Review & Commentary On GMA2: They Devour By Andy Castillo Jr For 1edition, 2nd edition, & OSRIC RPG

 "An ancient evil and its zombie horde attacks the city of Genepa. Hundreds fall and the survivors retreat behind her walls. In their distress, the city council summon the heroes and charges them with a desperate mission to recover the Book of The Unholy. With it, the Temple of Azrael hopes to learn how to disperse the undead which are acting with unusual cohesiveness and cunning. The party must locate the fabled Temple of Corruption and bring the book back to Genepa before the city gates fail and the zombie horde forces its way in. You must hurry! Time is short" 

GMA2: They Devour By Andy Castillo Jr is another of those titles by Celestial Skunk Work that has been on my radar for a long time. Last time I was lurking around thier website I pulled the trigger on the pdf and grabbed GMA2. Boy I'm glad I did. This title picks right up from where GMA1 left off. 
GMA2: They Devour By Andy Castillo Jr puts the PC's right into the center of a plague and an undead horde of zombies on the rampage. The PC's are on a quest for the Book of The Unholy and the party must locate the fabled Temple of Corruption. And are employed by the city council to track this horrid book with all expectancy. Plus the party must deal with the undead's intelligence and unholy cunning. And GMA2: They Devour  is a full on mini campaign with tricks, traps, and really solid encounters. The writing by Andy Castillo Jr. is on point here and the layout is excellent with fonts being very good with all of the goodness we've come to expect from Celestial Skunkworks. 
Events, encounters, and adventure elements move quickly through GMA2 with the stakes being very high. Even though this adventure is for OSRIC it would make an excellent adventure for Castles & Crusades. The material here is solid and engaging and could easily be adapted into Greyhawk with minimal fuss. 

 The necromancer from GMA1 is a highly dangerous NPC and the party could have a rough time of it. While GMA2 could easily be run on it's own. I highly recommend running GMA1 & GMA2 back to back as a linked OSR campaign. The adventure material lends itself to a full blown campaign. 
GMA2: They Devour By Andy Castillo Jr has all of the hallmarks of a great campaign because it combines wilderness, some urban, and lots of dungeon crawling all in one package. The adventure material of GMA2 is easily adapted into Castles & Crusades, OSRIC or even the  Hyperborea Rpg.  For Hyperborea GMA1 & 2 need to be set within thier own Hyperborean realm. This is easier said then done. The campaign material, maps, etc. all come with this fantastic module. The adventure elements are going to shift to AD&D 2nd edition style to a whole cloth Sword & Sorcery module. 

GMA2: They Devour By Andy Castillo Jr has all of the markings of an excellent module because it hits all of the OSR elements with everything in place for a long haul campaign. GMA2 packs a Hell of a lot into one hundred and six pages. 

Review & Commentary On GMA1: Cult of The Rat God By Andy Castillo Jr For 1edition, 2nd edition, & OSRIC RPG

 "Your travels have brought you to the City of Genepa, a thriving port and trade town. While you explore the city and seek adventure, your inquiries lead you to an ancient troll commander’s lair. You also travel through reptile infested swamp in search of an elusive group of slavers that are reputed to be lead by a Wererat bandit and his wife. The Rat King and The Rat Queen. Life is full of surprises." 

"As if that were not enough, a necromancer has stirred the restless undead at the southern edge of the city and the council calls upon your services to try and sort out this problem. The Ratmire and Laborer’s districts are in complete disarray and the Planned Afterlife Cemetery appears to be the source of the Hungry Dead"  

 GMA1: Cult of The Rat God By Andy Castillo Jr  has been on my radar for a long time. Again this is one of those modules that I'll get around too. Well last week I pulled the trigger with a nice Amazon gift card I got for the holidays from one of my players. GMA1 isn't a small  module at ninety nine pages but it's one where there's a ton going on. Andy Castillo's writing here is on point and the plot winds its way with the PC's up to thier armpits in tepid swamp water; "The party's inquiries lead them to a troll and reptile infested swamp, in search of an elusive group of slavers that are reputed to be lead by a wererat bandit and his wife, The Rat King and The Rat Queen.  Meanwhile, a necromancer is busy, secretly plying his trade in or about the Ratmire District and the Planned Afterlife Cemetery.  As undead start to rampage throught sections of the city each night, the council summons the players to investigate the cause of these serious discturbances." As I said GMA1 is expansive and well done. Encounters are quick and the author's writing is on point. The font and layout is also good with the artwork nor the layout laboring the eye. 
  Encounters in GMA1 are solid and challenging while moving the action along. On the whole  GMA1: Cult of The Rat God seems like a well thought out module. What's really unique here in GMA1 is the fact that this module allows the PC's to actually be heroic and solidly moral for a change. There are real stakes here with an undead army that if it get's loose could spell doom for the campaign setting. 
One of the things that makes GMA1 solid for OSR play is how adaptable the module is. And this makes GMA1 perfect for adapting it to Castles and Crusades. The encounters can easily be shifted into an existing campaign such as Greyhawk. 

The action here is fast paced and the author keeps thing moving. There's some decent encounters and the stakes are reasonable high. There could be a world ending threat but it needs to be checked by the adventurers. GMA1 is PC driven and perfect for runnning with Hyperborea rpg or Castles & Crusades or even OSRIC. 

There's a good deal of both urban and wilderness in GMA1 this is a welcome style of module with the PC's able to showcase thier talents in this module. And GMA1:Cult of the Rat God has some very decent adventure locations that can slide right into existing campaigns. And this mades this module very modular for campaign usage. There something profoundly satisfying about reusable adventure locations th at can be used again and again. GMA1: Cult of The Rat God has all of the hallmarks of a great module and be sure to visit the author's website for further details on the module here.

Review & Commentary The OSRIC Player's Guide, By Stuart Marshall From Seattle Hill Games For The OSRIC Rpg

"The OSRIC Player's Guide, by Seattle Hill Games, has most of the core rules to play the advanced first edition of the world's most popular role-playing game. It is an easy introduction on how to play the game as Gary played it. Once you have mastered the rules herein, you should be able to easily assimilate the full rules from the golden age of fantasy adventure gaming."

The OSRIC Player's Guide, By Stuart Marshall From Seattle Hill Games is on Amazon. And The OSRIC Player's Guide was brand new to me & clocks in at about two hundred and twenty pages. And the OSRIC Player's Guide has everything that an OSRIC player is going to need straight out of the gate to get thier PC up and running. You've got classic races, classes, equipment, and more to get your OSRIC adventurer off the ground. Ths book goes through the entire process of PC creation for OSRIC from the ground up. From rolling dice to getting equipment it's all here according to the original style of the world's most popular fantasy role playing game especially the first edition. The difference here from the regular OSRIC rule book is that this is done from the player's side of things. 

For someone who wants to run OSRIC the  OSRIC Player's Guide, is going to make things much easier. Because this book plugs into the player's needs and wants from OSRIC. And it does this by laying out all of the rules like stereo instructions. The OSRIC Player's Guide is highly linear and this is a good thing because it enables the DM to guide his or her players through the PC generation process. 
The OSRIC Player's Guide is incredibly useful because it has a secondary use at the table top as a reference while play is going on. This player's guide is not a replacement for the OSRIC rule book instead this is book is a companion. And one that feeds into the OSRIC system by being useful along side of the main OSRIC rule book. 
And is it good?! From what I've read from owning it over the past week or so yes very much so. The OSRIC Player's Guide is a well thought out book that takes the OSRIC system and enables the player to dive into the deeep end of the system easily, reliably, and with little fuss. 

OSR Commentary on Exhumed Obscura By Paul F de Valera (Author), & Grant S Parrinello (Author) For The OSRIC Rpg

 "Do you like minute-long combat rounds? Do you know what game-inches are? Do you think the biggest problem with 5th edition is 6th edition? If so, we have the old-school role-playing expansion for you!

Introducing Exhumed Obscura, a new expansion for tabletop role-playing games with material developed over decades as in-house rules now brought to you in this finely crafted and concise format to augment and enhance your game. Features include 9 new races, 12 new classes, 4 new stats, critical hits charts, a mass combat system, numerous spells, weapons and magic items. 154 pages of exciting new ideas for your campaign lie within.
[h=1]Below is just a brief sampling of what awaits players and gamemasters alike as they discover new depths to their game world:[/h][h=1]Classes[/h]Anti-Paladin: Taking the quick road to power, the Anti-Paladin serves dark masters and can wreak havoc in ways no other class can...for a price.

Blood Guard: Relying on keen senses and uncanny reflexes, the Blood Guard are the ultimate bodyguards and overall defenders of life.

Dark Druid: Harnessing the darker side of nature, the Dark Druid seeks to gain dominion over the lands, not work harmoniously with them.

Fighter Mage: Mastering both magic and the blade, the Fighter Mage is a force to be reckoned with, both in melee and in a contest of sorcery.

The Hand: Secret enforcers working to maintain order in the realm, a Hand is a deadly fighter who uses stealth to their highest advantage.

Knights of the Brotherhood of Elemental Orders: Using planar magics and strict discipline, a Knight of the Elemental Orders ascends through their college of elemental power and becomes a fearless warrior.

Necromancer: Although the work of the Necromancer is loathsome to many, they are the premiere conjurer, manufacturer, and destroyer of undead.

Orator: Utilizing the little-known science of Harmonics, the Orator gains mastery over material and spirit alike.

Pit Fighter: Raised in the cruel and unforgiving arena, the Pit Fighter is the ultimate hand-to-hand combatant.

Savage: Dwelling in the wilds, the Savage is known throughout the realms for their brutal fighting technique, magic-resistance, and masterful survival skills.

Spirit Hunter: Using their deep connection to nature and the land, the Spirit Hunter is the dedicated protector of the wild forests they call home.

Targeteer: Using a crossbow with a fantastic precision, the Targeteer can place a bolt with deadly accuracy at unthinkable ranges.
[h=1]Races[/h]Bahkaruh: Huge, fierce nomads, The Bahakaruh roam the plains seeking glory in adventure and combat.

Ghoule: Released from the yoke of the Necromancer who once controlled them, the Ghoule are driven by their craving for flesh.

Half-Ogre: A massive human-ogre half breed, the Half-Ogre is welcomed amongst the ranks of soldiers and mercenaries but shunned by polite society.

Harood: Stout, desert-dwelling, lizard-like humanoids, The Harood are found equally in adventure parties or wandering alone.

Jorakeen: Found in temperate and winter climes, the doughty Jorakeen make excellent scouts and rangers.

Mavakin: Rumored to be a cursed bloodline, the giant Mavakin are resistant to all forms of magic, good or bad.

Mendelinkorian: An ancient race, the Mendelinkorian are peerless in magic... as they are in secrecy.

Styger: Magic constructs appearing as insect-like humanoids, The Styger are the prize of any army, renowned for teamwork in combat.
hi
Tinelians: Clever, light-hearted and adventurous, the Tinelians sail the world looking to sate their endless curiosity.

On top of all that, dozens of new spells, even more magic items, and a great many new weapons and armor await to enrich your gaming experience. It’s almost as good as pizza!"

 Exhumed Obscura By  Paul F de Valera (Author),  & Grant S Parrinello (Author) For the OSRIC Rpg came my way via Amazon. The book came out way back in 2017 and it wasn't on my radar until 2023. Why?! Because of the fact that there's no pdf of the Exhumed Obscura material at all. And so it didn't  come to my attention until a friend of mine on Twitter pointed it out some weeks ago. 
There are tons of new races, and optional PC classes for OSRIC along with some real tweaks to the OSRIC rpg system. The layout and fonts are fantastic but man that index is so damn small. And the artwork style goes from cartoony to classic but this is often what happens with truly independant publishing. So all is forgiven with the content. The content is where Exhumed Obsura shines, we get new player PC races by the bushel and lots of new PC classes for OSRIC. 

For the OSRIC rpg Exhumed Obscura is a great expansion supplement and it's got a metric ton of optional systems in it's one hundred fifty eight pages of content. There are a boat load of new spells and magic items. There's tons of optional lore included in there. The material is very well done for an independant outfit especially one or two guys. 

Is Exhumed Obscura a must have book for OSRIC?! No, but it's great addition to the rpg because it expands the scope of the work by a tinker's mile. And that's great. Some folks are going to compare Exhumed Obscura to the offerings of BRW games and please don't do that. BRW games by Joseph Bloch are on another level compared to the independant offerings of  Paul F de Valera (Author),  & Grant S Parrinello (Author). While they are both OSR authors and designers these are very different OSR offerings. 
And with that said I like Exhumed Obscura for what it is, and independant set off solidly done OSR optional systems for OSRIC.