Pee-Pee,
as it is
becoming
known. is one of Avalon
Hill's many
new entries into role-playing. All the five volumes are clearly
printed and laid out in an easy-tofollow manner
The
first volume covers character creation using dice to give ten
primary characteristics and then adding or subtracting various
modifiers depending on your race and sex; the races being humans,
elves, faeries and dwarves. Social station and age are generated
next, and used to work out how experienced the character is.
Then the character's initial skills are
worked out
using a point allocation system (applied
to both combat and general skills'. Skills can be improved by
training or by using points gained from successful use of skills, but
they all have a maximum expertise level which depends on yOur primary
characteristics. Generating a character can prove to be a very
lengthy business, and the large number of abbreviations can cause
some confusion. Additionally, some of the instructions are rather
ambiguous.
Volume
two is divided into two sections. combat and magic. Combat is
similar to RuneOuest.
and
uses the 12- second tactical turn. Skill rolls are additionally
used to determine the damage done, and armour and shields absorb
damage in the standard fashion.
Magic
and magicians are also covered here, there being three types of
magicians — Wizards, Shamans and Sidhe IFaeries, elves and
Alfar). The wizards seek knowledge or power and are divided into
three orientations: law, balance and chaos. Shamans are tied to the
forces of nature, and the Sidhe are
aligned with the forces of creation and the Elder Gods. Spells are cast using a Mane point system, I he cost and success of the spell being determined by the skill of the caster. Spell deseriptions are adequate. and a large selection is available.
aligned with the forces of creation and the Elder Gods. Spells are cast using a Mane point system, I he cost and success of the spell being determined by the skill of the caster. Spell deseriptions are adequate. and a large selection is available.
The
third volume contains a basic description of the three planes of
existence, descriptions of the creatures who inhabit these
planes, and a very good general encounter system. The list of
creatures is very comprehensive and contains the usual legendary
creatures aswell as a fair number of new monsters. Physical, magical
and psychological attributes
of creatures, their alignment and
general reaction on being encountered are
listed
in a clear manner.
Volume
4 deals with the potential human encounters and the different
cultures
of a world. The tables and listings of
encounters cover a wide range, from cities through to uncivilised
lands, and goes
to great lengths to give a rationale for
the encounter. This book also covers magical and non-magical
treasures.
The
fifth and final volume details the county of Donara. This includes a
description of the main NPCs, the events and the general background
of the county. Also included is a useful basic scenario designed to
introduce the
players
to the game.
Overall,
P&P
introduces
some nice ideas which can be adapted readily into other systems. The
game is more suited to
experienced players and GMs since it is
fairly complex. In general, a greater amount of work than is normal
for an RPG is needed for playing Powers
and Perils, built
is a good system.
Presentation: 9
Complexity: 9
Playabllity: 8 Rules: 7
Overall: 8 Adrian
Knowles
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