Tech Law: Equipment Manual is the second release from the new Spacemaster: Privateers line. Anybody who read my review of the main rulebook a few months ago will remember that one of my main complaints was almost complete lack of information on technology. It has always been my belief that technology is what sets a sci-fi game apart from any other genre and far too many games designers just skip over it. Tech Law: Equipment Manual is the first of three Tech Law volumes that aim to address this issue.
The book starts in the almost mandatory discussion of tech levels (other than the: what is Spacemaster bit of course). Tech levels are used in many sci-fi games as a way to benchmark various cultures in terms of their technological advancement. Tech Law describes tech levels for general, arms and armor, communications, computers and data storage, energy sources, general science and law enforcement. Each of these spans from 1 to 31 and the type of advances gained at each tech level are described. For example, communications tech level 21: "Antimatter Age, Methods of reducing a tachyon's energy are discovered. The speed of faster-than-light communication improves dramatically."
The vast majority of the book is taken up with the equipment lists, this cover Arms and Armor, Clothing, Data Storage and Retrieval, Drugs, Medical Equipment, Person Gear, Power Cells, Survival Equipment and Tools. Each chapter provides a wealth of detail and price list for everything but the kitchen sink. These chapters really are one of the most comprehensive equipment lists I have ever seen although individual Gamemasters would be well advised to review each item before allowing it into their game. My only real criticism here are the rules for dealing with grenades and other explosives, these are fairly weak on and seem a little contrived. I think the problem is that uses the same basic game mechanics as the fantasy game Rolemaster and as such was never designed with explosives in mind. This is however a fairly minor criticism unless the GM is planning on running a sci-fi "A-team" type game. Up to this point the book is system non-specific and so would make an excellent supplement to any sci-fi game
After the equipment list comes a couple of sections on design, construction, malfunction and repair. When I first looked at this I was hoping for something in the style of the old Traveller supplement Fire, Fusion and Steel, alas I was to be disappointed. Unlike Fire, Fusion and Steel which deals with how to construction equipment from the ground up, this sections deals with whether characters can successfully construction their chosen item, leaving the game details of the item to the GM.
One of my favourite parts of the book was the appendix. One of the things I felt should have been included in basic rulebook was a way to convert weapons tables from Rolemaster into Spacemaster format. This omission has been corrected here with full two-way conversion rules between the two systems. Additionally 16 new attack tables and 5 new critical tables are provided.
All in all an excellent product.
Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)
