Sorylian Skyhammer cruisers

It’s been slow going with my fleet, but I’ve managed to finish up my Sorylian cruisers for Firestorm Armada. I’m satisfied, not quite overjoyed, but satisfied with the paint job. There is a little more detail to eek out of the figures, but not sure if I have a steady enough hand to really bring those out.

I’m using Vallejo paints, which is new for me. Base coats are no longer an issue, however I still am getting some muddied results with the wash. Hard getting the right consistency. Might have to bite the bullet and get some ink washes (been hesitant with the shipping costs, so I might see about making a run up to a gaming store in Seoul).

Still have to finish off my battleship and then move on to my Terran fleet. Sort of disappointed with the lack of detail in the smaller class ships for the Terrans, so I might have to try something more fancy to make those figures really pop. Not to mention, I need to get a few more games under my belt too!

Note: I’ve thrown in one of the frigates to give a bit of relative scale to the figures.

Off to the jungle…

… well not quite but I’ll be travelling south and out of the country for a bit. Expecting hot and humid weather, not to mention consuming vast quantities of 333. Be back in about a week.

While part of a different canon, I always dug the Slann from Warhammer Fantasy. With a combination of brutes, dart shooting skirmishers, along with huge battle triceratops, and ancient psionic Old Ones, I might need to craft an adventure or two regarding them. They’ve got this combination of primal fury and potential of the far beyond that makes for some cool ideas. Toodles for now!

Is Save or Die even needed?

SutherlandHellPalidianPosted last month, WotC’s Legends and Lore column mused a bit about the Save or Die mechanic throwing a few ideas about how they were part of the older game, and if they had a role in the newest edition. I’m not a fan of save or die, and was glad to see it go in 4E. However given the poll results that were provided the following week, it looks like I am in a minority.

I never got how some people felt 4E lacked the sense of danger of previous editions. Things were too balanced and players had too easy of a time. This got me because the DM always had the option to crank things up when making up an adventure. Throw a few trolls at that level 1 party and voila, you have a dangerous encounter where the PCs should have to run.

I’ll concede one point however. Heroic level games seemed to run just fine, but paragon and epic tier things likely would get a little wonky. Especially at higher level play, where out of the book battles could become a cakewalk with a fully rested party. Yet, even that could be overcome with some some tweaks and employing a different design philosophy that Fourthcore has explored.

Another point I’ll agree with is having a saving throw does engage a player a bit more. 4E effect mechanics were very streamlined and uniform, but did lack the interaction of previous editions. Rolling to hit against defence for spells are great when players were attacking, but being the target of these effects could become dull as all the action was in the DM’s hands. With saving throws, at least the PC could have some action in trying to counter a spell, rather than depending on a passive stat. However having something like that for everything could drag down the game, meaning you might have one way of resolving effects for players and another against monsters. In the end, with different systems to resolve spells and effects it could be a headache.

I’m just not a fan of wildly chaotic play that save or die encourages. It becomes harder to help maintain that story. With lots of checks built in 4E, I knew if I threw a high level encounter at the party, they would have a tough time and possibly a few might not make it. All of us could then craft the story around those big, momentous combats that telegraphed the idea that the players might have to make the ultimate sacrifice for the rest of the group.

Another problem I have with save or die is that with most adventures, the DM has control over everything. They are the ones that decide what the PCs will go up against. Having a random lethal outcome be layered on what I decide to throw at the players makes my job harder in trying to make a fun fight. If you were running a module that had been playtested extensively, this would be less of an issue. But most DMs are making their own game. It can be difficult to judge how much of a challenge fights will be using monsters with severe penalties if players don’t make their saving throw. Having one PC drop dead might make for an interesting side quest or push for roleplay, frequent TPKs however don’t seem to make for a fun time.

I don’t want save or die part of the core rules for DnDNext. I do however, want a little section in the next DMG to give advice on how they can ‘turn their game up to eleven.’ Having some suggestions on some stock abilities, or methods for putting save or die mechanics into your game would be great. So if a DM wanted to increase the lethality and danger of their games, they have some tried and true methods to do so.

An example might be to suggest encounter powers for creatures rely on saving throws instead of to hit rolls, and do max damage or ½ damage whether the player makes their appropriate save. For a more 4E-centric mechanic, how about a suggested disease track for level drain, and also add a condition that permanently removes 1 healing surge from a PC’s total? Fourthcore introduced the idea of a new power keyword, Kill. If a player did not have a particular amount of healing surges available, they’d die outright. Having a good 5-10 methods and suggestions for introducing save or die into the game, with some additional pointers on appropriate use would likely be a great addition to a new DM’s arsenal of information.

Someone like me? Likely I’d never use it in my game. Yet other DMs out there would have solid, play-tested means to add save or die aspects to their game. I want it out of the game, but as an optional rule, this could have a place in folk’s games. I’m hopeful, as a core mechanic, save or die simply stays dead.

Virtual tabletop roundup

I’ve not used virtual tabletop software in my games. I’m a sit-around-the-table kind of guy. However I have to admit the sheer connectivity via skype and google hangouts is drawing me towards possibly looking at running online games. I think for 4E tabletop software there are some kinks to work out. However stuff I have thought about before will likely never see the light of day given the edition change coming.

I’m curious how the development of the official DDI Virtual Tabletop will go. Sadly, I guess the 4E support for that will evaporate. But with a looser, gridless system possibly in the works for DnDNext, this might get more support. Dread gazebo put up a nice old beta tutorial on his blog.

There are some other paid versions out there like such as the one at Fantasy Grounds. I’ve heard some give the software positive reviews and it looks pretty nifty. Typically I shy away from trial versions, but I might give this a spin. They also seem pretty committed to updates for the program too.

While possibly not as full featured as others out there, you’ve got Map Tool which is free. A bonus in my book as you can try it out without having to worry about any hassle with a trial version. I understand quite a few folks have used and enjoy this for a while now.

Something else on my radar has been the Roll20 Virtual Tabletop. A few things I like is that it is web based. Also while the program is geared for 4E, it is also system neutral. A plus with the new D&D playtest on the horizon. They’re currently in closed beta, but I’ll be keeping an eye on how they progress. It seems to have some potential.

EDIT: As expected I just scratched the surface. There are a few other programs out there that folks have brought up. I’ll just provide a list of the links here:

Gametable Project – a java opensource program

Tabletop Forge – that utilizes Google+ hangout

d20 Pro – a paid program but has a 30 day free trial

Upcoming DnDNext playtest

I think the internet and twitter likely exploded among RPG fanatics last week with the announcement that Monte Cook left the DnDNext project. At first I was spouting off maybe he left due to differences in what direction the newest D&D would be going. Then the other shoe dropped and the public playtest of DnDNext would be coming out late May. After that I’m falling in the camp that maybe there was a division on how ready the ruleset was for public input between some of the designers and Hasbro/WotC.

All in all it’s sort of giving me a sinking feeling about the next version of DnDNext. At times I even wonder if it’s to get that chunk of 3E/Pathfinder consumers. I could have seen some fictitious conversation months ago like this:

Hasbro Suit: Hey, I was taking my kid to Barne’s and Nobles to spend this gift certificate. He bought this Pathfinder book. You’ve seen this thing?

WotC Designer: Yes.

Hasbro Suit: You have? Man, we gotta get our attorneys on this. I looked through this thing. It’s got wizards, sword guys, dwarves, it’s just like D&D. Those guys stole our IP!

WotC Designer: Actually, it’s closer to our older editions, published under OGL.

Hasbro Suit: OGL material? God don’t bring up that mistake again. So all this stuff in the book is under that massive screw up. Okay, no lawyers. What are we doing about getting these geeks back to our product?

WotC Designer: Well, a lot of people enjoy the older editions of D&D. Pathfinder sort of built on that rules-wise. Fourth edition has gone in a slightly different design direction. I mean it’s pretty much the same game, just utilizing some unique game mechanics.

Hasbro Suit: What do you mean different? There are wizards, spells, dragons, friggin’ orcs. This Pathfinder and our product are the same thing. They’re both Dungeons and Dragons. So why aren’t they playing our product?

WotC Designer: Again, they are fairly similar. However 4E has some interest-

Hasbro Suit: You aren’t listening to me. Why aren’t they playing our product? Fix it. Get these mama’s basement dwellers playing our game. And for God’s sake don’t put that OGL anywhere near it.

Okay, I’m actually sure something like that never really even came up but I’m certain folks have been looking over at the Pathfinder camp and wondering how they could get players back to ‘official’ D&D. I like the concept. Get just about everyone under the banner of D&D. I just don’t think it is going to happen.

First off you have the OGL of 3E/Pathfinder. Even with a newer edition out there that can incorporate older editions, I don’t expect for a minute it will have an open licensing scheme. I’m going to be massively unpopular stating this, DnDNext shouldn’t have an OGL. They should however, be very open to licensing the game. Whether it’s cash up front or an agreement to split profits, other publishers should be able to put out D&D products with an agreement that encourages this. I think that was one reason why support for 3/3.5 sort of evaporated. If WotC supported that edition it’d give it legs, and meant other companies could use that as a sign to keep putting out stuff WotC would never get a dime off of.

Lastly I think the community is split. Folks have set up tents in respective camps and are unwilling to get behind another product. In a way, I don’t blame them. If they love AD&D or Pathfinder is their edition, they have the rules they want to play. Why try something ‘new’ that is drawing them away from games they already enjoy? This point I think should give WotC pause about how much effort should go into calling back lovers of past editions. Which audience is really the future of D&D?

I’m hopeful they can pull it off. That they can make something with enough working parts to get everyone behind. But I’m unsure if players of older editions (including 4E) will be willing to make that jump. Just because the game worked one way in an earlier edition doesn’t mean it was better or ‘more true’ to D&D now. If something might not fly with new player expectations, but is some classic ruleframe from an older edition, new players should get the rule shift every time. The focus should be getting new players into playing the game. Getting lovers of the older editions, the fans of existing rules, may not be the best in the long run. Instead I’d be trying to make a game that future generations would want to play.

Expeditions of Amazing Adventure: the esoteric monasteries of the Etholician Monks

This religious order is a prominent player in the political structure of Etholita, and their various temples scatter the densely wooded region. The order comprises of followers of Sehanine and is known for their generosity. The Etholician monks open many of their grounds to the weary and needy, offering protection against the elements and their expertise in the medicinal arts if needed.

Their openness and willingness to offer aid has raised ire with some the ruling nobility of Etholita. The country has always had a strained relationship with its neighbors, especially the Kormerrian barbarian tribes that lead frequent raids. The order has offered aid to the wounded of both warring sides if asked, and many times have been requested by foreign parties to act as arbitrators in political disputes with Etholita. The monks are known for their fairness and impartiality, and at times have even ruled against the very state that houses their monasteries in legal disputes.

The monks themselves avoid bloodshed whenever possible. However, they do train with simple weapons favoring the club and staff. Their martial prowess in unarmed combat is renowned, and much of a monk’s daily routine is designed to focus their minds and bodies into formidable weapons.

The constant accompaniment of dogs is another characteristic of their order. The common presence of large mastiffs can be observed as these dogs appear to have free reign within the monastery grounds. These are not spoiled beasts however, despite the occasional frolicking of young pups among the common halls. The dogs are well disciplined and follow their master’s command with resolute obedience. It is rumored that brigands or humanoids foolhardy enough to raid the order have not only met the martial might of the monks but also the savage fury of their beast companions.

From their deeds to their effective command of the martial arts, the monks have established themselves as a major player in the politics of Etholita. This brings some worry with the land’s nobles, while a few would even admit to desiring the order be abolished completely (such talk however is a topic of secret council).

It is such tension with the order that has likely lead to some of the more astounding rumors regarding the monks. Some claim that the order is cursed. Their oldest members are afflicted with a horrible disease that transforms them into beasts. The reverence of the moon is a secret admission of their affinity with lycanthropy.

It is immensely uncommon to come across werebeasts in Etholita, however it does not keep the circulation of such rumors falling among commoners. Some will swear the many dogs that are devout companions to the order are actually monks themselves which have succumbed to the long standing curse. The monks in their benevolence open their hearts and temples to these animals in hopes to bring them peace.

The Etholician monks respond to these rumors with much mirth and deny any truth to such astounding tales. Yet some nobles would clearly find such evidence immensely valuable to strengthening their position in Etholita. The order, while committing many charitable acts, would find their supporters wary of the practice of such magics, and likely erode the standing of their order from the very commoners they aid.

Fallcrest – where a new 4E DM should start

Cruising the WotC boards a while back I came across a new DM struggling with the notion of all the work they’d need creating a starting town for their players. Thinking up locations, inns, and NPCs all seemed like a daunting task. I was happy to point out however of a fantastic starting town right in the DMG, Fallcrest.

First off you have a decent starting delve to get the players going that is high on action and low on plot, Kobold Hall. There are a lot of resources online to help with running that adventure including a great starter kit from Newbie Dm. It’s a decent one shot adventure to allow the players to get a feel for their characters, gain a little wealth and notoriety around town, and give the DM a little time to formulate a more intricate campaign story.

But after they clear out Kobold Hall, what’s next? They won’t have to travel much out of Fallcrest to find excitement. The town has a ton of potential ideas and possible avenues for adventure right within the town walls.

Barstomun Strongbeard and Kelson – Both are unsavory guys with their hands in the underworld. Barstomun has the porter guild under his control. Kelson has his criminal gang in the lower quays. It’s only a matter of time before they butt heads. Clearly the elimination of one group is highly advantageous for the other (not to mention merchants that would be happy to see both go). Or maybe some sort of negotiation needs to be brokered between them before a gang war spirals out of control leading to open murder in the streets? A great opportunity to get your players into a gritty criminal underworld adventure for certain.

Armos Kamroth – Jerk noble? Check. Secret cult leader of Tiamat? Check. Guy for the players to handle? Absolutely.

What makes this guy work wonders as an NPC is that he stays within the law and his suspicious activity is secret. This could easily be played as a noble with the political connections, wealth, and decent reputation in town to be a difficult adversary. A tough reputation to smear publicly, so the ‘he said/players said’ game can easily shift in Armos’s favor. A decent villain for the characters to face off with for sure. And where would his secret cult meet? Why in…

The Catacombs – Yup. A network of old tunnels running right under the bluff. Just what a DM needs for a little dungeon action. How else could the River Rat gang transport stolen goods through the city? Not to mention a few secret areas where some evil cultists could meet (and move some poor sacrificial peasant to a ritual chamber). Clearly some sections would be unexplored. Sealed off sections with secret passageways leading to unknown horrors and wealth. Fun stuff indeed.

Tombwood Cavern – A nice wooded location in the middle of town with a series of old crypts and entrances to Moonstone Caverns. Most have been explored, but there are rumors of some tunnels that lead to the caves. Who knows what lurks in there or what treasures might be found? Tombwood is a fair size (about 200 x 300 ft across) so you could easily have a decent dungeon jaunt right within the woods exploring a few old crypts or a network of caves.

The Tower of Waiting – Still not enough dungeon ideas for you? How about an old abandoned tower (spoiler alert at link). How about a cool looking map to serve as more inspiration. Yeah, another spooky abandoned place for the players to dig around in. This place might be haunted by ghosts. Or maybe the players could be employed to investigate and find some clues to a secret dark past of Lord Markelhay’s family. After all there is that dubious guy hanging out in the Nentir Inn…

Serim Selduzar – Maybe the tower of waiting might hold some evidence that the father of Lord Markelhay was really not quite that nice ruler everyone remembers. Evidence of torture and human remains locked away behind a secret wall might do a lot of damage to the public reputation of Lord Markelhay, something Selduzar would love to take advantage of. Could the players end up being duped into helping this evil tiefling? (insert soap opera music here)

Yeah, Fallcrest has a lot of neat NPCs, locations, and potential stories right within its walls. Not to mention if you dig around you can find a ton of material out there like this wonderful map I lifted from D&D Doodle. Did I mention he even has a DM friendly version?

Nentir Vale was going to get some support from WotC, but long ago that official campaign setting was dropped from the upcoming products listing. Still with the published adventures already available, not to mention the free Keep on the Shadowfell, there is a lot of potential for a long campaign in the area. With some wonderful maps of the area and specific regions over at D&D Doodle, you won’t be short on sources for inspiration.

All of this can be kicked off with a group spending a little time in Fallcrest, building up their chops at being local heroes. If you’re a new DM struggling to think of a place to start. Don’t turn your nose up at this great location right in the DMG.

Bring back the WotC D&D playcasts

I’ve enjoyed many of the videos and podcasts from WotC showcasing 4E. The Penny Arcade podcasts were very enjoyable. I expect with the next version of D&D rolling out there will be an entirely new set of play sessions released. Quite a few folks have used them to introduce the game to new players. However more effort should be put into a special series to introduce the game, especially for new DMs.

One format I have loved talking about adventure design is Return to Northmoore. Typically you have one podcast talking about the adventure in detail, then another session of the actual playthrough. What I particularly enjoyed was the DM commentary.

So let’s fast forward another year or so from now, with DnDNext out on the shelves. WotC, get a simple dungeon delve adventure up on the web. Something like a lighter version of Kobold Hall. Just use stock monsters out of the book. Don’t worry about any stats. Have a simple map up of the dungeon. Add a branch in the layout and avoid the linear room to room exploration (more on that later). Make sure to throw in a room that has a trap and possibly some puzzle element. Don’t forget to have a few stock level one characters too. Have that as a nice PDF file a fledgling DM can page through. Then get the podcasts up.

Podcast 1: The Adventure prep and dungeon design. Have the show DM talk about the dungeon a bit. Give out the nuts and bolts of the design philosophy. Talk about why the rooms and encounters progress the way they do. Give some DM tips on preparing an adventure, how to address some potential problems. Finally, give at least a good 10 minutes talking about the story of this dungeon and why the players are exploring it. Describe different adventure hooks for it.

Podcast 2: The party introduction. Describe the basic mechanics of the game and go through a quick rundown of abilities, AC, and HP. Have each player introduce themselves. Have them give a little background on their character. More importantly, insert some DM commentary on a few bullet points about key abilities as each party member is introduced.

Finally, the show DM should lay out the situation and cast a few adventure hooks, getting the players on board. Make sure to encourage that roleplaying. Get them lined up to explore the dungeon and as they enter the first room…

Podcast 3: The first combat. Give a complete overview of the fight. Present every die roll, every HP marked off, allow for plenty of questions and answers. In short, just like almost every existing WotC podcast for 4E.

Podcast 4+: Now for the other fights, have the lead up to the fight. Maybe play out the first round and then skip to the end. A blow by blow account is boring. You don’t have to focus on each die roll and listen in as each PC ponders their turn. Instead, focus in on presenting particular situations that come up with commentary by the show DM. Something like the following…

Show DM: The party is pretty much in the thick of it by now with the wizard suffering from poison by a giant spider bite. Let’s listen in on Fizzlelot’s turn.

DM: Okay, Fizzlelot. It’s your turn. You are poisoned. So you immediately take 5 points of poison damage.

Show DM: Ongoing damage is taken at the beginning of the player’s turn. They might have temporary hit points or some regenerative effect that can counter this. However if they drop to zero HP, they are down for the fight. Players can be pretty excited to do something on their turn and can forget any ongoing damage, so be sure to remember any ongoing effects.

Fizzlelot: Five points? Ouch. Okay, I’m down to 12 HP. I’m going to try something different and swing my staff at the creature.

DM: All right, make a basic attack rolling a d20.

Fizzlelot: Ack.. rolled a 4.

DM: Sorry not enough to hit it. That was your standard action. You have a minor and a move action.

Fizzlelot: This is pretty dicey right now where I am at. So I’ll use my move action to shift away from the giant spider. That’s about it. I’ll use my minor action to say some choice words to the beasty!

DM: Heh. Okay your turn is over. You get to make a saving throw to shake off the poison. Use a d20 roll and roll high.

Show DM: At the end of the player’s turn, they can attempt to make a saving throw for any effects that have a ‘save end’. The poison attack from giant spiders have such a condition. All the PC has to do is roll a 10 or more and they can shake off the effect.

Fizzlelot: Jeez. An 8. Can I get a break here?

DM: That’s too bad. You are still poisoned. Let’s move on to Sir Slays-Stuff.

Show DM: Since the wizard rolled less than a 10, he is still poisoned and will continue to take ongoing damage the next turn. As a tip you might want to curb the use of too many monsters that inflict ongoing damage with low level parties. Players can get into some bad die streaks and the cumulative damage can add up. Not to mention they don’t quite have the magical items to help out. So be sure to use these type of monsters sparingly in your adventures.

Now here is the important bit. Skim through the remaining fights. Possibly key in on a few important rolls. For the final boss fight, give a general overview of the situation and play out that last turn. Streamline the podcast to cover high points of the fights. For roleplaying however, you want to play every minute of dialog.

That is why it’s important to have a branching path (and be sure to have some clues telegraphing what might be in each direction). Have that room with only a trap and a puzzle. Give opportunities for the players to talk about the situation and cover all those exploration discussions. That is the stuff you want to cover in its entirety. While combat is a part of the game, it’s a better sell to capture the table chatter and excitement of exploration.

Final Podcast: The wrap up. Have the DM lay out a foundation for another adventure and tie up any loose story bits. Finally, go around the table and get feedback from the players. Throw in some final DM commentary and advice about how to seed further adventure ideas and the importance of talking with your players, and most importantly, just having fun.

I hope more effort is put into getting a short series of podcasts out that help explain the game and give some guidance to new DMs. I tend to think there are so many existing fans of the game now, we tend to forget about trying to get stuff out there to help the newer players. A short series of podcasts like these can be a great step in helping newer players learn about, and grow to love, D&D.

Review: Eaten by Zombies

This month I’ve got a fairly new entry into the deck-building themed games, Eaten by Zombies. Players are regular Joes and Janes trying to survive in a zombie apocalypse periodically running out of their safe house to scavenge supplies, all the while either avoiding or fighting their undead neighbors. What results is a fairly competitive, cutthroat card game with a slight cooperative twist.

Play is rather simple beginning by turning over a card from the zombie deck. At that point a player can decide to either fight or flee from the zombie horde in front of them. Their hand will comprise of swag cards that help them run, fight, or draw cards to potentially add to their fight/flee ability. To beat off the zombie horde, or valiantly run away, they simply must match the values on the zombie cards for fighting or fleeing. Players will find that very tough zombies are easier to run away from, while zombies easy to kill are harder to run away from.

If they successfully kill all the zombies, or run away from the horde, players can then gather up swag (cards from a common pool) equal to value of the cards played. Note that this means that players can play far more cards needed to kill off a lone zombie, simply to increase their played card value so they can pick up that expensive shotgun as swag. These swag cards are immediately placed in the player’s hand. This is a very subtle mechanic. Players will begin to see that they can tailor their hand to plan out their actions for the following turn, focusing on gaining flee or fight cards. Killed zombies are added to the players discard pile (ending up in the player’s draw deck on future turns).

If players fail to fight off or run away from the horde, they can lose a lot of cards. These cards must be from their hand, or their draw deck. When fighting zombies, fortunately you can always take out a few, reducing the number of cards needed to discard. All of the swag cards discarded this way are returned to the common pool to be picked up by everyone on later turns. Players cannot discard zombies in their hand, but can discard them from their draw deck (if they are lucky enough to draw them off the top).

Even when players successfully run away, they must discard some cards. However they also have the option of losing cards from their discard deck (except those pesky zombie cards). Again, this becomes a subtle mechanic where players might select weak swag cards to gain in their hand, only to use those newly gained cards as a discard (or even replace cards lost running from the horde).

If a player is ever required to discard more cards than the combined total in their hand or draw deck (including cards in their discard pile), they lose the game. It will also be increasingly difficult to get rid of zombies cards that the player kills, so if they ever draw a hand with all six cards being zombies, they also lose the game.

Zombie cards are fairly tough to get rid of, but they can be played to increase the size of a horde that other players face. This is something that will usually throw a wrench into their opponent’s plans, as they realize the lone zombie they could have easily run away from now has become a huge group. Again, another subtle mechanic is that players cannot draw up to their full hand of 6 cards until the end of their turn. While they might gleefully throw zombies into fights for other players, they’ll be faced with a limited hand size on their own turn. It makes for an interesting choice during play.

Lastly, if a player is eliminated, it doesn’t mean they are out of the game. They instead become a zombie player. They gain a smaller hand solely of zombie cards which they use to turn other players into zombies (by forcing opponents to hold 6 zombie cards). This is exceedingly difficult to pull off, but possible. Avoiding complete elimination and including another means of winning the game is a nice touch.

Of course not everything has to be so cutthroat. All the players could also pull off a cooperative win, by killing all the zombies in the game. Like the zombie win condition, this is difficult to pull off, but might be enticing enough to encourage a few players to work together near the end of the game.

Surprisingly even with the amount of control due to building up your hand prior to your next turn, things can be deceptive as the zombies you face could mushroom to a huge group due to other players. Additionally, on later turns, more and more zombies are revealed each time the zombie deck runs out and is reshuffled. As there are varying toughness and speeds of zombies, it can become increasingly difficult to predict if you have enough cards to successfully fight or flee.

The game has an interesting flow. Things progress fairly slowly as players build up their hands and deck. But with a twist of fate it all can come crashing down as players might have to discard a third of their deck or more. When things go bad, they usually go really bad, and it can be almost impossible to crawl away from a dust up with a growing zombie horde. It captures this impending dread of being overwhelmed by the undead rather well.

The Good – The mechanics for a deck-building game are rather tight. You focus on building up your hand primarily, and adding to your deck as a secondary goal. This allows you to focus on the immediate game, rather than tuning your deck of cards in hopes of good draws in future turns. I also like how everyone stays in the game, even if they get devoured (although being able to win as a zombie is difficult). Also, interaction with other players becomes a key part of the game as people begin to kill off zombies.

The artwork is rather good and the overall design of the cards is sharp. The game comes with a series of dividers with additional clarifications of their effects which is a nice touch. I like how you can get a random assortment of different swag cards before each game, adding to the replayability.

The Bad – Even with a solid hand, you can get a raw deal with the zombies you are faced with. A game can quickly degenerate down to ‘let’s pick on the little guy’ with folks just piling on a player to wipe them out quickly. Getting crushed in one deal, losing half your deck, is difficult to come back from. So the vicious game play can rub some people the wrong way. Be prepared to be brutal playing this game.

I like the overall card design, but the color scheme can be a bit of an eyesore. I get the idea of using different backgrounds to represent weapons from other items, but a more subtle color pallet would have been nice.

The Verdict – Eaten by Zombies is an odd game. On one hand you have these nifty hand building elements, allowing to hone your cards and plan out your next turn. When you successfully kill a zombie or deftly flee, you craftily pick up or discard the cards needed for your next turn. This is an elegant mechanic for deck building games. Only it’s saddled with random zombie card draws, and with players being able to unexpectedly pile on more zombies. The outcome of a fight (or flee) gone bad can be particularly harsh, where a player can suddenly find themselves crippled for the game.

And this is what makes Eaten by Zombies hard to pin down. You’ve got this portion that has a solid strategy element, only it seems marred by this huge random part of the game. Even worse, a completely unexpected draw of cards can wipe a player out for the remainder (mind you I am not talking about elimination, but not having any options such that it becomes impossible to have any other outcome than being a zombie on later turns). It’s odd that for something that has so much strategic play, you have this wildly unpredictable aspect.

In the end it is a strange mix. You’ve got a game having this potential to unfold crazy events due to other players (throwing an army of zombies at an opponent). If it kept that theme throughout, I think folks would enjoy it more. No one complains about Munchkin as the theme of the game is telegraphed to everyone at the start. Munchkin is about screwing your friends over. However Eaten by Zombies has this other strategic aspect to the game and in the end I feel it gives very mixed messages to the player. Even with playing smart and planning out your moves, you can still get wiped out, so why bother? Why have this portion of a player’s turn dedicated to thoughtful decisions, if it can be countered so easily by a random draw of the zombie deck.

As a cheap game, for those that love zombie themes, I can see some enjoying this. It really does seem to capture that hopelessness of being surrounded by zombies. It is not a bad game and with the right crowd of friends that enjoy thwarting the plans of their buddies, this is something they will get a kick out of. However is this game fun with a variety of player styles? Would it be worth picking up on a limited budget (or trying to keep a limited game library)? I’d say in that case folks might want to pass on this. I like Eaten by Zombies, but I can’t rave about this game being a must have.