The Inside Scoop on Gaming

The easiest way to review this product is to break it down into two distinct parts.

First, the GM screen. The GM screen, standard three-pane cardboard, features a center-pane illustration by Ron Spencer of an Indian female and a gunslinger with a gatling pistol duking it out with a devil bat. Interesting, though I found it kind of busy - everything is rather sinewy in the picture.

The other two panes facing the players, unlike most GM screens, feature information about things such as shamanic rituals, hurtin' and healin', task roll numbers, speed, test o' will, and hurtin' things. This helps speed up gameplay incredibly since the players never have to ask about most things - it's listed right there. The GM's side duplicates a little over half that information, but also includes tables for failed Guts checks, Terror checks, and backlash for hucksters, as well as additional information on armor, poker hands, and fate chips. The only problems with the chart is some of the type - the orange type doesn't show up well on a brown background - and an occasional errata (such as reversing blue and red chips on the damage chart).

(Minor spoilers for the adventures follow.)

The first adventure - "The Harrowed Ground" - features the PCs caught in a small-town with a secret that comes back to haunt them - physically. It can be very difficult for PCs if they're not observant, but the ending is possibly the toughest part, not only on the health and welfare of the PCs but also the sheer volume of bookkeeping needed for running the scenario.

The second adventure is "Ghostriders in the Sky". Set in Utah, it has circus freak bank robbers and acid guns. A violence-oriented posse will have much more trouble with this scenario then the previous one.

The book ends with two pages of errata and a corrected character sheet.

In the end, this is a GM's screen that is definitely worth it. For the price, either part of the package would almost be worth it, but together it's a must-buy for any Deadlands Marshal.

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Marshal Law (#1009)
Author: John Hopler and Angel Leigh McCoy Category: game Company/Publisher: Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Inc. Cost: $15.00 Page count: 48 plus GM screen ISBN: 1-889546-09-7 Capsule Review by SeanMike Whipkey on 03/08/99. Genre tags: Science_fiction Horror Old_West	The easiest way to review this product is to break it down into two distinct parts. First, the GM screen. The GM screen, standard three-pane cardboard, features a center-pane illustration by Ron Spencer of an Indian female and a gunslinger with a gatling pistol duking it out with a devil bat. Interesting, though I found it kind of busy - everything is rather sinewy in the picture. The other two panes facing the players, unlike most GM screens, feature information about things such as shamanic rituals, hurtin' and healin', task roll numbers, speed, test o' will, and hurtin' things. This helps speed up gameplay incredibly since the players never have to ask about most things - it's listed right there. The GM's side duplicates a little over half that information, but also includes tables for failed Guts checks, Terror checks, and backlash for hucksters, as well as additional information on armor, poker hands, and fate chips. The only problems with the chart is some of the type - the orange type doesn't show up well on a brown background - and an occasional errata (such as reversing blue and red chips on the damage chart). (Minor spoilers for the adventures follow.) The first adventure - "The Harrowed Ground" - features the PCs caught in a small-town with a secret that comes back to haunt them - physically. It can be very difficult for PCs if they're not observant, but the ending is possibly the toughest part, not only on the health and welfare of the PCs but also the sheer volume of bookkeeping needed for running the scenario. The second adventure is "Ghostriders in the Sky". Set in Utah, it has circus freak bank robbers and acid guns. A violence-oriented posse will have much more trouble with this scenario then the previous one. The book ends with two pages of errata and a corrected character sheet. In the end, this is a GM's screen that is definitely worth it. For the price, either part of the package would almost be worth it, but together it's a must-buy for any Deadlands Marshal. Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Marshal Law (#1009)