Each player has certain attributes, including skill, strength, courage, cunning, and daring. Each has his kingdom. Each can ally with or attack any of the others . . . But one player seems to have confused the reality of the game with the reality of the world: a player with the attributes of machinelike precision and mechanical ruthlessness. His name is Octagon, and he's out for blood. Even though he doesn't have any.

    In the D&D game, players create characters that band together to explore dungeons, slay monsters, and find treasure. The 4th Edition D&D rules offer the best possible play experience by presenting exciting character options, an elegant and robust rules system, and handy storytelling tools for the Dungeon Master.This gift set provides all three 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons core rulebooks (Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual) in a handsome slipcase that looks great on any bookshelf.

    And since the missing box is ancient, has no keyhole and holds tremendous darkness inside, Kaylin knows unknown forces are once again playing with her destiny—and her life.CAST IN FURYWhen a minority race of telepaths is suspected of causing a near-devastating tidal wave, Private Kaylin Neya is again drawn into a world of politics…and murder. To make matters worse, Marcus, her trusted sergeant, gets stripped of his command, leaving Kaylin vulnerable. Now she's juggling two troubling cases, and her dreaded magic lessons are starting to look good by comparison…CAST IN SILENCEPrivate Kaylin Neya has sacrificed much to earn the respect of the winged Aerians and immortal Barrani she works alongside. But when the city's oracles warn of brewing unrest in the outer fiefdoms, a mysterious visitor from Kaylin's past casts her under a cloud of suspicion.

    When a planet's religious sects fall victim to a serial killer, an Interfed agent must immerse himself in a world of stark spirituality to save the lives of two extraordinary women...

    you find yourselves cut off from the world you know. The castle is fraught with peril. Members of the strange Amber family, some insane, some merely deadly, lurk around every corner. Somewhere in the castle is the key to your escape, but can you survive long enough to find it?

    

    None dared to steal the treasure--until Conan the Cimmerian came to Shapur. Now he must smuggle tons of gold and jewels past the city guards and escape to a place of safety, while pursued by the most efficient and dangerous band of manhunters ever assembled, led by a warrior whose skills and ferocity rival Conan himself. But great dangers lurk when Conan returns to the temple--and the priests of Ahriman conspire to bring their fearsome deity back into the world...

    It’s for those who like to laugh at the absurdity, magic, and madness of human existence. It's been called the next Brave New World, with a touch of Kurt Vonnegut and a hint of Philip K. Dick. You won’t be able to put it down.” Joe Sokolinsky, TV Channel 29, San Francisco, 2010The Future Perfect is a wild ride into the future, unknown like anything I have ever envisioned. Mustard’s imagination is remarkable, knowing no boundaries and yet holding this reader within his genius virtual reality. The characters are likable, funny, determined and yet quirky. The world-building is unbelievable and so detail oriented, I could quickly build the world in my mind, down to the finest pebble. Glass flowers and linoleum deserts are just the tip of what this futuristic novel has to offer. Romance, suspense, competitive science and excellent writing, The Future Perfect is genius! I totally enjoyed it! Minding Spot (Book Review Blog), Wendy 9/18/11“This book is an absolutely fantastic, humorous and dark satirical look at a dystopian future where humankind simultaneously wages war against nature while pining for its renewal, glories in a shallow sterile consumerist society obsessed with dreams of true happiness, computer simulated immortality and the eradication of all danger via technology.” The Goth "Darkness Visible” October 19, 2010“If you like your sci-fi quirky and off the wall, you can't go wrong with this one. You'll never guess what's coming next. As I drew near the end, I found myself eager to see how it all turns out, but dreading the end of the adventure. And that ending? Near perfect. A laugh out loud page-turner.” LrockyB 2012“In this amazing science fiction/fantasy treatise, Mustard portrays a hyperactive world where artificial intelligence has progressed to the point that no one dies and technology has everyone and everything moving at a frenetic pace. More than a novel, The Future Perfect is a gut wrenching experience that causes readers to question the parameters of human existence while satirizing those who tend toward navel gazing. I found myself laughing derisively one moment then shrieking in horror at recognizing myself in this fun house distortion. Truly, Mustard has held up a mirror to the disastrous collision course upon which humanity has embarked and its inevitable end. Like a train wreck, it's hard to watch yet impossible to turn away from. Even as you're aware of what you think will be the inevitable and horrifying outcome, you continue to gape at this pitch perfect rendering of humanity's mad dash to extinction. I loved reading this novel, and I don't usually like science fiction.” Mary Reilly, Booknookclub (Book Review Blog) 2011“This is one of the best sci-fi books I have ever read. It has a great plot; actually, it has an amazing plot. I especially love the ending.” Mom2Four 2011“There seems to be all sorts of influences, not just Vonnegut, Adams and Huxley, but also more than a bit of Arthur C. Clarke and Margaret Atwood. It bundles all these influences together into a classic piece of predictive science fiction. It's done in a silly and light hearted way, so it gets you thinking without feeling too heavy handed or getting in the way of the narrative.” Robin Hartley 2010“This is a classic. The turn of phrase, hilarity with pathos, and sheer creative ability in his writing is astonishing. I place this work alongside all the best predictive sci-fi I've ever read.” Shakti 2010“The future portrayed here is not too distant or far removed from reality.

    There's a brand new Hulk in town, and his name is Amadeus Cho! Get ready for the craziest Hulk story of the millennium as a kid genius decides he's gonna be the best Hulk ever- and just possibly brings the entire Marvel Universe crashing down into chaos!

    until the day the spider appears. What looks like an ordinary arachnid turns out to be Anansi, the trickster god of African legend, and its arrival throws Dion’s existence into chaos. Dion’s already impressive legal brain is sharpened. He becomes nimbler-witted and more ruthless, able to manipulate and deceive like never before, both in and out of court. He has been transformed into Anansi’s avatar on earth.Then he discovers the price he has to pay for his new-found skills: he must travel to America and take part in a contest between avatars of all the other trickster gods. It’s a life-or-death battle of wits, full of skulduggery and double-cross. At the end, only one will be left standing.

    In the last year of his reign, he decides to milk his power for every ounce of benefit to himself. His dream to rebuild his Capellan Confederation at any cost is about to become a reality. His first victim: his own aunt, Candace Liao, who deserted the Confederation in the Fourth Succession War, taking the St. Ives Compact with her.Answering Sun-Tzue's call to battle is Warrior House Hiritsu, always ready to serve, and the Hustaing Warriors, who will do what is necessary to get the job done. As border skirmishes between BattleMechs turn bloody, military units rally to Candace Liao's call to hold the line. Both Sides are unyielding in this hard-fought war. And as Capellan fights Capellan, the high price of glory will be paid in full...

    An attack by crazed goblins reveals the shadows of a forgotten past returning to threaten the town—and perhaps all of Varisia. The Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path begins with this goblin raid and takes players on an epic journey through the land of Varisia as they track a cult of serial killers, fight backwoods ogres, stop an advancing army of stone giants, delve into ancient dungeons, and finally face off against a wizard-king in his ancient mountaintop city. This hardcover compilation updates the fan-favorite campaign to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rules with revised and new content in more than 400 pages packed with mayhem, excitement, and adventure!Celebrating both the fifth anniversary of the Pathfinder Adventure Path and the tenth anniversary of Paizo Publishing, this new edition expands the original campaign with new options and refined encounters throughout, incorporating 5 years of community feedback.The Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition contains:- All six chapters of the original Adventure Path, expanded and updated for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.- Articles on the major locations of Rise of the Runelords: sleepy Sandpoint, the ancient Thassilonian city of Xin-Shalast, and others.- Revelations on the sinister magic of Thassilon, with updated spells, magic items, and details on tracking sin points throughout the campaign.- A bestiary featuring eight monsters updated from the original Adventure Path, plus an all-new terror.- Dozens of new illustrations, never-before-seen characters, location maps, and more!Cover art by Wayne Reynolds

    five short novels in The World of Tiers series: 1-The Maker of the Universe; 2-the Gates of Creation; 3-A Private Cosmos; 4-Behind the Walls of Terra; 5-The Lavalite World.

    A brand new work by the Grandmaster of Science Fiction, Robert Silverberg (with a sequel novella by Alvaro Zinos-amaro).What happens when the immortals of Earth are suddenly faced with their ultimate destruction?Hanosz Prime, a near-immortal (though not truly so, not being of true Earth stock) travels to humanity's ancient home to discover the ultimate answer to humanity's end.This book is part of the acclaimed Stellar Guild Series, edited by Mike Resnick.