In doing these recaps/reviews of the books in my collection I have been able to find a few gems that I did not know that I had. The biggest of these so far has been the entire Cyberpunk line. I have known that the game was good but I have not paid attention to the accessories as well as I should have perhaps.
Chromebook is the first in a series of what would become four books dedicated to the accessories that would be available to characters in the Cyberpunk 2020 world. Much as was done in the Night City accessory this book packs a ton of information into it's 96 pages. One of the nice touches is that it is written as if it is an actual "catalog" and not a gaming accessory. It declares itself the "digital styleguide and techbook for Cyberpunk 2020". It does well in fulfilling this claim.
This book more so than others that would follow is not focused so much on the combat aspect of the game. This first volume though full of useful stuff for the action side of the game also has a good amount of what would be considered fluff by some. To me this helps make the setting more real though. The book is broken down into ten sections. These are as follows:
Electronics & Miscellaneous
Vehicles
Cyberware
Fashion
Executive Services
Chipware
Housing
Software
Price List & Index
The sections of the book are all well done and in addition to describing the items often have images as one would expect a catalog or styleguide to have. The art though not great is passable. The books art adds some color when it gets to the Fashion section. This is a nice touch and it might serve to emphasize that section of the book in the readers mind.
The one drawback is one that other material for the game has suffered from. The materials presented in some cases either in function or form are archaic in today's world let alone what will be in less than 10 years. This often the case for books dealing with technology that are were written twenty years ago so I will have to give it a pass. One can always think of it as a throwback to a vintage feel.
I have to say that this book would be one that any GM of the Cyberpunk game will want to have in their bookcase. It would also serve well someone running Shadowrun or any modern/future type game. It is also just a fun book for anyone to read through and see how close they writers from 1991 came to getting things right. Avery Brooks did a great commercial for IBM where he decried the present the lack of flying cars. This book does not promise those but it does have somethings that are still perhaps too far off. I for one though still want the flying car I was promised.
Spell:
Wizard's Breath
Level: Fifth
Range: None
Duration: One Turn + 1 Turn/Level
Ares of Effect: Caster
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 Round
Saving Throw: None
When this spell is cast the magic user makes it so that they can breath and function in in any environment in regards to breathing. The spell does not impart any other immunities or abilities to adapt to harsh environments.
This spell will allow the caster to breath under water. It will even allow them to function in environments with noxious fumes. Other aspects of the certain environments will limit the spells functionality though. The caster could breath submersed in lava but the lava would kill them in other ways. The vacuum of space is not a problem but the cold and pressure issues would be a problem.
In addition to the obvious benefits the spell also grants the caster some offensive capabilities as well. These can be used up to three times during the duration of the spell. If used the three times then the spell will expire with the third use. Each use will allow the caster to have their breath affect a single target within 1" of them. The effect of their breath will serve as a single target Sleep, Friendship or Hold Person spell. The victim of the caster's breath is not entitled to a save versus these effects.
Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.
"Go to the sign of Marvel's Axe, a dubious inn on the edge of the Thieves Quarter, in the City of Greyhawk, and look to your own wrist. If you perceive a bracelet and dangling dice, watch for the next throw in the war between Law and Chaos and be prepared to follow the compelling geas." -Signal
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1 comment:
The Chrome books were such an excellent resource. While I always thought that Cyberpunk's tech curve was too extreme, it was a good antidote to Shadowrun's much too cautious advancement of anything other than cybertech. (Though SR's tech has finally caught up with the modern age in the current edition.)
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