Tabletop Review: Racial Ecologies: Guide to Ratfolk (Pathfinder)

Racial Ecologies: Guide to Ratfolk
Publisher: Fat Goblin Games
Pages: 8
Cost: $1.99 (watermarked PDF)
Release Date: 01/07/2012
Get It Here: DriveThruRPG.com

INTRODUCTION: Racial Ecologies: Guide to Ratfolk is an eight page colored PDF document that is compatible with Paizo’s Pathfinder role-playing game and can easily be converted for other role-playing games with minimal difficulty. This supplement can be used for any fantasy role-playing game that utilizes different types of races that can be played by the players per the GM’s/DM’s approval.

CONTENTS: This wonderfully well-done PDF contains a lot of great information on the race of ratfolk. I wish to point out that these ratfolk discussed in this document are NOT wererats. In any case, the easy to read contents of this PDF covers the race of ratfolk in its entirety such as their history, physiology, ratfolk society, psychology, enemies and allies, player races, ratfolk equipment, ratfolk featsm and a new monster, the Rat Ogre. The supplemental material within the contents of this PDF will be more then enough information to have a player be a member of this race with future content dictated by the DM. I found all information in this PDF to be extremely descriptive and covers essentially everything one needs to know about playing a ratfolk as player character.

PRACTICAL USE: In the past 2 ½ weeks, I handed one of my best players this document and told him to make a ratfolk character for a 1st level Pathfinder one shot adventure of twelve hours…that actually lasted three weeks. Let me say that I was indeed totally impressed with the balance of the ratfolk’s stat blocks as a player character. The other three players had no idea of the true identity of the player’s race because he was heavily covered in clothes, robes, and cloaks, which is typical of their nature when they are dealing with surface dwellers. I did manage to use the Rat Ogre as the big bad evil guy however, both the player ratfolk character and the monster were bullrushed over a cliff by the paladin in the party leaving questions as to the survival of the player character and his race of which the players were getting curious by certain subtle hints of “rattish” behavior. The player who test played this ratfolk PC thought it to be extremely interesting and is looking forward to playing it again with more abilities as he levels up. A DM who is looking to add more alternative races should really give this ratfolk race a shot. They will provide loads of fun and their mysterious nature will only add more flesh to a Pathfinder campaign.

POSITIVE NOTES: Again, this wonderfully well-done PDF is easy to read, easily formatted for PDF use, and just full of information on a new race without all the unnecessary fluff. The race of ratfolk is not an overpowered race and with its abilities will certainly supplement fighters and rogues in a group of players. Ratfolk as a playable race are more likely to get away with being a PC because of their size and their “human” mannerisms even though they really do not like to reveal who or what they really are.

NEGATIVE NOTES: None

OVERALL REVIEW: This is an AWESOME supplement that found great use in the last three weeks. The player who was chosen to play it did an excellent job and it really made this one of the better Pathfinder compatible supplements I have seen in a while. This will certainly make a long term campaign more colorful with the introduction of new races for players to utilize.