My Reading List: Rapid Fire Updates

So it's been a while since I posted last and with the new job and a lot of projects on the table I have been a little pressed for time. Fortunately, I've managed to cram what reading I can into the 15 minute breaks and pre unconscious post work collapses I have managed to scrounge together. So here is a list of the Pathfinder stuff I have been reading for the last 6 months and the short reviews of a FEW of the things I've been reading.

Legendary Hybrids: The Doomguard 

A new 3rd party hybrid class by Legendary Games, the Doomguard is one part cavalier, one part ranger, and all angst. Basically a warrior doomed to die by the hands of some known tragic violence likely brought on by a horrible monster's hands, the Doomguard is both cursed by this knowledge and empowered by it. You get to defy fate with some modified challenge mechanics, get to change your skills based on what creature type is looking to murder you in the future, and surprisingly curses that come from knowing your fate/just being screwed by existence. The curses are really cool with a few too many overlapping themes, the Fate Defied power is cool bit of themeing that makes you feel like you're spitting in the eye of causality/your GM in a fun way and since it's a martial class with some cool fantasy dark magic mechanics it's a great addition to any table's class options. Add to that Legendary's ability to just churn out really well built mechanics and I'll totally recommend it. Check it out, it's also on Drivethru in a bundle with like 30-40 other books by them (which is how I got it) for $30 and is totally worth your time. 

Legendary Hybrids: The Yakuza

Another strong hybrid class out of Legendary, the Yakuza combines the sneakiness of the Ninja with the Tactician and Order Mechanics of the Cavalier and a dash of Ranger favored terrains. Very cool, very thematic, lets you play a gangster even if you don't want to be yakuza themed. The tattoo power is cool, the idea that you get a favored terrain bonus in urban and a home turf mechanic is really cool, boosts with making poisons and drugs, and a ki pool combine to give you a lot to work with in an amazing way. To put it in perspective, I'm trying to find a way to convert one of my primary NPCs in my home game from a ranger into a Yakuza because it fits better and ki pool works much better with his skill set than ranger spells. My only real complaints is that I wish there were more Gang options (this classes version of cavalier orders) and that there were more ways to diversify the classes representation of other organized crime archetypes. Like, I want more ways to change up your weapon proficiencies and/or ways to get more ranger'y options. This class screams an archetype to let you play more organized bandit leaders who are more at home in the wilderness than the cities but have otherwise identical/similar skill sets. Legendary, if you've got one in you, please put it out. 

Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos - Pathfinder

This is one I've been reading for an already absurdly long time. Sent to me by the publisher, Sandy Peterson's Cthulhu Mythos has so far been a highlight of my reading hours. Unfortunately, with working 9 hour 3rd shifts 5 days a week for the last 6 months and only having access to the beautiful hardback I've been in a bit of a crunch to finish it and write the review. That said, it is, for what I have read, fantastic. The new races are by and large amazing. The Dreamlands Cat is a cool idea and an interesting new way to play the game; the zoog is fun, terrifying, and hilarious; the ghoul is this amazing race of black comedy sardonics that I cannot wait for the chance to play; and the other new monster race who can have between 2-4 arms at any given time is mechanically cool if not as thematically well written. The madness and fear system is cool and though I don't like it as well as Legendary's version, the tiers work well with the fear system out of horror adventures and the idea of a final tier that triggers a heart attack and that gives some solid systems for determining what instances might trigger a fear check and what those DCs are is a wonderful godsend. That said, there are some problems, the above mentioned fear system buries the DCs in the middle of the write-up which is a pain to find, but overall the book is fantastic and there will be A LOT more of this discussed at a later date. Also new spells, archs, and terrifying new monsters/meaner rebuilds. 

Book of Passion

One of the biggest surprises to come out of my readings this year, the Book of Passion (BOP) is a surprise expansion, redesign, update, whole new thing version of the Book of Erotic Fantasy from the 3.5 days and I have to say it's kind of gold. Yes, there is stuff about sex and yes there is NSFW art that YOU DON'T WANT YOUR COWORKERS TO SPOT over your shoulder without context, but there is SO MUCH MORE. Rules for pregnancy, new archetypes that are awesome in ANY game regardless of the age range you are playing, GREAT FEATS, cool new magical weapon abilities that can make people fall in love with you, just remember to not let kids flit through this. Like seriously, there are alchemist archetypes that let them make perfumes that are basically bardic performances, or new fertility domains for clerics, or a fighter arch that makes them a super body guard. Seriously, I could go on about this book for hours, and soon I might, but right now I'm only about a 1/5th of the way through it and honestly I couldn't be happier with my purchase. It's not just adult content to tittilate, it's a book about adding sex, romance, and love to a game and all the new mechanics and options that those important aspects of fantasy literature bring to these stories and content that can be used across a wide age spectrum. Seriously, if you want to run a game where love and romance are central parts of a story from classical fairy tales and disney Cinderella-esque tales to political intrigue, or even something more hot and heavy this book is for you. It's awesome. 

Now, enjoy this small slice of my current reading list. Hope you enjoy and if you are interested in hearing more drop me a line.