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Realm of Crawling Chaos wasn't what I expected. It's good, but not what I expected. I was looking for a source book that would allow me to (fairly seemlessly) integrate the Lovecraft Mythos into an existing Labyrinth Lord game and while you can technically do that with Realms of Crawling Chaos, the book is more geared towards starting a Labyrinth Lord campaign that works from the information presented from the get go.
That being said, the information presented is very good, very creepy, and very evocative of the Lovecraft Mythos. The art is especially good, presenting itself as a great hybrid of old-school fantasy art that's been driven insane by the Necronomicon.
My point point of disappointment was the Psionics section. While it does specifically present rules for Psionics, they're limited and not intended for player characters. Now, personally, I don't use psionics to begin with - but I feel a game master should have lots of options to choose from.
All in all, Realms of Crawling Chaos is a fantastic buy, especially for less than $5. The folks at Goblinoid Games know how to do old school gaming and with this book they know how to do it with a large helping of mind-bending creepiness.
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Remember the Village of Homlet? Do look back fondly on having a pint at the Inn of the Welcome Wench? I know I do, and with Brave Halfling's Larm you get that feeling all over again. Larm is more than just an adventure, it's a campaign starting point that's fully fleshed out and ready to go. With two small dungeons and one wilderness encounter along with several "side quests", your players can easily spend their early levels here in (relative) safety while they get a feel for old-school gaming.
Well worth it.
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Bring a mop. It's going to get messy.
Barrowmaze is a true instant classic. It was like returning to the days when death was behind every door and treasure (if you got past the traps) hidden among the shadows. This huge adventure will put both players and game masters to the test, but it never feels strained or forced. Barrowmaze is pushing you to your limits as a player, trying to see how creative you can be and how characters (and players) react in terrible situations. And to me, that's a huge part of the charm to old-school gaming.
In addition, Mr. Gillespie has offered a huge amount of support and feedback on his website. Clearly, he loved writing Barrowmaze as much as you're going to love running or playing it! I look very eagerly to his next product.
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I have to admit, I bought this rather reluctantly. I'm not a big fan of gnomes in fantasy gaming. However, after purchasing several other classes from Brave Halfling, I had faith in them as a company. And I have to say, my faith was proven true. The Deeper Delving Gnome is a charming little class that manages to reflect their love of gears and technology without turning obtrusive or bringing unnecessary "steampunk" into fantasy gaming. In addition, they throw a shout-out to the classic image of the gnome illusionist.
Great job, BHP!
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Another solid class from Brave Halfling. Their rendition of the Paladin is similar in presentation to their Ranger. It clearly feels like the Advanced fantasy gaming class upon which it is based, but it keeps things simple and clean so that you're not suddenly bogged down with a lot of extra rules.
For less than a dollar, I can't complain in the least. If I'd paid $2, I'd still feel the same.
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Perfect. Just perfect.
BHP has done a a superior job here. The Ranger presented here evokes all the feel of classic Advanced fantasy gaming while still keeping to the slick, fast-play style of Labyrinth Lord. I can't rave enough about this product.
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This is a great "in-between" product. If you don't feel like going into the detail of Labyrinth Lord's Advanced Edition Companion but still want to use some sort of proficiency system, Skill Systems is a fantastic alternative. It gives you several options, a condensed skill list that covers all the bases.
For less than a dollar, I can't complain.
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This PDF is a great purchase. It's a great presentation of the classic fantasy Bard in a clear, concise product. Very, very worth it. The only difficulty I had was in the description of one of their class abilities, but logical deduction allowed me to reach a reasonable conclusion.
Again, for less than a buck you can't beat it.
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The Adventurer is a great concept. They're a kind of plucky every man who picks up a few skills here and there to help them survive. More than even a Bard, they are the jack of all trades, but the master of none. However, in spite of a fantastic original concept that helps fill a niche in old school gaming, the Adventurer seems lacking in execution.
The layout feels rushed and a bit haphazard. My biggest problem is that I had to read through the product two or three times before I gained an understanding of the abilities of this class's abilities. Even with that understanding achieved the spell-casting abilities granted in later levels is woefully explained. Their casting abilities are described in a way that is counter to the rules and there is no progression or growth explained in this ability - only that it is received.
The Adventurer is a great idea and with some refinement of this PDF, this could very easily be a favorite class of mine for use in Labyrinth Lord.
Even with all the flaws I saw, I think the Adventurer could be a great NPC class or Henchman class.
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