4AD Caves of the Kobold Slave Masters Adventure, Review

4AD Caves of the Kobold Slave Masters Adventure Link 
          4AD rules Link

Last week I was asked to play test a new adventure for 4AD. I was not sure I would be able to devote time to this as weekends are very busy for me. But I was going to play 4AD any way Saturday, and Sunday morning so what the heck, I said yes.

A few minutes later the adventure was in my inbox. Now I was at work and I was trying to do my job, the whole time this file was sitting there waiting for me to read it. So at lunch time I took a bite of my sandwich and started reading. I got in a few pages and realized I have to stop reading, as I was not prof reading this,  I was to play this.

This adventure is broken up in to 3 chapters. The first chapter was a pre-built adventure with a map, and a story line, all I needed was a party. I used the party from my last write up, as I wanted to play not create a party. I read the opening section of chapter 1, and got my party ready to go. I am not going to spoil the chapter at all but to say this I lost my wizard. This looks like a very simple adventure, that turned out to be a challenge. 

After licking my wounds and hiring a new wizard, it was on to chapter 2. Now this chapter was more like the games from the the base rule book. You start with the map entrance table, and then roll for content, but now you will roll on tables created just for this adventure. This was very challenging as well. I started off with great rolls, but ended up 31 room deep before the final boss was encountered. This is not going to be the normal, as it comes down to your die rolls. So I ended up collecting enough life saving items along the way, but I was very close to loosing some of my party during this chapter.

Now on to Chapter 3. This is a solo rpg right? It should be simple right? Well I will say I am not going to say any more about chapter 3 other than it was a challenge for me to get through it. 

For the price point of $2.00 I am so happy with this. It did take me allot of time to get through this as it was on a weekend, and I have two kids in soccer, and a honey do list to complete. I had to sneak off from time to time to complete the adventures, with me finishing chapter 3 on Tuesday of this week. 

I have thought of way to re-play this adventure already, and I will share them when I do replay this with a new party.

To wrap this up, I loved this adventure, it was more that I thought a solo adventure could be just a week or so after the rules were released. I cant wait for the next one (I do not want to play test it, I want to play as a normal player).

Andrea, once more I want to say thank you for bringing RPG back in to my life. 
I have enjoyed the last few weeks reading all the reviews, and email that have been posted about 4AD, and will continue to look for these reviews and emails for along time.

Noel......

Why I like PDF rule Books!

If you follow my blog you will know I played a solo game this past weekend. I used the rule set form 15mm UK called USE ME 001 SciFi rules. These rules if you do not know about them are a simple set of fast play rules for Skirmish, Platoon, or Company level gaming. So during the game I ended up with a bunch of questions, and fired off my questions to a group a great guys involved with these rules. They all responed, answering all my questions, and also pointing out some of my questions are answered in their other titles.

Now 15mm UK started with 001 SciFi, but have created a number of other titles covering different game types. USE ME 002 = Fantasy, USE ME 003= WWII. USE ME 004= Modern, USE ME 005 ACW, USE ME 006= StarShip batles, USE ME 007 Post Apocalypse, USE ME 008= The Wild West, USE ME 009= Zombie Dawn, USE ME 010= Support pack, USE ME 011= CyberPunk, USE ME 013= Horror. Now each book has some extra rules in them, and you can mix and match rules from each book. So Most of what I need answers for were in the USE ME 007 book. I own the following in PDF USE ME 001, 002, 003, 004, 007, 010. In non PDF (printed booklet) I own USE ME 001, 002, 007, 009.

Now for the reason why I like the PDF rules.
I went through the PDF USE ME-007 and saw a large 4 page section on advanced rules. these rules cover things like Close combat specialty, Anti-Tank, and some 27 other rules. In the first book there were only 4 of these rules. So I can print both books, and thumb through them as needed during a game, but that is a pain. So I have taken the PDF (with out permissions) and altered the book, then printed it in a booklet style.

In this photo you will see the hard copy from 15mm UK (on the right), and my printed PDF booklet (on the left). The Printed one is a 8.5X11 letter paper folded in half, with the edges trimmed off to make it cleaner looking. You will also see how the original copy is quite warn from thumbing through it.

This next photo shows the printed PDF booklet opened to the page ware I have inserted the pages from USE ME 007.

Now to how I managed the pages.
If you have the full version of Adobe Acrobat (lots of money) this is very easy to do. If you do not have lots of money, you have to get a bit crafty with it. There are a number of Free PDF editors out there. Here is One CutePDF Editor. For me I have Linux Ubuntu at home and used a free tool called PDF Shuffler. Ether tool will allow you to extract pages, then insert pages in to PDF files. When extracting pages make sure you do not delete them from the original PDF. To prevent this I have placed a copy of both books in a working folder called Workbench. I open the book USE ME-007 found the pages I wanted extracted, for this job it was pages 10 through 13. I used the extract button, and saved them as a file in the Workbench folder. Now I close USE ME-007, and open USE ME-001. With 001 open I went to the page I wanted to be before the inserted pages, in this case it was page 12. I now went to the insert option of the PDF editor selected the extracted pages saved in the Workbench folder, and inserted them after page 12. Now I went through the book page by page to make sure it was they way I wanted it, then save it as a new PDF. I called the PDG USE_ME_001_007.PDF.


Now as for how I made the booklet.
Back in December I wrote up a how to on how to print, and make booklets.
December"s Posting.
This covers how to print, and then how to put it together. As we all know a normal stapler will not be able to reach the center of this booklet 5.5 inches in from the edge. So I have devised a method using the fact that the stapler will open so you can staple flat. Lay out the cover page, place on a cardboard box, and drive the staples through the pages. Flip and fold the staples, and booklet, trim the edges and you are done.



So I will be looking through the other booklets I have and seeing if there is any thing I should be adding to my play book.

If you feel this post violates any copy rights, or you have issue with me altering you copy righted material please let me know @ noelvh AT theorky DOT net and I will remove this post.

Noel

Noel's Log 7-30-12

First let me say that I am sorry for the layout, and template change. The template I was using got messed up, and I was not able to fix it. I spent about two hours Friday working on it, with out success. I have seen others with the same problem, and all solutions have not worked for me.

I hate Blogger!!!!!!!!.

Well this is it, I am not going to play with it any more, you can change the lay out in the upper left and see it how you would like it. Remember the comment section is at the bottom of each post.

On to the good stuff now

Miniatures:
I spent time working on my stuff this weekend but just got distracted, by a new PC game. I did base my new Trench 2114 troopers on pennies. They are ready for putty, and prime. I was wrong in the count of them last week, there was an extra leader type, so I got a total of 21 miniatures. I also realized I ran out of primer last weekend.

This week I want to pick up some primer, Hide glue, and look at some ground cloth in a craft store I read about.

Photos:
I was setting up my large light bucket(light box) in my garage to take some photos of my Dwarfs, and Lizardmen when my daughter asked if she could help. So we setup the bucket, and I let her arrange the miniatures in it. She needed a bet of help as she is a kidder like me, and I would find all sorts of stuff in the bucket next to the minis.

Here she is helping.

Here they are.

 

I have to go back and do some work on the lizardmen. I did not have many when I got them so I only put 4 to a base. I have now gotten a few more, and will add an extra figure to each 4 figure base.

PC Game:

Q: Well what PC game could take me away from miniatures?

A: Very few games could do this to me but one will all ways pull me away and that is Tribes. With new life in a game called Tribes Ascend!

Back in the day, 1998 there were some great FPS out there, but two of them were the masters. You had Half Life with its (Team Fortress mod), and you had Tribes. I was hooked on both but Tribes all ways won for me. I know over the many years HL, with its TF mod have reigned supreme, I loved the jet pack action of Tribes. I ran my own server for years, then Tribes II came out, and added a darker look and feel. I loved this as well. But I think this did not have the same following as the first one did. Next some half assed game Tribes revenge (sucked big time). 

Now I was poking around and found this game on a review site. Now I love the game play. but I do not like the pay for upgrades, or as some call it pay to win games. Now it is free to play, but advancements are very slow, and if you pick some this you do not like you are stuck with it.

Now playing if for some hours, I was able to rack up some kills with the basic weapons (two) you get to start. Now I like to play the defender, and base repair, so this is not a high kill class but I was getting 4 or five kill per round. 

So that makes me ask did they make this game easier to play or am I just playing like I did in the old days. I think that my skills did come in to play, but I also think the masters of old are not playing this game.

Will I keep playing, most likely no! The play for free games are only good for a while, then they get stupid, and people who do not pay die!!!!! 

May the Die Fall in Your Favor.

Noel

 

Small May update.

This weekend I worked on my Proxi Trencher tanks from my last post. I have 6 of them and will host 2 tank squads. Also I needed to dress them up a bit. So each squad will have a lead tank, and that tank will have a commander, and extra storage. Also I drilled out the main gun. The photos below are of the lead tank, and the squad. I plan to paint them in a desert color scheme. Over all I love these tank models. These are simple to build, cheap, and simple to covert. Thanks Proxi.

Here is a not so great photo of both squads with there support my Praetorian guard.

Digging through my bitz box I found this AA mecha I picked up years ago,  and thought it would be a great addon to this army.

Here is the Mecha next to a P guard.

Noel.

Rules Review: USE ME, form 15mm UK. I give it thumbs up!

Warning: Be advised that I suck at writing, you will read at your own risk, and ignore any and all seplling, punctuation, and typos. This review is my opinion, and my differ form those of the author, and other readers.

USE ME

In the never ending hunt for 15mm Scifi platoon level or higher rules there are very few out there. For the last 6 months I have been on a personal crusade to find just the right set of rules for my needs. I need a rules set that takes the battle of the 15mm out of skirmish, and brings it into large scale battles. Playing skirmish based rules for years I want to use 15mm to its full potential.

It is no secrete that I am testing out a number of rules sets at this time, and have no problem listing them.

1. Gruntz (free beta)
   
2. FUBAR (Free)
   
3. Tomorrow's War ($20. pre release, two pdf books, will have to buy full release next year)
4. Forge of War (Free)
   

Here is a list of games I have had for years.

1. Imperial Commander (15mm UK)
   
2. Star Grunt II (Free pdf noe)
   
3. Beamstirke (Free clone of IC)
   
4. Fast and Dirty (Free)
   

Two weeks ago I got an email telling me of a new rule set from 15mm UK. My first thought was another game like ALS. I looked at buying ALS but I did not like the multi-unit basing, I want units that can interact with terrain. 

Read the description on the 15mm UK web site this rule set promises to offer the player the following, and that list got my attention....................

1D6 Action
Fast Play
Totally Generic
Use All your Miniatures
Upscale the Conflict
Skirmish, Battle, Campaign, Solo Play
All You Need in One Place

Yea right!!!


I was faced with two options. 1) Get Tomorrow's War - large pdf books that will take a long time to read, cost $20. for the pre release, and I have to still buy the final book next year. 2) Spend $5.55 US dollars on a rule book that promises every thing I have been asking for in a small rule book. Well I did both...... I picked up both rules sets and wanted to compare them side by side. Well It will be some time before I can compare them both as TW is just to big for me. I will get to it but It is two books FoF 151 pages, and TW 101 pages.


Now for the meat.


I placed the order, and received my order form 15mm UK in 8 days total. Form UK to New Jersey USA, in 8 days is not bad service. The box, was a very small flat box about 4"x 5". Upon opening the box I found 10 minis ( I also needed some more minis), and this tiny booklet. The booklet is roughly 4"x5" inches in size, with 32 pages not including the covers. The text is well laid out and easy to read for younger eyes. So if you are older like me, I just put the bifocals on, and have no problem. Over all the text is a bit smaller than a paperback novel one might read.

Having only read through the booklet once, I picked up the rules fairly easily, with the examples it keeps the rules clear. I did see a few typos, and on the next read will inform the author of them. For the core rules I do not want to get  involved in explaining them. I rather want to make a point that they are simple, but can be complex depending on how you the player wants to use the rules. There is a point system (a must have for me) that is also simple. The point system is laid out on a two page chart, that will allow for a quick army list to be created. I will list some of the Army components that are covered in these rules.

• Infantry (armored, unarmored, support weapons, and more)
• Vehicles (light~heavy, armored, and unarmored with a ton of weapon types)
• Mechs, Walkers
• Off table support, and weapons.
• And More

Next there is one page with advance rules, that can take a game to another level of play. I would bet that the advance rules would best be used in a smaller conflict game. There is a Campaign section, and this is one section I would love to make full use of, it is just that I would need a steady gaming group for this section. I do applaud the effort and the Quality of  this section. Now for the Solo game play section. I have to say I am not fully getting it. I think I would need to run through the solo play section at least once then collect my questions for the author. I have used THW's solo rules in the past, and they are like a machine in how they work. USE ME's system is not like this. This how ever dose not mean it is a non working system, it just means I have some questions about it. Also I did not pickup these rules for the solo play section, and I do not count them towards my final review.

There are some extras that you will need to get from 15mm UK once you pick up the rules. I simply emailed my request for the addons to 15mm UK. I was emaild back with a simple zip file containing, templates, counters, sample army lists, and a blank army list sheet. Over all a nice little addon. I do feel this should be a direct download from there web site. It dose not give away the rules core, so should not hinder the sales

The Pros and cons of these rules. Well I could list my P and Cs but you may not agree so I will give a light list of what I like and do not like.

Like
I like the rules!!!! They are now at the top of my list of final contenders next to Gruntz.
I like the simplicity/complexity of these rules.
I love the scaleability of these rules form Skirmish to full out battle.

Do not like
Booklet, I have grown to love PDF files over printed books. I would have paid more for PDF if it was offered.
Lack of an online forum/group to support them. I am sure one will come.

Over all this is a great product in my opinion. A simple and fast set of rule that WILL meet my needs for large scale conflicts in 15mm. It also allows me to use my many non standard miniatures.

I am giving it 4 and a half stars.

Noel



Note: After the writing of this review I was in contact with the author. He explained that the typos would be addressed in the free extras zip file as well as being posted on the USE ME web page.

Note 2: The author informed me of this group.

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