The strength of this publication is manifold, because of how a GM can use this at the table. I read through the book and imagined three separate campaigns. One Science Fiction, another Sword & Sorcery, and another as a truly Weird Fantasy. These settings are dependent on the origin and viewpoint of the PC's, and I imagine there would be some pretty interesting scenarios if the GM allows natives and 'galactic PCs' in the same party. The flexibility is in part due to the overall transparency of transition between describing science fiction and fantasy elements in the setting.
I love this setting, for many reasons. I always wanted to use the Traveller RPG, but as a kid, my limited gaming dollars went to material that prominently featured the artwork of Erol Otus as oppose to those LBBs. I picked up the new edition of the rules, but have yet to use them. This setting will let me try a game system I've never used before, experiment with fantasy tropes that I'm far too familiar with, and inspire me to introduce the weird and fantastic back into my game.
I would highly recommend this setting to anyone that appreciates speculative science fiction. I think this setting fits nicely in the context of 'Old School Renaissance'.
I would have given this 5 stars, but there are some issues with the table of contents. The Factions chapter is actually on page 111, right in the middle of the gazetteer, and not on page 125 as indicated by the TOC. There are several glaring spelling and grammar errors. A PDF document needs bookmarks to main entries, at minimum.
Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!] |