EZG reviews Pathways #34
This installment of Rite Publishing’s Free E-zine Pathways is 38 pages long, 1 page front cover, 11 pages of advertisement, 1 page ToC, 1 page SRD, leaving us with 24 pages of content, so elt’s take a look!
We kick this off with an almost sadistic teaser by editor Dave Paul – his first adventure is coming and what he’s telling so far, it’s gonna be…unconventional. One word: Ettincommunicationbreakdown. Want to know more,? Read for yourself!
Steven D. Russell, master of templates and overlord of Rite Publishing has a template for us – this time at CR +3, the envious creature: These beings may not only change shape, counter-scry, and get feats, skills etc. of the form they turned into, they also, spiteful to the last, may deny their target’s what they covet by self-destructing in a terrible blast. Jogund, a CR 8 envious troll, makes for this installment’s sample creature.
Next up, Liz Winters shows us a behind the curtain look at some of the fellows responsible for the boon to gaming that is Hero Lab for many people, before Raging Swan Press’ Creighton Broadhurst introduces us to a villain most foul – Myvainir Sehiatier, a skeletal champion necromancer/cleric/mystic theurge that clocks in at a nasty CR of 10. That’s not all, though – Creighton also introduces us to Yoth Yagoth (love the nomenclature here), an advanced gnoll sorceror with a blue dragon’s bloodline at CR 7. Awesome!
Steven D. Russell also has a useful system-neutral list of 100 epithets for us -for non-native speakers and designers as well – see if you could correctly define each one of them – I know I could and it makes for a fun little game (while also potentially broadening your vocabulary…)
Now this issue’s interview is with Greg LaRose, head of Amora Game: From total inexperience, he has lifted his small company to ever increasing heights, resulting in recently even scoring my best verdict of 5 stars + seal of approval with Prepare for War: Basic Training Manual. Beyond being a fun read, it should be noted that Amora Game has recently started a kickstarter for Liber Influxus Communis, a book of classes where some of the most talented class-designers contribute. Check it out if you haven’t already!
Next up would be support-article to what still remains my favorite construct-class for PFRPG, the Ironborn: This time, we get ability-suits for alchemically-treated ironborn that are resilient to bombs (and get more),one engineered for eidolon-connection, one that has a firearm included in its body, one that is particularly suitable for cavaliers, one that is excellent at hunting down foes and a design that is none – whether by ill or good omen, you are touched by something divine and hence may twist fortune to reflect the divine agenda behind your being. There would also be the hybrid design, which is particularly nice for Magi -two thumbs up and my favorite article this installment – I love it when old supplements are not abandoned and instead developed further.
We conclude this issue, as always, with reviews, this time one by Brian B. and the rest by yours truly.
Conclusion:
Editing and formatting are very good, I didn’t notice any all too glaring issues. Layout adheres to RiP’s nice 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes fully bookmarked for your convenience.
This is a great installment of Pathways, with nice fodder for DMs with cool characters, a deadly template and finally, also some great expansions for a neat race – at the price of 0 bucks, so what’s not to like? Download it, read it, think about dropping abuck or two for Amora Game’s KS and enjoy yet another neat month of cool offerings by Rite Publishing and friends- final verdict? 5 stars + seal of approval.
You can get this e.-zine for FREE here on OBS and here on d20pfsrd.com’s shop!
Endzeitgeist out.
