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The Ottoman Empire is the - well it´s the Ottoman empire sourcebook for Castle Falkenstein in its original and GURPS incarnations.

Artwork

The cover by Christopher Shy is an extreme close-up of a humanoid lifting a struggling human figure to its glowing red eyes. In the background we catch a glimpse of a vaguely Arabian alley. The "Castle Falkenstein" title features prominently in the upper part of the picture. Personally I´m none too impressed with the cover: It´s a bit blurry and I fail to see an immediate relation to the contents.

Interior art isn´t much of am improvement either. It consists of what looks like 19th century copper engravings - actually quite stylish - and commissioned drawings by Paul Daly. These latter are executed in crisp, clear black lines for the foregrounds. The backgrounds are rendered in gray lines resulting in a strong contrast of front and back focusing attention on the fronts. Technically these illustrations are well done. However I find the actual scenes depicted ... well "bland" is too strong a word but they don´t leave a lasting impression not to mention the effect of "Wow - what a picture! I can bulid a scenario around that one!" I´ll settle for an overall impression of "Average" here.

Contents

This is where the real meat is and the book does actually deliver. Phil Masters follows the tradition set by previous Castle Falkenstein products of telling a backstory (doubling as sample scenario and adventure seeds) interspersed with background information and rules-related observations. The story here follows the adventures of Herr Eberhardt Starkmann, a Bavarian engineer sent to the Ottoman empire to survey possibilities of establishing ports and docking places for the Bavarian Schwansa airline. He is also asked to do some spying on the side. A little favopur to his country which will get him involved with Russian spies, shapechanging djinns, kidnapping, a magic sword and a devious plot of assasination. It will also land him a ride on a magic carpet.

The main body of the book is Herr Starkmann´s travelogue with the comments by the original CF characters like Tom Olam, Morolan and Auberon providing insights into politics, sorcery and djinns. I was very pleased to note that Phil Masters´ writing blends seamlessly with the tone and style established by the original CF publications. It is elegant, entertaining and informative. I particularly liked the scene about a human sorceror bargaining with a bound djinn. It´s an excellent flavour text and very informative how this particular Arabian brand of magic works and feels like.

In between are comments on rules mechanics, character templates and sample NPCs. These stats and rules are provided for [/b]both[/b] Castle Falkenstein and GURPS.

The book gives a condensed information on Ottoman everyday life, politics,history, administration, power groups and examines Arbian sorcery, Djinns and artefact magic. Fitting these disparate pieces into a coherent whole is no mean feat and one Mr Masters accomplishes with aplomb. The only grain of salt here is that in the discussion of the (sorcerously and politically) powerful dervish groups their spiritual tenents fall a bit short.

The book concludes with a short bibliography and an accurate two-page index.

Only after finishing the book did I realise that there´s no map of the Ottoman empire. Oh well - a trip to the local liberary doesn´t hurt and roleplayers have always liked to claim that our hobby broadens one´s mind ...

Cannibalization Value

Ottoman Empire gracefully bridges the gap between GURPS and Castle Falkenstein. It is a valuable source in for any game in that region with either rules.

It would also come in useful for any game set in a Arabian-style setting with functional magic. Even if you remove djinns and flying carpets there´s is enough "mundane" information to run a realistic campaign in 19th century Turkey. The Ottoman empire is provides also a good template of a conservative nation that´s fallen behind in technology and struggles with the need for reform. Conclusion All in all an excellent source book which I wholeheartedly recommend to any CF player or player with an interest in a Near East setting.

The Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire Capsule Review by TheBronzeBook on 25/08/02 Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 5 (Excellent!) The excellent sourcebook on the Ottoman empire for Castle Falkenstein. Works well for the original and the GURPS incarnation. A bit mediocre artwork but excellent writing. Higly recommended for any Arabian Nights-style campaign. Product: The Ottoman Empire Author: Phil Masters Category: RPG Company/Publisher: Steve Jackson Games Line: GURPS Castle Falkenstein Cost: $22.95 Page count: 127 Year published: 2002 ISBN: 1-55634-575-5 SKU: 6722 Comp copy?: no Capsule Review by TheBronzeBook on 25/08/02 Genre tags: Fantasy Science Fiction Historical	The Ottoman Empire is the - well it´s the Ottoman empire sourcebook for Castle Falkenstein in its original and GURPS incarnations. Artwork The cover by Christopher Shy is an extreme close-up of a humanoid lifting a struggling human figure to its glowing red eyes. In the background we catch a glimpse of a vaguely Arabian alley. The "Castle Falkenstein" title features prominently in the upper part of the picture. Personally I´m none too impressed with the cover: It´s a bit blurry and I fail to see an immediate relation to the contents. Interior art isn´t much of am improvement either. It consists of what looks like 19th century copper engravings - actually quite stylish - and commissioned drawings by Paul Daly. These latter are executed in crisp, clear black lines for the foregrounds. The backgrounds are rendered in gray lines resulting in a strong contrast of front and back focusing attention on the fronts. Technically these illustrations are well done. However I find the actual scenes depicted ... well "bland" is too strong a word but they don´t leave a lasting impression not to mention the effect of "Wow - what a picture! I can bulid a scenario around that one!" I´ll settle for an overall impression of "Average" here. Contents This is where the real meat is and the book does actually deliver. Phil Masters follows the tradition set by previous Castle Falkenstein products of telling a backstory (doubling as sample scenario and adventure seeds) interspersed with background information and rules-related observations. The story here follows the adventures of Herr Eberhardt Starkmann, a Bavarian engineer sent to the Ottoman empire to survey possibilities of establishing ports and docking places for the Bavarian Schwansa airline. He is also asked to do some spying on the side. A little favopur to his country which will get him involved with Russian spies, shapechanging djinns, kidnapping, a magic sword and a devious plot of assasination. It will also land him a ride on a magic carpet. The main body of the book is Herr Starkmann´s travelogue with the comments by the original CF characters like Tom Olam, Morolan and Auberon providing insights into politics, sorcery and djinns. I was very pleased to note that Phil Masters´ writing blends seamlessly with the tone and style established by the original CF publications. It is elegant, entertaining and informative. I particularly liked the scene about a human sorceror bargaining with a bound djinn. It´s an excellent flavour text and very informative how this particular Arabian brand of magic works and feels like. In between are comments on rules mechanics, character templates and sample NPCs. These stats and rules are provided for [/b]both[/b] Castle Falkenstein and GURPS. The book gives a condensed information on Ottoman everyday life, politics,history, administration, power groups and examines Arbian sorcery, Djinns and artefact magic. Fitting these disparate pieces into a coherent whole is no mean feat and one Mr Masters accomplishes with aplomb. The only grain of salt here is that in the discussion of the (sorcerously and politically) powerful dervish groups their spiritual tenents fall a bit short. The book concludes with a short bibliography and an accurate two-page index. Only after finishing the book did I realise that there´s no map of the Ottoman empire. Oh well - a trip to the local liberary doesn´t hurt and roleplayers have always liked to claim that our hobby broadens one´s mind ... Cannibalization Value Ottoman Empire gracefully bridges the gap between GURPS and Castle Falkenstein. It is a valuable source in for any game in that region with either rules. It would also come in useful for any game set in a Arabian-style setting with functional magic. Even if you remove djinns and flying carpets there´s is enough "mundane" information to run a realistic campaign in 19th century Turkey. The Ottoman empire is provides also a good template of a conservative nation that´s fallen behind in technology and struggles with the need for reform. Conclusion All in all an excellent source book which I wholeheartedly recommend to any CF player or player with an interest in a Near East setting.