Rating:    Reviewed by:  Fury

Mechwarrior, 3rd Edition-The RPG If you've ever wondered how it would be to fight it out with Victor Davion against the evil Clans, be a mercenary just trying to earn a buck, or even a Capellan merchant who's been keeping thugs away from his store longer than he can remember, this book is for you. The sky is literally the limit in MW3. More occupations, more stats, and definitely more fun than any other Mechwarrior RPG. A Time of War... MW3 starts with a 5 page story on Solaris 7, which seems to fit in pretty well with the story Illusions of Victory. Then a run through of the rules used in MW3. While completely revamped since MW2, they are still fairly easy to follow, and if you've ever played any other RPG, should pose no problem. A quick look over of the rules shows you that 2d10 are used for checks, while weapons damage uses d6. Attribute checks (Strength, Body, Dexterity, etc.) are for pure physical (or mental) checks. Skill checks (from Academics/Literature to Pistols to Technician/'Mech) are used when appropriate. The Target Number (TN) is decreased or increased for the circumstances. "The target is 40 meters away with 1/2 cover and you ran this round. With a +8 to the TN, you gotta roll a 19 with that 2d10." By the Numbers... Then into the best part: character creation. Sure, there are 6 ready-made characters...but what fun is that?!? Put who you wish you'd be, or even just yourself, into the game. FASA has implemented a new process of creating characters, called a life-path. The life of your character is broken down into 4 stages: early childhood, late childhood, higher education, real-life. Each path may only be taken once, except for real-life, or when specifically ordered to. Paths not only give certain traits and bonuses to the character, but gives a rough history and also dictate which paths may be taken next. Players choose an affiliation and 1 path per stage from mercenary brat to nobility to clan training to civilian colleges. Attributes and skills are bought, and the character is fleshed out with a background and short description if desired. Then, with a general pool of 50 points, numerous skills and traits are then given and described, and the player usually has a few points left over for miscellaneous things (interests in art, academic learning, or anything else you feel the character should know). Get Outta Yer 'Mech and Into the Action! Rules for combat and just about everything else fill out the next 50 pages. How much your character can carry, what the roll-to-hit is on that bull's-eye 50 yards away, and how much the exchange rate is for C-Bills to Davion pounds-its all covered. Then a quick look at the equipment available in the BT universe. Do you really want that 30 year old Laser pistol when that brand-new Sternsnacht is sitting right next to it? Decide, then kick some butt. A Whistlestop Tour of the Inner Sphere Next comes a history lesson from the development of the K-F drive in 2027 to the reborn Star League, which you're certain to have seen before, but if this is your first BT book I guess it serves some purpose. Half-page descriptions of the major BT factions and only 2 main planets is next, again with very little new stuff. A few paragraphs of the types of governments in the BT universe is interesting, as are the descriptions of the titles and nobility. Ever wondered what exactly to call Duke Morgan Kell? "Your grace" Duh! Following that is a quick look deeper into the BT universe. How does one convert their House-Bills into another? How strict are their police forces? How religious are they? Really any question you can think up about "normal" life in the Inner Sphere are probably covered. Lastly is a small gamemasters section that is intended to get your feet wet, but truly does very little for the experienced GM, though the sample non-player characters will surely save you a few minutes in the long run. Overall Thoughts Wow. A four Timberwolf rating. If you've ever wished you could be in the BT universe, now you can. The sky's the limit, so "Get outta yer 'Mech and into the action!"