Before I start, I should mention that I don't own the Undiscovered Rulebook. I do however have the free Quickstart, available from Eilfin's website, and the author has advised me that this should be enough to perform a fair review of this e-zine.

This review of Issue 3 of the e-zine follows on from my earlier reviews of Issues 1 and 2.

I have to say that reviewing this e-zine was a real joy for me personally. Many of the differences between this issue and the previous two reflect changes that I recommended in my reviews. This is the sort of thing reviewers live for. Most reviewers do not criticize indiscriminately, dictating what is Good and what is Bad. They have reason and logic behind their comments. These reviews were done at the editor’s request, and I have little doubt that he read them both. Having one’s recommendations taken into consideration and even implemented is an intensely gratifying experience.

Presentation

The folks at Eilfin have obviously learned a lot about formatting PDFs since they released their last two issues. The cover and contents page both contain links to all the sections mentioned, and there’s even a link from the cartoon on page 23 to the artist’s website. Even better, bookmarks for each section are now included, as they should be with any PDF, with additional bookmarks for sub-sections within certain articles. The best change though, is the inclusion of buttons on the contents page to hide all pictures and or maps in the text, to save printer ink when producing a hardcopy. This is something genuinely useful to many purchasers, and a feature that anyone who publishes in the PDF format should consider. Copying from the text is still impossible, presumably for security reasons. The two-column layout is retained, matching the core book’s format, but the unreadable cursive font has disappeared completely.

Grammar and spelling are still an occasional problem, and again, the writers’ word choices are sometimes unfortunate. There’s confusion between ‘effect’ and ‘affect’ right there in the editorial, both words being used in the wrong places. Missing commas - and a few missing words - are also irksome. Bear in mind that I’m a grammar nazi, as always.

This issue’s artwork is light years ahead of the previous issues in terms of quality. What was amateurish and technically flawed is now professional and well-polished. The cover art by Jonathon Earl Bowser is as good as that seen on many print publications, and is marred only by the artist’s website address in the corner (this is repeated on the contents page, so its inclusion on the cover is redundant). Eric Lofgren’s work is dynamic and evocative. Robert Carlos’ work has come a long way, particularly his anatomy; his portrait of Terash on page 37 is one of the standout pieces of the issue. My favorite piece is Sami Waulu’s climber threatened by two kraiff, on page 99.

Content

‘The Oasis of Shar’ and ‘Coming Full Circle’ are this issue’s adventures. Both could easily be used in your fantasy game of choice with a little conversion work, and the endeavor would certainly be worthwhile.

‘The Oasis of Shar’ is primarily an investigative scenario, with a hook not unlike the story of the Marie Celeste. Tales of a deserted settlement lead the characters into the desert. This adventure is very well-constructed, and highly-suited to a group that appreciates a good enigma. All the NPCs are detailed, with clear and plausible motivations. The only fault I can find is that it seems almost too short, and the final confrontation comes all too soon.

‘Coming Full Circle’ is the culmination of the adventure trilogy begun with ‘Trading Company Troubles’, and continuing in ‘Breaking the Ice’, both published in previous issues. As with those adventures, this final chapter is set in a location detailed elsewhere in the e-zine. This time it's the town of Am Mudald. As with this issue’s other adventure, this one seems all too short, moving rapidly to its conclusion: a huge battle which is probably best handled using the new mass-combat rules (see below). As this is the final installment in a series, this is understandable. ‘Coming Full Circle’ would work better as a stand-alone scenario if the GM could stretch out the investigative elements for longer, perhaps adding a few more red herrings.

This issue’s NPCs are two more of Jean Carlos’ high priests and priestesses. The characters are interesting enough, but rather useless if they and their religion don’t feature in your campaign. The details on the town of Am Mudald are vital for the ‘Coming Full Circle’ adventure, and would be very useful to a GM looking for a stop-off for the PCs on a long journey. ‘The Zalif Cultists’ describes a desert monastery that could provide a GM many ideas for encounters, and makes intriguing reading whether or not one intends to use it in play. I particularly liked the section on the Radiant Tracts, a realm that could house an entire campaign if expanded upon by an imaginative GM.

The new abstract mass combat rules are a vital addition to the Undiscovered game, and are both well-presented and mechanically solid. ‘Joining the Ranks’ provides a new organization for characters to join, the Holy Knights of Kala. The requirements for this order seem overly extensive, considering the limited benefits provided. Hopefully this feature will continue, bringing us more balanced organizations in future issues. Also included this issue are a wealth of other new rules: new spells, new poisons, new weapons and a number of creatures and monsters of the Radiant Tracts.

The fiction in this issue is much better. David Goodner’s ‘The Box of Sorrows’ stands out, though Antonio Da Rosa’s continuation of ‘Slather’s Secrets’ works well.

This issue’s Showcase artist is Jeremy McHugh. McHugh’s art is like Jon Hodgson with a finer pen. He works the same magic with sharp lines and colors, and captures the same quality of emotion in the defined features of his figures as Hodgson manages with his more abstract style. I don’t mean to diminish either artist with the comparison, but the feelings evoked are very similar.

Undiscovered Quests & Adventures is moving ahead in leaps and bounds. This issue resolves earlier problems, adds extra features, and refines existing ones. If you haven’t looked at this e-zine before, this is certainly the time to do so. Fantasy RPG players and GMs of every stripe will get something out of this with a little conversion work, and those who play Undiscovered will find this issue exceedingly useful and inspiring.

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