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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2009287" data-attributes="member: 18387">This review is for Weird War II: Blood in the Rhine by Shane Lacy Hensley and John R. Hopler. Published by Pinnacle Entertainment Group, this 192-page campaign book retails for $25.00. Weird War II is a historical horror roleplaying game for the d20 gaming system. Players find themselves on the Western Front in World War II Europe; only this time Hitler and his Axis allies aren’t the only evil beings on the planet. Weird Wars is an interesting take on history by putting gamers smack in the middle of World War II starting with the invasion at Normandy (D-Day). Players all have human characters and choose from six different classes: Grunt, Officer, Medic/Nurse, Pilot, Resistance Fighter, or Scout. They also pick nationality, which determines starting equipment. Grunts are essentially the fighters of the campaign setting, but they have a versatility that other classes do not. Officers are the leaders, making command decisions and deciding strategy. Medic/Nurse is the healing class and trained to save lives. Resistance Fighter is a civilian whose home country is occupied or under siege by enemy forces. This class is the equivalent to a rogue in terms of abilities gained. Scouts are the rangers, often operating independently to obtain information on the enemy. Chapters one and two do an excellent job in providing historically accurate information regarding the events leading up to World War II, major occurrences during the war, and prominent figures of the time. There are also some very good photos from that era all throughout the book. Most of the skills from the Player’s Handbook are useable and those that are not tend to be replaced with new skills. The same situation applies regarding feats. New feats include Automatic Weapon Proficiency, Flamethrower Proficiency, Incoming!, Tactician, and more. The chapter on equipment contains everything you need to exist in this period. You won’t find bastard swords or scroll tubes here. Sherman tanks and grenades are standard fare now. Combat rules are relatively unchanged except in regards to firearms and explosives. Automatic fire, shotguns, stray rounds, flamethrowers and smoke are all factors to be considered. Healing is a major consideration in Weird Wars because characters will be hurt, shot or wounded in some manner relatively soon into the game. In Weird Wars, hit points carry a little less significance than they do in D&D games. Here they are more a measure of cinematic tempo where even a high level hero can be killed from a single bullet under the right conditions. Prestige classes play a major role in Weird Wars and Blood on the Rhine gives us five to choose from: Commando, Sniper, OSI Adept, OSI Chaplain, and OSI Operative. Both the Commando and Sniper are strong classes, but the OSI classes are better. The OSI Adept use runes and their own life energy to cast arcane spells and combat evil. The OSI Chaplain can turn undead (cleric, anyone?), and the OSI Operative is your secret agent with sneak attack bonuses. Chapter seven goes into magic, both arcane and miracles. Rune magic is a prominent aspect of this setting’s magic. Hitler and his Nazi forces have had the upper hand, but the OSI Adepts are narrowing the gap. Chaplains tap into magic via miracles due to their faith. Players may be fortunate enough to attract a haunted vehicle as a kind of supernatural mount. A haunted vehicle acquires special abilities that often serve to protect its crew or increase its fighting abilities. The remainder of the book is designated for GMs and once again, presents a history lesson on World War II citing specific notable battles. The occult is presented as a facet of Hitler and his Nazi minions. Blood mages, undead and monsters are part of Hitler’s forces, which makes them very difficult to defeat. A short adventure finishes out the book so both GM and players can get their feet wet in the Weird Wars world. Overall, Weird War II: Blood on the Rhine has great potential for any fan of the World War II genre. It’s an interesting alternative to the standard fantasy world campaigns. While definitely finding a niche in the d20 market, this setting does have limited appeal. Players and GMs need to have not only an understanding of World War II history, but also a real appreciation of it. The very nature of the subject matter means this game is tailored towards adults who are over 35 (in all likelihood). Fans of gritty realism and low magic campaign worlds will probably find enjoyment in the Weird Wars world. For only $25.00, it’s worth a look.To see the graded evaluation of this product, go to The Critic's Corner at <a href="http://www.d20zines.com" target="_blank">www.d20zines.com.</a></blockquote>

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