There's, obviously, a lot of controversy surrounding this product which just goes to show how much of a hot-button issue it is. There's been a lot of criticism and hoo-hah on the net over the product without ever having seen it. This, I think, says everything about it.
d20 Modern isn't my system of choice and I don't think it particularly suited to games that delve into these sorts of issues but, nonetheless, it is extremely well written and handled sensitively.
I should like to see more products from this writer on other political and protest issues, or perhaps a larger more complete product handling the tactics and culture of protest as a whole. I have a feeling they'd do well writing up anti-capitalist and ecoterrorist groups, anarchist black-blocs and others.
Overall I rate the product a 4, but I'm giving it a 5 for having balls and for pleasantly surprising me in terms of quality.<br><br>
<b>LIKED</b>: The product is created from a pro-choice stance but, coming from the UK where this controversy is practically unknown, that tends to agree with my viewpoint. Even so I think the product is quite fair and balanced and has good utility.
As I said, I'm from the UK so a lot of this is alien to me outside of second hand news reports. Getting a summary of the US history of what has gone on around this and the lengths people go to to protest either way, especially from a gamer's perspective was extremely useful.
Even the parts I was dubious about, such as the prestige class, have been handled maturely and fairly and I'm pleasantly surprised. There's a lot in here that can be used more widely in street/protest and medical based games that have nothing to do with abortion.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: The product's second half is quite unfocussed. This does increase the material's utility beyond the narrow focus of the abortion issue but also waters down the product a little. The artwork is spartan while they layout is good, but it is also a little too obviously influenced by GTA.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] |