Sunglar
Explorer
Review of Kenzer Products…
Review of Kenzer Products…
A while back the fine people at Kenzer held a raffle to give away some of their products, specifically the D&D adventure Aldriv’s Revenge and the Hacklopedia of Beasts Volume III. I was one of the lucky winners! What was the catch you ask? Well I had to write a review of the product. Small potatoes, if you ask me, in exchange for free gaming material.
Ok, I can hear the second question from those of you who knew about the deal. What took you so long? I know excuses only satisfy he who gives them, but take into consideration that while I live outside the continental US, so the package took some days to get here, and after all I was asked to review the products after a thorough read. Well I did just that and here are my reviews.
(Drum roll please!)
********
Aldriv’s Revenge
What it is: A 48+ pages D&D adventure for 1st level characters. While I got it for free the price on the back cover says US $12.99 CAN $19.50.
Is it worth it? A resounding yes!
Let me first say that I am one of those DMs who never uses pre published adventures. Years ago I used to buy adventures to read, sometimes for inspiration, but the last module I ran came of a Dungeon Magazine and that was almost three years ago. These days I never even bother buying modules. Since D&D 3rd Ed came out I have purchased NO adventures. The only ones I’ve seen are in the flip side of Polyhedron, Dungeon, and those I only give a cursory look. So when I sat down to read this adventure, my hopes were not too high.
I was proved wrong. Aldriv’s Revenge is a great read. Without giving away any of the plot, the background information is well organized, and the plot very engrossing. The structure of the adventure lends itself to non-linear playing, and the rules seem solidly applied, at least for a read, I am yet to run a party through it.
The appendixes were incredibly useful, the NPCs fleshed out, and the maps were just clear, useful, had a grid and were fully detailed and explained. What made this form a great module into a superb and outstanding one was the Image Quest Adventure Illustrations. I loved that the module included so many visual aids. Truly a picture is worth a thousand words. The layout, interior art and the Image Quest art, was excellent. Clear, crisp and very appropriate. A cover by Randy Post topped of a great work, both visually and in content.
There were some places where I could swear I saw a typo (I was not marking them down) and some spots where some clarification would have been useful, but nothing a second read or some DM creativity could not overcome.
I am not familiar with Kalamar, being one of those DMs who like to create their own campaign worlds too, but the adventure was solid enough to be workable outside the campaign with minimal alterations. The added Index/Glossary of campaign specific terms would be great help in this endeavor.
What didn’t I like?
Very little! As you can see form the above statements I was very exited by this adventure. It has lead me to take a second look at the Kenzer adventures out there, and the rest of the Kalamar line. The adventure has some railroading, but far less than MANY adventures I’ve seen, but his is part of the genre of fantasy adventures.
Will I run this adventure for my group?
Probably not… As good as it is my players all have higher level characters, much higher. And by the time w start up another campaign I doubt I will use it as I enjoy making adventures up too much. Still there is much to mine form a module like this. The maps can be used for other adventures, the Image Quest alone may be worth the price, and I know some ideas will stay with me long after I read this module and work their way into some future adventure.
In a scale of 1 (stay away form it at all cost) to 10 (sell your soul if you have to, to get this one!) this adventure gets a 9.
********
Hacklopedia of Beasts Volume III
What it is: A 128-page book of monsters for the Hackmaster RPG. It is a soft cover book containing the monster entries form Elemental to Hippopotamus. Price is US $19.99 CAN $29.99.
Is it worth it? If you like Hackmaster…
As a loyal and longtime fan of the Knights of the Dinner table, ever since their days in Shadis Magazine, I was excited when I learned the news that Hackmaster was coming out as a real RPG. I got the Player’s Handbook, and while it had some funny bits and I loved reading about rules and character classes I had seen in the comic, it did not make a convert out of me.
I loved AD&D, and while I have been playing since 1sr Ed (and the Red Basic set with the Elmore cover before that), I was NEVER a fan of the many charts, and many rolls previous incarnations of D&D included. I played those games exclusively for many years, but with 3rd Ed I saw no need to go back. So I put the Hackmaster Player’s Handbook up in a shelf.
Did this book change my mind? Not really. The fake Hard Eight introduction made me chuckle, and some monster entries were downright funny, like the Gummy Fiend (reproduced in the back cover), the Dire Elk, and the Gorphin (land dolphins). The monster entries are clear and useful to a Hackmaster player. The art for most of the book is very well done, an eclectic mix of funny, scary and exciting. The cover art, like all other Hacklopedia I’ve seen, leaves much to be desired. With so much pretty art inside, the cover is an eye sore by comparison. The retro AD&D look fails, unlike the covers of other Hackmaster books and products. For example the cover tot heir GM shield was great!
Two great things this book has are, first, clearly defined monster entries. While not keeping the AD&D tradition of one monster per page, the creatures in the Hacklopedia are easy to tell apart. One can tell where one monster ends and the other begins, unlike the first printing of the 3rd Ed Monster Manual. The second is the price. In these days of expensive books it is nice to see a company publishing well done black and white books that serve their purpose without robbing the consumer. They do that by printing eight of these things!
What didn’t I like?
This is more a gripe with the whole concept of Hacklopedias than this book in particular. I was ready to buy the basic Hackmaster books until I saw the number of Hacklopedia they were going to print. I realize this is in keeping with the feel of the game and the comics, but to spend SO MUCH money to have all the monsters for the system. I would have liked it better if I could have gotten one basic monster book, not unlike the Monster Manual, where all the staple creatures could be found, for a slightly higher price. Then all the others could have been themed, or even extra monsters in alphabetical order. I just feel the idea of publishing eight of theses is outrageous.
Will I use this in my game?
No… I’m not using Hackmaster. If you are, well this is a must. That is if you want to fight any creature whose name starts with and E, I, G or H!
In a scale of 1 (stay away form it at all cost) to 10 (sell your soul if you have to, to get this one!) this book gets a 6.
********
Bonus review…
The nice people at Kenzer included a free D&D comic in the package they sent me. Issue four of the D&D comic In the Shadow of Dragons. As I already had a copy I passed it along to a friend who would enjoy it. I have gotten all they D&D comics they have published, including all available issues of this series, and all four of Tempest’s Gate.
Here are my two cents on the matter. I have purchased these comics as an avid fan of D&D and supporter of Kenzer, but every time I read one of them I ask myself why I even spend the time and money on them. Good fantasy comics are not easy to make, but look at the stuff Crossgen is doing, and the old Conan series, it can be done.
Kenzer D&D comics fail in many aspects. First the stories, they are not really original, and rather trite. The characters are stereotypical; the dialogue is weak, often too long and wordy for a comic panel, sometimes covering up the art. At other moments, the plots seem to make no sense to a casual reader.
The art has been weak. While there are great as individual illustrations, they often fail to convey action or tell a progressive story. A book of pin ups a comic does not make. Layout has been another problem. I think the pages could be better planned.
Also if these are supposed to be D&D comics, often times the plot or the action makes no sense rules wise. I agree that poetic license is needed for drama and that sticking to the rules will make a story harder to tell, but just casual references to spells and creatures, with many characters that seem to make no sense rule wise, makes me scratch my head and say, “Is this really a D&D comic?”
In all fairness I think In the Shadow of Dragons has gotten a little better as the series has progressed, but Tempest’s Gate was awful form beginning to end.
In a scale of 1 (stay away form it at all cost) to 10 (sell your soul if you have to, to get this one!) In the Shadow of Dragons gets a tentative 6 pending on how the series ends. Tempest’s Gate gets a 2.
********
While some of you may castigate me for being so hard on the nice people who gave me their stuff for free, I feel that if I am to write an objective review I must say how I truly feel. I still think the Kenzer crew are among the finest people out there. Friendly, committed to their craft and the industry. I wish them the best and many future successes.
Try some of their stuff it is worth it. If this experience has taught me anything it was to take another look at their wonderful world of Kalamar. They should try to do a series set on that world. Maybe that way they will get it right!
Thank you all for your time,
Roberto (Sunglar)
Review of Kenzer Products…
A while back the fine people at Kenzer held a raffle to give away some of their products, specifically the D&D adventure Aldriv’s Revenge and the Hacklopedia of Beasts Volume III. I was one of the lucky winners! What was the catch you ask? Well I had to write a review of the product. Small potatoes, if you ask me, in exchange for free gaming material.
Ok, I can hear the second question from those of you who knew about the deal. What took you so long? I know excuses only satisfy he who gives them, but take into consideration that while I live outside the continental US, so the package took some days to get here, and after all I was asked to review the products after a thorough read. Well I did just that and here are my reviews.
(Drum roll please!)
********
Aldriv’s Revenge
What it is: A 48+ pages D&D adventure for 1st level characters. While I got it for free the price on the back cover says US $12.99 CAN $19.50.
Is it worth it? A resounding yes!
Let me first say that I am one of those DMs who never uses pre published adventures. Years ago I used to buy adventures to read, sometimes for inspiration, but the last module I ran came of a Dungeon Magazine and that was almost three years ago. These days I never even bother buying modules. Since D&D 3rd Ed came out I have purchased NO adventures. The only ones I’ve seen are in the flip side of Polyhedron, Dungeon, and those I only give a cursory look. So when I sat down to read this adventure, my hopes were not too high.
I was proved wrong. Aldriv’s Revenge is a great read. Without giving away any of the plot, the background information is well organized, and the plot very engrossing. The structure of the adventure lends itself to non-linear playing, and the rules seem solidly applied, at least for a read, I am yet to run a party through it.
The appendixes were incredibly useful, the NPCs fleshed out, and the maps were just clear, useful, had a grid and were fully detailed and explained. What made this form a great module into a superb and outstanding one was the Image Quest Adventure Illustrations. I loved that the module included so many visual aids. Truly a picture is worth a thousand words. The layout, interior art and the Image Quest art, was excellent. Clear, crisp and very appropriate. A cover by Randy Post topped of a great work, both visually and in content.
There were some places where I could swear I saw a typo (I was not marking them down) and some spots where some clarification would have been useful, but nothing a second read or some DM creativity could not overcome.
I am not familiar with Kalamar, being one of those DMs who like to create their own campaign worlds too, but the adventure was solid enough to be workable outside the campaign with minimal alterations. The added Index/Glossary of campaign specific terms would be great help in this endeavor.
What didn’t I like?
Very little! As you can see form the above statements I was very exited by this adventure. It has lead me to take a second look at the Kenzer adventures out there, and the rest of the Kalamar line. The adventure has some railroading, but far less than MANY adventures I’ve seen, but his is part of the genre of fantasy adventures.
Will I run this adventure for my group?
Probably not… As good as it is my players all have higher level characters, much higher. And by the time w start up another campaign I doubt I will use it as I enjoy making adventures up too much. Still there is much to mine form a module like this. The maps can be used for other adventures, the Image Quest alone may be worth the price, and I know some ideas will stay with me long after I read this module and work their way into some future adventure.
In a scale of 1 (stay away form it at all cost) to 10 (sell your soul if you have to, to get this one!) this adventure gets a 9.
********
Hacklopedia of Beasts Volume III
What it is: A 128-page book of monsters for the Hackmaster RPG. It is a soft cover book containing the monster entries form Elemental to Hippopotamus. Price is US $19.99 CAN $29.99.
Is it worth it? If you like Hackmaster…
As a loyal and longtime fan of the Knights of the Dinner table, ever since their days in Shadis Magazine, I was excited when I learned the news that Hackmaster was coming out as a real RPG. I got the Player’s Handbook, and while it had some funny bits and I loved reading about rules and character classes I had seen in the comic, it did not make a convert out of me.
I loved AD&D, and while I have been playing since 1sr Ed (and the Red Basic set with the Elmore cover before that), I was NEVER a fan of the many charts, and many rolls previous incarnations of D&D included. I played those games exclusively for many years, but with 3rd Ed I saw no need to go back. So I put the Hackmaster Player’s Handbook up in a shelf.
Did this book change my mind? Not really. The fake Hard Eight introduction made me chuckle, and some monster entries were downright funny, like the Gummy Fiend (reproduced in the back cover), the Dire Elk, and the Gorphin (land dolphins). The monster entries are clear and useful to a Hackmaster player. The art for most of the book is very well done, an eclectic mix of funny, scary and exciting. The cover art, like all other Hacklopedia I’ve seen, leaves much to be desired. With so much pretty art inside, the cover is an eye sore by comparison. The retro AD&D look fails, unlike the covers of other Hackmaster books and products. For example the cover tot heir GM shield was great!
Two great things this book has are, first, clearly defined monster entries. While not keeping the AD&D tradition of one monster per page, the creatures in the Hacklopedia are easy to tell apart. One can tell where one monster ends and the other begins, unlike the first printing of the 3rd Ed Monster Manual. The second is the price. In these days of expensive books it is nice to see a company publishing well done black and white books that serve their purpose without robbing the consumer. They do that by printing eight of these things!
What didn’t I like?
This is more a gripe with the whole concept of Hacklopedias than this book in particular. I was ready to buy the basic Hackmaster books until I saw the number of Hacklopedia they were going to print. I realize this is in keeping with the feel of the game and the comics, but to spend SO MUCH money to have all the monsters for the system. I would have liked it better if I could have gotten one basic monster book, not unlike the Monster Manual, where all the staple creatures could be found, for a slightly higher price. Then all the others could have been themed, or even extra monsters in alphabetical order. I just feel the idea of publishing eight of theses is outrageous.
Will I use this in my game?
No… I’m not using Hackmaster. If you are, well this is a must. That is if you want to fight any creature whose name starts with and E, I, G or H!
In a scale of 1 (stay away form it at all cost) to 10 (sell your soul if you have to, to get this one!) this book gets a 6.
********
Bonus review…
The nice people at Kenzer included a free D&D comic in the package they sent me. Issue four of the D&D comic In the Shadow of Dragons. As I already had a copy I passed it along to a friend who would enjoy it. I have gotten all they D&D comics they have published, including all available issues of this series, and all four of Tempest’s Gate.
Here are my two cents on the matter. I have purchased these comics as an avid fan of D&D and supporter of Kenzer, but every time I read one of them I ask myself why I even spend the time and money on them. Good fantasy comics are not easy to make, but look at the stuff Crossgen is doing, and the old Conan series, it can be done.
Kenzer D&D comics fail in many aspects. First the stories, they are not really original, and rather trite. The characters are stereotypical; the dialogue is weak, often too long and wordy for a comic panel, sometimes covering up the art. At other moments, the plots seem to make no sense to a casual reader.
The art has been weak. While there are great as individual illustrations, they often fail to convey action or tell a progressive story. A book of pin ups a comic does not make. Layout has been another problem. I think the pages could be better planned.
Also if these are supposed to be D&D comics, often times the plot or the action makes no sense rules wise. I agree that poetic license is needed for drama and that sticking to the rules will make a story harder to tell, but just casual references to spells and creatures, with many characters that seem to make no sense rule wise, makes me scratch my head and say, “Is this really a D&D comic?”
In all fairness I think In the Shadow of Dragons has gotten a little better as the series has progressed, but Tempest’s Gate was awful form beginning to end.
In a scale of 1 (stay away form it at all cost) to 10 (sell your soul if you have to, to get this one!) In the Shadow of Dragons gets a tentative 6 pending on how the series ends. Tempest’s Gate gets a 2.
********
While some of you may castigate me for being so hard on the nice people who gave me their stuff for free, I feel that if I am to write an objective review I must say how I truly feel. I still think the Kenzer crew are among the finest people out there. Friendly, committed to their craft and the industry. I wish them the best and many future successes.
Try some of their stuff it is worth it. If this experience has taught me anything it was to take another look at their wonderful world of Kalamar. They should try to do a series set on that world. Maybe that way they will get it right!
Thank you all for your time,
Roberto (Sunglar)
