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First, before you really get into this review, let me start by saying that this review is written by the company that produced the game (Cutters Guild). If you are turned off by game reviews written by creators you may want to disregard this review. However, we have tried to keep this as objective as possible and being very candid about where we feel this game excels, where its shortcomings are and telling you exactly what this game is all about.
A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE GAME’S CHANGES Some of you reading this might be familiar with previous versions of the Deathstalkers game, Deathstalkers 2nd Edition being the most previous version. However, Deathstalkers II (DS2 from here on out) bares little in common with any of the previous versions. Much of what people disliked, and LIKED for that matter, about the game has been completely redone, reedited and revamped. In fact, the entire book was almost completely rewritten from the ground up.
Because the game is so different we opted to title it as DS2 rather than make it “3rd Edition”. This was done mostly because we feel that calling it a “third edition” would be misleading (a new edition implying that the game only underwent some revision). DS2, as we opted to call it, is really a better title as we feel that it is almost a completely different game.
Some of the things that have changed from 2nd Edition in DS2 include the following: 1. The entire book’s layout has changed 2. Lots of new artwork, including new artwork for races and character classes 3. All races and classes have been rewritten. 4. The world guide has been rewritten 5. Rules systems for Skills have been changed 6. Some of the Combat rules have been changed 7. We have added and deleted some of the classes and races 8. There is now a full Index 9. DS2 uses OGL rules based, in part, on the SRD, but it is NOT a “d20” compatible game.
And those are only some of the changes you will find. With that out of the way, the rest of this review will focus solely on DS2.
ABOUT THE GAME WORLD DS2 is set in a fantasy world torn apart by wars and conquered by powerful foes. The great kings of man and elf, dwarf and others have been wiped from the face of the world, and the allegiances once held by these races have crumbled into oblivion. Races who were once strong and powerful are now a mere shadow of their former glory. The Elves who were once strong and commanded armies of Ogre Riders now suffer from the Kala’Hur - the Great Sorrow – which affects them and grows stronger with every foe they slay; The Sabyrs – the celestial servants of the Dragon Kings – have fallen from grace, and their great kings now vanished and vanquished. And the kings of men, once mighty and powerful--commanders of grand armies--have been conquered and diminished, their great cities now lie in bleak and solemn ruin or cling to a meager existence. It all started with the Demons, terrible monsters of hatred, who were once prisoners of the icy North. The Obsidian Guard--the great Half-Wolf protectors of the northern line--had held them at bay for many centuries. But when the great war came and the Half-Wolf commander held high the Demon Stone to rally forth their armies, the Obsidian Guard of the southern lands--those of man and elf and dwarf--would not heed the call and left the Half-Wolfs to whatever end. With the northern lines breached, the Demons were free to ravage the lands of man, killing, burning and pillaging as they went. For many terrible years battles would be fought against these menacing foes, and the world would be torn apart. But a new evil arose at the heart of the country. In the Western Mountains the Dark Forge was lit. In its fiery belly an evil god amongst men--the Dark Smith of the Forge--melted and pounded steel into titanic suits of armor. Each stood tall and menacing, made of iron plates bolted and riveted together, the helmets grilled like the front of a steam train. And these suits were begotten with a terrible life and through the narrow eyeslits of their helms burned beads of light as hot as the coals of the Dark Forge. And they were the Children of the Dark Forge, juggernauts of hatred, malice and destruction. With armor rusted to the color of blood and weapons as massive and titanic as themselves, they lived only to serve the Dark Smith of the Forge. They were the Juggernauts, and they marched across the fields and plains of Arkastapha. And at the gates of each kingdom the Dark Smith would offer its king a choice: to don a suit of armor made in the fires of the Dark Forge and join their ranks, or refuse and be trampled underfoot. And those kings who would be tempted by the gifts of the Dark Forge were transformed into terrible monsters whose will was bent and corrupted by the powers of the Forge. And to those who resisted, their kingdoms were felled and burned. And one by one the kingdoms fell to ruin, until at last the Juggernauts left across the ocean, to the lands of Brizanthia. And so it has been for a very long while. The people of Arkastapha live in fear and loathing of the Demons who plague them and the whispered rumors of the Dark Kings who now rule in Brizanthia. Over the long years they have built their city walls thick and tall and have let their own prejudices turn themselves against each other. The races quarrel and bicker, fighting for scraps of long-dead kingdoms; the allegiances of old are utterly broken. And it is now in the eleventh hour that the Juggernauts have come back to these lands. Where once they sought to destroy kings, they now seek to obliterate the last races of the world. The people of Arkastapha have one last chance at redemption before the fires of the Dark Forge burn and scorch all living flesh from the land.
DS2’s game world focuses primarily on the lands of Arkastapha. The book defines the races, monsters and realms of this vast country, and the included World Guide fully details the land’s history and how the Demons and Juggernauts came to be. It also offers hundreds of adventure ideas and interesting places to send Players off to.
CHAPTER 1: INTRO AND ABILITIES DS2’s first chapter focuses on the basics of character creation and how to roll up Ability Scores. In a nutshell, all characters are based on the following set of Abilities:
Strength Dexterity Constitution Intelligence Charisma Wisdom
Each of the scores is determined in part by a character’s race. Each race lists the number of 6-sided dice a player gets to roll for each Ability. Strong characters (like Northlander Humans or Ogres) will roll more dice for Strength and Constitution (such as 4, 5 or 6 dice) while others (like Gnomes or Fayans) might get to roll higher for Wisdom or Charisma. Players also get 5 bonus points with which to add to each of the Ability scores after they roll them. These can all be added to a single score, or divided amongst a few. Depending upon the score for each Ability, the player’s character will be assigned a modifier (such as a –2 or a +2) based on how high (good) the score is. Higher scores will afford a bonus, while lower scores will incur a penalty. These modifiers are added, among other things, to Skill Checks and Combat rolls.
Courage Each character also gets a Courage score based on a roll of (typically) a d8. It is used to measure how brave the character is and works much like the other Ability scores. However, Courage is not supposed to be used very often in the game. More or less, it measures how brave a character is and might have an affect on the character if he tries to do something very dangerous or fight a particularly terrible monster. Some of our Playtesters found the Courage ability to be a little restrictive (after all, if my character wants to attempt jumping off a 100-ft high waterfall and plunge into the water below, why should I have to see if he’s courageous enough to do that?). Others liked it (mostly the GMs) for that very reason (if your character is afraid of heights, why SHOULDN’T he have to see if he’s brave enough?). In all, it was a very mixed reaction and those who didn’t like it easily took it out of the game while others used it sparingly (as it was meant to be used).
Speed Characters also get to roll to determine their Base Land Speed and Base Jumping Distance. Again, this is determined individually by race.
Hit-Points All characters use Hit-Points to measure life and health. Each race gets its own Hit Die (stronger races like Half-Giants may have a d10 while weaker races like a Fayan may have only a d4) which is rolled each time he advances level to determine how many more HPs he receives.
At this point you’ll notice that DS2 is rather “old school” and uses Levels and Hit-Points. This fact alone may turn some people off of the game, and others love this type of system. DS2 was designed to use levels and HPs, and works well with this game.
CHAPTER 2: RACES The second section of the book is dedicated to all of the many (VERY many) races native to Arkastapha. Each of the races can be played as a character in the game. Each race provides players with the number of dice to roll for each Ability score, their Hit Die (to determine hit-point increases), Special Abilities (if any), their average height, weight, life span, languages spoken, etc. Another thing races give players are Rage Attacks. These are basically special attacks unique to that race. For example, the Half-Wolf has the Northwinds Howl and the Fayan has the Dark Walk. Although some players, especially “power gamers” may like these, some will find them too intrusive to the game and “video game” like.
The races included are:
Centaur Basically your typical Centaur—torso of a man, body of a horse. Although I myself question the fun of playing a Centaur and feel their inclusion in the game is a bit unnecessary, I do enjoy the history they bring to the game world.
Demon (Antithrax) The Antithrax Demon, which is half demon and half man, is an interesting and challenging race for players to play. Antithrax, like true demons, have no soul. Therefore, they do not feel emotions. They operate only on a survival instinct. Although this does not make them inherently evil, it does make it difficult for other characters to take a liking to them. Half-Demons operate on a survival instinct where they will only do what makes the most sense for their own survival. Although in extreme circumstances they may rescue an endangered companion, typically they won’t do anything that inhibits their good survival. The Antithrax is one of my personal favorites to play, as they pose a unique role-play experience that is quite challenging.
Dwarf Gritty, rough-and-tumble, Dwarves are a staple of every fantasy game. Although there is nothing inherently unique or special about the Dwarves in DS2, they do come with a lot of history and detail which make them quite flavorful to play. One such thing is that Dwarves have a need to find a “Deed Name”, or last name. This can only be done once the dwarf has done something remarkable. For example, some notable dwarves in the DS2 history include the Ore King, Roglug Foegrinder, Grundbar Slamhand, Samgrat Blackaxe, and my favorite, Mr. Burnknuckle. At this point I’m sure some people will ask why in the world there needs to be yet another fantasy RPG that includes yet another version of the dwarf. Personally, I feel that the dwarf, on many levels, has become a staple for fantasy games and it would bring a tear to my eye to not include one. Plus, I like dwarves.
Elf Like the dwarf, it seems all fantasy game have to include the Elf as a staple race. DS2 is no different in this, however playing an Elf can be a fun, rewarding and challenging experience in DS2. In history, Elves were powerful, militant beings with strong armies. They commanded the Ogre Riders (Elves who bonded with Ogres and rode them to battle), and were led by the Elmarine Lords. But all the years of war and bloodshed had an adverse effect on the Elves, and today they suffer the Kala’Hur—the great sorrow. The Kala’Hur becomes more pronounced with every person the Elf kills, transforming him into a solemn, dark spirit shrouded in shadows of hatred and despair. Of course, savvy players can try to overcome these effects and become a Tired One—an Elf who has beaten the Kala’Hur, but still suffers some effects.
Fairy Tiny people with butterfly-like wings. Nothing too remarkable, although they can be fun to play on occasion. They make good magicians, but not much else. In all honesty I would have liked to cut this race from this edition of the game, as I feel they do not add anything especially interesting to the game, and indeed I find it a nuisance when players play one. But, on this subject I was overruled by some of our female playtesters who have adored playing them since the very first edition of DS.
Fayan and Dark Fayan Short, fairfolk who enjoy mysteries, stories and adventure. But their curious nature will often get them into trouble, as well as their penchant for stealing things. The Dark Fayans (the Fay Rol Nur) are especially powerful magicians, although they have a wicked side to them.
Gnome Gnomes are pretty much what you’d expect: short people with long gray beards. However, their beards are magical and actually house many creatures. The beard of male gnomes (hair for female gnomes) has magical “holes” in it where small creatures can make cozy homes. Gnomes who are magic users will typically use these animals as their familiars; others as special pets.
West Lander Gnomes Basically like your typical Gnome, only they are crazy and wild. The illustration of them speaks for itself: a crazed Gnome crushing a fairy in one hand and carrying a club with nails in it in the other hand. Why, you ask? Why NOT, we say.
Gobllyn Small, frog-like beings who are generally evil. The female Gobllyns, through a strange curse, are actually quite beautiful and fair and appear as young, human girls. They use this charm to waylay unwary victims. In the Gobllyn entry, you learn that once all Goblins were fair and beautiful (they became Gobllyns after they became evil, because the Elvish word, “Llyn” means “changed”, and hence, Gobllyn). But, according to legend, the Gobbllyns stole a fabled book from the Gnomes (the Gnomeinomicon) and the Gnomes cursed them for it.
Half-Cat There are actually 4 types: Felarians (who look almost human), Manxians (who look like cats), Felineos (who are basically like lion people) and Sabertooth Half-Cats (feral and fearsome in battle, to say the least).
Half-Dead Basically these are human-looking people who, in ancient times, were the Aetherians (spiritual entities). Over the ages, they became jealous of humans and other races who had bodies of flesh and began inhabiting the dead corpses of humans and elves. Over the ages they have forgotten who they once were and now have become beings who are trapped within “dead” bodies. They can be fun and challenging to play, as they have a number of special pros and cons to them.
Half-Giant Once the Half-Giants were wise and powerful, but over the ages of war and battle they have diminished into boorish brutes who suffer from the Great Dumbening which has slowed their minds and sapped them of their magical powers. Few Half-Giants today even realize they once had a prestigious heritage. As a player character, you can attempt to overcome the Dumbening and become a very powerful character indeed, although the road will be a long one.
Half-Wolf There are 3 types: Common (basically your typical Half-Wolf), Arctics (stronger and huskier with shaggier fur) and Feral (jungle dwelling Half-Wolfs). In history they were the noble protectors of the Northern Line who fended off the Demons. Today they struggle against a world that shuns them and blames them for failing to hold off the Demons.
Human 4 types to choose: Common (the typical human), Northlanders (barbaric and stronger than normal), Eastern (shorter, slyer humans) and the Chokoido Savage (from the jungles of the South). Humans dominate the population of the world, and dislike most other races.
Kelpie Basically humans who have the extraordinary ability to change into a horse.
Kobold One of the more unique and challenging races to play, the Kobold evolved from both the Elves and the Orcs. In their “normal” mode, Kobolds are human-like in appearance with a penchant for adventure, excitement and mischief. However, when they are really enjoying themselves they become more fair and take on attributes of an Elf; when they are in danger or enraged, they begin to take on the qualities of an Orc.
Minotaurs 3 types: Red (evil), Blue (good) and Bestial (huge, hulking monstrosities). In history, the Minotaurs guarded the Stones of Good and Evil, but the Juggernaut Wars destroyed their kingdom and now today the Minotaurs are without any direction or purpose, the Stones of Good and Evil long missing.
Ogre Allies of the Elves, in history the Ogres carried the Elves into battle. Today they are little more than oafish brutes, although they long for the days when they Elves will rise again upon their backs as Ogre Riders.
Orc Before the Demon and Juggernaut Wars, the Orcs were the prime menace to the free world. Now, after the Demon and Juggernaut Wars, they are a conquered people and are forced to get along with the other races. They have lost their dark, dismal cities and now must live within the confines of other races’ cities. It is an uneasy relationship, but the Orcs are doing well to try and get along with others.
Sabyr Seven different varieties of these Half-Dragons to choose from, each with a different type of breath weapon. In ancient times they were celestial servants to the Dragon Kings—the agents of the Goddess of the Earth. But when the great Mother of the Earth gave birth to the dreaded Demons, she shunned the Dragon Kings and now today they are all but forgotten. The Sabyrs are a diminished race, and do not remember their heritage.
Stagian A race of deer-men from the north. Although they are short, they are fiery and strong willed.
Wu-Zen From the Lands of Writhing Grass, the Wu-Zen are a race of short humanoids resembling raccoons. Very tribal and territorial, they are fierce warriors. They have an extraordinary ability to grow their claws into sword-like weapons.
CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CLASSES Players get to choose a class for their characters. There are 3 basic types of classes: Non-Magic (like Knights and Rangers), Semi-Magic (like Paladins and Elemental Warriors) and Magic (such as the Wizard). Classes allow characters to advance levels by gaining experience points, so there is really nothing revolutionary or novel here. Most players will be familiar with this type of system. Classes will determine a number of things for the character. Among these things are Combat Bonuses (modifiers to Attack, Dodge, Parry, Damage and Saving Throws), Skill Points (with which to purchase ranks in skills), Feats (special abilities), number of APRs (actions per round in combat) and Special Abilities (most classes receive certain special abilities unique to their class). For magic and semi-magic classes, characters will also receive a number of Spell Castings (# of times he can cast a spell per day before tiring) and Spells. Not all classes will level up at the same rate. Certain classes can level up much faster (such as the Adventurer or Bard) but they do not gain as many special abilities or as high of combat bonuses. Magic classes generally level up very slowly. The playable classes in DS2 include the following:
Adventurer Basically a generic template for players who want a highly unrestrictive class that’s easy to level up in. The class has some interesting backstory and mentions some prominent adventurers guilds for players to take part in. They get special abilities such as Rugged and Ultra Rugged.
Apprentice A good starting place for players who want to play a magic user.
Archer The only class able to specialize in bows, the archer is your basic “light” fighter. They get special abilities that allow them to shoot multiple arrows on a single attack.
Assassin Dark, stealthy and deadly, assassins specialize in murder. They get special abilities such as Deadly Strike and Attack to Kill
Barbarian Warrior brutes, barbarians are all muscle and brawn. They get special abilities such as Brute Strength and Iron Skin.
Bard Entertainers, thieves and minstrels, bards get special abilities such as Disparage and Inspire.
Bounty Hunter Stalkers of criminals, Bounty Hunters specialize in hunting down wanted men.
Knight / Dark Knight Although the kingdoms are gone, a rare few knights still exist, struggling for existence and to carry out their ancient orders. They gain special abilities such as Sword of Smiting and Virtuous Save.
Mercenary Mercs are the world’s “new” knights. Like the adventurer class, the Merc is more or less a generic template for players who want to be a fighter without any type of restrictions.
Obsidian Guardsman The ancient order of Demon Slayers. They gain special abilities that help them defeat demons.
Pirate Daring and adventurous, pirates / sailors gain the special ability of Uncanny Grog.
Ranger Rangers have an affinity for the outdoors and traveling, and gain special abilities that allow them to tune into their surroundings.
Thief Your typical thief class, which excels at stealth.
Witch Hunter Because magic is viewed as an evil power in the game world, Witch Hunters are like bounty hunters who go out to kill wizards, making a lucrative living doing so. With the help of the Filter Arcanus, Witch Hunters can choose spells to become immune to.
Elemental Warrior A semi-magic class that gains spells for combat.
Juggernaut Slayer Juggernaut Slayers lead a dangerous life, hunting down Juggernauts. They gain powers that help them defeat their titanic foes.
Paladin / Dark Paladin A mixture of a priest and a knight. Like he knights, their time in the world is nearly over and forgotten.
Priest Men of the gods who gain healing powers and other divine magics.
Wizard The wizard is really a generic template that allows players to customize their character into any type of magic class they want.
CHAPTER 4: CHARACTER DETAILS This chapter explores some finishing touches for characters, and some odds and ends of optional rules. There is a section on Languages which details the many various languages spoken throughout Arkastapha, including slang, racial slurs for the various races. Next is a section detailing alignments, which are your typical “Good”, “Neutral”, and “Evil” types. These are all drawn directly from the SRD and include “Lawful Evil”, “Chaotic Evil” and others. Although I myself am not a huge fan of using alignments in the game, I do feel that they have their place. Birth Signs are also included which allow players to either roll randomly on a table or pick one. These are basically “zodiac” signs which can help determine a character’s personality attributes and give him a little added bonus or ability. They are completely optional. Fame Points are detailed next, and are an optional rule that allows players to increase their fame or infamy in the game world. Finally there is a section for Insanity, in which players start with a set number of sanity points, slowly losing them until they go insane. Per the rules, it should be pretty rare that a character goes insane. It’s a light rules system that allows for great flexibility in dishing out character insanities. In short, whatever causes the character to lose his first sanity point, will slowly become that character’s insanity. For example, let’s say that your character witnesses his companion getting killed by a zombie and it causes him to lose a sanity point. Over time, the character may start to have a phobia of undeads, or even an unhealthy hatred for them.
CHAPTER 5: SKILLS AND FEATS This is the first section of the book where DS2 really begins to differ from previous versions of the game, at least rules-wise. DS2 no longer uses a percentage-based skills system, but has instead moved to a Difficulty Class system where skill rolls are made on a d20 and must beat a DC set by the GM, as determined by the situation. Players get to add their ability modifiers to the roll as well. Although we liked the old percentage based skills system, the new DC based system actually works a lot better and more smoothly. Some long-time DS fans might be put off by this change, while others will surely welcome it. In DS2 there are about 170 skills, broken into Skills and Weapon Expertise (WE) skills. Skills are your talented abilities like Move Silently, Swim, Monsterlore, etc. WEs are weapon skills, such as WE Longswords, which will give your character bonuses to his combat rolls and increased chances of critical hits. Skills are based on ranks, purchased with skill points. Each rank gives your character a +1 to the roll. Some skills can be leveled-up to become almost magical or extraordinary abilities. For example, Monsterlore allows your character to choose a Favored Foe, every so many ranks. The skill of Sing allows your character to learn the Songs of Old which can be used to destroy or help people. The skill of Hide can be leveled up to make your character a Master of Shadows, etc. WEs are also purchased with skill points. However ranks level up the WE to make your character more proficient in combat. With no WE, or low WE levels, your character will miss attack rolls on rolls of 5 or 6 in combat; with high WEs your character might only miss on rolls of 1. Similarly, with low WEs your character may only score critical hits on rolls of 20, but with high WEs your character may score them on rolls of 18, 19 or even 17. They also give your character bonuses to hit and parry in combat.
Feats A new addition to DS2 are Feats, and there are 157 in all. Some feats, like Iron Gut, will allow your character physical bonuses to resist damage, illness, etc. Others, like Agile, give your character bonuses to skill checks. Then there are some, like Aggressive Assault and Mystic Assault that give special abilities or moves in combat. Others, like Fate, allow you limited ability to change the outcome of actions.
CHAPTER 6: COMBAT One thing we didn’t want to change about DS was its combat system which many of our fans love. In DS2, combat is largely the same as it has been in previous versions, although there have been a few minor changes and improvements made and the rules cleaned up. In a nutshell, combat runs in initiative order. Each round is broken down into Melees, during which each character can use ONE of his APRs (actions per round). This APR can be used to attack, defend, move or perform some other action. An element of strategy is involved, because if you attack you wont be able to defend, and vice-versa. But there is a catch: if you have a higher initiative score than your opponent, you are in the “aggressive position” and have an “aggressive advantage”. This advantage can allow you to attack your opponent and then defend yourself if he attacks you back, but you’ll expire your APRs more quickly. At the end of a round, if a character is out of APRs but his opponent(s) still have 2 or more left, he must fall Submissive or choose to take a Mauling. Basically, combat rolls are made on a d20, and modified by ability scores and WE bonuses. An attacker rolls to hit; the defender, if he so chooses, can attempt to parry or dodge the attack. A defensive roll is also made on a d20 and is modified by WE skill, ability scores, etc. If the defense roll is higher than the attack roll, the attack is avoided. If a character is hit by an attack, he takes damage. The amount of damage taken can be reduced if the character is wearing armor, or if the creature has scales or tough hide. Basically, armor reduces damage taken. The basic mechanics of the combat system in DS2 are actually rather simple. It’s learning how to effectively use it and figuring out the subtle strategies behind it that are difficult to master. There are also some advanced rules that players can incorporate to make things even more challenging, if they so desire. At the end of the combat section there is a Combat Tutorial which will help players easily learn the system. It’s written from the perspective of your Drill Sergeant as he tried to train you, so the read can be a little fun and won’t bore you with bland rules.
CHAPTER 7: ENCUMBRANCE, MOVEMENT AND EXPLORATION A quick look at encumbrance and movement rules in the game. Nothing earthshaking or groundbreaking here. These rules are largely taken from the SRD. There’s also a look at the diseases of the world in this section, which can be a fun and disturbing read.
CHAPTER 8: MAGIC AND SPELLCASTERS This is the magic section of the book and contains all the rules for becoming a magic user. The magic system is pretty straight forward and there is really nothing too remarkable about it. Spellcasters generally get a number of spell castings per day with which to cast spells. Once they reach their limit they are exhausted from the strain of channeling magic and might need to roll on the Malformed Magic table if they continue to attempt casting spells. Although the book contains about 500 different spells, magic in the game world is considered rather rare (as far as wizards go). Most people hate and fear magic, making the life of a magic user a dangerous one. The magic system works well with the game rules and system, but again there is nothing groundbreaking about it. However, there is enough material to keep those players wishing to become a wizard entertained for a long time. Runes and Wards are also covered, and a complete working system for wards is included. Spells of Legend are also covered in brief. At this point I would like to take a moment to admit my dissatisfaction with this part of DS2. I’ll be the first to admit that I myself have never like playing a magic user, and when I GM magic users are typically reserved for NPCs and villains. The magic system DS2 uses is very uninspired and bland and those looking for something new and interesting as far as a magic system will have to work elsewhere. The only positive thing I can really say about DS2’s magic system is that it allows a lot of freedom for players to fine-tune their magician characters. But again, it’s basically just a variation of the d20 magic system.
CHAPTER 9: GODS This section details DS2’s huge pantheon of deities: High Gods, Gods, Demigods and even Dead Gods. Each of the deities is covered and described, some with very interesting back stories that lend to the history of the game world. There is a vast plethora of deities, both of good, evil and neutrality. Some of the gods are those of nature and the elements, others are of war and battle, and even others of trickery or crime. However, the two main gods (the High Gods) are Panath the Holy and Narzool the Wicked. All other gods are lesser than they. Players can choose to have their characters worship any of the gods. If they do, they will have a choice to make as the gods attempt to attract followers by offering “divine gifts” to those who would worship them and do their bidding. Some gods may offer followers a bonus to some ability, skill or combat skill. Others may offer a special weapon or power. In reading thru the Gods section, players will learn of all the power struggles going on between the Gods, and may even discover some secrets of the game world not covered elsewhere.
CHAPTER 10: BUYERS GUIDE DS2, like its predecessors, contains a huge list of weapons, items and equipment, as well as an extensive listing of herbs, poisons and drugs. The last section of this chapter is dedicated to magical weapons and items. Just about anything you can think of is contained in the Buyer’s Guide, which some may find is overkill while others may appreciate it. Weapons are all listed with damage, weapon type, attack type, weight, cost, etc. Armor is all listed with damage reduction, weight, cost, etc. The last section of the Buyer’s Guide is dedicated to magical weapons and items. Taken almost entirely from the SRD, this section is admittedly lacking (much like the magic system) although it does contain a vast majority of different magic items. However, the section does detail some of the famous rune weapons of old (rune weapons being incredibly powerful and incredibly rare).
CHAPTER 11: THE WORLD GUIDE This chapter of the book is dedicated to the lands of Arkastapha, and details dozens of different locales. It reads more like a series of short stories than an encyclopedic look at the world. That is to say, each of the major lands are written like a travel guide of sorts, detailing places of interest, local legends, things to do and many adventure seeds. Many of our playtesters greatly enjoyed this section, and it even makes a fun read on its own. And although the World Guide is pretty extensive, detailing many different lands, cities and places of interest, it doesn’t go so far as to make it impossible for the GM to add his own locations, stories and cities. The World Guide also details major historical events of the world, including the full history of the Juggernauts and the Demons—the two major forces of evil in the game world.
CHAPTER 12: MONSTER ENCYCLOPEDIA DS2 includes about 70 different monsters, ranging from the Demons and Juggernauts to undeads, beasts, dragons and oddities. Many of the monsters included are not your ordinary stock, such as the Goreball, Razor Back and Doughty Walker. Each monster is fully detailed and illustrated. Sadly, those who have previous editions of DS will not find too many new monsters in DS2. Most of the monsters contained in this book have appeared in previous editions of the game, although they have all been fully updated and expanded upon.
CHAPTER 13: APPENDIX Here you can find a full Glossary of common game terms you may need to look up, as well as a full INDEX! Yes, previous versions of DS lacked this essential tool, but now the game has a 6-page index. Forgot where you read that interesting story about Roglug Foegrinder? Just look in the Index; What land was the Demon’s Throat located in? Look it up in the Index! Ahh . . the power of a good index.
Well, that about does it for this review. My fingers are tired of typing, my eyes hurt from staring at this monitor, and I’m feeling a craving for some Taco Bell. If you’ve managed to make it all the way through my long-winded analysis of this game, I commend you. I hope you have found this review helpful, and maybe it will have interested you enough to go out and buy a copy (that would be my hope, anyway!). But, I also hope that it has provided enough information to discourage those from purchasing it if they feel this is not the type of game system they would enjoy. After all, a thorough review should give the reader a good gauge on whether or not they would like the game. I’ll admit that I’m not the best review writer in the world, and after having lived and breathed DS2 for over a year now, I can tend to forget that I know certain details as common knowledge that others may need to know. So please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks for reading! Mike Whitehead Cutter’s Guild Games
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