RPGnet Newsletter #182

[RPGnet Forums]( RPGnet Newsletter #182 August 20, 2019 {NAME}, here is this week's RPGnet Newsletter! New Columns Christopher Cecil of Fuzzy Thinking invites you to review: [Top Ten Signs Your Party is Too High-Level.]( And, Fred Furtado of Superseeds discusses the difficulty of keeping a long-term column going in: [Crisis on Superseeds!]( New Reviews Runeblogger catalogued the [Glorantha Bestiary,]( noting that it is a must-have for those playing in Glorantha. Fifteen years ago, Christopher Cecil reviewed [Dawnfire,]( which could have a use as a fantasy rpg-intro tool, but is not going to hold the attention of veteran gamers and doesn't offer any truly unique ideas. Antonios S reviewed some RPG products: - [Symbaroum: Monsters and Traits]( earned nothing from the mistakes of its predecessor and repeated all of them wholesale, while adding an even more disturbing one on its own. - [Mechatron Cards]( for Mutant: Year Zero unexpectedly comes out as a rather mediocre product for an otherwise great line. - [Camarilla]( for Vampire: The Masquerade 5e provides new information and sketches some of the tenets behind the game, yet it feels as if it is created for those holding the keys to those doors already in hand. - [Shadows over Stillwater]( for CoC 7e is a solid collection of old West scenarios with a pulpy feel. Antonios also reviewed some non-RPG tabletop products: - The [Star Wars: X-Wing Second Edition expansions: TIE/sf Fighter, TIE/vn Silencer, VT-49 Decimator, A/SF-01 B-Wing, Millennium Falcon]( offer more factions, more units, and more choice. - [Power Grid Recharged]( is a bidding and network-building boardgame that is a classic game in an iconic odd-sized box to be found in gaming libraries everywhere in the world. - [Letter Jam]( is a cooperative, two to six player word-guessing game that will become a commercial success, probably gathering a few accolades in the process. - [Deranged]( is a survival boardgame that needs however to introspect a bit more about what it is, to fine-tune its mechanics, and to polish its rough edges if it wants to come out as something truly exceptional. And, the week wound up with a mix of fantasy RPG reviews from Endzeitgeist. - The [Lands of Lunacy Setting Guide]( for D&D 5e is good in concept but terrible in system implementation. The [OSR version]( is much improved. - [The Fall of Mith: Mithos Manor]( also for D&D 5e fixed all the flaws of its prior version and features some unique themes. - [Colossus, Arise!]( is a DCC adventure that offers an epic, high-level sword & sorcery yarn par excellence. - [Vault of the Faceless Giants]( is a cool, FREE Basic Psionics Handbook-compatible module! Threads You Might Have Missed Even experienced GMs can benefit from a few words of wisdom from the brain trust that is RPGnet: [Your best single advice for a first-time GM.]( Here's a great thread with some advice on activities for your scheming PCs or NPCs to undertake in faction-focused games: [[V:tM] Vampire intrigue and politics: things to *do* against your enemies.]( (Yes, it's VTM themed, but it's easily generalized.) And, here's a potentially cool setting element for your fantasy or alternate universe game: [What effects would large scale powered flight have on medieval strategy and tactics?]( Sign Off Have a good week, everyone. - Iustum Newsletter Editor [Unsubscribe from mailing list]( [Visit RPGnet Forums](