Review of Darktek

I knew very little about the Dark Conspiracy universe when I picked up a used copy of this sourcebook, which functions as the game's hardware handbook. The art is better than average, with color cover, and both B&W and color internal art. Items are organized by category and identified by icon for their category (bioligics, electronics, weapons, vehicles, robots, consumer goods and misc.) and origin race (human, alien, dark minion). A short introductory chapter describes the formatting of the information provided and the rules associated with that information.

All of the items presented are interesting and of use. Items created by dark minion races (darktek) carries consequences to the user that are immediate as well as increasing over time. Some require symbiotic connections, force feeding frenzies, reduce attributes and even take control of the user. Aliens in the Dark Conspiracy world are not all enemies, and so some of their technology is combined with humans against the dark forces, but their items are less intrusive to the user than those of dark minion races. The human created items are all very appropriate for any scifi campaign.

The descriptions of the each item do come with complete game data but the associated verbiage is enough to export them to other game systems. Most notably the "user cost"s defined with each darktek item are generally well enough explained by the opening chapter to be used with other rules. My intent is to use these items in a scifi rpg with genetically engineered races and creatures, as an extension of that science into biomechanical and biotech creations.

The following games would easily find $5 of source material in Darktek: XXVc, Traveller and all its variants, Blue Planet, Justifiers, Gamma World, Star*Drive, Kromosome (Amazing Engine), Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega and original, 2300AD, Babylon Project (Darktek=Shadowtech), Dark Sun (Windriders of the Jagged Cliffs), Jovian Chronicles and FREELancers (Top Secret/SI). I'm sure there are many others, the opening chapter references Twilight:2000 and Merc:2000 as having identical weapons/equipment rules.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)