Some Quick Reviews

Normally I would read these a bit more but apparently, all dnd like items might be in peril so I'm reviewing now.  I'm gonna buy the remaining volumes of one item that was extra good.

I guess when I heard about open game licences I assumed they would want some money for branding from high-end publishers of dnd5 only but it seems to be far worse than I could have imagined and the shittiest piece of corp IP management I've ever seen. I guess a few generations have now learned you cant trust companies with the IP you love which I think comics taught me in the era of gauging for fancy covers and no1 issues in the early 90s that crashed the industry. The more I learn about how comic companies treated creatives and creations and claimed IP of former companies for themselves. 

I'm glad my new homebrew draft is ready to start and to file away some stuff to be less like the formerly most popular roleplaying game.

So anyway here is my rivals from this week I bought before Xmas.
Most were from LuLu (not B3) and some have versions on drive-through 

Advanced Master Adventures
A great series on LuLu of translated Italian adventures with complex stories, good art and layout and short. Plots are slightly more complex than I normally go for but lots of investigations and some of the earlier ones I read had surprising twists like the Lizard people are not all jerks and not all in agreement. 16-22 pages plus some adds - four detailed before and a few reviewed in the past. Intended for Osric and dressed as mid 80s TSR

Earth Unleashed 💓💓💓💣
Some evil wizard long ago was stopped from working on his army of golems and a colossus under a village. You have to race against time to stop some meddling villain from awakening the colossus. With handouts and nice maps. This is one of the best of this series.

Blood Runs Cold 💓💓💓💣
Several interesting encounters investigating a Leech cult with very disgusting monsters

The Andawan Legacy 💓💓💓💣
Thieves try and trick adventurers into bypassing traps with a cunning ruse and other gangs are in the same large mansion.

The Minotaur 💓💓💓💣
Some wizard long ago wanted to make minotaurs to rule the world but died in a minotaur related accident. More recently a wizard has decided to try again and has irritated tho local she minotaur. I would twiddle the lore and minotaurs for my setting but its quite workable and you might even help the monster.

Adventure Module AA1-2
Adventure at Rainbow Lodge 💓💓💣💣
I got the previous adventure from Barrataria Games and despite the clunkiness, it ran well and was an enjoyable new character adventure. Some map app with B&W images and layout style predate B1 but dress of a 79 module cover makes for a familiar but slightly ugly book. The building and cave map more readable than the wilderness one was possibly was colour once. The lodge is by a river and of course, lots of bears turn up in these productions and are the company logo. It has an intro mission vs bandits then some gnome troubles in an old mine. There are monster stats of animals and some wilderness areas. I don't like it as much as the previous one but its a charming base location and a simple set-up you could run for a few kids.

B3 Palace of the Silver Princess 💓💓💣💣
This POD from drive-through is probably not in danger but I would love a hardback with all versions of the monsters. Id not read this version where the decapus does not have the ability to make one illusion of dwarves molesting a bound woman. It also leaves out the creepy multiheaded people and some other stuff. Im gonna print the old stuff and stick it in this book. I think the older version was more DIY to finish it like B1 but this one is all detailed out room locations like we expect since B2.I may run it as I seem to be playing three B series adventures luckily.

The Tomb of Haggoth 💓💓💓💣
Adventure for D&D 3.5 with a d20-system logo. I tried it out as it seemed bigger than the faux 80s modules I've mostly got. 86 pages and dense with simple readable maps and locations that are numerous and detailed despite the clean white look to the layouts. The Hoard of Haggemoth has one of the best traps holding the treasure I have ever read and look forward to using or stealing. It will definitely be a memorable looting event. 

Creature Feature Compendium Vol1 Oldschool Essentials 💓💓💓💣
It is huge digest book 844 pages and a nicely minimal layout. Each monster is illustrated and has pages of lore. Lots of weird supernatural creatures and all very clear. Id say it is prettier than most books and I don't normally go for monster books.

Wyvern Songs 💓💓💓💓
A digest for Old-school-essentials and although I gave reviews for to others by the same team this one is better value and layout and utility. Its bigger with 4 adventures. Great mini dungeons with own styles and nice maps. Has great world lore and region to locate adventures in minimaps on spreads to stop you flipping around the book. It is everything good about the old-school aesthetic and style and even teaches you about these tropes. 

Advanced Adventures Compendium 1  💓💓💓💓
A compilation of 10 Osric adventures from Expeditious Retreat Press with great early 80s feel art and maps. Lots of variety and some stuff I might slide into my Egyptian campaign. So much denser and more to read than many glossy coffee table game books and lots more volumes to collect. I got this to try out and I'm hooked. Im gonna order rest as who knows if stuff like this will survive the great game licence reboot. I ordered the other 3 volumes and got a good discount coupon and better post rates than many companies even in australia.