Pyramid Review
Heroes & Villains (for the Gear Krieg RPG)
Published by Dream Pod 9
Written by James Maliszewski
Additional Writing by John Buckmaster, Scott Lette, Tom McGrenery, Esteban Oceana, and Chris Upchurch
Illustrated by Kieran J. Yanner
96-page b&w softcover; $19.95
Of all the World War II themed RPGs released in 2001, Gear Krieg: The Roleplaying Game, from Canadian publisher, Dream Pod 9, was the one with the problems. Derived from the miniatures combat rules of the same name, in which scientific advances lead to the war being fought aided by low-end technology mecha called "walkers," the RPG suffered primarily from inadequate proofreading, a lack of character generation example, and scant advice on the place and motivation of the player characters in what would become an increasingly militaristic setting. In the many months since the release of the RPG, DP9 have released little support in comparison with the miniatures game and line, with just the supplements, the Gear Krieg Screen and Adventure, and the less-than-super supplement, Gear Krieg: Superscience!
Both Superscience! and the latest and third supplement for Gear Krieg focus upon elements left relatively untouched by the core rulebook, but where Superscience! focused upon just one aspect of the setting, Gear Krieg: Heroes & Villains looks at two -- as its title suggests. What the supplement examines is the place of the daring heroes, the villains' loyal goons and henchmen, and the villainous mastermind himself (or herself) . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: April 18, 2003
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