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This is King Arthur Pendragon set in the year 4485AD. All the usual characters one might expect from the setting are present from Arthur himself and his Knights of the Round Table to Morgan le Fay and other forces of evil. Arthur rules more than Camelot in this game, he rules the entire solar system. Merlin takes the form of an artificial intelligence residing in Arthur's mainframe computer.

The background for the game is quite good for the price of the book. All the major personages from the classic Arthurian legend are covered in good detail. There is some information on all the inhabited worlds in the solar system all the way out to the moons of Saturn. A brief history of chivalry is provided which adds some flavor to the game as well. I was also pleasantly surprised to find a small section on shield heraldry. The monster section is fairly good and includes such famed creatures as the Questing Beast and the White Stag. Magic in the game is all technologically based, so your "ring of flight" could possibly "break down" in midflight!

The main problem with this game and the reason it only received average scores from me is the rule system. The Amazing Engine rules are overly complex. While the combat system does include jousting, dueling and other combat appropriate to the game, the rules really bog down the excitement instead of enhancing it.

Another problem with the game is that only four character classes are allowed. While each character class is covered fairly well, it would be nice to have either more options or hybrid character classes available. The development of this section could have really enhanced the game. Character development is a great strength of the King Arthur Pendragon by Chaosium.

It might be possible to find this game for less than the standard price. I have seen it on sale for only $4-6. TSR seems to have had problems selling the Amazing Engine line.

THE BOTTOM LINE For fans of Pendragon, this game might be a nice change of pace for your group. For those who don't think high tech chivalry would be a good thing for their group, don't bother with this game.

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Once and Future King
Author: Jack Barker Category: game Company/Publisher: TSR Line: Amazing Engine Cost: $12.95 Page count: 144 Capsule Review by Todd Cross on 06/10/99. Genre tags: Fantasy Far_Future	This is King Arthur Pendragon set in the year 4485AD. All the usual characters one might expect from the setting are present from Arthur himself and his Knights of the Round Table to Morgan le Fay and other forces of evil. Arthur rules more than Camelot in this game, he rules the entire solar system. Merlin takes the form of an artificial intelligence residing in Arthur's mainframe computer. The background for the game is quite good for the price of the book. All the major personages from the classic Arthurian legend are covered in good detail. There is some information on all the inhabited worlds in the solar system all the way out to the moons of Saturn. A brief history of chivalry is provided which adds some flavor to the game as well. I was also pleasantly surprised to find a small section on shield heraldry. The monster section is fairly good and includes such famed creatures as the Questing Beast and the White Stag. Magic in the game is all technologically based, so your "ring of flight" could possibly "break down" in midflight! The main problem with this game and the reason it only received average scores from me is the rule system. The Amazing Engine rules are overly complex. While the combat system does include jousting, dueling and other combat appropriate to the game, the rules really bog down the excitement instead of enhancing it. Another problem with the game is that only four character classes are allowed. While each character class is covered fairly well, it would be nice to have either more options or hybrid character classes available. The development of this section could have really enhanced the game. Character development is a great strength of the King Arthur Pendragon by Chaosium. It might be possible to find this game for less than the standard price. I have seen it on sale for only $4-6. TSR seems to have had problems selling the Amazing Engine line. THE BOTTOM LINE For fans of Pendragon, this game might be a nice change of pace for your group. For those who don't think high tech chivalry would be a good thing for their group, don't bother with this game. Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 3 (Average)

Once and Future King