Imperial Histories: Scorpion Review
(or Why Should I Pay $40 For This?)
“I’m not gonna pick it up. It’s a GM book.”
You’d be suprised how often I hear this about any book, for any game system, that doesn’t specifically say “Players Handbook” on it. In todays economy I can understand that sentiment, really I can. I myself am a gamer on a budget, and being an active player of four role-playing games, two collectible card games, and two minitatures games, let me tell you it’s hard to find the money for some things among that many games.
So why would a player wish to pick up Imperial Histories for the L5R 4th Edition Role-Playing Game? Well, let’s look at the product itself. It’s M.S.R.P.’d at $39.99, which for a sourcebook is kind of high for some gamers. It is hardcover like all other 4th Edition books, which is a plus for modern gamers who have come out of the era of soft-cover sourcebooks. The binding is well done and sturdy. The paper quality is top-notch, print is easy to read, and the artwork is stellar, using material from CCG sources from the card games history giving new players an immersive experience, and veteran players a true feeling for the settings described. A few spelling and grammar mistakes can be found, but not enough to be over detrimental to the reading.
A top quality book in construction and presentation, while recognized by players as a high quality they look for, we all know that the meat of the subject is what they want. The application of what’s inside is what players truly wish to have, and will determine if a book is worth picking up. So what is included in this book that would draw players of the Scorpion Clan towards it’s pages?
