Amazing Engine Rule Booklet AM1 - System Guide

by David Zeb Cook, Jim Crabtree (Illustrator)

Genres: Role Playing Games

32 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1993

About the author

David "Zeb" Cook is an American game designer best known for his work at TSR, Inc., where he was employed for over fifteen years. Cook grew up on a farm in Iowa where his father worked as a farmer and a college professor. In junior high school, Cook playing wargames such as Avalon Hill's Blitzkrieg and Afrika Korps. "I was primarily a wargamer, but there wasn't any role-playing available then," although in college, he was introduced to the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game through the University of Iowa gaming club. Cook earned his B.A. in English (with a Theater minor) in 1977. He married his high school sweetheart, Helen, with whom he had one son, Ian. Cook became a high school teacher in Milligan, Nebraska, where his students gave him his nickname of "Zeb"; the name derives from his signature, which is dominated by a stroke resembling a 'Z'.

Reviews

[Ανδρέας Μιχαηλίδης · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting bit of RPG history, when TSR attempted to build a universal system for various, mainly sci-fi hybrid settings. It might be considered a precursor to Alternity, although considerably simpler, if baffling in some respects.

Though the whole idea of a Character Core who provides a seed for every new setting's character is interesting in principle and has some vibes of the Eternal Champion (and the shared XP system is not too shabby), it becomes overly complicated for no reason.

I know that this was still the '90s where RPG was a legit way to learn math, but I feel that it was a great idea rather hobbled by its implementation. Still, a fun, informative read and always love the oldie illustrations of Jim Crabtree.