Book Description
Complete Champion focuses on the divine champion and provides new rules options for characters who enjoy battling for a cause, defeating foes with divine magic, and going on quests that mean more than simply defeating the bad guy and grabbing the treasure. Complete Champion also helps Dungeon Masters run quest-themed campaigns and adventures.
In addition to providing various archetypes for characters, Complete Champion includes new feats and prestige classes. This book features dozens of deity- and belief-themed organizations, turning religion and holy (or unholy) power into something characters of all classes can use.
Customer Reviews:
Good for "core pantheon" campaigns.......2007-09-16
All in all this isn't a bad book, it just lacks a certain level of applicability to any campaign not using the "core" deities as detailed in the PHB. More or less all of the fluff and a good deal of the crunch in this book seems to take that as a given. All in all I have been impressed with the Completes series - I was dubious of the "second round" but after Mage and Scoundrel I was generally impressed. This one seemed a far cry in utility compared to the others in the series. It has a handful of useful rules items, but all in all this isn't a great book.
Quite Useful For 3.0/3.5e Greyhawk Campaigns..........2007-09-13
Complete Champion works best if you're campaign is set in Greyhawk and/or prominently features the core 3.0/3.5e D&D gods. It's also the most DM-centered of the "Complete" books, which are generally thought of as extensions of the Player's Handbook (PHB). While there are new feats, prestige classes (11 of them, actually) and spells, the rules for creating church affiliations and holy sites take up quite a bit of the book. While players might join one of these organizations, it's the DM who'll get the most out of this information.
Affiliations were introduced in the Player's Handbook II (PHBII) as a way of providing rules and benefits for characters belonging to various organizations. You don't need the PHBII, however, as rules for building your own church affiliations are provided in the Complete Champion. Affiliations are useful because they provide criterion for characters to rise up in the ranks of a given organization (in this case, a church) and provide increasingly valuable benefits for doing so. While all the churches presented in the book are of non-evil Core/Greyhawk deities, there are brief descriptions for the evil Core/Greyhawk deities, as well. Furthermore, rules are given to allow you to create a church affiliation for nearly any deity you choose based on their prominent domains.
Among the usual selection of feats are a new type called Domain Feats. These feats, which can be taken by any character, are each based on one of the core domains from the PHB such as Air, Destruction and Travel. These Domain Feats provides an ability, often only usable once per day, based on the powers associated with the specific domain. This provides a fun, if not always balanced, way to provide non-divine classes with the blessing of a deity, which I like, but there's certainly nothing to keep a divine class from taking these feats as well.
Many of the prestige classes are based on the Core/Greyhawk deities, as well. Pelor has the Shadowstriker and the Shadowspy which are both tied to a Pelorian church affiliation called Pelor's Shadow Guard. While this might sound counterintuitive for a sun god, the description of the affiliation does a great job at explaining how these prestige classes came to be. There's also a prestige class for Hextor (Ordained Champion) and another (The Sancctified One) which can be taken by Ehlonna, Kord, Olidammara or Wee Jas, providing differing abilities for each.
The new spells favor the cleric, but there's quite a few new things for paladins, druids and blackguards as well. There's even a few new spells for Adepts (the NPC class), which is something I haven't seen in a while. On average, the spells are 2nd-4th level spells, but clerics receive a few 5th-7th level spells, too.
Of the new items presented I particularly enjoyed the special holy symbols. These are masterwork holy symbols that each have special powers relating to the Core/Greyhawk deity they represent. There's quite a bit of variety here and these items are relatively inexpensive having more value in terms of status than monetary worth.
The final chapter covers divine quests and holy sites. Again, this is probably more befitting a DM than a player. While players who worship a certain deity will certainly want to visit the holy site and gain the favor of their gods, this material is better served in the DMs hands. Still, these can add a fun touch to any Greyhawk campaign.
Overall, I think this is a great book and I intend on using the church affiliation rules to build my own churches and expand those of the other deities in my Greyhawk campaign. If you're running a 3.0/3.5e Greyhawk campaign or favor the Core deities, this book can definitely help mesh the rules and rewards of belonging to a church to the concepts and flavor of serving a deity. If you don't have any use for the Core/Greyhawk gods, then this book will be of significantly less value to you and I suspect that may be why it's received such low ratings overall. I'm sure I'd like it a lot less if it featured Forgotten Realms or Eberron deities, for example.
So, if you like the Core/Greyhawk deities and want to find ways to make them more interesting to their followers, pick up Complete Champion right away. Otherwise, you'll probably be disappointed. But me? I think it's quite good.
It's not too bad, but not as good as most........2007-08-23
I was a little disappointed that this book wasn't more like the Complete Scoundrel. I thought it would be the Scoundrel's complete opposite, much like the Book of Vile Darkness and the Book of Exalted Deeds.
It is ok.......2007-07-19
While I really enjoy the concept of the domain devotion feats, there just did not seem to be very much to this book. They have interesting variants, but I wish they had more prestige classes in it.
Shadowstrikers!.......2007-06-30
I quite like Complete Champion, which offers more depth on the major D&D religions, some cool feats and alternative class features, spells, and magic items. I didn't think too much of the prestige classes, but I rarely find prestige classes very compelling. Then again, I thought the "Shadowstrikers" have a very cool flavor: sort of a military alliance between the churches of Pelor and Heironious out to save the world. The Summon Holy Symbol and Metal Fang were a couple of handy spells that, upon reflection, should've come out years ago. The new feats include Domain Feats, each one associated with a particular domain that the cleric has to have to take it. The new reserve feat associated with healing (Touch of Healing) could revolutionize how some parties approach healing between battles: so long as you keep a 2nd level or higher cure spell in reserve, you can slowly heal your buddies up to half their total hp without casting a spell or expending a charge off a wand. (The feat is particularly useful for druids and bards.) The Holy Warrior feat is a personal favorite (constant boost to damage, but you need access to the War domain). An earlier review suggested that the book is only helpful for paladins: I couldn't disagree more. There is a divine-style alternative class feature for every class: the ones for ranger I thought were cool, and there are options for fighter and monk that enable them to align their weapons/unarmed attacks without needing a cleric to cast Align Weapon. Most of the magic items work for anybody, although some are only for druids, clerics, or paladins. The rules for joining church organizations, whether or not you're a cleric or paladin, have some neat little benefits: I thought the 1st rank benefits for followers of Moradin (+5 movement for only 500 gp and some easy criteria) is a good example of something any dwarf would appreciate. All in all, I really liked it.
Customer Reviews:
Hot Pursuit.......2007-05-15
"Barrow of the Forgotten King" is a 64 page 2nd level module (the first in a series of three, continuing with "The Sinister Spire" and "Fortress of the Yuan-ti"). It's a classic dungeon crawl with a twist. Something strange happens at the graveyard of the sleepy town of Kingsholm. Enter the player characters... An ancient mausoleum has been breached by a group of ne'erdowells and soon the module turns into a heated pursuit, with the players characters fighting both against the intruders amb the tomb defenders. A well developed plot and memorable villains make for an excellent adventure. Kudos to Ed Stark for a work well done. Also attractive interior illustrations by Joel Thomas.
To sum it up: a must. After reading the adventure I changed my planned campaign to include it. Hope the next module keeps up the good level. From the name of the third and final module "Fortress of the Yuan-ti", you can guess who will be the cold-blooded villains behind the intricate conspiracy...
Solid and well laid out.......2007-05-11
Solid overall. Story line is good and the new layout for encounters is growing on me. Nice mix of encounters.
Standard Dungeon Crawl with a few extra elements.......2007-04-26
Barrow of the Forgotten King sounded like a great adventure to use to get characters high enough in level and skill to go to more interesting adventures such as "The Red Hand of Doom" and "Expedition to Castle Ravenloft" and for that it works great. My main problem with the adventure is the fact that the city of Kingsholm isnt very fleshed out and it recommends that you can use some of the Npc's to help in the adventure and it doesnt flesh them out hardly at all. The puzzles or "roleplaying encounters" are not very challenging and a party of 3 2nd level characters had no problem with most of the regular encounters. So i'm guessing a full party shouldnt have any trouble with most of the encounters before the regular levelling up point that it recommends in the book. Most the adventure didnt seem very challenging and i had to "fix" a lot of things in order to make it so as well as adding in my own dungeon rooms and traps to make it a more thought out process than travelling room to room and killing whatever is there. A pc with track is also a must as i had to introduce another character later on because with no track the magical maze is nowhere near as fun as it could be. Also, if you want to run the module exactly as it reads then be prepared to pick up the 2nd and 3rd modules in the series when they come out.In conclusion, this is not a 5 star module, there are better modules out there...even for low levels, however if you are looking for a standard dungeon crawl with a low level puzzle or two (easy stuff with an experienced group of players) then this module is for you. It wasnt bad but then again it wasnt that good either.
One last thing i would like to talk about is weapons of legacy which WoTC seem to be pushing with each product. Legacy items are a cool idea but the way i understood them were that they were few and far between and very rare. It seems like every adventure they publish now...even the low level ones have weapons of legacy in them. I bought the "weapons of legacy" book off of amazon used and overall the book gave some decent quest ideas as well as the weapons but its extremely annoying when every module i buy gives a sword of legacy out at the end or in the middle thats used to defeat the main boss...this is part 1 of a 3 parter and it will add more legacy items each time i am sure and i am sure that the legacy sword in this one (which is an awesome weapon for paladin/fighter types)will be replaced by the sunsword in the expedition to castle ravenloft when my party goes through it. Artifacts were good enough...legacy items are just being overused and with a limit on using them they will soon be thrown away and upgraded with other ones.
SOLID, LOW LEVEL ADVENTURE.......2007-04-01
The Barrow of the Forgotten King is a D&D adventure for four to six 2nd level characters that should advance to the 4th or 5th level upon completion. It can be easily modified if the characters are somewhat higher in level. The adventure is set in the village of Kingsholm whose most notable feature is its ancient cemetery that is said to have existed even before the village. The most prominent landmark in the cemetery is the statue of an unknown, ancient king. The hook for the characters is that a family of mourners has vanished from the cemetery, as has the guards who went in search of them.
Enter the PC's who can be hooked into the adventure by being hired to investigate the disappearances or perhaps by the legend of the unknown king. Beyond the village' Inn where the players will learn of the cemetery and the disappearances, there are no other aspects of the village that are explored. It's pretty much just head right to the cemetery and into the great mausoleum. The players will descend into the tombs and catacombs beneath the cemetery to begin their exploration.
The Adventure locations will key several different encounters that the PC's will face. For some reason, rather than present the encounter information to the DM as you get to them, the adventure keys instruct the DM to turn to a particular page to set-up and complete the encounter. Each area also has its own mini map. To me this is a little awkward and unnecessary but doesn't hinder the game play too much. The adventure is fairly linear but a solid dungeon crawl anyway. I'd say that 2nd level characters may be a little weak and I'd at least allow 3rd level characters to start things off. It should take a few sessions to complete. I do like the detail presented by writer Ed Stark. It's a dungeon crawl but at least its not a featureless one. It's not all hack-n-slash either, as there are also a fair amount of puzzles and other obstacles the players will have to face.
The art is the usual high quality work that fans have come to expect from Wizards of the Coast with a solid cover by Steve Prescott and interior art by Wayne England and Joel Thomas. The book's cover is actually the players version of the map should the DM not want to take the time to have the whole thing mapped out by hand (although it's really not all that big).
This is actually the first installment of what will eventually be a trilogy set within the same landscape. The second adventure, The Sinister Spire, will continue things and will eventually make for one large, epic campaign.
All in all, a fairly solid low level adventure. A good drop in and go module that can be utilized with any D&D setting. They recommend the use of miniatures but it's hardly a necessity.
Reviewed by Tim Janson
First Rate Dungeon Crawl.......2007-03-27
Publisher Wizards of the Coast has been keeping up their trend of releasing new products for the Dungeons and Dragons game every month, and interspersed between all the source books and campaign expansions have been a few new official adventures. Barrow of the Forgotten King is one of those adventures, designed to seriously challenge a group of second level characters and take them all the way to fifth level by the time the entire adventure is concluded. This is also the first in a set of three adventures that all follow the same background story, each of which will be released several months apart to coincide with the release of a source book that the dungeon master may find useful in running the adventures.
The story arc presented in Barrow of the Forgotten King is interesting both to dungeon master and player alike, and can very easily be modified to mesh with an already existing campaign. The basic plot revolves around a group of grave robbers, working for an unseen evil organization, who have come to the sleepy town of Kingsholm to plunder an ancient tomb under a giant statue of a long forgotten king. Besides the obvious lure of riches buried with a deceased monarch, the tomb raiders are also motivated by an age old prophecy which the characters will become embroiled in. A dungeon master wanting to run the adventure in the middle of a campaign could easily swap out the organization behind the robbery with whatever evil group dominates his campaign world. Likewise, the section regarding the prophecy of the forgotten king, which ties into the next adventure in the series, could easily be dropped out or changed to better fit a game that has already been running.
The art in this module is the same high quality that has come to be expected of Dungeons and Dragons products. The cover art alone is outstanding, perfectly capturing the feel of one of the combat encounters towards the end of the adventure. The interior art is equally good, showcasing some of the more fearsome creatures that the characters will be pitted against. The jacket around the actual book pulls off and doubles as a map of the entire dungeon, minus any details the players shouldn't know such as locations of secret doors or monsters, which means the dungeon master doesn't have to take the time to re-draw a player friendly version of the map.
At its core, Barrow of the Forgotten King is a dungeon crawl, and a very well thought out one. The mausoleum and it's hidden under levels, where most of the action takes place, isn't so large as to cause the players to tire of searching room after room, nor is it small enough to hamper the illusion that this is an actual complex people built long ago to honor their dead king. The dungeon has a good mix of straightforward combat, traps and puzzles, and opportunities for role-playing. One of the shining moments of this module is a puzzle that the actual players will have to decode by puzzling out a riddle sequence, rather than their characters overcoming the obstacle by making a couple of dice rolls, which is a very nice change of pace. Being set in a mausoleum also allows for several creepy moments that will remind the players that they are very much in a dark and scary place where less adventurous souls wouldn't dare to tread.
Barrow of the Forgotten King is presented in a new format that Wizard's of the Coast has been toying with recently. The first quarter of the book is a straightforward synopsis of the overall plot, and then each area of the adventure is presented in chronological order with flavor text to read to the players as they progress through the dungeon. The last three quarters of the book explain in detail each encounter or tactical situation in much greater detail, including all the statistics for the monsters or non-player characters in the area. The reasoning behind the change in format is that it theoretically reduces page flipping and the amount of time the dungeon master has to search through the back to find a particular creature's statistics during the course of a battle or role playing exchange. In practice it doesn't actually reduce the amount of page flipping, it just changes the circumstances under which the dungeon master is forced to search around in the book for a particular piece of information. Rather than trying to find statistics, the dungeon master will now be searching for room descriptions and notes on what's going on in the next areas. The only real problems with this adventure are a couple of glaring typographical errors that never should have been missed, and the time it will take the dungeon master to get used to the new format.
Barrow of the Forgotten king is a great dungeon crawl that will challenge players and allow characters of all classes to use their special abilities. It's excellent art, ease of transition into existing campaigns, and well fleshed out setting make it a highly recommended module.
Book Description
Author Ben Z. Rose brings to life the legendary hero of the New England Militia during America's War of Independence. Born in Colonial New Hampshire to Scotch Irish immigrants, John Stark survived Indian captivity, and later fought alongside the British in the French and Indian War as part of Rogers Rangers, a legendary militia company which pioneered the tactics of modern guerilla warfare. Stark's Scotch Irish roots, first hand exposure to second class citizenship in the British army and his desire to prove his talent as a general drove him to achieve victory at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Later, his surprise attack against British hired mercenaries at the Battle of Bennington turned the tide of the war in favor of the young American army.
Staunchly independent, John Stark disdained politics and was considered something of a renegade, even among his friends. Like General George Patton of a later ear, Stark was brash, outspoken, and suspicious of politicians who meddled in military affairs. Stark would live to the age of 94, outlasting all but one general of the revolution.
Customer Reviews:
A fascinating, in-depth portrait of a military genius .......2007-08-05
Written by securities analyst and American history buff Ben Z. Rose, John Stark: Maverick General is the true story of John Stark, a brilliant battlefield commander hailing from New Hampshire, whose skill in leading the New England militia was critical in turning the tide of the American Revolutionary War. Chapters chronicle not only Stark's life, but also his character, which was fiercely independent and utterly distrustful of authority. His tactics included unconventional combat, and he applied his extensive knowledge of British military methods to seize victory in key battles. A fascinating, in-depth portrait of a military genius who shares responsibility with George Washington and the Founding Fathers for the birth of America.
New Hampshire's native son receives his proper due.......2007-07-22
This book is extremely well done and easy to read. I am a professor of History in New Hampshire and a transplanted rebel. I found Ben's book to be alive and captivating, from Stark's early life in Roger's Rangers through the Revolution to his later years. Ben's attention to detail is first rate. He has helped me understand General Stark even better. General Stark was a man of a few words, he let his actions speak volumes for him. The title alone describes John Stark to a "T". He was the "Maverick General", a true rebel and a devoted patriot. Ben's book captures the essence of the man and his service to the new United States of America. He has shown General Stark as the citizen turned hero to answer his country's call and then he returns to civilian life, seeking no glory for himself. I am requiring my fall American History classes to read this book.
The obscure history behind a visible legacy.......2007-07-20
Ben Rose's "John Stark" illuminates the life and exploits of an unsung Revolutionary War hero whose creed "Live Free or Die" became the Motto of the State of New Hampshire and is familiar to all New Englanders who see it on New Hampshire license plates every day. In addition to elaborating on the life of the General, the book provides new details on the well-known battle on Breed's Hill (more commonly known as the Battle of Bunker Hill) and the Lake Champlain campaigns. A good read, especially for Revolutionary War buffs.
very well composed.......2007-06-07
As a NH native it is nice to find a read about a local hero.It is easy to recite Live Free or Die yet forget the circumstances behind it. Well written in sense of highlighting Stark's accomplishments but also showing how it fit into the great picture of what was happening, and giving credit to others. In a time where battles and wars are waged or not based on political and public outcry or lack thereof, it is revealing to see what men will do for their cause with full knowledge of what will happen if they fail. A grand salute to the common man who can become an extraordinary one.
Live Free or Die.......2007-04-28
The Shaara father / son team has nothing on Mr. Rose. As a fan of civil war writings I have lots to compare this new author to. Rose really seems to know his stuff and this is the most complete work on a truly great American that I've read.
Book Description
Classic Civil War novel set on a plantation in the Natchez country.
Customer Reviews:
Sorrow in the Deep South.......2004-05-13
A bestseller in 1934, Stark Young's "So Red the Rose" is an odd study of Mississippi plantation life before, during, and after the Civil War. Stark Young was one of America's leading drama critics of the 20th Century (he died in 1963), and his style seems to have been influenced by the dramatists Chekhov (whose plays were translated by Young) and Maeterlinck. There is a dramatis personae at the beginning of the book, which is helpful because there is no protagonist per se. The plot shifts from character to character and many a character is introduced and then never seen again (just as in real life). The narrative in the first half is quite lanquid, as Young describes the aura of dolce far niente at neighboring plantations near Natchez. When the War comes, there are the classic complaints about petty inconveniences and the assurances that the whole thing will be over in a couple of months. But then the antebellum dream is slowly surrounded by the nightmare of war. Mississippi is invaded and Natchez is bombarded. Two of the young men in the families who joined the Confederate Army do not come back: one is killed, the other presumed dead. A patriarch, returning ill from the front, dies of natural causes. A family is given 20 minutes to vacate their mansion before it is burned down. Then, after the War, when their economic system has been obliterated and their properties mortgaged, the families accept it with a bitter resignation. All this is related in a calm, academic manner, and there may be those readers who find the telling a little cold. But I think Young, a refined critic, was determined not to cater to a taste for 1890's melodrama. His style is straightforward but restrained, an appropriate tone for a tale of Southern aristocracy enduring a Civil Reign of Terror.
How True the Fiction.......2001-06-20
A most enjoyable, fictional, historical account of life in the South during and after the Civil War. Enough truth to make it very believable and the author's descriptive terminology places you in with the characters so that you become very involved with the story personally. A lot of history is learned about Civil War military blunders that certainly effected the outcome of the war. I can understand why they made a movie of this book. It would be a good one to bring back as TV miniseries.
Very engaging look into the culture of the antebellum South........1999-02-22
"So Red the Rose" is a very engaging tale that affords the reader an insight into the culture and attitudes of the antebellum South that became the Confederacy. However, my fellow McGehee descendants (the author was a cousin of actual McGehees in Mississippi) need to bear in mind as they read that this is a NOVEL, not a genealogical register or an entirely true family history.
Classic Civil War novel from the Southern point of view.......1998-08-24
So Red the Rose is a classic fictional account of the Civil War years from the Southern point of view by one of the leading writers of the so-called Southern Renaissance of the first half of the 20th Century. Stark Young grew up among the kind of people with whom he populates his novel, and his novel focuses on what he called "the life of the affections."
So Red the Rose was a best-seller in he 1930's and was made into a movie. Its popularity was eclipsed a few years after its publication by Gone With the Wind. Some critics consider So Red the Rose a better book.
The novel describes a Mississippi family and how they were affected by the war. I found the book deeply moving and engrossing; although I live in a different century, live in a different part of the country than the characters, and hold a different set of values in regard to race, I found myself understanding them, relating to them, and liking them.
Book Description
Forge your name in battle!
The Complete Warrior provides you with an in-depth look at combat and provides detailed information on how to prepare a character for confrontation.
This title was not only compiled from various
D&D sources, but contains new things as well, including new battle-oriented character classes, prestige classes, combat maneuvers, feats, spells, magic items, and equipment. The prestige classes included have been revised and updated based on player feedback, and there are rules for unusual combat situations. The Complete Warrior will assist all class types, including those classes not typically associated with melee combat. There are also tips on running a martially focused campaign and advice on how to make your own prestige classes and feats.
To use this accessory, a Dungeon Master also needs the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual. A player needs only the Player's Handbook.
Customer Reviews:
One of the 'Must Have' Suppliments.......2007-01-14
D&D today is great. I'm a geek from way back and have ranted and raved or applauded many versions of this game. The current one is...overall...the best. It's by no means flawless but they give it depth while trying to maintain a basic simplicity. For the most part, they succeed. Many of the suppliments of the core game however are definitely wanting. One gets the impression that no editor bothered to pay attention to see if it maintains the same balance as the other suppliments, much less the core game. There are some gems however that just add even more colour to the game overall. The Complete Warrior is one of those gems. Chock full of prestige classes and a few full 1-20 classes, as well as some interesting feats and additional infortmation...it is, as a whole, very useful and fun (the Swashbuckler and Samurai classes are definitely favourites of mine now). Not all of the prestige classes hit the mark but more do than do not. I would not recommend all of the suppliments but this one just happens to be a must for the serious gamer.
Best Accessory.......2007-01-12
No book has a better supply of classes and feats for making a fighter character the best player at the table.
A nice effort...........2006-03-06
Here is the deal, there is a lot of material providing many, many options in this book. That being said, most of it is not incredibly "imaginative". For example, a PC in one of my campaigns wanted to play a samurai type character so using some of the guidelines in the DM's guide we constructed him as a standard fighter with a few extra touches (early access to Weapon Specialization, intimidate as a class skill etc...) and a few penalties (fewer bonus feats, required alginment, allegiance to a lord etc...). My point here, is that as far as the core classes, prestige classes and most of the other stuff in this book, a bit of imagination, some compromise, and a few free hours will let you build the whole volume from scratch without having to shell out the money and at the same time, giving you quite the sense of accomplishment. Take the advice of the DM's guide
"The standard character classes fit into virtually everyone's campaign. They are flexible, and skill and feat selections allow them to be truly customizeable"
Options!.......2006-02-22
What I love most about the complete series is that it gives you tons of options. There is no better guide to fighters and warriour options for all classes than this guide.
You have to love the new classes presented in this suppliment. The Samurai at first seems a little out of place in a Greyhawk-ish setting, but this warriour with a heart of gold really fits in any campaign. The Swashbuckler is a favorite class of most powergamers, and is becoming a favorite class of mine weather they be robin hood or cap'n jack sparrow.
The variant paladin and ranger classes are too sweet. I use them all the time with my PCs. These variant class make the ranger more like the hard core woodsman like Strider from LOTR, and the variant Paladin makes them more like the knights of the old code.
The PRCs in this guide are very essential. You simply have to love the Cavalier and Ronin prestige class. The drunken master is a real step in the right direction for the monk, a natural progression for any dedicated holy man of the fist.
The feats provided in this book should be considered core. With such feats as destructive rage, arcane strike, and other great options, you really can't miss this section. The spells are a welcome addition as well.
The sections on fantasy warfare are a must read for any DM wanting to improve their game. One road block I've had over the years as a dm is sporting combat, and this guide has a real nice section on just that subject.
I could go on and on about this great book. In short, every good Dnder should own the complete series. There are so many great options in this book, and is a favored addition to my library.
I din't like it, but you might........2005-11-28
This book is not a DM's book. With the exception of a few tatical feats, and some new weapons, this book, with the majority of its pages detailing new prestige classes, is not a book that was meant to ever enter the hands of a DM. I saw one feat in here I liked, and I payed 25 dollars for the privlige to look at it. In short, if your a DM, dont buy the book, if your a character who is big on fighters, go ahead. But be warned, some of the prestige classes are hopelessly stupid. The Eye of Gruumsh is the prime example, its abilities are just wierd, not to mention bad, and although I rarely judge a class by its portrait, I must say that is without question, the ugliest D and D picture I have ever seen. The new base classes are kind of repetitive, like a pretty lame remake of the Samurai. A hint;if your buying the book so you can use that class, don't, buy Oriental Adventures, save money, and end up with a better class. Some things appeal to my PC side though, like the Spellsword, which offers the best spellcaster/fighter mix I've seen in a long time. And then there's the Hulking Hurler, the most uber chea class I have EVER seen. If my PCs ever even try to get me to let them use this class I swear I will write an angry letter to Wizards of the Coast, telling them to stop making classes that can be used to defeat the purpose of arena deuling of even normal D+D. Still the book fails to really deliver anything important, not overly recomended.
Average customer rating:
- Ostrander is outstanding
- Good for a bite, nothing too fancy
- Excellent continuation of the Quinlan Vos storyline
|
The Stark Hyperspace War (Star Wars)
John Ostrander ,
Davide Fabbri , and
Christian Dalla Vecchia
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Popular Culture
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Comics & Graphic Novels
| Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Comic Strips
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Science Fiction
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Dark Horse
| Publishers
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Star Wars
| Characters
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
Ostrander, John
| ( O )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Star Wars
| Media Series
| Series
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Rite of Passage (Star Wars)
-
Star Wars: Darkness
-
Star Wars: Outlander (Star Wars)
-
Emissaries to Malastare (Star Wars: Ongoing, Volume 3)
-
Star Wars: The Hunt for Aurra Sing
ASIN: 1569719853 |
Book Description
Before the outbreak of the Clone Wars, the Jedi were involved in another major battle: the Stark Hyperspace War. Smuggler and pirate Iaco Stark's "commerical combine" has disrupted the production of bacta, the most important healing agent in the galaxy. By cornering the market on bacta, Stark hopes to amass a fortune. But other forces within the Republic have aligned themselves with the Trade Federation, and are hoping to use Stark's aggression as an excuse for military build up. It's up to the members of the Jedi Council to untangle the many deceits and intrigues and bring the criminals to justice before the galaxy is plunged into war!
Customer Reviews:
Ostrander is outstanding.......2006-01-13
After reading this graphic novel, along with other John Ostrander works, (Twilight, Darkness, Rite of Passage, Devaronian Version, and Clone Wars volumes 1-6) I think it's safe to say that he is one of the best comic writers out there. The strength of The Stark Hyperspace War was an excellent story that focuses mainly on a little-known conflict and some of the little-known people involved in it. This book finally shows more of Plo Koon and of how Obi-wan and Quinlan Vos became friends as Padawans. However, Stark Hyperspace War's art was above average at best. Quinlan, Obi-wan, Plo Koon, they all looked as if they were cut out from pictures from the movies. Others, such as Master Tholme, Finis Valorum, Qui-Gon, didn't look real at all. The latter appeared rather cartoon-ish. Still, this didn't detract from the book at all. Mix in the superb storyline with great binding that didn't fall apart in my hands, and this graphic novel is well worth every penny.
Good for a bite, nothing too fancy.......2004-11-08
When young rogue Iarco Stark decides the galaxy needs a good shake, you know Stark Hyperspace War is just ready to rumble.
Set after Darkness, with Aayla Secura returned to the Council for retraining following her current amnesia, this story is told in flashback when a veteran just seems to walk into the room. A dozen years before TPM, the attack on a bacta refinery sends market prices soaring and worlds roaring. Into the equation come the Jedi diplomatic team, and shadowing their tails the radical Ranulph Tarkin, whose military ambitions outweigh whatever usefulness his puffing presence offers. Throw in Stark's smarmy mouth, the expectant flavour of bumbling Jedi, and the resulting recipe is action all the way.
Or at least, that's the overall idea. The reality is action on a pony ride.
Readers of Hunt for Aurra Sing and Acts of War will find the art familiar. This means saber blades and energy shots are little more than colour sticks, illustrations and detail simple. Not terribly sophisticated, but it gets the job done. But it's those darn floating heads that can grate on you, and head shots there are plenty, reminding you not to confuse the present to the main flashback escapade, as though that was even possible. Senator Valorum didn't look a thing like his movie counterpart, but neither did Calrissian in Scoundrel's Luck . . . and it's not like Antilles resembled his alter ego all that much too in his Rogue Squadron series, but what the hey, it's all creative liberty.
The Republic fleet consists of the ubiquitous Consular cruisers and a variety of other Judicial Dept refitted cruisers. Artists seem to like that particular of nondescript attack fighter, the one Sing flew in her Hunt for Aurra comic. Alien variety wasn't too high either, but the nature of the setting didn't demand it.
Stark Hyperspace has only half of its issue fronts collected in the TPB, a criminal trend that SW comics seem to be doing. An outrageous snub to TPB collectors seeing how you can fit them all one measly page, and how cool the Wookie Jedi looked with those blaster bolts blazing around his saber swing!
Apparently it was yet again necessary to remind us who was who with the use of full character names. Ask yourself who speaks each other's full names in your home, class or workplace, that comics demand this highly annoying custom. Why would a Jedi conversing with a fellow Jedi they've known for decades slow their speech with such needless formality? Yes, TPBs are several issues combined, but you don't need that many instances.
The popularity of Republic comics has made Jon Ostrander an equally popular name among fans. As the primary Jedi Plo Koon didn't waste words on the mess they're neck in, Valorum was refreshingly blunt, the Jedi still talk like archaic holos and Tarkin's father was a cold air balloon of blustering wasted potential. Humour wasn't wasted, however, and Billy Bango's howling at them wippersnappers shows why it's good to have more Podracer-type aliens.
No Jedi story is complete without a Jedi death, of course, but comics and books have showed a Hutt load of them dying in the most inane and casual ways. You started asking why Sith need work themselves so hard, or what value the formidable Tyyvoka's allegedly canny foresight is really worth. Buy SW comics and you see the familiar pattern: when you're told a Jedi is particularly powerful, they don't seem to last long. But it's damn refreshing to see new Jedi take the stage for once, and this is where Stark Hyperspace has its value. Koon may have his cameos elsewhere, but he leads the show here. Jinn and Kenobi support the cast, rather than dominate them for once, and it's great to see Tholme and Quinlin as a pair, particularly as Kenobi and Quin are fledgling apprentices. Their friendship is forged here, to be tested in later Republic stories. Like all her comics inclusions, though, Adi Gallia does little.
The ending comes out as a little weak, but not quite the style you're used to seeing in general. But hey, with Koon playing his telepathy, action galore and more Neimodian whimpering, you can find far better juvenile drivel like Betrayal and those twin TOTJ prequel nonsense.
Excellent continuation of the Quinlan Vos storyline.......2004-01-01
This Comic combines issues 36 through 39 and losely picks up where the TPB DARKNESS leaves off. Given that the story mostly involves events that take place before the battle of Naboo I would put it at -32.05 BNH.
The story opens with Quinlan and his padawan Aayla Secura finally at the Jedi Temple for memory recovery. Windu begins telling the story of Iaco Stark and the hyperspace war that involved Bacta and Thyferra. The SHW takes place just before EP1.
The story is by Ostrander, one of my favorites and rates 4.5.
The overall comic design is a throwback to the old style comic strip stuff I thought we were past.
Design gets 3 stars. In fact, the poor design decision may be the cause for my partial dislike of the pencil and ink work. The pencil work is uneven with the main flaw being the poorly drawn rendition of Obi-Wan. The inking by Vecchia is 4.5 stars and could have been a 5 had the design been more like Darkness or the new TPB Clone Wars volume 2. Duursema's cover art is 5 stars.
The art of Foster is 2 stars.
Overall, this is a solid 4 star comic and highly recommended. It is a valuable addition to brilliantly conceived PRE-QUEL era work being done by Darkhorse and Lucas et al.
Book Description
An exciting poster map product!
Fantastic Locations: Dragondown Grotto features two double-sided poster maps. Three maps are suitable for RPG and skirmish use, while one is an RPG exclusive. An accompanying 16-page adventure is suitable for any mid-level compaign. Enemies include creatures from the War of the Dragon Queen miniatures expansion releasing in the same month. The two poster maps can be put together to form a dragon's lair, while the reverse sides feature more fantastic locations that players can explore.
Customer Reviews:
Great addition to the Fantastic Locations.......2007-01-03
Like the other Fantastic Locations, this one has two battle maps (double sided) and an encounter booklet. The art is uniformly well done and the maps can be easily flattened and laminated at your local office supply store to increase their durability.
These are some of the nicest accessories published by WotC, in my opinion. They get plenty of use in DDM Skirmish and my home RPG campaigns.
Book Description
Set against the majestic yet unforgiving Himalayan landscape of World War II Tibet-an unknown and tightly sealed land deeply suspicious of foreigners--LOST IN TIBET recounts the taut adventure of five American airmen facing the greatest challenge of their young lives. Hundreds of miles off course and running low on fuel, the airmen bail out of their foundering plane over what they thought was India. Instead, they parachute into the high Himalayan ridges of a Tibet riven with political intrigue and pressed tightly between Westerners involved in a war they didn't understand and Chinese who threatened their very existence. Surviving the parachute drop from the plane was only the airmen's first challenge, and perhaps their easiest. Impeccably researched and well paced, LOST IN TIBET tells the previously untold story of the group's struggle to escape back to the relative safety of their base in India.
Customer Reviews:
Great Story of Survival, Adventure and Courage .......2007-09-05
For those hauling cargo over the Hump, the enemy was not the Japanese but rather what is probably the harshest weather and terrain on the earth.
On their ill fated flight the crew is lost and hundreds of miles off course when they finally are down to their last drops of fuel and bail out over an unknown land. Much to their surprise they ended up in a remote part of Tibet.
Most of the book is their story of their long journey to safety. The book also offers an early insight into the China-Tibet political struggles that continue today.
Very well written and an easy read for a rainy day.
I Was There.......2007-06-25
I enjoyed this book because I was a pilot flying the "Hump" at the same time these men were. Their story is exciting, well written and spell binding and will interest those who enjoy adventure. Almost a thousand aircraft were lost on the "aluminum trail" between India and China. A lot was learned in that operation at the expense of the lives of the young inexperienced airmen who took part. Lost In Tibet gives one an insight of the flying conditions we experienced and also the complicated wartime politics in the Tibetan area of that time. It's a good "read".
Starts out as Fiction.......2007-01-22
I stopped reading a few pages into the first chapter. I couldn't quit thinking about the ridiculous false statements in the 2nd paragraph of the 1st chapter. First it says "the pilot decided to crash," after the engines catch fire, but he doesn't actually crash. Then it says the cause of the fire was because the spark plug gap was too wide which "let raw fuel run straight through the engines and out the turbines and there it had ignited."
The part about crashing is sensationalism. The part about the sparkplugs is completely wrong since they have nothing to do with the flow of fuel. I'm sure the topic of this story is true but with that many errors on the first page of the first chapter I'm going to find another book on this topic I can trust.
Good.......2007-01-18
I bought this as a gift so just going on the quality of the appearance it was excellent. I was really impressed with how quickly it was shipped to my home during the last week before christmas. Great job!
Five airmen lost in Tibet........2006-12-07
Not a typical story about World War II. Five airmen parachute from their crippled supply airplane and end up lost in Tibet. At that time, Tibet was somewhat independent from China. The airmen's landing in Tibet causes a huge political firestorm between Great Britain, Tibet, and China. The airmen are in the middle of this. The result is a diplomatic balancing act as the airmen leave Tibet.
This is a nice little story about World War II. The authors write a readable entertaining book about the story of the men and the magic land of Tibet. This is a very enjoyable read.
Book Description
Stark Decency is a window into the events of two vastly different worlds: German combat veterans captured in North Africa and Normandy, and the small New Hampshire logging town which found itself hosting the prison camp. Each side was forced to confront its prejudices and fears, and examine the merits and flaws of its ideology. Then, an astonishing thing happened: in their rural isolation, sharing harsh weather conditions and the pinch of wartime rationing, friendships began to develop. Prisoners and their guards sometimes even worked together to meet the daily pulpwood quotas, and little handmade gifts to the local villagers cemented friendships that continue to this day.
Customer Reviews:
Common folks.......2007-03-02
I continue to enjoy finding additional information about the time WW-II POWs were kept in this country. Often I've spoken with friends about this historic moment and seldom have I found anyone aware that this occurred. This particular work by Koop is another example of the literature available.
I found his efforts to be worthwhile as yet another piece of the grander puzzle as to how this imprisonment took place. Without reviewing similar accounts from all the other some 400 U.S. camps, like the one at Stark, it is impossible to know if what took place in this camp was unique. I tend to think that while the details of each camp and its relationship with the surrounding community will be similar, I am sure there would also be differences. What I liked about Koop's book is the realization that people on each side of the fence that separated them, they were still people with similar desires and concerns, though the language may have been different. Each side learned from the other and came to realize that each may not have been getting the totally clear picture of their adversary. I assume this sort of thing happened elsewhere in this country-wide POW prison program. Like other works dealing with this POW experience, Koop's book should be included as a reading project in any modern history course.
I believe the book's overall impact would be enhanced by more photographs but, understandably, these may not be available.
Fear Gives Way to Friendship.......2001-01-21
Koop's chronicle gives us a picture of an oasis of amity in a world torn by war, in the unlikely location of a prisoner-of-war camp in the tiny town of Stark, New Hampshire, several miles north of Lancaster and Berlin. We see German captives being pleasantly surprised by the humane treatment of the American guards, who observed the letter and the spirit of the Geneva Convention, and we see the Americans learning that not all Germans were enthusiasts of Hitler's fanatical National Socialism -- far from it! There are disputes about the 'pulpwood quota' (German prisoners in Stark assisted the locals in their efforts at paper production) which led to a five-day strike, but also led to deeper understanding about the dignity of the captive workers. There are amusing tales of attempted escapes -- the most successful being that of a colourful character named Franz Bacher, a youthful Austrian artist who made it to New York City. There is an illuminating glimpse into the generosity of the townspeople of Stark toward the prisoners of war, from an enemy nation but sharing a common humanity. There are tales of collaboration at arduous tasks, and there is a record of the small acts of charity and levity which transfigured a potentially painful experience into the basis of camaderie and a future peace.
One need not be a historian, or an ardent reader of history to appreciate Allen Koop's handsomely written book; one need only be a human being, possessed of sufficient imagination to place oneself in the shoes of a stranger in a strange land.
Excellent description of life in a WW II POW camp in N.H........1999-08-22
This book describes in great detail the lives of German POW's living in a New Hampshire POW camp in the 1940's. It is well-documented, with interviews with former guards and work-crew formen. The former prisoners, guards and foremen have met for reunions at the site of the camp.
I lived in the area and remember the POW camp.
Book Description
A mutiny on the moon places Sgt. Ethan Stark in command of the U.S. military forces there-and turns a dream for independence into a reality.
• 2nd in a new military science fiction series
Customer Reviews:
I'm Enjoying the Stark Series!!.......2007-07-27
This is a fine sequel to "Stark's War". It's a compelling sequel and worthy of your time to read. Both books are page-turners. However, "Stark's Command" is more evenly written and is an improvement on the first novel (SEE MY REVIEW OF "STARK'S WAR"). The other reviews on Amazon focus on plot, so I won't go into detail. In short, the first novel focuses on issues of leadership, responsibility and honor. The sequel places SGT Stark in power and demonstrates that implementing those principles is difficult and comes with a heavy personal cost. Additionally, Hemry plays with the concept of a cultural gap between the military and civilians and illustrates the dangers of that gulf becoming too wide. "Stark's War" postulates a future where the split in complete. "Stark's Command" starts to bring the two cultures together slowing.
An even greater purpose........2001-09-17
Wow, in this book (#2 of 3) Stark not only deals in combat but in diplomacy, and government building. These future Americans begin to question the state of their homeland and what they must do to fix it or seperate from it.
As the action expanded we learned of the "civs" on the moon, the US Navy, the enemy, the free enterprise of rogue merchants and the drastic state of the US after the events of the first book.
I toyed with the idea after the first book, but I am sure the world Hemry creates in his writings, would make a great role-playing campaign. Whether you rpg or not, if you like fast passed reading about regular people doing extraordinary things, in military or scifi settings, then this book is for you.
Better than Stark's War, and I can't wait to see the 3rd book (Stark's Crusade?).
The Sargeant's in command now?.......2001-05-09
Now that Sergeant Stark has successfully mutinied and 'his' army is free, there are still some unsolved problems. What will he do with all the officers now in the brig that are consuming food, water, and air (all limited commodities on the moon)? What is he going to do with all the "civs" that are getting closer to a panic as time goes on not knowing what the "mils" are up to? How is the 'his' army going to continue as a combat effective unit without officers? However, the answer to the last question seems to be the first one where an answer is determined, because the 'Enemy' Multinationals have just begun a major assault, and Stark's front line is crumbling . . . This one is good. A little more character development from the first book (Stark's War), and the 'moon rebellion' that Stark unintentionally started begins to expand.
Great book, better than 'Stark's War'.......2001-05-08
When I first bought 'Stark's War', I didn't read much of it. I wasn't interested at the time. Recently, I came back, and read the whole thing from cover-to-cover. I was thrilled. It was great.
Going through the aisles of my local bookstore the other day, I saw this book. I didn't even know there was going to be a sequel! I bought it immediately, went directly home, and read the book until I finished it, at about 2AM.
It was a great book! Even better than the first. I loved it. It didn't have that "I am invincible! Rarrgh!" theme from the main characters as lots of novels do, either. I thought it was a great yarn, if a very unrealistic view on the future...
... Well, I hope so, anyway.
I definately recommend buying this book. Don't forget to read 'Stark's War' first, to get the whole story. It'll read a lot better that way, and the story'll be cooler.
Books:
- Dance of the Four Winds: Secrets of the Inca Medicine Wheel
- Debunking 9/11 Debunking: An Answer to Popular Mechanics and Other Defenders of the Official Conspiracy Theory
- Different Brains, Different Learners: How to Reach the Hard to Reach
- Disappearing Acts: Gender, Power, and Relational Practice at Work
- Distant Shores: A Tenth-Anniversary Celebration (Star Trek: Voyager)
- Eat Fat, Lose Fat: The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats
- Extreme Fat Smash Diet
- Eye of the Beholder
- Fahrenheit 451
- Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision
- The Temple of Man
- Some Can Whistle
- The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin
- The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists
- The Transforms and Applications Handbook, Second Edition
- The Tale of Pale Male: A True Story
- Sihanouk: Prince of Light, Prince of Darkness
- Tax Aspects of Transfer Pricing Within Multinational Enterprises: The United States Proposed Regulat
- The apartment manager's desk reference
Magic Item Compendium (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
Monster Manual V (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
Drow of the Underdark (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
Complete Scoundrel: A Player's Guide to Trickery and Ingenuity (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
Complete Mage: A Player's Guide to All Things Arcane (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
