The Alternity System by TSR

A far future "catch-all" science fiction RPG, this game falls short of delivering much of anything other than a new rules system that is overly complicated. The system tries to incorporate a skill system based loosely on the system which grew out of the AD&D 2nd Edition rules. Each skill is based on an attribute, modified by the level of the skill learned. While possibly a workable system, the resolving of successes is done with a 20-sided die, modified by another die by either adding or subtracting itdepending on the situation. Successes are determined by getting either a failure, normal success, good success, or amazing success. Initiative (called an action check) differs in that a failure becomes a marginal success. As if this wasn’t confusing enough, a test (such as hacking a computer) takes a large number of successes. This means that for every task (other than attacks) you have to roll the dice at least five times on the average and compare results.

Now for some people, all this extra die-rolling and number-checking might be fun, but my players complain about how slow Shadowrun’s skill system goes. They’d absolutely die if we tried an Alternity game. Which brings up another point. I dn’t know about other GMs, but my players don’t all know all the rules pat when we start a game. In fact, they might not know any of ‘em! That means I have to have a firm grasp on the rules before I throw them into a new world to explore. After playing the solo adventure included in Dragon Magazine issue 246, I’m still a little sketchy on why some of the modifiers presented were used. I can tell you one thing though - I’m not curious enough about the answers to pay 30 bucks for either the Alternity PHB or GMG.

So, all-in-all the Alternity game by TSR doesn’t seem to be that worthwhile as a sci-fi game. I’ve never played Gamma World of Buck Rodgers, but I’m starting to wonder if they failed for similar reasons. At any rate, I’ll leave Alternity to those people who like number crunching, and I’ll run my players through the shadows of Boston or the post apocalyptic world of Rifts.

Doug :)
5/12/98

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