Pyramid #3/111 Combat II Review and author notes

So this months Pyramid #/111 Combat II is out and I decoded to review it here.
More talk about the issue can be found on the Steve Jackson Games Forums.

Articles...

The Witched Gun

I liked this article, well researched and good flavor stuff with decent crunch.

There was a lot of background flavor and cultural references which I liked. The crunch felt a little lacking but covered several magic systems and options. The reason it feels lacking was it felt like a mall part of the word count and by covering so many systems it was almost like a bunch of footnotes.

Overall I did like it, and the crunch includes new options as well as pre-built abilities to save the GM and players time.

The Wrestler

This adds a new profession to the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game. The Wrestler adds a new option to your game and includes a full template. Its a great well written article by the DFRPG author and GURPS line editor Sean Punch that lets players have a nonlethal combat specialist. Sometimes you want to capture instead of kill your foe and these guys are great at it.

Astroduel!

Car Wars in space?!

This is a great setting and should be given its own book and possibly series, or a kickstarter box treatment. Seriously this is a great Space Opera setting and I think the best one in that genre GURPS has produced.

The key feature that makes it work is the setting feature that FTL travel only works through Stargates and these stargates have a harder time with larger ships. This means that starship travel is based around smaller starships which are more affordable on PC budgets. It then goes over some history which took the setting from an established and stable interstellar government to more of a Wild West or Pirate and Privateer setting that supports Car Wars style dueling and fighting.

The article includes several worked spaceship designs and is really suitable for some forms of Space Opera.  Space Opera is a large and popular genre that includes Star Trek, Star Wars, Starship Troopers, Lensmen, Fifth Element and many other books and media.

This variant is more towards the square jawed heroes, dashing rogues, western/frontier, and party focused space combat.

                 Settings are hard to do, GURPS has so much breadth and appeals to such varied interests that no setting can appeal to a majority of GURPS players. However David Pulver created one that can I think appeal to a lot of them.

Animal Combat Styles

This was my article so I wont speak to its quality, however I can speak to the reason I wrote it.

GURPS Martial Arts was designed primarily for humanoid combat. While certain nods were given to animals in that and other books I felt we needed more. This article covers the most common ones such as hunting cats, diving attacks of hawks and falcons, and even pack tactics. The article is great for beastmasters, druids, shaman, and any shapeshifter or animal (trained or PC) and includes styles ans new techniques for most animal types.

Creepy Charly

The Author J. Edward Tremlett specializes in creative and often odd character and setting ideas, He did not disappoint with this one with Creepy Charley. A mysterious Arms dealer that comes with varied backgrounds and possible plot hooks.This is a good one, aimed at modern day but could be converted to other settings.

Random Thought Table

A good solid look at Strategy and ideas for just making combat more interesting. Solid reading, especially for newer GMs.

Overall great reading but the crown jewel of the issue IMHO is Astroduel!  which I feel obligated to say again is a GREAT SETTING.

I like complex and rich settings, I really do. But this one is a simple beer and pretzel setting that can get more complex if you want it to.