Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Alternity Gamemaster Guide: Rules for Modern to Far-Future Roleplaying Games (Hardcover Rules Book) by Richard Baker, Bill Slavicsek, TSR Inc ISBN: 0-7869-0729-0 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: May, 1998 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.53 (15 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: An Essential Element For An Exciting New Game
Comment: A core rulebook for TSR's new science fiction roleplaying game, the Alternity Gamemaster Guide provides ideas and essential rules for running an Alternity campaign. Alternity brings flexibility to the sci-fi gaming universe, allowing the gamemaster to create any sort of campaign, from friendly exploration and alien contacts to gritty, grim wars of vast planetary destruction.
Use of this book assumes ownership and working knowledge of the Alternity Player's Handbook. It covers the basics of running a roleplaying game for novices, Alternity's special quirks for the experienced gamemaster, adventure and campaign design, and fast-play rules for the impatient. Sections deal with details of handling character creation, personal statistics and their effects, hero careers, and non-player characters. Tips are given for designing new hero careers, alien races beyond the five provided in the Player's Handbook, and a variety of vehicles, star systems, individual planets, spacecraft, and alien artifacts. The Guide contains many short tables for effects and characteristics, and for determining species lifespans (as determined by technology level). Brief optional rules are also presented for mutants, psionics, cyborgs, artificial intelligence, and "special effects" (any magic, miracle, or superpower beyond the other rules provided).
For players' displeasure there are statistics for 15 dangerous animals from good old Terra and 20 generic alien creature types to modify for every alien need. TSR fantasy fans will find an appendix of conversion rules for bringing AD&D characters, races, equipment, and spells into an Alternity game.
For ease in using published adventures and accessories, a sample nonplayer character statistics form with explanatory notes is provided. Also included are forms for ship design, ship status, and solar system design/record. There is an index of both this book and the Player's Handbook.
Alternity Gamemaster's Guide is an essential element in what promises to be an exciting new game in the science fiction game genre.
--Sharon Daugherty for Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine
Rating: 3
Summary: The Alternity Game is Very Good
Comment: So why only three stars, well first let me say that the rules and mechanics of the Alternity system are second to none and are straight forward enough to allow the GM to do what he is supposed to and tell a good story. Where this book falls down though are the specifics sections.
Alternity is a generic Sci-fi rules system which you can use to run games in the far-future (featuring spaceships, aliens, and whatnot) through to cyber-punk (near future with large corporations running the show and bionic implants enabling charcters to perform the impossible) right down to modern day (conspiracies, alien abductions, ghost, vampires etc...). So whilst the rules work for all these settings some of the specifics dont, for example the spaceship section is a waste of time if you are running a near future setting. Now this information isnt badly presented and I found it very interesting even if it wasnt going to play a part in my campaign. IMO it would have been better to leave these specifics to seperate volumes where they can be dealt with in detail.
So in conclusion, the Alternity system is good and you should play it, its a shame that this book doesnt live up to the systems potential.
Rating: 4
Summary: A fine effort rom TSR
Comment: As a veteran gamer who probably has more gaming material than should be healthy, I'm pleased to see TSR introduce the very promising Alternity game. This book is for gamemasters who wish to run an Alternity game and is the companion volume to the Alternity Players Handbook.
The rules are explained simply and concisely with all the tables and charts well organized and easy to find. More importantly, unlike much of the game products out there, this book is vividly written with inspiration and flair, bringing alive the technology, citizens, and cultures of the setting. All this is finished off by quality art as well. This terrific book prompted me to add the Alternity game to my gaming cabinet. If I can find any fault at all, it is that some sections like equipment and starships are a little brief - I suppose the publishers wanted to leave room for future supplements (what else is new?). A fine effort, nonetheless.
 |
Title: Starships (Alternity) by David Eckelberry, TSR Inc ISBN: 0786913193 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: January, 1999 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
 |
Title: Arms & Equipment Guide (Accessory) by Richard Baker ISBN: 0786912146 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: August, 1998 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
 |
Title: Star Drive: Campaign Setting (Campaign Setting) by David Eckelberry, Richard Baker, David Eckleberry, TSR Inc ISBN: 078690738X Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: July, 1998 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
 |
Title: Dark Matter: Campaign Setting by Wolfgang Baur, Monte Cook, Wolfgang Bauer ISBN: 0786914335 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: November, 1999 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
 |
Title: Player's Handbook: Core Rulebook I (Dungeons & Dragons, Edition 3.5) ISBN: 0786928867 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: 18 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
