Skip to content
Skip to SEARCH-2
Skip to PAGES-3
Skip to CATEGORIES-2
Skip to ARCHIVES-2
Skip to META-2
Skip to TEXT-3
Various thoughts on a variety of topics.

Various Thoughts

Various thoughts on a variety of topics.

← Older postsNewer posts→
  • Tag Archives Fantasy
  • Pathfinder: WotR – INEVITABLE EXCESS

    Posted on May 12, 2025 3:26 pm by Offkorn Comment

    Finally got through the game with my Azata character (which was a Core Ironman run for the related achievement) and Trickster/Swarm/Legend character, which just leaves Demon as the last mythic path I have to take. Azata wasn’t very good, though it at least had a unique ending. Trickster turned out insanely good in basically all respects, while Swarm would absolutely be a challenge run if you don’t happen to have the Midnight Isles DLC installed. As for Legend… it’s pretty damn powerful when used with a fighter build and adds some interesting exposition regarding your soul.

    Before starting my final main campaign playthrough though I thought I may as well run through the Inevitable Excess DLC (with Legend) for the import bonuses, but since I really didn’t want to play it all that much I did so almost entirely on Story difficulty. Switched to Unfair for Inevitable Darkness and managed to kill him on the second try with the combo of Guarded Hearth, Freebooter’s Bond, Smite, Fortune Hex, and then just wailing away with Dimension Strike.

    Overall I’d have to say the DLC is just as bad as suspected, with it being essentially half pointless/tedious combat and half infuriating platform puzzler. I’d strongly suggest skipping it unless you really need the import bonuses for something like a Test of the Starstone run. Something I’m currently waffling on whether to attempt or not… although I suppose I could simply start out on Unfair and just lower it if it ever become too much hassle.

    Related posts:

    1. Pathfinder: WRATH of the RIGHTEOUS – Chapter IV WotR‘s fourth chapter is the equivalent of Baldur’s Gate II‘s...
    2. Pathfinder: WRATH of the RIGHTEOUS – First Impressions Originally I was going to wait until completing the game‘s...
    3. DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age I sincerely wish they would do something about this franchise‘s...
    4. Pathfinder: Kingmaker – DLC The Wildcards is the most obviously useful of the three...
    5. Pathfinder: WotR – THE LAST SARKORIANS & The TREASURE of the MIDNIGHT ISLES The Last Sarkorians DLC turned out to be fully integrated...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in DLC PC Video Game Related and tagged Fantasy Pathfinder RPG Tactical RPG Third Person Perspective
  • UNWORTHY & POWERLESS

    Posted on May 7, 2025 10:40 am by Offkorn Comment

    J.A. Vodvarka‘s first Blacksea Odyssey novel starts out well enough, if a bit shaky due to the rather large chip the protagonist has on her shoulder. By the halfway point though it becomes far too hard to look past the combination of her weirdly self-destructive actions and the runaway’s idiocy. Like… you obviously don’t want to stay free all that much if you never mention the void collar or don’t keep hammering on about how corrupt the first master was.

    The first book in Lauren Roberts‘ Powerless Trilogy has a different problem: The atmosphere. There’s this persistent sense of dread hanging over the proceedings that make it somewhat difficult to read, although it wasn’t quite bad enough to get me to drop it until ‘the Resistance’ suddenly popped up and became a central plot point. You already have all this drama with the powerless secret, death games, and forbidden romance; did you really have to toss in highly questionable spy games (she literally just met these people) on top of all that?

    Related posts:

    1. The WITCH who TRADES with DEATH & BIOSHIFTER The Witch who Trades with Death is an engaging stand-alone...
    2. Primer for the Apocalypse & Awakening The first of Braided Sky‘s Primer for the Apocalypse books...
    3. The RUNIC ARTIST: BLANK CANVAS & Paladin of the Sigil The beginning of Ellake‘s first Runic Artist novel just didn’t...
    4. Over the Woodward Wall & CAST IN CONFLICT I’m unsure why Over the Woodward Wall, written under the...
    5. My Magical Career at Court #2 & Enough with This Slow Life! #2-4 The second Oukyuu Majutsushi toshite Hirowareru novel showcases the source...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Blacksea Odyssey Fantasy J.A. Vodvarka Lauren Roberts Paranormal Romance Powerless Trilogy
  • EXP Is Golden #2 & HOW I BECAME KING BY EATING MONSTERS #2

    Posted on May 4, 2025 9:51 am by Offkorn Comment

    The second Ougon no Keikenchi novel moves away from the solo-play focus of the prequel to introduce some multiplayer elements to this MMO setting with the introduction of both an actual friend and the protagonist’s estranged sister. I’m not really sure at this junction where it’s intending to go, but so far it’s been entertaining enough.

    The Monster no Niku series‘ second novel meanwhile is pretty much more of the same: The protagonist’s followers misunderstand his intentions/desires while his influence and power continue to grow unchecked. It still works well enough… though that may not be true for much longer. We’ll have to see if the epilogue events shake anything up or it just ends up a repeat of the first invasion.

    Related posts:

    1. Free Life Fantasy: Online -IMMORTAL PRINCESS- #3 & Min-Maxing My TRPG Build #6 Free Life Fantasy Online’s third entry is much the same...
    2. The Former Assassin Who Got Reincarnated as a Noble Girl & EXP Is Golden Feeling a bit like Otome Game no Heroine de Saikyou...
    3. The Strange Adventure of a Broke MERCENARY #9 & HOW I BECAME KING BY EATING MONSTERS After the disappointment of Kuitsume Youhei no Gensou Kitan’s eighth...
    4. The Brilliant Healer’s New Life #3 & Rebuild World IV The third Yami Healer novel starts off with a summer...
    5. Infinite Dendrogram #1-15 Infinite Dendrogram is a series that reminds me of The...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Daken Fantasy Harajun Monster no Niku o Kutteitara Oui ni Tsuita Ken Ougon no Keikenchi Paranormal Romance Science Fiction Young Adult Novel
  • Homunculus Tears & The Strange Adventure of a Broke MERCENARY #11

    Posted on April 29, 2025 11:05 am by Offkorn Comment

    I had to drop the Homunculus no Namida novel (English subtitle: Alchemy for the Brokenhearted) halfway through. It’s just so painfully overloaded with both forced sentimentality and forced fanservice. Basically nothing redeeming about it.

    Something else I ended up dropping was the eleventh Kuitsume Youhei novel, which features the protagonists acting like complete idiots. They’ve experienced mind control before! Why are they so baffled about the people in this village not acting normally? When the animal companion is the smartest person in your party something has gone very, very wrong.

    Related posts:

    1. The Hero Laughs While Walking the Path of Vengeance a Second Time #1-5 & The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary #8 Nidome no Yuusha wa Fukushuu no Michi o Warai Ayumu...
    2. The Strange Adventure of a Broke MERCENARY #1-6 Based on the cover of the first Kuitsume Youhei no...
    3. The Strange Adventure of a Broke MERCENARY #9 & HOW I BECAME KING BY EATING MONSTERS After the disappointment of Kuitsume Youhei no Gensou Kitan’s eighth...
    4. Hollow Regalia & The Strange Adventure of a Broke MERCENARY #7 The Utsuro naru Regalia series is apparently written by the...
    5. EASYGOING TERRITORY DEFENSE #4 & The Strange Adventure of a Broke MERCENARY #10 Not much to say about the fourth Okiraku Ryoushu no...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Fantasy Homunculus no Namida Inori. Kuitsume Youhei no Gensou Kitan Mine Paranormal Romance Young Adult Novel
  • Rift Magus REBORN #3 & Legend of the Arch Magus: ADAMANTITE

    Posted on April 20, 2025 3:25 pm by Offkorn Comment

    The third of Sam Winton‘s Rift Magus novels mainly concerns itself with the introduction of a fight club that the protagonist proceeds to join and the conclusion of the Thornwood subplot. Basically, he gets cocky, reveals things he shouldn’t, and almost pays for it at the end with a pseudo-cliffhanger.

    Michael Sisa‘s penultimate Legend of the Arch Magus entry spends most of its time in the dwarven kingdom, but also manages to squeeze in the demon realm’s implosion. With the main plotline now effectively complete almost as an afterthought… I can’t even begin to guess how it’s going to end.

    Related posts:

    1. Legend of the Arch Magus & Dragon Missing Michael Sisa‘s Legend of the Arch Magus novels are an...
    2. Legend of the Arch Magus: REPUBLIC OF EVERFROST & CAST IN ATONEMENT I had thought the thirteenth Arch Magus novel was taking...
    3. One Moo’r Plow #1-2 & Rift Magus REBORN #1-2 The One Moo’r Plow series reminds me of The Frontier...
    4. The Water Magician: The Central Provinces Arc III & Dimension Wave The third Mizu Zokusei novel is much like the first...
    5. Chillin’ in Another World with LV 2 Super CHEAT POWERS #1-7 As you might expect from the title, Lv 2 kara...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Fantasy Legend of the Arch Magus Michael Sisa Rise of the Arcane Aristocrat Sam Winton
  • ULTIMATE TRUTHS & MAGICAL GIRL: RENDING NIGHTMARE

    Posted on April 16, 2025 1:17 pm by Offkorn Comment

    Coming as something of a shock after the disappointment of the sixth novel, Shawn Wilson‘s seventh Ultimate Level 1 novel is quite good. He somehow managed to sidestep the issues caused by the protagonist’s sudden exponential growth relative to his teammates while expanding the scope of the main plotline.

    Crystal Genocide turned out to indeed be the start of a new series, and RavensDagger‘s follow-up draws heavily on the setting for the Stalker video games. So heavily that I’m kind of amazed it was able to be published… though I suppose it could be argued that it’s actually Roadside Picnic‘s setting. Regardless, if you liked that first novel this one’s quite similar in structure and character behavior.

    Related posts:

    1. The Grave of VALOR, HERETICAL FISHING #2, & SHATTERED BOUNDARIES Aside from some grammatical issues and a bizarre cover image,...
    2. Primer for the Apocalypse & Awakening The first of Braided Sky‘s Primer for the Apocalypse books...
    3. ALL I GOT IS THIS STAT MENU & MAGICAL GIRL: CRYSTAL GENOCIDE The All I Got is This Stat Menu series, by...
    4. Baba & DEAD TIRED III I had some rather high expectations going into Baba, the...
    5. WIEDERGEBURT #1-5 & Privateer’s CommissioN Another series that’s been floating around my recommendations page for...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Fantasy Paranormal Romance RavensDagger Shawn Wilson The Shattered Earth Ultimate Level 1 Urban Fantasy
  • That Time I Got Reincarnated as a SLIME #20 & Housekeeping Mage from Another World #9

    Posted on April 12, 2025 10:25 am by Offkorn Comment

    Yeah, even if there are only two or so novels left I’m going to have to drop the Tensura series here. I simply have no interest whatsoever in reading about drawn-out conflicts involving characters that either had little previous focus or literally did not exist before this sequence of final battles.

    The ninth Kasei Madoushi novel is unfortunately also a miss. The first segment is just incredibly bad in every respect, and the second is overflowing with forced sentimentality. There are a couple good moments scattered here and there… but nothing worth actually expending any effort to see.

    Related posts:

    1. Housekeeping Mage #6 & Tensura #16 The sixth Kasei Madoushi novel starts off with an adventure...
    2. Full Clearing Another World under a Goddess with Zero Believers #6 & Housekeeping Mage from Another World #4 The sixth Shinja Zero no Megami-sama book continues on from...
    3. Housekeeping Mage from Another World #5 & Death’s DAUGHTER and the Ebony BLADE #4 The first two-thirds of Kasei Madoushi no Isekai Seikatsu‘s fifth...
    4. The Hero Laughs #7 & That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime #19 The seventh Nidome no Yuusha novel thankfully keeps the incestuous...
    5. Isekai Walking: Elesia Kingdom Arc & Housekeeping Mage from Another World #8 I will never understand why so many Japanese LN authors...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Fantasy FUSE Kasei Madoushi no Isekai Seikatsu Paranormal Romance TenSura You Fuguruma Young Adult Novel
  • Aftermath & BULDOUN’S BLUNDER

    Posted on April 3, 2025 1:35 pm by Offkorn Comment

    Stuart Grosse‘s follow-up to the conclusion of Lich Returnee‘s ‘unlocking the seals’ plotline returns mostly to the style of the early novellas while wrapping up a few dangling plot threads. Sort of a mix between the second and fourth entries.

    The tenth Aether’s Revival novel pretty much just confirmed my earlier concerns about the author dragging this current arc out far too long. There’s still no end in sight and I’m not thrilled by the thought of a centuries-spanning story being doled out in months-long segments.

    Related posts:

    1. The Eminence in Shadow #4 & Sword Saint Adel’s Second Chance #2 Against my better judgement, I went and picked up the...
    2. AETHER’S REVIVAL Daniel Schinhofen‘s Aether’s Revival series has been floating around my...
    3. The Witch With No Name, The Great Ordeal, & The Unholy Consult The concluding novel in Kim Harrison‘s Hollows series makes it...
    4. ARIFURETA #13 & Arifureta After I-V The last of the main Arifureta novels starts out much...
    5. Mystic Knight: Emergence & the one who eats MONSTERS Ryan Jackson‘s first Mystic Knight novel is a pretty standard...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Aether's Revival Daniel Schinhofen Fantasy Lich Returnee Novella Paranormal Romance Stuart Grosse Urban Fantasy
  • Mystic Knight: Emergence & the one who eats MONSTERS

    Posted on March 17, 2025 11:03 pm by Offkorn Comment

    Ryan Jackson‘s first Mystic Knight novel is a pretty standard harem-building paranormal romance which mainly stands out for two things. The first is the segregated sex scenes (like how Corsairs & Cataclysms does it), and the second is the emotional instability of the protagonist and human love interest. The latter combined with my general lack of fondness for school settings means I probably won’t be following this series any further.

    It’s a shame the author of The One Who Eats Monsters appears to have abandoned writing since the book has a rather unique feel to it. While there certainly are some problems, like the talk about her both going to high school and getting a GED (the two are mutually exclusive), overall it does a fantastic job of mixing elements of graphic violence, personal discovery, and romantic development.

    Related posts:

    1. ARCANE AWAKENING #1-4 & MANIFEST DESTINY With a setup similar to Dead Tired‘s (a wizard emerges...
    2. EASYGOING TERRITORY DEFENSE #4 & The Strange Adventure of a Broke MERCENARY #10 Not much to say about the fourth Okiraku Ryoushu no...
    3. Baba & DEAD TIRED III I had some rather high expectations going into Baba, the...
    4. Drink Deep & The Broken Lands Whatever it was I liked about Chloe Neill‘s Chicagoland Vampires...
    5. The RUNIC ARTIST: BLANK CANVAS & Paladin of the Sigil The beginning of Ellake‘s first Runic Artist novel just didn’t...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Casey Matthews Fantasy Paranormal Romance Ryan Jackson The Mystic Knight Urban Fantasy Wind and Shadow
  • Dragon’s Dogma II

    Posted on March 17, 2025 11:20 am by Offkorn Comment

    Not much to say about Dragon’s Dogma II to be honest, as it’s effectively identical to the first game as far as gameplay goes. You no longer have to micromanage your level-ups, which is nice, but the camera seems like it’s far closer than it used to be.

    Pretty minor differences all told, so if you greatly enjoyed that (or never played it) then you may as well give this one a chance.

    Related posts:

    1. Dragon’s Dogma I first played the demo for this game way back...
    2. Book of DEMONS & Some Other Games Book of Demons is a hack & slash game with...
    3. LORDS of the FALLEN This game is something of a merger between Dark Souls...
    4. A Few Games Atelier Sophie 2 ~The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream~ –...
    5. Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 Huh. I sort of regret putting off playing this for...

    Powered by YARPP.


    This entry was posted in PC Video Game Related and tagged Action RPG Dragon's Dogma Fantasy RPG Third Person Perspective

Posts pagination

Previous 1 … 12 13 14 … 66 Next

  • Tag Groups

    Genre

    Action Action RPG Adventure Battle Shounen Board Game Card Game Comedy Comic Relief Coming of Age Cyberpunk Dating Sim Drama Dramatic Support Dystopia Ecchi Educational Exploration Fantasy FPS Harem History Hobby Horror Idol Magical Girl MMORPG Music Mystery Paranormal Romance Parody Puzzle Game Roguelike Romance RPG School Life Science Fiction Simulation Slice of Life Sports Steampunk Strategy Tactical RPG Thriller Urban Fantasy Virtual World Western Workplace

    Meta

    Alternative Version Amazon Prime Anime Original Anthology Comic Adaptation Crunchyroll Daisuki Dropped Finished First Person Perspective Funimation Game Adaptation HiDive Hulu Incomplete Source Literary Adaptation Live Action Adaptation LN Adaptation Mixed Media Project Movie Netflix Novel Adaptation Novella OVA Partial Adaptation Series Short Anime Televised Third Person Perspective VN Adaptation Web Novel Young Adult Novel
  • Pages

    • Anime Overviews
      • Disliked Anime
      • Preferred Anime
      • Skipped Anime
      • Miku Hatsune Concerts
    • Final Fantasy XIV
      • FFXIV Combat Macros
    • Game Guides
    • Game Mods
      • Subtitle Mods
    • MP3 Player Playlist
    • MTGO Draft & Event Decks
    • VtM oWoD Vampiric NPC Listing
  • Categories

    • Anime Related
      • 1981 – Autumn
      • 1982 – Spring
      • 1982 – Winter
      • 1983 – Winter
      • 1984 – Spring
      • 1984 – Summer
      • 1985 – Autumn
      • 1985 – Summer
      • 1986 – Summer
      • 1987 – Autumn
      • 1987 – Spring
      • 1987 – Summer
      • 1987 – Winter
      • 1988 – Autumn
      • 1988 – Spring
      • 1988 – Summer
      • 1988 – Winter
      • 1989 – Autumn
      • 1989 – Spring
      • 1989 – Summer
      • 1990 – Autumn
      • 1990 – Spring
      • 1990 – Summer
      • 1990 – Winter
      • 1991 – Autumn
      • 1991 – Winter
      • 1992 – Autumn
      • 1992 – Spring
      • 1992 – Summer
      • 1992 – Winter
      • 1993 – Autumn
      • 1993 – Spring
      • 1993 – Summer
      • 1993 – Winter
      • 1994 – Autumn
      • 1994 – Spring
      • 1994 – Summer
      • 1994 – Winter
      • 1995 – Autumn
      • 1995 – Spring
      • 1995 – Summer
      • 1995 – Winter
      • 1996 – Autumn
      • 1996 – Spring
      • 1996 – Summer
      • 1996 – Winter
      • 1997 – Spring
      • 1997 – Summer
      • 1997 – Winter
      • 1998 – Autumn
      • 1998 – Winter
      • 1999 – Autumn
      • 1999 – Spring
      • 1999 – Summer
      • 1999 – Winter
      • 2000 – Spring
      • 2001 – Autumn
      • 2001 – Spring
      • 2001 – Summer
      • 2002 – Autumn
      • 2002 – Spring
      • 2002 – Summer
      • 2002 – Winter
      • 2003 – Autumn
      • 2003 – Spring
      • 2003 – Summer
      • 2003 – Winter
      • 2004 – Autumn
      • 2004 – Spring
      • 2004 – Summer
      • 2004 – Winter
      • 2005 – Autumn
      • 2005 – Spring
      • 2005 – Summer
      • 2005 – Winter
      • 2006 – Spring
      • 2006 – Winter
      • 2007 – Autumn
      • 2007 – Spring
      • 2007 – Summer
      • 2007 – Winter
      • 2008 – Autumn
      • 2008 – Spring
      • 2008 – Summer
      • 2008 – Winter
      • 2009 – Autumn
      • 2009 – Spring
      • 2009 – Summer
      • 2009 – Winter
      • 2010 – Autumn
      • 2010 – Spring
      • 2010 – Summer
      • 2010 – Winter
      • 2011 – Autumn
      • 2011 – Spring
      • 2011 – Summer
      • 2011 – Winter
      • 2012 – Autumn
      • 2012 – Spring
      • 2012 – Summer
      • 2012 – Winter
      • 2013 – Autumn
      • 2013 – Spring
      • 2013 – Summer
      • 2013 – Winter
      • 2014 – Autumn
      • 2014 – Spring
      • 2014 – Summer
      • 2014 – Winter
      • 2015 – Autumn
      • 2015 – Spring
      • 2015 – Summer
      • 2015 – Winter
      • 2016 – Autumn
      • 2016 – Spring
      • 2016 – Summer
      • 2016 – Winter
      • 2017 – Autumn
      • 2017 – Spring
      • 2017 – Summer
      • 2017 – Winter
      • 2018 – Autumn
      • 2018 – Spring
      • 2018 – Summer
      • 2018 – Winter
      • 2019 – Autumn
      • 2019 – Spring
      • 2019 – Summer
      • 2019 – Winter
      • 2020 – Autumn
      • 2020 – Spring
      • 2020 – Summer
      • 2020 – Winter
      • 2021 – Spring
      • 2021 – Summer
      • 2021 – Winter
      • 2023 – Winter
    • Book Related
    • Internet Related
    • Movie & TV Related
    • Music Related
    • Video Game Related
      • DLC
      • Gamecube
      • GBA
      • Guides
      • Nintendo DS
      • Nintendo Switch
      • PC
        • Emulation
        • Modding
      • PS2
      • PS3
      • SNES
      • Wii
  • Archives

  • Meta

    • Register
    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org

©2026 raindrops Entries RSS and Comments RSS Raindrops Theme