Vathak Times Zine #1 (5th Edition) is a role playing game supplement published by Fat Goblin Games for use with Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.
The supplement is available as a PDF from DriveThruRPG for $3.95, as a softcover print on demand book for $9.95 or as both PDF and book for $12.21. The PDF is the version reviewed although it was purchased at a reduced price during a sale and has 42 pages with two being the front and rear covers, two the table of contents, half the front matter and one the Open Game License.
From the Editor explains that this is the first issue of Vathak Times, the zine for the Shadows over Vathak setting, that has been converted to 5th Edition.
Militia Captain Zacharia Lammat gives a biography but no stats of a cambion who became the militia captain of Ursatur.
The Firefly Cult is a short adventure about a cult which self-destructed some years back. This is a simple exploration of the cult’s complex, dealing with any threats.
Across the Front Line has some in-universe fluff about soldiers on the front line and some adventure hooks.
John “Lobster” Methos has a biography of a criminal who was punished by having both hands severed, which he then replaced with iron claws, and the gang he established, along with his stats and a Wanted poster.
King of Thieves Grand Ball is an in-universe sidebar about this event.
Vathak Crime Report has brief paragraphs on several crimes in different places.
Racial Ecologies: Living Dolls opens with some fluff on these, describes them, their behaviour, traits, names and three different features.
Madame Mombi: Cloaks of the Witches of Ravca describes three different magical cloaks.
Tavern Tales: Hangman’s Daughter gives an overview of this tavern, menu and a rumour.
The Rimeguard Trials is for characters of level 8 and is a short adventure in which the characters need to aid a clan of werewolves whose shrine has been taken over by an interloper. One possible reward, and there is advice on dealing with it, including whether or not this is a good idea, is contracting lycanthropy.
Sir Timothy Charles Emporium has a new item.
Warlock Pact: Undead Lord has a new warlock pact for 5th Edition, one that deals with the undead.
Yixaggish is a new undead.
Random Thoughts: Strange Settlements of Ina’oth has a 2d20 table of features to make communities distinct.
Forbidden Knowledge & Corruption has some rules for dealing with manuscripts that contain Things-We-Were-Not-Meant-To-Know, from what can be gained from different levels of study, the gaining of Otherworldy Insight and the perils of knowledge. This is very similar to Mythos tomes and Cthulhu Mythos skill in various iterations of Call of Cthulhu.
Vathak Times Zine #1 (5th Edition) in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and is long enough with enough different sections that these would have been useful. The table of contents covers the major sections, with the different articles divided into different groups, and the listings within these groups often not in any order. Navigation is poor. The text various between single column, single column with sidebar and two column format and appeared to be mostly free of errors. There are a variety of black and white illustrations up to full page in size. Presentation is decent.
This is an eclectic collection of different kinds of articles that can be used to flesh out the Shadows Over Vathak setting, but many of them can easily be used in other settings too, providing adventures, new character options, magic items and more. Only a few articles are not really usable outside the setting, making this a more generally useful supplement. Vathak Times Zine #1 (5th Edition) can be found by clicking here.
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