NPC Files: Rungie Rampholean is a d20 pdf product from Expeditious Retreat Press and is one of several products in the NPC Files series. Each product in the NPC files series details a single NPC, complete with background and statistic from level 1 to 20. This installment details Rungie Rampholean, a gnomish master trapmaker and disarmer. This pdf has a page count of 22 pages, of which 19 pages are devoted to detailing the NPC Rungie Rampholean. NPC Files: Rungie Rampholean normally retails for $2.00. This review was done as part of Crothian's Review Project.
Disclaimer: The reviewer is a d20 freelance writer/editor but is not affiliated with the publisher of this product. Every effort has been made by the reviewer to ensure that this is an impartial review.
Note: This is an older review reposted since the server crash.
Initial Impressions:
NPC Files: Rungie Rampholean comes as a single fully bookmarked pdf. Cover artwork is by Ravindra Rana and features an elderly gnome working on some sort of mechanical device or trap. It's a decent piece of artwork, although perhaps not so gnomish. The cover artwork is the only art in the pdf, the majority of which is filled by the 20 stat blocks required to detail the NPC at every level. Layout is in two columns and in landscape format, but is easy to read. I was pleased to find that the writing and overall mechanics was excellent, with no noticable errors apart from the odd repeated word in the text.
The Details:
The format of the NPC Files series is to present the background and stat block of an NPC at low, medium and high levels, followed by stat blocks from level 1 to 20. The stat blocks give an good indication of how the NPC progresses, and are not meant to be optimum or ideal in terms of mechanical design. I quite liked this aspect of the pdf as it gave the NPC a more 'real' feel as opposed to a fully optimized design. Background details are only provided at the three stages of the NPCs progression.
Rungie Rampholean himself is an gnomish rogue/wizard with a penchant for mechanical and magical traps. The background details his rise from a mere adventuring rogue to becoming an apprentice to a wizard to finally starting his own academy and authoring his own book - The Art of Bypassing. Rungie ends up as a Rogue 10/Wizard 10 and is a well-crafted character - perhaps not the heroic or adventures type, but a good NPC type character. Details are provided on some of his habits and nature, as well as methods while running his business and teaching his various students.
Throughout Rungie's career he keeps a journal and eventually goes on to write his book through several revisions. His own personal journal and book essentially detail traps, trap mechanisms, methods of disarming and other details related to traps. This gives the reader who has time to study it a bonus to their Disable Device skill checks related to traps. Five editions of this book, The Art of Bypassing, are detailed, each providing a progressively higher skill bonus.
Conclusions:
NPC Files: Rungie Rampholean provides a detailed NPC for any campaign, including progressive background and stat blocks from level 1 to 20. The mechanical aspects of the NPC are faultless, and the general presentation is good. I felt however that there was not nearly enough development in the NPC itself and the background was lacking in describing the NPCs character, outlook on the world, motivations, interactions, opinions on various things, and other details that would round of a detailed NPC. As is, while the background is interesting the pdf is more stat block than anything else. While this has a lot of value in itself, particularly given the large number of stat blocks, it would've been a much better product if more attention had been given to the actual NPC himself. Certainly those that are looking for a quick Rogue/Wizard NPC can't go wrong by grabbing the stat blocks contained in this product. Based on presentation, faultless mechanics, good value for money, but lacking in enough background detail to truly make this NPC come to life, I'd grade this pdf with three stars.
Disclaimer: The reviewer is a d20 freelance writer/editor but is not affiliated with the publisher of this product. Every effort has been made by the reviewer to ensure that this is an impartial review.
Note: This is an older review reposted since the server crash.
Initial Impressions:
NPC Files: Rungie Rampholean comes as a single fully bookmarked pdf. Cover artwork is by Ravindra Rana and features an elderly gnome working on some sort of mechanical device or trap. It's a decent piece of artwork, although perhaps not so gnomish. The cover artwork is the only art in the pdf, the majority of which is filled by the 20 stat blocks required to detail the NPC at every level. Layout is in two columns and in landscape format, but is easy to read. I was pleased to find that the writing and overall mechanics was excellent, with no noticable errors apart from the odd repeated word in the text.
The Details:
The format of the NPC Files series is to present the background and stat block of an NPC at low, medium and high levels, followed by stat blocks from level 1 to 20. The stat blocks give an good indication of how the NPC progresses, and are not meant to be optimum or ideal in terms of mechanical design. I quite liked this aspect of the pdf as it gave the NPC a more 'real' feel as opposed to a fully optimized design. Background details are only provided at the three stages of the NPCs progression.
Rungie Rampholean himself is an gnomish rogue/wizard with a penchant for mechanical and magical traps. The background details his rise from a mere adventuring rogue to becoming an apprentice to a wizard to finally starting his own academy and authoring his own book - The Art of Bypassing. Rungie ends up as a Rogue 10/Wizard 10 and is a well-crafted character - perhaps not the heroic or adventures type, but a good NPC type character. Details are provided on some of his habits and nature, as well as methods while running his business and teaching his various students.
Throughout Rungie's career he keeps a journal and eventually goes on to write his book through several revisions. His own personal journal and book essentially detail traps, trap mechanisms, methods of disarming and other details related to traps. This gives the reader who has time to study it a bonus to their Disable Device skill checks related to traps. Five editions of this book, The Art of Bypassing, are detailed, each providing a progressively higher skill bonus.
Conclusions:
NPC Files: Rungie Rampholean provides a detailed NPC for any campaign, including progressive background and stat blocks from level 1 to 20. The mechanical aspects of the NPC are faultless, and the general presentation is good. I felt however that there was not nearly enough development in the NPC itself and the background was lacking in describing the NPCs character, outlook on the world, motivations, interactions, opinions on various things, and other details that would round of a detailed NPC. As is, while the background is interesting the pdf is more stat block than anything else. While this has a lot of value in itself, particularly given the large number of stat blocks, it would've been a much better product if more attention had been given to the actual NPC himself. Certainly those that are looking for a quick Rogue/Wizard NPC can't go wrong by grabbing the stat blocks contained in this product. Based on presentation, faultless mechanics, good value for money, but lacking in enough background detail to truly make this NPC come to life, I'd grade this pdf with three stars.
