gaming – BookBunnies

Caramel reviews Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Core Rulebook

Last week Caramel reviewed Warhammer 40,000: Core Book, the core rule book for a tabletop game he is really keen on these days. Then he realized that he also could talk about his other favorite tabletop game, Dungeons & Dragons, and brought his rule book out. So today he is talking to Sprinkles about Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Core Rulebook.

Sprinkles: So, you found another rule book for another tabletop game. This one is about Pathfinder. And I am not sure everyone knows what that is. So why don’t you start by telling us something about the game?

Caramel: Sure, I suppose everyone knows about Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) but Pathfinder is a bit different from D&D. It is actually very similar to D&D version 3.5. However there are some slight differences in the character types, and I think there are some changes in the rules.

S: Okay, wait. So let us go back a bit. First there is the famous tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons. For any bunnies who might not know what that is, can we start by talking briefly about what that is?

C: Sure, good idea. D&D is also a role playing game, like Warhammer 40,000, which I talked about last week. However, instead of controlling an army, in D&D you control one person. And it is the same in Pathfinder.

S: Okay, so I looked them all up on Wikipedia, and it seems that both Warhammer and D&D are relatively old actually. D&D was first published in 1974, and Warhammer, the original game, was published in 1983. Pathfinder was first published in 2009 as a kind of a spinoff of the original D&D, or rather, the third edition of it.

C: I had an idea that the Warhammer game was that old! I knew for example that the first Warhammer 40K miniatures were made out of metal because, according to Google, at the time “plastic molding technology was not advanced enough to produce the intricate details and durability needed for tabletop miniatures.”

S: That makes sense! So anyways, last time you talked about the general setting for the game when you were telling us about Warhammer 40K. Now is there a general setting for D&D or Pathfinder?

C: Kind of. It is kind of in a fairy tale time period, where they have firearms, but getting them is very hard. Most people have simpler weapons, like swords, slings, bows and arrows, and … war hammers!

S: I see what you did there! Anyways, so this sounds like maybe the late middle ages, but there is more, right? I do hope there is indoor plumbing, because that I think is one of the most important benefits of modernity.

C: I don’t think there is indoor plumbing; they use outhouses and chamber pots mostly.

S: Hmm, not sure I’d like to live that way… But there is more, right? There is sorcery, and there are different kinds of beasts and types of humanoid characters?

C: Yes! There are elves, and sorcerers, and wizards, and bards, and so on. And there are all sorts of beasts. And as you can tell from the original name, there are dragons!

S: So it is a fantastical world, kind of like our own medieval times, but with some interesting extras!

C: Yes. But actually there is a lot of freedom in the game. You can set up your own game to be in a world with more magic or less. You can have elves in your particular story or not.

S: No wonder people do not get bored, and generations of bunnies have been playing it without running out of ideas. It sounds very versatile.

Caramel is reading Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Core Rulebook. — Caramel is reading *Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Core Rulebook*.

S: Okay so now let us get back to the book. This is the standard book with rules of the game then?

C: Yes, it is.

S: So tell me what kinds of things there are in the book.

C: There are parts on creating a character. Then there is a part on choosing a class, then skills, then feats, then equipment. Next is extra rules, combat, magic, spells, special classes. Then there is a section on how to be a GM, making NPCs, magic items, and a ton of appendices.

S: That is a lot!

C: Well there are over five hundred pages!

S: And what is a GM?

C: A Game Master. It is the person who develops the main story and the setting, and acts out all the NPCs. And before you ask, those are the characters that are not played by any of the main players. NPC stands for Non-Player Character. So the PCs are the characters the players play.

S: I see. So the GM is the main story teller in some sense.

C: Yes, but the players can and do make choices that change the GM’s original goals, I know from experience.

S: Well, that sounds more fun actually. And kind of like real life, where big and important people might have all these grand schemes, but then a little bunny comes along and does something differently, and the whole world is changed.

C: Yeah, I suppose. When I play as a GM, sometimes my players can be frustrating when they choose to do totally off-the-wall things. But I have also been a frustrating character to my own GMs so I guess it can go both ways!

S: Yes, kind of like free will. You get to choose; within all the constraints, you still have a choice. I like that. And I bet that is one of the reasons why the game works so well. There might be standard storylines and GMs might have some creative ideas, but each game turns out to be totally different because the players decide to do some things differently and the world changes. Like the butterfly effect, like in chaos theory.

C: What is chaos theory?

S: Okay, we are veering off topic a bit but chaos theory is a field of mathematics where people study systems which are extremely sensitive to small changes and seem to behave chaotically but can still be described and explained mathematically. And the butterfly effect captures that idea: “the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil can set off a tornado in Texas.” A while ago, I reviewed a couple books about famous mathematicians who worked in chaos theory for our blog. Maybe you can check those books out…

C: Cool, maybe I will.

S: Okay, so the book seems chock-full of ideas and basic rules of playing this game. I think you have read it from beginning to end several times. I also saw you often opening a random page to read. And I have a feeling that you will keep using it for the foreseeable future.

C: Yup. I like reading this book. I also really like looking at the pictures. They are pretty well drawn.

S: Yes, I can see that. Maybe this is a good time to end the review. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel expects he will continue reading Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Core Rulebook for many years to come! — Caramel expects he will continue reading *Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Core Rulebook* for many years to come!

Caramel reviews Warhammer 40000: Core Book

Today Caramel is talking to Sprinkles about his new Warhammer 40,000: Core Book.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, today we are talking about your new Warhammer 40000: Core Book. So maybe start by telling us a bit about it?

Caramel: Sure, this book is a rule book for the Warhammer 40,000 game. It includes a description for every army in the game and tells you about some of the units in the army.

S: Wait, let us start a bit slower. I know you like this game but honestly I do not know much about it. On the book website I read “In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.” That sounds utterly terrifying.

C: Yeah, I suppose.

In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.

In the 41st Millennium, warring factions from ancient civilisations and upstart empires fight endless battles across innumerable worlds. Humanity stands alone, beset on all sides by the heretic, the mutant, and the alien. There is no mercy. There is no respite. Prepare yourself for battle.

– https://warhammer40000.com

S: So this is supposed to be the future of our universe, right?

C: Yes, we are in the 41st century

S: And there are no humans or bunnies, I presume?

C: No, there are humans, but they mainly worship the God Emperor of Mankind.

S: Hmm, not loving that at the moment, but okay. And are they based on Planet Earth or is the main scene elsewhere in the universe? And are they the main heroes or villains or just one among many other races?

C: They are somewhere in between, not too evil, but not great people, either. And they do inhabit thousands of planets but their civilization has stagnated. Not terribly optimistic.

S: I see. So the game you play takes place about forty thousand years in the future when there is constant war in the universe. So what is the game like? Do you role play individual heroes? Do you lead armies or nations or planets?

C: You lead a single army, and the size of the army is determined by a point system. You usually have 1000 points, but in some game rounds, you can have more or less.

S: And do you cooperate with friends when you are playing with them? Or are you usually battling one another?

C: Both. Occasionally you have allies. At other times, it is just you and your army against all the other players’ armies.

S: I see. So are the battles random battles for power over a resource or a planet? Or is there an overarching goal, like beating the main baddies of the galaxy or pushing back invaders and reestablishing the dominion of an empire?

C: I think usually it is a battle over resources or knowledge that causes battles.

S: So why do you like this game? Because it is a neat strategy game?

C: Yes, I like the strategy needed to win..

S: And you like having an excuse to hang out with friends for an extended period of time?

C: Yes.

Caramel and Aeldari friend are reading and enjoying Warhammer 40000: Core Book. — Caramel and Aeldari friend are reading and enjoying *Warhammer 40000: Core Book*.

S: Alright, let us get back to the book. So the book is the rule book for the game then, right? But you were playing the game without it, so it is not only a rule book, is it?

C: Oh, it is a rule book. The way I was playing was by asking my friends about the rules.

S: So this is more like the Dungeons and Dragons type of thing, where the rules are quite complex and there is a wide range of things you can do or types of beings you can be.

C: Yes, kind of, but in Warhammer you control an army, In D&D, you control one person.

S: I understand that, I think. Okay, so tell me more about the book. It is a large-format and full-color book, printed on rather nice paper and with solid binding. I am assuming you look a lot at the pictures.

C: Yes, that is what I do a lot, but I also read the rules and the descriptions.

S: So do you think you will keep it as a reference book as you continue to play the game with your friends?

C: Yes, I think I will.

S: But you have already read this whole book from cover to cover? How long is it? How many pages does it have? It does look pretty thick.

C: It has 220 pages.

S: Hmm, so not too thick, you have read much thicker books before. So maybe it is the high quality paper that makes it so thick. Okay. But you have not yet answered all my questions. Maybe I should have asked them one at a time. So I will ask again. Have you read the whole book from cover to cover yet?

C: Yes, many, many times.

S: Well, that sounds very much like a strong endorsement! So I am guessing you like the book then.

C: Yes, greatly.

S: Here is the hard question though: would you have enjoyed this book at all if you did not know about Warhammer or did not like to play it already?

C: Well, I probably wouldn’t have gotten the book if I didn’t like the game, but I think maybe, the pictures and stories might have drawn me in if i just got to look at the book a bit.

S: Yeah, I can see that. You already like space-related things, you like Star Wars, you enjoy reading and learning about wars more generally, and you like fiction with aliens and spaceships. You also like role-playing games. I am guessing this has a lot of the things that you would like.

C: Yes, that is true. This Warhammer book has almost everything that I like: spaceships, robots, elves, and to top it all off, PICTURES!!!

S: There are elves?! That is awesome!

C: Well, technically they are called the Aeldari, but they are basically space elves with guns and cool armor, but I might be biased.

S: That does sound cool! But I think I know why you said almost everything though. There are no dragons!

C: Well, they have these things called heldrakes, which are robot dragons, but they are kind of sadistic.

S: I see. You probably prefer the dragons in Wings of Fire or How to Train Your Dragon. The ones who have different kinds of personalities, but can be kind and friendly and generous as well, right?

C: Yes, I do.

S: Okay, Caramel, I think this is already a very long post. So let us wrap things up. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel and Aeldari friend will continue to read and enjoy Warhammer 40000: Core Book for many months and years to come. — Caramel and Aeldari friend will continue to read and enjoy *Warhammer 40000: Core Book* for many months and years to come.

Caramel reviews Last Gamer Standing by Katie Zhao

Caramel has been reviewing book after book of the Wings of Fire series. Today he takes a break from the dragons and talks about a book about gaming: Last Gamer Standing by Katie Zhao, published in 2021. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel this book just appeared one day in your paws.

Caramel: Yes, I got it from my classroom library.

S: That is cool, that you have a classroom library and that there are books there that you find interesting.

C: Yep. I often find books there that I like to read.

S: Okay, so why did you pick up this one?

C: Because it looked interesting.

S: And did it turn out to be interesting?

C: Yes, why else would I be reviewing it?

S: Well, that is good. Tell us about it then.

C: This book is about Reyna Cheng, who is a Chinese-American gamer.

S: What does that mean?

C: She plays virtual reality video games.

S: What kinds of games?

C: The one she is playing is called Dayhold and she is very good at it.

S: Does Dayhold exist? Did you ever play it?

C: No, this is supposed to be in the future, it is 2064 or 2067 or something like that, and the video game is in virtual reality. And she is competing against other people as well as some artificial intelligence players. And people who are very good at gaming are like celebrities and there is a lot of money in gaming. So Reyna is not just playing, she wants to become a professional gamer.

S: I see. So she is young though, right?

C: Yes, she is twelve and just finished sixth grade. But most of the other people in the game don’t know who she is and she wants to keep it that way.

S: Why?

C: Because most gamers are boys or men and Reyna knows from experience that as a girl gamer, she will not be treated well.

S: Oh, that’s so not fair!

C: You’re right, and she is so much better than the other players.

S: Well, even if she weren’t, it would be better if people did not mistreat her just because she is a girl.

C: I agree.

Caramel is reading Last Gamer Standing by Katie Zhao. — Caramel is reading *Last Gamer Standing* by Katie Zhao.

C: She is very good though. She beats one of the best players and he was cheating and she still beat him.

S: Wait, I am worried you might be going into spoiler territory.

C: Possibly. but there is a lot more that happens in the book. So there is a troll for example who wants to dox her. And doxing we looked that up, it means that people make your identity public despite your wishes to remain anonymous. And a troll is “a person who intentionally antagonizes others online by posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content” according to a dictionary.

S: Oh that can be very dangerous!

C: Yes she could be in real danger, but she tries to save herself and the book is about that too.

S: I see. Does it also describe the game itself?

C: Yes a little. It seems interesting; you fight people with swords, spears and so on.

S: You did finish the book rather quickly. Was it an easy read for you?

C: Not always. I did not know about doxing and so I had to figure that out. By asking you, my very trustable source. But the book is written in Reyna’s voice and in first person, so that was good, it made it easier to read.

S: I see. If you were to try and find three words to describe the book, what would they be?

C: Descriptive, because there are a lot of descriptions of the game, funny sometimes, and exciting because I wanted to know what would happen to Reyna so I kept reading. It is attention-snatching, it kept my attention.

S: I can see that! Would you recommend the book to other bunnies like yourself?

C: Yup. Some boys think girls can’t be good gamers, so maybe it would be good for them to read this book. Because Reyna is a very good gamer but also it is not nice to mistreat people just because they are a girl.

S: Thank you Caramel, I totally agree. So let us wrap up this review then. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Last Gamer Standing by Katie Zhao and recommends it to all other little bunnies. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Last Gamer Standing* by Katie Zhao and recommends it to all other little bunnies.