MageWare 2005 Spring Catalogue
From: I D Adventures
Reviewed by: Ron McClung
MageWare 2005 Spring Catalogue is a new d20 Modern Source Material PDF from ID Adventures.
From page 2 – “Inside you’ll find everything a computer-savvy modern mage needs to get the most out of his arcane powers. Both magic and mundane hardware and software to augment the advantage of a digital spellbook, and lots of modern spells to help deal with the complications of life in a world with more TV screens than bards.”
Basically, MageWare 2005 Spring Catalogue is a d20 Modern sourcebook for Urban Arcana-style technomage magic users. It contains hardware, software, and spells for the techno-magic talented.
From page # 3: “MageWare 2005 Spring Catalogue only deals with reputable groups of this sort, such as Hackers of the Coast, the Silicon Sorcerer’s Association, and the Sp311Grrlz.”
The PDF is divided into three key areas – Hardware, Software, and Spells.
Hardware – This chapter contains a lot of modern computer items with a arcane twist. The technology described in this section are the Arcane Server, the External Spelldrive, the Gauss Grip Security device, the RIM Drive, the Scroll Printer, and the ever trendy Spellpod. I chuckled at the last one. Each is accompanied by a detailed description as well as d20 stats. I found them all very imaginative and entertaining. Being that I am in IT as a career, I think I appreciated them a little more than most would.
From page # 4: “MageWare 2005 Spring Catalogue makes a number of software packages designed to help the modern mage manage his digital spellbook.”
Software – This chapter contains five magic based programs for use in any techno-mage’s personal system – Firetrap Security, Internet Apprentice, MageWare Portals, MasterSage Pro, and SpellBlocker Pro. I love how these are presented as real software packages and the catalog entries sound just like regular software packages. For instance, one of the versions of MageWare Portals reads “MageWare Portals – CB (crystal ball) edition is the oldest of the Portals programs, and is no longer supported by MageWare.” No longer supported….a common problem in the IT world. These are all primarily software packages to help a mage use his computer as a spell book.Spells – This chapter includes a series of 20 or so spells designed for any modern magic-based game, all with a slight technical bent to them. Some of these are really cool. For example, 101 Uses is a spell that targets a multipurpose tool and widens its uses, giving the user most any tool he needs for the job. There are other less technical like CPR, which is a different version of resurrection, or Cram which allows the mage to take any written knowledge and place it in a living creature. These spells range from level 0 to level 4.
In conclusion, I like this as a start of a line of products. What many of the what I call second-tier publishers are doing these days is putting out bits and pieces of a source book in PDF form and when there is enough interest in the PDF, they put out a compilation in published format. This series is one of those that I could see going there. There is a lot of imagination behind this (well, duh, look who the author is.) I like the intelligence and the imagination behind it, even though it is a small PDF with only a few things to offer. It is devoid of art and the layout is pretty standard. This is a good start to a potentially good series of PDFs, if in fact that is what they are thinking about doing.
For more details on ID Adventures and their new d20 Modern Source Material PDF “MageWare 2005 Spring Catalogue” check them out at http://www.RPGNow.com.
MageWare 2005 Spring Catalogue
From: ID Adventures
Type of Game: d20 Modern Source Material PDF
Produced and written by: Owen K.C. Stephens
Editing and layout by: LJ Stephens
Staff: Shaun Horner, Miranda Horner
Number of Pages: 12
Game Components Included: One PDF file
Game Components Not Included: Core D20 Modern/OGL rule books
Retail Price: $ 5.00 (US)
Website: www.RPGNow.com
Reviewed by: Ron McClung