Demon Dogs! A Review of Legends of Steel: Savage Worlds Edition

What other ways do I spend time if I can't game? Simple. I spend money on more RPG books that just end up being added to the stack of my other games that aren't being played.

I know, it doesn't make sense, and it is kind of sadistic. But, that's how I roll.

That said, I'm very happy that I decided to buy the PDF version of the Legends of Steel: Savage Worlds Edition. Legends of Steel is a setting book for the Sword and Sorcery genre, which can include anything from Thundarr the Barbarian (one of my all-time favorites) to Army of Darkness to Elric.

I must admit I hadn't heard anything about this particular setting book, and I'm usually up on all the latest Savage Worlds stuff. But, after stumbling upon Jeff Mejia's blog, The Lair of the Evil DM (his blog is a visual joy ride and now I can't wait for Wednesdays), I didn't hesitate to buy his latest creation. And, I'm very glad I did.

o.k., enough chit-chat. Here's an executive summary for all you low-attention-span readers out there (hey, you in the back, wake up!) or if you are reading this on the clock and need to get back to work (you know who you are).

Rating

3 out of a d4

Pros

• Loved the 80's style vibe of the book, especially since I started my RPGing in the 80's. In this era of over-polished RPG books, the simplicity of the book was refreshing. And, it is well-organized.
• Great job of establishing the genre definitions in the beginning of the book...a very good way to get all users on the same page (no pun intended).
• Very impressed with the focus on character background. I am definitely going to lift this section for all of my other RPG games, especially one of the background generating techniques provided that is simply brilliant.
• A lot of new background Edges that could be used in any fantasy or pulp setting. This is one of the reasons to buy various setting books, since Edges really are the core feature of Savage Worlds.
• Very nice descriptions for each region of the world: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. There is enough information to get you started on creating endless adventures.
• Nice set of pregenerated characters.

Cons

• No index. I love me an index, but to be fair, it's not a big deal with this book because of its size. The table of contents should help you find what you need.
• No bestiary. I wasn't expecting a lot, but a few pages with some new monsters would be nice...a minor demon, some new mutant frog-men, etc.
• Need more illustrations, especially in the player's section. That said, I really liked the illustrations that are included in the book.
• No stat blocks in the included sample adventure. Of all the cons, this one bothered me the most. A sample adventure should provide the GM with everything he needs, so there is as little prep work as possible.
• No brief mention about how to create non-human PCs. I mean, what if I want to play Ookla the Mok? This is especially true since the Savage Worlds Explorer's Edition doesn't include non-human races anymore.
  

Random Thoughts

In a nutshell, I really like this book. I would love to play a short Thundarr the Barbarian type game. And, as I said earlier, there is a lot of information in this setting book to use in my future campaigns.

So, if you want to run a Sword or Sorcery game or just to have more good Savage Worlds material, don't hesitate to get this campaign book for $12. And, don't worry that it isn't available through RPGnow or Drivethrurpg. I got my PDF within 30 minutes--it's just like ordering pizza!

And, if I still haven't convinced you to spend your hard-earned cash, how can you turn down having a book with the following quote in it:

"By Grun's hairy scrotum!"

That's what I thought. Now you have enough information to make an intelligent decision.