Mad Brew Labs

The fine folks over at Alderac Entertainment Group were kind enough to send me a copy of their Ultimate Toolbox, a book of tables, charts, seeds, and sidebars to inspire and aid the Game Master or player of any fantasy based roleplaying game. This book is far larger than its predecessor, the Toolbox, and is system agnostic to boot. It clocks in at 400 pages, none of which are wasted.

Within those pages are over 1000 charts and numerous sidebars that should help any player (Game Master or not) flesh out player characters, non-player characters, cities, governments, religions, dungeons, and plots (just to name a few).

The book is laid out into seven chapters and an appendix. Each chapter is also divided into sections conveniently marked in the table of contents. Each chapter ends with a section called Using This Chapter which gives a capstone on implanting the many charts and various sidebar information presented throughout the chapter.

This is a veritable mine of ideas, description, and seeds with which to grow your campaign. The utilitarian nature of the Ultimate Toolbox combined with the sheer amount of information provided makes it a difficult supplement to adequately review. So to give readers a better idea about what is contained in this massive tome, I’m going to reproduce the table of contents as well as craft a section of a city using the book.

1: Character Backgrounds Character Paths Animals Local Color 2: World World Builder Eco Systems Citizens/Government Religion Environment 3: Civilization City Lords & Ladies Civics Law & Order Architecture & Atmosphere Economic Commerce Crime Religion Guilds Tavern/Inns & Recreation NPCs Around Town Fanfare Contacts University

4: Maritime Ports ‘o Call Crewing the Ship Ships The High Seas Pirates 5: Dungeon Dungeons & Cave Trappings Books & Labs The Dead Traps, Locks, & Treasure Empty Rooms More Advice 6: Magic Magic Items Components/Herbs Druids & Witches Undead The Planes The Bizarre 7: Plot (GM Only) Quick & Dirty Villains Gossip Act Two: The Path Urban Inspiration Quests & Secrets Alternatives Encounters

Crafting with the Ultimate Toolbox

The description below was created after about five minutes of rolling a d20 on several charts in from the Civilization chapter and the Architecture & Atmosphere section. As you can see you can generate some detailed descriptions fairly quickly.

• Building Description: Complicated Connections span a series of buildings all owned by a single landlord
• Architecture: Second-story structures with many windows
• Districts & Quarters: Red-light district
• Neighborhood Features: High crime rate in alleys
• Monuments: Obelisk
• Building Types 1: Aqueduct
• Building Types 2: Concert Hall
• City Sights: Local crowd partaking of a public stoning or execution
• City Sounds: Glass breaking
• City Smells: Burnt Sugar
• Statue Description: Tall, once pure-white obelisk rises to the sky. It is covered with strange ancient writings and is rumored to be only one of many

Conclusion

I have a theory that the best Game Masters are actually accomplished improv artists. They are able to play off of unexpected player decisions without missing a beat. While this book will not teach you improv, it can prove indispensible as a tool at the table to quickly generate details for unexpected situations at the table, especially if you bookmark likely used tables beforehand.

Needless to say, despite the marked price of $49.95, I highly recommend this book. This book will survive the current edition of whatever game you’re playing and prove useful time and again. You can shave nearly $16 off the cover price if you pick up the Ultimate Toolbox from Amazon.

The Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting is probably one of the best setting books that I have seen in the past few years. The official Pathfinder RPG campaign setting is the world of Golarion, where all the Pathfinder Adventure Paths and Pathfinder Society modules take place. Golarion and its cosmology truly offer something for everyone.

Golarion has it all: steampunk, horror, sword & sorcery, sword & planet, dark fantasy, political intrigue, Vikings, genies, pirates, ninjas, dinosaurs, and lasers. The surprising quality is Golarion manages to provide all this yet still feel very homogeneous and flowing. The key to the setting’s consistency (other than the A-list of developers Paizo had working on it) is Golarion’s familiarity.

The world of Golarion is structured, shaped, and colored with the same elements that comprise our own Earth. Golarion’s Inner Sea is a rough translation of the Mediterranean with all the various surrounding cultures being transposed upon Golarion’s landmasses with a fresh perspective. This was actually a goal spelled out in the prologue titled, An Old New World penned by Mike McArter, the editor and project lead.

Chapter 1: Characters

Races

The campaign setting begins with the obligatory descriptions of the major races of Golarion. What is important to note is that each race has been given a unique treatment that is specific to how they operate in Golarion. For instance, in the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting, gnomes suffer from an affliction called the Bleaching.

A gnome’s age is not tied to the passing of time. Instead, whenever a year passes by without the gnome experiencing new wonders, he advances one age category. Favored regions, preferred deities, names, and languages are given at the beginning of each racial entry. Each race has been given something that makes them feel like they belong to the world of Golarion.

Classes

Each of the D&D 3.5 base classes is also given the Golarion treatment. Each class entry describes the general behavior and common expectations of representatives found in Golarion as well as which regions favor the class. Each entry begins with an alternative class feature, which give a Golarion flavor to the mechanics.

Chapter 2: The Inner Sea

Once through the Golarion perspective on Races and Classes, the book plunges into 2 or 4 page entries on the major (and minor) kingdoms, nations, and regions which appear alphabetically. Each entry begins with a coat of arms and statistics about the location including its alignment, capital (if any), notable settlements, ruler, type of government, dominant religions and languages.

The entries include histories, political description, and brief details on locations of note. Each region also includes one or more feats for characters that have affinity for the region (either having been born there or lived there for an extended period of time). Here is where you find that real world familiarity that makes this setting click.

Andoran represents the very American (at least the America of ages past) ideal about freedom and democracy. Cheliax embodies imperial fascism in the guise of diabolism, symbolizing British Imperialism and Nazi Germany. Galt and its named guillotines harkens to the days of the French Revolution while Quadira has the Ottoman Empire written all over it. Osiria is a direct reflection of ancient Egypt and the Mwangi Expanse is reminiscent of the rain forests of both Africa and South America.

The Campaign Setting focuses on just the Inner Sea region of Golarion, which includes the two (out of eight total) continents of Avistan and Garund. Brief descriptions of the other land masses are given at the end of the chapter.

Chapter 3: Religion

Pantheon

The chapter begins with the introduction of twelve new domains introduced by the Campaign Setting. However, since the Pathfinder RPG has been released, this information is really only applicable if you are playing Dungeon & Dragons 3.5.

Each deity receives a half page entry that begins with their holy symbol, portfolio, alignment, domains, favored weapon, centers of worship, and nationality. I think the most interesting concept is that there are not racial pantheons. The gods get a more complete treatment in the Gods & Magic supplement.

Cosmology

Pathfinder has a cosmology similar to the Great Wheel planar composition of 3.5 D&D. At the center of everything you have the Material Plane and Positive Energy Plane at the center of the Inner Sphere.  Overlapping these, through the Ethereal Plane, are their mirror opposites: Shadow Plane and Negative Energy Plane.

The Material Plane is encased in 4 layers of Elemental Planes (Air, Water, Earth, and Fire) and then the Astral Plane which marks the beginning of the Outer Sphere. One the edge of the Astral Plane, before the universe is consumed by the infinite Abyss, reside the planes tied to alignments (Nirvana, Heaven, Elysium, Abbadon, Hell, The Maelstrom, Axis, and the Boneyard).

Also in this chapter are brief descriptions of minor gods, devils, demons, and angels. The campaign setting also introduces four philosophies that are not tied to deities.

Chapter 4: Organizations

The famous Pathfinder Society (the same group the organized play wing of the Pathfinder RPG), infamous Hellknights, deadly Red Mantis assassins, righteous Eagle Knights, and devious Apsis Consortium are laid out in this chapter. These organizations could serve as handy elements in a campaign to further the plot, either as resources and allies or as dangerous opponents. Also, a handful of less influential organizations are given a brief mention at the end.

Chapter 5: The World

This is the largest chapter and its sections include History & Timeline, The Darklands (the Pathfinder version of the subterranean Underdark), Fauna, Flora, Languages, Lost Nations, Psionics, Technology, Trade, and Weather & Climate. There are also the more mechanic orientated sections of Domain Spells, Equipment, General Feats, and Prestige Classes (Harrower, Low Templar, Pathfinder Chronicler, Red Mantis Assassin, and Shackles Pirate).

History

The Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting provides a rough account of 10,001 years of history. It begins with the Earthfall event, when a massive meteor, the Starstone, called down from the stars by the Aboleth destroyed the Azlant (the first kingdom of men that appears to be inspired by Atlantis mythos). This event plunged Golarion into a literal and figurative Age of Darkness.

Today, Golarion is in the Age of Lost Omens which was brought about by the death of Aroden (the god who was prophesied to return to Golarion upon the eve of mankind’s greatest triumph). None of the old prophecies are reliable and it is truly an age to make your own destiny.

Current year is 4709, but was 4708 when the book was published. Time passes in Golarion just as it does in the real world.

Appendices

There are four appendices. The Pathfinder Chronicles Locations which details where the Adventure Paths published (at the campaign setting’s time of publication) take place. The much needed Pronunciation Guide (something EVERY fantasy supplement should have). There is the Rogues Gallery of NPCs for Game Masters. Even an appendix for Wandering Monsters is included.

Criticisms

I have a few criticisms for the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting. The first criticism is that the book has an MSRP of $49.99, which is pretty expensive to me for a book with less than 260 pages. Also, there needed to be more maps. On the editing front, I encountered about 15 errors (but didn’t document them until I encountered 5 or 6).

I also had some confusion surrounding the mechanics of the Shackles Pirate prestige class. They have the ability to grapple ships, but I wonder how to calculate the strength check is a character opposing? Is it the grappled ship’s strength or its crew’s?  How do you determine the strength of a ship? There is a chart that shows the strengths of various classes of ships, but the table is really only for the mist ships that Shackles Pirates can create. Some further clarification would be nice.

Praise

As I mentioned in my introduction, the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting is probably the best setting book I have read since the Iron Kingdoms from Privateer Press. Paizo wrangled an awesome crew of contributors to pen the setting and it shows (not to mention the awesome cover by Wayne Reynolds).

The setting presents just the right amount of detail. Game Masters, and players, are given just enough information to spark the imagination while not nailing everything down and making the setting inflexible. As this setting matures, we’ll see if this continues to be the rule, but for now it feels very open and not oppressed by official canon.

Just about any type of fantasy adventure can be found within the pages of the campaign setting. It is a veritable melting pot of genre. This book has been a valuable resource in creating a new campaign with my Co-GM. Since it also meshes nicely my new default RPG of choice, I highly recommend it. You can get it at Amazon for $31.49 ($18.50 off the cover price!).

I am sure everyone felt the weight of the 4^th Edition Player’s Handbook II drop on the blogosphere this morning.  Well, this article is a review (note: not a product spotlight) of the original 4^th Edition Core books: Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual.  I often do product spotlights, because I like to get the word out about a new product, but this will only be my second full-fledged review of a game.

Most people have already made their minds up on whether or not they dig the new edition of the venerable Dungeons & Dragons game, so if you are one of those people, I recommend you read something else here at Mad Brew Labs (I am very partial to my Dead Wastes material!).

One of the reasons I wait a while to do an actual review is because to be able to really render a verdict, you need to spend some time with the material.  I can honestly say I put 4e to the test.  I played all the modules at GenCon (went from 1^st to nearly 5^th level), and several more since then.  I have played all the tiers and given most of the classes a shot.

Without further delay, here is my macro-review of Dungeons & Dragons, 4^th Edition.

Player’s Handbook
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Wizards
Date: June 6, 2008
Language: English
ISBN:978-0786948673
Weight: 2 pounds

DM’s Guide
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Wizards
Date: June 6, 2008
Language: English
ISBN:978-0786948802
Weight: 2 pounds

Monster Manual
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Wizards
Date: June 6, 2008
Language: English
ISBN:978-0786948529
Weight: 2 pounds

Simplicity of Rules

One of the important aspects that 4^th Edition D&D, or 4e, is supposed to bring to the table is simplicity.  The designers would speak about streamlining this or that component or decreasing the complexity of a mechanic (such as grapple).  Overall, the product does have a very streamlined feel, unless you are trying to find something in the index!

Levels

D&D 4e now provides levels through 30^th, where previously the 21^st – 30^th levels were reserved for the Epic Level Handbook and had separate rules.  The levels are divided into three tiers, 1^st – 10^th being Heroic, 11^th through 20^th being Paragon, and 21^st – 30^th being Epic.  The names are familiar and have been re-purposed from 3^rd Edition (there were Paragon racial classes in 3^rd).

Ability score improvements are still doled out, albeit at different intervals (but still 5 times in 20 levels).  A new feature for 4^th edition happens at each tier; all the ability scores are improved.  I definitely like the new way.

Races

I think Wizards did a relatively decent job of reworking the races.  I feel that they are more balanced (as in I use to pick Human pretty much every time, but I can now see myself picking another race).  Of course, everyone know the Half-Orc (presumably because Wizards doesn’t like their origin story) and Gnomes (which can still be played using the Monster Manual or now, the PHB II).

They officially split the High and Wood Elves into the Eladrin and Elf respectively.  They made the Tiefling (of Planescape origin) a core race as well as adding a new race, the Dragonborn.  Dragonborn are reminiscent of the old Dragonlance Draconians and are probably the new favorite pick of former Half-Orc fanatics.

All but Dwarves, Half-Elves, and Humans have a racial Power, while the Dragonborn’s Dragon Breath racial Power is the only one that scales with the tiers (which was a huge disappointment after being told about how the races now scale at a 4e Q&A at GenCon ’07).  All together, only a little tweaking has been applied to the races.

Classes

4e brings the original core classes back in the Fighter, Cleric, and Wizard, but you’ll also find the familiar Paladin, Ranger, and Rogue.  The 3^rd Edition core classes of Barbarian, Bard, Monk, and Sorcerer are gone but are introduced in future supplements.  They bring in the new classes of Warlock (ok, not really new) and Warlord.  The classes are assigned roles: Controller, Defender, Leader, and Striker (familiar for MMO gamers: tank, dps, etc.).  Most, if not all, of the class’ Powers are geared towards satisfying this role.

I have a small gripe about the Warlord, because I would rather not have rank (Lord) implied by the class name, something like Tactician would be much more appropriate.  Each class is now has class features which usually scale at each tier (like the Rogue’s Sneak Attack) as well as a range of uniquely named Powers.  All classes gain Powers and Feats at the same progression.  Oh yeah, multi-classers beware, you might now like the new method (more on this later).

Every class also has several Paragon paths available to choose from once they hit the respective tier.  These are meant to help a character stand out from others of their ilk.  Also, characters have a several Epic Destinies to attain which give them special abilities.  The purpose of Epic Destinies is to give finality to the career of the characters that attain them, sort of an “I beat the game” shtick; you can take it or leave it…

Powers

Players now pick their level-dependent class abilities from a variety of uniquely identified Powers.  These Powers all have a source (Martial, Divine, Arcane, etc.) and come in several varieties: At-Will, Encounter, Daily, and Utility.

There are dozens of Powers to choose from for each Class and most characters begin play with 2 At-Will, 1 Encounter, and 1 Daily Powers.  At level 30, most characters will have 2 At-Will (still), 4 Encounter, 4 Daily, and 7 Utility Powers.  I do not really care for the progression, as it seems most of your career will be spent executing the same stuff, over and over again (though the same could be said for some 3^rd Edition Classes).

You can retrain 1 Power every level (or a Skill or Feat) and some levels specifically grant you the ability to swap Powers.  I am not a very big fan of rampant retraining because why would I suddenly lose a Power I had for the last 10 levels?

Skills

Another component that was streamlined was is Skills.  The skill consolidation and is a plus in my opinion.  I like how climb and swim are now just Athletics.  Some people may complain that they liked the variety and now it is impossible to create characters that specialize in a certain area.  I say that should now be the realm of Feats (Webbed Feet: +3 to Athletic checks involving swimming).

I was pretty happy with the treatment they had given Skills; they had simplified them without sacrificing detail and made them more useful.  That was until I saw they had cut out Crafting.  Perhaps Wizards will bring back crafting in some future supplement, but I prefer it to be Core.  However, I do not really have any qualms about the removal of Professions (I think this could be the purview of Feats as well or just Roleplay them).

I would be happier with Skills if there was greater disparity between base skill bonuses of characters at different levels.  As an example, if I have a 5^th level (+2) character with an Intelligence of 18 (+4) and she is trained in Arcana (+5), at 10^th level, if I placed the 8^th level Ability Score bonus in Intelligence, she would still only have an additional +4 to her base skill bonus.  It’s a personal preference, but I would like to see that difference be a little bit larger.

Combat

I have often heard about how combat was streamlined.  Maybe it is how it works theory, but in practice I find that combat can become just as mired and slow as with the previous generation of Dungeons & Dragons.

Others must find this true as well since my article on how to speed up combat is ranked third or fourth as my most visited post.  It comes down to tracking all the marks, curses, quarries, and et ceteras that can be placed on players and monsters alike, who is bloody, who still needs to save this round… You had better come armed with a handful of pipe cleaners.

Monsters

I will say I am a big fan of the new format for monsters found in the Monster Manual.  While I really do enjoy lengthy descriptions of monster ecology, the new format is easier to use and makes preparing (though not running) encounters a breeze.  I also think it makes the creation of original beasties far easier.  I do get annoyed sometimes with their naming convention (could I have all the dinosaurs under one banner please!).

Much like classes, monsters are assigned a role, which helps the Dungeon Master utilize them best during an encounter.  Monster roles include Artillery, Brute, Controller, Lurker, Skirmisher, and Soldier.  There are also sub-roles Elite, Leader, and Solo.  I think the roles and sub-roles are pretty self-explanatory.

Skill Challenges

The Dungeon Master’s guide really offers some good advice for both novice and experienced DMs (though mostly for novices).  One of the topics presented is the Skill Challenge.  While the version of Skill Challenges printed in the book is horrible and hard to implement, the errata for the DMG did a relatively decent job of cleaning it up.

What confounds me is the fact that many people claim this is a new idea.  Well, perhaps this is the first time it has ever been presented in an organized fashion, but I have been running Skill Challenges since D&D first included Skills in 2^nd Edition (it was 2e they were introduced, right?  My memory is hazy on this).  Regardless, I give the designers kudos for finally writing it down officially.

However, there seems to be a complaint, or misconception, that Skill Challenges removes roleplay from the game and is an attempt to provide a mechanic for everything.  I disagree.  Skill Challenges should be used to enhance roleplay, by adding that element of the unknown (often called randomness).  Just have them roleplay the situation and give nice bonuses for a well-roleplayed scene.

Verisimilitude

One of the largest complaints I see with 4^th Edition D&D is the lack of verisimilitude.  But, you say I just pointed out how every class has a plethora of Powers to choose from!  Yes, but all the Powers feel the same…

Balance

The algorithm then designers used to create Powers is a bit too transparent to me.  I think they created a table of functions (like damage, movement, conditions) that had about five columns and a formula that said you could pick X number of functions with Z multiplier for a power of N^th level.  Everything seems too balanced.  I know, it sounds crazy, but that is my observation.

Gone are the days of yore when a player could cherry-pick Classes and Prestige Classes to create optimized character builds.  Multi-classing now only works with one other class chosen with a Feat that initially only gives you limited access to a single Class ability.  In order to gain Powers or Paragon Paths, you need to take more Feats (which can get quite expensive).

The reasoning behind this is to prevent character builds that were unmanageable by some Dungeon Masters in the 3^rd Edition era.  I think balance is the purview of the Dungeon Master, and a skilled one can deal with any build a player throws at him.  I liked the flavor that the previous version of multi-classing allowed; it allowed me to build exactly the kind of character I wanted.

Pigeonholes

A major complaint with Classes and their well defined roles are that the game now pigeonholes players into pre-determined functions.  I don’t think it is as bad as many make it out to be, but yes, there is still a mechanical barrier that must be overcome, but I think much of it could be resolved through roleplay and a little homebrew, but we’re speaking about the material RAW (rules/read as written).

For instance, much of the versatility has been removed from Wizards because of their lack of numerous spells.  While Rituals are certainly a nifty option, many of the spells they could use to fill other roles have been removed.

Other Issues

I am going to write about some other issues that are really problems with corporate business models and perception, but not really issues with the game.  I only mention them because I feel they are the big white elephant stand in the corner that needs to be addressed.

Bloat

Many early adopters of 4^th Edition bemoaned the rules bloat of 3^rd Edition.  There were too many supplements with too many new Feats, Classes, Spells, and optional mechanics to keep track of.  Now, some of these same people are cursing the rate at which Wizards of the Coast are releasing new material for the new edition (which appears to be faster than in the 1^st year of 3^rd Edition).

Well guess what, it is going to happen.  Wizards are going to turn out as many products as they can.  Why?  Because people buy the stuff, that’s why!  Soon, there will be just as many, if not more, supplements available for 4e as there were with 3^rd Edition.  There will be power creep, it is inevitable.  But guess what, you don’t have to buy them or use them!

Identity

A lot of people are complaining that this edition (just as they did when the previous edition was released) is too much like a Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game (MMORPG).  Well, let me enlighten some of these people.  These same MMOs that 4^th Edition appears to be copying have their influential roots found in none other than Dungeons & Dragons.  So if anything, D&D 4e has actually been influenced by its predecessors, albeit through the lens of a computer game.  Art eats Art.

Copyrights & Control

Something happened within the executive suites of Wizards of the Coast during the development of 4^th Edition.  Where there was once a very copyleft stance on their rules, Wizards has reversed course to the familiar position of placing a tight grip upon their Intellectual Property.  There is no Open Game License, the new SRD is merely a list of titles, and the Game System License is very restrictive.  You can see the extent of their IP game by looking at the names of the monsters in the MM

Proponents of Wizard’s new attitude claim that many of us have been given so much previously that we have garnered an undue sense of entitlement.  Perhaps, but I feel I am justified to have such high expectations from one of the premiere companies in the industry, after all, they were the ones who opened up their content in the first place.

Some very good things developed from the OGL, as well as some horrible stuff, but I think the market helped cull the weak.  It helped the Industry as well as establishing the D&D brand as a power entity.  I think the GSL is joke and more things can actually be accomplished just by Fair Use (which makes the GSL superfluous).  However, again, this topic doesn’t have much bearing on evaluating the core game.

Verdict

I am sure that the zealots will say I am bashing their favorite game while the luddites will say I am going too easy on 4^th Edition Dungeons & Dragons.  I will say that I personally do not prefer this edition, but I have had fun playing it, it just doesn’t meet my expectations.

Good Design Choices?

I really, really like many of the design choices that the minds behind the new edition made: at will powers, simplified monsters, and consolidated skills.  However, 4e D&D truly strikes me as a case of a product that is not the sum of its parts, in fact when looked at as a whole, I feel like everything doesn’t add up.  To me, it tastes a little watered down from its predecessor and plays more like a miniature skirmish game during combat.

Target Audience

Still, it scores well in my book and recommend anyone who hasn’t played a session with experienced players to do so and form your own opinion, D&D 4e may be a match for you if you struggled with how some of the mechanics worked in 3.5.  And I get the impression that the target audiences for this game are players new to table top gaming as well as the players of MMORPGs, so if you fall into these categories you may fall in love with 4e.

Alternatives

However, if you find it lacking, but are looking for quick, easy, and fun rules, try Pinnacle’s Savage Worlds.  If you are looking for crunchy mechanics and 3^rd Edition compatibility, try Paizo’s Pathfinder RPG.  Finally, if you want more skirmisher fun, but less fluff, I highly recommend Privateer Press’ Warmachine or the now defunct D&D Minis game.

Listening to: Machine Head- The Blackening - Halo

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