GURPS is probably the best-known generic roleplaying system. Steve Jackson Games has taken advantage of GURPS' near-universality with an enormous number of supplements. Recently, a GURPS treatment of R. Talsorian's Castle Falkenstein was released, but it covered only that specific setting, leaving Steampunk to fill one of the remaining gaps in the GURPS product line.
Steampunk was designed to be a "genre book," providing gamers with the tools to build steampunk settings of their own. It is not a setting, though four sample worlds are described in abbreviated detail in the final chapter. Stoddard instead fills nearly half of the book with factual information, reasoning that a grounding in reality is required before attempts at changing it are made. Many gamers will likely find the level of detail provided unnecessary, but so many topics are covered that everyone is likely to find something inspiring. Even people not interested in the genre may find these sections useful. Examples: a brief history of boxing, a description of the hierarchy of the British army, details on historical espionage, and a sidebar on purchased military commissions and the history of pensions. Also, historical figures of the Victorian Age are given brief biographies; disappointingly, only two are presented with game statistics.
Most of the remainder of the book centers on steampunk technology. Steampunk uses GURPS' Technology Levels, but adds a new category for alternate technological paths. In GURPS, the Victorian Age falls into TL5. Steampunk technology is listed as TL5+1, meaning that it is essentially TL6, but a different TL6 - a divergence occurred at TL5. Although this notation is very useful and thought-provoking (e.g., what would TL3+5 look like?), it is used and presented inconsistently.
Stoddard has conveniently sorted technologies by their unlikeliness, making it easier for GMs to keep their game world internally consistent. Legged vehicles, Babbage engines, and other seminal steampunk items are separated from oddities like reactionless thrusters and etheric shock cannon. Regrettably, all the personal equipment is lumped together with little distinction. The possibility of "clockpunk" - Renaissance springworks powering automata and ornithopters - is little more than hinted at, but provides yet another focal point from creative GMs. Another nice touch amidst all the speculative technology is the presentation of "historical steampunk" items such as Aspirin and the HMS Dreadnought.
As I said before, this is not a setting. Much of the information centers on the British Empire, but seeds for campaigns set in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and throughout the solar system are provided. There is not enough room to give much detail on any of them, but I appreciated the effort at making the world beyond Europe accessible to roleplayers.
Beginning with Alan Gutierrez' cover art, this is a handsome book. Gamers used to color interiors and glossy pages will undoubtedly be disappointed with SJG's grayscale images, but the art is high-quality and complements the text admirably. One minor quibble is that the three interior artists' styles are unique, so that the presentation feels inconsistent at times.
The book's layout is SJG standard. That means a good table of contents, nearly complete index, and good organization in between.
This is a very well-done book, but it's not for everyone. The level of detail exceeds what many gamers will find useful, and a lot of work would need to be done to build a setting from Steampunk's tool kit. Still, the sheer volume of information virtually ensures that a determined enough reader will find inspiration in its 144 pages.
Disclaimer: While I've made an effort to be as pure of heart as the RPG.net reviewer guidelines urge, I do have my biases, which readers should be aware of. I'm a longtime GURPS player, and a gearhead as well. I make regular use of GURPS Vehicles, and VDS and Guns! Guns! Guns! from BTRC.
Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)
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