In Short

Gamescapes: Story Cards, Sci-fi Set 1 are a play aid for science fiction roleplaying. 27 cards representing different weapons and armors are ready to be printed out, with a choice of two different backings – one for art and another for information. Using the one for information gives the GM the ability to easily track by sight who has what gear, and if the stats are written on the back it makes it simple for the players to know how to mechanically use the gear.

I’ve used 3 x 5 index cards in my games for years, so the idea of simple player handouts that showcase a piece of technology and provide a handy reference is very appealing. Let’s break this one down!

The Good: At $2.95 this isn’t a high risk product and may be worth checking out for folk who want to bring more art and visualization to the table. The artwork aids in creating an immersive environment while the physical representation of the object gives it greater importance and keeps it in the player’s mind. Despite its short size (only 5 pages of actual material) all the classic weapons and armors of science fiction are presented here.

The Bad: Artwork can be very product identity specific. The equipment here would fit in very well with d20 Future, Alternity, Dawning Star, and some other games but probably wouldn’t work well, visually, for Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate, or some other science fiction series. On a black and white printer the images are very ink intensive, and there’s no discussion of different ways to produce the images. Just printing through twice is the most logical, but on normal paper it results in a very flimsy handout. Pasting on an index card or piece of cardboard seems useful, and a single page discussing suggested ways to use these images would have been great. On a black and white printer there’s little contrast between the grayish equipment and grayish background – a standard white background (or at least an option for one) would have been nice, both to make the equipment more visually appealing and to cut back on toner usage.

My Take

This product has potential, but for many consumers it may require too much work to realize its usefulness. More printing options and a discussion of suggested ways to utilize the product, at a minimum, are needed to make this a good resource. Still, the artwork is nice and the weapons certainly have a futuristic appearance. If you’re looking for a resource to help make that custom blaster rifle a little more exciting at the table then pick this one up.