BY CHRISTIAN ALDRIDGE
PUBLISHED BY HUBRIS GAMES
210 PAGES
$22.95

Ever since White Wolf's Storyteller system entered the RPG fold, it seems that storytelling games have been the rage. The newest, albeit oddest, entry into this popularity contest is Maelstrom Storytelling. A fusion of dice and diceless Role-Playing, Maelstrom Storytelling provides an excellent balance between both of those systems of gaming. Set in an odd world where everything is normal, at least until the next Maelstrom storm comes along and changes the local scenery, the World of Maelstrom is ever-changing.

Maelstrom is a world in which magic and pseudotechnology reign, and also where even one being can alter reality to suit it's own needs. In short, the Maelstrom exists as both an event and a non-event in the time-space continuum. The storm itself covers over one thousand lands, and continually brings new pieces to itself that people have never seen before.

Insert deep authoritative voice here: Role- playing in a world where Chaos reigns supreme?

Viewer: They must be mad. They'll never pull that off. Mutant.

That's what I thought at first. But after reading for a little while, I began to discover that there is a tiny portion of those one thousand lands that actually is locked in place. Roads from a mysterious ancient Empire link towns and cities, so that only the lands which surround them can be changed by the passing Storm.

The reasons that make Maelstrom Storytelling an engrossing and enjoyable game, are twofold. The first reason is the amount of detail and thought that went into the backgrounds of the many different races living beside humans there. Not to mention details on specific cities, certain religious orders, and how each "realm" has its own natural laws. This kind of detail is not found in many mainstream game products these days, and I was very impressed to see that Hubris Games took quite a lot of pride in their work (pun intended).

The second reason I enjoyed Maelstrom, and my favorite, is the quickness and ease of character creation. You too can have a Maelstrom character in under 10 seconds. Just answer 3 questions:

1. What is your age?
2. Your sex?
3. What time period (from earth) are you from?

Bingo! Instant character. You see, there are humans that have been brought to this amazing cluster of worlds which have no strong memories of themselves. Usually they arrive with a few articles that they know are theirs and that give them fleeting memories of who they are. These "Newcomers" have the minor ability to manipulate the power of the Maelstrom a bit so that they fit into any culture, no matter where they are. (i.e. speak the language, understand local customs, and knowing local time.) You start only knowing very little about yourself, and you can build your character's affinities, descriptors and flaws as you play.

The system for the game can be as simple and complicated as you want it to be. For example, the dice rolled doesn't truly matter, because odd numbers are counted as successes. So technically, if you wanted to play, you could just bring a pocketful of pennies for people to flip! Cinematic in origin, each part of the ongoing campaign is broken down into scenes and takes, all of which are designed to keep the story flowing smoothly. Confusing at first, the system is based around the notion of this particular scene being filmed and we as players and GMs affecting each and every scene.

Using your descriptors (phrases and words which describe your attributes) you can evoke sub- scenes or stunts, called quick takes, to make the action more exciting for everyone involved. Personally, I found the combat and bidding system unnecessary when playing with an experienced troupe. All that you need is a quick mind and a sharp wit, and all of the necessary details will fall into place.

The concept of Maelstrom Storytelling is very unique. Despite some attempts to compare it to other games made in the past few years, Maelstrom stands on its own... its own feet? This game is for every GM who wanted a rich and colorful world interlaced with equally rich characters that you could see up on the local movie theater screen. As for this author/director/storyteller, he's packing his favorite dogbounds (leather bound novel... don't ask where the name comes from), some traveling food, and a journal in his knapsack and going for a walk in the Maelstrom.