Roleplaying Reviews

Roleplaying Reviews Contents

D&D Third Edition Player's Handbook (TSR)

Big Eyes, Small Mouth 2nd Ed

From Guardians of Order; reviewed December, 2000

Guardians of Order shook up the role-playing scene a while ago with Big Eyes, Small Mouth, an rpg designed to assimilate the various worlds and gimmicks of anime and manga. A few months ago, we were blessed with this, the Second Edition, which is re-tooled, streamlined, and includes all the best goodies from the supplements which have been published so far.

Can I just tell you how much I love this system? Points-based character creation (pretty much a standard these days), a freewheeling feel, the anime attitude, and endless possibilities. When I read through this rulebook for the second time in as many days (the word "entranced" comes to mind), I was telling myself I may never need to buy another game. The mechanics are simple for both character creation (which can get pretty involved, actually) and task resolution, everything interlocks and scales, and it's...pretty. Not the art (although some of that is quite good) or the layout (which really didnt need to be full-color and glossy, jacking up the price that way), but the way the game works is pretty.

BESM2 manages to incorporate magic, psi, fantasy, and spacefaring/mecha elements into a relatively seamless package. Are the mecha as detailed as something from Mekton Z? No. But when you're a big cinematic-style player like me (down with clunky realism!), that's a bonus. You can design all kinds of mecha with a modicum of effort, and never have to worry about heat sinks and assorted "science". Remember folks, this is an anime game - no realism allowed. But what fun! Just thumbing through the campaigning section in the back of the book makes ideas for mini-campaigns sprout forth. The prospect of making my players shout things like "Magic Solar Fireball GO!!" has me wetting myself. Even if you're not really into anime and manga, take a look at this system, the nuts and bolts of it. Brilliant touch #37: skills cost different amounts depending on the genre you're playing in, with "useful" skills (pilot for a mecha game, guns for a western, etc) costing much more. Balance! I love it!

Now, here's the catch. Once I fell in love with BESM2, I clamored for more. But all the best stuff from the supplements (Big Robots, Cool Spaceships and Hot Rods & Gun Bunnies) is already in here. You don't need anything else, really. I can't recommend this game enough, and I'm eager to give it a serious spin and try to "push" the system to the limits of several genres.

Big Eyes, Small Mouth 2nd Ed: * * * * *

Verdict: A must for anime/manga fans. Worth looking at for anyone else who's seeking a "universal" and "cinematic" system.

D&D3e Dungeon Master's Guide

Okay, as you probably know from my review of the PH, I'm mixed on this new edition. But, to be honest, I have to tell you that this new DMG is one of the best Gamemaster aids I've seen in a long time. Sure, it's full of the requisite tables and all that stuff that a DMG has always had in it. More importantly, it actually has advice for running games, designing adventures, etc - you know, all the stuff that you'd think would be in a "Dungeon Master's Guide" but never was. Do you need the new DMG? Well, if you're running 3e, then (duh) the answer is yes. A better question is, will it help you even if you're not playing D&D3e? Unfortunately, unless you're an inexperienced GM, I'd have to say no. The sections on dealing with campaigns and parties are good, but they are targeted at beginning DMs, to be sure.

D&D3e Player's Handbook

Mixed, mixed, mixed. I'm big on some of the mechanical stuff they changed - a single task resolution mechanic, consolidating the level charts & xp, revising multiclassing, flipping AC, changing THAC0 to a simpler combat bonus. No problems with that stuff (and I might steal some of it for my campaign). But - and this is a big but - third edition D&D is a whole new game in a lot of ways. Feats, a whole new skill system, serious tweaks on magic, even-more-serious tweaks on clerics/priests. This is not your father's D&D.

Is this a bad thing? Yes and no. It's not a bad thing if you're a company (WoTC) trying to recruit new gamers with a simplified, fantasized system. To that end, I give kudos and polite applause to the folks at Wizards. It is a bad thing if you're a longtime gamer and cynical about sweeping changes. Especially since this means future releases will be, while not incompatible with your 2nd-Edition campaign, definitely a pain to convert. I don't mind the d20 system by itself - I think the OGL is a cool thing, and I'm looking forward to checking out the new Star Wars game - but as a replacement for AD&D, I'm still not so sure.

Basically, if you're not into AD&D, go ahead and check out D&D3e. If you're a hardcore 2nd-Editioner, then you'll either love it ("wow! Monks kick ass!") or, if you're like me, your gaze will move from the new Player's Handbook over to the roomful of older materials and cause you heartache. Nevertheless, it's a well-constructed game, although the combat section seems a little more complicated than it needs to be.

D&D3e Player's Handbook: * * *

D&D3e Dungeon Master's Guide: * * *

Verdict: Great for newcomers; old hands are going to have to read it and decide for themselves.

Dragon Magazine Archive CD-ROM

From TSR; Reviewed August 2000

I have to admit, I was always kind of a goob when it came to Dragon Magazine - it exposed me to all kinds of games and artists and concepts I would not have otherwise encountered as a budding young roleplayer. A couple of years back, it saddened me to have to part with my collection, which was just taking up too much room. You can imagine my excitement when I got my hands on this CD-ROM archive, which covers all the issues up to #250.

The product features a browser that lets you browse, search, and print through the text and art of all 250+ issues. My only problem with the browser is that it's difficult to resize things so you can read them from your monitor (so you either have to spend a lot of time twiddling the pages about, or just give up and print anything you want to read), and that the browser doesn't have print controls for black & white, so each time you print you have to dig through submenus and toggle it that way. Otherwise, you'll end up printing a colorful banner or ad by accident and draining your color-ink down to nothing.

Is it worth getting? Well, that depends. If you are an old-school DM who fondly remembers the old days of Dragon, then yes. If you are going to stick with 2nd Edition even once the Third comes out, or enjoy cannibalizing material for ideas, then yes. But if you're just regular Joe Player, you certainly don't need to drop upwards of fifty bucks for this product. Maybe everyone in your gaming group can kick in and get it for your regular DM - it's guaranteed to be useful in coming up with new ideas, rules, items, and spells. There's also the added advantage of being able to go back and read all the comics and short stories you missed.

Rating: * * * * (out of five)

Verdict: A brilliant collection, but strictly for the hardcore DM.

Sea of Fallen Stars

Sea of Fallen Stars is a Forgotten Realms supplement for 2nd Ed AD&D, covering the undersea realm of Seros (beneath the Sea of Fallen Stars). All in all, it's a mixed bag. Sea of Fallen Stars has rules for underwater pc races (locathah, merfolk, tritons, etc, including some new stuff) and monsters all in one place. There are new spells and magic items, as well. For Faerun DMs, there is a wealth of information on Seros' undersea cultures, history, and religions, and if you don't play in Faerun, there's at least a lot of good ideas to cannibalize. There are a few problems I have with the product. First, the presentation vs. the price. Did we really need nice blue ink for all the paragraph and chapter headings? Did we need those full-color paintings on glossy pages in the center? These kind of extraneous features (when drawings would've done just as well) crank up the price of a book which otherwise would be invaluable to DMs thinking about sending their players underwater. The other beef I have with the book is that it is definitely meant as a companion to the earlier Pirates of... volume; there are multiple references to rules cited in that book which are not reprinted in Sea (although some are). For those of us with both books, that's not a (huge) problem, but it can get annoying. With the old D&D Undersea supplement long out of print (what was it - PC3?), this is the only underwater support D&D/AD&D gets from Wizards/TSR. For unofficial support, check out the Fathoms website, which covers similar material.

Rating: * * * (out of five)

Verdict: Highly recommended to Forgotten Realms DMs; not as useful for others, but full of good ideas.