The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Recently, at a small con, a fellow gamer I know, Caias Ward (Who helped with Continuum) was running a new game he had written called Dreamside. It sounded fun, and after flipping through the book, I decided to go for it. After the game ended, I quickly scrambled together 10 bucks for the packet that served as the rulebook and bought my own.

The Game: Basically, (I lent it to a freind and don't have it on me) There is another world existing parallel to our own, called Dreamside. (Where we live is called Wakeside. Dreamside is a sometimes darker, sometimes lighter version of out world. It reminds me of Wraith, in the way the Dreamside world is set up. Basically, when you dream, you are stuck in a sphere in Dreamside, where YOUR dream is happening. A few people have been able to escape their spheres, and may freely wander the Dreamside. These people, called "Lucids," are the player characters and may represent themselves however they wish (there is a good list of Genres, ranging from Gothic, to Heroic, which determine the kind of special powers you can get) and there are also groups in the Dreamside that the characters belong to, from a group of wandering missionaries, to rougish drifters, to those who collect the substance the Spheres give off, and fashion it into items. The Lucids may also return to their Spheres, where they are reletively safe. The Lucids must keep their nature a secret, because those who live only the Wakeside, called "the Blind", and the beings that dwell in Dreamside are unaware of each other and it would be BAD if they were told (coverups, hunting Lucids, that kind of thing). The stats are pretty vague, but work in the Dreamside, For instance, instead of Strength, you have Wrath, which is used to deal damage. The only problem I have with the stats is their too vague for the Wakeside, but since most of the game takes place in the Dreamside, I found it to be forgiveable. That's all I can really remember, if you'r intrested, go to www.talespinnerstudios.com.

The Mechanics: The Double-Ten System Pretty simple really. You roll two ten siders, add the results, add the relevant stat or ability, and compare with a target number. For combat, you then roll again, add your Wrath, and the bonus the weapon gives you, and there you go.

My Opinion: All in all, a really good game, and if this is only a pre-release, I can see great things happening with it. If you have the chance to purchase it (I know Caias will be at Gencon), DO IT! For just 10 bucks you get what amounts to a great game, and a nifty collectors item to boot.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Dreamside Pre-release
Author: Caias Brian Ward Category: game Company/Publisher: Talespinner Studios Line: Dreamside Cost: $10 Page count: about 60 ISBN: n/a SKU: n/a Capsule Review by Steve Milkowski on 08/04/00. Genre tags: Fantasy Modern day Gothic	Recently, at a small con, a fellow gamer I know, Caias Ward (Who helped with Continuum) was running a new game he had written called Dreamside. It sounded fun, and after flipping through the book, I decided to go for it. After the game ended, I quickly scrambled together 10 bucks for the packet that served as the rulebook and bought my own. The Game: Basically, (I lent it to a freind and don't have it on me) There is another world existing parallel to our own, called Dreamside. (Where we live is called Wakeside. Dreamside is a sometimes darker, sometimes lighter version of out world. It reminds me of Wraith, in the way the Dreamside world is set up. Basically, when you dream, you are stuck in a sphere in Dreamside, where YOUR dream is happening. A few people have been able to escape their spheres, and may freely wander the Dreamside. These people, called "Lucids," are the player characters and may represent themselves however they wish (there is a good list of Genres, ranging from Gothic, to Heroic, which determine the kind of special powers you can get) and there are also groups in the Dreamside that the characters belong to, from a group of wandering missionaries, to rougish drifters, to those who collect the substance the Spheres give off, and fashion it into items. The Lucids may also return to their Spheres, where they are reletively safe. The Lucids must keep their nature a secret, because those who live only the Wakeside, called "the Blind", and the beings that dwell in Dreamside are unaware of each other and it would be BAD if they were told (coverups, hunting Lucids, that kind of thing). The stats are pretty vague, but work in the Dreamside, For instance, instead of Strength, you have Wrath, which is used to deal damage. The only problem I have with the stats is their too vague for the Wakeside, but since most of the game takes place in the Dreamside, I found it to be forgiveable. That's all I can really remember, if you'r intrested, go to www.talespinnerstudios.com. The Mechanics: The Double-Ten System Pretty simple really. You roll two ten siders, add the results, add the relevant stat or ability, and compare with a target number. For combat, you then roll again, add your Wrath, and the bonus the weapon gives you, and there you go. My Opinion: All in all, a really good game, and if this is only a pre-release, I can see great things happening with it. If you have the chance to purchase it (I know Caias will be at Gencon), DO IT! For just 10 bucks you get what amounts to a great game, and a nifty collectors item to boot. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Dreamside Pre-release