If you had asked me what I might want to add to M-Space to make it a better toolkit for designing a futuristic universe for whatever SF ideas I might want to create or emulate, I would have had to think about it long and hard. I doubt even then that I would have come up with as useful a companion volume as this one. The M-Space Companion not only adds items 'missing' from M-Space, it expands on material in M-Space in innovative ways that broaden the scope of utility of the product and perhaps the imagination of the reader.

Particular standouts for me were the focused option suggestions and models for prosthetic devices and the deep dive into enhancing character creation.

As usual, the book is easy to read, use, and referenced. Further, it is well-bookmarked and in the 'It's square!" layout that seems to grab the hearts and minds of those who see other M-Space titles in print.

A teaser volume of additional details has also been made available, entitled Circles of Steel.

If you have used a D100 game in the past, or if you are simpy curious, this Mythras Gateway title is a worthy addition to the M-Space core book and can be expected to enhance your setting and character decisions whether you are planning to go for recreating Star Wars or Star Trek at your table, or if you are going to plumb the depths of your own imagination, 'out in the black'~

The revised version of Quantum Black contains the same content as the original release, but in a leaner, cleaner layout which is signigicantly better to read on screen, and to my eyes at least, looks much better.

The game itself is the first game licensing Exile Games' Ubiquity Roleplaying System to be set in the modern era, and offers a fine array of gear and tech to live up to that. Characters will need it if they are to survive the horrors the concept of the game will pit them against.

In the vein of beloved games like Beyond the Supernatural, and Delta Green, Quantum Black posits that the things that go bump in the night are not just stories. The conceit of the game has characters working for Quantum Integrated Technologies, and they may draw from a variety of skill sets to earn their paycheques, be that in invesitgative, combat, or thaumaturgical capacities.

The game revises and expands on the Horror and Sanity mechanics present in Hollow Earth Expedition and Leagues of Gothic Horror, to make it a focal point of a visceral horror game, without assuming or requiring that characters will fall prey to it as a core part of play. Characters will be strongly affected by what they experience and do, but may prove to be able to tough it out in the end.

Quantum Black will enable GMs looking to provide a very fast-paced game dealing with uncovering conspiracies, horrors, and getting in the way of plots and creatures familiar to Lovecraft fans. Ubiquity is quick to pick up, flexible and powerful in play, and in this game will let players enjoy sessions which feel like (among other things... such as The Thing) the X-files, Millennium, or with some alteration of dates, Stranger Things.

Quantum Black is the first modern-era game using the Ubiquity Roleplaying System to see release. The core book includes the standard rules found in any Ubiquity game, and has its own adaptations of the magic and sanity rules. Being a game focused mainly on a framework of dangerous investigation and combat action, it has a large amount of modern gear which might be of interest to people looking to expand their resources for building their own settings. Those familiar with the X-files, or more specifically with games like Beyond the Supernatural will feel at home in this setting as described, and find Ubiquity a good tool to use for fast action and representing the growing grip of terror on the characters.

Quantum Black's approach to magic is uses procedures such as found in Hollow Earth Expedition's "Secrets of the Surface World," and Leagues of Adventure's "Leagues of Gothic Horror," but applies it during GM-preparation for spell design. This is both clever and useful and will likely be of great use in other games, such as All for One: Regime Diabolique. Numerous example spells are provided. Unlike other magic systems provided so far, apart from that seen in Desolation, Quantum Black's comes with a mysterious cost to practitioners that serves to aid in the understanding and implementation of its genre.

The Horror mechanic likewise allows characters to experience strong reactions to the strange things they discover in their investigations, but allows for greater mental durability than found in Hollow Earth Expedition and Leagues of Gothic Horror, as befits the high-action genre this game is going for. Characters will still experience an uncomfortable decline of sanity and capability, but will not have to work around the harsher limits found in games like Call of Cthulhu where combat action may be considered to be a player error.

The art is consistent throughout and people will like it or not in the way that people do. The layout needed more work. The writing has a conversational tone and is presented in short sections, so reading is quick and generally quick to understand. Overall, however, the book has an unfinished look (unjustified text, typographical errors, blank spots for unassigned art). I find that reading the physical book (hardcover) gives a better impact visually than the PDF, but again that is a purely subjective response.

The content is solid, and using the lead-in of working for Quantum Black would make one-shots and introductions to newcomers very easy in much the same way as starting out being trapped inside the Hollow Earth works for HEX (Hollow Earth Expedition). Growing out from that point to re-skin the setting in other ways is likewise as easy as it is in any other Ubiquity game.

Long-awaited, the gates of wonder have been kicked open allowing the hot winds of creativity and inspiration to whip past us HEX style! This new take on the dying Red Planet is definitely a location fitting for adventure, intrigue, exploration, desperation, and above all - planetary romance.

Intended as an expansion for Hollow Earth Expedition (Ubiquity Roleplaying System), fans of the planetary romance genre will find that this is not all that the book is. While certainly aimed at expanding and extending the rich setting for HEX, the authors recognize that gamers may wish to use the book to build their own Martian settings. Inspiration abounds for those who wish to do just that.

The game introduces its setting quickly through eight sample character templates which enable newcomers to take one and jump headlong into the storm of swords and sands of Mars. Four of these are humans, native to the HEX version of Earth or to Mars, and four amazing beings found only on Mars. It also gives you the tools to create your own native species and set them loose. Topping 200 pages, the book gives players a lot to go on when starting their journeys across the red face of Mars - including a sample adventure linked to the one provided in Hollow Earth Expedition (the game line's core rulebook).

To really drive home an alien nature for the world given birth by the pulp vistas and heroes from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Leigh Brackett, Robert E. Howard, Lin Carter and the like, the Exile Games crew have really pulled out all the stops. Abductions, ancient portals, oricalcum, sky galleons, aerial naval battles and sky pirates, energy weapons, swords, princesses and lost heroes of forgotten civilizations, lost technology, dying civilizations, and the plans of those who want it all.

For GMs who are curious about what things like aerial combat might bring to the game, the vehicle section is well-detailed and moves through chases, piracy, vessel types, volleys, and boarding, all with an eye to keeping things as blisteringly fast as you would expect from Ubiquity. For those who have been long-time GMs for the system, or those who have recently begun to think along these lines with the advent of the mechanically compatible ubiquity system release of the venerable Space: 1889, this chapter may be worth the price of admission alone – but there really is a lot more.

The new character archetypes, flaws, talents, resources, fighting styles, and advice for building your own Mars-themed creatures as we saw done for Beastmen of the Hollow Earth in a previous expansion (Mysteries of the Hollow Earth) show a lot of thought and a lot of creative use of the two packed pages of inspirations. This is an exciting Mars, an ancient and mysterious Mars, and a very deadly Mars. Cultures, gear, strange red metals, supernatural and technological powers, potent bloodlines, conspiracies, and the wars for waning knowledge and resources, make this version of the Red Planet a compelling place to visit, and attempt to survive.

Luther Arkwright: Roleplaying Across the Parallels, is a campaign setting guide and expansion for RuneQuest 6th Edition. RuneQuest by the Design Mechanism is one of the finest toolkits for fantasy campaign design that I have ever had the pleasure to read and use. Focused on a bronze age with a variety of magical and mystical elements, a creative GM can turn it to emulate virtually anything they might want from primitive levels of technology on up to the personal use of steel.

With Luther Arkwright in hand, the GM's creative reach has now been expanded across time and genre to reach to star-faring cultures from the birth of the Industrial Age, taking on whatever aspects of SF and Fantasy you might like along the way.

As inspiration, guide, template, and exciting setting in its own right, the dimensions of Bryan Talbot's graphic novels showing the exploits of the titular character and his fellow agents against the machinations of the Disruptors across infinite parallels of existence are presented in spell-binding and complete detail.

If you are looking for a compelling and challenging setting to use as is, or looking for a toolkit for invention, SF, psychic powers, dimensional travel, modern or futuristic combat, or some mixture of them all this book may be the answer.

From both a player's and GM's perspective the phrase, "Not for the faint of heart," comes to mind. The Tomb of Curses is a challenge to be beaten and it is holding most of the cards and has no inclination to even tell you the rules.

The basic premise for the adventure is imprisonment in the Tomb of Curses, and so events begin in the midst of doing something else. Judges who choose to build up to this incredible challenge from the start of their campaign will definitely have the makings of an epic gaming experience within their reach, but the writers provide a lead in should you choose to follow their very wise advice to start in media res with characters rolled up fresh for this soul and body crushing experience.

Those players who trust their characters to this adventure must be prepared to bring their best forward, and do whatever is necessary to accrue some good luck and better karma, as survival would seem to be the rare exception... and an accomplishment worthy of only the luckiest and most adept. Luck or skill alone will not suffice.

The writing is clear and entertaining throughout this well laid-out product, with clear referencing to important elements prominently placed for easy notice. Harried Judges will not find it hard to use the Tomb of Curses even when the tension has mounted to unbearable levels. The evocative art is appropriate to the product and the DCC line, and an added perk to a fun read. The PDF is not bookmarked, but does contain a useful index and in-text section references.

Additional bonuses are new monsters, items and several intriguing new patrons. As mentioned earlier, a truly epic campaign could be formed from the elements mentioned in passing within this adventure. Even if purchased and never run, the fuel for imagination and scenario creation contained within the 40+ pages of this product is packed with potential energy.

As I said in the beginning, this is adventure is not for the faint of heart, and in the spirit of DCC anyone choosing to engage in it must know that death is waiting at every misstep and sometimes just because everything dies eventually. This is not a scenario to just drop into an ongoing campaign for fun to see what happens - this is an event. It is a personal challenge to players to belly up to the table with the big boys to test their mettle.

Perils of the Surface World compiles the four scenarios and optional rules expansions for Hollow Earth Expedition released to date, bringing them all under one spectacular cover. This PDF is the byproduct of producing the compilation in print.

Layout of each adventure is mainly unchanged, but the background 'old page' look has been dropped in favor of a clean white. No bookmarks or hyperlinks are included, which is a surprise. The table of contents lists the adventure content separately from the attendant rules additions so finding what you want is not hard, it's just not as slick as it could be.

The quality, clarity, and excitement content of the adventure material is very high and for HEX fans old and new, should offer a lot of enjoyment. The rules content, designed as optional add-ons to reflect the specific surface world environments and tones of each adventure is also top-notch.

The four included adventures are: Miracle Stone of the Amazon, Frozen City of Terror, Legacy of the Terra Arcanum, and Five Talons of the Jade Dragon.

The supporting optional rules are: Faith and Miracles, Horror and Infection, New Sorcery Rituals, Vehicles, and Artifacts, and Martial Arts.

This is an incredible value in terms of roleplayed bang for buck for those who do not already have the 4 adventures. The convenience of having them all in one place may also be attractive to those who do.

This is a game with a long and storied history, marked by a continuous effort to hone and refine it into a thing of great beauty. Much has been written about the game and its great ability to evoke a sense of the Knights of the Round Table in King Arthur's Britain, so this review will not delve into that. Playing Pendragon is an experience, and it is an immersion into the genre of Arthurian literature that is both supported and compelled by the mechanics of the game in ways that few games undertake. Moreso than in many other games, players will discover their characters and the world they live in, in play. I would strongly recommend this game to anyone with a love of Arthurian fiction, fantasy roleplay, or interesting game mechanics.

This 5.1 edition is, as it states on the back, a cleaned up version of 5th Edition. On a surface scan, little is different, other than the shift from Arthaus to Nocturnal. For players of earlier editions, there are greater differences. Character generation has dropped the random method for point assignment, and the wider character options which marred or made 4th Edition (depending on your PoV) have been cast aside as well. This rule set focuses on generating Knights from Salisbury in a clean and efficient manner to get people into the game without delay. For newcomers, it is excellent. For old hands, some might prefer to fall back on chargen from previous editions then sally forth with the rest of 5.1 intact.

The look of the pages in the PDF is sharp and attractive. The organization throughout is easy to follow. A small but surprising complaint is that this title lacks bookmarks and hyperlinks which is extremely frustrating for use at the table. Other than this issue, the PDF is an fantastic value and very satisfying.

The print on demand version of the book I received, however, left something to be desired. In hardcover, the covers were extremely warped and the pages rippled into several waves so that the book cannot lay flat. So extreme a curve was present that the lower corner of the cover coating are pulling open.

Inside, the book is as gorgeous as one would expect. The pages are crisp and of good paper, with a strong binding. For someone who does not care how their books look, or who treats them with tough love, there would be no problem. For someone who appreciates a well-cared-for book, this curvature of cover and rippling of pages is annoying, and very disappointing concerning the purchase price.

Delivery time for print on demand was extraordinary and I have nothing but praise for this aspect of the program. I have ordered print on demand from DrivethruRPG before and had no reason to complain: everything was flawless. On this order, however, with this title and one other I ordered with it (The Great Pendragon Campaign), I was not completely satisfied and would hesitate before trying PoD again.

One of the many things I have found people to appreciate about Dungeon Crawl Classics is the flow and mood of the writing. I feel any product which intends to serve as support material for this clever and inspiring game needs to match that tone and style, and take things forward into new territory. Angels, Demons, and Beings Between manages this feat. Expanding on the small range of patrons provided in the core rules, this supplement from Dragons Hoard Publishing offers 13 intriguing, appropriate, and impressively diverse patrons to weave into your setting for the good or ill of the characters who adventure within it.

The fully bookmarked and indexed pdf is easy to read, in a look and tone which could be slipped seamlessly into the core rules. The patron descriptions cover all the primary points, and entice the Judge to learn or create more about each as the inevitable story ideas are sparked with each turn of the page. The editing is well above par, and the writing itself leads you through the book for shear enjoyment of reading - even though it is not a tale, but a folio of friends and fiends from beyond.

More than just an expansion of possible patrons for DCC games, this product's exploration of the idea of patrons through its implementation of the basic template in such a broad palette of beings is inspiring and thought provoking - well worth the price of admission.

Readability Note: For those concerned about readability, the file was updated on December 12, but no significant readability problems were evident in the original. the file was and continues to be readable. This is a pdf made from scanned images, but the scan is as clean as you would expect based on the style, font, and age of the printed source. There are no bookmarks, however.

The Federation Sourcebook (1994) was a useful expansion to Prime Directive, fleshing out a lot of things which players asked about when the game first launched. It added new character types (Commando, Combat Engineer), expands the material on Vulcan psionics, and adds rules and background for non-Vulcan psionics. In addition to offering a great deal of knowledge concerning the Federation and its member races, the expanded rules options and play aids, such as hit location, alternate/advanced initiative, and the ship recognition section increased the speed and ease of play while providing many more hooks and background ideas for players to incorporate into characters.

First Impressions

With a stark Black&White cover, the game hits you right away with the atmosphere the setting and fiction within provide. As with their previous product, Desolation, the core book is large (465 pages) and packed with easily readable and highly descriptive content which simultaneously provides every confidence that this universe is fully realized by its creators, yet open to the directions the broad interpretations of those who come to it will take it. There is lots of room to get creative within the boundaries and worlds of the game.

Character and Story Options

This is a game of one world, strangely sundered into many different variations of itself, yet all still linked in particular places and times in physical space. Characters in Broken Rooms are ordinary folk, yet each is empowered to act with abilities referred to in the game as Meridians. There are a lot of game concepts to take in at first, Distance, Depth, Momentum, Meridians, Nearside, and so on, but with the evocative and memorable names of each this is not so much of a burden as you might think. With widely varied motivations and thirteen iterations of the world to journey through, options are intriguing. A quick visit to the website (www.brokenrooms.com) will give a solid overview of the game concepts, give access to some of the fantastic fiction presented to transmit a feel for the setting, and allow a look into the system which powers the game; the Momentum System. Conspiracies, armies, tragic fates, personal agendas, willing and unwilling accomplices, loss and hope all provide a framework within which your group can begin telling tales of their own in any number of different directions.

The System

Attempts have been made to present a quick-running and streamlined system, but unlike Ubiquity which Greymalkin licensed for Desolation, this system obeys some of the usual speed limits. Points in its favour are a single initiative phase per combat, strict limitations on dodging gunfire (not Pulp!), set damage ratings in combat to which additional successes may be added, and the concept of Activating successes for Meridians (kewl powerz) using Momentum Points generated in play, which introduces a handy limitation on what sort of reality bending effects are possible versus what levels of effect tend to happen, while enabling the player to have a lot of say in that level each time they use an ability.

Momentum is a dice pool system where pools are drawn according to Attribute ratings and modified by gear and situational modifiers, etc. Like many systems, it provides opportunities for critical success and failure. Difficulties are set by the amount of training a character has in a relevent skill, and quality of success is determined by the number of dice from the pool that show that Target number or higher. Players familiar with success-based die-pool systems will be able to pick up Momentum quite easily. For those used to Roll vs Target Number systems, the clear instructions and excellent example of play (a strength I have noted in this company before) will make short work of your unfamiliarity.

Incidentally, the game appropriately uses the formerly neglected orphans of the dice world, the D12. In Broken Rooms this choice is related more with theme than anything else I suspect: the only thing more appropriate would be a D13.

Initial Conclusions (no playtest)

This game should work well with groups who enjoy getting both into character and into clear-cut setting elements, such as using jargon and making use of the setting fiction for their portrayal of characters. The game should play reasonably quickly with a minimum of issues beyond learning to accurately set difficulties for actions, and management of pools of Momentum points.

Like the author, I grew up with a sense of wonder and anticipation regarding space travel. As our generation has in a sense 'lost the moon' I find the concept of Colony Moon to be compelling. Those motivations aside, the game itself is quite simply fun.

The rules are easy to read and follow, so even a cursory amount of preparation will allow you to host a game without too much worry. The basic interactions of the game are interesting on their own, but adding in characterization and roleplay magnifies this significantly.

The game is ideal for those who love games like Civilization/Alpha Centauri or Outpost but have always wanted more from the diplomatic and political side of things.

I got the game for personal enjoyment, but after reading and testing it, feel it will be useful and enjoyable in an educational setting as well.

This game is well worth a look.

Those familiar with the writing of John Wick will know that once they start reading No Loyal Knight that two things will happen. The first will be that Wick's voice, this time adopting the hard-bitten tones of world-weary, spell-slinging PI Jefferson Carter, will slip deep inside your head, take a hit of your best whiskey without so much as a by-your-leave, and tell you tales of honor, revenge, and the sick, life-altering weight of regret that won't let you rest. The second thing...?

The second thing is that you will know you will read it again. Soon.

No Loyal Knight is a set of hard-boiled detective cases with a strong evocation of mood and motive, with as much left clear yet unsaid as ballsy and laid bare. Each tale moves along like a freight train on a downhill grade. In the magical world of Jefferson Carter, noir has never been quite so dark - nor quite so grimly amused.

This is a very clever and well-illustrated niche product that will have fans of old B-Movies and/or psychobilly music nodding and singing along with real enjoyment. Not only does the game make a good read, it also gets your mind churning out idea after idea as you process how you would actually use this with your group.

Anyone who has seen 6-String Samurai will slaughter any number of mutated wastelands dwellers to get into a game of Psychobilly Retropocalypse~

Things to Like: +Good layout +Evocative Art +Great balance of humour with the demands of a playable game +Simple and effective system +Great writing

Things of which to be wary: -If you can't get anyone to listen to your Quakes, Brutally Frank, or Gutter Demons collections - chances are you don't know anyone who will play this game with you -Limited support

All for One: Regime Diabolique is one of those rare games that comes along where the setting, the system, and the vision of the developer all work together to create an exceptional product.

Things to like: +Very evocative presentation of the concept and setting +Superlative system (Ubiquity) leading to fast, carefree game play +High rate of support in the form of both expansions and scenarios at reasonable prices +Very clean magic system +Well-developed emphasis on schools of fence +Great art +the pdf toggles between web and printer friendly

Things of which to be wary: (Not much) -May require some work getting those who know nothing about the works of Dumas or Howard into the intent and atmosphere of the setting -The freedom and flexibility of Ubiquity may give those used to more rigid systems a steeper learning curve. -limited examples of spell-design are clear and useful, but less-so for absolute novices -no example of play (although excellent advice and responsiveness can be found on the Triple Ace forum)

This is a game to love!