||Originally Published at: http://diehardgamefan.com/2012/02/16/tabletop-review-pathway-
INTRODUCTION: This 48 page “FREE-zine” by Rite Publishing is primarily designed for gamemasters who utilize Paizo’s Pathfinder roleplaying game. With some minor modifications, the material contained within this “free-zine” can be used in any rpg utilizing the D20 rules setting.
CONTENTS: The articles of this very useful “free-zine” are as follows:
An article titled “Sublime Creature Template”. This particular article covers a new template that a gamemaster can use to introduce new living creatures which naturally exude a strong aura of positive energy, phenomenal beauty, and its extraordinary health. Accompanying this template is an example of such a creature with this template. The example is fully fleshed out with great artwork to represent it. The template creature has a full story dedicated to it with new feats, new treasure, new spells, an ecology of the example given, and possible adventure seeds for multiple levels of experienced groups.
An article titled “Malevolent Manifestations”. This article covers destroying haunts. In most cases where player characters usually find a means of easily defeating haunts, there are some haunts that prove difficult to destroy due to lack of information or players missing the necessary clues to do so. The reader of this article will be given advice on how to overcome these difficulties. The article is supplemental to other products in the “Haunt” series of gaming aids.
An article titled “Thieves, Cutpurses & Pickpockets”. This is a very interesting article that covers interesting types of roguish-like NPC’s that player characters can encounter as they explore a city. The gamemaster will use the information provided in this article to make such encounters very memorable. Two different types of NPCs are provided; the urchin and the cutpurse for a gamemaster’s use. The skill Pick Pockets is covered in detail as well.
A very detailed article titled “Sacred Sepulchers: Priests of Death, Murder, and the Undead” details how player characters deal with the subject of something all are bound to do later in their lives long after retirement and that is death. Most of the article revolves around the concept of death and detailed in tomes/books, new spells, new skills, and different types of channeling energy for divine characters. The reviewer of this article found it to be very detailed and extremely useful for future Pathfinder games.
A short adventure set in the Kaidan campaign setting is provided. It involves a criminal organization, the Yakuza and players investigating a crime which eventually turns into a double cross with the character players in the mix. For those that do not know the Kaidan campaign setting, the reviewer compares it to a Ravenloft/Kara-Tur fantasy gaming sutem full of horror and fantasy elements entwined.
There is an interesting interview with Owen K.C. Stephens who is a game designer and has a vast amount of experience with many a game such as D20 Dungeons and Dragons, D20 Star Wars, and Pathfinder. Mr. Stephens provides a lot of advice to those who are in the business of freelance game design and writing and also covers his gaming experience. It is a very fun article to read.
The last article covers the Top-10 Pathfinder RPG compatible products for 2011.
OVERALL REVIEW: This is a fine “Free-zine” that provides a lot of interesting supplemental material for a gamemaster to use in a Pathfinder roleplaying game. The material presented can be modified to be utilized in other gaming systems with some modification.
POSITIVE NOTES: The artwork contained with this “Free-zine” is excellent. The articles are written very well and presented in a very professional manner. The advertisements on future products contained within are very informative and do not clutter the magazine. The absolute best part it is FREE. Pathways is indeed a fine supplement to read.
NEGATIVE NOTES: None
[5 of 5 Stars!]