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Rokugan: The Art of the Legend of the Five Rings
Publisher: Aconyte Books
by Kaine [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/11/2023 13:59:07

Incredibly disappointed in this as a digital product. The art chosen is nice but the image resolution doesn’t hold up, which is particularly problematic with the maps which are often unreadable. L5R’s art has always been its strong suit and that’s on display here, but the low res images make the digital version not worth a purchase. Go for the physical copy if you mean to buy it at all.



Rating:
[1 of 5 Stars!]
Rokugan: The Art of the Legend of the Five Rings
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Legend of the Five Rings: Writ of the Wilds
Publisher: EDGE Studio
by Kaine O. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/02/2023 11:43:26

I'll keep this review relatively brief because I think most of my points have already been covered more completely in other 2-star reviews. I bought this book on day 1, and I wanted to give it some space to settle before putting down my thoughts on it.

First, some positives. The art is gorgeous as always, the lore is fun and interesting, and there are some cool ideas here for playing new types of characters. Non-human characters can be a very exciting addition, and the deeper look into Yobanjin tribes and traditions is very enjoyable. Greater insight into the Dragon is nice, and the Dragonfly - while a pretty simple minor clan - have been given a distinct personality and traditions that make them feel like worthwhile additions to one's table.

But this book does not maintain the quality of previous entries, and for the first release in Edge's run of the game that's concerning. There are no NPC profiles, templates, or demeanors here other than the ones paired with adventure seeds. We have no general monk stat blocks except one obsolete one from the starter set, and despite the many new creatures introduced in this book and the new Yokai Hunter title we have no new yokai to play with.

The Dragon Clan, who feature prominently in this book, don't get a single new school despite the Kitsuki family only having one option. Dragonfly get one school (a fate they share with the Centipede, but still disappointing), and even the new non-human cultures get only one school apiece despite the potential for many varieties, making them feel kind of one note.

More distressing than anything is the "new" game of 20 questions options, re-using content from Path of Waves and not offering any clan/family replacements unique to any of the new character options except for the Dragonfly. Your Shinomen naga is no different from your local lumberjack. This was such a slap in the face that I honestly thought it was a misprint, but after waiting this long for a correction I think I have to accept that it's just the disappointment that it is.

I wanted to love this book. It certainly had potential, but it just feels like a dud. It doesn't bring nearly enough new content to the table to excuse what's absent. I know that Edge inherited a difficult situation and don't hold it against them, but I sincerely hope that future releases give us more to get excited about than this one did.

On a positive final note, the companion adventure Imperfect Land is excellent, so hope lives on.



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
Legend of the Five Rings: Writ of the Wilds
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Solace In Silence
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Kaine O. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 07/02/2018 07:21:55

This review is from the perspective of someone who has fully read the material, but has not yet run it.

If you're already familiar with deathbybadger's other work, you probably already have an idea of what you'll think of this adventure. The style of grim, existential horror, crushing bleakness, and unnervingly disarming humor that made the City of Eyes unique is fully present in the frozen world of Solace. Whether or not that style resonated with you will tell you a lot about whether or not you should buy this module.

What sets Solace apart from not only its predecessors but also from most every other adventure is the sense of loneliness it seems built to press upon your party. There are no NPCs to meet or save, only dark echoes to show where there used to be life. There are no monsters to battle, but your party will still be hounded constantly by the feeling that something is lurking just beyond that next snow drift. Indeed, as the adventure seems designed to almost guarantee that not everybody makes it to the end (which is, in itself, a punch to the gut), the player's are likely to experience the dread of being the last man standing, or more likely crawling, upon the dead face of Solace as much as they dread their likely demise.

Well-written, neatly put together in terms of flow and pacing, and guaranteed to give your players a wholly unique experience that will ensure they never trust you again, I highly recommend this product to anyone looking to dive into a new blend of horror at their table.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Solace In Silence
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Xanathar's Guide to Orders and Organizations
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Kaine O. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/09/2017 14:22:15

I picked this up today, and it's proven to be a very enjoyable read. With fairly minimal tweaking, all the factions presented within can be fit into almost any game world. This resource is incredibly useful for anyone who wants to add some new orders to their world when some of the classics start to feel stale.

One of my favorite aspects of this resource is the manner in which the new subclasses from Xanathar's guide were used, providing some unique examples of what a gathering of such individuals could become. While some of these organizations are exactly what you would expect, each one gives you an interesting history and tools to easily encounter, work for, or even join these groups in your game, and the well thought-out backstories and characters make even potentially predictable factions unique and fun.

The only reason I'm rating 4/5 is the tone of the resource. While this isn't necessarily done poorly, the presence of only one faction per subclass means that you're rolling the dice on what sort of tone you get, and whether or not that fits your story. We have everything from an order of redemption-seeking ronin (one of my favorites, by the way), to a nation dedicated to just how swell this guy Derek is (and really, who can blame them?).

The humorous elements and serious elements are both done very well here, but the disparity between styles means you MIGHT not find quite what you're looking for. That being said, if you're a DM looking for some fun, unique, friendly, or even deadly factions to spice up your world, I can't recommend this enough.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Xanathar's Guide to Orders and Organizations
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