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In The Company of Medusa: A 1st-20th level Player Character Racial Class (PFRPG)
Rite Publishing
Thilo G.
[Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/31/2013 05:05:38
An Endzeitgeist.com review
This new supplement in Rite Publishing's "In the Company of"-series is 19 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page SRD, 2 pages of advertisement, so let's take a look, shall we?
"We were born from blood and tears, venomous as jealousy." If you're like me, these words resonate - as has become the tradition with Rite Publishing's offerings, this pdf is written in in-character narratives, as told by characters to Qwillion of Queesthaven - and the prose here is...well AWESOME. The medusa-society is described in ample detail as per a schooling book/an instructor, including information on how to keep both scales and snake-hair proper and trim and keep the latter in control - fluff-wise, these paragraphs are pure gold; Take for example the mentioning of a bed of invisibility, hinted at , but never explicit elaborations of subtle and brute force ways of seduction... these pages reminded my pleasantly of Catherynne M. Valente's Orphan's Tales-series and author Liz Smith has indeed delivered pages that are not only a joy to read, but which breathe vast narrative potential for adventuring hooks, while, with the three dominant philosophies (Euryale, Sthennos and Medusa) covering all types of way of life/conceptions of how medusa act - kudos, but can the crunch live up to the fluff?.
Regular medusa get +2 to Con and Cha, -2 to Str, darkvision 60 ft., all-around vision, a secondary natural bite attack at 1d4, a poison (DC 10+1/2 HD+con-mod for 1d2, 6 rounds, cure 2 saves), immunity to medusa poison and the petrified condition with the exception of the own gaze and a petrification gaze - usable 1/day as a standard action, range 30 ft, save scales with HD and is based on cha. Said petrification, however, is not permanent until 11th level/HD and lasts until then 1 round per HD.
Greater Medusa get +2 to one ability score of their choice, darkvision 60 ft., all-around vision, 1d6 secondary natural attack with the same poison as their regular kin, the same immunities and petrification gaze, but also cannot be tripped due to a lower body of a snake - which conversely also precludes them from having a slot for feet.
We get age, height and weight tables for both and 15 (!!!) alternate racial traits - unfortunately, the very first would be alternate racial attribute modifications that have been mixed up - +2 Con and Cha, -2 Str replace..+2 Con, Cha, -2 Str? That ought to read something like +2 to Dex, at least judging from the text - unless, of course, said racial trait is intended exclusively for greater medusa - which I'll assume due to in dubio pro reo, even though the specifically mentioned attribute-suite belongs to the regular medusa. Another alternate trait nets +2 Con and Int, -2 Dex and getting augury and later divination or commune in lieu of darkvision is possible as well. Archery mastery with a chosen bow type (in exchange for poison) can also be found, as can a trait that nets the hold breath quality of amphibious creatures, +2 to swim and two secondary claw attacks at 1d4 in exchange for medusa immunities and all-around vision. Another trait allows the medusa to gain a point (up to a maximum of 10+HD) whenever they roll a "1" on an attack or saving roll, with the option to exchange a point for +1 on an attack or saving roll - nice for unlucky players. +2 to saves versus necromantic spells or cha-based skill checks (regular medusa only) as well as three traits representing aforementioned 3 philosophies can be found herein, as can one that sees a medusa ritualistically shave her hair in exchange for the extra hex or extra malediction-feat - cool 3pp-synergy here.
We also get a suggestion of suitable archetypes (nice, seeing how many are out there) and favored class options for Alchemist, Bard, Druid, hellion (by SGG), Magus, Malefactor (by TPK Games), Occultist (Pact Magic by Radiance House), Oracle, Ranger, Rogue, Sorceror, Shaman (by Kobold Press) and witch -Very cool to see this level of support for some of the finest 3pp-classes out there!
Of course, we also get 2 unique racial archetypes, with the first being the gorgonic shaman for the druid -these shamans are restricted in their choice of companion and get impeded wild-shape, but also learn to commune with the earth (making catching them by surprise HARD unless flying) to temporarily take on an improved aspect that allows them to temporarily enhance their own body with a variety of special tricks - from uncommon speeds to a temporary petrification stare up to natural weapons, this archetype allows other characters to take on a semblance of being medusa-like or medusa to offset some of the losses they may have incurred via the choice of their alternate racial traits - nice indeed, as it conjures up images of a society of servants striving to take on aspects of their mistresses...
Sorcerors may opt to become stone-eyed sorcerors, who may supplement their body temporarily with the fortification quality to nondetection and similar defensive qualities.
The star herein, though, is the racial paragon-class for the medusa - this 20-level class gets d10, 6+Int skills per level, proficiency with simple weapons plus longbow, shortbow, rapier, scimitar, shortsword, light armor and their own bite and tail if applicable (i.e. if the character is a greater medusa). The class gets full BAB-progression, good ref and will-saves and the poison of the medusa scales up from 1d3 str to 1d8 str as well as +4 natural armor at 1st level, +2 at 3rd level and every 3 levels after that. Medusa paragon of first level can fascinate foes not in combat within 50 feet by using the hypnotic wriggling of their hair as a standard action, learning to fascinate more adversaries at higher levels, also benefitting from improved reactions to them. And no, not overpowered since it doesn't work in combat and upon a successful save, the ability stops to function versus that foe for 24 hours. Now if you were underwhelmed by the gaze attack of the base medusa races, you'll enjoy the fact that petrification gazes vastly improved over the course of the class, gaining an additional use at 7th level and becoming continuous at 10th level. Rather cool, at even higher levels, their gaze can turn mud or quicksand into rock (think about it: vast planes of quicksand, with rocky palaces crafted in a waveless sea of sand), selective gaze (at 16th level) and may even animate the statues that once were the victims of their gaze to fight for them at 18th level - rather cool.
At 3rd level, they also grow to large size and learn to use their hair to manipulate or hold items (leaving hands free for e.g. two-handed large weapons...ouch...) and at 6th level, medusa may extend their hair to grapple foes at range (25 ft. +5/2 levels) - and you'd expect me to scream "OP" here, but the fact that moving or pinning foes is not possible as well as the fact that sunder-attempts versus your hair count as attacks versus you should limit the usability of this ability, though I do get some headaches when thinking about the hair extending from the body counting as part of the character and the potential for attacks on it - clarification on how to resume this/perhaps a scaling mechanic for sundering strands of hair would have gone a long way here - especially since at higher levels, constricting, pulling and even strangling foes garrote-style via hair also are possible and at this point, the range-grappling component, limited though it may be, gets rather complex.
As 2nd level and every 3 levels of the class after that, the medusa also gets one of the medusa talents from 20 talents - these include further ability growth, a bonus feat, blindsense, climb speed, the constrict special quality, may grow wings (and learn to use them as weapons) and learn to tail-slap (which is btw. required for grabbing, constricting etc.) as well as gain stone-related tricks and movement and gazes. The capstone is an outsider transformation, including DR 15/ epic good/evil, depending on alignment - but what about neutral medusa?
We also get a feat for an extra medusa talent and the half-medusa CR+1 template.
Editing and formatting are good, though not perfect, I did notice a couple of minor glitches. Layout adheres to a unique full-color two-column standard with green, scaled borders and the pdf offers neat full-color artworks -especially cool at this low, fair price-point. The pdf comes fully bookmarked for your convenience.
Author Liz Smith has woven a yarn that ranks very highly indeed, with superb fluff drawing you deep into the race - even if you're just looking for inspiration for a culture, this serves the role superbly. Crunch-wise, the offering is solid indeed, though the ranged grappling feel a bit problematic depending on your campaign's power-level. The racial paragon class and the greater medusa both feel a bit like on the strong side of the power-level, with the class allowing you to become a true melee grappling/constricting threat that may rend foes asunder. That being said, I did not consider any part of the crunch herein broken or overpowered per se - the overall combination of them may be a bit much for some campaigns, though. The regular medusa, on the other hand, is completely fine with me and could potentially see uses in all but the most low-powered campaigns. The minor glitches here and there and the slightly high power-level for my tastes and the fact that the range-grappling could use some minor clarification are, however, the only complaints I can muster against this pdf - especially the superb writing offsetting these minor flaws in my book, thus seeing me settle on a final verdict of 4 stars - especially the proper implementation of snake hair and gaze attacks without unhinging the game deserving accolades for the author.
Endzeitgeist out.
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Wilderness Dressing: Primal Forest
Raging Swan Press
Thilo G.
[Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/30/2013 03:54:36
An Endzeitgeist.com review
This pdf is 13 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page advertisement, 1 page editorial/ToC, 1 page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 8 pages of content (though one is taken up by a full-page b/w-artwork), so let's take a look, shall we?
Want an example how Raging Swan Press listens to customers? This pdf would be one – when reviewing the Wilderness Dressing for regular forests, I suggested further supplements for other types of forests – and this is one. Whether it's the Margreve or a similar ancient forest, this pdf has got you covered regarding the weird and wondrous things that can be encountered herein, with the first table sporting a whopping 100 distinct entries – and oh boy, these are GOLD.
Pony-sized rabbits hopping through the forests, eerie mists settling at noon, will-o-wisp-like motes of light beckoning off the trail, animals warning of big teeth – these are not forests men often tread – all the more disturbing once the PCs find a filled, abandoned picnic basket or are showered with weird cocoons… Being hit by smelly shroom-spores, listening to the conversations of woodpeckers, falling potentially victim to tumbling trees or spheres of frogs that are unceremoniously dumped on the PCs – these entries breed primal wonder and the spirit of faerie-tales, instilling a subtle certainty of antiquity.
The second table provides yet more, in fact 100 dressings, many of which also feature crunchy consequences and short rules to supplement them, while retaining the superb quality of the first table's entry: From allegedly extinct trees to harvestable wild mistletoe and streams that mysteriously turn blood red for seconds before returning to their normal coloration, wonder and a sense of not being in Kansas anymore is breathed by every word within these tables.
The final table of the book offers 12 different random encounters, following the format of the Dungeon Denizens-series, offering the respective critter, the bestiary in which they can be found as well as a short piece of fluff herein - from hunting bandersnatches seeking to outdo one another to a jubjub bird and even a forest giant with her aurumvorax, the sample creatures fit well in tone with the respective atmosphere.
Editing and formatting are top-notch, as expected from Raging Swan Press' almost immaculate track-record. Layout adheres to Raging Swan Press' crisp two-column b/w-standard and the pdf comes fully bookmarked for your convenience and the pdf comes in two versions, with one optimized for screen-use and one to be printed out.
Each entry a mystery, a hook, a peculiarity – this is pretty much the apex of what can be done within the constraints of tables. This pdf is extremely awesome – author Mike Welham, not by incident one of the people whose name you'll notice on a LOT of great supplements, has created a Wilderness Dressing-installment that is simply legendary. This is perhaps my favorite installment in the WHOLE product-line. It's that good. If there was an option for me to rate this higher – I would. For fey woods, for the Margreve, for any magical forest or for DMs seeking to add the extraordinary to their game, this is a required, awesome purchase and can only get one verdict – 5 stars + seal of approval – and is a candidate for my Top Ten of 2013.
Endzeitgeist out.
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Midgard Adventures 4: Mayhem Beneath Demon Mountain (Pathfinder RPG)
Kobold Press
Thilo G.
[Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/30/2013 03:49:42
An Endzeitgeist.com review
This module is 16 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 2/3 of a page SRD, leaving us with 13 1/3 pages of content, so let's take a look, shall we?
This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players will wish to jump to the conclusion.
All right, still here? The PCs are hired by the wine merchant Korsav for a risky gambit - take his caravan to Demon Mountain's foot and spoil the wine of one of his competitors, Ulfer, who happens to be one of the decadent children of the legendary Master of the Demon Mountain. Upon their arrival at Demon Mountain, the PCs have to surrender their weapons and make the spoiling of Ulfer's wine a reality - during the 5-day-lasting festivities. Worse, PCs might notice that a couple of gnomes hide their weapons (these fellows are sworn to the lower planes in Midgard, after all!) and if they prattle, they immediately have a fight on their hands.
In the courtyard during the massive festivities, the PCs may witness a number of weird happenings - from corpses crashing from the tower, swarms of flies that suddenly dissipate to immediate cold snaps and silences, the PCs should be completely creeped out by the proximity of such epic power suffusing everything. The festivities per se also offer an array of weird tents - surviving the kiss of a vargouille as a wager, witnessing a crowd killing a gnome when they realize he has sown the elven faces on his "authentic" elven dancers, juggling limbs - a lot of rather weird and partially horrific things to do. Further complicating the matter, the aforementioned gnomes might try to assassinate the PCs if not having been taken care of.
And somewhere in the chaos, the PCs must find a kobold called Vyoda - and sooner than later, the PCs will try to infiltrate the outer donjon, where they may prevent a rape and save a poor kitchen maid from her drunken assailants and fight with multiple possible improvised weapons. Said maid may also point them towards the quartermaster who holds their equipment - a minotaur that can be bribed - if handled well. They may also expose a priest who worships a sinister god while collecting clues about Vyoda's preferences to find him in the chaos outside. Upon finding the kobold, the PCs still have to navigate the lightless tunnels beneath the kitchen, where giant rotgrubs, a haunt, an otyugh zombie and a schir demon who wants to kill Vyoda still remains - for the kobold's family's fate, as can be attested by the clues gathered, was rather grim.
Upon spoiling the wine, the PCs can witness Ulfer being humiliated and rest on their laurels - though if they boast, they may have made a powerful enemy.
The module closes with 4 pregens.
Editing and formatting are good - though I noticed a couple of minor glitches, none really impeded my ability to run this module. Layout adheres to a beautiful two-column full color standard and the artworks are neat. The b/w-maps are awesome, though I would have loved a map of the chaotic festival grounds. The maps unfortunately come sans player-friendly versions, which is a minor detriment. The module comes fully bookmarked for your convenience.
Author Chris Lozaga has managed to do something hard - confront PCs with an iconic, overwhelming, epic location without having to result to hard killer-encounters, instead creating a deadly tapestry of weirdness that should make for a truly unique experience. I did not expect to like this module and its deceptive brevity also points toward an experience unbefitting of the Demon Mountain - when it isn't. When it actually does the hard thing and manages to capture this epic location in all its weird glory, while leaving the true horrors of the mountain and its master up for appropriately high-level future sojourns when the PCs reach the apex of their powers. All in all a more than enjoyable module that only misses the highest honors due to the editing glitches and since I would have liked printer-friendly maps/a map of the festival grounds, thus resulting in a final verdict of 4.5 stars, rounded down to 4 for the purpose of this platform.
Endzeitgeist out.
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Psionic Items of Legend: Crown of Chaos
Dreamscarred Press
Thilo G.
[Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/30/2013 03:45:34
An Endzeitgeist.com review
This pdf is 6 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial/introduction, 1 page SRD, leaving us with 3 pages of content, so let's take a look at DSP's latest Legendary Item, i.e. item that grows in power over the levels.
The tale of the Crown of Chaos is one of the downfall of a talented wilder come queen named Magdylyne, self-proclaimed and bitter queen of chaos, and thus her crown requires the wilder-ability to overchannel. The item has 5 power-progressions (5thth, 10th, 15th and 20th level unlock new powers) and contrary to what the item's table says (it mentions a lesser psicrown), the crown instead act as a greater psicrown of force and fire. Unlike the basic item, all powers the crown grants count as being a part of the powerlist of the class - great for the power-starved wilders. The crown may also provide power points for augmenting purposes, but the wielder pays for this with non-lethal damage - I assume this damage does not require a concentration check to properly manifest, but the item does not specify either way. At higher levels, the crown nets the wearer a reroll and even starts regenerating power points. As a capstone, the crown delivers a miss chance as well as forcing two rolls for saves and skill checks, taking the worse result.
The final page contains the item-stats for regular Psicrowns of Lesser Fire and Force and their True versions.
Editing and formatting are ok, though glitches at this length weigh heavily on my scale. Layout adheres to a printer-friendly two-column b/w-standard with a nice full-color artwork for the crown. The pdf has no bookmarks, but needs none at this length.
The crown per se is a great item that greatly enhances the experience of running a wilder, but at the same time, it suffers from issues: Not being able to decide which type of psicrown (lesser, greater?) it is would be one, another flaw is more thematic - the chaos-aspect is mostly missing from the crown - apart from the capstone and a relatively boring reroll, the link between theme and crunch is more tenuous than I would have enjoyed - a tighter focus would have helped here. Hence, my final verdict will clock in at 3 stars.
Endzeitgeist out.
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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Purple Mountain V: The Descent
Purple Duck Games
Thilo G.
[Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/29/2013 03:36:27
An Endzeitgeist.com review
The fifth installment of Purple Duck Games old-school mega-dungeon crawl is 46 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 2 pages of SRD - so can the fifth module maintain the streak of stellar modules that have recently graced the Purple Mountain? We'll see!
This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players should jump to the conclusion.
Any DM who has ever run a mega-dungeon had this experience: At some point, even in hostile depths, the players need a homebase to study, retreat to etc. Preferably one that is not as monster-infested and/or hard to access/easy to defend. Enter this level, which not only spans a variety of heights (as evidenced by 4 maps, lending a sense of depth to the module), but also an uncommon premise, but let me go on a slight tangent first:
Let's face it: The underdark is a damn scary place - more so in a dungeon. Even before monsters and vile civilizations enter the fray, the claustrophobic sense of entrapment is a very real danger we all can relate to - as is the sheer weirdness of what can be encountered in the depth. When I saw my first stalactite, dove into the first subterranean pool of water, I felt a sense of exhilaration derived from an explorer's mien that is so hard to come by these days as well as a profound sense of the alien, of a place not meant for men. Many modules forget this sentiment of feeling like one doesn't belong - not so this one, for this level of Purple Mountain actually is an investigation.
Yes. An investigation. In a dungeon crawl. And one that actually makes sense! But let me elaborate: This level is essentially the story of a "safe zone" gone horribly awry - the adventuring group that once made this place their base has suffered a terrible fate, having been driven slowly into a paranoid insanity by subtle fungus spores lacing everything. As an old Ravenloft-DM, I'm all too aware of the power of sowing paranoia and distrust not only between characters, but also players, but the way in which this module does it is awesome, because it's subtle - because you don't expect it. As the PCs explore the place and unearth the puzzle-pieces that paint a disturbing tale of suicide, hatred and escalating violence, so do they slowly descend into madness, lest they take heed and carefully nurture bonds of trust - a glorious opportunity for roleplaying, which may be handled sans mechanics or with them: Either option for the paranoia-inducing fungus is given.
Beyond even that, the areas per se actually feature one of the creepiest adversaries I've seen in quite a while and provide some rather horrific experiences a DM can further enhance by the virtue of this level's special qualities. And yes, before you ask - there is enough to be done for all those aficionados of hacking and slashing things to pieces - it's simply not the module's only (or even cardinal) virtue. Another interesting facet of this installment of Purple Mountain would be the fact that, yes, we once again get the useful lists of treasure etc. and their value, and yes, the treasure is above what one would expect -but the respective treasure is also not always easily transportable, unwieldy or simply hard to find - so yeah, something I can get behind. Another thing I'd especially like to point out towards any authors really: If you craft elaborate back stories (helloooo, PFS!), make room for the PCs to actually GET TO EXPERIENCE/PIECE TOGETHER the story. This module does it right - by putting together the pieces, the PCs can actually find the cause of what has happened, making the module succeed where so many have failed - and without resorting to captain exposition to boot! And yes, I'm aware I'm being uncommonly vague about the details here - but I wouldn't be able to do them justice here and I really think you should see for yourself.
Editing and formatting are top-notch, I didn't notice any glitches. Layout adheres to PDG's 2-column printer-friendly standard and the module comes with some really nice pieces of full color, original artwork. Furthermore, the pdf comes fully bookmarked and with player-friendly high-res maps of the complex. The cartography does its job and the pdf comes fully bookmarked for your convenience.
Third in a row. There are not many series that have done it - Purple Mountain now officially has. Author Josh McCrowell does not disappoint after the stellar third and fourth installment and adds his own twisted take on paranoia, horror even, by providing this eclectic mix of brains and brawns, a module that can be a crawl, but works just as well as an investigation, by creating a dungeon-module that could be toned up to emphasize the fantasy or the horror aspect, "as", the bard would have said, "you like it." For once, roleplaying does not fall by the wayside in a dungeon crawl and the intricately-crafted level of detail and sheer ingeniousness of the place makes this once again a 5 star+ seal of approval recommendation and further cements Purple Mountain as a dungeon you should not let you pass by - especially since it works so easily as an insert into just about any other subterranean complex. Old-school dungeon awesomeness indeed.
Endzeitgeist out.
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Slaver Caves of Dorden
Dead Goblin Games
Thilo G.
[Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/29/2013 03:34:05
An Endzeitgeist.com review
This module for 3rd level characters is 40 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 2 pages of SRD, leaving us with a solid 36 pages of adventure - so let's take a look!
This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players should jump to the conclusion.
All right, still here?
The town of Baruth has recently has seen some changes - when a local tyrant was disposed, the call to adventurers went out - and people have been missing. The PC's task is to reclaim the poor unfortunates delivered into slavery and after some basic hooks and a short primer of the hamlet's "hotspots", the PCs are off to the wilderness to find the kidnapped people. The trail leads via the hint of a local ranger towards a major gnoll encampment.
The journey through the wilderness will have the PCs face off versus a ghast, an orc and finally with a bugbear, though all of these encounters come fully written with fluff text, making them viable for inexperienced DMs and easier to run than your average random encounter.
Upon reaching the Gnoll caravan, a surfacing trend becomes obvious - the prose is simply not that captivating -and there are some glitches here that make running the encounter harder than necessary: The gnoll camp, with its 4 gnoll males (information btw. not repeated in the statblock) has an indistinct amount of females and young that flee. Wait. What? How do the PCs know that? We get no statblocks for the non-combatants and the camp remains opaque - what dimensions does it have? What types of dwellings? How could the PCs from a distance tell gnoll males from females? Whether by rescuing a kobOld (not kobald, as the pdf likes to call him..) or other, opaque means, the PCs are pointed towards the place where the gnolls sold off the villagers.
In the area around the mountain of Dorden, a young white dragon lairs and makes for an encounter that hits a pet peeve of mine - while its tactics are ok and the fact that the PCs fight it on a frozen river may seem awesome, the fact that it's essentially a random encounter with a DRAGON, who should be the apex creature/boss, not just a random battle thrown in the mix for good measure. Also: Why is the ice not slippery? Why do the PCs not need to make acrobatics-checks? What about swim-checks? How thick is the ice? Can it be broken via str-checks/damage? All this crucial information simply is not there.
The caves of Dorden feature a neat dwarven village-style outpost - abandoned and now inhabited by mites and vermin. The lower caves of the complex and in the lower caves, chokers, darkmantles and similar creatures await the PCs and they may even stumble into a battle between svirfneblin and drow before taking a conveniently-placed boat across a subterranean lake towards the next section of the complex: If they can survive the lacedon in the lake. The exploration of this final section then pits the PCs against a small force of duergar led by a duergar wizard (and again, lacking easily noticeable information on how much opposition is to be expected - there's a reason one usually at least gets a statblock-style line saying "Duergar Warrior, use stats from page XX" in most products...). Yes, it's a minor thing, but it annoys the heck out of me. Also weird: The text mentions: "While not overtly cruel, the duergar were intolerant of insubordination" - this translates to them executing halflings who tried to escape. Ähem. If that's not cruel, what is? And no, from the context, it definitely is not irony or sarcasm. Also: Aren't duergar kind of DEFINED by being the dour, lawful, cruel dwarves? As an optional climax, the duergar manage to release their target: They have excavated a obelisk that acts as a prison for a Leukodaemon -whom they try to set free. Yeah, not even a devil, a daemon. Cruel enough yet? Said CR 9 beast makes for a fully statted possible future adversary.
The pdf provides about half a page of random encounter charts and a player-friendly version of the overland map, but not ones for the complex.
Editing and formatting aren't that great - while the amount of typos is still tolerable, there are quite a few punctuation errors and repetitions of words that make this module not particularly fun to read. Which unfortunately becomes a theme. Layout adheres to a relatively printer-friendly 2-column standard that doesn't hurt the eyes and is easy to read. Artworks are stock and fitting, whereas cartography is full color and ok, but honestly nothing to write home about. The lack of player-friendly maps of the dungeon and total lack of maps of the gnoll camp further hurt this module. Also: It has no bookmarks. No bookmarks. That's just not up to any standard set by almost all other 3pps. Also: The fact that the statblocks in the encounters do not specify how many foes there are annoys me to no end.
Don't get me wrong - I don't object to cliché, been there, done that storylines - as long as the module is well-crafted, features something interesting. And this is where the module fails miserably. From the painfully generic hamlet to all encounters - tactic-wise there are some good ideas here, but damn - if terrain is there, it is not used. Time and again, the module devolves into making its locations opaque by failing to specify the dimensions of the respective battlefields and failing to provide proper terrain usage. At first, I thought this module was intended for beginner DMs and groups - why? Because it is RIDICULOUSLY EASY.
Seriously. My PCs would WALTZ through this with nary a scratch - and the absence of haunts or any traps beyond standard fare means that experienced players will get no satisfaction out of this one. And while I enjoy the relatively abundant read-aloud text, it simply is not captivating, leaves out crucial information and makes running e.g. the slaver camp abstract and harder on the DM than it should. And there's the complete non-sequitur dragon-encounter as a sudden difficulty-bump right in the middle of the module, which, when played up by the DM (and supplemented by proper terrain usage/rules that the pdf omits), will quite possibly result in a lot of dead PCs/a TPK. The module also provides notes on difficult encounters and scaling, but no scaled statblocks or proper crunch - the advice, again, remains abstract.
I know, I should be lenient - and this pdf, in spite of what you have read, is not bad per se - but it's BLAND. Like a dish where are spices are missing, you may get something that sustains you, but why would you eat it when there's so much more tasty food out there? Seriously, at this price-point, the module has to directly compete with Frog God Games ( at 5 bucks) and you could get 3 (!!!) installments of 0onegames "The Sinking" or 2 of Kobold Press' Midgard Adventures. Or you could get one of Adventureaweek.com's modules. Or a Raging Swan Press module or two of their sidetreks. Or TPK Games's Ship of Fools. Or Purple Mountain Games Purple Mountain-modules. Or 4 Dollar Dungeon's modules, which are also vastly superior...Or. Or. Or.
And the thing is: Each of these have one thing in common: They are superior in EVERY WAY to this module. In presentation, writing and pricing. And that's not even starting with paizo-modules - many of which, though, fall behind the examples I've linked above. There are A LOT superb modules out there.
If there were no other modules out there at this price-point, this might have a reason to exist. In fact, it could have been an interesting module. Could. Welcome to the subjunctive, everything could be so nice here. As provided, I have to compare this to all of these options - and while it is no train-wreck, it is a bit like a restaurant charging for a bland fare when there's your favorite steak house right around the corner. This is no train-wreck, but in the context of current Pathfinder 3pps, their quality and offerings, I can't rate this any other way than 1 star - it is inferior to almost all its competitors.
Endzeitgeist out.
[1 of 5 Stars!]
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Village Backdrop: Hard Bay
Raging Swan Press
Thilo G.
[Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/26/2013 09:27:48
An Endzeitgeist.com review
The latest installment in Raging Swan Press' superb selection of villages is 13 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page advertisement, 2 pages of editorial, 1 page ToC/foreword,1 page advice on reading statblocks for novice DMs, 1 page SRD and 1 page back cover, leaving us with 5 pages of content, so let's take a look, shall we?
Hard Bay once was a pirate nest – with its sheltered harbor and plentiful fishing grounds, it has all the markings of a village destined for greater things. Since three noble families have been instated here alongside a productive metalworks, the town is affluent, though not overtly so and the Blufonts, Moisans and Gerous have their impressive mansions in the village and while the strange keeper of the light house may seem odd and the drunk head of the metalworks often tries to get strangers to leave, all seems to be relatively well here.
Well. It isn't. There's something distinctly WRONG with Hard Bay – something that is represented in the statblock provided. Something in line with the bonfires that can be seen on new moons and the whispers and rumors distinctly hint at something lurking beneath the town's relatively pleasant exterior. And no, I'm not going to spoil here what the deal with this town that feels a bit like Sandpoint's evil twin to me, is. Suffice to say that from village statblock to lore and marketplace and yes, even a template, we get all the information we could ask for.
Editing and formatting are top-notch, I didn't notice any glitches. Layout adheres to RSP's crisp 2-column b/w-standard and the pdf comes in two versions, with one being optimized for screen-use and one intended for the printer. The town's map by Thomas Fayen is great, as always in the series and can be downloaded in a player-friendly version on RSP's homepage. The pdfs come both fully bookmarked.
Author Greg Marks creates an interesting town with a subtle air of threatening things, a subtle wrongness here. That being said, the idea behind the town, while distinctly well-executed, also feels a bit less original than I've come to expect from the series – the basic theme herein has been executed in quite a few villages/modules by now and while it manages to put its own spin on the yarn woven, in the company of its extremely well-crafted brethren, it feels a tad bit less original than e.g. a certain xenophobic village deep in the forests of the lonely coast…
Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with this supplement – it's a great offering and the decadent noble families feel distinct and full of narrative potential. Still, overall, it feels slightly less captivating than some of the best Village Backdrops. My final verdict will hence clock in at 4 stars.
Endzeitgeist out.
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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The Genius Guide to More Cavalier Talents
Rogue Genius Games
Thilo G.
[Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/25/2013 03:37:08
An Endzeitgeist.com review
The more than due expansion for the talented cavalier is here and clocks in at 9 pages, 2/3 of a page front cover, 1 page editorial/SRD, leaving us with 7 1/3 pages of content – less than what the monk got, but let's take a look, shall we?
Unlike the addendum to the talented monk, though, we kick this one off with new edges – and one of them makes good of the promise evoked by the great cover artwork – Yes, there is a dragon mount option herein. While you'd use the Dragon Rider base-class essentially as a guideline to use the ability (or check d20pfsrd.com for the class), the codification of the rules in a talented context are nice to see – even for someone like me who is rather opposed to the whole dragon-riding concept per se. The second new edge introduced herein would be Rally – and it is no less a courageous decision to put in a product: Rally allows the cavalier to once per day heal all allies within 30 ft. (more if using a banner)by 1d6 hp (+1d6 for every two additional cavalier levels) via nonmagical healing to represent an increased staying power of the allies in the face of overwhelming odds. However, the allies can never exceed 50% of their max hp when being thus healed – the wounds do not vanish and the ability draws inspiration from rallying speeches as recorded/shown in multiple media. I've rarely been this torn about an ability – to me, this one smells suspiciously of the hated "bloodied" condition from 4th edition, but on the other hand, it is limited by action, availability and caps, making it impossible to actually close serious wounds. It's a border-case of what my suspicion of disbelief can take, but one that, due to its limits, still works out for me. I do hope, though, that not too many such mechanics creep into PFRPG in the future – tracking degrees of being wounded in a game that has not been specifically designed for it (like shadowrun) can be quite the hassle…
Now both edges can be improved via talents, with one taking the edge off (haha) the edge, making cavalier levels count as dragon rider levels (instead of at -2 as per the edge) and rallying being able to get rid of negative conditions (which works better than hp-healing in my book), expand these conditions to be removed further via advanced talents and finally combine these with the hp-gain as a grand talent. Now also rather iconic would we what I'd call "honorific position"-talents, i.e. talents that denote the cavalier's standing and thus net special bonuses: These talents generally provide you with a class skill and allow you to make skill-checks in that skill with d20+cavalier levels +attribute mod+3 instead of the regular check – i.e. no need to invest skills!
This may sound like a simple idea, but it really isn't – it allows a cavalier to excel at what s/he's meant to be good at without tempting wildering in the skill monkey's area. Speaking of which – via classic education, you can count as if you have all skills, allowing you to check essentially untrained in all of them. But back to those position-talents – rather awesome, you can actually reap additional benefits that should make kingmaker-players or captains grin – by flying a banner from a stronghold or vessel with the appropriate talent, you can extend the effect to the whole vessel/fortress in question. Awesome, since it makes capturing the banner/flag and its morale effect also palpable in a crunch-context. Also: Unobtrusive, optional synergy with kingdom-building/downtime-rules? HELL YEAH!
Granting the shield's bonus to adjacent allies may be nice, but at least for me, the Dragoon-talent takes the awesome-cake: It allows you to dismount fast with a significant bonus and later even automatically/sans action – nice, but what's so great about it? Played Final Fantasy 4 (or 2 in the US)? Well, cavaliers with this talent may apply mounted charge feats when charging unmounted. Spirited charge and all those signature tools – right at your command! And in one talent, unmounted cavaliers suddenly are cool and work. This talent is…GLORIOUS. Worth the asking price alone. And yes, I'm aware that this could become problematic when in the wrong hands - but it makes the class DISTINCT. Powerful? Yes. Broken? At least in my opinion, no. Thank you. Fighting from a Houdah (or Howdah, if you prefer that spelling) is now also possible at neat benefits, including faster dismounts.
On the side of advanced talents, we get a massive array of planar knight options (including individual edicts for the respective planes) and associated with it, we also get a capstone that acclimates the cavalier to his planar domain – cool indeed!
As has become the tradition with "Talent"-pdfs, we end with a list of talents by theme.
Editing and formatting re good, though not perfect – while we don't encounters any significant issues, we probably don't want cavaliers to take "Grant Talents", as the text mentions once. Nothing serious, though. Layout adheres to SGG's full-color 3-column standard and the pdf comes fully bookmarked for your convenience.
Dragon Rider talents are awesome if that floats your boat. Rallying is nice and just on the edge of what I'd consider good design – but the "honorific position"-talents strike a chord with me – after all, the symbolize oh so well what separates a cavalier from fighters and the like. And then there's Howdah-fighting. And the Dragoon-talent. The latter makes in one fell swoop (See what I did there?) the cavalier class awesome and on par with other martial classes – while maintaining the identity of what being a cavalier should be. This pdf is AWESOME. In fact, it mops the floor with all previous, excellent "More Talent"-Genius Guides, since it provides all those cavalier-tools its basic pdf (and the base-class said pdf was based on) lack – here we have the talents that make the concept of the noble fighter not only work, but do so in an iconic, fun way – this should be a) considered all but required for all talented cavaliers and b) makes one thing clear: I want more! The cavalier deserves more tools like this, deserves to shine – and this pdf is definitely not the end of the line concept-wise – so when do we get part II? Even More Cavalier Talents?
I forgot the verdict? 5 stars + seal of approval. Do your knight a favor, give him an edge and get this pdf – asap!
Endzeitgeist out.
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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[PFRPG] Player's Options: The Sheriff
4 Winds Fantasy Gaming
Thilo G.
[Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/25/2013 03:31:23
An Endzeitgeist.com review
This installment of the Player's Option series is 12 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page SRD, leaving us with 9 pages of content, so let's take a look, shall we?
Mechanically, Sheriffs need to be lawful, get d20, 2+Int skills (the class could have used more skills per level, but oh well...), full BAB-progression, good fort-and will-saves, proficiency with all simple and martial weapons and all types of armor and shields, but not tower shields. They also get proficiency with swordbreaker daggers, or repeating crossbows or firearms as bonus feats at 1st level to reflect their training with weapons that can help bring in lawbreakers.
At 1st level, a sheriff chooses a so-called jurisdiction - a country or similar region for which s/he has jurisdiction. This results in a +1/2 class level bonus to diplomacy, knowledge (local), perception and sense motive while wearing his/her badge, but also a bad starting attitude when interacting with chaotic creatures. At 4th level and every 3 levels after that, her jurisdiction is acknowledged in an additional region - like famous investigators that develop fame on a scale that transcends borders.
Sheriffs at 1st level also need to decide on a precinct, which essentially provides them with guidelines and a code of conduct by which they operate. Each precinct nets additional class skills, bonus equipment and a particular special power. Furthermore, at 2nd, 8th and 14th level, they get an ability and at 3rd level and every 3 thereafter a bonus feat drawn from a precinct-specific list.
The sheriffs also learn taking others in alive and hence may choose from a selection of different +2 bonuses (e.g. to non-lethal damage, CMD to resist and CMB to perform dirty tricks etc.) at 5th level and again at 11th and 17th level. At 5th level, they may also declare a warrant on a foe, making him/her more powerful versus the targeted fugitive - not only combat, but also research-wise. This bloodhound-like tracking and investigating is further increased at 13th and 20th level, though the capstone's insistence of "further growth" of the warrant feature when talking about being able to have an active warrant on 3 foes at the same time makes me believe that the +1 warrant for 2 active warrants at 13th level was somehow lost.
Now what about those precincts I mentioned? A total of 5 are provided and they come with quite a slew of abilities: Bounty Hunters are essentially somewhat akin to rangers and adepts at hunting down foes. Divine Justices get a powerful version of smite chaos that also protects them from foes and gain access to a very limited selection of paladin spells and finally may treat weapons for which they have weapon focus as axiomatic. Now if these seem a bit unbalanced in direct comparison, that's mainly because skills and feat-lists as well as starting equipment are also balancing factors . uncommon, but not a bad decision. i actually like it! Some sheriffs are judges, jury and executioner in one person - these sheriffs are not trying to take you in alive - they finish the job then and there and, at 14th level, may for con-rounds make their weapon focus weapon vorpal for one round and reroll misses due to concealment. I'm honestly not comfortable with the vorpal ability at 14th level - but then again, I'm not comfortable with the weapon quality. Still, it seems a bit early for vorpal.
Long Arms of the Law are the firearm specialists - and don't get grit - but do get one ingenious ability - starting at 2nd level, they may, as a free action, add their will-save to their touch AC versus firearms - I would have loved more "anti-grit" abilities like this - the design is solid, but could have been simply awesome. As provided, they are a solid, less risky firearm specialists.
Posse Leaders may deputize NPCs and are essentially capable of temporarily recruiting NPCs depending on their level and increase their abilities to lead others.
We also get 3 mundane items, 4 firearm modifications (different stocks - detachable ones, for example) and the stats for an executioner's sword. We also get 2 different CR 3 sheriffs and 3 statblocks for different posse members.
Editing and formatting are very good, I didn't notice any significant glitches. Layout adheres to PDG's 2-column standard and the pdf comes with nice full color artworks. The pdf comes fully bookmarked.
Author Sean O'Connor has created a good take on the sheriff-trope that comes with some rather cool precincts and features some abilities I'd really consider well-built and innovative. Taking for example the option to fortify against firearms or the posse leader's recruitment - they are great, but choosing between more options would have made this even cooler. In fact, that's the one thing I could hold against this class - apart from the a tad bit too weak bounty hunter and the potential problem with the vorpal-ability of the JJE-precinct, I enjoyed this class in spite of being relatively linear. In the end, the sheriff is a sufficiently distinct class that could have, with more room and e.g. archetypes and some additional unique powers (why not offer limited grit-access? Why not determine different bonuses based on jurisdiction [theocracy nets other bonuses than magocracies/rural areas...]?) become a true winner.
Within the few pages devoted to it, it works as a solid class that has some excellent ideas that hint at as of yet partially unrealized potential. Speaking of which - the class is, also rather linear when it needn't be - why not tie jurisdiction to categories à la "tyranny", "magocracy" etc. - all worlds tend to have these and providing exclusive modifications for the precincts would have made this class so much cooler and a more versatile experience. Don't get me wrong - the sheriff is by no means a bad class, but it is one very linear one and probably more fitting for NPCs. That being said, we still get a solid offering for a fair price and hence my final verdict will clock in at 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 for the purpose of this platform - unless you're looking for an NPC-class - in which case you should consider this a round-up-file of 4 stars.
Endzeitgeist out.
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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The Deductionist Base Class
Total Party Kill Games
Thilo G.
[Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/23/2013 03:54:26
An Endzeitgeist.com review
This massive new class-pdf is 56 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page ToC, 1 page advertisement, 1 page back cover, 1 page SRD, leaving us with a whopping 50 pages of content, so let's take a look!
Author Matt Everhart kicks off with a short introduction before we get a compelling piece of fiction before we dive head first into the meat of this new class. Alignment-wise, Deductionists need to be lawful, a restriction I don't necessarily get (example: chaotic, associative savant etc.), but one that ultimately is easily ignored. Meat-wise, the class gets d8, 4+Int skills per level, 3/4 BAB-progression and a good will save.
Now, the signature ability of the deductionist would be, surprise, deductions: These essentially use appropriate Knowledge checks against 10+CR of creature or hazard, with rare or common creatures mitigating or increasing the base to 20 or 5 respectively. Much like spellcasting, deductions can be interrupted via AoOs, but don't work via concentration (deductions having no spell level), instead modifying the DC by the damage taken. Unless otherwise noted, deductions target one hazard/creature within 60 ft and last for 1 minute. Using a deduction multiple times during one encounter increases the cost of reason by 1 if applicable. Reason essentially represents a pool used to power certain deductions and other class features and a deductionist has 1+int mod points of reason at first level, scaling up to 7+int-mod. Reason refreshes after 8 hours of rest and has no autonomous benefits.
The deductionist also starts game with the "exploit weakness" signature ability: By making as a free AoO-less action a knowledge check versus 15 + CR, the target may be considered exploited for 1 round, using Int instead of Str to calculate CMB and adding 1/2 class level (or HD, I assume, though the text doesn't specify it) versus the deductionist. Furthermore, the deductionist does not provoke AoOs when using combat maneuvers versus exploited targets. Exploited targets also suffer deductionist's int-mod in additional damage upon being subjected to a combat maneuver. Repeated uses of the ability versus the same target enhance the DC by +1 and via the expenditure of one point of reason, the duration of the exploited-condition can be prolonged by 1 round. Furthermore, the ability allows for the deductionist's attacks to count as silver, magic, cold iron and lawfully aligned over the levels, allowing the deductionist to potentially bypass a variety of DRs. In order to affect incorporeal creatures, the deductionist would require to interact with them, though. Particularly perceptive, deductionists may add Int-mod to perception-checks as well. Deductionists also learn to read subtle clues, gaining a +1 insight bonus to perception and sense motive versus disguises, conversations, observations, hidden doors etc. as long as they have at least one point of reason remaining and spend one such point to reroll one such check. The bonus scales up over the levels to+5 at 17th level.
Also at 1st level, though the class table fails to list it, the deductionist also chooses a discipline. Each discipline is associated with 2 skills, which may be substituted by a knowledge-skill depending on the particular area of expertise. Depending on discipline chosen, two skills are eliminated from the list of class skills to reflect opposing disciplines A discipline also offers a unique benefit that can range from being able to scribe scrolls via research (and skill-checks) or Trap Sense or the ability to offer his int-bonus as a luck bonus as an immediate action 1/day. The mechanics of these disciplines have been vastly improved and streamlined since the latest revision of the deductionist and while my first 2 drafts went on a tangent here, these rules have been cleaned up to the point where I can't complain - kudos for doing so! A total of 11 disciplines to choose from are provided.
Deductionists also gain 1/2 class level as a bonus to knowledge-checks, 5 bonus feats, add int-bonus to damage when attacking exploited creatures with improvised weapons and pick up an additional trait at 3rd and 9th level and at 5th, 11th or 17th level choose a teamwork feat - the deductionist may also designate an ally within 10 ft. as a move action to count as having said teamwork feat for purposes of the deductionist benefitting from the teamwork feat. Said teamwork is especially efficient with the cohort gained at 8th level, offering benefits to both deductionist and cohort. At 7th and 9th level and later at 11th and 13th level, deductionists may choose from two limited lists of rogue talents.
At 10th level, deductionists may use their accumulated, indexed knowledge in conjunction with the expenditure of reason for 3 distinct ways of increasing skill checks and at higher levels and the deductionist may use knowledge checks to get rid of enchantments. At 2nd level and at every even level after that, the deductionist gains a deduction (I assume either one or none is available at 1st level, but the pdf fails to specify so) from a list of 39 different ones available. Some of these deductions are exclusive to disciplines and since all of them are tied to respective knowledge-checks, careful attention must be given regarding the choice of Knowledge-skills. While the active ones usually require the expenditure of reason, there also are those that offer passive benefits which can be upgraded via using reason. From dazing opponents to fascinating others via monologues up to the ability of 20th level deductionists to lay low foes in sobbing heaps of self-pity and inflicting the new "distracted" condition, the deductions per se are AWESOME and ooze Doyle's flair - allowing you to finally portray the brilliant mind using intellect as a proper weapon. And yes, learning to exploit undead, constructs and even elementals.
Beyond a CR 4 NPC deductionist, we also get favored class options for 16 races and 17 feats, which allow deductionists to e.g. impart negative conditions in lieu of receiving a bonus to hit versus exploited targets. Getting extra points of reason or making attacks versus exploited elementals count as bane weapons are just two of the new options available via these feats. A total of 13 wondrous items, from diving tubes holding air to cloaks mitigating fog and similar penalties to lenses enhancing the deductionist's subtle clues-ability and gems that can act as a holographic tape-recorder/photographs - the items herein are pure gold regarding their utility: Glorious tools not only for players, but also for DMs to potentially make the respective investigations so much more complex. Have I mentioned syringes that can be used to replicate metamagic feats and apply the effects to potions? They are a great idea - but I have NO IDEA how they actually are supposed to work. Do they have to be used upon consuming a potion? If so, what action is using a syringe? Do they have to be drawn separately? Used in the same round as the potion? Prior to that? The text contradicts itself by acknowledging that 4 types exist, but then lists 5. This item is a great idea, but needs clarification and should be taken as an example of the hick-ups that sporadically plague this pdf.
We also get 3 new archetypes for the deductionist - the eldritch inspector loses improvised combat, but gain access to a slightly expanded bard's spell-list (which may, with the musical theme, result in some necessary reskinning...). The Operative may be neutral and while restricted to cloth armor, they are masters of concealed weapons and gain sneak attack etc. - essentially, the operatives are less detective and more secret agent, which is also reflected by 4 exclusive deductions. Finally, Shadowed Avengers may be non-lawful, as long as their alignment contains a neutral component. They gain a masked persona and learn to track fugitives from crime-scenes, scuffles etc. via a special ability and are closer to what one would use to create characters akin to Batman and similar masked detectives.
Editing and formatting are this pdf's one weak spot - from harmless guffaws like knowledge checks being called "knowledge tests" to the class-table missing information and deductions not specifying whether they become available at 1st level or not (and if so, how many are gained), there are quite a few rough edges here, some of which unfortunately negatively influence the otherwise concise rules. Layout is drop-dead gorgeous and adheres to a 2-column b/w-standard with thematically fitting stock-art that makes for a perfectly fitting overall look - this pdf is, in one word, gorgeous to look at. The pdf comes with bookmarks, though I would have preferred more of them for a pdf of this length.
Author Matt Everhart has taken up a gauntlet that has been lying on the floor since the 3.X-days of old - create a scholarly class/detective that is actually fun and unique to play. And surprisingly, the deductionist WORKS. Superbly so, in fact -up to the point where I was constantly asking myself where this class had been all these years. This is exactly what I've been wanting for quite some time and definitely a glorious class - for me, as a private person, concept-wise, this is definitely a 5 star + seal of approval class...in concept and theme.
Unfortunately, I have to put my reviewer-hat on and start complaining - the class, as awesome as it is, simply features quite a few blunders and rough edges and starts to unravel a bit upon closer scrutiny - the rough edges in the wordings, the glitches accumulate - to a point where I'd usually rate this pdf down further. Some of the abilities just make not that much sense to me (a monologue can for example, affect creatures even if they don't speak the deductionist's language - some do specify the need to UNDERSTAND the deductionist, but not all of them do...) and more importantly - are skill-based. In case you're not aware - there's a reason why we don't see that much of them out there - skills can rather easily be buffed into the stratosphere, but since at least the deductionist doesn't use the skill-result as DCs to resist, that's still okay, if not particularly elegant in my book.
I should rate this probably down further, but honestly, I can't - while it does require some careful reading and some benevolent oversight on part of a DM, it still is an ambitious, cool take on the scholar class and simply does not deserve a lower rating. Whether the Deductionist works well for you is much more so than usual, a question of how your campaign works - for grim, relatively low fantasy settings like Ravenloft, for investigative APs like En Publishing's Zeitgeist, this class not only works, but fits superbly with the tone and premises. Conversely, in a far out high fantasy setting, at least to me, the class comes a bit apart due to its system inherent focus on knowledge - much like Batman in JLA-comics, deductionists reasoning versus intelligent oozes (which is an issue, since oozes are exempt from being affected by several deductions due to being...dumb...) and similar far-out beings might make the class seem a bit like a fish out of water. Reasoning with aberrations and the importance of language in this context feels a bit off to me, but that may just be me. To give you an example for Paizo-APs - I can see this working superbly with CoT or CotCT, but e.g. LoF...not so much. Now that being said, this particular caveat is not something that will influence my rating, but still is something I'd encourage both players and DMs to contemplate.
In the end, the deductionist's flaws make it impossible for me to recommend this as highly as I'd love to - hence, my final verdict will clock in at 3.5 stars, rounded won when you are going for a more high fantasy campaign, rounded up if you're looking for a more investigative/low magic style - still, either way, encourage you to check this class out, especially if you tend towards a more low fantasy gaming that is not brimming with strange creatures - its flaws can be ironed out and in certain campaigns, the deductionist will feel more at home than many other classes and deliver fun galore. Hence, I'll settle on a in dubio pro reo and round up for the purpose of this platform.
Endzeitgeist out.
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Dungeon Dressing: Fiendish Traps II
Raging Swan Press
Thilo G.
[Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/23/2013 03:49:57
An Endzeitgeist.com review
The second offering of this sub-series of Dungeon Dressing, all focused on dire traps, is 14 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page advertisement, 2 pages of editorial, 1 page ToC/foreword, 1 page advice on how to read statblocks for novice DMs, 1 page SRD and 1 page back cover, leaving us with6 pages of content, so let's take a look, shall we?
These traps being VERY nasty, I suggest potential players to skip ahead to the conclusion to avoid SPOILERS.
Still here? All right – the first one is rather NASTY: It features a barghest – so far, so nice. But actually, the meat of the trap sees the soul of a PC swapped with that of the barghest, while four statues animate. The group will not only have to contend with the barghest who tries to smash the focus of the soul jar, but in fact find a way to reverse the swapping – for unlike regular magic jar effects, this one is not only permanent, it prohibits the affected PC from switching bad. So evil it makes me cackle with glee! (Especially should the PCs fail and carry a corpse-consuming barghest amidst themselves…)And yes, advice on how to handle the switch with players is given alongside information to scale this nasty CR 8 up or down by +1 on the El-scale. Oh, have I mentioned the fact that the animated statues are no run-of-the-mill versions either? Triple A+!
Now the second trap is no cakewalk either, but less devious…oh, who am I kidding? A programmed battle via illusions, with round-by-round information that pelts the PCs with flame jets and may have them unintentionally kill themselves with AoE-spells? Yes, please! Per default, that one is CR 5, btw.
At EL 7, the next trap is one for thinkers – all commands spoken within the room become mass suggestions – which wouldn't be lethal, except for the clockwork servants, which thankfully are at least partially occupied with cleaning up the mess. Still – a hilarious prospect to see PCs shout "charge" and have the wizard jump alongside into the fray…
And then, at CR 7, we get the most complex and awesome trap of them all: Imagine if you will a vast room with 8 columns, each bathed in another unearthly light corresponding to the respective color of prismatic spray. Atop each column lies a pedestal with a pulsating…thing atop. The towers can be toppled, climbed (if you survive the prismatic effect) and at the top, the orb turns out to be…a pulsating heart – one for each column. Obscenely slimy, it wriggles and writhes in the grip of characters – which is bad, since in order to leave the room, the guardians have to be dealt with – 8 undead, vastly strengthened by the weird ritual that made them, must have their hearts returned to them – and the more fall, the stronger they get, upgrading to ghasts and even an advanced mummy! This trap, much like its prismatic colors, is at least 8 types of awesomesauce!
Editing and formatting are top-notch, I didn't notice any glitches. Layout adheres to RSP's crisp two-column b/w-standard and the pdf comes fully bookmarked for your convenience as well as in two versions, with one being optimized for screen-use, whereas the other is intended for guys like yours truly who print out their stuff.
David Posener has done it – whereas the first installment of fiendish traps did hit hard, it also missed in one instance – this is different: Not only evoking a dreadful, iconic imagery, it offers nasty traps that are downright evil without being unfair, all while effortlessly breathing old-school spirit in the best possible of ways – final verdict will be unsurprising 5 stars + seal of approval – especially the final trap is absolute GOLD!
Endzeitgeist out.
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Rule of Law, Clash of the Constructs (1 of 3)
Adventureaweek.com, LLP
Thilo G.
[Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/21/2013 07:35:47
An Endzeitgeist.com review
This module is a whopping 143 pages long, 1 page front cover, 2 pages of advertisement, 2 pages of editorial, 2 pages of ToC, 1 page SRD, leaving us with a massive 135 pages of content - so let's take a look, shall we?
This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential player should jump to the conclusion. All right, still here?
As you can glean from diverse rants I've written throughout my illustrious reviewing "career" so far, I'm a stickler for immersions and, among others, non-lethal damage: PCs should not get away with unsanctioned killings within a city's boundaries, especially not if they're supposed to uphold the law. Well, it almost seems like this module was made to address a similar concern: Set in the Arcane Quarter of Mohkba, the capital city of the Klavek kingdom (the vast human empire of AaW's world), the PCs are, via a plethora of hooks, in for a truly uncommon assignment. Some years ago, a naive wizard named Kosto Hajika was conned out of his tone golem by the noble house Loihtia: Feigning an attack by the golem, the house has managed to use the law of the capital to claim control over the golem for the transgression and has repeated similar cons over the years, gaining powerful tools indeed.
Now, hardened by years of adventuring, Kosto is back with a new stone golem, and while he was naive once, years of adventuring have bred a significant shrewdness and he's here to claim what was his. Going through the official channels and contacting other wizards (perhaps allies of the PCs or even one of them!), he has gathered testimonials that qualify for "Riitava Epaily" - sufficient suspicion and proceeds from court to gather evidence in the house of Loihtia, guarded by clerics of the law - and potentially the PCs.
In the meanwhile, influential and crown-loyal Loihita has had spells go off and is forewarned: Much like in e.g. the Þing of old folklore, the law requires to be backed by sufficient force in order to be upheld and thus, the ordered search for information is limited: Kosto and his allies only have one hour to gather proof of house Loihita's deviousness - without killing anyone, of course - sub-dual damage (or at least healing foes) is of tantamount importance, whereas destroying constructs, of course, is viable - if something that may be followed up with repercussions. And this is where the module starts becoming something different, something seldom, if ever seen: Variable. and excessively so. If the list if items required to find certain clues etc. is no hint by now, the mansion per se is excessively guarded by magic: Illusions and traps and a vast amount of details make sure that the PCs will have a lot on their hands when exploring the mansion - even beyond its significant gaurdians. In order to perceive certain hints and pieces of evidence, magical tattoos need to be acquired and between excessively detailed libraries, 3 new balanced spells, chock-full storage rooms full of potions and a subtle puzzle (that is both clever and simple once the PCs have realized how it works), there is a LOT going on here. Have I mentioned that without smart actions, the PCs are looking at a DC 100 check to find evidence in one locale? Yes, they better know what they're doing - or should prepare to expend A LOT of resources to find what they are looking for...
Have I mentioned the rather well-hidden sub-basement or the outsider guardians and alignment-themed rooms? I guess I haven't, but the PCs will have all hands full - no matter which side they choose.
What? Yep. This may be a good high-level investigation (something exceedingly rare indeed), but that's not its only selling point: Instead, it allows you to pick sides. Just as the PCs might wish to conduct the investigation, so may they be allies of house Loihtia! Whereas the attackers have golems at their beck and call, so do the defenders a variety of different creatures - and have a similar goal: Prevent the intruders from gleaning the truth! Defenders may place traps and creatures throughout the house - and actually get a completely different playing experience as well as their own chapter - essentially, the house is depicted in two versions, one for the attackers and one for the defenders, with this being thus essentially two modules in one. Also, defending the compound versus a high-level mage, a couple of golems and an NPC-party may be quite a challenge and a welcome change of pace - oh, and of course, non-lethal damage should also be used. After all, killing those pesky investigators could result in ugly stains on the floor.
As you can probably glean from this rather innovative set-up, this module could easily be run as one epic convention-module, where two competing teams of PCs meet each other in a clash of brains and brawn - which is one way to make this work. Another interesting option the special structure of this module allows and which I feel obliged to mention, would be the following: If your PCs have a group of rivals (perhaps from paizo's guide, Coliseum Morpheuon or some other resource), this might make for a cool change of pace: Get the character sheets ready and hand out the rivals, sans comment, to the players and make them devise the defenses. Cloak the attackers in illusions (to offer anonymity - should be within the power of the court) and have them fight the law enforcers - only to reveal after the module that they've been fighting their own PCs! Also a great way to use party tactics against them for once. Mind you, that is just ONE of the possible ideas this scenario spawned in my mind.
The pdf also comes with 6 player-friendly maps of the mansion's different floors, which while serviceable, are not as mind-boggling as most AaW-maps, but oh well.
Editing and formatting are top-notch - I noticed only a scarce few minor glitches and they were universally ones that could be easily ignored. Layout is BEAUTIFUL - with a gray-background reminiscent of marble and copper lines with serpentine designs, the two-column layout serves to evoke a distinct visual identity that sets the module (and the series) apart. The full-color artworks, while partially stock, also feature original pieces which I haven't seen before and is serviceable.
The pdf comes fully bookmarked for your convenience.
Oh boy. Stephen Yeardley and Will Myers have created quite a complex module that is innovative to say the least -where most PvP-scenarios are barebone battles, this one, when used in conjunction with e.g. Conflict, makes for a great STORY-relevant backdrop for such a conflict. Better yet, the module manages to do this without neglecting regular playing experiences. And it offers the freedom to choose the side. And unique conditions to claim victory - as well as fodder for the brain and the REQUIREMENT for the PCs to use all their nifty high-level tools in order to successfully complete their investigation in the extremely narrow time-frame. High-level investigations are exceedingly hard to do - and this one manages to pull it off. Add to that the two paths, options for convention play, puzzles, unique story-angle and we have one superb example of the art of adventure-craft. And the best is: This is only Part I! And yes, unlike many parts of larger arcs, this one can EASILY stand on its own and does not require sequels.
But while we're talking about other modules: Do you know which module this will replace for me? The disappointing finale of the 0onegames' otherwise superb urban investigation AP "Road to Revolution" - and if you've read my reviews of that one, you know how much I adore it. With some cosmetic reskins, this fits PERFECTLY into the finale and it and its sequels may be THE way to expand said AP to 20th level.
Steeped in magic, taking the peculiarities of high level gaming into account and offering something for both brains and brawns, this module is one definite winner and most certainly an excellent start for the arc that has me clamoring for more. This module sets the bar of what to expect from its sequels high indeed - at 5 stars + seal of approval.
Endzeitgeist out.
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Pathways #31 (PFRPG)
Rite Publishing
Thilo G.
[Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/21/2013 07:34:09
An Endzeitgeist.com review
The latest installment of Rite Publishing's Pay-what-you-want e-zine is 44 pages long, 1 page front cover, 11 pages of advertisement, 1 page ToC and 1 page SRD, leaving us with 30 pages of content, so let's take a look, shall we?
David Paul mentions some supplements and muses on monsters in this issue kicking-off editorial before we are introduced to this issue's template by Steven D. Russell, the CR +2 undead jesters may emit deadly cackles and send foes crushing to the ground, helplessly laughing. Rather nasty: They may throw cards on foes, with the effects duplicating the dreaded deck of many things - this creature should be used rarely and wisely, since the results from this deck can change the whole course of a campaign...not sure whether I like this template, to be sure. The sample creature, the court jester of Orcus is perhaps the coolest (and at CR 22, appropriate foe) possible implementation of such a template though. The illustration by Jacob Blackmon is awesome, though a bit pixelated for my tastes.
Next up, Liz Winters introduces us to the crew of Pathfinder wizards working with lone wolf to convert your favorite supplements. More on the crunchy-side would be Steven D. Russell's expansion for Restless Souls (from In the Company of Monsters), my favorite way of bringing dead characters back (I tend to heavily restrict resurrection etc.) get 17 new alternate racial traits - and they are AWESOME - came back wrong, for example, allows you to become more resilient versus maddening effects and several of the traits allow you to 1/week get a significant bonus (like a reroll) - nice!
Raging Swan Press' mastermind Creighton Broadhurst provides a useful d%-table with more than 40 entries to provide dressing for caves and caverns.
Jacob Kellogg offers us an article on smart fighting, with two archetypes and 5 feats: Fighters may opt for the expertise experts Tactical Opportunists that improve the effectiveness of readied actions and AoOs and rogues may become Precision Strikers - who lose trapfinding and -sense in favor of a bonus to atk. Additionally, they may succeed at opposed int (or versus wis in the case of animals) checks to deny foes their dex-modifier. Honestly, not sold on either - the fighter archetype is promising with the bonus for readied action, but could have used more unique tools to play with. The base mechanic of the rogue archetype, based on opposing int-check, simply is clunky design - with 2 d20s and no skills or HD involved, this ability will never see use in my game due to not being based on capability, but rather luck - a significant discrepancy between rules-intention and execution. On the feat-side, first there would be Deadly Acumen, which allows you to take a -1 penalty to melee atk and cmb-checks for +2 to damage on melee rolls, halved when using natural or two-handed weapons. Rather ingeniously, this feat's benefits are tied to a Knowledge-skill you have - for every 4 ranks in said skill, the benefits increase by -1/+2 conversely. It does not stack with power attack. See, that is great tying of mechanics - concise and effective: Awesome! Precision timing and the two build-up feats, which increase the effectiveness of readied actions are also awesome, as is the Systemic Maneuver Training-feat: It makes you NOT incur AoOs with ANY combat maneuvers. Let that sink in. Sounds op? Actually...it isn't. Look up all the benefits the improved maneuver feats net - this does not provide any of them, it just "unlocks" combat maneuvers for the character. I'll see whether this one works in play...
This issue's interview is with John Four, master of RoleplayingTips.com, who offers online courses for DMs to make their combats faster and more efficient - and interesting service to say the least and an informative interview.
After that, we're off to reviews of the best products (4 and 5 star files only) released by 3pps, provided by Trev W. and yours truly.
Editing and formatting are very good, I didn't notice any significant glitches. Layout adheres to RiP's two-column full-color standard and the full color artwork is nice - on a downside, the artwork from the cover is a bit pixelated. The pdf comes fully bookmarked for your convenience.
This pdf's article on restless souls is neat indeed and the other contributors also deliver some interesting pieces herein - however, the template is VERY limited in its usefulness and Jacob Kellogg's offering ranges from superb & awesome to weak. Overall, this pdf offers some nice pieces of content, even though it's not among the best issues of the e-zine.
All in all a solid offering of "Pay what you want" content that does contain some pieces of crunch that definitely are worth the HD-space - hence my final verdict will clock in at 4 stars.
Endzeitgeist out.
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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So What's The Exotic Mount Like, Anyway?
Raging Swan Press
Thilo G.
[Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/18/2013 04:07:59
An Endzeitgeist.com review
This pdf is 22 pages long, 1 page front cover, 2 pages of editorial, 1 page advertisement, 1 page ToC/foreword, 1 page SRD, 1 page advice on how to read statblocks and 1 page back cover, leaving us with 14 pages of content, so let's take a look, shall we?
It's been some time since author Mike Welham's "So what's the Mount like, anyways?" redefined the whole series, making for one of the best, most useful table-book I've ever seen - to the point where it scored a place among my Top ten list. Yes. That good. If you don't have it yet, get it now!
All right, back to the topic at hand - this is the sequel for all those less common mounts paladins, cavaliers and similar characters may acquire - but can it live up to its predecessor's quality?
Well, we kick off this pdf with a massive table of mount's appearances, providing a whopping 100 entries - and oh boy are they inspirational: Whether it's a pegasus with gold-tipped wings, a horse with draconic scales, an elk with reins, but no saddle, a giant bat with a rider's harness hanging from a building - these entries ooze flavor and tell stories in their very own right, inspiring DMs to experiment with templates and craft stories, hooks and sidetreks. Oh, have I mentioned the stallion touched by weird non-euclidian transdimensional beings, subtle shifting around due to being not fully anchored in our world?
The next table comes with mount traits - 98 plus roll twice/thrice - and they actually ALL HAVE RULES-REPERCUSSIONS. This table alone is worth the asking price. Yes. That good. But don't take my word - take entry 95, anti theft: When away from the rider for more than 8 hours and touched by a creature other than the rider, the mount detonates in a fiery explosion! Don't tell HETA (Humanoids for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), but damn, how cool is that? Of course being docile, having a temper and similar more down-to-earth qualities are also featured herein. What if your mount e.g. has spikes? Check the table, entry 10. Aspiring creature/mount-designers: Buy this, read this absorb and cherish it - so much wonder, so much awesomeness here. I am absolutely in LOVE with this table - the sheer amount for modifications of magical breeds this provides is staggering and makes questing for certain mounts a much more rewarding experience.
Still dumbfounded or simply hard-pressed for time? 20 adventure hooks are here for your perusal to weave mount-centric yarns and a total of 8 sample mounts are provided with statblocks - from the boring, but obligatory giant eagle to axiomatic heavy horsed to trained skunks and war corgis, these make for cool base-creatures that can easily be spiced up. Better yet, we get d20 tables listing burrowing, swimming, cold- and fire-themed mounts, all with information in which bestiary they're found as well as some advice on how to handle awarding/gaining a specialized mount.
Editing and formatting are top-notch, I didn't notice any glitches. Layout adheres to Raging Swan Press' elegant 2-column b/w-standard. The pdf comes with nice b/w-artworks, two of which span a whole page and in two versions - one optimized for screen-use and one to be printed out. The pdf comes fully bookmarked for your convenience.
I got ready to be disappointed, I admit it. After the superb first offering, I expected this to fall short of my astronomically high expectations and the two full-page artworks made me fear Mike Welham had lost his steam before filling the page count. Oh. Boy. Was. I. Wrong.
This could have gone wrong in so many ways, trying to cover too many creatures in their own tables while leaving others out, going too specific or too general, too mundane or too magical - for all intents and purposes, this pdf should have failed. It walks this almost insane tightrope, balances above the abyss and crowns its performance with no strings attached somersaults, coming up on top and with sure footing. If anyone still doubted Mike Welham's imaginative mind, this pdf should provide an end to all doubts and naysayers.
Insanely useful, this is essentially the "magical mount generator" that so many have been waiting for - full of iconic ideas, equally strong in both crunch and fluff departments, this pdf managed to fulfill the insane expectations I had and even surpass them in parts - this is a candidate for my top-ten list of 2013, a superb offering for all DMs wishing to add a touch of the special to their mounts and a resounding, triumphant 5 stars +seal of approval - in spite of the fact that this pdf had perhaps the most difficult possible legacy to live up to. So...when do we get more exotic mounts? ;)
Endzeitgeist out.
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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#1 With a Bullet Point: 7 Feats for Shamans
Super Genius Games
Thilo G.
[Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/18/2013 04:04:14
An Endzeitgeist.com review
All right, you know the drill by now - 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial/SRD, 1 page content, this time offering supplemental feats for Marc Radle's spontaneous casting shaman class, so let's take a look!
-Ghost Sight: Your nonmagical attacks versus incorporeal spirits deal 50% damage and magic attacks deal 100% damage.
-Rebuke Spirit: As a standard action, cause all spirits within 30 feet to take 1d4 damage per class level, will for halved damage. Useable 3+cha-mod times per day.
-Spirit of Ancestors: This one is complex, since its benefits depend on the shaman's totem; Gaining animal empathy, +2 when devoted to a single task (but -2 when spreading attention), better perception/appraisal and ferreting out dirty secrets, quicker see spirits and bonus to saves versus illusions, +1/2 class level to knowledge-checks (with a penalty for all non-class non-knowledge skills), a bonus versus fear but incur the surprised penalty for two rounds instead of one or the option to net allies bonuses on successful cha-checks at the cost of arrogance-related penalties. Per se cool ideas of further distinguishing the respective totems, though I'm not sold on the extended surprise round - I assume that being flat-footed is part of the penalties, but since the wording is a tad bit opaque, I'm not sure. Anyways, it feels a bit off when compared to its benefits.
-Spirit of Retribution: When your companion is destroyed, the creature that deals the final blow incurs HD times 1d4 damage - will-save for half. Unfortunately, the feat does not specify against which DC the save is - I assume something akin to either the standard for spell-like abilities, but I'm not sure.
-Spiritual Blessing: When using a healing spell or healing class ability on an ally, other allies within 10 ft of the target get 2+cha-mod temporary hit points. I assume these cannot be dispelled and last until used up since the feat doesn't specify otherwise. Problematic here - in theory shamans might use their 0 level spells to buff up allies every day prior to combat. While temporary hit points from one source don't stack (which would have rendered this one broken), a good cha-score and 0-level spells suddenly deliver quite a bunch of hp. Personally, I don't like the thought of my group's charismatic Shoanti shaman adding 5 temporary hp to all allies prior to any battle - 5 times per day. Your mileage may vary, but further clarification it doesn't work with 0-level spells could help.
-Spiritual Eyes: +4 to perception when with spirit companion in 30 ft, +8 when having more than 10 ranks. Okay, but feels a bit like filler.
-Strength of the Spirits: Reroll saves versus mind-affecting magic as an immediate action. Does not stack with other rerolls. Weird: Prerequisite specified 5th level, but the feats mentions "At 5th level, if you are targeted..." - why? Was there a benefit cut here?
Editing and formatting are good, but by far not up to SGG's excellent track record - duplicated information and slightly less concise writing than usual plague unfortunately this pdf. Layout adheres to the elegant 3-column landscape-standard and the pdf has no bookmarks, but needs none at this length.
I really like the shaman and my player was looking forward to more fodder for it and this pdf does deliver - though with more rough edges and ambiguities than I've come to expect from Super Genius Games. Idea-wise, these feats are cool and awesome, but in execution, their benefits seem a bit off, some minor incongruities remain..and in spite of offering some cool options, as a reviewer, I can't go higher than 3 stars - were the content not that nice, I probably would have gone lower.
Endzeitgeist out.
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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text:
Creche continues its long tradition of helping children in the Jamestown area. This year 44 backpacks were filled with school supplies and distributed to nine area elementary and middle schools by the organization's Special Projects Committee. Generous members of Creche donated most of the backpacks and school supplies. Other organizations that contributed to this 10-year-old Creche program were Court Appointed Special Advocates and both Brooklyn Square and North Main Street Community Banks. Creche has funded countless special projects such as this one for children in the community during its 112-year history.
Another of Creche's yearly activities is the campership program. In early summer Creche's Community Service Committee members contacted 20 area schools to get suggestions from school personnel about students that would benefit by a week at summer camp though their families were unable to afford it. Creche then provided weeklong camperships to 21 happy children at various camps in our area, along with a small stipend for their use in the canteens. For most of these kids, attending summer camp for a week was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Creche's membership is comprised of approximately 100 active and nearly150 associate and non-resident members. These caring women are committed to raising funds locally and spending all monies on children in the greater Jamestown area. At the present time, between $25,000 and $30,000 is provided each year to help needy children and their families in the local community. To learn more about the activities of Creche and membership qualifications, visit their new website: www.crecheforkids.org.
Article Photos
Creche members Josette Cromey, back left, Elsa Hern and Sandy Everson, kneeling, assemble children's backpacks for school. Absent from the photo are Gina Hess and Sara Vail.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
County, owners disagree on Willowbrook inspections
Date: November 7, 2012
by: Josh Siegel | Staff Writer
EAST COUNTY — In an otherwise empty pool at the Willowbrook condominium community in East County, a group of homeowners are huddled around a scrapbook full of pictures of moldy ceilings, sinking floors, balconies without railings and water-damaged walls.
Residents say these problems are all the result of faulty building and materials that wouldn't have happened had the county found the errors during inspections.
But at the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Oct. 30, county building department officials disagreed, saying the structural problems in Willowbrook were the fault of KB Home, the development's builder.
John Barnott, director of the county's building and development services, reported findings of county inspections and blamed the condo's issues on "weatherproofing and quality-of-construction issues that are not subject to the building code."
Residents don't believe that explanation.
"The county frustrates me," said Armando Oyolo-Delgado, an outspoken resident. "They take the defense that this is a private matter. Yes, there are private issues and legalities. But we're not asking him to get involved in that. They need to hold KB Home, which gave us a bad product, accountable for what they did."
County attorney Mickey Palmer, who is board certified in construction law, maintained the small role of government in private disputes and says inspectors are limited in what they're required to look out for.
"The county doesn't have inspectors looking over the contractor's shoulders every day," Palmer said, noting government inspectors are responsible for only a small part ofa broad building code. "Disputes like this happen every day. If local government got involved in everyone's construction claims, it would set a bad precedent. Sometimes the builders violate the building code and the government isn't aware of it."
At the meeting, county commissioners also eliminated a proposal to make void mandatory mediation clauses for the sale and construction of homes.
Contact Josh Siegel at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Currently 2 Responses
- 1.
- That's the point mr. Palmer they violated the code and you've been made aware of it. This is not a dispute of unhappy customers with paint color disputes it's a structurally unsound not built to Florida building code issue.
- 2.
- That's the point mr. Palmer they violated the code and you've been made aware of it. This is not a dispute of unhappy customers with paint color disputes it's a structurally unsound not built to Florida building code issue.
- Mar
15 Irish Celtic 5K, Lakewood Ranch
8:00 am - 10:00 am - Mar
15 Palma Sola Botanical Park plants, antiques and crafts sale
8:00 am - 3:00 pm - Mar
22 5th Annual Ponies for Pups
11:30 am - Mar
22 Lakewood Ranch Community Fund 'Havana Nights' Gala
6:30 pm - Mar
23 The Bridal EXPO
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Mar
26 LWRBA March Executive Briefing
7:30 am - 9:00 am - Apr
16 USF Sarasota-Manatee HospitaBull Evening
6:00 pm - May
2 2nd annual Glow Run
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Tick Tock
Daylight Saving Time starts 2 a.m. Sunday, so be sure to set your alarm accordingly. -
Good vibrations
The Tabernacle Christian School middle school student Lauren Medred, an East County resident, earned top vocal honors, taking first place in vocal solo female category of the Florida League of Christian School's Festival of the Academics and Arts Feb. 28 and March 1 at Southeastern University in Lakeland. -
Tech takeover
Manatee County schools dominated a state technology competition with five of six top-three finishes earned by Manatee County schools during the 35th annual Technology Student Association State Competition late February.


text:
The heart necklace Portraits
Artist description:
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Created May 04, 2012. Unless noted Copyright 2012
shakeh .
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She is so lovely, cute and pretty! I wish that I looked like her haha. I like how she is holding her necklace while it is on her neck. I love her morganite shirt and her brunette hairstyle. Her azure eyes are gorgeous. Just splendid! 5/5 and favorite
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text:
Finally I got a piercing!!! Je suis tres happy!!Ok i'm off to clean it =]
Just the cartilage at the top of my ear.I know it's nothing spectacular,but I've wanted to get it done for so long now.
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent-Eleanor Roosevelt
THAT'S SO COOL! Congratulations!! (I'm too chicken to get anything more than the one-hole-per-earlobe deal I've got going on now... I wish I were less of a wimp because that's such a neat look.)


text:
"Excellant, better than I anticipated."
4.5 starson by Duffy07023Pros: Easy pairing, sound quality, controls
Cons: The Strap
Summary: When I received my tags, they paired with my I-pod and I- phone with no problem. But the sound would drop out if anythig got between the device and the tags and would return when the obstruction was removed.
I called Outdoor Tech and they exchanged them for another pair, no questions asked.
My new pair is great, they are not recomended for the gym, but that is where I use them most with no problems. I use the supplied ear hooks and the larger size ear pads and they stay in my ears without a problem.
The sound is good, about equal to a pair of Skull Candys. They don't have the volume of wired earbuds but I solved that problem in I-Tunes by increasing the volume in settings.
My phone works well with the tags, no one has complained on the other end of the call.
The pause, volume and track controls work well.
The neck strap can be a little annoying, it can curl up and bug me on the back of my neck. This is a small complaint. If you smooth out the strap before you put them on it is not a problem.
I have recomended OT Tags to a few people, and I am quite happy with them.
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