About Alternity
Published
in the spring of 1998, Alternity is the first major TSR product
released after the merger with Wizards of the Coast (makers of Magic:
the Gathering). It is a masterpiece among contemporary role-playing
games, providing for science fiction what Dungeon and Dragons has
traditionally provided for fantasy. Alternity features incredible
flexibility, allowing players to create virtually any kind of sci-fi story
in virtually any setting, from time-travel in the distant past to epic
space battles in the far future.
Alternity offers the following advantages
to gamers today:
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It borrows and improves the best concepts from other
popular RPGs, such as skills-based character generation and success-gathering
dice rolls featured prominently in the White Wolf games like Vampire:
the Masquerade.
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It cuts out the clumsy, awkward game mechanics that
inhibit the manageability of games like Vampire: the Masquerade—Alternity
skills are more clearly defined, skill advancement through Achievement
Points is more balanced, and the clever Critical Failure rule replaces
the confusing "botch" rule from the White Wolf games.
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Setting, mood, and theme are all highly flexible,
allowing a wide range of sci-fi stories from low-realism/high-fantasy like
Star Wars, to big-guns/big-action like Starship Troopers,
to heavy-thinking/hard-core science like Star Trek.
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With a game structure oriented around distinct scenes
building an overarching plot, Alternity is ideal for play-by-email.
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Combat is divided into distinct rounds and manageable
action phases, perfect for play-by-email games. The round-by-round breakdown
keeps the workload bearable for the Gamemaster, while the action phases
keep the players highly involved.
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Flexible rules allow characters to try virtually
any kind of action, using a clever scale of modifiers and a well-balanced
dice-rolling system. With a diverse range of skills, a character is guaranteed
to have some relevant statistic on which to base a dice roll.
Alternity can be played quite effectively
and enjoyably with just the two main rule books (Player’s Handbook and
Gamemaster Guide). Both are available through most online booksellers and
directly from TSR through their web
page. Supplemental books are available, but are not required (only
Dataware,
Mindwalking,
and Beyond Science add much new).
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