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When I heard that Alternity was going to follow a similar product format to that of AD&D, I was not too impressed. I was hoping for one main hardback that would be suitable for both Gamemaster and Players, much like they do in other games such as Shadowrun, Conspiracy X and Ars Magica. But, alas, TSR have produced for Alternity a Player's Handbook and a Gamemaster Guide.

When TSR brought out the 2nd Edition AD&D rules I thought that the DungeonMaster Guide doubled up on many of the rules from the Player's Handbook and could have been slimmed down considerably, and that is what I thought would also happen to the Alternity Gamemaster Guide. Well, guess what? I was so very wrong, and thankfully so.

The Alternity Gamemaster Guide contains at least 90% material that is not present in the Player's Handbook - you could easily play an Alternity game with the Player's Handbook alone, though you would be left wondering with a few questions, such as how to design and construct a vehicle, spaceship, alien races, just to name a few. It is the Gamemaster Guide that answers these questions, and then some. Whereas the Player's Handbook details weapons, equipment, skills, psionics and cybernetics (just to mention a few of the chapters), the Gamemaster Guide concentrates on the type of information a Gamemaster would need. There is, of course, some expanded material concerning combat, but it entails providing information only the Gamemaster would wish to know. And that is what the book does: gives the Gamemaster plenty of information that only he/she would need to know, not the player.

There is a chapter on NPCs, a sample adventure, designing campaigns and adventures, how to deal with optional rules, and a bestiary, not to mention a chapter with rules on how to convert AD&D characters to the Alternity game. The Alternity Gamemaster Guide has impressed me immensely - I was let down by the AD&D DungeonMaster Guide, but not this book. If you are a player you do not need it at all, but as a GM (rookie or not) it is indespenable.

Highly recommended.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Alernity Gamemaster Guide<
Author: Richard Baker and Bill Slavicsek Category: game Company/Publisher: TSR Cost: US29.95 Page count: 256 ISBN: 0-7869-0729-0 Capsule Review by Jason Sivyer on 07/03/98. Genre tags: none	When I heard that Alternity was going to follow a similar product format to that of AD&D, I was not too impressed. I was hoping for one main hardback that would be suitable for both Gamemaster and Players, much like they do in other games such as Shadowrun, Conspiracy X and Ars Magica. But, alas, TSR have produced for Alternity a Player's Handbook and a Gamemaster Guide. When TSR brought out the 2nd Edition AD&D rules I thought that the DungeonMaster Guide doubled up on many of the rules from the Player's Handbook and could have been slimmed down considerably, and that is what I thought would also happen to the Alternity Gamemaster Guide. Well, guess what? I was so very wrong, and thankfully so. The Alternity Gamemaster Guide contains at least 90% material that is not present in the Player's Handbook - you could easily play an Alternity game with the Player's Handbook alone, though you would be left wondering with a few questions, such as how to design and construct a vehicle, spaceship, alien races, just to name a few. It is the Gamemaster Guide that answers these questions, and then some. Whereas the Player's Handbook details weapons, equipment, skills, psionics and cybernetics (just to mention a few of the chapters), the Gamemaster Guide concentrates on the type of information a Gamemaster would need. There is, of course, some expanded material concerning combat, but it entails providing information only the Gamemaster would wish to know. And that is what the book does: gives the Gamemaster plenty of information that only he/she would need to know, not the player. There is a chapter on NPCs, a sample adventure, designing campaigns and adventures, how to deal with optional rules, and a bestiary, not to mention a chapter with rules on how to convert AD&D characters to the Alternity game. The Alternity Gamemaster Guide has impressed me immensely - I was let down by the AD&D DungeonMaster Guide, but not this book. If you are a player you do not need it at all, but as a GM (rookie or not) it is indespenable. Highly recommended. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Alernity Gamemaster Guide<