1 ALTERNITY ROLEPLAYING FAN MAGAZINE The Last Resort Table of Contents Disclaimers “Excalibur” by Dragan Ciric Cover Art The Last Resort is a electronic magazine dedicated to the Alternity Role-Playing Tangents: Brittanica XII by Odysseas Dallas 4 Game. An alternate reality of high tech knights This work is offered free of charge to all Action Emporium: Weapons of Brittanica XII by Odysseas Dallas 11 interested parties and is not to be sold in Weapons and armor for the denizens of Brittanica any form. It may be printed or offered for download if distributed free of charge. Mind’s Eye: The Institute of Mental Phenomenon by Matthew R. Esch 18 This work supports the Alternity roleplay- A university for the psionic arts ing line, specifically the Alternity Players Handbook and Gamemaster Guide. In addi- The Temple of Inner Enlightenment by Kevin Loughran 21 tion it supports the campaign settings A fraal temple for the study of psionics on Bluefall Star*Drive, Gamma World, Dark Matter, Mind Knight SCM Template by Matthew R. Esch and Daryl Blasi 24 and Tangents by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Home Rule Advantage: Alternative Starting Skill Points and Bonus Alternity is a registered trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Skill Point Acquisition Based On Intelligence by Daryl Blasi 25 This work is not authorized by, nor is the Cook’s Guide to Open Space: Planet Bluefall, staff associated with Wizards of the Aegis System, Verge by Montgomery Cook IX 26 Coast, Inc. Montgomery Cook enjoys the wonders of Bluefall Wizards of the Coast, Inc.: Veritas Omnes Liberant: All’s Well That Ends by Ruin 27 http://www.wizards.com A conspiracy of ancient Egypt, malicious Greys, and the CIA Staff Species Catalogue: Yarid by Dwayne Leonard 29 Executive Editor/Layout: Daryl Blasi A species highly tolerant of chlorine environment Associate Editors/Writers: Gonzalo Campoverde (Veritas Omnes Domain Virtua: Club Icon by Daryl Blasi 31 Liberant) A grid night club dedicated to the cult of celebrity Odysseas Dallas (Action Emporium) Matthew R. Esch (Cook’s Guide, Xenohunter’s Field Guide: Winter Wolf by Daryl Blasi 33 Mind’s Eye) A spectral wolf that steals the heat of the living Ryan Kershner (Legion) Dwayne Leonard (Species Catalogue) Legion: Black Stallions by Ryan Kershner 36 Ranko Trifkovic (Tavern Tales) A mercenary gang with a vendetta against the Concord Writers: Derek Holland, Ruin, Kevin Loughran, Foes Fantastic: Dragons by Dwayne Leonard 43 James Nostack The feared beast of legend Artists: Bestiary Bizarre: Chawas by Daryl Blasi 46 Dragan Ciric, Chris Campbell, Mutant chihuahuas for the Gamma World setting Sarah Hollman, Dwayne Leonard How to contact the Last Resort Sword and Staff: Plants: Magical and Mundane by Derek Holland 48 Email: Plants for Arcane Alternity [email protected] Psychodesign by James Nostack 50 How to join the Last Resort Staff Advanced psychiatry of the future Email: [email protected] Tavern Tales: Or you can visit Swordmaster by Ranko Trifkovic 54 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lastresortmagazine Saga of Blades by Odysseas Dallas 55 How to Subscribe The One Clan: The Children of Kushak by Daryl Blasi 57 Email: [email protected] Alternity Fan Spotlight: Vassilis Stratigakis 64 Or you can visit the following site on the web to subscribe: SIDEBARS http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lastresortlist Dark Matter Game Prop: Death Metal Mayhem by Daryl Blasi 35 The Last Resort’s color scheme references the major published campaign settings for Alternity. New Rank Benefit: Melee Weapon-Weapon Mastery by Daryl Blasi 54 General Alternity Star Drive Dark Matter Gamma World 2 MAY 2003 Editorial: The Big Welcome Submissions The Last Resort is accepting any Alternity-relat- Alternity Aficionados, ed articles for publication. We will also accept general roleplaying articles that can be used for Welcome to the first issue of the Last Resort, the Alternity fan magazine written by the Alternity game. the fans for the fans of one of the best game systems created. The game may not Authors may wish to submit applicable articles be supported officially but in this small corner of the grid it is fondly held with great to regular or semi-regular columns. The follow- ing is a list of the current columns: respect and a touch of adoration. That is why this magazine like its predecessor, Action Emporium: arms, armor and equipment Action Check, exists. The fans of Alternity won’t let this gem disappear into the Bestiary Bizarre: creatures for Gamma World dusty shelves of gaming history. We tinker on new rules. We create new settings setting or even convert existing settings to the rules. We discuss/argue/yell about the Cyber Shop: robotics and cybernetics reality and playability of the system. Thanks to the fans the Alternity system lives on Domain Virtua: detailed grid site Foes Fantastic: creatures for arcane Alternity at our gaming tables, both real and virtual. Grid Run: computers and gridrunning I still remember the first day I encountered the Alternity system. I had just moved Home Rule Advantage: home rules for Alternity to Maryland and was searching for the local comic book/gaming store. After Legion: heroes, villains, and SCMs getting directions from a helpful worker at a comic book store, I found the object of Mind’s Eye: psionics Special FX: super powers and magic my search hidden away in a shopping center. (Note: I was use to comic books and Species Catalogue: alien species for Alternity gaming going hand-in-hand at the retail level so I thought it was a little weird that Sword and Staff: arcane Alternity they were segregated in Rockville, MD. I had just looked up the addresses of comic Tavern Tales: game fiction book stores and didn’t think to look up “gaming” exclusively.) My original goal was to Tangents: alternate worlds find Dungeons & Dragons and Storyteller material for the campaigns I planned to Veritas Omnes Liberant: conspiracies for Dark run once I found some willing players. As I was glancing over the shelves, the Alien Matter setting Xenohunter’s Field Guide: xenoforms for Dark Compendium caught my eye. I saw that it was a TSR product and being the D&D Matter setting lover that I was at the time, I decided to check it out. I looked the aliens over and Note: Cook’s Guide is written every issue by then grabbed the Player’s Handbook. I liked what I saw. I hadn’t tried my hand at Matthew R. Esch under the pseudonym of Montgomery Cook IX. We will accept other cor- Sci-Fi and decided to give it a shot. I bought the Player’s Handbook and the Alien respondents who want to cover the Star Drive Compendium and took them home for a thorough reading. I could tell the system universe and either incorporate the article into had many years of game theory incorporated into its design, taking the best Cook’s Guide or format it as a stand alone arti- cle, whatever the author’s preference. aspects of the systems that came before to create a unique hybrid of realism and If you have an idea for a new regular column feel cinematic fun. The designers had carefully crafted the game into a flexible entity free to email us at [email protected] that could handle a wide variety of genres with ease. I was hooked. Like a junkie Article Guidelines with no self-control, I bought every Alternity product released, amassing a complete 1. Word or text is the preferred format for sub- collection over the years it was in publication. I even bought an extra Player’s mission of articles. Other formats will be con- sidered on a case-by-case basis. Handbook to get the free Red Starrise adventure that I hadn’t received the first 2. Excel files can be submitted for tables used in time I purchased the book. I was in gamer’s bliss. the article. 3. Indicate within the text what sections need to Of course I loved it, but some of the players I had gathered together to play D&D be sidebars and where pictures (if applicable) need to be placed in relation to the text. were wary of trying the new system. To ease their transition I created a campaign Requests for pictures from staff artists may that incorporated magic, spirits, and demons into a sci-fi world of cyborgs and also be made if you do not provide your own. skytanks. After the first session the system received positive feedback. One player 4. Do not place pictures in article file. Send them as separate files. who earlier said that he had never encountered a sci-fi system that properly 5. The title and author’s name must be placed treated the mechanics of firearms gave a one-word review of Alternity that I still on the first line of the article to insure proper use today. “Elegant.” Alternity worked and worked smoothly. credit is given. 6. Email Word/text file to I dedicate this magazine to everyone who has recognized the elegance of the [email protected] Art Guidelines Alternity system and continue to create new worlds within the flexible framework of 1. Art must be submitted as jpeg files. At a min- the (clears throat to prepare for imitation of the Comic Book Guy from the imum, the art must be the size it will be Simpsons) “best game system ever.” placed in the magazine at 150 dpi. It is bet- ter to go bigger than smaller. My gushing love letter to Alternity is through. Thanks for reading and enjoy the 2 Send title and/or captions (if applicable) for the piece, as well as artist name to insure articles.