Hi everyone, welcome to this week’s edition of… No, wait, hang on.
This week isn’t Clerical Domination, this week I’ll be doing something a little different, along with the rest of the authors here on D20radio’s website. A gift-giving guide for the upcoming Holidays.
Some might expect all of this to be Pathfinder (and some entries are), but I’ve been gaming since the early 90s, so I’m basically going to pick what I think are the best value items out there currently. Further, since this is for Christmas, one of the requirements is that it comes with a printed option, and not solely as a PDF. 😊
And one more requirement: I seem to be one of the more prolific freelancers out there currently, and I’ve worked with a fair amount of publishers at this point, so there are some products that I’m going to recommend where I have worked for/currently work for the publisher, but none of the recommendations that I’m going to give are ones where I myself stand to profit from the sale in any way, shape or form.
1: Ponyfinder
I mean, how could it not be? It uses Pathfinder as it’s core system, but it does such a good job of translating the “feel” of My Little Pony into a world of RPGs, that I cannot help but like it. I mean, come on, this lets me play a Clockwork Pony. The PDF comes in at $19.99, which is a bit steep for a PDF, but if you buy the Hard- or Softcovers (at 40 and 30 respectively), you get the PDF for free. So why not order a book for Christmas, place it under the tree and then hide that PDF like a guilty secret until your friend asks you to play Ponyfinder?
2: Heroines of the First Age
This just looks adorable. It was originally a Kickstarter that I missed out on, but it’s now available through normal channels. Admittedly, this isn’t one I’ve played, but it’s on my own shopping list for Christmas this year. For any RPG fan, who also likes Anime, I think this is a must-have. Since it uses the Powered by the Apocalypse system, I expect this to be a solidly enjoyable and robust game.
3: Castle Falkenstein and Castle Falkenstein: Curious Creatures
Castle Falkenstein is a very old game at this point, first seeing print in 1994. I don’t know if it was the first SteamPunk game out there, but it can’t have been far off. Even today, some 23 years later, it still has a cult following, and it’s recently seen a revival thanks to the efforts of James Gray and the team over at Fat Goblin Games. (Disclaimer: While I DO freelance for Fat Goblin Games, I’ve had NOTHING to do with this particular release). It is a fascinating dive into a Victorian Age Europe, and I especially like that it seems to focus more upon the European continent than the British Empire. It feels like that makes it stand out even further. The fact that you use cards (playing them as needed, with each suit having an attachment to a different stat), means that you can, at least partially, craft the narrative of the story yourself. I would highly recommend picking up the Curious Creatures expansion along with it though. That’s because it always felt as if it could use a bestiary/monster book of sorts, and 20 years later it finally got it. 😊 – The Hardcover for Castle Falkenstein clocks in at $40 ($20 for the pdf or $6 if you get it with the hardcover) while Curious Creatures clocks in at $15-18 (depending on the softcover type you choose), with the PDF being on offer for $6.95 (at the time of writing. Normal price $11.95, but if you buy the books you can get it for 3).
4: Writing with style: An Editor’s Guide for RPG Writers
Right, I’m not going to delve too far into this one, but let me say something. IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON BECOMING AN RPG WRITER, YOU NEED THIS BOOK. It allows you to avoid some of the most common pitfalls that your editor will see in your writing, and which you can avoid. As I’m sure both Linda and Wayne can attest, a writer who does his work properly makes for a happy editor. (Sorry you two, I know I make you work hard). – This is also one of the ones that are on my OWN Christmas list, in that I have it on PDF (when it originally released there was no print version), but I want a printed version as well. (Since I both write and edit). At $9.95 ($10.95 with a pdf) it is a must-have.
5: Starjammer: Core Rulebook
(Disclaimer: While I do work for d20pfsrd.com publishing, I’m not involved in the making of this book in any way, nor do I profit from its sale – Over there, I handle fantasy 😉)
With the recent release of StarFinder, some of the interest in Starjammer has fallen by the wayside, which I personally think is a bit of a shame. The system here is robust, and mechanically expansive (almost too expansive in some cases), and while there are flaws, the team has managed to craft a solid game, despite the number of authors. This is PATHFINDER in space, and uses the Pathfinder license, as opposed to the Starfinder license. So, for those who want to go to space in Pathfinder, this is the book for you. (It is also a steal at $29.90 for both softcover and PDF in one, as the PDF alone would normally set you back $15, while the printed version would be $24.95)
These are my recommendations for the year. Hope you all enjoy a merry Christmas. 😊
Kim Frandsen
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