The Inside Scoop on Gaming

As the back cover tells you, "Welcome back, Pardner!"

This book bills itself in chapter one as "The Deadlands Companion," but it should've tried "More Wonderful Deadlands Stuff That We Couldn't Fit In The Main Manual," a more accurate name. This manual contains all sorts of rules and material that you almost can't do without. It also has vast amount of source material (player's eyes as well as GM's) in the form of a copy of the Tombstone Epitaph, a game newspaper.

They present another few dozen new edges and hindrances, some nice rules for dueling, a good number of clarifications, and some facts on travel and other day-to-day events. Providing your GM will let you use them, a character may encounter Relics of the Weird West, or be born with Knacks, a kind of intrinsic supernatural ability.

Also included is a nice, two-page, full-color map of the Weird West, from the Mississippi onwards, showing borders, important towns, and so on. The reverse side has, for lack of a better term, a player's screen. It gives a summation of character creation rules, a full skill list, the complete edge/hinderance list and point cost, plus the miracles, rituals, favors and hexes available to begining characters. Our gaming group used it to make a character during one session when we didn't have the main manual. It's that useful.

It also has 10, count 'em, 10 new archetypes, just like the main manual. These are also in full color. As you know, these are great for use as quick'n'dirty PCs or NPCs. My personal favorite is the Nun, closely followed by the Kid.

The Tombstone Epitaph's Guide to the Wierd West has a great deal of source for a campaign, to say nothing of the greater worldview it helps fill in. It gives an overview of the current national happenings, some of the major locales, more information on Indian activity, and three town settings- Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. There is a good amout of detail for these cities that I will not go into in this review.

As for the Marshal's section, I can't reveal too much. Suffice it to say that it gives the lowdown on what's really going on, as well as a new form of magic.

Q&D is 24$, hardback, and better bound than the main manual. I'm glad I bought it- it's well worth the price. Any Deadlands group should pitch in and buy it as soon as they see it.

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

The Quick and the Dead
Author: Shane Lacy Hensley & John Hopler Category: game Company/Publisher: Pinnacle Entertainment Group Reviewed by Mischa Krilov on 08/05/97. Genre tags: none	As the back cover tells you, "Welcome back, Pardner!" This book bills itself in chapter one as "The Deadlands Companion," but it should've tried "More Wonderful Deadlands Stuff That We Couldn't Fit In The Main Manual," a more accurate name. This manual contains all sorts of rules and material that you almost can't do without. It also has vast amount of source material (player's eyes as well as GM's) in the form of a copy of the Tombstone Epitaph, a game newspaper. They present another few dozen new edges and hindrances, some nice rules for dueling, a good number of clarifications, and some facts on travel and other day-to-day events. Providing your GM will let you use them, a character may encounter Relics of the Weird West, or be born with Knacks, a kind of intrinsic supernatural ability. Also included is a nice, two-page, full-color map of the Weird West, from the Mississippi onwards, showing borders, important towns, and so on. The reverse side has, for lack of a better term, a player's screen. It gives a summation of character creation rules, a full skill list, the complete edge/hinderance list and point cost, plus the miracles, rituals, favors and hexes available to begining characters. Our gaming group used it to make a character during one session when we didn't have the main manual. It's that useful. It also has 10, count 'em, 10 new archetypes, just like the main manual. These are also in full color. As you know, these are great for use as quick'n'dirty PCs or NPCs. My personal favorite is the Nun, closely followed by the Kid. The Tombstone Epitaph's Guide to the Wierd West has a great deal of source for a campaign, to say nothing of the greater worldview it helps fill in. It gives an overview of the current national happenings, some of the major locales, more information on Indian activity, and three town settings- Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. There is a good amout of detail for these cities that I will not go into in this review. As for the Marshal's section, I can't reveal too much. Suffice it to say that it gives the lowdown on what's really going on, as well as a new form of magic. Q&D is 24$, hardback, and better bound than the main manual. I'm glad I bought it- it's well worth the price. Any Deadlands group should pitch in and buy it as soon as they see it. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

The Quick and the Dead