Post originally by Chad Underkoffler at 2004-09-28 08:22:58
Converted from Phorums BB System

Thanks, CDM. I think this was a fairly balanced review, and it was great to read your thoughts on the game.

Some quick comments; the following are not to be taken as my having any problem with statements made in the review, but simply as additonal information:

* "That means that this is probably not the best game choice to introduce those unfamiliar with the conventions of role-playing to the hobby." Actually, I've had great success with introducing gaming to non-gamers with DI. I think the key element, however, is that those folks happened to be interested in the spirtual, mystical, or philosophical subject matter of the game. YMMV, of course.

* I really liked your example of how an Expert Alchemist would attempt the Philosopher's Stone under PDQ. Very nice.

* "The only real problem I encountered here was that the text explicitly states: 'The Initial Soul Point Pool of a character depends on their Type.' Then lists Dead Inside characters as starting play with 1 Soul Point, but doesn’t list SP for any other Type that I could see."

See page 66, in Chapter 5, Multi-Type PC Groups. There's an OPTION pointer under the section in chargen, but it's just to Chapter 5, not the specific section therein. Mea culpa.

"In fact [...] the conclusion I made here was that everyone is supposed to start play as an Average [0] Dead Inside."

The NOTE appearing immediately above the OPTION mentioned previously backs you up there.

* "It can be argued that in a philosophical model where there exists both soul and super soul that what is lost here is the lower, or animal, soul. However as the game makes no overt distinction between nefesh and ruah anymore than it does between Ka and Ba the point is rendered a bit blurred and mostly moot." I really dig that you've thought in great detail about the philosophical underpinnings raised by the game. That's a big thing I really wanted folks who got the game to do. For clarity, DI assumes that while frangible, the soul is undifferentiated -- that is, unlike the Egyptian schema, there aren't separate sub-souls, but one single flavor of soul.

* "I had some minor problems with test pages on my printer." I'm sorry about that. Just know that I did test -- and have tested by other folks -- the PDF on several computers and printers, and they printed out fine. If you could do me the great favor of dropping me an email, maybe I could get more information so as to try to replicate and eliminate these errors?

Again, thank you for a thoughtful review. It's much appreciated!

CU