The Inside Scoop on Gaming

As a GM running an Indiana Jones campaign, it's a given that a large portion of your adventures will center around artifacts and their recovery. Unfortunately, there are really only so many different and historical items that a GM can use. Coming up with them takes time at the library, which is an issue when you need a piece of history on the fly. When the heat is on, players can find that the object they've just uncovered is a page from the Book of Dave. Players will sit perfectly still and look at each other, trying to reconcile the Pythonic idiocy of what the GM has just told them. Maybe it's just me, but that scene has played out far too many times.

That's where "Artifacts" comes in. It's a grand historical garage sale of the treasures and trinkets of the ancients. Some are Biblical, but a few are taken from the pages of history, albeit a vastly more interesting history than I was ever taught. With each entry comes history, legends, game stats, adventure ideas, and other parties who are searching for the item. A "Raiders of the Lost Ark" plot could easily be created with the information on one or two of the items. The entries are very complete and well done. Maybe there are too many items that are on Adolf's want-list, but that can definitely work to the GM's advantage, as the players race from one dig to the next chasing, or being chased by, the SS and Beloq.

The style is very utilitarian. There are pictures of the artifacts and comments that sort of look like they were handwritten on notebook paper. There are a few maps and other player handouts, though not quite as many of those as I would have liked. But beyond that, there's really very little art. Believe it or not, that's a commendable aspect. There is no extraneous art. Everything between the front and back covers has a purpose. Does this mean that the days of weak filler art are past us? Dream on.

In the complaints department there are few entries. Most notably, there's no index. In the space where the index would have been, a D6 conversion section crept in. As I've stated before, I like the D6 system for Indy. This set, however, unlike that in "Indiana Jones Adventures," is not tailored to the setting. Few of the weapons listed have any place in an Indy game. Sure, we know what a .44 Magnum round does, but what of a .455 Webley? The stats are also out of agreement with those presented in "Adventures."

"Artifacts" is a useful supplement. GM's need this book. Really. It is the springboard to years of high-adventure campaigns. This book has the distinction of being the first book gaming product I've liked for having less art than it otherwise might have had. More useful than roughly 90% of the sourcebooks in my collection, I strongly recommend this to other Indy fans.

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Artifacts
Author: Scott Baron and John Terra Category: game Company/Publisher: West End Games Cost: $18.00 Page count: 128 ISBN: 0-87431-434-8 Capsule Review by C.H. Gallant on 04/04/98. Genre tags: none	As a GM running an Indiana Jones campaign, it's a given that a large portion of your adventures will center around artifacts and their recovery. Unfortunately, there are really only so many different and historical items that a GM can use. Coming up with them takes time at the library, which is an issue when you need a piece of history on the fly. When the heat is on, players can find that the object they've just uncovered is a page from the Book of Dave. Players will sit perfectly still and look at each other, trying to reconcile the Pythonic idiocy of what the GM has just told them. Maybe it's just me, but that scene has played out far too many times. That's where "Artifacts" comes in. It's a grand historical garage sale of the treasures and trinkets of the ancients. Some are Biblical, but a few are taken from the pages of history, albeit a vastly more interesting history than I was ever taught. With each entry comes history, legends, game stats, adventure ideas, and other parties who are searching for the item. A "Raiders of the Lost Ark" plot could easily be created with the information on one or two of the items. The entries are very complete and well done. Maybe there are too many items that are on Adolf's want-list, but that can definitely work to the GM's advantage, as the players race from one dig to the next chasing, or being chased by, the SS and Beloq. The style is very utilitarian. There are pictures of the artifacts and comments that sort of look like they were handwritten on notebook paper. There are a few maps and other player handouts, though not quite as many of those as I would have liked. But beyond that, there's really very little art. Believe it or not, that's a commendable aspect. There is no extraneous art. Everything between the front and back covers has a purpose. Does this mean that the days of weak filler art are past us? Dream on. In the complaints department there are few entries. Most notably, there's no index. In the space where the index would have been, a D6 conversion section crept in. As I've stated before, I like the D6 system for Indy. This set, however, unlike that in "Indiana Jones Adventures," is not tailored to the setting. Few of the weapons listed have any place in an Indy game. Sure, we know what a .44 Magnum round does, but what of a .455 Webley? The stats are also out of agreement with those presented in "Adventures." "Artifacts" is a useful supplement. GM's need this book. Really. It is the springboard to years of high-adventure campaigns. This book has the distinction of being the first book gaming product I've liked for having less art than it otherwise might have had. More useful than roughly 90% of the sourcebooks in my collection, I strongly recommend this to other Indy fans. Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)