[RPG]: True20 Adventure Roleplaying Revised Edition, reviewed by Steve Dubya (4/4)

[RPGnet Reviews]

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/14/14168.phtml

Steve Warfield's Summary:

More than just a d20 variant, True20 allows for multi-genre/multi-style play with a minimal amount of rule fiddling.

Go to the full review for more information.

[Tim Kirk]

Hey nicely done review. I've been busy trying to find something to do with my True20 book (so many ideas, so little time..)

[Steve Dubya]

Originally Posted by Tim Kirk

Hey nicely done review.

Thanks - I actually wrote this one before the other couple I did recently, and so there are parts of it that I really wish I could go back and tighten up.

[Blue Seraph]

Questions for anyone:

Does the revised edition have the Corruption mechanics for power use? I'm looking for something that can model "falling to the Dark side."

Can you comment on the differences between the first and revised editions? I've got the first edition, and I know it has the settings (mecha vs. kaiju, borrowed time, et.al.) but I was wondering what else I am missing, and if it's worth buying.

Lastly, do you know if the Pocket Guide is the first or revised printing?

[Tim Kirk]

The pocket guide (at least the one I had) was based on the original book (minus settings), it doesn't cover the new material in the more recent version. If that is what you are asking.

The new book does have corruption, but it is more general use suggestion for high fantasy and horror games. It is certainly usable for Star Wars like dark side--but will need a few nudges. (It suggests things like "using powers to take a life, imbuing unlife" and so on, as things requiring corruption checks.

The new revised edition is 260 pages and doesn't have the settings. So its got a significant amount of additional material:

It adds quite a bit on building campaigns of different types using the rules. Information on horror games, sf games, modern games, as well as fantasy games--and modifications to the classes including building your own.

It also includes some rules for building some gear (spy stuff, sci fi stuff) along with detailing magic levels for various fantasy settings, how rituals work for horror, and additional feats that are often tailored a bit towards specific genres of gaming. In short the book is significantly different. It's like taking the previous book, and adding a whole other book to it. The basic rules are pretty much the same as I perceive them, but it has simply added more things across the board.

In short this is a great book, IMHO, not perfect, but very solid improvement over the previous book.

[Wyvern76]

Originally Posted by Tim Kirk

It's like taking the previous book, and adding a whole other book to it.

That's not just what it's like, that's exactly what it is -- my understanding is that they included the entire text of the True20 Companion in the Revised printing.

There are rules for Corruption in the section on horror campaigns, but I haven't read that chapter yet so I don't know exactly how they work or whether they're the same as any previously published rules.

Wyvern

[mitchw]

Yep, it is my understanding that if you have the original book and the companion, you have all the info from the new book.

I did a review of the Pocket Edition BTW. IIR it had a few items from the hardback, other than the settings, that were not in there. But it is really a great resource.

Mitch

[Skywalker]

As others have said, the Revised True20 is the old True20 + errata + True20 Companion - Settings.

The Pocket Guide is does include the errata, but not the True20 Companion nor the Narrator or Bestiary chapters from True20.