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Goody White's Book of Folk Magic
by Christopher [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 03/10/2024 18:10:21

Love. I was working on Hedgerow Witches when I came across this and you lightened my workload as ever. Kudos, all!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Goody White's Book of Folk Magic
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Swords Into Plowshares
by Justin M. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 01/25/2022 15:02:54

An interesting supplement, now old enough to drink, which was released as a fundraiser for the National Geographic Afghan Girls fund. Sort of a bundle before they had bundles. It's as fascinating in concept as anything else, with a bunch of RPG mavens coming together to provide a selection of weapons to raise funds for charity. A TOC would have made it a bit more useful, but if you are running straight 3E or Pathfinder and want to grab a few things for the PCs to cut people with (or NPCs, I dunno, it's your world) this is a great choice. It's free now, too.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Swords Into Plowshares
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The New Argonauts
by Itai G. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 06/03/2019 05:04:07

I love games set in Ancient Greece and a lot of thought was put into this product. It's not for everyone, but I think fans of the genre should definitely take a look.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
The New Argonauts
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Swords Into Plowshares
by Itai G. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 05/11/2019 18:02:54

Each item comes with a story and history. That's great. No art, which is kinda sad but understandable given the circumstances. Also not enough things which aren't weapons.



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[4 of 5 Stars!]
Swords Into Plowshares
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The New Argonauts
by Sarah B. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/05/2019 19:03:52

The creater decided to make a whole section about how homsexuality in Greece was shameful. Why is this necessary? This is a game! The limitations on the gamer's powers and character are enough to turn me off, but to imagine that someone wants to play a queer character they get harassed in game for it is just mindlessly horrible. I'm so disappointed. Especially since the creator's facts around homosexuality in Greece are clearly warped. If you're gay, stay away.



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
The New Argonauts
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The New Argonauts
by Andy R. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/01/2019 10:58:59

Cool, but limiting.

It is obvious a lot of thought and work went into this and it is well presented. However, I find it limiting - fighters, rogues and maybe a barbarian or sorcerer? Oh, and you can only be a human. That would be a tough sell to most groups and downright impossible at my table.

There are a number of things I will be able to use and build from though.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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The New Argonauts
by Robert F. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 03/24/2019 15:38:18

this is freaking awesome! perfect resource for the OSR campaign i want to run.. even though it's D20, the conversion should be easy



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Goody White's Book of Folk Magic
by Thilo G. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 01/29/2018 07:07:05

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This supplement clocks in at 64 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial/KS-thanks, 1 page ToC, ¼ page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 59 ¾ pages of content, so let’s take a look!

So, sometimes, books just fall off my radar. I try to avoid such instances, but between priority reviews, the vast amount of books I cover and the huge number of books I receive, it simply happens. This is one such case…but well, better late than never, as they say, right?

This book is the adaptation of the work of Goodwife Elizabeth White, born 1640 and thus represents a take on classic themes of white folk magic, applied to the game. As the book notes, this does necessarily include spells that deal with serious topics – the introduction makes this clear and shows the utmost respect and restraint, kudos! The pdf explains the basics of hexes and design-aesthetic there, as well as establishing a special terminology, namely CAM, which is shorthand for casting ability modifier – undoubtedly to make the content a bit more future-proof for non-witch classes and hexes.

The pdf also introduces a new hex category, so-called perpetual hexes: They are somewhat alike to the permanent hexes that exist, yet different: They are bestowed upon targets. But thereafter require no concentration to maintain and persist until the witch dismisses the hex or until the recipient removes it. Unless otherwise noted, a witch can maintain a number of perpetual hexes equal to her Intelligence bonus and dismiss one as a move action. This dismissal does not have a maximum range and even transcends planar boundaries. Perpetual hexes have limits determined by the maximum number, with uses consuming a different number, preventing the spamming of them. Learning a spell contained herein also provides access to the reverse spell sans requiring double transcription.

The rituals contained herein require concentration as though casting a spell, unless otherwise stated, the equivalent of a 1st-level spell. Spellcasting level is taken over from the highest spellcasting class or ½ character level, if you don’t have any spellcasting levels. Rituals, as presented, are unreliable and only have a chance of success modified by CAM and whether you have a familiar. Rituals take twice as long to learn as to cast them and until you have successfully finished it, success chances are halved – in short: Unlike e.g. Incantations as a ritual-engine, they are not likely to kill you off, but they are quite likely to fail.

Okay, so that out of the way, how is the folk magic presented? Well, we begin with tame animals: We get a spell, a hex and a ritual…and beyond these three different mechanical representations of the concept, we also get basically a direct description of how to e.g. make a Taming Charm – if you’re like me and interested in occult lore and real world magic theories (nota bene: I’m an atheist and my interest is very much academic! I don’t believe in magic.), this is pretty glorious…oh, and we even get a sample chant. This very flavorful and lore-centric depiction is btw. something that can be found throughout the book. Want an example? As you wish!

“This evening we shall become one.

With the good spirits as my witness

I ask thee to bind the (man or woman) and beast

Through body and mind.

Let their bonding never part

Obedience and caring, everlasting art.”

Now, not all spells get such a neat chant, but yeah – it adds a level of plausibility to the pdf. Create Poppet is pretty amazing – it is low-level, but the poppet-benefits are pretty massive: The save-penalty of a target of the poppet is pretty significant, yet still beatable. Big kudos for this representation of sympathetic magic.

The pdf also notes ways to treat small burns (some of which work for small burns, though it should be noted, as the book states, it is not a medical advice booklet!). It also allows for a healing of heat dangers etc. and makes for a great tool in low-magic campaigns that rules that healing spells usually don’t apply to strains thus encountered. And yes, the hex is abuse-proof. Speaking of low-magic games and those that enjoy a somewhat grittier one: Remove cataracts is not only a cool little spell/hex/ritual – it also introduces the partially blinded condition, one that most assuredly will be used by yours truly. There are more medicinal hexes/spells/rituals: Dealing with warts, treating bruises and pain, staunching bleeding, curing sickness in animals, healing the lame, soothing bowels, fixing teeth, gaining/losing weight, calming vermin (like bees) and treating fits complement this section…often with the reversals, for less benevolent witches.

One of the classics associated with benign folk magic, the blessing of crops, can be found within this pdf…and we know that many a midwife, with knowledge of herbs and medicine was burned at the stake. Well, their most well-known task is also represented here: Ease birth…and, somewhat interestingly, someone who has benefited from e.g. the hex, thereafter becomes more susceptible to the witch’s influence…which makes sense. While we’re on the topic of a bit more…risqué topics: The book also covers a rather important topic (at least when considering historic beliefs regarding witchcraft): The treatment of impotence is represented by the spells restore/remove potency and the hex/ritual based on them. These options alone can carry pretty much whole campaigns and the countless stories of noble families etc. out there provide plenty of ideas there. Obstruct/Enhance Fertility can also be found – including a feasible section on human fertility. Speaking of pregnancy: Concealing/False Pregnancy breathe the spirit of what we associate with witchcraft. And yes, there is an option to cool or rekindle passions.

On the more magical side of things, we have the curse ward, spells to instill good or bad luck, an option to send warning visions…have I mentioned spirit letters as a cool low-level divination? There is a means to curse thieves and a ward to repel the living dead. Alternate options to find familiar and the option to talk with fey also are represented within these pages. Projecting your spirit is also a practice that is represented within, and yes, we do get options to expel spirits at low level – which may decrease the threat of possession, but which fits better the real world lore, where minor forms of possession can be found more often in the context of witchcraft. The identification of enemies is also interesting: Instead of blanket reveal, the magic operates with chances and suspicions you may have, which makes it much more useful from a narrative point of view. Shrouding targets from sight is another important concept covered.

We also get the chance to make witch bottles, which contain a focus and can act as a help against the supernatural creatures. On the subject of bottles: Of course, magical potions are part of the subject matter covered, e.g. sleeping potions in two severity-levels. A balm for confidence and love potions can also be found within, representing classic tropes of witchcraft. There also is room devoted to making food palatable (or cursing targets so all food tastes horrible) or the power to send pleasant or disturbing dreams. Loss and growth of hair can also be found, as can be means to enhance your chances when hunting targets. Assuming the shape of a Diminutive or Tiny animal can also be found. A limited form of appearance alteration (but it’s no illusion!) makes for an interesting alternative to the classic disguise self. There is a representation of the dowsing concept and a spell to conjure a household elemental with its own resistances and SPs…but unlike e.g. unseen servant, these are free-willed beings and thus require bartering. One of my favorites within would be the representation of the sator-square palindrome ward...nice, versatile and unique. On the evil side of things, there would be the creation of living zombies, which actually takes into account whether the target thinks it has died – neat! Quite a massive and cool array of tricks to make witches feel, well, more witch-like.

Speaking of witches: We do get a couple of witches throughout the book: A level 12 hedge witch, Tavra Ironbound, Jessica of the West (CR 6,Oz-reference, obviously), Larina Nix (CR 8), Acrimor (CR 11), an alchemist (chirurgeon/vivisectionist) CR 7 and a CR 10 fellow. Now, there is one annoying thing about these nice NPCs – they are spread out throughout the pdf without much rhyme or reason; this means that players reading the book will stumble over NPC-stats that imho belong in the back, in a GM-appendix, away from prying eyes. For those of you also into the Cypher-system, these beings also get cipher-stats in the back, all collated…which makes the decision to spread the PFRPG-stats throughout the book even more puzzling from an organizational point of view.

Okay, so, as you may have noted, the options herein are more “realistic” and often, more limited than what one would assume from PFRPG-options – they are very much suitable for grittier games and those favoring a lower power-level, which is all fine by me…but what if you want to use such concepts in your regular power-level campaign? Well, the book sports a MASSIVE mythic appendix that makes sure that these options remain viable threats. We get mythic versions of pretty much all spells. Now, design-paradigm-wise, these do not offer new options, following mostly the escalation of numbers, but in the context of this book, this is strangely fitting. Mythic hexes can be gained 3 for a 1st tier universal ability or tier hexes for a single feat, and mythic versions of the hexes can be found as well…but here is a big issue: This refers to “mythic points” – whatever THAT is supposed to be. I assume, it refers to mythic power, but frankly, it could refer to mythic surges as well. All in all, this section feels rushed and falls short of the main meat of the book. Similarly, it can be considered to be rather confusing that, without a header of anything, we switch systems when talking about tier 1 abilities – it took me a bit to realize that these do not refer to mythic tier abilities.

The appendix closes the pdf with a couple of nice notes, diarrhea as an affliction and a ritual for love, spirit expulsion and weight manipulation.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting, for the most part, are top-notch on both a formal and rules-language level; in the mythic section, the book has some serious issues, though, and the formal editing quality does diverge between the two versions of the book. Layout is gorgeous and adheres to an elegant, nice two-column full-color standard with fitting full-color artworks here and there and b/w-portraits of the sample NPCs. Now, there are two versions of the pdf as per the writing of this review: The one I am referencing here and a briefer one; the version with the mythic appendix unfortunately does not any bookmarks, which is somewhat baffling, considering that the shorter version does actually sport them.

Now, here’s the thing: The shorter version is actually the one with “final” in the title, so while the version with the problematic mythic material and Cypher-addendum can be found, I assume it to be something of a WIP version, left online due to its additional content. Strangely, though, the sample NPCs can also be found exclusively in the longer version, which makes it somewhat difficult for me to determine which version to rate. As such, even though I have covered the longer version in this review, I will take both into account.

So, here’s the thing: Sean K Reynolds is an amazing designer who knows what he’s doing and this book oozes “passion-project” from all of its pores. While I could rattle off a number of supplements that deal with household magic in the context of a high-magic society, this is literally the only PFRPG book I know that focuses on representations of magic taken from real world beliefs. The presentation that allows each of the individual options the necessary room to breathe and develop its flair. The easy to implement ritual-engine is similarly something that fits really well into a context of a more subdued, low-magic world where witchraft is unreliable.

In short: I’d consider this, flavorwise, pretty much a masterpiece, as this sports a ton of options I’d be willing to use, even beyond the confines of the PFRPG-rules-set. At the same time, the big version of the file, more so than the smaller one (which also e.g. sports remnants like “[NOTABLE WITCH BACKER XX]”), feels a bit rushed. The mythic section is uncharacteristically problematic and feels like what it undoubtedly was, an afterthought – compared to what Legendary Games has recently been doing with mythic magic, this falls woefully short of being adequate in that department. Similarly, the Cypher-components, while nice, would have made more sense properly integrated into its own version of the book.

My second gripe against this tome would pertain its organization – more so in the larger version. Having NPC stats in the middle of sections that players may read is not exactly perfect; I am also somewhat baffled by the appendix: I could name chapters for each of the rituals and materials in it where the respective information would be more convenient to find – diarrhea in the bowel-section, etc. They feel like they have been either forgotten or added at the last minute; no matter what happened, that does detract a bit from the immediate usability and handling of the book. (Particularly evident when using the big, bookmark-less version.)

In short, this book is somewhat diminished by obviously having been completed at one point…and when it was done, more was added, or removed…at a time, when it was either already mostly done and/or the designer had already moved on.

How to rate this, then? Well, were I to rate this solely on the merits of the core material presented, I’d be able to praise it rather highly…but I can’t. The rough edges do detract from the overall appeal of an otherwise inspiring read…but I hope that, rating notwithstanding, this review will make some of you fine folks check this out. This deserves being read and checked out, particularly if you’re looking for magic that feels more steeped in folklore or when looking for options that fit a more down to earth aesthetic. For the right people, this can definitely be a 5 star + seal of approval-level of awesome file, but as a reviewer, I need to rate the total package, and here, I can’t go higher than 4 stars.

Endzeitgeist out.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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The New Argonauts
by James A. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 08/03/2016 14:33:23

MYTHIC!!!! I housemates and I decided to do an Ancient Greek setting in Pathfinder. I started doing research, reskinning Golarion's top 20 gods to Greek, looking up tips for running Greek games–THEN STOPPED WHEN I FOUND THIS BOOK! It's got all the info you need for running an Ancient Greed d20 game. It was well written and a great read too. I think it's written for D&D 3.0. Instead I'll be using mosters out of the Bestiarys and Pathfinder's Mythic Adventures.

Sean's concepts and philosophies are faulking awesome. We are going to go with a magic-medium campaign rather than his low-magic idea. This book should have been updated for Pathfinder alongside the release of Mythic Adventures.

I rate this 10/10 for getting your Ancient Greek d20 camaign up and running fast!

Thanks Sean!



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[5 of 5 Stars!]
The New Argonauts
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Goody White's Book of Folk Magic
by Justin S. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/12/2016 23:03:53

I backed this on Kickstarter.

This book contains an excellent mix of flavor and mechanics. I've added this book to the list of those I consider essential for running Paizo's Kingmaker Adventure Path.

Well done Sean, well done. :)



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[5 of 5 Stars!]
Goody White's Book of Folk Magic
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Classy Characters: Robomancer
by Thilo G. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 07/09/2015 02:33:57

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 6 pages, 1 page editorial/ToC, 1 page SRD, leaving us with 4 pages - so what is the robomancer?

In short, the robomancer is a summoner archetype that gets a mechrilon, a variant eidolon that obviously can be affected by spells that otherwise would only influence constructs and treats natural attacks as either that or manufactured weapons, whichever is more beneficent. It also takes half damage from rust effects, but otherwise counts as a creature that is alive and as an eidolon for the purpose of spells and effects.

Instead of the summon monster class ability, the robomancer gets an expanded spell-list and eidolons/mechrilons may take a 2-point darkvision evolution.

The mechrilons receive access to a total of 6 exclusive evolutions that include increased base speed, fortification (with increased point costs to scale the benefits up), limited DR (again, with scaling), construct body and mind-apotheosis-style evolutions and a poison gas breath weapon.

The pdf comes with 3 sample kits to base mechrilon base forms on and a sample NPC at level 5 and 10 alongside the respective mechrilon.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are top-notch, I noticed no formal or rules-language glitches to speak of. Layout adheres to a printer-friendly 2-column standard with one piece of nice full-color artwork. The pdf comes without bookmarks, but needs none at this length.

Sean K. Reynolds knows what he's doing and this pdf shows - the robomancer is a nice little archetype and since it predates the Technology Guide, I won't begrudge it the lack of synergy with said book. The archetype itself is solid - essentially, a summoner with a mechanized eidolon that has more staying power at the cost of summon monster-tricks. There is nothing to be complained about the frame or the execution.

But if I'm honest, I did not enjoy it. Why?

Because in my book, LPJr Design's Machinesmith and Interjection Games' Tinker do the pet-class trickery with a mechanical theme better, while personal apotheosis as per Amor Game's Metamorph or Rite Publishing's Iron Titan provides a more immediate experience, leaving this archetype without a niche in my games.

It's solid, especially for the brevity of the pdf, but when compared to the competition, it does not really sport that many unique mechanical tricks (essentially only the gas cloud is truly distinct) and boils down to a summoner with some very minor modifications to the mechanics. If that's what you're looking for, go for it - if not, you may want to take a look at the more complex versions. Unless you really want a summoner framework that works with robot-eidolon, I consider the other options cooler - much like many paizo archetypes, this does not feel particularly unique to me. This is not bad, mind you - but neither is it really good or captivating. hence, my final verdict will clock in at 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3.

Endzeitgeist out.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Classy Characters: Robomancer
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The New Argonauts
by Michael J. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 05/15/2015 00:04:45

I thought the idea of picking a rules system to write a game was to pick something that really fits. Instead most of the book is a list of parts of the d20 system that you can't use. He should have tried using Savage Worlds, Runequest or Entropic's systems instead, as they would fit this to a T.



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[3 of 5 Stars!]
The New Argonauts
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Swords Into Plowshares
by Mark G. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 09/20/2014 07:10:54

Swords Into Plowshares is a very useful accessory for rpg games, being a collection of diverse types of enchanted and well-described weapons, complete with histories. My favourite was True Companion, but there were at least half a dozen that could easily be adapted to a campaign. There are multiple authors and illustrators and this was FREE so I'd definitely check this out. It was originally put out for charity, so maybe you could consider donating to one of them as a thank you. There's also a related one called 'Hungry Little Monsters' that I plan to buy (also for charity). Good stuff



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Swords Into Plowshares
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File Off the Serial Numbers
by Michael H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 06/23/2013 02:23:41

This is an amazing resource for any GM and if you don't have it yet, get it now. Print friendly, easy to absorb and containing more mayhem than a rusty bag of tricks, with this at the table your players are going to be more engaged with the game; period. Whether your gaming group has had their fill of generic thugs and common combatants or not, File Off the Serial Numbers is a sourcebook that you can use in virtually every Pathfinder game (and for that matter, similar d20 systems) you play. You are doing yourself a disservice if you pass it up.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
File Off the Serial Numbers
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File Off the Serial Numbers
by Louis P. J. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 05/11/2013 14:49:19

What really makes this book PDF amazing is in as little as two pages, SKR does amazing job creating a toolkit that any GM can use to make NPCs as needed while taking something very familiar and making it see all new, interesting and original. I Love it!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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