The Inside Scoop on Gaming

The Pocket Warrior is the first release in the new Pocket Fantasy line from Plaid Rabbit. What? Another fantasy game? Hang on, the pay-off is worth it.

Pocket Fantasy is aimed squarely at the beginner's market, but has enough detail and richness of setting to appeal to even the jaded dungeon delver. The mechanics are simple, evocative of Steve Jackson's The Fantasy Trip from Metagaming oh so long ago. No surprise there; co-author Greg McLimore followed Steve as Line Shepherd for TFT. Character creation is done on a simple character-build system, with a few random elements tossed in. Combat & task resolution is handled with simple contest rolls using 2d10.

That's one of the things I find most remarkable about the game. In defiance of the crowds that think More Dice Is Better, Poehlein & McLimore have designed all the mechanics to work from the simple 2d10 roll. Somehow the result feels more elegant even than GURPS' fundamental 3d6 roll.

Pocket Warrior was formally launched at GenCon '97 and covers the basics of creating fighter-oriented characters. The Pocket Sorceror is due this winter and will provide support for the spell-slingers among us. Future expansions include a bestiary and a collection of rules for the Dark Side of Magic.

For $12 and change, you get three 32-page booklets hidden in a handy CD jewel-case. 32 pages are the basic rules; 32 pages are weapons and NPC "cards," plus reference stuff. 32 pages are the introduction to the "World of Terrae," Pocket Fantasy's campaign setting and probably the most original fantasy setting to roll around in a long time. Future will releases will follow this pattern of rules/accessories/background. Minor quibble: the books are small, and that means the print is small.

Is it worth it? Darn straight! I'll admit here-and-now that I've been a GURPS fiend for a decade or so. But this looks to be the game that finally lures me away. Well, part-time, anyway. The rules are fast, flexible and fun; they don't support the intense reality-checking GURPS is famous for . . . but they're not intended to. Pocket Fantasy is explicitly designed to encourage creative role-play; if a little reality gets sacrificed, well, sorry. I grew up playing in just this kind of environment, and I'm delighted to see a product line advocating this approach.

Other product lines will follow Pocket Fantasy, including Tomorrow's Hero's (a superhero game & setting), OtherWorld (extradimensional adventure), and Street Angels (gritty martial arts). All will use the same core rules as Pocket Fantasy, derived from Greg Poehlein's PlainLabel RolePlaying System. A cut-rate GURPS? You can look at it that way, if you're uncharitable. I like the commonality of the simple rules engine and I expect to support several of these lines with my hard-earned cash . . . and maybe create one or two myself.

Bottom Line: Simplicity and Fun comes back to Roleplaying.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

The Pocket Warrior
Author: Greg Poehlein & Guy McLimore Category: game Company/Publisher: MC+ Creations/Plaid Rabbit Productions Cost: 11.95 Page count: 96 pages Capsule Review by Bob Portnell on 10/21/97. Genre tags: none	*The Pocket Warrior* is the first release in the new Pocket Fantasy line from Plaid Rabbit. What? Another fantasy game? Hang on, the pay-off is worth it. Pocket Fantasy is aimed squarely at the beginner's market, but has enough detail and richness of setting to appeal to even the jaded dungeon delver. The mechanics are simple, evocative of Steve Jackson's The Fantasy Trip from Metagaming oh so long ago. No surprise there; co-author Greg McLimore followed Steve as Line Shepherd for TFT. Character creation is done on a simple character-build system, with a few random elements tossed in. Combat & task resolution is handled with simple contest rolls using 2d10. That's one of the things I find most remarkable about the game. In defiance of the crowds that think More Dice Is Better, Poehlein & McLimore have designed all the mechanics to work from the simple 2d10 roll. Somehow the result feels more elegant even than GURPS' fundamental 3d6 roll. Pocket Warrior was formally launched at GenCon '97 and covers the basics of creating fighter-oriented characters. The Pocket Sorceror is due this winter and will provide support for the spell-slingers among us. Future expansions include a bestiary and a collection of rules for the Dark Side of Magic. For $12 and change, you get three 32-page booklets hidden in a handy CD jewel-case. 32 pages are the basic rules; 32 pages are weapons and NPC "cards," plus reference stuff. 32 pages are the introduction to the "World of Terrae," Pocket Fantasy's campaign setting and probably the most original fantasy setting to roll around in a long time. Future will releases will follow this pattern of rules/accessories/background. Minor quibble: the books are small, and that means the print is small. Is it worth it? Darn straight! I'll admit here-and-now that I've been a GURPS fiend for a decade or so. But this looks to be the game that finally lures me away. Well, part-time, anyway. The rules are fast, flexible and fun; they don't support the intense reality-checking GURPS is famous for . . . but they're not intended to. Pocket Fantasy is explicitly designed to encourage creative role-play; if a little reality gets sacrificed, well, sorry. I grew up playing in just this kind of environment, and I'm delighted to see a product line advocating this approach. Other product lines will follow Pocket Fantasy, including Tomorrow's Hero's (a superhero game & setting), OtherWorld (extradimensional adventure), and Street Angels (gritty martial arts). All will use the same core rules as Pocket Fantasy, derived from Greg Poehlein's PlainLabel RolePlaying System. A cut-rate GURPS? You can look at it that way, if you're uncharitable. I like the commonality of the simple rules engine and I expect to support several of these lines with my hard-earned cash . . . and maybe create one or two myself. Bottom Line: Simplicity and Fun comes back to Roleplaying. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)