Short Pathfinder Reviews – Dwarves, Dwarves and more Dwarves

After looking at Halflings (and hearts), today we look at the stoic dwarf as presented in a variety of products:

Player’s Options: Dwarves from 4 Winds Publishing.  It starts with two variant dwarf-kin: Half-dwarf (and half human), children of that rare crossbreeding with talents from both side, and Stone Dwarfs, who are even more closely tied to the element of earth than most dwarves, both useful for various sorts of stories.  Fourteen new dwarven feats, including Dwarven Baritone (for the singing dwarves) and Exile, who fights with fury against those that drove them  from their mountain home, this provide more options for customizing dwarves as do six flaws (as well as the rules for flaws).  The product wraps up with new dwarven equipment including two new weapons and one type of armor, along with the dwarven made qualities for both armor and weapons,  some dwarven food and drink, a musical instrument  and a false beard (unfortunately called a merkin).  This provides some useful additional choices for dwarven characters and some amusing items to use as treasures in abandoned dwarven ruins.

#1 With a Bullet Point: 13 Dwarven Questing Feats from Rogue Genius Games is built around expanding the core ideas of dwarven identity, such as they organize and contract quests, implemented through the Questing Proconsul feat which provides minor bonuses for those organized into a proper questing company.  Many of the other feats build off of dwarven racial abilities such as Battle Name, which recalls a great achievement of the character against enemies of the dwarven people, and Tomb Smasher, which lets you break into stone area more easily.  A lovely pool of additional feats for dwarves.

Transcendent 10 – Feats of Synergy – Company of Dwarves from Lost Spheres Publishing provides ten new feats for dwarves, each with a short discussion about how it can be used which is interesting to see the designer’s thoughts on such matters.  It includes some supporting for crafting, including one feat that allows skilled dwarven craftsmen to make magic armor and weapons, and some solid group oriented feats and even a feat for dwarven bards!    There is much to like here if you are using dwarves and good ideas to emphasize classical dwarven ideals.

Disclosure: As a featured reviewer for RPGNow/DriveThroughRPG, I received my copy of this product for free from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

Moving Forward on the Sea of Stars Kickstarter – Gathering Artists (Update 2)

Moving forward, slowly, on getting thing together for the Sea of Stars Kickstarter, while I will still need more artists and a mapmaker, I have polite commitments for at least one piece of art from each of the following artists (in alphabetical order):

Drew Baker, whom jim pinto called “the nicest guy in the industry” and a brilliant artist.  He painted the lovely dragon slayer piece I picked up at GenCon.

Talon Dunning, gamer and artist with his own game company, I am working on him with another project too.

M C A Hogarth, artist, author and all around talented lady.

Beth Trott, another skilled artist I know through jim pinto, whose lovely art should be perfect for the Visse.

Update 1:

Anir, a Romanian artist is doing a piece that I am intending to use for the free adventure.

Update 2:

Austin Gandy, master of the Elemental Temple of Pixels and part of my Wednesday night crew, has signed on.

 

I will update as I confirm new artists.  And any artists and mapmakers out there, feel free to contact me.