By now you have heard that the Deadlands Game is one of the most innovative and interesting new products to come along in quite awhile. The big question is, would they follow up their strong release with good supporting products? Considering how rules-heavy the basic book was, and considering how much of their imaginative world they have left open to development, it's a pretty tall order. Thankfully, their first product, Marshal Law, rises to the challenge.

Marshal Law is the Deadlands Game Screen and adventure kit. Not excessively huge (just a screen and 48 page adventure book), the packet makes up for its sparse space with utility and effectiveness. Like the Deadlands game itself the adventure kit is fun, informative, and useful. If you want to run a Deadlands campaign this makes a grade A start. So what do you get for your money?

The GM's screen is well done, and typical of screens from other games. Thick and sturdy, with a high gloss covering, the screen is far less flimsy than most, and won't fall apart after two sessions. Player information is on the outside, GM info on the inside, along with a great full color picture by artist Ron Spencer. (Check out the cover of this magazine for an idea of how good Ron is.) As mentioned earlier, Deadlands has a lot of rules; having a convenient place to find them all is vital to running a smooth campaign.

It's the adventure book, though, that really makes things worthwhile. The 48 page adventure book is a throw-back to when companies used to write their adventures with imagination and playability in mind. The book includes two adventures, both with well thought out story-lines and maps to make them easy to run. There are handouts galore and tons of atmosphere, all ready at the players' fingertips. The GM needs to make very few preparations to run these tales, and they flow very quickly once they get going.

The adventures themselves, "This Harrowed Ground" by John R. Hopler and "Ghostriders in the Sky" by Angel Leigh McCoy have plots so thick you could serve them with a fork. "This Harrowed Ground" puts the characters in the midst of a dark conspiracy in the midst of a booming mining town. Old vendettas and some angry undead complicate life on the eve of the town's tenth anniversary. In "Ghostriders," the party will have to face a criminal genius who is bent on the destruction of all that is beautiful. Mad gadgets, bank robbers, and a creepy Utah settlement abound with threats that the players must handle in order to survive. Both adventures are well-written, engaging, and full of the details that make the Deadlands world so intriguing. GMs looking for ideas on how to run a Deadlands game should use these as starters. They'll give you a good handle on where to go.

While the price is a little steep, Marshal Law is worth it. Well written and useful, it fulfills some of the promise that Deadlands has hinted at. If the Marshal Law set is a sign of the support Pinnacle is preparing for its game, the time to get on the train is now. This is one RPG that's ready to shift into high gear.

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