The Mutant Epoch: Can you Survive Galespit? #postapocalyptic #ttrpg #Scifi #tabletopgame

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HjeyF88cZuQ

Shadow Puppets: A Dark Twist on Doomlings Gameplay

Disclaimer

The folks behind Doomlings sent me the Shadow Puppets Bolster Expansion for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinion. This will be my honest review. Make sure you check out my review for the base game. I’ll also be using my Amazon Affiliate link where possible. It really helps me if you use it before you buy anything.

Table of Contents

1. Disclaimer
2. Table of Contents
3. Box Opening
4. What’s in the Box?
5. What is Shadow Puppets?
   1. What is Doomlings
   2. How to play
   3. What is Shadow Puppets
6. Review
   1. Quality
   2. Mechanics
   3. Conclusion

Box Opening

https://youtube.com/shorts/JA3yK9jANKk

What’s in the Box?

Shadow Puppets Bolster expansion is a 40 card expansion that introduces four new species of Doomlings: Deeplings, Glitterings, Moonlings, and Fuzelings. The breakdown:

• Deeplings (12 Cards)
  • 9 x Traits
  • 2 x Dominant Traits
• Glitterings (12 Cards)
  • 9 x Traits
  • 2 x Dominant Traits
• Moonlings (12 Cards)
  • 9 x Traits
  • 2 x Dominant Traits
• Fuzelings (4 Cards)
  • 4 x Traits
• Ages x 2
• Catastrophe x 1
• Bonus Foil Card x 1

What is Shadow Puppets?

Shadow Puppets is an expansion for the Doomlings deck builder game. You will need the base game to play with these cards. Make sure you check out my full review of the base game.

What is Doomlings

Doomlings is a quirky little card game about the end of the world. Players take turns building a strong gene pool from cards they pull from a collective deck. Each card has a value and some have abilities that interact with other cards or players. For example, a card can allow a player to draw more cards each round, giving them a slight advantage. Each round has its unique set of rules based on the age or catastrophe card in play. For example, a card can force players to only play a certain color card. The game ends when four catastrophe cards are played and the winner is the player with the most points.

How to play

Games with Denver James has a fantastic tutorial that you should watch before you get started. Make sure you give him a like and a follow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZJCt2F0Yo4

What is Shadow Puppets

Shadow Puppets is a darker themed expansion that essentially allows players to play trap cards. It allows players to disrupt a players turn, swap cards, and even give away cards. It also introduces the subvert mechanic which allows players to sacrifice Doomlings for points. What makes Shadow Puppets unique is is dark edgy flavor of both the abilities and artwork. The set does have a few demonic looking Doomlings. This is your trigger warning.

Review

The Shadow Puppets expansion brings some surprisingly needed dark humor, with interesting mechanics that only make the game more fun. If you like the flavor of the set and need some more trap cards, go get yourself a copy.

Quality

Doomlings is a high quality card game with some very good looking game pieces. The Shadow Puppets Bolster expansion is no exception. The cards are a little thinner than I am used to, but the art and quality of the card stock is as excellent as ever. I still recommend using sleeves. I may be a crazy person that sleeves everything, but it really makes shuffling the cards easier. You will be shuffling this game a lot, and the sleeves will help preserve the game.

Mechanics

I absolutely love the mechanics for this set. Nor only is each new species flavorful, the interactions it creates are so much fun. I love the fact that at any moment, you can just disrupt a persons turn or strait up ruin their whole strategy. There is a card that lets that lets you swap gene pools. You can build a bad pool on purpose to swap with someone who is actively trying to win and ruin their day. It’s like the blue shell in Mario, but with more control. Of course, someone can just swap hands with you and ruin your strategy. That feels pretty balanced to me.

I really like the ages in this expansion. One lets you draw 3 and discard 2. This creates some very tough choices, but it is always fun to draw cards. The other mechanic lets you swap hands, and this can absolutely ruin someone’s day. If you want a set with a lot of disruption, Shadow Puppets is fantastic.

Conclusion

I love Doomlings and recommend to anyone who wants a fun and simple game to pull out at game night. The game is easy to teach, especially for people new to the hobby, and the game is family friendly. Most importantly, it is very easy to set up and take down. Games of Doomlings are pretty quick, but the interactions make it meaningful.

Now if you’re looking for an expansion, Shadow Puppets is awesome. The disruptive nature of the expansion gives the game a layer of fun I didn’t think it needed. It has definitely earned its spot with the rest of my collection.

You can pick up your copy of Shadow Puppets on the official Doomlings website, or on Amazon through my affiliate link.

#2025 #blog #blogger #blogging #boardGame #cardGame #doomlings #entertainment #gaming #gamingBlog #internet #media #review #Reviews #tableTopGame #watch #wordpress

Discover Why You Should Play The TTRPG Mutant Year Zero

Disclaimer

Free League Publishing sent me a free copy of the Mutant: Year Zero core rulebook to review for my blog. While I am very happy for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. Make sure you also check out my reviews for Dragonbane and The One Ring.

Table of Contents

1. Disclaimer
2. Table of Contents
3. What is Mutant: Year Zero?
   1. Hook
4. Gameplay
   1. Resources
   2. Rot
   3. Mutations
   4. Combat
   5. Leveling
   6. Other Mechanics
5. Review
   1. Quality
   2. Story
   3. Adventure
   4. Roleplay
   5. Theater of the Mind
   6. Survival
   7. Conclusion

What is Mutant: Year Zero?

Mutant is a tabletop roleplaying game about mutants at the end of the world. The game runs on the award winning Year Zero system which is a D6 system where things happen on 6s and 1s. Six is good and one is bad. There are no modifiers. Instead, stats and gear tell players how many dice they need to roll. More dice generally means better odds. Finally, Mutant is a survival game where the world is harsh, people have powers, and starvation is always a bad roll away.

Hook

Before the fall of civilization, Earth existed in a constant state of conflict. War broke out across the globe, quickly turning nuclear. Those smart and rich enough quickly found shelter in secure underground bunkers while others fled into the safety of space. Everyone else either died in the first wave, or had to rot away in the fallout. As the Earth became toxic, many began to mutate and develop powers.This was the next stage of evolution of man, but one that also marked its end. Mutants are sterile, and while there are tales of powerful folk that roam the wasteland, the population is aging towards is final days.

Some survivors band together and form flourishing communities known as arcs in an attempt to recapture what they lost, others turned to the harsh wasteland and let it transform. You were fortunate enough to grow in one of these arcs, and spend your days working towards a common goal. As the years go by, resources start to dwindle and the world becomes a harder place to live. Eventually, you and a promising group are tasked with going out farther than the usual patrol in search of anything that will extend your time on this planet. What secrets will you uncover beyond those walls? What will you bring back? Can humanity ever be saved, or are you merely surviving till your final days?

Gameplay

Mutant is a very easy game to pick up, but has enough depth to keep players engaged. The survival mechanics give players agency, without ever feeling like a chore. The mutation mechanic adds fun flavor that players can explore through their character, and it makes for some fun and interersting interactions. If you’ve ever wanted to be Xmen at the end of the world, pick up Mutant Year Zero.

Resources

Resources at the end of the world are limited. Players will need to spend their time constantly hunting for food, water, and other materials to survive the harsh dying world around them. Resources like food and water are expended every day for survival, but they are also used for healing. Rationing this precious resource keeps a high level of tension for the players. Players can choose to be at full health for the next encounter at the risk of starving to death. The system is streamlined so the bulk of the game is focused on the game rather than resource management, but you can make it more hard core if that is fun for you.

In Mutant, bullets are the most valuable resource after food and water. While players don’t need bullets to survive the wasteland, they are useful currency when it comes time to trade for better gear or materials. Bullets are also used for guns, and no one wants to be short a bullet in an important gunfight. Players will constantly need to weigh the benefits of trading away their bullets, and that will make for some difficult decisions.

Rot

The world rots away under the effects of the lingering radiation. While there are a few clean and hospitable areas left on this planet, there are pockets of deadly radiation spread in between. These areas give players rot points that slowly kill them. The only way to get rid of rot is to rest in a clean area, but those may be far in between during an adventure. The best bet is to avoid rot all together, or find some rot protection over time. Unfortunately, sometimes the only way forward is through a puddle of rot, and sometimes the only drinkable water is contaminated. The problem then becomes finding ways to mitigate the rot, and live with it.

Mutations

You can’t have a Mutant’s game without cool mutant powers, and this book has a very good selection of them. The DM can allow players to choose their mutation or roll for them at a table. I prefer rolling because that randomness gives the game its flavor. Survivors in this world wouldn’t have been able to choose their powers, neither should your players. That said, I’ll let a player choose their mutation if they have a fun idea that won’t kill the fun for anyone else.

As you would expect, mutations give players abilities they can use in and out of combat. Every player gets a mutation point per mutation at the start of each session that rolls over to the next if not used. Mutation points are the resource used to power the mutation. Because mutations are so powerful, this limit is used to balance the game. If the player could use their mutation as much as they wanted, things could get out of hand. Mutations can also backfire. They can explode or work as intended. They can also further mutate the user, leaving them weaker but with a cool new power to use.

Combat

Combat does not get any simpler than in Mutants. Attacks succeed on 6s and fail on 1s. Additional 6s give the user extra boons like bonus damage or the ability to disarm. Additional 1s can mean the weapon breaks, leaving its user defenseless. Weapon and gear do break in this game, and players will need a skilled craftsman for repairs, or enough bullets to buy the replacement.

What makes combat deep is the health and cover system. The way health works means that players will need to think carefully before rushing in. They may not have the resources to heal back, or they can get an injury that affects their performance. Learning how to effectively use the environment in combat is extremely important. Effectively finding cover in a gun fight or exploding a barrel can easily mean the difference between life and death.

Leveling

I love the leveling system in Mutant because it is streamlined and accessible. Players will need to answer the following questions:

1. Did you participate in the session? (You get 1 XP just for being present.)
2. Did you perform a Day’s Work for a project in the Ark?
3. Did you explore at least one new sector in the Zone?
4. Did you sacrifice or risk something for your PC buddy?
5. Did you sacrifice or risk something for the NPC you want to keep safe?
6. Did you sacrifice or risk something to mess with the NPC you hate?
7. Did you sacrifice or risk something to reach your big dream?

Players get 1xp point per yes, and they level up when they earn a total of five. Leveling means players will get put a point into a skill of their choice or pick up a new talent. This system not only eliminates the guess work you would see in something like D&D, and it allows players to customize their character. Personally, it forced my players to act in ways they wouldn’t normally because they wanted an XP point. Where in a D&D campaign they wouldn’t care if the NPC died, they went out of their way to keep them alive and get to know them. I was not ready to RP as much as I have in Mutant, but I am not complaining.

Other Mechanics

There are other very cool mechanics that make this game unique and fun to play, but I don’t want this post to get too long. I pulled out the most notable that set it apart from other systems I’ve played, but also the systems I’ve liked the most. While I do not currently run a hardcore survival campaign, its nice to play something more bleak and I’ve been enjoying the story that has come from it.

Review

Mutant Year Zero is easily one of my favorite TTRPGs. I love how accessible the game is. It is easy to learn, and this is important for table of busy dads. Mutant also has some fantastic flavor with the mechanics that make for a good story.

Quality

I did get a copy of the physical book, and it is beautiful. The printing is high quality with vibrant colors, and the book is very high quality. I love the comic book style art. It gives the game its distinct personality and the book looks fantastic on my table.

The cover is phenomenal. I love how it draws the attention to the survivors combing a burning crumbling city for danger and supplies. Their nonchalant expressions suggest that they’ve grown used to the wreckage, and remain unfazed by the apocalypse. The worn mismatched outfits fit the flavor of the world, and the colors tie it all together. I love that each character has a hint of their ability showing. It is just enough to make a statement about their power, while still evoking curiosity. Are these good guys? Bad guys? You’re going to have to play and decide.

Story

The corebook has a prewritten adventure, and it is a very good place to start if you’re a beginner or just need a little help. The adventure offers a solid mystery with an interesting hook to get things rolling.

The players start at the arc, with an aging leader and dwindling supplies. They are sent out in search of more, but find hints to the fabled Eden. Eden is a place of abundance, populated by the most brilliant minds to find a cure for mutation. Some say the cure exists somewhere within its walls, the trouble is finding it. Others say its all a cruel joke told by those too dumb to realize it is all over. As fate has it, your players find themselves chasing a legend, and what they find isn’t what they expected.

Adventure

What I like most about how the adventure is written is that it gives players to tell their own story around the main goal. The adventure outlines a meta story, fills it with important NPCs and location, and sprinkles enough clues to create agency. The gamemaster players have the freedom to do what they want. I’ve never had my players more invested in the world building, because we were building our world. We had a session where we just talked about the fake mutant animals that existed in the one zone and creating bits of random lore that carried throughout the campaign. I love that I was not tied down by a dungeon crawl because it allowed us to tell some very cool stories.

Most importantly, I love that my players liked the meta story enough to keep playing through it. I’ve ran modules where I stopped using the source material because my players wanted to do something different within that world. I wasn’t ready for them to start asking questions about Eden and actively working towards it because of how much time we spend messing around in character.

Roleplay

This is one of the games where my players got into unique characters. I think the random mutation forced them to play a character they wouldn’t usually which was very cool to see. It might also help that I ran this game with theater of the mind using Alchemy RPG. The official module for Mutant is fantastic. Maybe the lack of math and battle maps gave players the room to get creative with their roleplay. Whatever the answer, it was a lot of fun.

Theater of the Mind

You can get as fancy as you want with Mutant. You can use maps with intricate terrain and figures, or load up your favorite VTT and do it digitally. Run this game in whatever way is most fun for your table. The system will work no matter what. At my table, we run games through theater of the mind. I’ll use maps here and there, but I like the focus to be the story and the current format works for us.

As a theater of mind game, Mutant is a fantastic system. The year one system makes checks and combat easy to manage, and the mechanics give enough depth without needing much outside aid. If all you have is the rulebook, some dice, and a dream, you are ready to run Mutant Year One.

Survival

Do not be intimidated by the survival aspect of this game. Run this game as hardcore as it needs to be for your table. I run a casual table and would frequently forget to manage resources. There wasn’t enough scarcity, and I didn’t deduct enough resources. I did break weapons and give players rot points, but I wasn’t running the game as intended. That said, the game never felt like it lost any of the survival element. Players were still cautious with their decisions, and scavenging when they could. My campaign, as silly as it was, was still a survival campaign. I like that freedom.

Conclusion

If you want to run a survival campaign with cool mutant characters and have a good amount of freedom to tell a cool story, pick up your copy of Mutant Year Zero. This has become our favorite, and it is going to be hard to switch to anything else. You can pick up your copy of the Mutant Year Zero rule book on the official Free League Publishing website, or on DriveThru rpg if you want to go digital.

#2025 #blog #blogger #blogging #entertainment #fantasy #freeLeaguePublishing #game #gamingBlog #internet #media #review #Reviews #roleplay #rpg #tabletop #tabletopGame #ttrpg #watch #wordpress #writing

Approved proofs for cardstock from our upcoming game. It's so exciting to be sourcing custom-cut pieces! #indiegames #indieboardgames #gamedesign #oakbound #thewoods #shivershield #deepwoodshadows #wargame #wargames #skirmishgame #fantasygame #miniaturewargames #tabletopgame #fantasyminiatures

Doing our biweekly tabletop RPG, we're fighting what could be considered the 'final boss' of the adventure, a guy (formerly) named Nole that is now basically like...an energy being or intelligence in a jar Zordon style. He's basically a mutated psychic Elon Musk so I'm really looking forward to getting to him.

Right now he's psychically dominating me, and being a real smug son of a bitch about it. Can't wait to crack that jar open....

#RPG #tabletop #tabletopgame #gammaworld

2026 Universus TCG Roadmap: Exciting New Releases Ahead

Intro

UVS Games has just announced its 2026 roadmap, and the lineup will have fans new and old excited about the future of the game. As casual collector, I definitely see a couple of sets I want to whale on. If you want to pick up Universus, always support your LGS. You can also pick up Universus on TCG Player using my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you use it.

The Road Map

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TdogwL7PAY

What’s coming in 2026?

2026 marks a very important milestone for Universus: the system’s 20th anniversary. With this milstone comes a collecion of iconic figures from fighting games, manga, and of course, Kaiju. Whether you are new to the game, casually collecting, or trying to take the top spot in next year’s circuit, there seems to be a little bit of something for everyone.

So what is coming?

• King of Fighters XV Challenger Series
• Godzilla Booster Set
• My Hero Academia Challenger Series
• TEKKEN 8 Booster Set
• Street Fighter 6: Part Deux Challenger Series
• Fairy Tail Booster Set

Thoughts

While I am not too crazy about the fighting game sets, Street fighter had some very cool unique cards and the decks were a lot of fun to play. They are a solid place to start, assuming you can’t find any Godzilla. What I don’t like about the fighting game sets personally are that most of cards are screenshots. If you’re a fan of the games in questions (and the games in questions are cool), then this becomes less of an issue. As a collector, these sets don’t excite me as much. I prefer the comic stills, especially like the ones in the Heroes of Exandira set. Those look really good in a binder.

That said, what is important are the mechanics and the unique cards that make this game worth collecting. If the mechanics change the meta enough or the unique cards in the set are cool, that will be enough to excite me. I may not vibe with most of the art for the Tekken and Street Fighter cards I do own, but the decks are fun enough and the champion cards are cool enough that I would buy into them if I didn’t already own the set.

What I am very excited for is the Godzilla cards. I missed out on the initial run of Godzilla when that came out, but what I’ve seen looks very cool. Some people will argue that Godzilla is problematic because it runs the meta, but I’ve played enough card games to know that it happens everywhere. Maybe the set changes up the type of Godzilla decks you end up playing against. Either way, as a collector, I can’t wait what this set has to offer and I am more than ready to open a couple packs.

What I am most excited for is the Manga sets. I know Deku is a problem, but the cards from previous MHA sets have all been pretty good. I feel confident in my excitement for this set, and I hope it brings new people in the space. The space needs it. More importantly, I am ready to whale on the Fairy Tail set. I love this anime and the set is bound to have some cool cards. It has to for the year to end on a good note.

Until then, lets get hyped for GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- Blitz Booster landing November 28. Don’t forget to preorder yours today!

#blogger #blogging #cardGame #entertainment #gaming #gamingBlog #internet #review #Reviews #tabletop #tabletopGame #tabletopGaming #tradingCardGame #tradingCards #universus #watch #wordpress #writing

Just had session 0 of an amazing new campaign of the Fallout TTRPG with JalapenoNuts,
StrawberrySkates,
VoiceOfTheLich
And a couple more! Everyone please be sure to tune in for some fun vibes and cold Nuka Colas!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tvCX6bP_XJU
#fallout #ttrpg #roleplay #stream #streamer #twitch #tabletopgame #tabletopgaming #gaming

Learned Fate of the Fellowship yesterday and really enjoyed it. Great co-op game. Probably sold a bit by the fact we barely managed to win on the first run. Still, it felt like there was always something interesting to do. Solid variation on the Pandemic style setup.

#boardgame #game #tabletop #tabletopgame #lotr #lordoftherings #fateofthefellowship #coop

1962: Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins for 5/4/62 | Strat-O-Matic Network is live! https://www.rawchili.com/4478252/ #Baseball #boardgame #FantasyBaseball #FantasySports #fantasy! #MinnesotaTwins #MinnesotaTwins #MLB #StratOMatic #TabletopGame

For those of you out there who like tradable card games, I played a real fun one at GenCon.

It's called Conquest of Fates

The best part, and the part I think will resonate with this crowd, is the creators have decided to make it free to play. They got sick of losing at Magic the Gathering because people who had more money could just buy better cards and win. They wanted to have a game with an even playing field.

You can literally go to their website and download all decks for print, print your own, and just play.

https://conquestoffates.com/

#TableTopGame #Gaming #GenCon2025

Universus TCG – Challenger Series Deck List: Ryu & Luke

Universus just released the Street Fighter 6 challenger series decks, and I have a copy of each. Always support your LGS, but you can pick up the Ryu challenger deck on TCG Player using my affiliate link. Here is the Ryu deck list for those who need it:

The List

Champion

• Ru, World Warrior
• Luke Sullivan, Gym Coach

Deck

• Avenger: Impaler x 2
• Hashogeki x2
• Pale Rider x 2
• Rising Upercut x 2
• Shin Hashogeki x 2
• The Unending Path x 2
• Burnout x 4
• Crouching Medium Kick x 3
• Luke’s Sweep x 3
• Sand Blast x 3
• Solar Plexus Strike x 3
• Battle Holds The Answer x 4
• Endless Doting x 4
• Excessively Buff Forearms x 4
• First of the Ages x 3
• My Firsts Solve My Problems x 4
• Not Now, I’m Gaming x 4
• Strength in Diligence x 4
• Vagrant Truthseeker x 4

The Cards

Champion

Deck

#anime #blog #blogger #blogging #entertainment #gaming #indieTcg #Reviews #streetFighter #streetFighter6 #tabletopGame #tradingCardGame #tradingCards #universus #universusTcg #watch #wordpress #writing

Played Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy today https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341165

#dune #scific #sciencefiction #wargame #wargaming #wargames #tabletop #tabletopgame #boardgame #boardgaming

Gnoll Archer, stl by TPK Labs

#tabletop #tabletopgame #dungeonsanddragons #dnd #gnoll #fantasy #rpg #wargaming #miniaturepainting

Exciting Updates for Grand Archive Fans in 2026

Introduction

Weebs of the Shore made a few announcements over the weekend that should get fans, new and old, excited for the future of the game. If you’re looking for Grand Archive product, always support your LGS, but if you pick up product on TCG Player using my affiliate link, it really helps me out. You can also check out my newest sponsor NordVPN if you’re looking for the service.

Competitive Schedule

With 2025 worlds behind us, it is time to start grinding for 2026. Next year worlds will be in Singapore, so make sure you start planning your Acents. There are a few new countries on the list which means the game is growing and I am here for it. We also got a couple sets teased, Phantom Monarchs in December and a capstone set in March. A capstone set is meant to celebrate the entire history of Grand Archive so far, and I am very excited to see what this means. I am going to be so broke…

Revel Fest Promo

If you haven’t played all season, now is a fantastic time to hop in and grind a few events for that sweet sweet promo. Abyssal Heaven’s promo is Fire Resonance Bauble, and this card looks so good. Good luck!

Store Champ Promo

It is also time to get good to get a copy of that store champ promo. The promo for Distorted Reflections and Surviel the Winds and this is peak GA design.

Regional Top Qualifier Promo

If you needed a reason to grind out the competitive then you got it with the Distorted Reflections promo, Smoke Bombs. This art looks so good!

Ascent Top Qualifier Promo

It is really the best time to get good at this game. This card is not only a solid add to your deck, you know its going to look amazing in real life.

Sandbox Announced

Getting good is going to require a lot of practice, more than you can get at locals. Luckily, Weebs of the Shore is working on a Sandbox that will allow players a clean and hopefully automated way to play Grand Archive from the comfort of their home. I can only hope this lets me enjoy random matches, and I would appreciate a ranked mode. Not much is known yet. I assume it will be PC at launch based on the UI, but if these leads to an a phone app, Weebs of the Shore is about to take all my money.

Pantheon

Now if you don’t want to play competitively, or just want a break, Weebs of the Shore is cooking up a new casual format Pantheon. Will it be a singleton format like commander? A multiplayer game mode? PVE? Pauper? Personally, I think it will be something like commander based on the name, but we will have to wait and see.

Phantom Monarchs

Last but not least, Phantom Monarchs is dropping in December. We weren’t giving much other than a name, but we can assume it is an expansion set based on the release schedule we’ve gotten so far. Either way, I am always excited to see more grand archive.

#anime #blog #blogger #blogging #entertainment #ga #gaTcg #grandArchive #grandArchiveTcg #internet #media #review #Reviews #tabletopGame #tabletopGaming #watch #weebsOfTheShore #wordpress #writing

Drop It the dropping game where the pieces fall in unpredictable ways. Always a lot of fun!

#TabletopGame #DexterityGames #DropIt

Playing Figure It with our little board game dude. Figure It is a lighter, much easier version of Code 777 where players try to guess the numbers in front of them with some simple questions and the process of elimination. Great for families with kids.

#BoardGames #TabletopGame #FigureIt

We love a good Roll and Write game and Divvy Dice has been near the top of my favs for a long time now.  What is YOUR favourite?

#BoardGames #TabletopGame #DiceGames #RollAndWriteGames #RollAndWrite #DivvyDice

Review of Thirst for Blood: A Pathfinder Adventure

Disclaimer

Paizo sent me the first book of the Shades of Blood adventure path, Thirst for Blood to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, this will be my honest opinion of the resource book. I will also be using Amazon affiliate links where possible, but you can always buy Thirst for Blood directly from the Paizo store.

Shades of Blood: The Hook

Where the once great Alzanti empire stood, now sits fragmented remains scattered across islands and at the bottom of the ocean. The Alzanti once held dominion with its advanced technology, now its scraps are sold as oddities. Its been years since its collapse, and more of the lost empires secrets have began to surface. Unfortunately, not all of them are good.

At the bottom of the ocean, hidden behind a labyrinth of traps and stone, sits a prison for the empires most dangerous foes. Among these is an ancient vampire by the name of Nizca Irocol. Nizca was so powerful that the only way to stop her was to keep her in a state of perpetual stasis. Unfortunately, the Earthfall has shaken the force that kept Nizca locked away.

Newly freed, Nizca seeks to reunite with her long lost lover. To do this, she plans to use ancient Alzanti technology to put the world into perpetual darkness, and releasing a prison full of blood thirsty creatures into the world to sew chaos.

As fate would have it, a group of eager adventures have been hired in a nearby town to investigate the sudden anomaly. What will they uncover? What treasures will they find? Do they have what it takes to save the world, or will it fall to vampires?

What is Shades of Blood?

Thirst for Blood is the first leg of the Shades of Blood saga. It takes players from levels 1-3, and acts as an introduction to the world, game, and characters. The players will arrive to the town of Talmandor’s Bounty, where they have been hired to aid a local astronomer. Everything erupts into chaos as the sky turns to black and an army of blood thirsty creatures starts attacking the city. The adventures now find themselves investigating this sudden chaotic outburst. Players will need to travel to a nearby island, and begin their delve through this fascinating mystery.

Impressions

If you are planning on running this adventure, you are going to need the GM Core. The adventure path doesn’t include any of the rules, or all of the stat blocks. There is also a free player’s guide to help players prep for the campaign. I’ll drop the file below for your convenience, but you can pick it up on the official Paizo site.

Thirst for Blood is a solid start to the adventure. It has a few alternate modes of play (not everything is solved by combat), and it does a good job at getting players involved with the world. The early missions of the game has players interacting with NPCs as they complete chores around the starting city, and slowly introduces the games many mechanics. This is a very beginner friendly resource, and a good way to get into Pathfinder.

My only concern with the first chapter is that players need to be willing to roleplay to make some of the chores fun. I do appreciate that the game sets up ample opportunities for players to grow comfortable with their characters through the many social interactions. While chapter one does a great job at helping break the ice, some of the quests can be boring depending on the roleplay.

The rest of the adventure is a solid dungeon delve with fantastic flavor baked throughout. The book introduces fun enemies for players to fight, and provides a neat mystery for them to solve. I’m sure your players will find clever ways to skip around, but there are some cool ideas that I will be using in other campaigns. Overall, if you’re into a strait forward delve, this is a great place to start.

The book itself is very cool. I love the art, and the book is printed with the high quality standard I’ve come to expect from Paizo. I am a little bummed that it doesn’t include all of the stat blocks, but I guess it is fair that they assume players will at least a GM Core handy.

Aside from my issues with the first chapter, this is a solid resource. If you like vampires and dungeon crawlers, this a cool book to own. I personally enjoy reading about all the adventure’s lore, but there are also a few stat blocks I will be borrowing for future campaigns.

You can pick up the Thirst for Blood adventure path for $29.99 from Paizo and Amazon.

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I guess I haven't released a lot of my Big Red art here.

So, here is the rest. Awful jokes and all.

Check out his channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/@BigRed40TECH

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Dog Park is a fun board game that is often compared to Wingspan. Tons of cards with fantastic artwork, easy-to-learn rules with mechanisms that are more interactive than Wingspan and fantastic components.

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