The Inside Scoop on Gaming

I was lucky enough to pick up The Fading Suns Gamemasters Screen and Complete Pandemonium the same day I grabbed al Malik Fiefs. I've managed to put both to use in short order. We'll separate the GM's Screen and Complete Pandemonium for ease of reference in this review as they come bundled together.

Complete Pandemonium:

Complete Pandemonium is something neat: it is one part worldbook like the Imperial Surveys, but it also includes NPC stats, as well as two adventures, both remarkably different.

The worldbook section goes hand in hand with the rulebook's background on Pandemonium. This product builds upon that, adding a map of The Hub, the only city to be untouched by the cataclysms wracking the planet, as well as the obligatory map of the world and linear solar map seen in al Malik Fiefs. There's a history of what happened to the world while it was lost, as well as notable places, descriptions of the rest of the surface and more adventure hooks.

Next comes stats on docking fees, important places in the Hub, and various NPCs, including perhaps the first loud-mouthed noble I've seen in a role-playing game who stands a chance of backing his words up. He could eat most of my player-characters for lunch, which is a new thing for us. My one complaint is that (like Sister Tracy from the 1st edition rulebook,) Graaf the King of Thieves has only been briefly mentioned in the new edition, and some of what was revealed about him in the 1st ed. Rulebook is "lost information" in that it hasn't reappeared, and would be valuable to new players.

After all of this come the beasts that populate Pandemonium, or at least some of the interesting ones. The "religious passion play" of the Fading Suns universe is apparent in at least one creature that stalks only those with guilt on their souls.

And finally there are the two adventures, "Everlight" and "A Healing Draught." Both seem to be solid adventures (although I haven't played them)-- one deals with the advances made by various powers during an apparent catastrophe of epic proportions, the other a quiet religious quest that captures much of what I like about Fading Suns. My only complaint about the "Disaster Movie" adventure, as I've called it, is that while it takes apart the Hub it doesn't actually say how to put it back together again. The ending is a bit of an anticlimax and there isn't much support for novice GMs…I know what I'm going to do with it, but I have a firmer vision of my campaign than a lot of people; others may be lost.

As for the rest of Complete Pandemonium, the art is up to par and the layout good; all in all the entire thing feels like a bit of an appetizer rather than a main course, but when taken as a whole it seems to be a good value. As a companion piece to the rulebook, it's excellent.

Gamemasters Screen

The Gamemaster's Screen, arguably a vital piece of any RPG. How does this one fare?

Well, I've got to be honest, it succeeds and fails. On the one hand, the artwork on the exterior of the screen by John Bridges is beautiful and truly evocative of the setting, and I note my players haven't gotten tired of it yet. With one omission (a combat summary would've been nice, but I can't imagine what you would remove in order to place it on the screen) the interior of the screen is perfect, providing the GM with plenty of information.

So where's the complaint? The actual material that the screen is made of seems a bit weak. Now the same complaint was made about the first edition screen, and in this new screen's defense it seems much sturdier than that one (though they could be made of the same material for all I know…) But I don't know that this screen will stand up to the repeated beatings the average GM will put it through. So far, after three sessions and being carried in my Bag O' Stuff, it's stood up nicely, so this entire flimsiness could be in my head, but be warned.

Overall:

Overall my quibbles with Complete Pandemonium and Gamemasters Screen are minor, and the screen-material issue may not even be a real one.

A Gamemasters Screen is, in essence, an extension of the rulebook. This is especially true in this case. Compete Pandemonium and it's adventures are great for conveying the feel and tone of Fading Suns Second Edition, are built to follow the adventure in the main rulebook, and the setting material on Pandemonium in the rulebook compliments this product without repeating anything. In addition, everybody needs a GM's Screen and this one is a good buy. If you play Fading Suns, Second Edition, then snatch this up. On the other hand, there is nothing really awe-inspiring about this; it's a solid product, but doesn't knock your socks off like the new edition or many of the sourcebooks. Still, it's worth the price just for the adventures...

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

Fading Suns Gamemasters Screen and Complete Pandemonium
Author: Bill Bridges, Brian Campbell, Bill Maxwell, James Moore Category: game Company/Publisher: Holistic Design, Inc. Line: Fading Suns, Second edition Cost: $12.95 Page count: 32 ISBN: 1-888906-19-7 SKU: FS 203 Capsule Review by Eric Brennan on 11/08/99. Genre tags: Fantasy Science_fiction Horror Far_Future Space Post-apocalypse Gothic	I was lucky enough to pick up The Fading Suns Gamemasters Screen and Complete Pandemonium the same day I grabbed al Malik Fiefs. I've managed to put both to use in short order. We'll separate the GM's Screen and Complete Pandemonium for ease of reference in this review as they come bundled together. Complete Pandemonium: Complete Pandemonium is something neat: it is one part worldbook like the Imperial Surveys, but it also includes NPC stats, as well as two adventures, both remarkably different. The worldbook section goes hand in hand with the rulebook's background on Pandemonium. This product builds upon that, adding a map of The Hub, the only city to be untouched by the cataclysms wracking the planet, as well as the obligatory map of the world and linear solar map seen in al Malik Fiefs. There's a history of what happened to the world while it was lost, as well as notable places, descriptions of the rest of the surface and more adventure hooks. Next comes stats on docking fees, important places in the Hub, and various NPCs, including perhaps the first loud-mouthed noble I've seen in a role-playing game who stands a chance of backing his words up. He could eat most of my player-characters for lunch, which is a new thing for us. My one complaint is that (like Sister Tracy from the 1st edition rulebook,) Graaf the King of Thieves has only been briefly mentioned in the new edition, and some of what was revealed about him in the 1st ed. Rulebook is "lost information" in that it hasn't reappeared, and would be valuable to new players. After all of this come the beasts that populate Pandemonium, or at least some of the interesting ones. The "religious passion play" of the Fading Suns universe is apparent in at least one creature that stalks only those with guilt on their souls. And finally there are the two adventures, "Everlight" and "A Healing Draught." Both seem to be solid adventures (although I haven't played them)-- one deals with the advances made by various powers during an apparent catastrophe of epic proportions, the other a quiet religious quest that captures much of what I like about Fading Suns. My only complaint about the "Disaster Movie" adventure, as I've called it, is that while it takes apart the Hub it doesn't actually say how to put it back together again. The ending is a bit of an anticlimax and there isn't much support for novice GMs…I know what I'm going to do with it, but I have a firmer vision of my campaign than a lot of people; others may be lost. As for the rest of Complete Pandemonium, the art is up to par and the layout good; all in all the entire thing feels like a bit of an appetizer rather than a main course, but when taken as a whole it seems to be a good value. As a companion piece to the rulebook, it's excellent. Gamemasters Screen The Gamemaster's Screen, arguably a vital piece of any RPG. How does this one fare? Well, I've got to be honest, it succeeds and fails. On the one hand, the artwork on the exterior of the screen by John Bridges is beautiful and truly evocative of the setting, and I note my players haven't gotten tired of it yet. With one omission (a combat summary would've been nice, but I can't imagine what you would remove in order to place it on the screen) the interior of the screen is perfect, providing the GM with plenty of information. So where's the complaint? The actual material that the screen is made of seems a bit weak. Now the same complaint was made about the first edition screen, and in this new screen's defense it seems much sturdier than that one (though they could be made of the same material for all I know…) But I don't know that this screen will stand up to the repeated beatings the average GM will put it through. So far, after three sessions and being carried in my Bag O' Stuff, it's stood up nicely, so this entire flimsiness could be in my head, but be warned. Overall: Overall my quibbles with Complete Pandemonium and Gamemasters Screen are minor, and the screen-material issue may not even be a real one. A Gamemasters Screen is, in essence, an extension of the rulebook. This is especially true in this case. Compete Pandemonium and it's adventures are great for conveying the feel and tone of Fading Suns Second Edition, are built to follow the adventure in the main rulebook, and the setting material on Pandemonium in the rulebook compliments this product without repeating anything. In addition, everybody needs a GM's Screen and this one is a good buy. If you play Fading Suns, Second Edition, then snatch this up. On the other hand, there is nothing really awe-inspiring about this; it's a solid product, but doesn't knock your socks off like the new edition or many of the sourcebooks. Still, it's worth the price just for the adventures... Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 3 (Average)