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Rating: Summary: Four stars (for Monte's contribution) Review: For most of my gaming experience (1E, 2E, 3E and soon 3.5E), if my character encountered a ghost, then my character had a good chance of becoming "toast". This book introduces the concept of a ghost that is not an insanely evil undead, but rather merely an incorporeal being, who is not ready to venture into the Afterlife. It is too soon to tell if this book will become part of our ongoing campaign but it provides interesting options.
Rating: Summary: An interesting variation on what is a 'ghost'? Review: For most of my gaming experience (1E, 2E, 3E and soon 3.5E), if my character encountered a ghost, then my character had a good chance of becoming "toast". This book introduces the concept of a ghost that is not an insanely evil undead, but rather merely an incorporeal being, who is not ready to venture into the Afterlife. It is too soon to tell if this book will become part of our ongoing campaign but it provides interesting options.
Rating: Summary: Four stars (for Monte's contribution) Review: Half of this writing team has reinvented D&D over the past four years, so much that Monte Cook went on to found Malhavoc press (to an even greater success) and produce superior supplemental rulebooks for all aspects of the game. His contribution to this campaign setting acheives no less. The feats, spells, setting, and character concepts are unique and hitherto unseen in the game of D&D. Adventuring in the afterlife world of Ghostwalk redefines what it means to live and die in D&D.
Rating: Summary: Ghostwalk as a Meta-setting Review: Like a lot of newer D&D stuff, Ghostwalk's application in games is up to the player. As a standalone game it is fair, though its ties into the D&D cosmology poses more questions than it answers.It is best used as a meta-setting the same way that Planescape or Spelljammer are used. Making a few assumptions helps this game truly shine and answer some of the great unanswered questions of the D&D Cosmology: Assumption 1- Each prime has a "ghostwalk" leading to a distinct True Afterlife maintained by the gods of their world. Assumption 2- Souls that "willingly discorporate" in the True Afterlife are lead into the Well of Souls and out into the Planes. Assumption 3- Demihumans everywhere go through the Etherial voyage mentioned in the book, however in most primes the etherial boundary is too thick for ghosts to manifest through sheer will--so they either remain stranded or embrace the seductive power of the Negative Energy Plane into themselves, becoming corrupted into undead forever, even in the True Afterlife. This resolves a lot of questions. What's the difference between the dead and undead and why do the undead have a connection to the Negative Energy Plane? With infinite Prime planes, why isn't the flood of souls to the Outer planes neverending? How do dead folks get to the planes? If Ghostwalk is it's own cosmology, why does it mention the planes and intrinsically D&D characters like Orcus? But yeah, Ghostwalk is a lot of fun. The entries on the various cultures are awesome, the listing on the city of Manifest is great. It contains the origins of the Yuan-Ti, which by itself is reason enough to get the book. The authors really put did put some quality effort into this--the writing is very polished and the artwork is very impressive on the whole. The absence of a name for the game world is very strange, as I would like at least a suggestion of what to call the world where this all happens, but otherwise an excellent setting.
Rating: Summary: Ghostwalk as a Meta-setting Review: Like a lot of newer D&D stuff, Ghostwalk's application in games is up to the player. As a standalone game it is fair, though its ties into the D&D cosmology poses more questions than it answers. It is best used as a meta-setting the same way that Planescape or Spelljammer are used. Making a few assumptions helps this game truly shine and answer some of the great unanswered questions of the D&D Cosmology: Assumption 1- Each prime has a "ghostwalk" leading to a distinct True Afterlife maintained by the gods of their world. Assumption 2- Souls that "willingly discorporate" in the True Afterlife are lead into the Well of Souls and out into the Planes. Assumption 3- Demihumans everywhere go through the Etherial voyage mentioned in the book, however in most primes the etherial boundary is too thick for ghosts to manifest through sheer will--so they either remain stranded or embrace the seductive power of the Negative Energy Plane into themselves, becoming corrupted into undead forever, even in the True Afterlife. This resolves a lot of questions. What's the difference between the dead and undead and why do the undead have a connection to the Negative Energy Plane? With infinite Prime planes, why isn't the flood of souls to the Outer planes neverending? How do dead folks get to the planes? If Ghostwalk is it's own cosmology, why does it mention the planes and intrinsically D&D characters like Orcus? But yeah, Ghostwalk is a lot of fun. The entries on the various cultures are awesome, the listing on the city of Manifest is great. It contains the origins of the Yuan-Ti, which by itself is reason enough to get the book. The authors really put did put some quality effort into this--the writing is very polished and the artwork is very impressive on the whole. The absence of a name for the game world is very strange, as I would like at least a suggestion of what to call the world where this all happens, but otherwise an excellent setting.
Rating: Summary: Ghostwalk, role-palying in the afterlife Review: Okay, you have that 20th level character you been playing for over 5 years, and although it would seem impossible, you flub a saving throw and something completely unexpected happens... your character gets killed! Now I never seen it happen in all my years of gaming, but I heard stories of gamers actually starting to cry because their greatest character gets knocked off. But cry no more... your character can now live on as a ghost and be more of a badass than he ever was. Ghostwalk is a new "campaign option" rulebook, that runs as a stand alone campaign setting, or a new realm that is easily integrated into an existing campaign. Ghostwalk takes your players and their characters past the Veil of Souls into the city of the dead where they continue on as champions of the afterlife. The book features over 70 new feats, a bunch of new monster templates, bizarre magic items, and tons of new spells like "Charm Undead" and is a must of any campaign.
Rating: Summary: Nicely done! Review: Who hasn't felt the sting of pain when a favorite character dies? What to do? Do you make a new character or spend the agonizing hours trying to rebuild the character that just died after suffering the level loss? No more, I say! Just pick up your corpse and keep adventuring. Ghostwalk allows characters to do just that, and in addition provides a well fleshed out setting and ethos for the adventure. I heartily endorse it.
Rating: Summary: Nicely done! Review: Who hasn't felt the sting of pain when a favorite character dies? What to do? Do you make a new character or spend the agonizing hours trying to rebuild the character that just died after suffering the level loss? No more, I say! Just pick up your corpse and keep adventuring. Ghostwalk allows characters to do just that, and in addition provides a well fleshed out setting and ethos for the adventure. I heartily endorse it.
Rating: Summary: Unnecessary Review: You have a great 20th level character, he flubs his saving throw, he dies!... ...so his friends take him to the party cleric or the local high temple and get him resurrected. As with most of the books from Wizards of the Coast, this, too, is not needed. Anyone with a brain and a smidgen of imagination (and if you role-play, you have to have it) can change a few details of the pre-generated undead in the Monster Manual and save themselves $30. You want innovation? Go to Green Ronin.
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