From: sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Stelter)
Subject: Re: What are people "top 18 list" for source/supplements...
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 01:05:33 GMT

>> So please, lets get some responses from the GMs out there!  And think
>> about the modules too, since new GMs usually ask about them as well.

I'm not a Torg GM...I don't even play one on TV!  But here are my 
letter grades for the materials I'm familiar with:

We didn't run through the trilogy in our campaign, but I read through
all the adventures anyway.  :)

Destiny Map: (A)  A very nice effort, especially considering that most of
   the realm sourcebooks hadn't been released yet.  Also gets points in
   my book for having a neato ending and cool rules for the Knights--
   gasp!--NEGOTIATING with the bad guys!
Possibility Chalice: (C)  Cheesy opening, cheesy middle, not-bad ending.
   I especially like the way the adventure recognizes (with Amethyst in
   the final act) that the villains can get lucky rolls sometimes just
   like the heroes can.
Forever City: (B)  The confusing ending with the Ravagon and the sandbox,
   IMHO, was a lousy way to finish off an otherwise fine adventure.  Bonus
   points for including Katrina.
 
High Lord of Earth: (A+)  Aside from that battle with those nigh-invulnerable
   zuvembies, a LOT of fun.  Our group's psychic almost, but not quite,
   became the new High Lord, and wouldn't *that* have sucked!  

City of Demons: (B)  Thratchen's always fun to have around, although the
   abstract combat system they use when he fights NPCs displeased me.  But
   the "board game" rules they use in the last act were neat--I always 
   think it's cool when an adventure uses a special set of rules for 
   certain scenes.

Storm Knight's Guide to the Possibility Wars: (A)  Lots of neat rules
   and insights on character generation, the Reality skill, etc.


Aysle: (B)  The cosm lacked the epic high-fantasy aspect I was hoping
   for, and some of the miracles were just outrageous, but I liked it
   overall.  I liked the world laws particularly.  I still don't under-
   stand the spell creation system, nor do I care anymore.

Cyberpapacy: (B+)  Detailed information about the realm, which is to
   be expected because the realm isn't that big to begin with.  The
   cyberpunk genre in general leaves me cold, but I'm probably in the
   minority here.

GodNet: (C-)  I got this sourcebook only because I wanted to know what
   the GodNet Hell was like.  It's a good sourcebook if you like the
   Cyberpapacy and the GodNet, I suppose, but it didn't do a whole lot
   for me.

Delphi Council: (C)  I read it through and put it down, and didn't think
   anything else about it.  The illustrations are awful.

Land Below: (D-)  After all that hype WEG had given us about the huge
   eternity shard down there, I was disappointed with the shard's
   actual statistics and powers.  The areas where the LB merges with
   the different realms are cool, but the LB proper seems monstrously
   dull and stupid to me--the Law of Wonders, the Law of Clothing Loss,
   fifty-foot apes and thirty-centimeter Storm Knights.  Yuck.  Our GM
   asked if we, the players, would like to have an adventure in the Land
   Below, and we replied, "Only if we get to cave in the place at the
   end of it all."  'Nuff said.

Living Land: (B)  A good effort for WEG's first sourcebook.  The
   illustrations aren't all *that* bad, as long as you're wearing the
   proper safety glasses.

Nile Empire: (B-)  I like Mobius and the NE, but the chapter on creatures
   was kinda dumb, IMHO.  I apparently lack the cerebral fortitude to dig
   through the chapters on gizmos and astronomy, which would help explain
   why my own character is a Tough Hero. 

Tharkold: (A)  My expectations for Tharkold were sort of low; I'd assumed
   it'd be just Orrorsh with guns.  But Jezrael is a keen High Lord, the
   technodemons are nice 'n' tough, and the cosm of Tharkold itself sounds
   like a neat place to hold an adventure.

Nippon Tech: (B+)  It's VERY detailed and a cool read.  Lots of info on
   Marketplace and 3327's plans.  It doesn't want to make me adventure
   there, though.  Also, the corporate duelling rules are rather threadbare.

Orrorsh: (A+)  One of the few books that actually makes the rules enforce
   the genre.  It makes Orrorsh every bit as scary as it's supposed to be.



                                  --Steve Stelter
                                    sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: alt.games.torg