Cloak and Dagger

Rating:
Summary: In the shadows they lurk
Review: After months of anticipation, "Cloak & Dagger" has arrived. This work reveals, for the DM of course, some startling events in the lands of Faerun. This source book is filled with a myriad of realms lore and information, as well as hooks for bringing these nefarious organizations to play in your realms campaign. For many of us, this is what we've been waiting for, and calling to the powers-that-be about. Finally, these intrigue riddled organizations are made flesh for the cunning game master: The Shadow Thieves, The Knghts of the Shield, The Iron Throne, and the Night Masks to name only a few. But more importantly, it reveals a great shift in the balance. What is it? I won't ruin it, but I'll tell you it has to do with the Zhentarim, and Manshoon himself! If you're a Forgotten Realms DM, and you want to spice up the intrigue in your campaign, even if you don't like using power groups in your games, you owe it to yourself to pick this up. You will not be sorry!

Rating:
Summary: In the shadows they lurk
Review: After months of anticipation, "Cloak & Dagger" has arrived. This work reveals, for the DM of course, some startling events in the lands of Faerun. This source book is filled with a myriad of realms lore and information, as well as hooks for bringing these nefarious organizations to play in your realms campaign. For many of us, this is what we've been waiting for, and calling to the powers-that-be about. Finally, these intrigue riddled organizations are made flesh for the cunning game master: The Shadow Thieves, The Knghts of the Shield, The Iron Throne, and the Night Masks to name only a few. But more importantly, it reveals a great shift in the balance. What is it? I won't ruin it, but I'll tell you it has to do with the Zhentarim, and Manshoon himself! If you're a Forgotten Realms DM, and you want to spice up the intrigue in your campaign, even if you don't like using power groups in your games, you owe it to yourself to pick this up. You will not be sorry!

Rating:
Summary: Revelations on the Realms
Review: This book proves to be excellent source material for many of the power groups of TSR/Wizard's Forgotten Realms campaign world. In fact,if the upcoming 3rd edition sourcebook proves anywhere near as insightful, it should enhance the Realms' potential as a complete and true alternative to the current "Greyhawk-centric" layout of most the 3E materials currently being published. The book proves to be insightful, especially for DMs who run a Realms campaign, and it will spoil some storyline if you are more of a player than the game referee. Despite high praise, there are some aspects that may not please all fans. But first, let me state the excellent parts. What this entails is the efforts to develop details and story growth for some the Realms most famous and infamous groups. This material should prove good to developing and expanding a FR game adventure with new plotlines and activities. For several factors, this is important for game play and development. First, in recent years we have seen the campaign world material focus on geography and history, while casually or only briefly discussing many of these groups within. This left many a GM in the lurch, forced to come up with solutions that may not have been detailed or ideal for their campaign. By adding more details, and often a framework of villains, the book improves the group structure for adventures and encounters. Groups like the Rundeen and The Iron Throne(now of Baldur's Gate computer game fame)are given a deeper explanation and motivation than slavers or evil merchants, explanations that were casually tossed in to add flavor. Second, it adds much needed storyline to more familiar groups in FR adventures, like the Zhentarim and the Harpers. While I don't agree with all the new plots, these more-familiar and popular organizations were in need of an infusion of new dynamics, either to make them more realistic villains to fight or more interesting as heroic allies. Those players who have been involved as Harpers should be thrilled at the new adventures, while foes of the Zhents will find them more powerful and crafty to deal with than previous material had conveyed. The other added plus is that the more generic or marginal organizations mentioned in novels or modules have gotten some detail as well. Here, the book shines by giving attention that fleshes them out moreso than before. The Shadow Theives, The Westlake criminal society(plus city layout); The Unseen, and even a secret society of evil elves(if you read the Dungeon Crawl modules, you know where this going) all come into focus more. This information provides many a gamemaster with an alternate source of material than just encounters with the more famous groups(i.e. Harpers, etc) of the Realms, especially if your players have grown bored of them. While all this makes for great source material to GMs, and plot stories to fans of the Realms, the book isn't without some flaws. Let's start with the fact that you really must be versed in the Forgotten Realms; this isn't material that translates well into a generic campaign. Without trying to say too much, the plots involving Manshoon and the Zhentarim are very complex and could create confusion if you aren't familiar with the villains' histories and details. While some explanations are added for help, there is an intention to leave enough left unanswered to further future gaming. However, this convultion isn't always helpful to game structure and some may find it be too much. In fact, some may find that the storylines are too much change to add to a campaign involing those groups. Also, the excellent detailing found in this book is not evenly distributed. Some groups have more material, perhaps too much that can bog down your interest, and others very basic information or blurbs. For example, the Men of Bailisk or the Cloak Societies are briefly mentioned, and associated with other entries, usually a broad one like the Zhentarim or the Knights of the Shield. This doesn't really add to the possible areas of devlopment for adventures the DM could flesh out. To sum it up, CLOAK & DAGGER does a great job developing and revealing the power groups of the Forgotten Realms. The materials sticks close to its source, developing the mystery, manipulation and detailed intrigue lots of gamers associate with this game world's high adventure. Some, however, may find the changes too confusing to use in their gaming campaigns without careful application. You'll find it good and creative, but not as complete as one would like in some parts.