major section of the book is an essay covering the Resistance, where we find out that they occasionally spread propaganda that may be exaggerated in order to draw extra ire against the government. Personally, I think this is at least somewhat forgiveable, given the horrific abuses present in the government. This chapter goes into detail on their methods as well, including how they generally strive to strike targets in ways that aren't immediate threats to innocents, and how sometimes two secret cells occasionally clash without realizing they are techically on the same side. It's not an easy life, with "retirement" usually involving meeting an accident and Resistance members often working with a depressing lack of equipment. Some helpful advice is given on running the Resistance, noting that they often times have to get their hands very dirty and that they are very much up against the wall.

Next up are the Promethean authorities. Here we get it reiterated that Victor Frankenstein's country is partially the result of people abusing the advances he brought them and not entirely the end result of his goals. Road to Hell, good intentions, all that. In fact, it establishes that Frankenstein has become more and more consumed with his work, leaving the actual running of Promethea in the hands of others, which has contributed to the more vile excesses of the nation. We also get a sidebar that perfectly exemplifies the paranoia of Frankenstein, revealing that he completed the first anti-aircraft weapons while zepplins and airplanes were on the drawing boards in order to ensure that the Promethean borders remained protected. We also learn that the idea put forth in the core rules that the military are nothing more than mindless footsoldiers of Frankenstein is an exaggeration. While some augmentation has been used to control some soldiers, most are lockstep with him due to his treatment and promotion of the military. Some tips are provided on playing as military instead of Resistance.

The next chapter talks about the more subtle forms of resistance going on, like the pamphlet spelling out the moral case against Frankenstein, which nearly drew him into an open debate with his detractors. There is also the group known as The Will of Frankenstein, complete zealots who hang on his every word...and act on them with brutal efficiency.

A slew of map layouts for military bases are also provided.

Like with the first book, this one also includes three pieces of short fiction, including a very important story detailing the first encounter between Frankenstein and the Creature since the Resistance began.

All the setting stuff out of the way, we move onto rules material, starting with an overhaul of the money system, placing everything in the currency of Promethean leis. A broader selection of weapons are also provided, ranging from melee weapons to a variety of firearms, from derringers to machine guns. Even a list of vehicles, from canoes to cars.

New rules include combining effort on actions, various weapon effects (like using suppressive fire), and new augmentations like Small Hands (for finer manipulation) and quadruped adaptation, allowing you to run on all fours! A step by step example of character creation is also provided.

More NPCs are also provided, with a mix of generic stat blocks (presented in the same manner as the core, with plot hooks for each) as well as fully fleshed out NPCs with names, personalities and art.

An introductory adventure is provided, using five characters kidnapped from a circus, augmented, and set loose to be hunted. Unlike a lot of intro adventures assuming a certain amount of characters, instructions are provided up front for scaling the adventure down if you have less than five. Outside of the introductory scene and the end scene, the rest of the adventure can be played in any order, the hunters are some unique...and horrifying...adversaries. Especially The Hound. I'm somewhat glad no art was provided for him. If the PCs succeed, tips are provided on how to continue the adventure into a full fledged campaign.

The book concludes with an appendix (full of useful links for research), an index, full credits for everyone involved, and an ad for The Fires of Promethea, coming soon.

WHAT WORKS: Again, another book just jam packed full of material. It does a great job of showing the dark side of the Resistance and the noble intentions of Frankenstein and his military, establishing the shades of grey world. More augmentations are always nice, and I again love how the present the NPC stat blocks. The hunters in the introductory adventure are absolutely terrifying, in a great way. The fiction again does a nice job of bringing you into the world of Promethea.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: I could never use the introductory adventure as a campaign launcher, because of the incredibly specific start (the PCs are circus performers) and it would be difficult to replace the pregens with home made characters. That said, I think it would, in fact, make a fantastic convention scenario. The comic short at the beginning didn't really feel like it added anything to the book (though it was hardly a huge strike against it, either).

CONCLUSION: You certainly don't NEED this book to run Dark Harvest, but it does alleviate some things that were missing from the first book (like a character creation example)...but if you LIKE Dark Harvest, there's a lot to like in this book, from a setting standpoint (the fiction, the essays on the Resistance and the Military) and from a game standpoint (the extra augmentations and NPCs, especially). I am very much intrigued to see what is coming in Fires of Promethea now.

Tommy's Take on Dark Harvest: Legacy of Frankenstein

This is the first of two reviews I'll be doing for Dark Harvest: The Legacy of Frankenstein, starting with the core rules (makes sense, right?).

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Published by Cubicle 7, the PDF is a surprisingly thick 216 pages (formatting makes it appear to be 110 in PDF readers) and is currently $19.99. The PDF I have lacks bookmarks or clickable links in the table of contents, which does hurt utility a bit.

Compatible with the Victoriana RPG (which I'm not familiar with), Dark Harvest is an alternate history RPG in which Victor Frankenstein, posing as "Prince Baden", has taken over Romania and replaced it with Promethea, a country-sized monument to his insane creations. The game is set in 1910, and the world has convinced itself that the Frankenstein in question must be a grandson or something, for Victor Frankenstein should either be dead or much older than he appears to be.

The heavily industrialized Promethea is a feudal society devoted to beauty and protection (as Frankenstein sees it), to the extent that the upper strata can order that the lower class can be forced into The Harvest, in which their better "parts" can be removed and added onto the wealthy in order to keep them alive and healthy. However, Promethea is wracked with civil war as The Resistance wages war with Frankenstein's upper class...The Resistance led by The Creature (Frankenstein's original monster). The lower class also have "scar gangs", which damage those with physical beauty, in order to keep the wealthy from harvesting them.

The first two chapters cover the history of Promethea and the current situations, including the processes of Augmentation and Evisceration (in which a person is basically torn apart...and kept alive and conscious for it far behind normal human limits) in excruciating detail. For instance, by law, the dead are turned over to the state for Harvesting, and the poor will often attempt to delay the certification of their dead in order to prevent harvesting...or even cripple and scar their own children in order to do so.

The book includes a gazetteer that breaks down all 41 counties in Promethea, ranging from a short paragraph to half a page, depending on size and importance, as well as a listing of "generic locations" like military bases and augmentation facilities. The details about the fortifications on each border are included as well, from the staffing and barriers to the time it took to close the borders.

If that doesn't give you enough of a feel for the setting (and there's a lot of information in the first few chapters), then there's also an anthology of short stories included that take you into life in Promethea through the eyes of citizens. After all of that...we get into the rules themselves.

Dark Harvest uses the Victoriana rules (modified), which I am not familiar with, but everything required for the game is included in this book. It's a d6 dice pool system, using an attribute and a skill to build your pool, and any 1s or 6s are counted as successes, with any 6s being re-rolled for the possibility of more successes. Essentially a 1 in 3 chance of a success for every die you roll, and the success chart doesn't count a "full" success until you've gotten two or more. However, if you are making a particularly contested roll, you have to roll a number of Black Dice, whose successes can cancel your own.

Damage is a bit odd, until you see the character sheet. There are a number of "dice" printed on it with 2 pips each, and whenever a damage roll is made, each success rolled on the damage roll is a pip of health. Every two pips of damage taken, you add a Black Die to future rolls. There are four shaded dice, and when those are covered, you pass out and are in danger of death.

Character creation is point buy. You start off selecting your concept and social class (the top tier isn't open to PCs), and then you assign six attribute points among three physical attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Fortitude) and mental (Presence, Wits, Resolve). You then get 50 points with which to buy Skills, Talents, Privilegs, Contacts, Assets and Augmentations.

The skill list has about 27 common skills (firearms, improvised weapons, streetwise), and you can also purchase specialities like Demolitions, Engineer, Lip Reading, etc.

Talents include the likes of Acute Sense, Backstabber, Deadly Shot, Drinks Like A Fish and Speed Reader.

Privileges include things like Military Commission and Society Friends, while Assets are things like Shops, Trained Pets, Legendary Reputations.

You can get more points with Complications, like Illiterate, Bad Reputation, Mute and Shy. You might need those if you want your own twisted augmentations like claws, gills, night vision and tails.

Each and every listing is detailed, with specialities, mechanics and the like.

Rules are provided for Augmentation in-game, influenced by a number of factors, including including the social class of the character. If things go badly, there arae complications, like drug dependency or even permanent flammability.

A lot of games allow for additional manipulation by the players, and Dark Harvest has Fate Dice and Scripting Dice. Fate Dice can be used to add successes to actions and reduce damage, while Scripting Dice (gained by spending 6 Fate Dice) can allowing for re-rolls, saving characters from death (mortal wounds are now very bad, but not lethal, wounds, etc). Rounding out the character stuff is Reputation, gained largely by Assets, which allow you to influence people around you.

A listing of stock NPC stats are provided, but it's really quite nice, as each stock type gets a paragraph, following by the streamlined NPC statblock, an example (character wise) of an NPC of that type, and a plot hook for that NPC type (from Priests to Servants to Socialites). Then we get into Promethean Creatures, which start with basic stuff like horses, monkeys and wolves and get into augmented bears and Promethean dire wolves.

The book rounds out with fairly detailed adventure hooks, a good sized bibliography, an index and a character sheet.

WHAT WORKS: The presentation is fantastic. There's a lot of information in here, but it never feels overbearing. The art is well-done and well-placed, never dominating the book but adding appropriate flavor. The setting is quite disturbing, with the wealthy preying off of the poor in a most unique manner, and the horrors of Frankenstein's machinations revealed in excruciating detail. The sealed off nature of Promethea also allows for extra intensity in setting that might not be there in a more "open" environment.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The health system seems unnecessarily complicated. I probably would have liked more Talents, but with Augmentations, Assets, Privileges and Contacts, there are more options there than it appears on the surface. Perhaps my biggest gripe with the setting is that, as cool as it is, it seems to be building to a Frankenstein vs Creature encounter (okay, it says so a few times), and that seems like it would exclude the PCs from playing the major role in the future of Promethea.

CONCLUSION: A top-notch product with an inventive spin on alternate history and the Frankenstein mythos. Certainly not the first product I've seen to place the Creature in the role of the hero and Frankenstein in the role of megalomaniacal madman (Dean Koontz' series did it as well), but it still has its own spin on it that feels quite cool in its own right. Not sure I'm 100% sold on the system, as it has a few parts that feel unnecessarily complicated (like Health dice), but that may just be unfamiliarity with the system shining through. The setting alone places it on the higher end of alternate history games I've read.

Deadlands Noir, or Take My Money, Please

So Pinnacle had been teasing a new setting by John Goff recently, and when they pulled the trigger on it, it was bigger than I had thought: Deadlands Noir. The Deadlands timeline moved up to 1935 and, presumably, wearing the trappings of both the Weird West and hard-boiled noir. Even more impressively, the Kickstarter has almost doubled the goal in less than a day.

I am a Deadlands fanboy. I dig noir. Needless to say, I am absolutely pumped. With pledge goals that include PDFs ($20), hardcovers ($50), a special deck of cards ($75), unique bennies ($125) and a retailer package that includes copies of Deadlands Noir, Savage Worlds, maps and more, there are plenty of options, and yes, I plan on pledging (trying to figure out if I can budget in the deck of cards). Very awesome, and very unexpected, announcement from Pinnacle.

May RPG Deals at RPGNow

Hey folks...been crazy busy with multiple projects, but I did want to take the moment to drop a line and point out that you can get a slew of PDFs at RPGNow for 20% off using the code DriveThruApril (yes, they have been told that it is, in fact, May). These offers are good until June 14th.

Savage Worlds Fantasy Companion [Pinnacle Entertainment] (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/64257/Savage-Worlds-Fantasy-Companion&affiliate_id=15975)

Realms of Cthulhu [Reality Blurs] (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/77953/Realms-of-Cthulhu&affiliate_id=15975)

Karma Roleplaying System Core [Bards and Sages] (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/58683/Karma-Roleplaying-System-Core-Rules-Book&affiliate_id=15975)

FantasyCraft [Crafty Games] (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/63884/Fantasy-Craft-Second-Printing&affiliate_id=15975)

Fat Dragon's Dragonshire Deluxe [Fat Dragon Games] (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/64254/DRAGONSHIRE%3A-Deluxe-Edition&affiliate_id=15975)

Paths of Power (Pathfinder System) [4 Winds Fantasy] (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/65792/%5BPFRPG%5D-Paths-of-Power&affiliate_id=15975)

Spycraft: Real American H.E.R.O.es [Crafty Games] (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/65785/Real-American-H.E.R.O.es&affiliate_id=15975)

Fellowship of the White Star Campaign Book [Thenodrin Presents] (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/59997/Fellowship-of-the-White-Star-campaign-book&affiliate_id=15975)

Ninja Burger RPG (2nd Edition) [aetherial FORGE] (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/11881/Ninja-Burger%3A-The-RPG-2nd-Edition)

Heavy Gear Blitz! Locked & Loaded [Dream Pod 9] (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/12646/Heavy-Gear-Blitz%21-Rulebook&affiliate_id=15975)

Hero's Handbook: Dragonborn [Goodman Games] (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/59034/Hero%27s-Handbook%3A-Dragonborn&affiliate_id=15975)

Splicers RPG [Palladium Books] (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/64205/Splicers&affiliate_id=15975)

Noir Knights (Savage Worlds) [Savage Mojo] (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/80633/Noir-Knights-%28Savage-Worlds%29&affiliate_id=15975)

I particularly recommend Noir Knights, Realms of Cthulhu and the Savage Worlds Fantasy Companion.

Working on some new reviews to share with you over the next week, so look for those!

Comics You Should Read: Maximum Carnage

It is entirely possible that I should instead call this "in defense of Maximum Carnage".

Apparently, critics hated it. Reportedly, Marvel staffers quietly mocked it. But Maximum Carnage is one of my favorite Spider-Man stories of all time.

In my anecdotal experience, Spider-Man fans can be divided into two groups (usually by age): Those that think Venom is really cool...and those that think he is one of the worst things to ever happen to the Spider-Man mythos. Now, I'm not a die-hard Venom (or Carnage) fan, but I don't hate them...and I love this story.

I'm not going to be quite as picky with spoilers, because this story is almost 20 years old. If you don't know who Venom is, he's Eddie Brock, a newspaper reporter whose sensationalist journalism gets discredited by Spider-Man, and who bonds with the alien symbiote that forms Spider-Man's black suit. Carnage is Cletus Kasady, a serial killer who has bonded with a spawn of the Venom symbiote. As the story begins, Venom is becoming an anti-hero in San Francisco, Spider-Man is mourning the death of Harry Osborn and Kasady is locked in Ravencroft Asylum (the Arkham Asylum for the Spider-Man family of books in the early 90s). Oh, and Spider-Man's parents have seemingly returned from the dead, apparently spies who spent 20 years locked in a Soviet prison.

In Act One, we waste no time in discovering that Kasady's symbiote has mutated and now lives in his bloodstream...and he breaks out of Ravencroft, slaughtering the staff along the way. He joins forces with another inmate named Shriek, and the two set out into the city, wreaking havoc. Soon, they join forces with the Spider-Doppleganger from Infinity War and Spider-Man (who promised Mary Jane that he would give up being Spidey for two weeks - and broke that promise hours later), gets his ribs busted fighting Shriek and Doppleganger. Venom catches wind of Carnage's return and heads to New York...where Carnage lures HIM into trap. Cloak and Dagger join Spidey, but Dagger is seemingly killed by Shriek, and by the end of the first act, the city is rioting...Spidey is losing his grip, Dagger is dead, Cloak and Black Cat have joined Venom in a bloodhunt for Carnage and Carnage has added the Demogoblin to his twisted "family". In fact, part five (written by JM DeMatteis) ends in a powerful scene where Spider-Man fights off a mob and vows that he is done showing mercy.

In Act Two, Morbius joins Venom, Black Cat and Cloak and the four of them are nearly taken apart in a nightclub (where Mary Jane is also present) before Spider-Man saves the day. Spidey and Venom decide to break into Four Freedoms Plaza and steal a sonic gun while Morbius has to withdraw in the sunlight and Cloak goes searching for Firestar (Human Torch is off planet). Meanwhile, Deathlok attacks Carnage's crew (which has also added Carrion to the mix), and is taken down in a chilling juxtaposition as Spider-Man declares that Carnage's "family" will have to fall in the face of science. Deathlok is saved by Iron Fist, and Carnage proves resistant to the sonic gun...but not Firestar's microwaves. This builds, again, to another amazing high point in which Venom pushes Firestar to kill Carnage but she resists...until Spider-Man tells her it's the only way. Firestar, holding Spider-Man as an example of a real hero, agrees to do it...only pulling back when Spidey tells her to stop at the last second. Venom lashes out at Spider-Man, only to be captured by Shriek and Carnage for more torture. Spider-Man, physically crushed and emotionally suffocating, is left looking for another way...when Captain America offers him a hand.

In Act Three, Black Cat, Morbius, Nightwatch and Cloak have aligned with Venom (who is still captured by Carnage), while Spider-Man, Captain America, Deathlok, Iron Fist and Firestar have joined forces, seeking a better way to end things. They discover that Shriek is, literally, the source of the riots...she's been broadcasting hate ever since Carnage broke her out. Black Cat, injured, drops out of the fight, Morbius bails out with the rising sun, Nightwatch also pulls out and Venom goes missing after breaking away from Carnage, whose family is beginning to implode (what, psychopaths can't get along?!?). Cloak returns to his church seeking guidance...and discovers that Dagger is still alive, inside of him. Dagger, overloaded on "light" becomes the rallying point against Shriek, and her, Iron Fist and Deathlok rig together a "good bomb", which turns Carrion back human, redeems Shriek (at least temporarily) and seemingly kills Carnage. In the end, we find out Carnage is still alive, but even more unhinged, and the series ends in a three way brawl between Spider-Man, Carnage and Venom that results in Venom slipping away, Carnage being taken into custody by the Avengers and Black Cat performing an 11th hour save in a character moment showing her learning from Spider-Man over Venom.

While the story does get anvilicious at points, it is a great example of not only good over evil, but good over grey as well, with the antiheroes all either folding in the face of adversity, or being inspired by the heroes (Black Cat by Spider-Man, Cloak by Dagger, even Spider-Man by Captain America). Peter gets encouragement from Aunt May, in turn showing Mary Jane that what he does is really important, because he makes a difference every time he saves a life, causing her to go off on the cynical Richard Parker.

The story is criticized for having too many guest stars, but in a city wide massacre by supervillains, other characters SHOULD get involved, and the only truly superfluous hero guest stars are, arguably, Nightwatch and Deathlok.

The writing is noticeably done by multiple people (the regular writers for each book), with JM DeMatteis hitting the highest points of the series (especially in parts 5 and 9). At the time, I didn't appreciate Sal Buscema's art, but reading it now, he's a fantastic storyteller who makes the most of his every panel. Mark Bagley, as always, draws an amazing Spider-Man (pun intended), though his Mary Jane looks about like she should die any minute (and dear lord is she trotted around in skimpy outfits for the enjoyment of the fanboys).

Moments like "You'll get no more mercy from Spider-Man!", Spider-Man telling Firestar to NOT stoop to Carnage's level, Captain America's helping hand, Mary Jane telling off Richard Parker, Mary Jane telling Peter that she understands why he has to do what he does and Spider-Man explaining to Venom that he sees Venom the same way Venom sees Carnage are all tremendous highlights.

I've read various articles online that just trash the story out, overanalyzing it, accusing it of oversimplifying things...but forget that. Maximum Carnage is about heroes being heroes even when the rest of the world is going crazy. And that ain't bad.

Tommy's Take on Deadlands Reloaded: The Last Sons

Last week, I tackled the first of the Deadlands plot point campaigns, The Flood, featuring  war against Reverend Grimme. This week, it's a war against the Servitor of War himself: Raven.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: The print version is not available yet, but the PDF of Deadlands Reloaded: The Last Sons is available right now for $34.99. A crushing tome of 336 pages, The Last Sons is divided into three major sections: The Tombstone Epitaph, The Player's Guide and the Marshal's Guide.

As is common, the Tombstone Epitaph opens the book, this time beginning with a recap of the events of The Flood. The City of Lost Angels is gone and California is finally independent. A second Rail War has erupted after conflict in Kansas between the railroads exploded. The Union's election has been delayed, Custer's war with The Sioux is heating up. There's even a Hell on Earth reference, discussing Satan's Garden, a Hellish place outside of Deadwood. There are also concerns expressed (and rightfully so), that Darius Hellstromme isn't facing enough scrutiny for the crap that he pulls. A wonderful feature is the Round-Up, a series of job postings that could easily double as plot seeds.

The character creation chapter adapts material from The Ghost Dancers book from Deadlands Classic, expanding options for Native American characters. A number of Indian specific archetypes are suggested, as well as language groups and which tribes speak which. Four new Hindrances (three of which are available as Major or Minor versions) are included, my favorite being Counting Coup - in which your Native Warrior is compelled to touch his foe with a coup stick before he actually moves to strike them. New Edges include Gallows Humor (which lets you laugh in the face of death) and Two-Gun Kid, to maximize your dual gunslinging potential. Totem Spirits and Patron Spirits are also included, the former being specific to Native Americans and the latter applying to Blessed (with Loa and angels listed as Patron Spirit possibilities). A new power is included for contacting the Spirit WOrld, and there are two great sidebars, the first on Native American trappings for Edges and the second for Totem Spirits.

The gear section includes things like coup sticks and peyote, as well as equipment and requisition rules for both the Texas Rangers and The Agency. Agency gear includes boot knives (that pop out of boots), black dusters (designed to assist in the drawing of weapons), gatling carbines and pistol canes! Ranger gear includes Fugitives from Justice in the Confederacy (with Chapter 13), the LeMat Undertaker (a ghost steel pistol that fires special rounds), and the Supernatural Phenomena Survival Kit.

As with The Flood, The Last Sons Player's Section is available as a free download.

The Marshal's section begins with a look at War's Domain, largely encompassing the Disputed Territories. We get an in-depth look at Raven and his plans ever since he attacked The Old Ones and sparked all of this Deadlands insanity. Under the guise of helping the Indian Tribes, he has pushed the pieces around all over the area, including down into Mexico, planting the seeds of war. In fact, he's the reason why the Mexican army was a troublesome issue in The Flood! Once again, the stage is set for the PCs to step in where the NPCs have failed and hopefully shut Raven and War down. There are also references here to Hell on Earth for the sharp-eyed observer, like how The Reckoners cheated (and that Raven is subconsciously aware of it).

The Setting Rules are pretty extensive, starting with "everyone's suspicious" and covering adventuring in the Hunting Grounds (and the Deadlands) - where anyone can count coup on a defeated foe...as well as The Ghost Dance and everything it can do (including raise the dead...and not necessarily as a Harrowed...but a full on resurrection). It is, frankly, epic stuff. New relics are also included, like Crazy Horse's coup stick and Wild Bill's six shooters.

A general guide to the region is included, with a sidebar detailing how the region changes after the end of the campaign (not unlike how The Flood changed the Great Maze region). A sidebar also covers the many battlegrounds in the region, as well as their Fear Levels and the features found in the area. The entries in this section also include references to the relevant Savage Tales that feature the area in question. An adventure generator for the Disputed Territories is also included.

The plot point campaign itself includes 9 adventures spanning about a year in the Deadlands timeline, plus an epilogue that allows the survivors to throw their weight around in the aftermath of the Rail War II. Tying into the Hell on Earth connection, the adventures include a trip to The Devil's Tower, the location featured in the trilogy of adventures that originally launched Hell on Earth. Unlike the last PPC, this one isn't about killing the Servitor (Grimme in that one, Raven in this one), but it is about fundamentally altering the world when the posse has to enter the Hunting Grounds and hold off the minions of War itself as native Shamans perform The Great Summoning.

Over 30 Savage Tales are included, with classic Deadlands callouts like a conflict with the Nosferatu that started the infamous Night Trains, a clash with The Butcher and his scalpel (from the dime novel Independence Day), and one Savage Tale that is a chance at taking down Raven...which is every bit has difficult as it sounds, and can have damning consequences on the posse.

A ton of monsters and NPCs are included, from classic Deadlands beasties like huskers and The Revenant, to stock stats for manitous of different power levels, to stats for various Ravenites (including False Ravens) and NPCs like Al Swearengen and The Ghost (the undead Abraham Lincoln), The Gal With No Name (from the Great Rail Wars skirmish game), Jesse James and more.

WHAT WORKS: The book opens with a special thanks to Deadlands fans for keeping the setting around for 16 years...and with all the shoutouts to the history of the setting, it feels reeeeaaally appropriate. I don't know if all of those callouts were were planned that way or not, but a ton of the stuff included in this book are the things I think of when I think "Deadlands". Throw in the setting rules for the Hunting Grounds, an epic plot point campaign that again brings major change to the game world and the fact that they once more made the Player's Guide a freebie, and Pinnacle nails the mark again.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The art was my major gripe. Some of itwas recycled from classic books (though appropriately placed to draw attention to the callouts) and some of it was just a bit too comic booky for what I want out of Deadlands comics.

CONCLUSION: A beefy, beefy tome that outstrips The Flood by almost 150 pages, and much of that is new content that can be used outside of the PPC, which is impressive in its own right. As a Deadlands fanboy, I'm very pleased. The Stone and Hellstromme PPCs have big shoes to fill.

Half-Dozen Heroes: Caladon Falls

This is just a go at showing off some character creation options for the Caladon Falls setting for Savage Suzerain. This is NOT official Savage Mojo material, and is just me acting in my capacity as a blogger and not in any capacity with SM. I hope to continue the Half-Dozen Heroes series, within Savage Suzerain and without, visiting other Savage Worlds settings, and even venturing outside of them.

These are not necessarily meant to be super optimized builds...just examples of the characters you can make. Everything used on these characters was drawn from Savage Worlds Deluxe, Savage Suzerain and Caladon Falls. I will provide overviews, but not full mechanics, because you're just going to have to buy the books for those.

Angelus
Heroic (3 advances)

Agility d6
Smarts d8
Spirit d8
Strength d6
Vigor d8

Charisma: -2
Pace: 6
Parry: 5
Toughness: 8/7(2)(1)
Pulse: 25

Hindrances
Evil Spirit (Major)
Pacifist (Minor)
Quirk (Never looks people in the eyes, speaks in the past tense) (Minor)

Edges
Bearer of Ill Omen
Cool As Ice
Elan
Feel My Pain
Indomitable
Information Sponge
Iron Inside
New Power (Armor)
New Power (Divination)
Sighted

Skills
Climb d6
Fighting d6
Investigation d8
Notice d6
Ritual d10
Stealth d6
Streetwise d8
Survival d6
Swim d6

Powers
Armor
Boost/Lower Trait
The Sight

Telesma
Forced Manifestation
Spirit Interaction
Weapon of Spirit

Gear: Hardened Leather Armor (+2/+1), short sword (Str+d6)

Notes: I was one of the IndieGoGo backers for Caladon Falls, and I forgot to provide information for my "character" listing on the inside front cover...so someone listed a character named after my son, who stalks the streets of Vendol (known for its mausoleums), who speaks to the dead...and sometimes makes them speak back.

He not only uses Divination to accomplish this, but also gets an assist from his Telesma. Angelus just refuses to ever give up, showing inner reserves that push him well beyond his abilities at times. His connection to the spirit world causes him to make seemingly bizarre leaps of logic that generally prove to be correct. His dealings with spirits also cause him to only resort to violence as his last resort, and gives him an unsettling demeanor in which he refuses to look people in the eyes and often speaks of them in the past tense.

Thaered Braik
Novice

Agility d6
Smarts d6
Spirit d6
Strength d8
Vigor d8

Charisma: 0
Pace: 6
Parry: 6
Toughness: 6
Pulse: 10

Hindrances
Dragon Kin Recessive (minor)
Overconfident (major)
Poverty (minor)

Edges
Dragon Kin
  Chameleon Skin

Skills
Climbing d4
Fighting d8
Intimidation d8
Survival d6
Taunt d6
Tracking d6

Gear: Long Sword (str+d8)

Notes: Thaered is a Dragon Kin warrior with vestigial wings who has more guts than brains at times, feeling as though his dragon-based heritage makes him tough enough to handle most any situation.

Declan Ferrath
Seasoned (3 Advances)

Agility d8
Smarts d8
Spirit d6
Strength d6
Vigor d6

Charisma: 0
Pace: 6
Parry: 4
Toughness: 6
Pulse: 15

Hindrances
Cautious
Standing Orders (Spy)
Wanted (Major) (various treasonous activities)

Edges
Acrobat
Alertness
Connections
Extraction
House Spy
Nobody

Skills
Fighting d4
Investigation d6
Lockpicking d6
Notice d8
Persuasion d6
Stealth d8
Streetwise d6

Telesma
Protective

Gear: Dagger (Str+d4)

Notes: Declan Ferrath is one of those guys that just blends into the crowd, working as an aide in House Killian. However, he is actually a spy for House Vesper and has been directly responsible for a growing number of setbacks...which would put his life in grave danger if they were ever discovered. Savage Worlds doesn't have a "Secret" Hindrance, or I would have used that in place of Wanted, but I wanted to keep everything as "official" as I could.

Earl Alden Mayhew
Veteran

Agility d6
Smarts d12
Spirit d8
Strength d4
Vigor d4

Charisma: +6
Pace: 6
Parry: 2
Toughness: 4
Pulse: 20

Hindrances
Anemic
Gone Soft (minor)
Small

Edges
Charismatic
Command
House Gift (Vesper - Magpie Mind)
Noble
  Improved: Earl
Pure Strain Human
Strong Willed
Tactician

Intimidation d6
Investigation d6
Knowledge
  Battle d10
Notice d4
Persuasion d6
Streetwise d4
Taunt d8

Telesma
Allure
Psychically Aggressive

Notes: This one was fun. An Earl of House Vesper who is an unfettered genius and a brilliant tactician, but utterly and completely vulnerable in the physical game. His Persuasion is only d6, but has a whopping +7 Charisma due to the influence of his Telesma and his noble lineage.

Darius Langsten
Heroic (2 advances)

Agility d6
Smarts d6
Spirit d10
Strength d8
Vigor d8

Charisma: +1
Pace: 6
Parry: 6
Toughness: 10(3)
Pulse: 25

Hindrances
Fanatic
Heroic
Optimistic (minor)

Edges
Brawny
Charismatic
Crusader
Double Defense
  Improved
Empowered
Hard to Kill
New Power
Rapid Recharge
Sweep

Skill
Faith d12
Fighting d8
Healing d4
Notice d6
Persuasion d10
Riding d6

Powers
Healing
Light
Smite

Telesma
Weapon of Destiny
Weapon of Power
Protective

Gear: Plate Armor

Notes: Darius is a Crusader in the Swords of Trinity whose faith leaves him optimistic...to the point of annoyance at times. Darius no longer carries a sword since his Telesma activated and began speaking to him, as he now summons his sword from out of nowhere and empowers it with energy from the Telesma to do whatever he needs it to.

Gorin
Demigod (2 advances)

Agility d10
Smarts d6
Spirit d6
Strength d10
Vigor d10

Charisma: 0
Pace: 6
Parry: 8
Toughness: 8
Pulse: 35

Hindrances
All Thumbs
Homesick (major)
Rebellious Telesma (minor)

Edges
Fearsome Presence
First Strike
Flight of the Ascendant
Frenzy
Fury (Mastery)
  Claws
  Regenerate
  Transformation
Killer Instinct
Professional
Quick
Quick Assessment
Thick Headed
Trait Perfection (Fighting)

Skills
Boating d4
Climbing d6
Fighting d12+1
Gambling d4
Intimidation d8
Notice d6
Stealth d6
Survival d6
Swimming d6
Tracking d6

Telesma
Protective
Psychically Aggressive
Telesma Radio
Unbounded Adjustment
Vigorous Spirit

Notes: Gorin hasn't seen it all, but he's seen a LOT. He left Relic a long time ago, and has faced off with some of the worst creatures and villains across the multiverse...and all he really wants is to go home. His Telesma tries to push him forward, to do the will of the Gods, but Gorin is growing angrier at it all the time. Gorin has become an impressive fighting machine, who can rattle his opponents into submission before he shreds them with his claws.

Anyway, a half-dozen heroes for Caladon Falls. Is the series worth continuing? Is there anything I should do differently? Do you have any special requests? Any feedback is appreciated.

Tommy's Take on Deadlands Reloaded: The Flood

Pinnacle is obviously a big fan of the Plot Point campaigns, but with Deadlands Reloaded they opted to do multiple PPCs, focusing on The Big Bads that had been looming around since Deadlands Classic...giving the PCs the chance to stuff it in the faces of the guys once deemed "unkillable" in the original Deadlands run. The Flood is the first of those...and the image on the cover gives away the primary antagonist: The Reverend Grimme.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: This review is based off of the hardcover book and not the PDF, though the book is available in both formats. The cover price is $36.99, while the PDF is $19.99. Like all of the Reloaded books, The Flood is gorgeous, and nearly 200 pages of information.

The inside of the book includes a map of The Maze (the remnants of California), complete with notable spots in the PPC. Like many Deadlands books (and Savage Worlds books, especially by Pinnacle), the book is split into Player's and Marshal's sections.

The Player's Section begins with a Tombstone Epitah, moving the Deadlands timeline up to September 1879, noting the Great Rail Wars are picking up steam, that Santa Anna is moving agressive moves towards The Great Maze, and that The Maze is starving out. It's a great primer for the events of the PPC.

This is followed up with about four pages worth of new Edges and Hindrances, starting with new Martial Arts Edges. Many of these already existed in Deadlands Classic but were not carried over to Reloaded until now (like The Cup Runneth Over, which makes your chi VERY noticeable). There is also a sidebar geared at explaining how to use Trappings to fill out some of the "missing" powers (with some advice that I found useful, as one of my players loves playing a Martial Artist). There are a few non Martial Arts Edges (like Captains, for those who operate Maze Runners) and Nose for the Rock (allowing you to "sniff out" Ghost Rock), but the bulk is definitely focused on fleshing out Martial Artists.

The equipment section also adds new martial arts weapons (like the Flying Claw, which the PC mentioned above likes using), as well as a selection of boats and a few oddities like Diving Suits (which can have bursting helmets).

The best part about the Player's Section? It's available as a separate free download. You JUST want the new Edges? Go download them. You want everyone to read the Tombstone Epitaph? Go download the Player's section.

Next...the Marshal's Section. This start's with a look at Famine's Domain: What used to be California. There is some flavor here, including a page full of some of Grimme's favorite "teachings" from the Bible...many of which are Bible verses, many of which are brutal subversions and twisted additions by Grimme. This section also recounts the tale of Reverend Ezekiah Grimme and the horrible monstrosity that now wears his face.

Next are the Setting Rules: First off, stuff is a lot more expensive here. Second of all, no matter what, Famine will be gnawing at their bellies. Some diseases are provided, as well as Ghost Rock Fever. The Maze has hazards like riptides and whirlpools, and rules are included for rockslides, earthquakes, thunderstorms and even blizzards(!).

Strange Locales provides more indepth detail of the regions of The Great Maze, providing Fear Levels and price modifiers for the regions, as well as sidebars pointing out the page numbers for Savage Tales specific to given regions. Random encounter tables are provided to supplement the ones found in the Reloaded book (or Marshal's book, if you have the separate versions), as well a page long sidebar detailing just what happens to the region after the titular Flood wipes out a chunk of the region.

Adventures in the Maze includes modifiers and charts for actually traversing The Maze, including a table featuring the distances from port to port, and also including an Adventure Generator! It isn't just straight die rolls, either...but card draws which provide modifiers, based on both the value of the card and color of it.

The Flood PPC itself runs eight adventures, beginning with a train ride gone wrong and turning into the PCs hooking up with Dr. Darius Hellstromme and the Wasatch railroad as he reasserts himself into The Great Rail Wars. The PPC then takes the PCs into conflict with the Iron Dragon railroad before they witness an ally unleashing horrific devastation. They get to invade Rock Island Prison and also encounter the spirits of Blessed that have been tortured to insanity...before being tasked with finding glyphs that will unleash apocalyptic devastation on The Maze. The PPC lives up to its promise, as the grand finale is a huge battle involving the PCs against the final forces Grimme can muster as he and his Lost Angels try to save their city (and their lives).

A whopping 34 Savage Tales are also included, taking the PCs back to Gomorra, and a conflict with The Whateleys, into an underground pit fit, into battle with the Mexican army, in the middle of political elections, and much, much more.

New monsters include Blood Sharks, Chinese Ogres, Faminites as well as Famine's Servants, including Grimme's 13 Ghouls. The Tombstone Epitaph's Lacey O'Malley, General Santa Anna and whole slew of NPCs both benevolent and malevolent are also included. A sidebar is also included pointing out which creatures from Deadlands Reloaded are appropriate.

The book does also conclude with a full index.

WHAT WORKS: Epic conclusion? Check. Still leaves the setting intact? Check. Righteous butt-kicking of major NPC, entirely at the hands of the PCs? Check. Random Adventure Generator and expanded Martial Arts Edges are just very sweet icing on the cake.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: I'm not really sure what you want. I mean, even if you have no use for the Plot Point Campaign, the entire player's section is free. New mechanics and all. That said, more than a few of the art pieces are recycled, and that does tend to bug some folks.

CONCLUSION: The book blows up Reloaded martial artists, provides 34 new Savage Tales and a plot point campaign that gives players the chance to get right up in the face of one of the Big Bads of the Deadlands setting and be Big Damn Heroes. $35 ain't much for a hardcover these days, and it's a gorgeous book to boot. The first of the Deadlands PPCs sets a high bar for the rest of the series.

Tommy's Take on Low Life

As mentioned yesterday, Low Life has a Kickstarter going on...and I've never reviewed the Savage Setting itself...so I figured I would rectify that now!

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: First off, I normally review the PDF of products. In this case, I don't own the PDF, just the original printing. This version used the earlier Savage Worlds rules and would require minor conversion to Explorer's/Deluxe. The current PDF was uploaded on April 29, 2011, so I ASSUME it's in line with the current rules, but I can't verify that. PDF price is $19.99, print version is $29.99. A true one-man show, the entire thing was done by Andy Hopp, and the pages are full of material (though there are a lot of illustrations as well).

In a nutshell, Earth (or Mutha Oith) has fallen apart, the humans (or Hoomanrace) is dead, and from there, we launch into epic sword and sworcery adventure. One huge adjustment, right off the bat, is that there are no humans (obviously). Races include Boduls (Beings Of Dubious Lineage - the most populous race), Cremefillians (sentient snack cakes), Croachs (cockroaches, that is), Horcs (aka Snotgoblins), Oofos (the descendants of alien visitors), Piles (of poop), Smelfs (big nosed elf/gnome things), Tizn'ts (who are just weird) and Werms (who are worms).

New skills are added for the new Arcane Backgrounds, and the book adds a ton of new Edges and Hindrances. Hindrances include Armless (like Werms), Inumerate (no concept of numbers) and One Eye. Edges include six new Arcane Backgrounds (Contaminator, Dementialist, Hocus Poker, Holy Roller, Smellcaster and Weirdo) and that's just the beginning. There's also Bouncy Behind (a rubber rump), Say, Aren't You That One Guy? (where you are mistaken for someone cool), Evil Twin (if you die, you get replaced with an identical version of you, with a goatee), Spit (which can get you The Drop on the next round), Boogie Knight (a Horc Knight), Stanimist (follower of the lord of evil), Fish Breath (allows you to breath water...but also makes your breath smell like fish), and truly Legendary Edges like Face Munchin' (allowing you to absorb the memories of the dead) and Gawdliness (in which your cult becomes a religion).

There are a number of major and minor religions, most of which are thinly veiled (some thinner than others) versions of real world religions.

New powers are provided, but more importantly a HUGE list of trappings for EVERY power, seperated by Arcane Background is provided. For instance, Contaminator Armor covers them in trash while Holy Rollers are covered in a glowing religious icon.

The Equipment Chapter's bright points are the vehicles (which include roller skates, as well as weird vehicles that defy description) and weapons (which include a customizable weapons chart so you can build your own and price it properly).

Places around the world include Glowhio (which is radioactive), Keister Island (home of The Keister of Gawd), That One Place With All The Sand and Torsovania. There are random encounter charts provided for each region as well.

The bestiary is huge, but crammed into a few pages, and includes such gems as Brocodiles (yes, part broccholi, part crocodile), Bad Asses (walking carriers of disease), Headstones (big, wandering statues found on Keister Island), Milfs (shape changing seductresses), Spirits of the Danged and The Thing That Might Not Be.

A big chunk of the book (from page 87 to page 134) covers Savage Tales, from Novice through Heroic, with suggested lead-ins, ranks and locations. The whole thing is a pretty epic quest, building up to the search for, and discover of, The Primordial Soup Kitchen. If you run the whole campaign, it should take your group all across Mutha Oith.

The book concludes with standard statblocks for each race, as well as important NPCs in the PPC, and section on just what the PCs can do with the Soup Kitchen if they find it.

WHAT WORKS: It is, by far, the most unique setting I have ever read...for better or for worse. A common complaint about the plot point campaigns is that they tend to wreck the setting...this one really doesn't. Atmosphere is jam packed into the book, with the extensive listings of trappings for the powers as well as one of the most eclectic sets of Edges and Hindrances I've ever seen.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The setting DEFINITELY isn't going to be for everyone. Snot Goblin Pimps are a bit harder to get into, usually, than something more "basic".

CONCLUSION: Andy Hopp's artwork has a bizarre, yet charming feel to it. The book has a lot of things that you just can't re-skin from Savage Worlds, and does a nice job filling in the gaps.  It's definitely the book I would most like to use but am the least likely to ever be able to do so, because I cannot get anyone to take it seriously when I describe it. A shame, really, because I think a lot of fun could be had with it.