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Kitsune
Publisher: Silver Gryphon Games
by havok m. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/27/2015 13:09:28

A very nice addition of a race to any eastern or Asian themed campaign setting, or even just a hidden race to apply in any campaign. The stats are pretty balanced, especially since the alternative form doesn't seem to give any ability bonuses.

There are a couple things about the race that needs clarification however. One downside is no combat stats are given for their fox form, such as their AC (I assume armor melds into the form and is inactive until they assume human form) or if they have a natural attack in that form. There's also a vagueness in the Master of Disguise feature. Do you take the form of the same humanoid each time with whatever minor alterations you desire? Can you shapeshift into any other individual? I'd say it should instead allow you to assume your specific humanoid form AND give Advantage on Disguise checks to appear as another humanoid form through magical alterations or proficiency with a disguise kit.

Aside from the slight vagueness, it's a very good race to bring in if you like the flavor, which is also provided and fits the pop-culture idea of kitsune. I'd go a step further with the fluff and lore by saying you're not limited to human form, but whatever race you grew up with (elf kitsune, gnome kitsune, even orc kitsune if you want) by just taking on the physical traits you liked in others as you matured.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Kitsune
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Yokai Playable Race [5e]
Publisher: Izegrim Creations
by havok m. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/27/2015 12:46:53

If you're a player, this is a great book for variety in the early days of 5th edition. While the title implies it's a single race, it's actually more like 17 races with different stats. Want a faster race? There's a yokai for that. Want natural armor? There's a yokai for that. Want flight? There's a yokai for that.

If you're a DM, this is not so great as it gives way too much variety for players with little balance. There isn't a base yokai race or shared racial traits across them all, making it very difficult to remember. Some of the options seem unbalanced, and the ability modifier bonuses are a little too tailored for specific classes.

The format also needs work, with the special abilities of each race buried in a paragraph about its description. Making it fall more in line with the official 5th edition books formatting would go a long way to making it better.

My advice would be to make a basic yokai race (maybe something like +2 dex default and Scent) and then list the options and have them each give just a +1 to another stat, an advantage on a specific skill, and possibly some feature that emulates the base animal.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Yokai Playable Race [5e]
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ME503 - The Magic of Chaos
Publisher: Mithgarthr Entertainment
by havok m. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/27/2015 12:31:20

A very interesting idea for making it so that there can be some variety with enemies in 5th edition. Since 5th edition removed a lot of spell-like abilities from enemies that typically had them in previous editions, a lot of dangerous enemies became simply menacing but not able to back it up in the way my players have come to expect. With this product, I was able to surprise them with a return to old school days when a sudden spell-caster in the midst made a fight last more than five rounds.

It also allows for a far more ominous villain patron when a shaman suddenly loses favor and explodes in front of the party. The trick is whether or not it destroys their equipment, because then it might make the party break down in tears.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
ME503 - The Magic of Chaos
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En Garde! More Martial Classes for Pathfinder
Publisher: Little Red Goblin Games
by havok m. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/10/2013 11:13:02

Like many players and GMs, I've been looking for a fix for the cavalier. When this caught my eye, I thought perhaps I had found a reasonable fix for the worst class in the Pathfinder game.

I will say that the Fencer is a good choice for anyone interested in playing a Cavalier. It is significantly better, faster, and stronger than the base Cavalier. However, there are some issues with it in terms of game balance. There are also a couple wording issues and typos to hammer out, but an attentive player/GM should be able to catch these.

Pros

Grit: The addition of the Grit mechanic to the class is well done and much needed. It doesn't take away Challenge, but gives the Fencer additional options during combat for that much needed flourish and unique attack options that a Fighter can't access. Basically, it's the thing separating the Cavalier/Fencer from being replaced by a Fighter. Rapiers: Since the Fencer is somewhat based upon European archetypes, it is reliant upon rapiers as a weapon. This is a much needed reason to use a rapier as a full BAB class, when previously there was none. Colors: While somewhat similar to the Banner class feature that it replaces, it's far more useful in that it replaces a bonus on charge attacks with a bonus to CMD. That's more useful to EVERYONE in the party rather than just the Cavalier. Ace of Blades: A definitely needed ability for the Cavalier in general, which makes the Fencer the preferred archetype for Cavalier. HOWEVER, it does not say it replaces Supreme Charge explicitly, so GMs be prepared for a potential loophole. Cloak Style: This is actually a pretty clever way to handle a cloak as a weapon. But there is one issue, so look below in the Cons section. Included Racial Favored Class Bonuses: I cannot stress how nice it is to have additional Favored Class bonuses for the archetype when it has removed all the things that the original class's racial favored bonuses affected.

Cons

Parry and Riposte: I liked the idea upon reading, however the mechanics behind it are a little less than viable. Only the Shield bonus from wearing an actual shield or the class feature from rapier usage applies, not magical equipment like a Ring of Shield. Enhancement bonuses are taken into consideration though, so perhaps it could be more viable at the higher levels than I give it credit for. Deeds: The Fencer, like the Gunslinger, gains access to a list of Deeds. Unlike the Gunslinger, they have a set list that they gain at specific levels with no real choice. This isn't such a bad thing, as it limits the potentially fatally stupid choices a player could make, but it does feel a little less like Deeds and more like Class Features since all of them are Extraordinary ability. Weapon Expertise: Just as I said that the Cavalier/Fencer should have an edge over the Fighter, the Fighter should retain their edge over the Cavalier/Fencer. Rather than give it equivalent Fighter levels, simply give it Weapon Focus/Specialization and their Greater versions as Bonus Feats and skip the equivalency. It will limit potential loopholes. It also crimps the Single Sword style when they gain those feats in their progression. Team Work Feats: If you're like me, you don't care for Teamwork Feats. The Fencer simply loses them, which isn't a really big deal, but it does get away from the idea of the Cavalier/Fencer as the Tactician of the party. It's more of a thematic than actual issue. Parrying Dagger Style: This does not gain Two-Weapon Fighter, so the Fencer must pick those feats up themselves if they want to be able to even think of hitting a target with their offhand. Otherwise, it's based more around using the dagger as a shield, so there isn't much need to attack with the offhand. Cloak Style: While clever, there is a wording issue. Veiled Intentions in the style needs to be explicitly worded and show the sneak attack progression rather than simply say "equal to a Rogue half their Fencer level." And even then, it seems a bit too Loss of the Orders: Again, this isn't a huge loss, but it is a loss. They do however gain the 8th level ability of their Order, even if it is at 14th level.

While my Cons list might be larger than the Pros, I actually do like the class and the idea of it. The implementation seems pretty decent enough that a group could play using it without too many problems, it just needs a little bit of polishing so it can shine. I personally would prefer to use the Fencer as the base rather than the base Cavalier. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

As for the Magebane archetype, I'm not a fan of it. Mostly because it is far too specialized against casters with ray spells, which very few of my caster villains use when there are perfectly good minions to throw at the party.

Onward to the Meister.

THE ABSOLUTE MAJOR FAULT IN THE CLASS: The write up for the book says it's a Fighter archetype, while in the text of the book it says it's a Cavalier archetype. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE. While I'm absolutely sure that it's a Fighter archetype, I needed to point this out so nobody else thinks it is for Cavalier.

Basically, by sacrificing Armor Training and Armor Mastery, they gain increased skill with a select weapon group. This is more or less, a waste of printed space and kind of a let down given the name. The main reason it is a letdown is because there are already Archetypes out there that pretty much do this specialization, so I'm not going to go into a list of pros and cons for this one. I give it 1 out of 5, it's just not needed.

The Myrmidon

Really, this is just the hybrid of a Fighter and a Monk. Flurry of Blows with "bladed weapons," (thankfully, the Designer Note does clarify this so there won't be too much arguing over what it means) and an increase in Monk and Fighter level equivalencies. Really, this is only for that special multiclass combo. I'll give it 2 out of 5, mostly because I don't see it being for anything OTHER than Monk and Fighter.

The New Weapons section is a good addition and will hopefully give your history/weapon buff player something to halt their talking your ears off about "real historical weapons and usage" vs "RPG weapon choices." All the weapons are also equivalent to others in terms of feat specialization, thankfully. No need to worry about your +3 Spadroon being sundered and leaving you with three feats utterly useless forever on. I give it 4 out of 5 stars because its always nice to have variety with weapons for players without removing the need for Exotic Weapons.

The New Feats section is also a good addition. Thankfully, none of the feats are too overpowered or particularly underpowered. I give it a 3 out of 5 stars just because nothing stands out in a good or bad way.

Overall, I say that the Fencer is a much better alternative to the Cavalier and that it alone makes this book worth the price. The rest of the things in it, you can take or leave. But make sure you check out the Fencer.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
En Garde! More Martial Classes for Pathfinder
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