Product Name: Horrors of the GOW
Publisher: Purple Duck Games
Author: Stefen Styrsky
System: Pathfinder
Setting: Lands of GOW
Series:
Theme: Dark Fantasy
Type: Third Party Supplement
Link: http://www.purpleduckgames.com/
Horrors of the GOW is a vast collection of horror influenced content for Pathfinder based off Purple Duck Games setting Lands of GOW. It contains various entries such as new creatures, NPCs, magical items, and much more. This variance of material creates a full supplement that focuses on all aspects of creating a horror-styled adventure rather than individual bits-and-pieces. The overall effect is a great gathering of source material for all types of horror-infused uses ranging from a simple Halloween outing to a grand supernatural campaign.
CONTENT
Horrors of the GOW starts out by presenting three horror-inspired creatures including all applicable stat blocks and a brief rundown of the new creature. The content then moves on to a cursed item bound with demon and each one is presented with given stats and a detailed look at their history. Quickly moving on is the introduction to four more horror-inspired creatures. All 8 of these creatures and the item bound with a creature bring great new options for adding a bit of horror into an adventure and even range widely in their challenge rating. Embedded in the middle is an Event (although a bit out of place for layout) that brings these creatures to fruition. It’s a fun take on Halloween and how you can use it in a Fantasy setting.
Horrors of the GOW then moves on to creating the legendary weapon the Reaper’s Scythe. Who wouldn’t want to use the Reaper’s Scythe within their adventure? What other weapon is more closely associated with horrific death and the mechanics surrounding it are great. From here, a location and magical incantation are fully detailed along with the new prestige class Master of Life. Master of Life is an alchemist-styled prestige class with a darker outlook. This is a great addition to the content as it offers the players a way of getting more involved with the horror-inspired setting and allows the GM to create even more unique NPCs. A sample character using Master of Life is fully detailed along with a storyline and a fiendish friend.
The supplement ends with a series of witch hexes, a new witch patron, sample witch NPC using the new patron, and a vampiric horror NPC. While this is a good way to add further value to the supplement, I would have liked to see more details on the witch mechanics and maybe a location or event using them.
OVERALL
I found the high mixture of content to be very beneficial for creating a true horror-inspired setting, adventure, or campaign. With the incorporation of new creatures, NPCs, magical items, prestige class, hexes, and more, any GM could take this supplement and expand upon it using the material as their main building blocks. The end result could be a truly horrific experience, light-hardy nighttime romp, or vicious group of undead that needs to be thwarted.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 5 out of 10
While the content is a great addition to a GMs repertoire, the layout could benefit from several changes. The stat blocks presented throughout are detailed and thorough but a bit tricky to read. Also, the large font is easy to read but seems tightly packed within the large margins. These are fairly minor things but they made reading slightly more difficult. However, the supplement itself is still a good value and contains lots of great information.
Mechanics: 8 out of 10
I like the Master of Life prestige class and the witch hexes that are presented. They add a player character flair to the horror side of the setting along with giving the GM more options for creating new NPCs. To make the Master of Life prestige class come to life, an example is even provided.
Value Add: 9 out of 10
Horrors of the GOW is a great addition for creating a horror-styled setting, adventure or campaign. It sticks close to the Fantasy stylings of Pathfinder while adding a bit of gothic material. While it’s not a full horror supplement, it’s a great source for creating dark fantasy or gothic fantasy where you players find themselves surrounded by the undead and supernatural beings of the night.
Overall: 7 out of 10
Horrors of the GOW is a great supplement for those looking to add more grit and darkness to their adventures. Even if you don’t want to place your players within the Lands of GOW, the content is presented so that all of the material can be placed within virtually any existing or unique setting.
Follow Us!