Power Rangers RPG: Core Rulebook (Hardcover)

I wanted to write an honest review from someone's perspective of having been a fan of the shows and knowing a little bit of the lore in general. I also wanted to bring a perspective of someone that has done some GM campaigns but is not a very seasoned veteran. I hope that this review is an honest middle ground for those looking to purchase the product and know what it is they are about to purchase. Pros: Upon opening the book the artwork really stands out very much like the core shows that we used to watch as kids. For those that are familiar with the shows, they will notice various examples of places and people from the shows incorporated into the book. The introduction does a bit of backstory to get the reader involved in what they are diving into. The book comes with a cloth bookmark to allow you to keep your place when you take breaks from reading or want to come back to something later. The design of the book is very well constructed and solid. It does not feel like a flimsy book in your hands. The various chapters within the book are marked out and list various examples of play as well as introduce the Essence20 system to the reader. The concept of the system does a lot of homage to the D20 system but also adds its spin on how actions and reactions are done. There are a lot of example characters and places that allow you to set up encounters within the game as well as go through character creation using the Essence20 system to build your character. The core colors from the original series are the main focus of the game with the addition of the advanced color class added in for a change of pace in the game. The book is put together nicely in terms of examples and artwork along with chapters to help the reader get from place to place within the book. Outside of that, the book falls short on some major points that are needed to have a successful campaign for beginner or intermediate players. Cons: The book is horribly riddled with errors both grammatical and topic errors. Some of the sections within the book were very hard to read and follow. While there are plenty of examples of characters from the show and concepts from the show, there is very little that allows the reader to formulate their own creations. Key characters from the shows are missing from the book like Rita, and Lord Zedd. Goldar is nowhere to be found within the book as well as he played a major role in the shows. Character creation is very generalized and does not offer alot of explanation or details when it comes to how to create your characters. I had to youtube a lot of the material from the core book in order to understand how to create encounters and characters for the game. This should have been better explained within the book. Being a casual GM with players who may or may not know the details of the show, this made the experience of trying to run a campaign very difficult and unenjoyable. The section for monster creations and encounters, along with the GM section are almost nonexistent. I found those chapters within the book to be very hard to follow, and not alot of help when trying to put together missions let alone trying to resolve combat properly. The product as a whole leaves alot to be desired and does not offer much in the way of help for the GM nor the players of the campaign. Final Review: While the book is a great work of art and does offer some guidance with how combat and adventures work within the new system. It does not give enough details for the GM nor the players to get fully invested within the game. I found this book very hard to follow and very disappointing that I was unable to even start a campaign without a boat load of questions to come up from myself and the other players. If you are well versed with campaigning and running your own homebrew sessions, this book is for you. If you are new to GMing or very casual in your gameplay, you might find this book a bit frustrating. At the end of the day, I had to return the product as while it is a good concept, I was unable to use it for its core purposes.

Where can I begin? This core book is amazing, beginning with an amazing job on the cover art, to a solid and happy binding on the book itself. The inside are is everything a ranger fan could ask for. Images ranging from MMPR, Zeo, Wild Storm, Lost Galaxy draw you in. The character building (the part you all want to know about) is deep and has many options for you and your players to expand or start a new lore. Things like background, talents, and even a color spectrum bring a balance to the system that will have you ready to throw monsters at your players.

Interesting rules and nice binding.

I am going to game master a short campaign for some friends in the future, so this review only reflects the book itself. The product seems rushed, there are far too many bits leftover from its previous, 5E-based design and many rules and concepts are either misplaced or not well explained. The interior is nicely laid out and the art is excellent, but the lack of rules for making your own foes is a huge minus for me. If the game plays well I might give it another star.

The Essence20 system is a new system but is very similar to other games that use a d20 for most skill checks and combat. What helps this game is the theme. For any Power Rangers fans this is a must. It has some great lore and the artwork is top notch. My only real complaints are that the rules are not always clear and the editing seems inconsistent at times. Overall though the book is fairly solid and is a great way to launch Essence20. I look forward to more products in the line for Power Rangers and the other themes, G.I. Joe and Transformers, set to come out in the next few months.