Product Description
Scott Foreman Reading Street 2.2.5 Social Studies. Text features: Headings, Call-Outs, Captions, Maps. ... Read more

Product Description
Both books: Grin's Message and Little Big Wolf sold as a set together. ... Read more

Product Description
Includes, "Calligraphic Manuscripts of Eshter Inglis (1571-1624): a Catalogue," and "The Kern 'Tom Jones' Redivivus." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Great Book--if Not Used with Mage: the Ascension
A friend of mine interned down at White Wolf Games during thePhil Brucato era. Brucato was working on the original WoD: Sorcerer, and per my friend, he referred to it as the "Here It Is, Now Shut the F^^k Up" book.

I bring this up to illustrate a particular point about the original World of Darkness setting (aka the oWoD): there was a demand by players to play humans who could wield magic.However, many of those same players didn't like _Mage: the Ascension_ (2nd edition), and were quite vocal about it.Why didn't they like it?Some felt the magic rules were too complex and wanted something simple, others didn't like the idea of any humans in the WoD being able to incinerate a vampire at the drop of a hat or teleport a pound of silver into a werewolf's stomach.

Regardless, the 1st ed. _WoD: Sorcerer_ book was written to appease that vocal segment of the fanbase, while not invalidating the magic system in _Mage: the Ascension 2nd edition_. Thus, _WoD: Sorcerer 1st ed._ gave the hedge wizard some fairly formidable magical abilities, while at the same time making them less flexible, less magically-fast, and overall less powerful than True Magi.This was a good compromise, allowing the GM of other oWoD games the opportunity to add human spell-casters who were compatible with their chosen system (V:tM, W:tA, etc.) but leaving the really high-level magical power in the hands of True Magi.

_WoD Sorcerer: Revised_ essentially invalidates a good chunk of of the _M:tA 2nd ed_ (& Revised ed.) magic system, by making the hedge wizard every bit as powerful as the True Mage, to wit:

(1) the writers retcon the difference between hedge wizards and True Magi.Before, any Mage with Prime 1 could see the difference between True Magic and hedge magic when it was cast; now, the difference is so subtle and obscure only a handful of scholars can even tell it's there.The writers claim the differences were artificial, but those of us who've played since 1st ed. know better.

(2) Hedge wizards are now the equal in casting speed, technique, and knowledge acquisition.If there's a chance a Mage can know it and do it, then so can a hedge wizard. Hedge wizards are now so close to True Magi in terms of magical ability that the book even provides optional rules for hedge wizards to gain Paradox if the GM feels that they are unbalancing.

(3) Socially, boundaries are dissolved as well: hedge wizards can now serve as those who guard and hold the actual beliefs of a Tradition -- they're the ones who perform the magic that one can point to and say, "That's what the Order of Hermes is about!" while the more Awakened magi go out and push the boundaries of that magic and do the things that get HIT-MARKs sent after them.Gone is the social tension between the groups.

Bottom-lining it: This book is _Mage: the Ascension_ for people who hate _Mage: the Ascension_ rules.

The above is both good and bad, depending on what you're doing in the oWoD:

(1) If you're a fan of oWoD cross-over adventure/campaigns, this book is probably a godsend.Let's face it: the rules incompatability across the oWoD game lines sent many a GM into screaming fits.If you're a GM who wants a human spell-caster who can hang with Kindred/Garou/Wraith/Changelings *without* unbalancing your game, have your player generate a character according to these rules. (Or switch to the New World of Darkness).

(2) If you're running straight-up _Mage: the Ascension_ 1st/2nd/Revised ed, your PC options suddenly become more complicated.The power level of hedge wizards now makes them practically indistinguishable from True Magi, and the fact that they don't gain Paradox in the process will attract twink-players to your table.In addition, if you have a story structure that involves any social tension between hedge wizardsand True magi (master-disciple interaction, both sides arrogant about their own perspectives, etc.), this book will kill that dead.Consider carefully before allowing _Sorcerer: Revised_ at your M:tA table.

On the plus side:

(1) The hedge wizard society write-ups are wonderful.You have the option of integrating a hedge wizard into an existing Tradition, or having them be of their own independent society, or even making up one of your own.

(2) The psychic rules are great (psi are considered seperately from wizards).They were strong in the original WoD: Sorcerer and this book only improves on them.

(3) The chapter in the back on GM advice (hedge magic for other semi-supernaturals in the oWoD, like kinfolk or ghouls; moods & themes; rules for making new Paths, etc.) is superlative. I would recommend this book to any oWoD fan on the strength of that alone.

(4) Finally, all of the above gives you everything you need to run a sorcerer and/or psion chronicle.This is technically a supplement but is so well-written and organized that it feels like a stand-alone.You could easily use the material to build a human-focused oWoD story, or even use it for a generic horror game.

So, I give this book three stars: I applaud its completeness and the material it offers to the cross-over GM or the GM looking to mix things up a little with his stories.However, I recognize that Brucato gave the original edition of this book its nickname for a reason: _Sorcerer_ (in both its incarnations) re-writes _Mage: the Ascension_ for people who don't like _Mage: the Ascension_.If you like M:tA, you may not have much use for it.

Magic Vs. Magick?
This book covers the so-called Hedge Wizards, or sorcerers, as opposed to those who practice "True" magic. Although their magic is not as flexible or open-ended as that of "true" magic, it can be just as potent and is much more focused. Plus it doesn't have Paradox! The book opens with a general intro fiction about a farmer calling down rain to end a drought, and then moves on to a typical introduction and terminology. Surprsingly, the first chapter (written in-character by an acolyte) delves into what "hedge magic" is, and the various hows and whys that accompany it. This then quickly moves to the next chapter, which points out very clearly that the distinctions between "hedge magic" and "true magic" are pretty much pointless, as both are magic and only a handful of scholarly types even make the distinction. We then get a look at how Sorcerers fit into all of the Traditions, from Akashic martial artists to Dreamspeaker shaman to Euthanatos necromancers to Verbena witches, often because of cultural affiliations. They exist amongst the Hollow Ones and Orphans too, and even the Technocracy has those who specialize in "advanced" chemistry, engineering or other such sciences.

From there we are given a look at "independant" societies as well, the ancient Egyptian cults of Isis and Osiris, the Bata'a voudonists and santeros (who maintain a seperate identity within the Dreamspeakers), the anti-Semitic infernalists of the Nebuu-Afef, the near maruaders of the Silver Portal, the UFO conspiracists of the Star Council and more. The smaller factions are also looked at, and the reasons for their decline (the African Uzoma and Mayan Balamob joining the Dreamspeakers, for instance, the Irish Fenian and Mormon Nephites joining the Celestial Chorus and the dark pagan Asatru Futhark being destroyed). The next chapter gives the general Character Creation guidlines, along with new rules, Backgrounds, Traits and Merits/Flaws specific to Sorcerers. Most of the stuff is quite appropriate too. This is followed by a look at roughly 15 Paths, like shapeshifting, teleportation, alchemy, summoning, weather control, elemental control, divinations, shadow control, alchemy and so forth. Each path includes a number of rituals and even variations on paths (like necromancy, high-tech chemistry and so forth).

In the next chapter we are given a look at another alternative: psyhics, along with rules for psychic powers as magic, chi-manipulation or whatever (this option is especially appropriate for Akashics, Dreamspeakers or Ecstatics). Like with hedge magic, some 20 Psychic Powers and variations are given, like telepathy, mind shielding, clairvoyance, pyrokenesis, psychic vampirism, animal psi, astral travel, biocontrol and the like. Theres also a couple psychic fellowships given, though none are particularly large or powerful. The next chapter, though, is quite useful, covering guidelines for running a sorcerer/psychic chronicle. Themes, mood and concepts (like seeker of forbidden secrets of chem student) are given, along with rules and options for hedge magic and other supernaturals (as well as half-supernaturals like ghouls, kinfolk, kinian, etc). This covers both learning it and being affected by it. Theres also an examination of the limits of hedge magic, and rules for making new Paths. All in all, this was a very useful section, of a very useful book. Go check it out if you enjoy Mage: the Ascension or even just want to add a darker, supernatural element to other World of Darkness games.

A truly great supplement
This is a truly useful book.It describes Sorcerous societies and tells about the roll of Sorcerers in the World of Darkness.It now makes the distinctions between Sorcerers and Mages clear.One type of magic isn'tnecessarily more powerful than the other, yet the magic is learned differently: mages gain overarching understanding while Sorcerers gain their knowledge in a specific area a little bit a time.Best yet, the book can be used with any game just to give it a little extra flavor.Overall, if anyone is interested in Sorcery (or Linear Magic as the book calls it) or wants to add some extras to existing games, then this book is for you.

Use it as a stand-alone game for some old school magic
White Wolf has been alluding to the (somewhat ridiculous) term "Hedge magicians" for years, to distinguish these folks from True Mages.Finally they "clear it up."There's no real difference between the magic of a Sorcerer and that of an Awakened Mage.One is "linear" and the other is "affinative" (whatever THAT means.)Why then, if they cast the same spell, does a Mage incur paradox but a Sorcerer doesn't?Why wouldn't Mages study Sorcery, to have a few paradox-free tricks in their bag?The book even goes as far to claim that "trying to create divisions is a waste of time -- magicians have better things to do."Huh?The Order of Hermes NOT making divisions?

The second part of the book deals with Psychics -- neither Mages nor Sorcerors, who have powers markedly similar to Vampires (i.e. Obfuscate, Movement of Mind, etc.)I'm not sure how they connect to Mages or Sorcery, or if a connection was even intended.

Yet it's still a neat book.What's cool about Sorcerers is their independence -- no Traditions, no Ascension War, none of metaphysical pomp and circumstance of Mage.As far as magic goes, this IS your father's Oldsmobile: alchemy, hellfire, and broomsticks.But the system is coherent and interesting, and as a stand-alone game, Sorcerer might actually be fun.

One of the most useful Mage books around.
I frankly cannot understand how ANYONE could dislike this book. It is well laid-out, well-written, the rules are balanced nicely. Some of the skills are a bit lame, but that doesn't matter. It is an excellent book. I'd recommend you buy it. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Esa Tikkanen, Scott Pearson, Roman Vopat, Ted Crowley, Michael Wolf, Marc Laniel, Terry Yake, Vlastimil Kroupa, Erich Goldmann, Jean-François David, Éric Houde, Ben Storey, Joaquin Gage, Tomáš Sršeň, Geoff Sarjeant, Jimmy Waite, Enrico Ciccone, Peter Aubry, Bedřich Ščerban, Ralph Intranuovo, Alexey Dmitriev, Todd Simon, Mike Casselman, J. F. Quintin, Andrej Nedorost, Sebastian Stefaniszin, Doug Macdonald, Boris Ackers, Kevin Wortman, Oldřich Svoboda. Source: Wikipedia. Free updates online. Not illustrated. Excerpt: Esa Tikkanen (born January 25, 1965 in Helsinki, Finland) is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey forward. He played for the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, and the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League and won five Stanley Cups in 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990 with the Oilers, and 1994 with the Rangers. Esa Tikkanen began his career in hockey as a little boy by being a mascot for the Jokerit team and playing for the Jokerit junior team. After spending a year in Canada in 198182 with the Regina Blues of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League, Tikkanen returned to Finland only to find out he had no place at Jokerit. He then signed with HJK, and soon afterwards Jokerit's local rivals, HIFK. Tikkanen was drafted in the fourth round (80th overall) by the Oilers in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. In 198485, he played 36 games for HIFK in the Finnish SM-liiga before joining the Oilers for their 1985 playoff run. He played briefly in the American Hockey League for the Oilers' affiliate the Nova Scotia Oilers in 198586, before joining the team full time. Tikkanen made his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers during the 1985 Stanley Cup Finals. He soon beca...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=1924629 ... Read more

Product Description
A Guide to Proud Cultures in Decline
Once, before the fabled First Age, Creation was a far different place. The Primordials still ruled from Yu-Shan, and the gods wrought their masters' will from the Blessed Isle. In a time when humanity had yet to taste freedom, the world was ruled by other races, both mysterious and powerful. The course of the Primordial War wiped out most of these peoples, but two lived on under Solar rule, the noble Dragon Kings and the clever Jadeborn, though even then their decline had beguna decline hastened by the Usurpation. Will the return of their erstwhile lords and allies, the Solar Exalted, mark a return to greatness for these races, or are they doomed to finally fall during this time of tumult?
A character sourcebook for Exalted , Second Edition, featuring:
Everything players and Storytellers need to generate Mountain Folk characters, including their Charms
Everything players and Storytellers need to generate Dragon King characters, including their Paths
Examples of both races' unique wonders ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great :)
You get 160 pages of greatness
Table of contents
Introduction 4
The mountain folk 7
Character creation and traits 28
Patterns 46
Storytelling 73

Solid coverage of Mountain Folk and Dragon Kings
The short and sweet is that this boo covers almost all you need to know about the Mountain Folk and the Dragon Kings.

The book is presented in the flip side format as was done with the Black and White Treaty, save that the comics do not meet in the middle.

The Dragon King section covers all the history of the race, as well as the vegetative artifacts and paths, the powers and abilities of the Dragon Kings.Also covered, that was not covered in first edition is several dark paths, those of corruption that were mentioned in first edition but only briefly touched on.They are given a full and clearer write up here.

The other side of the book, literally, covers the mountain folk, and their history, artifacts and the details of the great geas. The artifact section is short but covers a great deal including synthetic leather crafting.The charm section is as is expected as well.My only gripe here is that they mention a chaos pattern of charms that only the most insane mountain folk would use, inappropriate for a player perhaps, but it can be irritating for a some one running the game, especially as this seems like a book for stand alone games mainly.

After reading the entire book it is very helpful for mountain folk and dragon king knowledge, and some artifacts, but if your not interested in them there is little for you other than setting information (and a neat illustration of a mountain folk mad scientist.) Also the game idea info points out pretty quickly that mountain folk would have issues integrating into any game not set underground due to their curse, and the dragon kings have issues in dealing with society.

Almost everything you could want
Scroll of the Fallen Races is a double sided book, not unlike the Black and White Treaties. It covers the Mountain Folk and the Dragon kings. Both sides have the same layout, so for simplification, I am going to just give them at the same time.

Introduction- Both sides give a short introduction to explain what the races are like and give a short glossary of important terms.

Chapter 1- This section is the most informative for both races, as it is the only chapter to actually discuss the races, their history, the sociology, physiology, psychology, current situation, cities, technology, etc. Both of these chapters end with several pages of artifacts mostly exclusive to the races. It includes several new weapons and armor designs, but this stuff is intended for the races that made it, not Humans. Dragon Kings make use of both essence enhanced crystal and plants for their technology, and it is all most impressive. The Mountain Folk gear just seems slightly overpowered, especially for its cost. This chapter for both sides contain a several campaign hooks buried in the information, and will make character creation much easier.

Dragon Kings are savage creatures that need to be trained/tamed, so as they raise in essence score, they start to regain their personality and then memories from their previous lives. They come in four races corresponding to the four directions. The Dragon Kings that have for the most part been mindless hunters for most of the second age are now randomly recovering their minds. This used to take a decade of dedicated training to do, but several have just started to recover personalities and functioning again. This is mostly associated with the Solar return.

Mountain Folk are divided into castes. Workers, Soldiers, and Artisans make up the society, and some of them (all artisans, a small portion of the others) are enlightened. They have a massive, powerful empire that surpasses anything in creation, just under the surface. They are under something called the Great Geas from the first age that is forcing them to work, but hopes are pinned on the returning Solar to end this curse and allow them to work together once more.

Chapter 2- This is the actual character creation chapter. Both races have two options to choose from as for character creation. Mountain Folk can either be enlightened or unenlightened. Dragon Kings can either be modern or ancient. For both sides, this means a lot more points to spend building your character. Mountain Folk are by far the most powerful things I have seen in Exalted at character creation yet. Dragon Kings have a small group that has been sleeping since the first age and is now waking up. Be assured, Storytellers, players will want to either play enlightened Mountain Folk or ancient Dragon Kings. These chapters are pretty straight forward for a character creation section, and mirror just about any other you have seen in an Exalted supplement.

Chapter 3- This is the chapter of dedicated to spiffy powers. Mountain Folk get Pattern Charms, while Dragon Kings follow paths of enlightenment.

Jadeborn Pattern Charms are virtue based, and are divided into 5 groups. There are 3 caste groups, a general group, and an enlightened only group. Unenlightened can only take charms from their own caste's selection and the general group. A number of these charms have permanent effects. Others can be taken several times to increase the overall effect. They also have charms that are more powerful based on how many other Jadeborn are around. In general, the major difference between these charms and Exalted charms comes from the dice rolled. Virtues are used on the rare occasion that dice are called for. Normally it is just some sort of enhancement, permanent or otherwise.

Dragon Kings follow 10 paths of enlightenment that grant them their powers. Again, these are associated with virtues, and all but two of the ten paths are associated with one of the four breeds of Dragon King. Pterok deal with air based paths, Anktok are associated with fire, Mosok are command water, and Raptok have wood. The realm of earth is not associated with any breed of Dragon King. There are six steps to every path, unlockable as your essence increases. Your power with the entire path increases as you take a higher step, and represent the character's greater enlightenment as well. There are no excellencies, universal charms, or any way to create your own steps. You can take martial arts charms and sorcery spells however. Dragon Kings also have alternate paths that have dark sources. These are paths that do not lead to enlightenment and are meant to provide an early boost to power, but are less powerful later on than the base set of charms (kind of dark-side-ish from Star Wars). There are several to choose from and are most useful for making evil Dragon King NPCs.

Chapter 4- The final chapter is pretty straight forward. It is the Storyteller chapter, and gives information on running a game for either race. Balancing is a serious problem for these guys, especially because the villagers would riot upon seeing a Dragon King walk into town (they are almost universally seen as savage, mindless beasts that will kill humans if given the chance). The Mountain Folk still carry the Great Geas, and are simply incredibly powerful if they are enlightened. There is a lot of information about running dedicated chronicles for both races, however.

This book was pretty good. I enjoyed reading up on all the history, that is generally not discussed in Exalted. There is even a lot about before the Primordial War. I had two major problems with this book. The editing was sub-par. There were a number of typos, including references to abilities from first edition that have since been removed! That surprised me, but I was also more than a little disappointed at the utter lack of character sheets. White Wolf still hasn't published any on their website, so all we are left with is editing 1st edition sheets.

Keep in mind this is a shorter book, about 160 pages long and split exactly in half. There is enough there to play a chronicle with either race, or to integrate them into an already going Exalted game as major factions or what not. This is a good buy, especially considering this is the only second edition material to discuss either group in any detail. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Nautical Fantasy Fundamentals
This book has two goals:
1) give storytellers an overview of "realistic" ancient seafaring life/culture/technology; and,
2) give storytellers fantasy specifics about how 1) works in world of Exalted.
I believe it strongly succeeds on both accounts.The material is not a campaign or module per se.What it does is provide an immense amount of cool, detailed material storytellers can work into games of their own design.So if you want something to "plug and play" with minimal effort than this isn't for you.If you're looking for "thinking fuel" and inspiration ... you won't be disappointed.My favorite parts were the one's that provided glimpses of First Age ships.Loved it!!!

A good book for basic info
I thought the book was pretty decent. It has stats for ships and their weapons, rules for ship to ship combat and even mass combat rules for crew vs crew fighting which could be used for other arenas of combat.
I liked the sections about life at sea and how ships are run. It also talks about the details of navigation in a world which actually is flat and where the pole used for navigation is in the center.
Savage Seas also has some new charms, mainly geared towards use at sea, some new spells, terrestrial and celestial, and a few minor artifacts.
What it didn't have were things like whole chapters about individual pirate groups, or various navies. Those things were pretty much summarized between 2 chapters. Alot of that stuff was covered in other books, or left for storytellers to customize.
All in all, if you run a sea-based series then this book will be a good resource. If you're landlocked, then you might not want to buy it.

1st Poor Book of the Product Line
Since Exalted was released, I have been a huge fan of the setting and system and hence, purchasing each supplement as it comes out.However, this is the one supplement that I wish that I hadn't wasted my money on.

This book is nothing more than a breakdown of ship design and ship terminology.Save your money, this book is fairly worthless for a campaign. ... Read more

Product Description
Born in the Shadowlands
Black disciples of the Deathlords, the Abyssal Exalted are the mailed fist of the dead. And yet they are also human, and many are tormented by the curse of their unholy power. Some walk among men as harbingers of the Deathlords, while others rebel against their destiny and ride as forlorn heroes of the living. Are the Abyssal Exalted the ultimate weapon of Oblivion or its ultimate nemesis?
Born to Destroy
The third in the series of hardbacks that makes the other types of Exalted available for play, Exalted: The Abyssals includes extensive detail on the underworld and the Deathlords - and the Abyssal Exalted as players characters. Inside is everything needed to portray these servants of darkness, from their black curse to rules for their powerful necromancy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Abyssals are scary....
My reason for getting this book is that I am currently planning a plot line for an epic-level Exalted game. Pretty ambitious, considering it'll be the first Exalted game I've DMed. Anyway, the plot line necessitates a repentant Abyssal, so I needed to read up on them.
Abyssals are heinous. That's just the way they were made. I mean, just look at their Charms!!! Ouch. Just, ouch.
I was surprised the book had as much information as it did. Full bios of 8 of the 13 deathlords (intentional, so the storyteller can also make up her own), full character creation rules for ghosts, and three circles of necromancy spells! (and those are heinous too)
It also discussed the turning of Solars to Abyssals and the much more difficult turning of Abyssals to Solars (albeit, in passing). I was thrilled, as this is exactly what my story line will be about. This is an awesome resource, though I would never want to play a truly evil Abyssal.

Exalted: The Abyssals
A very illuminated work about darkness in Creation. Mentions the true name of a Deathlord.

Yet Another book only technically about the exalted
White Wolf is doing a great job of sneaking out it's large scale settings books mixed in with sufficient crunchy bits to keep the kids interested.

This book is largely about ghosts, and the politics of the underworld with a later section on the hard rules of creating and playing Abyssals.I noticed a certain disconnect over when they were talking about normal ghosts and when they were talking about the Abyssals.

To be honest, I had no intention of ever letting my players play these guys, and just got the book for the setting materials, and a hint of flavour from the powers section.To that end, the book served me well, making many references to the older wraith game, but adding enough new details to give it a unique exalt feel.

If you really want crunchy bits for playing abyssal exalted, or are interested in how the underworld works, buy this book.

Coolest Exalted Product Yet
I'm not sure which book the reviewer who called this book uninspired was reading.I would consider this to be quite possibly the most flavorful and inspired offering for Exalted that White Wolf has released to date.As opposed to Lunars or Dragon Bloods where the systems are mere formalities which are there to fill potential holes in the system, the mechanics of the Abyssals simply drip with sanguine flavor.Who can oppose a system with "Artful Maiming Technique" or "Crimson Petal Armor," with in game descriptions that just drip with creepy majesty.

A lot of the descriptions of the Underworld and the way it makes is torn right out of Wraith, but Exalted has always borrowed from the World of Darkness, and Wraith was among the coolest World of Darkness settings (largely unplayable, but übercool.)Reading this book also makes Wraith make more sense, which is helpful.

The weakness of this book is that it's not as playable a game as, say, dragon blooded or the Core book.But it's definitely cooler than either, and not in a "I embrace all things of angst" sort of way.It's creepy and wonderfully detailed, and flows naturally.You have to play either a villain or a tragic antihero, but my experience is that such things yield some of the least angsty characters in the hands of experienced RPGers ("Okay, I'm damned... better get over it and deal.")Despite the fact that it's not as playable as Core or DB.It's significantly better than Lunars and possibly the coolest Exalted book yet.

Well... neh
While the book is plumb full of interesting ideas and really abstract and creative details, it's really not the coolest Exalted book so far.In fact, since the Dragonblooded came out, I wonder where the authors' coolness ran.While reading the book I get flashed images of a bunch of middle aged former D&Ders sitting around a table, drinking soda and eating potato chips, trying to fit every single idea into this book.(Like a "Dual Monarchy" which is actually four personalities.Wait?Monarchy?Dual?What?)It's far too detailed, and this really takes away from those initial "cool ideas."
Yeah, the powers are cool, and Abyssals are tanks to fear -- that much is true.Don't by this book for the literature or the setting. ... Read more

Product Description
There's Music in the Night
As the sun fades into memory and the world falls into darkness, the haunting notes of the danse macabre echo, calling the undead to play their nightly games. From turf wars in the streets to cutting remarks at society parties, old grudges spill fresh blood as vampires vie for power and prominence. It's a world without pity, a world of predators. Now that you're one of them, it's your world too.

Won't You Join Us?
The Requiem provides all the information necessary to bring the mysterious existence of vampires to your Mind's Eye Theatre(tm) game. Secret histories of the undead, the clans and covenants that make up the danse macabre, rules for the mystic Disciplines -- it's all here. Discover the nocturnal world as you've never seen it before. Requires the Mind's Eye Theatre rulebook for play. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Old to New
I was one of those hardcore Old World of Darkness players - I swore that I would NEVER touch the NWoD. What a mistake!

I have begun playing in the new system. The new system I have found to be fast, effective, and fun! The LARP system for NwoD is far more effective and easy to use with more depth and dimension than the orginal LARP system.

Also, this book is hardcover, meaning it can survive the abuses a LARP can dish out even better.

Better than the original
An excellent reset of the LARP system.Most of the book is essentially reprinted from the sit-down book, but there are some subtle changes.Transferring characters from RP to LARP is essentially effortless, as very little changes.A few disciplines change how they work, such as Vigor, but the dots on the paper don't change.I love the new Status system; it'llcreate even more political unrest and machinations than before.In some ways, Status might be the most important of all the stats in the live-action.Combat is less deadly by comparison; it's difficult to kill anyone now, which is probably a good thing.Poison their friends against them though...which to me is more what Vampire should be about.

I know there are always going to be those that cling desperately to the old ways; gamers are often the worst of the lot when it comes to this, still playing 1st edition Dungeons & Dragons or whatever.But if you approach this with something of an open mind, you will be impressed.I know I was.

Liscensing/pay to play policy recinded
White Wolf has responded to customer criticism and shelved the proposed liscensing policy mentioned in a previous review, so don't make your decision based on that information... ... Read more

Product Description
A guide to warfare in the Exalted Setting ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great :)
Table of contents

Introduction 4
Chapter one fire and iron 7
Chapter two blood in the water 34
Chapter three general winter 58
Chapter four seeds of conflict 80
Chapter five the failing center 105
Chapter sixpanoply of war 129

Good yet unappealing
It IS a good book. Yet it could be better.

Has several new rules that are not impresive they could be better and possibly could even have more of them written up to spice mass combats and make them even unique.

It has several new units and ideas and siege craft that is AWESOME, really this is a must for those that are interested in giving real world stats in this fantasy setting.

Many cities and towns are given stats for Mass Combat but MANY other important are spread in the Compasses of Terrestrial Direction and it makes all the stuff like tossed around. I think they should have included everything in ONE book instead of giving references to books released and even in those not yet released.

They could even have created newe Charms and applications for Mass Combat effects and even exemplified the rules and traits of the same long tick combat that many players are yet not familiar with.

It is good, yet it could be better.

A nice, focused addition to Exalted 2e
Scroll of Kings is a collection of rules, etc., centered around the theme of armies and warfare. Within are clarifications to the mass combat system, stats for siege weaponry, info on the military practices and sample units from a variety of nations (including several not previously covered), and other stuff of that nature. There is also info on the major directional gods of war, their worship and agendas.

The one potentially confusing thing is the overall organization. The book is arranged by direction, such that the rules for sieges are in the section on the South, whereas naval combat is in the chapter on the West. It makes thematic sense, but it means you have to have a good sense of the themes involved (or have read the whole book already) if you want to just look up a particular thing. Of course, the whole thing isn't that long, so it's not a big problem. Also, most things with stats are at the end in the appendices, so that while naval combat is discussed in the West chapter, the actual ship stats are in the back.

On the whole, it's a nice addition to the series that will come in handy for players interested in making use of the War Ability, or for Storytellers of a series set during wartime. The additions and clarifications within are useful and welcome in that case but not essential for those less interested in games focusing on this particular theme.

A Disappointment
The Mass Combat rules for Exalted need quite a lot of work. They're clumsy to work with and some of the mechanics are simply poorly thought out (e.g., the way Morale scales for larger armies provides for ridiculous results in which a very small force of mortals can, without much trouble, rout most of a 10,000 man strong enemy force of mortals. No Exalted or heroic mortals need be involved). I'm running a campaign in which an important battle is coming up, and so I bought this book assuming that it would feature a better and streamlined ruleset that would save me a lot of time and provide for a better play experience.

Unfortunately, the book doesn't deliver.
It outlines a lot of flavor for military forces in the different regions of Creation, including a few stat blocks for different kinds of troops. It also features some mildly useful information for ships and other military equipment, such as siege engines and cannons. These details are useful, to be sure. But what use is this level of detail when the system itself won't work without extensive house-ruling?
I own most of the Exalted 2nd Ed books, and this is the only one which I regret purchasing. You can obtain a great deal of the flavor from the relevant Compass of Terrestrial Directions books, and statting out armies and units isn't that hard. The main contribution this book should have made was improving the core system of Mass Combat, and that is exactly what it doesn't do in any shape or way.
With so many other excellent Exalted supplements, I suggest you pass on this one.

Solid Book and a Good Read
Those familiar with White Wolf products (especially the Exalted line) will note the substantial editing problems.Only the most grammar conscious or irritable would claim that these really detract from the quality of the product, I feel, but then again I have been acclimated to this sort of shoddy editing by years of it.

Scroll of Kings is a solid book, containing a great deal of setting information necessary for running campaigns dealing with military campaigns and the like.Each of the first five chapters covers one direction (South, North, West, East, Central) and introduces rules and mechanics that pertain to the conditions most common in that direction.The armies of major nations and cities in each direction are also given a thorough treatment, complete with Mass Combat statistics for one unit per locale.All in all, this material is very sound and satisfying and makes an enjoyable read.I was especially fond of the discussion of each direction's war gods, their rites, rituals and dispositions.History buffs will be alternately entertained or frustrated, depending on how picky they are about "realistic tactics and equipment," but the relevance of such a discussion within a fantasy line is a perennial argument that will not disappear anytime soon.

With regards to the treatment of Exalted canon, your mileage may vary.An example: The presence of projectile firing shore and deck cannons in the old Savage Seas supplement always nudged me the wrong way (since it contradicted most explanations for why Firedust was not gunpowder and could not be used the same way) and now that has been somewhat retconned with the introduction of steam cannons.The same principles apply ... one need only use the firedust to vaporize water in a boiler and then the steam does the work of pushing the stone or shell.

While I like steam-cannons in my setting, others have expressed their distaste.The individual preferences of each reader ought to be considered.

The last thing that bears mentioning is the degree to which various rules and mechanics are scattered throughout the chapters.I enjoyed this organization, but I also understand the outrage and frustration of others who find it messy and irresponsible.

I am well satisfied with it and eagerly anticipate the next supplements in the line. ... Read more

Product Description
The Death Panel: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness features 13 stories from authors of crime, suspense, and horror. Sadistic serial killers, German war criminals, cops and zombies, the mob and monsters, detectives and were-creatures, all rolled up into one roller coaster ride of an anthology. Ultra violent, hardboiled, with an unhealthy dose of the macabre, The Death Panel is a no-holds-barred, in-your-face hard ride to hell.

Horror World Review
...if you’re looking for something a little different to read in your horror fiction, a book with stories that are edgy and cool as all hell, then pick up The Death Panel, and then be prepared to be blown away by some of the best genre short story fiction written in the last few years. Yes, this book is that good.

Bookgasm Review:
With sharp writing and a crisp design to match, the anthology makes a strong case for 2009's best. It's only Comet Press' third release, but already, the small-press label has distinguished itself as a reliable name brand. Pick it up, if you've got the balls.

Monster Librarian Review:
If you are a horror fan who wants to expand your horizons, I highly recommend picking up The Death Panel.

Table of Contents

Lipstick Swastika by Randy Chandler
Blood Sacrifices & The Catatonic Kid byTom Piccirilli
What Makes an Angel Cry by Kelly M. Hudson
The Neighbor by Brandon Ford
The Name Game by Scott Nicholson
Fly by Night by Tim Curran
Detail by Fred Venturini
Parental Guidance by Simon Wood
Rindelstein's Monsters by David Tallerman
The Hooker in the Backseat by Erik Williams
The Mouth by John Everson
Nine Cops Killed For A Goldfish Cracker by David James Keaton
Board The House Up by Zach Sherwood

... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Amazing collection
The Death Panel is a collection of dark crime/thriller/horror stories that covers alot of ground. Some of the stories are hard boiled detective riffs like the wonderful Detail by Fred Venturini about an ex-cop that specializes in cleaning out cars and keeping his mouth shut. Others are hybrid detective/horror stories like What Makes and Angel Cry by Kelly M. Hudson about a bar on the line between heaven and hell while others are just plain strange like John Everson's The Mouth about a sexually obsessed man and a woman with genitalia where her mouth should be and her mouth where her genitalia should be. Weird, gross, and most importantly memorable sum up the collection. Of course top honors goes to Tim Curran, whom also wrote the best story in Vile Things, this time out with Fly By Night, a great horror/detective hybrid that left me begging for more. The great thing about Comet Press and the Death Panel is that most of the stories here are by unknown or underground authors while also including known writers as well, this time Tom Piccirilli and John Everson. It seems that the Death Panel specializes in damn good writing whether its an unknown or a best seller and all the stories collected here are new as well. All from 2009 or 2008 which is also a pleasure. I can't tell you how many short collections I've bought only to find out all the stories have been published somewhere else 10 years ago. Not so here.

The Death Panel is a fun fast paced read with wonderful stories throughout. Just like with Vile Things, not all of the stories are gems, but all of them were fun to read and enjoyable. Many of the same authors from Vile Things have entries here and will have entries in Comet Press's forthcoming Sick Things, a collection of creature shorts, which just shows Comet Press's dedication to publishing new talent and maintaining a stable of amazing authors. Recommended.

Horror Crime Collection Breaks New Ground...And Faces!
I don't often read genre fiction, but this happened to fall into my lap while juggling planes between semesters, and an anthology seemed like a good way to satisfy the short attention span that a vacation from campus turmoil demanded. So I was quite shocked to find myself so engaged in these nasty little tales of revenge, insanity, and good old-fashioned murder.

First off, there is some solid and powerful writing to be found in this collection. Yes, as promised, these stories delivered the goods as far as violence, gore, shock value, and the occasional character development, but there are also some big surprises to be found here, too.

And the biggest surprise is David James Keaton's cinematic "Nine Cops Killed For A Goldfish Cracker," a ferocious but remarkably complex street fable with the momentum of a bullet. Layer upon layer of righteous confrontations, racial overtones, brutal but hilarious domestic turmoil, and possibly even a dash of religious symbolism combine to make this a dense but incredibly satisfying read. Yes, at least nine police officers are tragically killed in increasingly violent yet darkly comic showdowns, but as the story roars headlong to its inevitable conclusion, I challenge anyone not to root for any protagonist who lovingly cradles a cookie jar full of goldfish as he commits murder after murder to keep a roof over the head of his very pregnant but formidable wife (and girlfriend!). There is enough material in Keaton's fascinating powerhouse of a story for at least ten full-length crime novels or films.

Another highlight in The Death Panel is a vile little number by John Everson called "The Mouth." Quite possibly the most disgusting thing I've ever read, I am, however, glad something this toxic made it to the printed page. But I have to admit that the chances of me revisiting this story are unlikely. It's a fun one to recommend, though, to friends and enemies alike, and it maintains a staggering level of perversity up until its gruesome finale.

Also, David Tallerman takes advantage of the hard-boiled theme of this anthology to slip in a bit of fantasy with an oddity of a tale that I found to be a refreshing respite from the increasingly grim proceedings. "Rindelstein's Monsters," which reminded this reader of a mixture of James Whale and H.P. Lovecraft, is a playful story that answers an intriguing question I'm surprised no one thought to address during the recent resurgence of werewolves in pop culture.

"The Name Game" I found to be a twisty little Hitchcockian gag with exactly the payoff I craved, while "Lipstick Swastika" (excellent title) couldn't have had a more satisfying comeuppance for the villainous but voluptuous Nazi. "Parental Guidance" reminded me of Stephen King's early days and his story "Quitter's Inc." from Night Shift (high praise), while Tom Piccirilli's "Blood Sacrifices & The Catatonic Kid" also kept my attention until the final bloody revelation. And Kelly M. Hudson's "What Makes an Angel Cry" hinted at an impressively realized world and mythology outside of the brief glimpse provided.

All in all, I highly recommend this book to both horror and crime readers, as well as for graduate students such as myself looking for a guilty pleasure outside of academia.I realize a wildly creative hybrid such as this anthology might be an oddity, but if stories of this quality are representative of these two genres, The Death Panel has created a new fan, and literary fiction may have to take a vacation for awhile instead. At least until it catches up.

the death panel: not for grandmas
While this book probably wouldn't be the best to give Grandma for her birthday, it might be just the kind of twisted stress relief you might need for a visit with extended family.The stories cover a wide swath of the horror genre, so while not every single story was something I enjoyed, if you're at all a fan of a good demented read, this is for you.

My favorite story in the mix is David James Keaton's "Nine Cops Killed for a Goldfish Cracker."Although certainly not devoid of slaughter (as the title makes perfectly clear) the story has the only narrator I felt myself really rooting for.There's much more to the story than cops and crackers, and Keaton's sense of language is of a different degree of sophistication than the rest of the anthology's tales.I'm hoping to see a collection of this writer's stories out sometime soon.If the rest of his stuff is this good, he'll be a hit fast -- you'll want to be able to say you liked him before everyone had heard of him.

This isn't to say the other stories aren't a good read, though I did find myself more than once annoyed that it seems women exist in these stories only to be killed.I wasn't so much offended as a feminist but as a reader.Knowing what's coming from the first pronoun is annoying.

The story destined to burn its way into your brain is "The Mouth," by John Everson.I described its basic premise to my mother, who screamed and told me to stop.While the story does have a dark (very dark -- very, very dark) humor to it, the story's language felt somewhat rough around the edges -- not in terms of foulness, which doesn't offend me, but that it might have benefited from a few more rounds of revision.Still, though, read it -- if only because I did and now certain images are seared into my consciousness and therefore should be in yours, too.

It's interesting that not one of the authors is female (yes, Kelly M. Hudson is a guy, and if you don't believe me, read "What Makes an Angel Cry" -- although you should read it anyway) but the editor is a woman.What does this mean?I don't know, frankly, but it's something to ponder as you read the book.Because you should.Have I mentioned that?

Stephen King Meets Jim Thompson
Holy smokes!Barricade the doors and lock up your daughters; "The Death Panel" is as grisly, garish, and depraved a collection of horrific crime you'll ever read - an abattoir of the human dark side with a taste of the supernatural - a rogues gallery of degenerates who you guess are lurking out there, but hope you never encounter.Any one of these stories would nicely fit into Frank Miller's "Sin City" - larger-than-life crime fiction eschewing subtlety for a mostly monochromatic pallet of blood, bone, and perversion.

Like most anthologies, "Death Panel" has its strengths and weaknesses.Among the gems I'd place Tom Piccirilli's "Blood Sacrifices and the Catonic Kid" near the top - a clever and ironic tale of a wise old con out for revenge.Randy Chandler, who writes noir like he's related to crime classicist Raymond, get the collection of to a strong start with "Lipstick Swastika", the story of a hotel detective and loathsome female Nazi death camp guard on the lam.And there's "Detail" by Fred Venturini, where CSI meets "Car And Driver." Simon Wood's "Parental Guidance" adds some brutally new dimensions to tough love.While Brandon Ford's "The Neighbor" majors in stomach-turning perversion, yet has that same gruesome magnetism that draws spectators to a plane crash.

I was less than enamored with "What Makes and Angel Cry".Seems author Kelly Hudson may have tried to pick up on a theme perfected by Charlie Huston's vampire Joe Pitt series, but failed to measure up to Huston's hip and irreverent delivery."Rindelstein's Monsters", by David Tallerman, was built around an intriguing "post Rapture" existence, but unfortunately fell short of what I was hoping would develop into a unique approach to the overdone apocalypse stories.Others, like John Everson's "The Mouth", while undeniably original, pretty much pegged the nausea needle, and Zach Sherwood's "Board up the House" was just a bit oblique and ambiguous for my tastes.

So while definitely not for the squeamish, this is a well-edited collection of crime horror; thirteen fast-paced reads that waste little time in the niceties of prose or setting that might upstage the terror and shock of the main event.In short, the Comet Press has compiled an edgy and gruesome set of tales to incite pitchfork-wielding mobs - a perversely entertaining form of guilty pleasure guaranteed to satisfy that "Tales from the Crypt" part of your psyche.

Death Panels do Exist!
The stories in this anthology are a cross between detective/crime noir and hardcore horror.A great combination and a equally great collection of short pieces on everything from detectives to nazis, to serial killers and monsters, and as the title suggests, lots of mayhem insues. Some of my favorite stories were "Detail" by Fred Venturini, about a car detailer who secretly keeps the evidence he cleans up from the cars of murderers, and Tom Piccirilli's suspenseful "Blood Sacrifices and the Catatonic Kid" whre an inmate escapes from a mental hospital and is accompanyed by another seemingly unwilling patient. There are no duds here, and highly recommended for fans of detective, crime, and extreme horror alike.
... Read more

Product Description
Teacher's edition Mathematics textbook that correlates to Ohio's Academic Content Standards ... Read more

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Coalition's quarterly report on activities affecting ecosystem surrounding & including Yellowstone National Park. ... Read more