Book Description
Tome of Battle introduces a new combat subsystem for the D&D game. Tome of Battle introduces new rules for players who want new and interesting combat options for their characters. The nine martial disciplines presented within allow a character with the proper knowledge and focus to perform special combat maneuvers and nearly magical effects. Three new martial adept base classes are presented that allow a character to develop their discipline even further. Also included are new feats and prestige classes that build on the disciplines, new magic items and spells, and new monster and organizations.
Customer Reviews:
Our new favorite PC book.......2007-10-06
My entire gaming group reached a consensus: this book is our new favorite book for core classes in DnD 3.5.
First off, a cautionary note: DM's WILL want to read this before letting their player with all the disposable income roll up a character from this book, as its systems are complicated and the character abilities have been created almost whole-cloth. In general, we've found the classes to be powerful for a long time over a long series of encounters, but not QUITE overly so. When compared to the amount of damage a like-level sorcerer can throw around or a twinked-out feat-er, they're about right.
The core mechanics added are the nine martial Styles, which provide a choice of Maneuvers and Stances.
Styles: various fun, flavor-filled fighting styles, each with their own distinct forms, themes, signature weapons, etc. Example: Desert Wind focuses on slashing weapons and often allows a fighter to move quickly around the battlefield and deal elemental fire damage.
Maneuvers: Specific martial attacks with often near-spell-like effects that add a distinct descriptive element to the game. Maneuvers are used once, then lost, but can be regained during combat in a number of different ways, depending on your core class. Many attack-based maneuvers focus on making one standard action to achieve a very nice, powerful effect, so if your player knows his rules, this can actually speed UP combat if he usually plays a dual-wielding cheese monster (no, that's NEVER happened in any of my games...)
Stances: A martial stance that provides a continuous, ongoing benefit. Players can switch between them as a swift action.
The core classes are all very cool, and determine which Styles you have access to. As they start, they have access to a choice of lower-level maneuvers and stances, but these can be readily switched out later for more powerful ones, so their early choices don't become useless later on. In fact, the core classes are so cool, you often will stop looking for a prestige class, unless it is one of the few included in the book that also make use of the martial stance/maneuver system.
In addition to having access to specific style choices, each class also gets interesting class abilities as well. One cool example: the Warblade, a medium-armor figher type, can buy fighter-specific feats as an equivalent figher a few levels lower (read: weapon specialization, greater weapon specialization, etc.). In addition, they can CHANGE any weapon-specific feats to focus on a different weapon, such as weapon focus, weapon spec., with only a short amount of exercise at the beginning of the day. Did your character focus on swords but find a sweet magical greataxe? No problem.
Fans of White Wolf's Exalted game with notice some similarity in the stances and maneuvers to Exalted's Charm structure, the big plus being that lower-powered maneuvers learned early in a characters career can be switched out for higher ones, rather than lingering around at higher levels not doing anything like a bag of caltrops.
All in all, the Book of Nine Swords is not a must-have to play the game, and is certainly not appropriate to every single type of campaign, but most long-time DnD players will find the book adds new spice to their game, with new and interesting options that remain effective no matter what level your character is at the moment.
JT
Excellent.......2007-08-09
Great new classes in the book. It opens up wonderful new possibilities for melee characters.
broken but fun (review is for ppl who know the game).......2007-08-02
I haven't totally devoured the entire book. However, i am currently playing a third level Warblade (class level of four) in a very active campaign. I made sure to OK the class with the DM before using it. I made sure he was aware of how some people declare the class is broken, but he said it would be fine.
I have to admit, i didn't think it was broken until i had taken a few levels in the class. In short, my character just seems over powered, in combat. At the cost of next to nothing, he can add an extra d6 of damage to every other attack...and that is only one of the five "maneuvers" he has in his repertoire. As he continues to level, the amount of extra damage dice continues to climb. Along with these dice come other perks, such as disallowing your enemy to move for a round, or to bypass damage reduction. It just seems too easy to accomplish spell-like abilities for no real cost to the character.
It feels as though these maneuvers not only take the place of figher feats, they are far superior to them. Also, the Warblade gets some pretty decent class features, that make it almost swashbuckelerish, without any real penalties. My character is a Dwarven tank.
I should note that we are playing a rather high powered campaign. Strength and Constitution are both 18 and he has points in Intelligence to aid with the class abilities of the Warblade. He also has no negative modifiers on any of his abilities (all are 10 or above). However, all other characters were made using the same sytem.
I certainly wouldn't say the book is bad. The system they lay out for maneuvers and stances works and is consistent. I certainly have fun playing the axe-wielding cuisinart who mops up the bad guys. Our campaign has a deep enough storyline that just excelling in combat doesn't make for an over-powered character compared to the other characters.
But just be warned, that if you have a large party, with more than one front-line fighter, there may be some jealous glances thrown the way of your Warblade. And if your players aren't mature enough, you may find some arguments breaking out.
Cool new classes and system.......2007-07-19
The classes in this book are awesome and the weapon techniques are cool. The desert wind school has some of the coolest abilities as the shadow hand style. It makes for interesting strategic combat.
Excellent resource for high power campaigns.......2007-07-16
Gamers who play low-power, goblin-bashing campaigns will find little use with this resource. Using any of the classes or even some of the feats will greatly disrupt the balance of power in any low-magic, low-power gaming style. However, for those whose prefer supplemental books such as Epic or Unearthed Arcana , this is a fun and much needed resource.
This book brings relevancy to the fighter-based classes. In any high-power campaign, wizards, clerics, pscions and even druids wipe the floor with fighters and barbarians. Tome of Battle provides three alternative fighter classes that have spell-like abilities they may execute several times per day. Using martial-art style maneuvers, stances and counters, these ultra-fighters do extra damage, strike multiple targets, unleash a whip of fire or pounce like a wild cat.
I am a DM who eagerly purchased this book when it was first published. Now, I cannot run a campaign without at least one player choosing a Warblade or Swordsage. Even at low levels, I can really open up the Monster Manual and provide new, challenging and diverse encounters without having to worry about killing the PCs too quickly.
But more than bringing balance to my high-powered campaign, it makes fighter fun for all of my players, most of whom have been playing D&D for two decades. Versatility, adaptability and creativity have never been the hallmarks of the fighter classes, and for that reason, experienced players tend to choose classes with more depth. Tome of Battle brings that much needed depth to the fighter. This book makes fighters fun again. That's worth all of five stars.
Book Description
Unlock the Magical Power of
Vestiges, Shadows, and Syllables
Tome of Magic presents three new kinds of magic that you can integrate easily into any Dungeons & Dragons® campaign. These magic “subsystems” function alongside the existing D&D® magic system and offer new game mechanics, character options, and adventure possibilities. Within this tome you’ll find three new standard classes–one for each new kind of magic–as well as new spells, feats, prestige classes, monsters, and magic items tied thematically to each.
Pact Magic
Powerful entities known as vestiges exist beyond the boundaries of life, death, and undeath. The binder uses pact magic–a combination of symbols and secret rituals–to summon these entities, strike bargains with them, and gain their formidable and sometimes bizarre supernatural powers.
Shadow Magic
The Plane of Shadow is a dark, twisted reflection of the real world. The shadowcaster, by understanding the fundamental properties of the plane and unlocking its magical mysteries, learns to harness and channel its umbral gloom, shaping the darkness to serve her whim.
Truename Magic
Every creature has a truename–the word of its creation. The truenamer knows the primal language of the universe–the language of Truespeech–and learns the truenames of creatures and objects to gain control over them, transform them, or destroy them.
For use with these Dungeons & Dragons® core books
Player’s Handbook™ Dungeon Master’s Guide™ Monster Manual™
Customer Reviews:
Limited Use but does it well.......2007-01-12
I really like wizards and magic users so I really wanted to love this book. If you want something off the beaten track of magic, this provides some ideas. As an aid to most games, though, it doesn't provide much. It's a niche product for those looking for variants in magic.
New Ideas, New Problems.......2006-11-07
This is one D&D supplement that isn't riddled with dead pages. The book is interesting cover to cover, which at the very least makes it a good value in terms of the ammount of the product you are likely to use.
All three of the book's concepts are interesting and somewhat unique.
However, all three have mechanical issues that are left completely up to you, the user, to resolve.
If you are the type of person who wants a product to "works" out of the book, this is a bad product. Shadow Magic has its perks, but due to its design has massive spikes an lulls in power throughout your leveling. It is depressing how bad Shadowcasters are at levels 6 and 12, yet amazing at levels 7 and 13. This uneven growth can be very unsatisfying, leaving one to wonder "Why aren't I a wizard?" The binder has a very similiar problem, though somewhat less extreme.
Truenaming carries similiar baggage as the number of skill raising abilities erraticly varies from campaign to campaign, the class's power fluxates wildly from campaign to campaign.
Personally, I like the stuff in here, but its not very "plug in and play."
Inspiring.......2006-09-28
The first time someone brought this book to the table, I'll admit that I wasn't immediately impressed by it. However, I thought I saw some potential, so I borrowed it from a friend at work to read over the weekend. I read the whole thing, cover to cover, twice, before Monday.
This book has finally reminded me what it was I loved about D&D when I started playing second edition over a decade ago. Unlike most every other third edition book (and even more so with 3.5), Tome of Magic isn't just a gotta-catch-em-all collection of new feats, spells, magic items, and prestige classes. It is stuffed with truly new, fresh ideas. I had thought that the rules in the Expanded Psionics Handbook were a novel approach to spellcasting in D&D, but the alternate magic systems in Tome of Magic are worlds beyond psionics in scope and style. This book could easily serve as the basis of at least one, if not three or four, whole new campaign settings. Truly different, truly spectacular.
And a special aside for Truename Magic. This system is the way spellcasting in a fantasy setting should be. Lets face it. Spells per day? Choosing spells in the morning when you wake up? Transparently artificial, rediculous, and illogical concepts. Truename magic fixes this and fixes it right, while still being a viable and fun system to use.
Three New Dynamic Magic Systems.......2006-08-11
Tome of Magic offers you three new styles of magic to incorperate into your game.
The first, Pact Magic, bears a slight resembelence to the "summons" system from Final Fantasy VIII. They don't attack, as such, but instead provide you with interesting abilities. The only major draw back to Pact Magic is the fact that the book seems to set up the Pact users as almost inherently evil. The beings you have to make deals with are not nice in the least, and the complicated system of "I've used this one, so I can't use this one," will be tedious to a beginning player.
The second, Shadow Magic, could easily take the place of the Shadow Weave in a Forgotten Realms setting or be incorperated into basic games as an alternate style to normal magic. Of the three new styles, this one is the most traditional, combining a blend of "domain-like" styles and specalized magics. In addition, their powers eventually become spell-like abilitites. The only real downside of the system is the sheer lack of volume of spells. Even bards get more. What they lack in versatility, though, they more than make up for in power.
Finally, True Name magic feels incredibly similar to the Earth Sea book series, in that you discover more powers and abilitites with more names. The fact that this one is actually based off of a skill, the True Speak ability, makes it even more interesting. The Difficulty Classes on the skill's use are also very well done, ranging from 10 at lower levels, up into the 50's at higher levels. Best of all, the progression into Epic Abilities, though not really spoken of much, could be easily done by simply raising the DCs of things.
A fairly good book, but not for everyone. Each of the new magics is interesting and dynamic, but this book is not for everyone. If you like playing wizards and sorcerers (or maybe even clerics), then this book is for you; however, if hacking and slashing or sneaking and stabbing is your style, let your D.M. pick this one up.
Pretty good game supplement, if I do say so myself........2006-07-16
Not to insult other popular pencil-and-paper role-playing games of our time, but there's a reason why Dungeons and Dragons is the world's most renowned RPG of them all: Because the men and women who are responsible for its design are practically without peer in terms of sheer creative genius. Sure, I love the traditional themes of arcane and divine magic that almost all fantasy RPGs provide, and psionic powers are nothing to sneeze at, either. However, by delving deep into the esoteric aspects of world history and ideology and coming up with the three new types of magic for gamers and Dungeon Masters alike to add to their most cherished gaming campaigns, Wizards of the Coast has made sure that D&D Version 3.5 is everything they'd planned it'd be: dark, mysterious, inventive, and downright appealing.
Divided into three chapters, the Tome of Magic supplement explains how DMs can incorporate the likes of Pact, Shadow, and Truename Magic into the mythical gaming worlds where their players' characters dwell in search of adventure. Players, too, can get an idea of what these more-or-less new forms of ancient power have in store for them and their allies as they sally forth into the depths of their alter egos' home realm. For instance, the chapter on Pact Magic introduces the Binder PC class and explains how participants in this occult and hence widely despised profession share their souls with a wide variety of Vestiges--beings whose existences in the world ended so tragically that their names have forever been carved into the stone tablet of history as their spirits transcended all reality into utter nothingness. Successful bondage to a Vestige grants a Binder that Vestige's powers and a physical trait that symbolizes the Binder's pact with his/her new patron. A failed pact grants the Binder the Vestige's powers as well as a successful one does, but the latter persona manifests himself/herself so heavily upon the former being that the Binder's behavior is warped by the spirit's own mentality, making the mortal perform eccentrically and--more times than not--downright irrationally.
Similarly, Shadow Casters, who participate in Shadow Magic, draw their powers form the Plane of Shadow--a literally dark and spooky reflection of the campaign's real world. It is by unlocking the mysteries of this twisted alternate reality and harnessing its nearly limitless gloom that these mages learn not only how to utilize this most umbral of all elements as the base of their spells, but also how to merge their own mortal existences with the Plane of Shadow to perform feats that no other being of their realm can, such as surviving for days without food or sleep and resisting the effects of poison and disease.
Finally, the Truenamer PC class is a student of the true universal language of all creation (called Truespeech) and as such learns the fundamentals of the third form of ages-lost mysticism, Truename Magic. By studying the fundamentals of this ancient tongue, a Truenamer can harness control over various objects and subjects, forcing them unto his/her will at the mere mentioning of their "true names"--namely, the names of their creation. To tell you the truth, the Truenamer PC class is a pretty fun one to play in a standard D&D gaming session--even more fun, in my opinion, than the standard Wizard or Sorcerer.
Oh, and before I forget to mention it, Tome of Magic has quite a few adventures in store for Dungeon Masters to put to use in their next gaming sessions--not to mention fifteen total Prestige Classes for PCs and DMs alike to try our (five for each of the three basic Character Classes presented in this book). The monsters are pretty impressive, too, and not just because they're illustrated so well by the most talented artists in the gaming industry, either. Then again, players who are satisfied with playing one of the more established Character Classes from previous releases of the D&D 3rd Edition and Version 3.5 gaming manuals and supplements will still want to check out the new spells and feats presented in ToM, if for nothing else other than to add even more variety to their PCs.
All in all, Tome of Magic is no disappointment in its quest to bring something new to the gaming table. I was definitely impressed, and I believe other Dungeons and Dragons fans will feel the same way I do. If you can find it in your local hobby shop or bookstore, then by all means, snag it! It's a definite keeper.
Book Description
A Spell Is Better than a Thousand Words
Every mystic library reserves a place for this single potent volume of arcane lore. It's packed with ways to customize sorcerer and wizard characters, including:
New feats, spells, and magic items.
New prestige classes, including the dragon disciple, fatespinner, and pale master.
Information about special organizations such as the Broken Wands and the Arcane Order.
Maps of a mages' guildhall and a home that a sorcerer and a wizard share.
Tome and Blood is indispensable to players and Dungeon Masters who want to add a new dimension to sorcerers and wizards.
To use this accessory, a Dungeon Master also needs the Player's Handbook, the
Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual. A player needs only the Player's Handbook.
Customer Reviews:
cheese for the hero.......2003-11-28
Wizards must have for D&D
Pretty Good.......2003-10-09
well I got tome and blood for my birthday and I was looking through and I found some alright prestige classes. after a while I read a little bit farther in the prestige class section and found the Dragon Disiple. Since I am a sorcerer I was Amazed.It is literally the best Persige Class is the entire book. after thati look at the spells and I found the lesser acid orbs. they are like magic missle except a bit better.(at least i thin they are better. all in all i think this is a pretty good book.
A nice supplement.......2003-09-16
"Tome and Blood" is a fairly good supplement with a wide variety of useful feat, interesting prestige classes, and a couple of good spells. Some of the prestige classes, "The Acolyte of the Flesh" and the "Alienist" for example, would be hard pressed to be useful for a player character but would be nice NPC's.
I was slightly disappointed at the variety of schools, lots of innovation for necromancy, but the other schools, particularly illusion seemed to get short handed.
Also, compared to some of the d20 licensee products like Fantasy Flight Games's "Spells and Spellcraft" or Malhavoc Press's "Eldritch Might" series, this was pretty expensive for the amount of information given.
Great Metamagic, Good Spells, OK PrCs.......2003-04-08
This is probably the guidebook I use most, since I play a spellcaster in my current 3e campaign. I recommend this book if for no other reasons than to upgrade the type of feats you can draw on as a Wizard or Sorcerer and open up a number of new avenues your mage can explore. I really appreciate the metamagic feats, particularly energy admixture and substitution, which give a battle mage new tools to take on the numerous meanies with resistance to specific energies, and scult spell, which allows you to move beyond the circular blast of a standard fireball and into some very exciting alternatives. Among the new spells, the Orb and Lesser Orb spells are a solid choice for low- to mid-level offensive attacks. I had some difficulty with the PrCs, which struck me as being of limited value. Without a DM who tailors his campaign to the inclusion of the elements needed to tap the capabilities offered, many of them would be counterproductive for a player to take. However, if you have a DM who will work with you, there's some very interesting campaign arcs that can be explored.
Overall, a solid extension of magic options for the D&D system.
What a ripoff!.......2002-12-09
This book is good only for explaining the metamagic feats more realistically.
Beyond that, it's practically useless.
I bought it because the books I bought for the druid and bard classes were so helpful, and I thought I'd get more help with my wizard/sorcerer characters.
I should be so lucky.
The book lacks many new spells that I think are particularly useful to lower-level players.
The main reasons one would buy this book is for a more clear definition between a sorcerer and a wizard, and because it explains the metamagic feats in a more useful way than the players handbook does.
Customer Reviews:
Great book for every serious AD&D Dungeon Master!.......2001-04-03
I'm an italian dungeon master and I've been playing AD&D a lot. Every serious DM has to admit that the spells and the magical items presented in the Player's Handbook and in the Dungeon Master's Guide are not completely satisfacting... This is my opinion! The Tome of Magic adds a lot of USEFUL new spells to the PH list and some FUNNY new magical items to the DMG list. What can I say? The new spells are surely worth the book's price; the magical items are not the best the writers could do... but if you remember that in this book there are new classes for wizards (elementalists, wild mages, etc) and new powerful schools of magic,... well, you must admit that you can't lose this book! Even the starting 2nd edition DM has to take a look at the Tome of Magic: it will be very useful to him!
New Spells, Priest Spheres, and Mage Classes.......2000-07-12
What can I say about this book. Well it is useful, but I could have really done without it. It also is included on the core rules CD, however this is becoming difficult to find. There are some useful spells, but most don't warrant being put into a supplement. The magic items are worthless, don't even bother reading them. Some of the mage classes are interesting, but I give them mixed reviews. I could easily stick to regular specialist or kits from the wizard's handbook. This book has new spheres for priests which I didn't see any need for. Unfornately, these new spheres are used in the Faiths and Avatars book for specialty priests in Forgotten Realms as well as the specialty priests in the From the Ashes Greyhawk boxed set.
Hopefully for those switching over to 3rd ed D&D (I'm not), the new spheres or lack of them will be fully incorporated in the 3rd ed PHB.
Good for a start but not enough.......1999-12-27
The book did have some new spells and interesting items, although the Wild Mage class is lame, the elementalist idea is pretty cool. However, the spells and magical items are either too restrictive, worthless, or downright silly. There are a couple of good spells and items, but not enough. TSR probably held them back so they could force you to buy some other lore book.
I was quite enthused by this book.......1999-06-25
There were a number of new concepts introduced into the AD&D magic system, which I now wonder how I lived without.
Wild Mages are a lot of fun, quite powerful, and almost as deadly to the party as to enemies (thus balancing them out with other mages).
New ways for priests to cast powerful spells, make them seem more like holy warriors, and less like walking bandages.
Metamagic: spells that affect other spells, is also an interesting and much needed addition to the spell lists.
If you like spellcasters, get this book. If you don't like spellcasters, get this book. It may change your mind.
Perhaps the most unbalanced mage class inside.......1999-06-22
Wild mages. They have great power and sole access to wild magic spells. Once powergamer players see the rules for them, they will want to play them. The priest spheres and available spells have been expanded greatly and thus this book is acually more useful to priests. Overall a useful addition to jaded parties
Average customer rating:
- "A book for young and old alike...a real 'Keeper' for any library"
- Dragon Keepers I & II
- Spellbinding Read!
- Reminds me of why I miss my childhood!
- Dragon Keepers
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Dragon Keepers (Book 1 'Honor of the Tome')
Bruce Goldwell
Manufacturer: Saga Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Dragon Keepers II 'Demise of Dragon's Gate'
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The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2)
ASIN: 1894936477 |
Book Description
In this the first book of the "Dragon Keepers" series, Merlin is about to turn 13 years old and become an official dragon keeper. Mr. Goldwell has embedded the success principles from his books "The Door to Super Achievement" and "The Power of Choice" into the story so that young people can learn these principles through adventure, fantasy and mystery. There are seven books planned for "Dragon Keepers" and each book will have motivational, and success principles included in the story. Emerson Ward, the illustrator for "Dragon Keepers" wrote, "When I read the book, I realized that kids just aren't taught the principles that are contained in this story. I wanted to be a part of this adventure so I decided I wanted to be the illustrator for the book."
Customer Reviews:
"A book for young and old alike...a real 'Keeper' for any library".......2007-05-02
Bruce Goldwell's Dragon Keepers is the first in his series of seven books, all of which will teach success principles to old and young alike. Bruce Goldwell is one of a select group of modern writers who has the imitable imagination, narrative powers and solid moral vision that enable him to create the kind of large scale (haha...we are talking about dragons here:) conflict between the good (namely Merlin, Tom, the dragons and the Elfins)and the evil (namely Lady Oer, the vampire bats and the huge spiders)that lies at the heart of all good fantasy. Goldwell is much like a contemporary C.S. Lewis but with motivational ideas also added to the mix. Furthermore, the illustrations were inspirational while also applying directly to the storyline.
G.L. Giles, Author of V2:B4 (The Vampire Vignettes Prequel)and V3: The Vampire Vignettes ReVamped (Top 5 Royalty Earner at Xlibris)
Dragon Keepers I & II.......2006-11-27
I read Bruce Goldwell's Dragon Keepers I & II over the holiday. The story is a seven book series about the life of Merlin. It tracks his life from 13 years old to an old and powerful wizard.
There is a lot more to this story then some may think. Each book teaches a valuable lesson to all ages, especially children. The story is not only about Merlin but about how he became the person we know of today. We get to meet his parents, powerful dragons, and a true love who have made a major impact on the paths he chose.
Dragon Keepers I is a fantastic story that teaches you how to lose your worst fears. It starts off with a common 13 year old boy that very quickly begins to pick up a "massive amount" of responsibility and must learn many lessons to fulfill his role as a Dragon Keeper. As a Dragon Keeper, Merlin must teach his new dragon, Dracon how to fly, live, and survive in the real world. He must also teach him the ways of his dragon ancestors. Read this story and see how Merlin naturally takes on his responsibilities, meets new friends, and battles with evil.
I recommend this book to everyone because it reminds us of our everday battles with life and brings a positive perspective to the things we don't want to always deal with. Bruce made me realize that there are a lot more precious things in life and not to take them for granted.
Dragon Keepers II continues the story of Merlin and the hardship he must conquer. He finds a stranger in his living quarters and is quickly reminded of his tasks. Merlin and Dracon go on a wild adventure through different worlds learning about their ancestors, meeting very powerful leaders, and controlling their fate (to a point) by his thoughts. He quickly realizes the hardest task he must face is in the eyes of...(shh...i can't tell you!!!)
I really liked this story because it was so real and passionate. It teaches you to believe in yourself. It also teaches you that you have control over an outcome just by having a positive thought process. Merlin is very advanced for 14 years old. When a situation comes about, he takes care of it. He doesn't coward away or freeze up. He does what he feels he needs to do by following his instincts. I'm really excited to take this adventure with Merlin and Dracon. Now that Merlin knows it's time to take his journey through life and to wisdom, I am sure it will be one adventure after another.
Spellbinding Read!.......2006-07-08
This book captivated my son. We read this book over and over again. The story of Merlin was well wrote. I was unable to put the book down. Each night, we would look forward to reading the next chapter. Bruce Goldwell has done an excellent job at keeping you hanging on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next.
Reminds me of why I miss my childhood!.......2006-04-25
This book is all about enriching your child's imagination and teaching them moral values and how to succeed in the long run.
I have enjoyed it from the very first page and to the very last, it was sad to see it end. I can't wait for the future ones to come along.
It's also refreshing to read about Merlin in his younger years since that part of his life is left largely unexplored by fiction writers.
Over all I loved it and I know that both children and adults will too.
Dragon Keepers.......2006-04-24
Dear Mr.Goldwell I really like your book alot. It's very intresting. My favorite character was the Elfin because he was the only person who could go to the gate with the dragons. The words were so remarkable. I had to figure them out in the dictionary. I would recommend this book, because It got my interest in it.I learned that some books can turn out to be fantastic!!
From Myshawn Bryant
11 years old
PS266, Glen Oaks New York
Average customer rating:
- Acererak's Tomb is revisited, and You Can be There!
- A reader
- Fantastic Module- one of the best ever
- This is a quality product
- An Intense Deathtrap Challenge Even For Experienced Players
|
Return to the Tomb of Horrors (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Tomes)
Bruce R. Cordell
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Game
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ASIN: 0786907320
Release Date: 1998-07-13 |
Customer Reviews:
Acererak's Tomb is revisited, and You Can be There!.......2007-05-10
"Iron men, of visage grim,
Do more than meets the viewer's eye.
You've left and left and found my tomb
And now your soul will die!"
These words struck fear into the hearts of players at Origins I. With them, they knew that they had entered the most devious of all the creations to emerge from the mind of E. Gary Gygax. As player after player lost his character to Acererak's tomb, the creator of AD&D looked on, I'm sure, with an evil grin.
Tomb of Horrors was the first module ever published by TSR. It set the bar high for all that would follow. It inspired people like Grmitooth to try to invent increasingly deadly traps. It made AD&D into a game of intellect and wits, not one of hacking and slashing. It is probably the most popular adventure of all time.
So who is the upstart, Bruce R. Cordell, who thinks he can write a sequel? Does he think he can do justice to the master, the father of all adventures, the Great Gygax? Does this sequel, Return to Tomb of Horrors, do anything more than insult the greatest of all dungeon crawls? Read on, you might be surprised.
To answer the question, we must look at Gygax's original intention. Was he trying to smite players everywhere? Was he trying to make them frightened and instill a feeling of hopelessness? Was he just being mean?
No. He had fallen into a trap many of us do. He had characters, Rob Kuntz's Robilar and Ernie Gygax's Tenser, who seemed to walk through whatever challenges he put before them. He needed something that would test them to their limits. Something that would teach them humility. He needed an adventure that not even they could defeat.
Alan Lucien gave him the idea. He locked himself in his writer's room and began to invent the deadliest adventure that ever was. This time, they'd know a challenge.
So what happened? Robilar sacrifice many orc retainers to get to the last tomb. There, he dumped the treasure into a bag of holding and amscrayed. Tenser manage to defeat Acererak himself, proving to Gygax that an ingenious player can negotiate any but the most arbitrary death traps.
Then he continued to carry it in his briefcase, pulling it out whenever a player claimed to have an unbeatable character. More often than not, they remembered things they had to do and quickly left the table as the other players looked down at their dead characters in horror.
The module then debuted at Origins I. It hit the shelves in 1978. The rest is history.
So now Cordell has written a sequel. How, you might ask yourself, can this box set pretend to be a sequel deadliest 12 pages in role playing history? Does this man actually think he can pull it off?
Let me assure you, gentle reader, he not only thinks he has, but he has.
The adventure starts years after treasure hunters spent their blood and souls in Acererak's final resting place. The place is all but forgotten by most, but as of late, and evil necromantic force has been reaching out of the Vast Swamp. The party begins examining the problem and comes across a name, "The Devourer."
This name leads them to the path of a man who sought the Devourer years before, a mage named Desatysso. As the party follows the long-cold trail of this mage, they discover that there is more to the Tomb than anyone has ever suspected.
You see, Acererak wanted to build a series of tests, to lead people toward a final great reward. Unfortunately, the knowledge of the true purpose of the Tomb was lost, and only Desatysso seems to have found it.
The test consists of three parts: a Tomb, a City and a Fortress. Evidently, crawling into the tomb and smashing Acererak's skull is not enough. He must be hunted to his conclusion and stopped in his dreaded apotheosis. Otherwise, his demonic minions will just keep rebuilding his tomb and adventurers will keep spending their souls there.
This dungeon is not for the weak of heart. It suggests that players not take their beloved characters in, and I wholeheartedly agree. The PK rate is extremely high.
I set up a party of fourteen characters, giving each player at least two. They then started the adventure. However, I couldn't see how they could have any guarantee of surviving the original Tomb (which is included in the boxed set), much less get far enough for me to produce an adequate review. I therefore began sending them dreams. Dreams of people who were not them, but they recognized as each other. They were going through this strange tomb, and they knew that all this had taken place years ago. Finally, at the end, they threw themselves against the demi-lich. The Paladin, who had died and failed his resurrection survival (a convenient accident, not a plot element), appeared and got them to vow to kill this force of evil, no matter what it took, no matter how many lives.
It was then that the players realized they were dreaming of a past life. They threw their might against Acererak and were soundly destroyed.
This plot device worked well. They had already played the Tomb by the time they got to it in present day, and were therefore able to get a full compliment of characters through it. It also gave them a sense of purpose that unified them with these characters they didn't know. It was a right proper epiphany, and feel free to use it when you buy this product yourself.
Anyway, this allowed them to progress beyond this most classic of Tombs, into a place where Orcus himself once walked, the city of Moil. This place has claimed four or five characters (though their pact is keeping Acererak from devouring their souls, so they can come back again in another 50 years, should the party fail).
I'll not give away any more of the plot. Buy this product, and you'll see.
I was not convinced I should give it this good of a review, however. You see, I have always loved the Tomb, and I was afraid I was biased. I therefore gave it to a friend who has never (in my memory) liked a TSR module. He gave this his grudging approval, unable to blow any holes in its plot.
A good product. The traps are as deadly as ever, but this adventure is surrounded by intricate plots and histories. There is so much going on here that the players will never even guess it all.
This is one of the things I love about this module. It is filled with information that the players will never know. They will never fully understand the history of the necromantic academy that has sprung up around the tomb. My players have figured out that the City of Moil worshiped Orcus, but they will never figure out that it was put to sleep because it turned to the worship of a God of Morning.
Most writers try to invent complicated and awkward ways of making sure that the players discover the core of all their intricate plans. Not Bruce R. Cordell. If he had James Bond in his clutches, when Bond asked what this was all about, he'd shrug and put a bullet in his head. It's enough that the GM knows, so that he can flush out details as needed. The players will never guess most of what's happened here.
My players have made me promise to tell all when it's done.
Anyway, this adventure tests players to their furthest. Not only have my players latched onto their characters, four of them have married now (the characters, that is), so that they can snatch some joy in the midst of all this horror. It takes a powerful setting to force people to start searching for affirmations of life.
So there it is. I'm rarely impressed with adventures anymore. I'm not forgiving enough. This module needs no forgiveness. Other than an abuse of absolutes ("nothing can save the character if happens"), I can find no criticism for this product. My players have been going through it for months now, and I have rarely had so much success.
So did they survive? I can hear the question in your minds.
The question should be "Will they survive?" The party has begun spending more time on roleplaying than problem solving. They lick their wounds and clutch each other in the night, whispering reassurances. The adventure continues at a slow, methodical pace, and has become a campaign unto itself. If they survive this, I don't think that can convince them to play other characters. I mean, when you've taken someone into the darkest of all pits, you develop a bond.
Too bad they'll all be dead by the time you read this.
A reader.......2002-02-23
Come on, people. Where do you get the crazy notion that a "killer" module is good? Are you so lame that you cannot create your own killer modules? It is pretty [dang] easy. And that is what TSR does here, it creates a killer module that makes little to no sense.
Everything starts good as a plot is well formed and progresses well for a little while. It gets even better when the party arrives at the environs of the old tomb. All right, ervything pretty [dang] cool thus far. Realistic, fun, and the players better think before they act rashly.
So you are thinking why 3 stars only? Well, the problem is it all goes downhill from there. Once the players leave the old Tomb the new area is just silly. It makes no sense that something this powerful would have ANY trouble with the PC's. Plus the traps are illogical and almost impossible to detect. By this time, roleplaying is long forgotten as players just push their characters from point to point and hope to make their saving rolls.
Still, it gets 3 stars for a good effort from TSR. But there certainly are better choices out there.
Finally, I am amazed so many D&D'ers are impressed with killer modules. Big ... deal. Give me something to excite the players' imagination. That is what role playing is supposed to be about.
Fantastic Module- one of the best ever.......2001-06-05
Although it is out of print and written for 2nd edition, i can't express enough what a high quality product this is. Even if you are running a 3rd edition campaign, this boxed set is definitely worth your picking up if you can find it. The conversion to the new rules might take a little effort on the DM's behalf, but the payoff is the most exciting, deadly, and awe-inspiring campaign ever put to paper. It wraps seamlessly around Gary Gygax's original Tomb of Horrors, and you even get the chance to go back and explore it again if you did so for the first time twenty years ago. My players have no clue what the Tomb really is, and i'm still keeping them in the dark until later. Like other reviewers have said though, be warned. The module is deadly, and about halfway through and all the way to the end, it can eat up PC's like candy. But far as quality, it has some of the best writing, the best traps, the best plot, and over sixty illustrations to mesmerize your players. Definitely try to check this one out, as its going into the history books.
This is a quality product.......2000-11-26
I've purchased dozens of probucts from this website, but this is the first time I've felt compelled to write a review.
Return To The Tomb of Horrors is a quality product from top to bottom. The boxed set includes many maps, illustrations, the original Tomb of Horrors, an expansion to the Tomb of Horrors story (the equivalent of 3 more adventures), and more.
I have not yet run this module, but have read all the contents, and plan to implement it as soon as possible. The story is well written, EXTREMELY original, and the many traps are truly inspiring. Despite the fact this boxed set is the equivalent of 4 normal length adventures, all of the encounters are unique and often ingenious. As I read the module, I found myself often wondering what the writers would think of next.
Note to GM's: This module is possibly the most deadly I've ever read. I would only recommend it for experienced players. Even then, expect casualties.
An Intense Deathtrap Challenge Even For Experienced Players.......2000-10-21
Return to the Tomb of Horrors is a new boxed adventure module based on the old S1: Tomb of Horrors module from tournaments and 1st edition AD&D. The scenario is intended for four to eight characters from 13th to 16th level. Like the original Tomb by Gary Gygax, Cordell's Return is an intense deathtrap challenge even for experienced veterans of the game.
Set in Greyhawk but usable in any campaign, this adventure begins with mysterious villager disappearances and swarms of undead. Your party comes to investigate and becomes entangled in a web of deadly schemes. But what does this have to do with the original Tomb of Horrors? The one that's been dared by many, plundered by few, over the years? Well, it's still in business, and still merrily eating heroes. But if the original deathtrap dungeon was a satisfying meal, this new adventure, wrapped around the original module and set 20 years later, is a murderous banquet. This is the first dungeon adventure I've ever read where I actually felt sorry for the players, and I'm including the original Tomb in that. The new story enfolds the original dungeon crawl in a deadly blanket of new traps and additional story, creating a hideous multi-stage gauntlet for anyone seeking the final mystery at the end. Yes, you get to visit the Tomb itself again, but its significance has changed and deepened.
I have to agree with the author on the use of characters for this adventure: either the group ought to be specifically rolled up for this adventure, or, if the players' regular favorites are to be run through the scenario, tone the thing down, WAAAYYY down. There are sections in this beastly tome that can kill one character per page, and, as the party penetrates the deeper mysteries, the killer trap rate escalates to one or more per room. This makes a party of four-to-eight high-level PCs seem rather puny, and suggests a horde of henchmen, hirelings, and cannon fodder, preferably walking out in front.
Can someone familiar with the original Tomb play or enjoy this? Absolutely. In fact, I'd like to see a group of players, all either DMs who have run Tomb or players who went through it successfully, go through the Return to the Tomb of Horrors. Maybe they'd live long enough to get to the second half of the adventure. Maybe.
This boxed set is stuffed with goodies. There are nine maps and seven new monsters in a full-color maps and monsters book. The maps are very clear, with one exception: Map 3 is so darkly printed that the color-coding is very difficult to make out, but I believe that because of the restricted movement in those areas there should be little impact on play. An illustrated "module" of 160 pages, with appendices of new spells and magic items, includes many "old" spells relying on several other AD&D books (some out of print) but the author urges the DM to make appropriate substitutions when necessary. There is a facsimile of the original S1: Tomb of Horrors module, which is actually used in play. DMs will want to go through this and make detailed adjustments beforehand, since it is not written to 2nd edition AD&D standards. No problem for collectors worried about the value of your original copy: this is not an exact facsimile, as the illustration booklet is bound into the middle. A new illustration book holds scenes to be shown to the players at various points in the adventure, and because since there are two scenes on each page you might want keep a sheet of plain paper folded length-wise handy for covering the second illustration. Lastly, there are handouts for the players, consisting of an eight-page "journal" (in a very difficult font) and a double-sided color card, with special instructions for photocopying and preparation.
In playing this adventure DMs may want to keep in mind their particular players' temperament and game style: are they looking for a real, undiluted challenge, or are they going to be murderously upset by the DM making their PCs into elf flambe, dwarf kabobs, and Halfling hash in one evening? If there is serious risk of you becoming a DM pretzel, you might want to edit this severely and just integrate it into your regular campaign.
Return to the Tomb of Horrors is an excellent adventure in the old module style.
--Sharon Daugherty for Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine
Customer Reviews:
A Must Read!.......2000-06-11
This book is a very good conclusion to the Origin of the Dragonrealm series. It solves the mysteries of the Libraries of Penacles and is the first appearance of a Bedlam in the Dragonrealm. It is a little creepy but still very good. A must read for all Dragonrealm fans!
Book Description
Surviving a perilous journey, explorer Wellen Bedlam arrives on the shores of a fabled land of dragons. Such leviathans, though, prove neither the most astonishing nor dangerous aspect of this new world, for hidden within the land called Dragonrealm is an ancient citadel whose master carries a book in which have been written spells capable of giving anyone mastery over all. Now Wellen finds himself the unwitting participant in a struggle between the book's master, the wizards known as the Lords of the Dead, and a monstrous Dragon King, all of whom see the explorer as the perfect yet expendable pawn...
Customer Reviews:
Must Read!!!!!.......2000-09-18
This book is a must read for all richard Knaak readers, especially if you enjoy his Dragonrealm series. Dragon Tome is about the mysterious Libraries of Penacles and the first Bedlam in the Dragonrealm. If you have not read any of the Dragonrealm books, I would recommend that you read The Shrouded Realm or Firedrake first.
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