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Thunderscape: the World of Aden: Campaign Setting
Publisher: Kyoudai Games
by Jere M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/16/2014 03:12:52

What is Thunderscape? Thunderscape - The World of Aden introduces readers to the battered but unbroken world of Aden, a world where knights and sorcerers fight shoulder to shoulder with mechamagical golems against the nightmarish hordes spawned by the Darkfall, a supernatural cataclysm of unknown origin.

It uses the Pathfinder Roleplaying system that I currently consider my favorite setting when playing D&D games.

LAYOUT Overall look and feel of the book is very good. From its parchment like pages to the small details of gears, shadow beasts and good artwork says “This is Thunderscape – the World of Aden”.

For me the book reminds a mix between the old 3rd edition D&D Forgotten Realms Campaign Settings book and Pathfinder Hardcover books. Some small details are noticeable though; many of the chapters begin with a artwork and a small description of what’s inside, while others begin with just the headline. This was the only detail that bothered me.

CHAPTER 1. Races of Aden Chapter details who the most common races of Aden and introduces all the new races found in it. While the chapter does provide decent information regarding each race much like many other campaigns settings books out there. It did leave me wanting more, but that might only be because I compare everything to one of my personal favorites “The Advanced Race Guide” which details each race with multiple pages.

This is a shame since the game brings a couple of really nice races to the game, I would have like to know more. Also artwork of the races while good seems little plain when comparing with rest of the book.

CHAPTER 2. Classes Now this is where the book begins to shine, Chapter 2 might be the best chapter in the book. Not only does it bring nine new core/base classes in to the game, each one as detailed as any provided by Pathfinder books, they are accompanied with the best artwork in the book to show us iconic character for each class.

Each of the classes brings flavor and detail to the world of Aden that will be hard to match by any other product out there. The dark Fallen that wield powers granted or cursed by Darkfall, Golemoids that infuse themselves with Mechamagic while trying to survive its price the Wasting and my personal favorite the Seer that combine the power of divine spell casting with a gift of prophecy. Also classes provided are very different from each other, so that you will find something that you like. You could even create a whole party just from these classes and you would have very versatile group.

Chapter also provides details how all the existing core and base classes function in Aden with a couple of example character descriptions to each class.

CHAPTER 3. TRAITS/FEATS/SKILLS While the chapter does provide nice amount of new feats it doesn’t quite reach the numbers that some of the campaign settings usually provide, but after 9 new classes full of new features to play with it doesn’t matter. It also provides a new trait called Folk Magic which speaks to how much magic is part of Aden in everyday life of its citizen.

Chapter also provides some new info regarding skills related to Aden’s technology.

CHAPTER 4. History of Aden This chapter is the first that doesn’t provide its own preview page which is little shame since it starts right after mechanics heavy sections in the book and first time I turned the page to it, I was certain my book was missing couple of pages.

Chapter itself while quite short, only half a dozen pages did provide nice amount of info about Aden’s history, which is expanded later in the book when it details each nation and its history. Also world of Aden is still quite young in real life so it’s understandable that it there isn’t more information.

CHAPTER 5. Life in Aden Also another one of my favorites, this chapter details the world of Aden and how it is different from so many other worlds we might already know. While the chapter only goes little inside each aspect of Ade, its those small details that bring the world to life in my mind.

Whether it’s a secret language of Thrun, what the cosmology in Aden is or how in the forest of Sylfanus elves tame Griffons, it all says this is Aden. Because when you read about Aden’s agriculture or what sort of wildlife is found in this part of Aden, you can immediately see in your mind what sort of place this might be.

Chapter also goes more into detail how religion in Aden is very different from most of other settings out there, because its people don’t worship gods. It also details shortly the major and minor faiths found in Aden.

CHAPTER 6 and 7. Nations of Aden I have reviewed these two chapters as one because they both focus on nations of Aden. The chapter expands the info you already got in chapters 4 and 5 as each nation gets brief description of its own history, lands and culture. As well as some major settlements found in it, what military they have and how they’re relationship is with other nations.

Every nation has enough information that you can decide where they want to adventure. It also provides enough info for GM’s to build from it. While I would have like to know more about everything, details provided are in line with what every other campaign setting provides in their main book, with additional details provided in future supplement books.

CHAPTER 8. Magic in Aden This chapter provides info how arcane and divine casters are defined in Aden with some information regarding the unique magical disciples. There are three major unique magical disciples in Aden that are Entomancy that involves insects, Mechamagic the most common that is fusion of Magic and Steam, and finally Thaumaturgy that is related to the most common belief people of Aden about spirits and afterlife.

While information provided is quite short it gives the reader enough info to use them in their games and provides some hints to possible sub disciples expanded in future books. Finally the chapter provides list of new spells that bring Aden’s unique feel to every spell casting class, old or new.

CHAPTER 9. Technology in Aden Again this is a chapter that in my mind is one of the best in the book. Not only does it provide info much technology is a part of Aden but it provides many examples to varies technological and magical wonders. New wonders include things like Lightning sword and Magmaxe. There are also details to various firearms that are much more common in Aden then in Pathfinder setting. There are so many new items, vehicles, alchemical items and armors found that you can really feel how much technology is part of Aden.

Finally the chapter provides more details to the Golemoids unique illness the Wasting and rules for piloting the new technological wonders.

CHAPTER 10. BESTIARY While relatively short chapter it does provide enough new information to show what sort of creature’s you might encounter in Aden. This is mostly done by providing sort of templates that you can add to any creature to create those unique creatures that roam the lands.

NATURE OF DARKFALL In the end the book provides a small section detailing the mystery of Darkfall and many theories surrounding its origin. For me Darkfall is a brilliant way to provide a sort of mystery that many gamers want to solve, while giving players a common enemy that even the most greedy thief or power hungry wizard is quick to oppose.

I’m certain that we will discover many new things about Darkfall in the future books.

CONCLUSION In my mind Thunderscape – World of Aden is one of the best Campaign setting books released and if I had to say anything bad about it. It would be that its 224 pages left me wanting more, more artwork and more details about everything that is Aden.

As a backer of the Kickstarter campaign that launched this product I’m really happy how great product Thunderscape Campaign setting turned out to be. And when considering that the Kyoudai Games is quite a small firm they have really shown us their worth with this. So if this is the sort of quality we can expect from them in the future, you can count on me to getting those as well.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Thunderscape: the World of Aden: Campaign Setting
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