I really Like Gale Force Nine's products from a quality stand point. I think that their warcaster token sets were far superior to the product put out by Privateer Press. So, I was especially excited to see GF9 was producing kits for Dungeon's and Dragons. The first item released is something I picked up on release day and I am completely happy with that purchase.
I love storage and organizing my games/gaming accessories, despite what my game room looks like. (You might think I am a candidate for Hoarders at times if you only looked at my office).
The game box comes wrapped in shrink with a cardboard display around the box, clearly 
showing the contents of the package, no surprises when you open the box. There are 50 tokens worthy of any GF9 product I have purchased. I really like the professional feel of the tokens including the felt backing that keeps them from slipping on the playing surface. The tokens are also very easy to pick up off the table without resorting to the need to slide the token to the end of the table like other tokens I have used (I'm looking at you Star Wars minis and D&D minis tokens).
showing the contents of the package, no surprises when you open the box. There are 50 tokens worthy of any GF9 product I have purchased. I really like the professional feel of the tokens including the felt backing that keeps them from slipping on the playing surface. The tokens are also very easy to pick up off the table without resorting to the need to slide the token to the end of the table like other tokens I have used (I'm looking at you Star Wars minis and D&D minis tokens).
In addition to the tokens, the storage area can hold a ton of other stuff. So far, I have placed tons of dice, other tokens and writing utensils in the box. I still have room to put a good number of minis or other play aids to simply pick up the play box and go, a sort of DM "go bag." Finally, the top of the box, which has a nive emblem on the outside, can be flipped upside down and used as a dice box with a felt surface to roll on. The box itself is sturdy and divided into six small and one large compartments. The joins are flush along the various pieces and look like they will hold up fairly well. I am still deciding if I will stain my box to give a nicer overall finish. The only concern is what it would do to the D&D logo on the front.
I am pretty happy with my purchase (retail $30), but I did pay less than retail. I do wish it had more than three of any of the status conditions or five bloodied tokens, and will use some other bloodied tokens I have from other places to fill in any gaps over five I need. I also wish the the top had a latch or something to hold it on top of the lower section. The top completely covers the top and sides of the box and you need to grip the bottom to carry the box otherwise the bottom could fall out. Overall, this kit is solid gamer bling and a nice accessory or gift for any DM or player looking for a very nice travel case to take from game to game. I am really excited to see what GF9's player kits and maps look like after purchasing this Token Set.
note: all pictures are from Gale Force Nine's website and not of my copy of the product.
I wish they had something similar for Pathfinder. Paizo did away with a lot of the record keeping for stuff like this, but some chits showing the effects and duration of things like Bless would be nifty.
ReplyDeleteI really like my GF9 40k tokens for the exact same reasons you do - that felt backing is the reason they pick up so nicely, I think.
My guess is that GF9 has some exclusivity contract with Wizards to only produce 4e items. I know with the GSL companies can produce 4e, but they agree to not produce 3.5 stuff.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that seeing these in person was even cooler than described. I can't wait until we run the Dark Sun FRPGD adventure on Friday and we get to see these in action. I'm definitely going to pick up at least one set of the class tokens just because it seems like GF9 hits the nail right on the head every time, and they're tokens are always a notch above everyone else's.
ReplyDeleteHmm, that's too bad. Wizards should be focused on putting out better quality products instead of using their muscle to stomp on competing products that people might like more than theirs.
ReplyDeleteDo you guys know anyone else who might produce some Pathfinder stuff?
I know Paizo is actually my go-to when it comes to generic role playing stuff. Whether it's flip-mats or that cool initiative tracker magnet set, they've really impressed me. Maybe if you let us know what kind of game peripherals you're looking for we could give some more specific suggestions.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I'd really love to see something like your 4e counters for Pathfinder - status chits would be a HUGE hit in my group. I don't know what search terms to use on Paizo.com to find these, but some plastic counters that I could put on the table with basic info like numeric effects, duration and so on would be nice. My group always forgets about the bard songs and other buffs or penalties, and writing them on the battlemat means I have to wipe it off when they go to a new room.
ReplyDeleteI also really like the new simplified template system that Pathfinder uses, so counters that I could put on the table or behind my screen to remind me of the changes would be a great help too.
I'll probably pick this up for the bling factor. But my group has came up with a pretty good solution to counters we've been using for over a year now. Take a 1" round hole punch found at most hobby shops. Purchase different colors of foam. (like regular paper shaped but a little thicker) Punch out 10 round cirlces of each color and just identify what each color stands for. aka Red = bloodied. Then you just set your mini on top of them during gameplay since mini's are also 1" based. Works pretty swell. And if you have a large or huge typically you can set them on the base someplace.
ReplyDeleteIn the DM handbook there's a page with all status conditions just print that out and then label with corresponding colors to status effect.