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Sinbad, Ali Babba, Aladdin, powerful djinn, cities of brass, flying carpets - emblematic parts of the mysterious Arabian Nights. What you would expect to find in a gaming supplement dedicated to the tales of a thousand and one nights. What do you get with GURPS Arabian Nights? A cultural history of Islam from the 7th Century C.E. to 13th Century. Sigh.

Okay. So it doesn't deliver on what you expect, but what it does, it does well. It provides a thorough portrait of the lands and people that produced the Arabian Nights. 27 character types are presented for playing an Arabian campaign, along with distinctive advantages, disadvantages, and skills. Descriptions and rules are provided for including magic in a campaign consistent with the tales, with four examples of magic-using character types and new and modified spells. Campaign information is provided for Arabian animals, magic items, djinn, and other fantastic creatures. The campaign chapter offers suggestions for running a variety of Arabian campaigns. The GURPS Arabian Nights finishes with a detailed adventure, glossary, and index.

The only major failing of GURPS Arabian Nights is that it just doesn't deliver on the genre. In part, because it assumes too much familiarity with the actual tales. Including brief descriptions of some of the lesser known tales would have helped to communicate the atmosphere of the Arabian Nights.

Style: 2 (Needs Work)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)