SG-1 First Steps: The Stargate Unexplored Worlds Sourcebook

[Crothian]

SG-1 First Steps: The Stargate Unexplored Worlds Sourcebook

SKU #2213
SRP $26.95
ISBN # 1-59472-019-3
Softbound 176 pages, full color
Every adventure begins with one fateful first step...
The Stargate links to millions of worlds the SGC has yet to visit. Within this book, your SG team has the chance to discover them. Each of the worlds included in this book is an all-new creation of the AEG team, never-before-seen in any medium, complete with background, history, cultures, characters, and ready-made plotlines.

* From the explosive TV series comes the hottest role-playing game of 2003!
* Explore the farthest reaches of the galaxy as a member of the Stargate Command, the U.S. Government's best-kept secret.
* Engage in pitched battles with the evil Goa'uld, explore alien planets on the far end of the universe, and learn the ancient secrets of the Stargate.
* Background and mechanics for over an all-new collection of original worlds never before seen on the TV show!
* Miniature adventures for every world!
* Advanced rules for world creation, including detailed cultural and plot device options.

 

[Crothian]

Stargate First Steps

Stargate First Steps

The Stargate RPG had a too short of life. This represents the fifth and final; book in the all too short series. The show still seems to be going strong even though the role playing aspect has come to an end. Perhaps someone will pick up the license and do something with it in the future, but until then people who want to play Stargate have five really good books to use. These books seemed like labors of love for the writers. The level of detail and research from the series that went into them is phenomenal. With luck, if the license is picked up, that company will contact the people who worked on these five books and hire them. They did a fantastic job and really should get to see something they put a lot of hard work into bear some fruit.

Stargate: First Steps is a softbound one hundred and seventy six page book. The layout and look of the book is the same as the first four. The full color art is mostly pictures taken from the series and it looks fantastic. The book could use an index as the table of contents just is not complete enough. But other then that there really is nothing bad in the production values of it.

The first books covered what was seen in the series. In many areas parts were expanded on and detailed in ways not shown in the series. This creativity and detail was one of the first signs to me that the writers working on these books really captured the feel of the series. But in those books they were limited to what was in the series. First Steps is the one book that really tackles items created from the imaginations of the writers. It is a little sad that the first book that gets to feature that creativity is the last book of the series. All I saw for the future of the line was untapped potential and many brilliant books to be seen. But that will not happen now.

The strength of First Steps is in the new planets that are described. These planets did not appear in the series but easily could have. They capture the sprit of the show and build upon some of the different plots and themes the show presents. There are ten new planets described over the first seventy pages of the book. Each has a good description of the world, the cultures and history of the place, important non player characters stated up, and plot hooks presented specifically bringing it all together. Then there is a short section on adventures in space covering some ships and some history as well.

The new rules for the books are always a good part as it provides a few good options for players and DMs alike. There are a few new human specialties as well as nine new alien ones. AS with most of the books there is a new class and prestige classes, some more near human traits, a new race that is near Unas, and plenty of feats. The book finishes with chase rules and vehicles; lots and lots of vehicles and options. That in fact covers the final sixty pages of the book.

All five Stargate books together form a very complete foundation for a Stargate game. Much of the series is firmly established in the first two season so those two books are very important., The System Lords are of course the tradition big bad for the first eight seasons so that book is very important. And finally this one offers the best in creativity and new options to throw at people familiar to the series. They will not be expecting these planets here. These books are good reads as well as good role playing sources. I imagine fans of the series will enjoy the books even if they never get a chance to use the games to play in the setting. The books cover the topics well and can even be used with a little extra work to run games in other systems. The source material here is good enough to make that happen. These are books that I foresee people playing the game getting a lot of use out of.

 

[jcfiala]

Not much of a review...

Although I like the Stargate franchise and the rpg myself, this is more of a review (and eulogy) of the system as a whole than a review of the book itself. I would have preferred a more detailed review that said what the good and bad points of the supplement were.

 

[Crothian]

The new planets are the highlight of the book for me. The chase rules while nice are not that useful for me as I don't get in that many chasaes with my Stargate game. That's the closest that comes to a bad in this book, it is just really good.

And the review gives an aoverview of what's in the book. The middle 4 paragraphs are all about the book. Not all reviews need to be itemized lists of everything in the book, there are different styles and different approaches depending on the reviewier and the book being reviewed.