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Summary: A strong, well-plotted adventure that gives the players a vital role in a Mega-City One spanning conflict. It deftly avoids the "Star Wars" syndrome of having the players engaged in useless activities while named characters solve the real problems. Its much more conventional action/adventure format also allows it to avoid the pitfalls of its predecessors.
As presented
"Target: Mega-City One" follows up on the events in Prog 3 of "Russian Roulette". In it the judges come face to face with the clones and their evil plans for Mega-City One. They must defend Justice Department property, face off against a coordinated military assault on their city, and eventually race to save a nuclear power plant.
This straight up action adventure proceeds at a good pace. It allows for some divergence on the part of the players, but the strength of the threat forces their hand more often than not. However, unlike the previous two adventures the very linear plot structure works here: it represents a logical set of responses by the embattled Justice Department. Furthermore the module rather precipitously does away with the vast majority of the senior judges who plagued the early two entries. This allows the players to assume command positions if they so desire.
With the named characters and senior NPCs either dead or busy, the players must eventually race to deal with one of the many catastrophic side threats backing up the assault on the Justice Department. This gives them something worthwhile and interesting to do, while still allowing Judge Dredd and the named characters to bear the brunt of the threat. It also gives players something to aspire to: someday they may be the ones dealing with the main body of the threat while minions struggle with ancillary threats.
In Prog 2 judges run the risk of being captured by the enemy. The capture itself does not cause any problems. However, the captors will torture and permanently maim characters for acting like judges. The permanent punishments associated with the first offences should be reduced, so that players have a chance to assess the actual threat level.
Section Score: 4 (Good)
As setting introduction
"Target: Mega-City One" falls short of the setting introduction quality of its predecessors. Its focus on fast action makes it a stronger adventure but gives it less time to dwell on other things. It revisits many of the settings in the previous two books showing a strong sense of continuity. The adventure also serves to highlight the military nature of the Justice Department, a welcome counterpoint to their "civil" duties.
Section Score: 3 (Average)
Use of setting mechanics/archetypes
This adventure has little need for the various special rules associated with the JD universe. Acting in a paramilitary capacity with the Justice Department itself under siege means that the judges have more need for their combat skills than intimidation or legal enforcement. They do get a chance to use their rapid-fire weapons to great effect.
Section Score: 3 (Average)
Ability to modify/adapt adventure to target campaign
The last Prog of "Russian Roulette" and the three Progs of this adventure form a solidly integrated whole. Modifying the adventure to any great extent will disrupt its flow. In order to modify it for an existing campaign the GM can change the main villains (the Kazan clones) to whomever he selected as his primary antagonists.
Section Score: 3 (Average)
Conclusion
"Target: Mega-City One" provides an excellent, integrated adventure in the Judge Dredd universe. The rigid connections between scenes and Progs in the adventure work better here than in the previous two instalments. Unfortunately its utility as an adventure reduces its use as a source book.
Overall Score: 4 (Good)
Overall Trilogy Conclusion
The "Kazan Gambit" trilogy presents us with a fairly average story and adventure of the Judge Dredd universe. The first two books provide a great deal of value as sourcebooks for potential judge adventures. The last instalment can be run as a climax for any large scale judge campaign, or run as is for as an interesting and dangerous paramilitary campaign.
Overall Set Score: 3 (Average)
Summary: A strong, well-plotted adventure that gives the players a vital role in a Mega-City One spanning conflict. It deftly avoids the "Star Wars" syndrome of having the players engaged in useless activities while named characters solve the real problems. Its much more conventional action/adventure format also allows it to avoid the pitfalls of its predecessors.
As presented
"Target: Mega-City One" follows up on the events in Prog 3 of "Russian Roulette". In it the judges come face to face with the clones and their evil plans for Mega-City One. They must defend Justice Department property, face off against a coordinated military assault on their city, and eventually race to save a nuclear power plant.
This straight up action adventure proceeds at a good pace. It allows for some divergence on the part of the players, but the strength of the threat forces their hand more often than not. However, unlike the previous two adventures the very linear plot structure works here: it represents a logical set of responses by the embattled Justice Department. Furthermore the module rather precipitously does away with the vast majority of the senior judges who plagued the early two entries. This allows the players to assume command positions if they so desire.
With the named characters and senior NPCs either dead or busy, the players must eventually race to deal with one of the many catastrophic side threats backing up the assault on the Justice Department. This gives them something worthwhile and interesting to do, while still allowing Judge Dredd and the named characters to bear the brunt of the threat. It also gives players something to aspire to: someday they may be the ones dealing with the main body of the threat while minions struggle with ancillary threats.
In Prog 2 judges run the risk of being captured by the enemy. The capture itself does not cause any problems. However, the captors will torture and permanently maim characters for acting like judges. The permanent punishments associated with the first offences should be reduced, so that players have a chance to assess the actual threat level.
Section Score: 4 (Good)
As setting introduction
"Target: Mega-City One" falls short of the setting introduction quality of its predecessors. Its focus on fast action makes it a stronger adventure but gives it less time to dwell on other things. It revisits many of the settings in the previous two books showing a strong sense of continuity. The adventure also serves to highlight the military nature of the Justice Department, a welcome counterpoint to their "civil" duties.
Section Score: 3 (Average)
Use of setting mechanics/archetypes
This adventure has little need for the various special rules associated with the JD universe. Acting in a paramilitary capacity with the Justice Department itself under siege means that the judges have more need for their combat skills than intimidation or legal enforcement. They do get a chance to use their rapid-fire weapons to great effect.
Section Score: 3 (Average)
Ability to modify/adapt adventure to target campaign
The last Prog of "Russian Roulette" and the three Progs of this adventure form a solidly integrated whole. Modifying the adventure to any great extent will disrupt its flow. In order to modify it for an existing campaign the GM can change the main villains (the Kazan clones) to whomever he selected as his primary antagonists.
Section Score: 3 (Average)
Conclusion
"Target: Mega-City One" provides an excellent, integrated adventure in the Judge Dredd universe. The rigid connections between scenes and Progs in the adventure work better here than in the previous two instalments. Unfortunately its utility as an adventure reduces its use as a source book.
Overall Score: 4 (Good)
Overall Trilogy Conclusion
The "Kazan Gambit" trilogy presents us with a fairly average story and adventure of the Judge Dredd universe. The first two books provide a great deal of value as sourcebooks for potential judge adventures. The last instalment can be run as a climax for any large scale judge campaign, or run as is for as an interesting and dangerous paramilitary campaign.
Overall Set Score: 3 (Average)
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