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First Post
By John Grigsby, Staff Reviewer d20 Magazine Rack
Sizing Up the Target
Dogs of War: Washington, D.C. is a THE END supplement from Tyranny Games. Written by Jeff Konkal and Joseph Tierney, Dogs of War retails for $19.95.
First Blood
Dogs of War: Washington, DC focuses its attentions on, what else, Washington, D.C. Since The End, all contact with Washington has been cut off. Now, it has begun rising from the ashes with War, the Second Horseman, leading the charge. God may be dead, but War is just getting started.
Dogs of War builds on information provided in The Boston Massacre (though that work is not required) and examines in great detail the Washington area (including War’s command post, The Pentagon). A history of the area since The End brings the reader up to date (remember that until now, no one really knew what was going on in Washington). This is particularly enjoyable reading for those who have at least a passing familiarity with the Washington area.
A new mechanic, a set of feats that must be obtained in a specific order (called a Path) is described herein. Two paths are presented, the Path of the Beast and the Path of War. Each subsequent feat in the path builds upon those that have gone before. Different paths within each Path are possible, so two characters that follow the same path need not be identical. A few new rituals have also been provided, and a new form of madness; the Fog of War.
Washington has its share of factions, and each is described here, with notes on joining and leadership. In addition to War, a forsaken angel and his nemesis, a forsaken demon, also make their base of operations in Washington, and this provides an interesting “conflict with a conflict” as these two powers battle for supremacy against the backdrop of a greater servant of God (War) who really isn’t certain what to do about their presence.
Finally, the Judges’ Section contains notes on getting characters into and out of Washington, and things to see and do while they are there. A handful of new creatures indigenous to the area round out the work, including the Unknown Soldier, an immortal being sustained by War’s presence here on Earth.
Critical Hits
There’s a lot of good material here, more than sufficient for a GM to run a campaign in the Washington area. In my eyes, the two most interesting portions of the book are the Unknown Soldier, representative of the spirit of Washington, and the sourcebook, and the conflict between Simon and Malthanos (the forsaken angel and demon, respectively). This sub-plot within the main focus can lead to some very interesting adventures and complications. Simon wants to get back into Heaven and sees the destruction of Malthanos as a possibility for achieving this. Malthanos just wants to see Simon suffer and die. Whose side will the PCs take?
Critical Misses
The book is short and sweet, perhaps a little too short for the price, but aside from that, there are no real complaints. The content is good, and remains true to the source material.
Coup de Grace
If you enjoy the post-apocalyptic setting offered by THE END, this is certainly a worthwhile addition to your library. Most of the mechanics have been designated OGC (about 35% of the book) and the price is good for 112 pages, though if you can find it offered for a lower price, so much the better.
To see the graded evaluation of this product and to leave comments that the reviewer will respond to, go to Fast Tracks at www.d20zines.com.
Sizing Up the Target
Dogs of War: Washington, D.C. is a THE END supplement from Tyranny Games. Written by Jeff Konkal and Joseph Tierney, Dogs of War retails for $19.95.
First Blood
Dogs of War: Washington, DC focuses its attentions on, what else, Washington, D.C. Since The End, all contact with Washington has been cut off. Now, it has begun rising from the ashes with War, the Second Horseman, leading the charge. God may be dead, but War is just getting started.
Dogs of War builds on information provided in The Boston Massacre (though that work is not required) and examines in great detail the Washington area (including War’s command post, The Pentagon). A history of the area since The End brings the reader up to date (remember that until now, no one really knew what was going on in Washington). This is particularly enjoyable reading for those who have at least a passing familiarity with the Washington area.
A new mechanic, a set of feats that must be obtained in a specific order (called a Path) is described herein. Two paths are presented, the Path of the Beast and the Path of War. Each subsequent feat in the path builds upon those that have gone before. Different paths within each Path are possible, so two characters that follow the same path need not be identical. A few new rituals have also been provided, and a new form of madness; the Fog of War.
Washington has its share of factions, and each is described here, with notes on joining and leadership. In addition to War, a forsaken angel and his nemesis, a forsaken demon, also make their base of operations in Washington, and this provides an interesting “conflict with a conflict” as these two powers battle for supremacy against the backdrop of a greater servant of God (War) who really isn’t certain what to do about their presence.
Finally, the Judges’ Section contains notes on getting characters into and out of Washington, and things to see and do while they are there. A handful of new creatures indigenous to the area round out the work, including the Unknown Soldier, an immortal being sustained by War’s presence here on Earth.
Critical Hits
There’s a lot of good material here, more than sufficient for a GM to run a campaign in the Washington area. In my eyes, the two most interesting portions of the book are the Unknown Soldier, representative of the spirit of Washington, and the sourcebook, and the conflict between Simon and Malthanos (the forsaken angel and demon, respectively). This sub-plot within the main focus can lead to some very interesting adventures and complications. Simon wants to get back into Heaven and sees the destruction of Malthanos as a possibility for achieving this. Malthanos just wants to see Simon suffer and die. Whose side will the PCs take?
Critical Misses
The book is short and sweet, perhaps a little too short for the price, but aside from that, there are no real complaints. The content is good, and remains true to the source material.
Coup de Grace
If you enjoy the post-apocalyptic setting offered by THE END, this is certainly a worthwhile addition to your library. Most of the mechanics have been designated OGC (about 35% of the book) and the price is good for 112 pages, though if you can find it offered for a lower price, so much the better.
To see the graded evaluation of this product and to leave comments that the reviewer will respond to, go to Fast Tracks at www.d20zines.com.
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