Ryan contacted me about doing a review of this time-hopping paradox-puppy, and boy was I more than willing. Now, I won't say a lot since I don't want to ruin the amazing twists and turns in this collection as they are really awesome! But what Ryan did in assembling a team like Matt, Ben, and Fil was combine artistic, strategic, and writing talent out the wazoo. Fil's cover pulls you right in - except for the spiders. I will say that if anyone is as big of an arachnaphobe as I am - ye haf been wahrned. The actual time-travel mechanics are super easy to use - although I do advise you snag a copy of Time Traveler's Guide to Chronomancy in order to make things a little easier. These adventures offer swashbuckling hilarity, dungeon-delving madness, crime noir, and so much more: a ton of new monsters in the back (hourglass golem is my favorite hands-down), new spells, and new magic items. So if you are looking to whet your whistle on how to include time travel in any of your own campaigns, I highly recommend grabbing this book as it will give you a taste for how it can do. And then from there, it's your own temporal ball field. Comics, Clerics, & Controllers d20 Roll: Nat 20

Out of the Martial Mayhem bundle we have the Sword Shield, a soldier of staunch dedication to holding the front lines with his mighty shield. Evan asked me to take a look at this puppy, and I was very excited to, however - I felt like something was lacking from what I had imagined. It felt more like a glorified feat rather than a class, with a lot of the abilities not really standing out to me as something epic and amazing that plants its shield upon the battlefield. However, that is not to say I didn't enjoy this archetype, I think it has a lot of potential. What I would suggest is go all out - go big, go epic, go intense and powerful. I feel like the two big places where the archetype falls short is the Shield Bash and Shelter of Iron abilities, as I think those could be a lot more powerful. I also dunno if the shield on the first page is technically allowed since I don't recall seeing it in any of the DMG stock image bundles. So overall, I think this supplement has a little way to go until it is totally ready - the potential is there, I think it is just falling short. Comics, Clerics, & Controllers d20 Roll: 10

Let me tell you, this bundle is fantastic. When Evan over at Thieves' Cant Games asked me to take a look at this bundle and Martial Mayhem I got super excited - cause I am always down to more stuff to read. With Hardboiled Heroes you get Thunderstones and Smokesticks, Feythorn Archer, Archfey Bloodline, Blood Magic, Sworn Shield, and Path of the Warchanter. All of these are fantastic new mechanics - the Warchanter, a new primal path for barbarians evoking epic warcrys; the Feythorn Archer, a new martial option that weaves primal magic into their archery; and Thunderstones and Smokesticks, a list of new alchemical tools and accesories for players; along with many others. What I love about all of these is that they are wonderfully mechanically built, as well as provide so so much material for any game. Path of the Warchanter is by far my favorite, making for a far more diverse barbarian path for those players looking to accentuate their game. The only place I feel like this could benefit would be down the road for some original art and perhaps locking it all into one book. Overall, this is an awesome bundle, so you should snag it while you can! Comics, Clerics, & Controllers d20 Roll: 18

Rob is an amazing talent, and his next entry in his Kara-Tur titles is a perfect example of his work. This project, on top of being super fairly priced and amazingly laid-out - IT LOOKS SO NICE! - if offers a bunch of new magic items, as well as new effects that magic items could have, such as fear or wild that can be applied to armor. With weapons you have new abilities like balance or honorable (which is kickass, I'll say). But the big thing that Rob adds to the D&D world with this book is talismans, a single-use magic item which is essentially the Eastern version of a potion. And they are really really cool - I am pretty sure the Black Fan is my favorite. Overall, this is an excellent product, and honestly can be applied to any 5e game even if it isn't set in Kara-Tur - which immediatly boosts this for me, as it's not specifically locked into one place. Magic Items of Kara-Tur is professionally put together, excellently organized and balanced, and full of potential in any game. Comics, Clerics, & Controllers d20 Roll: Nat 20

Let me tell you - I really wanted to review this product, and the Marcos were very generous in giving me the chance to. The concept of lichdom is something that I don't think is explored in D&D enough - obviously we have Tomb of Annihlation and we have liches in the books and the like - however, just how does one really get into the nitty and gritty of building, developing, and immortalizing a lich in a game. I honestly think that liches are some of the coolest monsters in D&D, and I really want to try to use them in my games more - and not just sheer power-wise either, they can have such interesting stories. But, anywhose - what do you get in this book? You get four new pregened liches as examples of how they work as big bads, tactics and lair building techniques for the liches, as well as some new monsters, new magic items, and new traps. I am definitely going to see myself using this in future games, and I highly recommend that if anyone wants to use more liches in their games - go grab this book - the Marcos did a great job. Comics, Clerics, & Controllers d20 Roll: Nat 20

Allow me to tell you a tale of woofers, beakies, flappers, scalies and meows - for within these warm and happy pages sit the work of so many amazing writers all under Adam's watchful eye. Taking the Sidekick mechanics and rules and running headlong into the bush with them, the posse of creators in this project come to bring you some amazing animal compadres - such as the badger, displacer beast, holliphant, and awakened plant! I especially love that now you can have a dragon wyrmling as a sidekick, because DRAGONS, more specifically BABY DRAGONS! Very often, rangers and druids and magic users luck out because they are able to have an animal companion or a familiar, leaving other characters lacking when they might want a furred/feathered/scaled/woody buddy - but fret no longer! This book - which is amazingly cohesive and well-laid out for so many people and voices being involved in it - has a special place in my soul for all the times I was told I couldn't have an animal buddy as a fighter cause it would die. Not anymore! Animal Sidekicks is more than deserving of the Comics, Clerics, & Controllers Golden d20 Badge.

Let me tell you, when E.R.F got a hold of me to take a look at this bad bumpkin, I was more than happy to - and I gotta say this is one of the most interesting books I have every looked at. In 56 pages, E.R.F manages to slam you with a ton of new content in revamping, bringing back, and utilizing the vestiges from 3 and 3.5 in the world of 5e. So for those of you that don't know, vestiges are strange chaotic entities who exist in the nether between all the physical planes, and they are TERRIFYINGLY AWESOME! You have a huge slew of sweet new vestiges to work with, as well as rules on how to work with binding and pact magic with vestiges, as well as cool new magic items and handouts with printable cards of each vestige. One of the best things I think E.R.F did with the vestiges here is that they have an physical toll on the binder, for instance - with Amon you grow black rams horns, with Eligor one of your hands is covered in scales - and so on. It has so so much roleplay potential as well as new gameplay mechanics, and it is the sheer amount of work that E.R.F put into this project that makes me honored to give it the Comics, Clerics, & Controllers Golden d20 Badge.

This book is an example of so many things that are awesome about collaborative projects. When Ben was looking for folks to do reviews I was more than ecstatic to get a chance to look into this bad larry. And I can tell you without a shred of a doubt that is is worth all the effort and time that went into it. The skill that went into creating this book - with excellent layout, a ton of raw talent, well balanced creatures, and a hell of an attitude - is everything a new DM or seasoned DM would want out of a villainous bestiary. Reminding me of Ultimate Adversaries from the Star Wars d20 days, Infamous Advesaries has everything I like in a big beefy DMs Guild project. I highly reccomend everyone snag a copy, as it will add so much to your table. I really enjoy the Sea-ambling Mound - probably my top critter in there - but at the end of the day, a great piece of game design.

Comics, Clerics, & Controllers d20 Roll: Nat 20

Disturbed Graves is a homage to the grimdark fantasy that fills titles like Warhammer, Dark Souls, Diablo, and Bloodborne. Death is a necessary evil, and often must be used to the benefit or loss of others. This new iteration of the Pale Master - resurrected from 3.5 - is both faithful and a breath of fresh air, just in time for All Hallow's Eve. The five subclasses - elegies - are unique and different, easily allowing you to potentially have a whole party of pale masters and still being diverse. Add the grafting mechanics, and you have full-on body horror as only the pros can do. It is often said that death always finds those who run, but those who embrace it it hides from, and the Pale Master is caught somewhere in between - deathless and lifeless all in one. What Trevor has done is allow players to become something truly new and exciting, something beyond the norm. They can now roleplay and play in the Gray Space between mortality and death, which is a hell of a heavy topic to talk about in D&D. I think the elegies almost represent different cultural or spiritual views of death and the afterlife, and this could be a massive affect on your character. And this is why I am pleased to present Disturbed Graves with the Comics, Clerics, & Controllers Golden d20 Badge for going into territory rarely trodden, and bringing the deep thinking back into roleplay.

Vall was looking for folks to review this bad pumpkin, and I was more than willing. It's a quick and easy add on to his and Jimmy's original Monster Hunts book - that one more specific to Avernus - but this one adds that Halloween spoopy touch. With a couple extra new hunts all with that fantastic cover - what a cute little beholder - Monster Hunts: Halloween is a perfect quick snag for anyone looking to put together a snappy wee Halloween adventure for All Hallow's. But the real reason you are going to buy this is the cover, because Vall knocked it out of the park with this one. For excellent mechanics easy for any DM to pick up and quick encounters - get yourself this book. Comics, Clerics, & Controllers d20 Roll: Nat 20

When Umberto reached out to me to review this, I got really excited, as I have a deep love of Arabic and Middle Eastern mythology - hence why I was part of the Black Void RPG core team. Umberto and the SpaceOrange team did an amazing job in respectfully and honestly adapting so much lore and history into a beautiful looking and beautifully laid-out game. Character creation is super easy, and overall the mechanics are very easy to pick up - however the biggest thing I think this game really has going for it is excellent art and overall a cohesive motif. Pulling its inspiration from the original Thousand and One Nights tales, Scheherazade is a fantastic piece that is well worth its full price. I look forward to seeing more in this universe in the future. Perhaps a Gilgamesh expansion? Comics, Clerics, & Controllers d20 Roll: Nat 20

Let me say that when Trevor sent me this bad boy to take a look at, I got suuuuuper excited. Spellbooks are next on my list of things I love most in D&D, after setting books and bestiaries - and I can say that especially with this new updated version that Grimlore's Grimoire does not disappoint. One of the things I always bemoan when running a game is that while there are a lot of spells to pick from in the PHB, there really aren't enough - most people know 50% to 90% of the spells in the PBH, so it would be nice to have something to supplement them with. And Grimlore's does not disappoint: with cantrips like Blood Siphon or Song of the Dead, to numerous others all the way up to 9th level where you can find spicy ones like Replicate or Tamara's Rebirth; these spells are all specially themed for a darker, more serious and macabre game. Overall, an amazing project - definitely worth the full price for the amount of work put into it. Comics, Clerics, & Controllers d20 Roll: Nat 20

Allow me to tell a brief story. Literally about half an hour before Anne sent me this to review, I had been doing a Let's Build video on my podcast - essentially where we have our followers vote on which two pop culture characters folks want to see us build as a D&D character. I was building Brigitte from Overwatch, and was massively stuck on how I would make her mace-flail-morningstar work. Low and behold, in Ghesh's Guide to Making Things there are all the tools I need. Anne has put so much work into this masterpiece, and it is obvious from the minute you open it. You crack it open, and I can almost feel the energy in this piece thrumming through me as if you had discovered the secret customization station in a video game - and combined with Sapphyra's amazing cover art, Ghesh's is amazing. I immediatly found what I needed to complete Brigitte's weapon - the Grappling weapon enhancement - and then gut sucked into the book. Anne - how do I say it - Anne is a true conniseur of what players want and what DMs need. She spent a year playtesting all the content in this sucker, that is how dedicated she was to making this whole thing work. In 38 pages you get so so much that people around the table have been craving for years. Overall, Ghesh's is a stunning job, and I tip my hat to one of the most talented creators I know and look up to. I am honored to award Ghesh's the Comics, Clerics, & Controllers Golden d20 Badge.

Have you ever wanted to go absolutely frigging grimdark nuts with your D&D game? Have you ever wanted to pull from Doom, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, or Gears of War to make your table pull out their electric guitars and start riffing? Well, what is given to you in the Corpus Malicious Demo Booklet is just a taste of what the folks at Dream Realm Storytellers just launched on Kickstarter. Now - this book is truly meant for mature readers and mature gamers, folks who understand the level and twisted and darkness that this book will be planting you in. It is not meant for the faint of heart, or memelords - it is meant for serious players, whether you are looking at the backgrounds like Cultist or Murderer, or some of the monsters which really stir some fear. I do appreciate that the team put a content warning in the front of the book, and overall, it is well needed. The demo - if just a taste of the full book - dives deep into the darkness, danger, and debauchery of evil, and makes for a tough read at some points. But I am still glad a book like this will be in circulation, as it allows for roleplay exploration of the dark sides of humanity and fantasy. Overall, a very well designed and well crafted demo with plenty of promise for the future.

Comics, Clerics, & Controllers d20 Roll: Nat 20

Drums signifiy something that is innately part of humanity - the need for a beat, for a rhythm. Most bands who don't have drums suffer, in my opinion, as they do not have the steady backbone a full drum set supplies - and while a bass guitar might fill that voice, a drummer usually has the loudest personality. Enter Chad's Bard College of Percussion, and let me tell you this bad boy is LOADED! Chad fits so much into 32 pages that it is mind boggling it all stays put - "...2 New Bard Colleges, 3 New Backgrounds, 17 New Instruments, A Faction: Seekers of Kurtulmak, A Lair and Short Adventure, 3 NPC Percussionists, 12 Magical Percussion Instruments.." - it is chockerbock full of awesome content. I think one of my favorite pieces from this supplement is the Combat Drummer background, as that just opens up so much roleplay potential in mind. And I also really dig the amount of new ethnic instruments that Chad added - handpan and dholak for life. Overall, this is an amazing addition to any player's library, especially those who frequent bardic characters.

Comics, Clerics, & Controllers d20 Roll: Nat 20