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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
fantastic... if you can find the book and willing players, November 12, 2001
Earthdawn was FASA's brilliant attempt for an original roleplaying game in a fantastic sword and sorcery (and more sorcery) fantasy settings. The game's premise is that the different civilizations are returning to surface life after 400 years of living in underground citadels. Their ancestors had fled to these citadels to escape an invasion of monstrous beings that had been brought by the rising tide of magical energies in the world. The setting is rich, with tremendous roleplaying potential. Player characters may interact in the re-emerging governments and politics. They may serve as diplomats or warriors in nation disputes over land that has been unclaimed for centuries. The setting also provides the best justification for ancient ruins and dungeon-searching adventures of any system I have encountered. An unknown number of citadels were overcome by the invading creatures during the 400 year period and even more were lost when their inhabitants attempted to return to the surface too soon. Players may be contracted to clear out the caves, or search for an artifact. The book offers a listing of several common foes, including soldiers of the different races but also several variants of the evil supernatural beings that have been left behind in their species' recent exodus. The character races feature standard fantasy faire: orks, humans, elves, dwarves, trolls, and also some added variety with a lizard/human race, a species of rock men, and faeries.
The professions are even better, with over 10 to choose from. Each profession uses magic in accordance with its associated skills, from warrior abilities for toughening skin to thieving skills to make the person nearly undetectable. The only drawback to the system is the complexity. There is a steps/ranks table for handling all skill uses (including spells and combat), and I have no complaints for it. But character advancement becomes complicated because of the character customization. However, I personally view the trade-off as more than worthwhile.
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by Louis J. Prosperi
by David Petersen
