West End Games
$30 Boxed Set or $19.95 World Books

Alfred Hitchcock hated commercials. just watch any episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (the old ones, not the new ones) and you'll see him jab at his sponsors every chance he gets. That's because The Master knew just what commercials did: they shatter the carefully constructed atmosphere and mood that the storyteller is trying to invoke.

That's how I feel about game systems. Having been a storyteller for so long, I've developed a very narrative GMing style, and systems that are bulky and require a lot of attention tend to get in the way of my style. A style that's quick and easy and nearly invisible is great, but one that complements the story is even better.

I'll even put up with a bit of complication if the system helps my players get in the right frame of mind for the game. That's why I loved Torg and that's why I love its mtaphorical child, Masterbook.

The folks over at West End Games have designed Masterbook to be a unisystem with style. A Masterbook box comes with a Rules Book and a World Book. When you buy The World of Bloodshadows, for instance, you get a black Masterbook and a World of Bloodshadows book, two ten sided dice and the Master Deck. The rules are presented in the Masterbook.

The basic rules are pretty simple and operate from a single chart. Character creation involves classic attributes and different rankings of advantages and disadvantages. The system also involves the Master Deck, a unique little gimmick that I remember from my days of running Torg. Some cards just give bonuses to rolls, but others (the Sub-Plot cards) give players direct access to the plotline itself. By working together with the cards, the players can really outdo the game master's villains. It creates a dynamic tension between players and game masters that I've never experienced in any RPG before.

In the World Book, GMs learn how the basic system fits in the setting. As I said above, the folks over at WEG know that systems can be like commercials, and they do a remarkable job of making the system fit right in. You hardly know that its there, and when you do, it fits. In Indiana Jones, for instance, the system takes a very adventurous tone.

Characters are constantly using cards and Hero Points to stay just a half-step ahead of disaster. In Necroscope (a game based on the horrific worlds of Brian Lumley), the players have less access to card activity and their Hero Points. The threat to life and limb becomes much more real and the power of the villains becomes almost unimaginable. The system compliments the setting in all of the Masterbooks beautifully.

Now, let's look at each of the boxes to see what is you're getting into.

Bloodshadows

The World of Bloodshadows is a world that is filled with pulp fiction horror and adventure. Black magic, voodoo, private investigators, werewolves, vampires and others can all be found in the pages of Bloodshadows. Fans of the horror and PI genre will both feel right at home.

Indiana Jones

The World of Indiana Jones is familiar to us all. Adventurous archeologists, rambunctious side-kicks and megalomaniacal Nazis chase legends and clash over arcane artifacts in mystical lands long forgotten.

Necroscope

Based on the horror novels of Brian Lumley, Necroscope offers a different view of vampires from the recent "morbid romantic" trend. The Wampyri are deadly and dangerous, secret masters of mankind who are thwarted by those who have the ability to see them for their true nature. A darkly heroic game that combines the desperate feel of Call of Cthulhu with the conspiratorial madness of the John Carpenter film They Live.

Tales From the Crypt

A sick, twisted and hilarious game based on the HBO show of the same name. The players take the roles of normal folks who get sucked into the Crypt Keeper's maddening world of mayhem and murder. They must brave through each tale, trying to survive until the end when the little guy with the laugh throws them into another. Wild, furious and fun for those who want a break from the same old, same old.

Tank Girl

Those who may have been disappointed in the film with be happy to know that this book derives most of its feel from the comic book that inspired it. With a whole ton of source material, any GM who wants to run an "Out in the Wastelands" dark future RPG should take a look at Tank Girl.

West End Games has promised more from Masterbook and I'm looking forward to seeing it. Along with the success of the Star Wars RPG, WEG has shown that it has the ability to create systems that reflect the mood and atmosphere of any genre.