15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Still lacking in gaming quality and mutations, January 11, 2011
This review is from: D&D Gamma World Expansion: Famine in Far-go: A D&D Genre Supplement (4th Edition D&D) (Game)
Like the core rules set, this box is mostly empty, with a rule book, small set of cards and maps & counters. The rule book adds several new Origins, including AI, Alien, Arachnoid, Cryokinetic, Ectoplasmic, Entropic, Exploding, Fungoid, Gelatinous, Magnetic, Mythic, Nightmare, Plaguebearer, Plastic, Prescient, Reanimated, Shapeshifter, Simian, Temporal and Wheeled.
The book also re-introduces the Cryptic Alliances, the "powers" of Gamma World. Some like the Resorationists and Archivists seek to "fix" the world, but others like the Knights of Genetic Purity and Red Death seek to conquer it. The cards included in this box allow you an ability based on your membership in a Cryptic Alliance.
Next we have a bunch of Mutant Creatures including a few classic Gamma World mutants like Arks (dog folk), Carrins (age vultures) and mounts like Brutoz, Podogd and Jackalopes. A few D&D monsters also appear in this book; CIFAL, Froghemoth and Garbugs.
The remainder of the book is an adventure and guide to the surrounding area. Unfortunately, the adventure is presented in "4e format" where the adventure and the encounters are in separate chapters which requires far too much page flipping and backtracking to run the adventure efficiently.
One thing that is not in this box is new Alpha Mutations and Omega Tech. Since these are limited to cards only, there are none included in the expansion. And for those hoping for a list from the last set, sorry not here.
Much like the start up box set, this could have been the best version of Gamma World if they had just put a little effort into it. Why not just include some blank cards to players can create their own mutations and tech? Or just a list of abilities so the Game Master knows what to expect? As with the previous box, this will take some work to be a functional RPG, but it might be OK for a "one nighter" game session.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Conflicted Over Famine in Far-Go, January 23, 2012
This review is from: D&D Gamma World Expansion: Famine in Far-go: A D&D Genre Supplement (4th Edition D&D) (Game)
In the box (which is a flap-type rather than the lid-type box the original set comes in, but you'll be tossing the box and keeping he bits in the green box anyway) you get a rulebook containing more origins, a few odds-and-sods, a bestiary and an "encounter" based mini campaign. If you have the original boxed set, you pretty much know what you'll see when you open this box. If you don't have the original, why on earth are you buying this? Don't, until you've played at least one game of Gamma World and decided you like the taste.
There are some new cards that represent secret alliances for the players so they can have ulterior motives in-game. I'm not a great fan of card-based mechanics per-se (though they are rather central to Gamma World in this version), and these cards seem a bit pointless to me, a case of cards for cards' sake. Their content could easily be subsumed into the character sheet, but maybe I'm being dense.
You'll also get a couple of double sided maps of okay quality (handle with care to avoid ripping) featuring nice artwork.
The counter sheets (you get two) are of the same high-quality card construction as the original sheets are.
As a GM you'll be pleased if you pay around $25 or less for this one. At full price I think you'll be a tad disappointed.
As a player you only need this for the origins section in the rulebook, and the tables that integrate it with the original material. It's your call as to whether that is worth the sticker price.
Other than that, I reckon Mike Briggs' review is on the button.
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