First off let me say that HP Lovecraft is a tricky territory for a writer to approach. It has been hard enough for all the authors who "contributed" to the mythos through the decades. RPG writers...gulp, that has been almost worse. Yet HP Lovecraft has been intwined with role playing for years. Sandy Peterson's game was my introduction to Lovecraft's fiction at a time when I was busy reading Conan novels and playing AD&D. Little did I grasp how closely all three of these things were related. The themes present were in Lovecraft's work were also there in Howard's Conan (hell he even contributed to the mythos). The AD&D games I played had less Tolkein in them and more sword and socerery at the time. Years passed and so did the games. When I rediscovered old school role playing like many other gamers Labyrinth Lord was my first pick. My old school games were blissfully rolling around in Mordor like quests when I heard that a Conan movie was being remade. Then I discovered this little gem by Goblinoid Games. Dark gods had apparently answered my darker half's whispered prayers. All of these meandering words now become more than just reverery. If you want that type of RPG world captured in sword and sorcerery fiction and want the exclusive take of HP Lovecraft on such a world this book is it. Other mythos contributions are not present, just HPL's. The rules for a darker magic system are there, as well as those dark tomes and artifacts from Lovecraft like stories (as well as the rules to make them). Of more dubious use are the rules for psionics and the alternate character races/classes. They are there though and some GMs are going to find it invaluable. This isn't pure sword and socerery mind you but if want your Labyrinth Lord game closer to that this book is great. If you wanted to take your retro clone game to the horror side (such as that presented in the loft for ravens series of game supplements) this would be very helpful. To sum it up this book is a great toolbox for retrofitting your retro clone to horror/sword & socerery role playing.

Mutant Future is, in my opinion, one of the great outcomes from the "retroclone" wave of RPGs. It combines OGL rules from older editions of D&D with post-apocalyptic influences from Gamma World and Metamorphosis Alpha. The result is different from any of those considered separately, and a working game system for "old school" post-apocalyptic adventures. I was lucky enough to grab the first free edition, which included pictures, and if the art remains anything like that, I'd recommend the paid version to anyone who feels like playing it, as it matches the style and theme of the book very well (especially the monsters, like the spidergoat or the xenocattle) and is very inspiring.

I totally recommend the Clash of Kings. If only for the fact that you might like reading about the possible origins of King Arthur in the suggested-real history of England. Throw in a trapped time traveller (Merlin, of course), some aliens in a cave, the Grail, the odd duel and battle, and you've got something just slightly more sophisticated than A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (and all of those comedy films that followed, ye gods). But it could still be a lot of fun - or incredibly serious, depending upon how you play it. The illustrations in Clash of Kings are from Beardsley's famous art for Le Morte Darthur, -a useful reminder of the influence the legends had on Romantic culture, which, according to the module are essential for the future development of England, Europe and the world. But don't worry, if everything fails ... "Communist North America and United Europe destroy the world in the Holocaust of 2054" (p32) Remember, kids, it was the 80's, with Reagan and Thatcher in charge you knew where you stood when it came to the future, bring on the nukes!

Fire up the Chronoscooters!

5 out 5 whilst at $1.99 - it's a gem, but not priceless, but is certainly fantastic offer whilst at this price. I implore Goblinoid Games to keep the prices low on these modules. :)

Billiam B. http://bit.ly/rpgblog Adventures & Shopping

I'm giving this 5 out of 5 to take into account the knock-down price of $4.99.

(Abridged review/thoughts from own blog http://bit.ly/rpgblog)

White Dwarf and Imagine (Uk's version of Dragon magazine) used to fill their pages with articles about time travel in D&D, Judge Dredd, CoC and, naturally, Star Trek. Grandfather paradoxes aplenty, time travel looked fun, but pretty unplayable.

Timemaster, however, does a good job of setting clear guidelines as to how to make Time travel work. You're Time Agents - fix the problems, apprehend the criminals, preserve the order. Time is a very mutable thing. Success and failure would be measured in terms of the "significance" of adventure goals on the rest of history (based on a points system). History had a way of healing itself, the trick was minimising the damage. For example, no matter what you did, the earth would be engulfed in a nuclear apocalypse at some point in late 20th to mid 21st Century, but the superpowers combatants may have actually changed in nationality. Maybe Hitler wins WWII and the Cold War is between just Europe and Russia, but eventually America is dragged into WWIII. The guidelines for this is pretty good. Even dropping a gun in the wrong time-period has a "Significance Rating". Any mistakes or failures are counted up against more general goals, making sure that a historical event actual takes place can outweigh the smaller problems. On top of that the rules include a comprehensive mass combat system with counters, which actually allow you to fight battles in history. Again, losing a battle, when in history it's actually won, may still not disrupt the time-line much. A war may drag on for a few more months with the same overall result. Alternatively there could be catastrophe with the time-line not getting back on track for 500 years. Then you have to think "Well, the whole 16th-21st Century were ruined, as long as Earth still joins the Interstellar Community in the 24th Century, the Time Corp HQ in the 72nd century won't actually get wiped out". Dominoes.

There is an open feel and yet a totality about the rules in Timemaster. It's limitations seem to depend upon your own perceptions of sci-fi and science. For example PCs are enlisted from any point in history, but are discouraged from entering their own time - which closes quite a few interesting doors. Also, the rules for futuristic weapons seem to be limited to Space-fighters, a laser gun and laser rifle. Hmm. There's a lot of time between here and the 72nd century. Creativity is required on behalf of the Referee in terms of small details. The emphasis is often on famous people or royals from history plus an unwanted element - a "Demorean" (multiple armed xenophobic perfectist interdimensional aliens) or just some time-travel-renegade, a mercenary from the "Time-Wars".

From the handful of scenarios I've seen, the basic plot is:

Historically important NPCs (approaching a) Major Historical Event (acquire) influence/help/anachronistic weapon * (from) bad guy(s)...

... the PCs (must) confiscate the item (and) destroy or arrest the bad guys, (whilst) preserving life and time-line event order.

*(the Spanish Armada have a Polaris missile in Sea Dogs of England)

The problem is that it can all read like a pantomime comedy in period costume. Did I mention that despite the extra limbs, that bad-guy-evil Demoreans can shape-shift? Masquerading as our leaders!? The Horror!

When I was younger I struggled a lot with the sweeping generalisations about history in Timemaster which seemed at odds with fairly detailed battlefield simulations. I was utterly tied in knots about actually getting down to play Timemaster.

However, since the TV series Doctor Who went utterly crazy, I'm feeling less worried about Churchill punching out aliens and lasers at the Somme. And yes, you could probably do the "spitfires in space" thing but the debriefing back at the Time Corps would be really tough.

Oh, and another thing - the Chronoscooters can only jump in and then jump back to HQ 72ndC. from one time - no "time-hopping". In one of the modules they throw that out of the window on the second page. What's the point of time-travel if one mission doesn't involve several different time periods in rapid succession? Maybe I'd have been better off meddling in the "Time Wars".

In summary, the main rules are an excellent stepping off point into to time travel gaming, but it needs just a little more "tech" (it was lacking in the 80s), and a confident, flexible DM would probably have the most fun playing everything as the "exception to rule".

The art in the main rules is less than inspiring - mainly Victorian wood-cuts - with a little more cut and paste Terry Gilliam would have had a run for his money. But it's still adorable as a complete old-style numbers and bonuses role-playing system.

Overall it's a very comprehensive and complete system, the setting will appeal to both serious players, and Time Bandits fans. ;)

Billiam B (Adventures and Shopping http://bit.ly/rpgblog )

A very handy, very inexpensive add-on to your LL game.

Read my full review here: http://rpg.brouhaha.us/?p=4108

Excellent supplement for Labyrinth Lord.

The most interesting part of this supplement are the spells, the monsters, and the artifacts and magic items (including the cursed books like Necronomicon and others). They are a must for any game that would be run in a Lovecraft-inspired setting, but also for many grim, sword & sorcery campaign worlds.

Now, I only give it a 4 stars because layout is mediocre (and I don't like the choice of fonts, art is average, etc.). Then, the new PC races, despite being appropriate, don't provide much originality. I mean, I don't really need this book if it was but for the races and classes (i.e. races as classes); I could easily improvise them myself. However, it's but a small part of the book. Spells, monsters and items are what is really important, and there is plenty of them.

This game is way better than the 4e version of the game this item is based on. It captures the feel of the classic post apocalyptic adventure you may have enjoyed back in the day.

Timemasters is a welcome blast from the past. I missed out on this one back in the 80s when it was released by the much missed “Pacesetter” games, because I was determinedly snapping up their excellent first edition of “Chill” instead. so, discovering Orphite here with this (if you will pardon the pun) timeless classic, was a joy indeed, and I finally gave it a try.

I am very glad I did.

Timemasters is odd in that it feels both fresh and new as well as retro chic when you reed it. Written in the early 80s it still competes quite well with modern RPGs and has a simple, fast and fun set of mechanics that let you get into the game very quickly but don’t feel like they are skimping on detail or playability either.

Of course Timetravel is an enduring human interest and has been since before H G Wells wrote “The time Machine” ( a novel which is invoked in the design of the time corps crono-scooter) but which has endured to the current day because deep down the idea fascinates many of us.

So, easy to get into and play, fun and comprehensive, with subject matter that has an enduring appeal to the average role-player or Sci-fi fan. what more could you ask for really? Well, okay, perhaps the retro style art isn’t everyone's post-modern cup of tea, but then I always preferred playability and fun to pretty pictures which is why I spend my free time playing RPGs rather than reading comics (not that there is anything wrong with either hobby!).

What makes the game even more interesting is that as well as the obvious time travelling element it works in parallel universes and worlds, lending the game an even more broad aspect than the huge range of adventures presented in a game that can be set in any time period from now to the incredibly far future.

This is a gem of a game which should appeal equally well to retro fans and those who usually prefer more modern RPGs.

The first section provides some straightforward action encounters that should run well. The situation on the cover, or inaccurately described in the blurb, is mostly played for laughs through GM narration. Honestly, probably best if your group enjoys a session of comedy.

There is a single-minded attention to quality with these books that really carries through. Clarity, precision, faithfulness to the original (except in rare cases where the original could use a fix), and ease of use are all doggedly pursued and achieved. The companion is completely compatible with the original Labyrinth Lord and if you intend to play 'Advanced' style in fact you really only need this book. I am extremely grateful for this meticulous work of Goblinoid Games. I researched numerous retro-clones and this was far and away the best for the above reasons. The excellent 'hobbyist' style art really takes me back as well!

Just what I was looking for. Its all here and for free no less. I honestly prefer this clean streamlined single book to OD&D - for pure utility. The ideal retro-clone in my opinion.

This is a quirky retro RPG...well, perhaps retro shouldn't apply, since this is the original Starships & Spacement, circa 1978, with some supplemental material and errata originally published in Different Worlds magazine from way back when (I loved that magazine!)

Starships & Spacemen is essentially an unabashed riff of classic Star Trek (TOS for you modern Trekkies) with analogs of just about all the original races and characters to one extent or another. The system is simple, based on a series of base stats, a chosen branch study and augmented by a healthy dose of gung-ho "where are the green skinned women?" style of play. Even the sample characters and situations in the game....revolving around Captain Jerk....speak to the unabashed extrusion of all things Trek in to the S&S mold.

That said, if you are looking for a retro clone of Star Trek as an RPG this is a good place to start. The system is playable, contains a basic but fully functional set of rules for starships and combat, and has lots of classic trappings of old school RPG design, such as randomly generated alien encounters, planets and stellar anomalies floating around to be uncovered. It's really quite fun, and noticeably better than some of the other Fantasy Games Unlimited (the original oublishers) SF RPGs of the time (cough Space Opera cough).

If you consider yourself an officionado of the OSR, then you really can't go wrong here. if you just happen to be fond of kitschy Trek-styled space opera and rules-lite systems, look no further.

Appearance: 3/5 (it has that type-writer quality pervasive in games prior to 1980ish, but the art is decent for its time)

Substance: 4/5 (you get a full game here; I say 4/5 because it is so rules lite but if that's your thing consider it a 5/5)

Playability: 5/5 (plays well, and you can easily play it beer & pretzels style or go for a long haul campaign with it, I feel)

As a side note, Goblinoid Games seems to have plans to do support for S&S. I certainly hope so; it will make a fine addition to the Labyrinth Lord and Mutant Future collage that GG is now known for.

This was a well written introductory adventure for Labyrinth Lords. It played well and was enjoyable. Though short it is a decently designed dungeon. Any group that explores it should have a good time doing so.

I have found this product very useful in my Labyrinth Lord games. It has all the monsters in alphabetical order with stats for easy reference. The most useful feature was the listing by hit dice. It makes it far easier to write adventures geared towards specific levels.