Masterbook
 Cover art by Stphen Crane, 1994 | |
| Designers | Ed Stark |
|---|---|
| Illustrators | Paul Daly, Jamie Lombardo, Ron Hill, Karl Waller, Brian Schomburg, Stephen Crane |
| Publishers | West End Games |
| Publication | 1994 |
| Genres | Role-playing game |
| Languages | English |
| Chance | Medium (dice rolling) |
| Skills | Strategy, tactics, probability |
Masterbook is a generic role-playing game that was published by West End Games (WEG) in 1994.
Description
The generic rules of Masterbook, which do not have a specific campaign setting, use rules from both WEG's multi-genre role-playing game Torg (1990),[1][2] and WEG's science fiction role-playing game Shatterzone (1993).[3]
Like Torg, the Masterbook system utilizes two complementary forms of in-game conflict resolution: a unified dice mechanic, which is based on a roll of two ten-sided dice, and a game-specific deck of cards (the MasterDeck, similar to the Drama Deck in Torg) that is used to influence random number generation, character actions, and the game's plot.
Publication history
Masterbook is a 176-page softcover book that was designed by Ed Stark, with interior art by Paul Daly, Jamie Lombardo, Ron Hill, Karl Waller, and Brian Schomburg, and cover art by Stephen Crane. It was published by WEG in 1994. A limited-edition 483-page hardbound version was made that also included the World of Bloodshadows and World of Indiana Jones material in one volume.
It was designed for use with the MasterBook Deck, which contained a 108-card deck of playing-card size. The deck was sold separately from the standalone rule book, but a free deck was enclosed with each worldbook box set.
The Masterbook system was used for several licensed properties, most notably The World of Indiana Jones (1994), The World of Necroscope (1995), The World of Aden (1996), The World of Species (1995), The World of Tales from the Crypt (1996), and The World of Tank Girl (1995). It was also used for the fantasy-noir setting Bloodshadows (1994). Each softcover worldbook came in a box set with a copy of the MasterBook rules, a MasterBook deck, and a pair of 10-sided dice.
In 2011, it was re-printed by Precis Intermedia Gaming. They are currently working on an improved second edition, called MasterBook 2E, and have released a simplified version, called MasterBook EZ[note 1]. In 2016 they printed the new Bloodshadows 3rd Edition worldbook that has conversion rules for use with the Active Exploits and MasterBook EZ rules.
Reception
In the March 1995 edition of Dragon (Issue #215), Rick Swan was not enthusiastic about the rules, which he found too derivative of the rules from Shatterzone that he had roundly criticized in a previous edition of Dragon. But while Swan found the rules less complex than the original Shatterzone rules, he still found that "while less confusing [than Shatterzone, Masterbook] can't get over its love affair with charts and numbers." He did find several strong elements, including "a well-written text, an intriguing selection of skills, [and] a clever use of cards." And he lauded the included card deck, which he found "inventive, fun to use, and in contrast to the rest of the rulebook, blessedly succinct." He concluded by giving the book an average rating of 4 out of 6, saying, "even with its flaws, the Masterbook system remains a solid, versatile game with strong characters and clever concepts. The designers just didn’t know when to quit."[3]
Other reviews
- Shadis #26 (April, 1996)
References
- ^ Pigames.net
- ^ RPG.net
- ^ a b Swan, Rick (March 1995). "Roleplaying Reviews". Dragon (215). TSR, Inc.: 83–84.
- ^ As of September 22, 2020 the rules are currently in Version 2.5 .