This article originally appeared in d20 Weekly
Land of the Rising Dead (for Weird War Two)
Written by Michael Montesa
Published by Pinnacle Entertainment Group
144 b&w pages; $25.00
The latest release for Weird War Two, Land of the Rising Dead offers players the opportunity to fight the vicious war against Imperial Japan. The war in the Pacific was largely an amphibious and naval show, providing a unique set of challenges for even jaded Weird War gamers. The alien environment offers further obstacles, something with which even those fighting against the evil of Nazi Germany didn't have to contend.
Land of the Rising Sun boasts a less-than-stunning cover of a corpselike Japanese pilot shooting down a Marine fighter plane. It's not bad, but it's far from great. Thankfully, things are far better inside, with an excellent collection of authentic war photos complemented by beautiful illustrations from Marcio Fiorito. Layout is simple but effective, while editing is generally solid with some minor (though noticeable) grammatical errors. Quibbles aside, it remains a very solid package.
The campaign in the Pacific was vastly different than that fought in Europe and North Africa, so it makes sense that characters require unique skills, feats, character types, and Prestige Classes. This material actually constitutes a full third of the book.
The new classes and starting packages include Flying Tigers, PTO Resistance Fighter, US Marine, Navy Seabee, Navajo Code Talker, Coast Watcher, and Navy Pilot. Prestige Classes consist of Marine Raider, . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: October 16, 2002
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