Best of
Role-Playing-Games

1999

Vampire: The Masquerade


Justin Achilli - 1999
    The cultural significance Vampire left on not just the gaming world but on modern vampire-related pop culture can be seen and felt at virtually every turn and in every medium today. Vampire: The Masquerade - 20th Anniversary Edition brings the entire World of Darkness experience full circle and will serve as the perfect anniversary milestone to celebrate two decades of gaming after dark. This is the original Masquerade in all its glory, and our way of saying thank you and welcome home. • All thirteen original Clans, Clan variants and bloodlines, with their signature Disciplines • Classic rules updated from Vampire's Revised Edition • Character creation and advancement from Neonate to Methuselah • All the Disciplines from level one through nine • Updated setting to the modern nights • New full color original art by Tim Bradstreet and other classic Masquerade artists

Delta Green: Countdown


John Tynes - 1999
    As our darkened globe spins through the eternal night, the lasting legacy of the human race is nothing but a scream - drowned out by the road of the destiny devouring us all. This is your last chance to show the cosmos what it means to be human: The will to fight.Delta Green: Countdown blows the doors of the world of Delta Green, reaching wider and digging deeper to map the terrain of the twisted pulp apocalypse we call the dawning of the 21st century. Brace yourself for the final world order: The Insects from Shaggai, alien parasites subverting the leadership of a nation; PISCES, the UK's attempt to harness the unknown; The Army of the Third Eye, terrorists fighting a bloody battle against alien invaders; GRU SV-8, a band of desperate operatives fighting darkness in the ruins of Russia; The Skoptsi, occult fanatics with an eight-hundred-year legacy; The OUTLOOK Group, where Majestic-12 tests its elite; Phenomen-X, a syndicated TV news show that pokes its camera in all the wrong places; Tiger Transit, a former CIA airline now in the clutches of a Tcho-Tcho drug cartel: The D Stacks at the American Museum of Natural History, where Dr. Jensen Wu classifies the unclassifiable; The Keepers of the Faith, traditionalist ghouls fighting the lean and hungry Heretic ghouls beneath the streets of Manhattan: and The Hastur Mythos, a twisted skein of surreal destruction weaving its way through humanity. Plus: new skills, new spells, new Mythos tomes, rules for psychics, a microbiologist's dossiers on paranormal lifeforms, profiles of international intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, dozens of useful NPCs, two scenarios, a short campaign, and more.

Guide to the Technocracy


Phil Brucato - 1999
    We influence every aspect of human society. We protect the Earth from the aliens without and the deviants within. Through order, science and technology, our conventions shape the course of the furure and catalog the wonders of the cosmos. We are there whenever someone uses a tool. We create the advancements that protect and comfort humanity. We decide how tomorrow improves beyond today. If you are ready to shape the world and willing to sacrifice yourself for humanity, you can be one of us.One World, One UnionAll the information needed to run a Technocracy - based Chronicle: Technocracy characters, new Abilities, Devices and Procedures, Technocratic organization and more. Explore the defenses of Technocratic bases, their corridors of political power and their hopes for the future. Discover how they deal with supernatural threats and what wonders they uncover. Learn the Union's beliefs and goals, and how it plans to empower all of humanity.

Deadlands: Marshal's Guide


Shane Lacy Hensley - 1999
    In 2000, new products allow players to take on the role of operatives for the Agency, wrestle with the curses of lycanthropy and vampirism, and learn the secrets of the latest developments in the New Science.The Marshal's Handbook is the gamemaster's guide to the world of Deadlands: The Weird West. It tells you how to rope those broncos into your adventures and keep 'em on the run from the insidious horrors of the Weird West. It's also got a whole passel o' nasty critters to throw at those do-gooders, all drawn up in color. The Weird West Player's Guide is also required and should be available wherever you bought this book.

Deadlands : The Wierd West Player's Guide


Shane Lacy Hensley - 1999
    In 2000, new products allow players to take on the role of operatives for the Agency, wrestle with the curses of lycanthropy and vampirism, and learn the secrets of the latest developments in the New Science.This book contains everything you need to create your own heroic Western warriors. We've included 22 full color archetypes to get you started, as well as a quick tour of the Weird West -- and some clues about how your heroes can best grind the forces of darkness under their cowboy boots! The Marshal's Handbook is also required to play and should be available wherever you bought this book.

Dark Matter (Alternity Campaign Setting)


Wolfgang Baur - 1999
    Paranormal occurrences and occult activities are becoming everyday happenings. These events are quickly hidden from public view by various world governments and other organizations who have neither the knowledge nor understanding of their significance. Doorways to other worlds are opening, and it's up to the heroes of the Hoffmann Institute to determine friend from foe, good from evil, and conspiracy from happenstance. The Dark Matter Campaign Setting expands the Alternity game universe by introducing a near-future world full of the paranormal and occult, laced with conspiracies that threaten the entire world. As the beginning of a brand new campaign setting, the Dark Matter game is certain to be in high demand as new customers look for the next great science fiction world.

Heroes Unlimited GM's Guide


Kevin Siembieda - 1999
    

Bearers of Jade: the Second Book of the Shadowlands


Chris Hepler - 1999
    More dangers lie here than the Crab dare describe: fields grown of human hair, corpses of demons a thousand feet tall, and oni who hurl scars like spittle. Two-headed sharks swim the waters while rolling cages of bone race the demon horses of the undead Moto family.And they do not stop at the Kaiu Wall.Within these pages is the work of the wanderer Seikansha, whose life was rent asunder by servants of Fu Leng bidden within the very heart of Rokugan. He knows the viscera sucker that might be your bride, the forbidden teachings of bushi damned by the Emperor, and the oni who snatch spirits away from their bodies. Collecting letters, confessions, orders, and accusations from all the Clans of the Emerald Empire, Seikansha shows where the most terrifying evil waits right beside youNo one is safe.Not even the bearers of jade.The second Book of the Shadowlands has what you need to sustain a Shadowlands campaign with the most battle-hardened bushi.The second Book of the Shadowlands has what you need to sustain a Shadowlands campaign with the most battle-hardened bushi, including: New rules to help your samurai war against the armies of the Fallen One: descend into the depths of insanity, wage mass battles against crowds of dishonorable opponents, survive bare-handed with Crab kobo ichi-kai jiujutsu, and live with the slow spread of Taint. Life at the Mouth of Jigoku: First-person perspectives on eating, sleeping, and dying at the Kaiu Wall, plus advice for running a horror campaign in Rokugan. The Lost Relics: Learn of the history and power of 15 wondrous items lost or Tainted by the Shadowlands, from the suicide weapon of Hida's first wife to the calculating device used to create the great Kaiu Wall. The Lost Souls: Hear the mad tale of Iuchi Karasu, the atrocities he witnessed, and his months of torture by the bloodthirsty Moto Tsume. The Armies of the Night: Maho-tsukai past and present, their new spells, and two dozen new creatures. Put fear into the hearts of samurai with the bushi who use black magic, the Spirit Kings that devoured the souls of the entire Snake Clan, and the akutenshi, the evil angels at the left hand of Fu Leng.

Hot Times at Hollywood High


Neal Shusterman - 1999
    How To Host A Teen Mystery is just that... a great way for teens to create a full evening of fun. Hot Times At Hollywood High, as with all games in the teen series, begins with a crime and ends with the unmasking of the culprit... but not before dinner, guessing, and lots of laughs. The story revolves around 8 of Hollywood High School's "Most Likely To _______" students. They find themselves embroiled in a mystery at the Hardest Rock Cafeteria. It seems someone nearly did in Miss Terry Daktill, the elderly science teacher, in a devastating fire of very suspicious origins. Each player (your guests) assume the role of one of these characters... one of which is the culprit: artistic genius Bernadette Down, football star Fletcher Bysepps, beach goddess Tanya Bunsoff, sexy mysterious tease Juanita Greencarde, popular computer geek Duncan Flushwater, aspiring film director Cameron Kordier, enthusiastic Valley girl cheerleader Chantella Solle, and dashing student body pres. Spence DeMonet

GM's Survival Guide


Jim Pinto - 1999
    Valuable advice and expansive charts organize everything from plot structure to village inhabitants, from creatures to crops. Flexible rules options assist with mechanics, and pages of useful information outline many details of culture, economics, and the ins and outs of samurai life.* Sample Plots: A complete guide to creating detailed plotlines, handouts, and game scripts designed to encourage both roleplay and player interaction.* Expanded Section on Rokugani Culture: Adventure hooks and campaign ideas, as well as expanded information on setting and society, provide Gamemasters with detailed and comprehensive information on the Emerald Empire.* Comprehensive Skills, Advantages, and Disadvantages Chart: All the information you need to define a character is now collected and compiled in one location for ease of reference.* Using the CCG in the RPG: Innovative ideas for fans of the L5R Collectible Card Game, providing for easy integration of personalities, locations, and other elements defined in the CCG.

Gamemaster Law


John W. Curtis III - 1999
    The discussed topics will prove invaluable to GMs af all systems- group dynamics, player motivations, story presentation, world design, race generation, campaign evolution, game metabolism, story backdrops, and much more. Delve into the mysteries of running a truly great campaign!

Winter Court: Kyuden Kakita


Shawn Carman - 1999
    The second in the celebrated Winter Court series, Winter Court: Kyuden Kakita contains in-depth information about Rokugani culture, civilization, and politics. Further, it presents details about the history of the Imperial Hantei emperors, contains adventure hooks for political settings, and reveals the long-awaited Miya family techniques. This year’s Winter Court also advances the story of the RPG through the Scorpion Clan Coup and into the Clan War era, revealing hidden secrets about the Great Clans and their plans for the Emerald Empire.Once again, snow covers the fields of the Emerald Empire, and the fields of battle sleep beneath frost and ice. Even the feud between the Lion and Crane is forced into peace, and the Six Clans of Rokugan gather together at Kyuden Kakita for a season of rest.But beneath the thick snow of winter, cold knives await the unwary, and send them to an icy death. The most powerful courtiers gather at the Emperor's feet, hoping to gain his approval for their negotiations. Secrets are whispered beneath fluttering fans, and a single word could poison entire lives. And when the Winter Court is over and the season dies, the wars that rage the Empire will begin again. Each move is designed to catch the Emperor's ear, and machinations are sealed with bloody knives.The Thirty-Ninth Hantei rests on his Emerald Throne, his face as pale as winter snow. His wife, the Empress Kachiko, tends to his illness and buries the court in intrigue and lies...Learn the inner workings of the Empire, the secrets of the court and the history of the Emerald Empire. Discover the schools of the Miya and the private techniques of the Emerald Magistrates. Winter Court contains a comprehensive timeline of the Empire's history, a detailed account of the first ten Hantei Emperors, and information on running historical adventures. Further, it contains all you need to update your campaign according to the official RPG timeline, along with new advantages, skills, disadvantages and the ancient nemuranai of the Hantei.Lay down your sword, samurai.In this place, a single word can kill.

Marienburg: Sold Down the River


Anthony Ragan - 1999
    All the elements are woven together to create one of the most complete, coherent and fascinating city-sourcebooks ever released for any RPG.Plus there's a complete scenario and fifteen adventure seeds, rules for trading and smuggling, information on how to generate Wastelander PCs, atmospheric artwork that brings Marienburg and its inhabitants to life, an incredible panoramic poster-map of the entire city, and more.

Stellar Frontier: Psi Order Upeo Wa Macho & Extrasolar Space Sourcebook


John R. Snead - 1999
    Learn what it's like to be a teleporter- to sense the constant movement of all things through the universe, and to blink across galaxies with but a thought. Discover how the colonies survived through the years they were lost to Earth, and what threats emerged during that time. Find out why the Upeo vanished in the first place... and what it means for the rest of the Trinity Universe.