Midnight at the Well of Souls Role-Playing System
 Cover art by H.R. Van Dongen | |
| Publishers | TAG Industries |
|---|---|
| Publication | 1985 |
| Genres | Role-playing game |
Midnight at the Well of Souls Role-Playing System is a science fiction role-playing game published by TAG Industries in 1985 that is based on the "Well of Souls" novels by Jack L. Chalker.
Description
[edit]Midnight at the Well of Souls attempts to recreate the setting of the novels by Jack L. Chalker.[1] The game book covers 150 character races, a combat system, starship blueprints, and space combat rules, plus an introductory scenario.[1] The game includes a partial map of the vast Well World, where each terrain hex simulates the conditions on a different alien planet.[1]
Publication history
[edit]Midnight at the Well of Souls Role-Playing System was designed by Timothy A. Green, and published by TAG Industries in 1985 as a boxed set with cover art by H.R. Van Dongen that contained a 112-page book, a map, and dice.[1]
Reception
[edit]In Issue 83 of White Dwarf (November 1986)Phil Frances commented, ""I endeavoured to like this game. Honest. I looked for nice things to say about it, but I couldn't really find any. I can see the intentions behind it, and the designer ought to be commended for his perseverance - few people could ever manage anything like this without being a professional games company. The box makes it sound all very wonderful, but it doesn't seem to amount to much when you've read it - a sort of third-rate Ringworld, actually. Worth buying if you're a rabid Chalker fan, hopelessly rich, or 90% insane."[2]
In his 1990 book The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games, game critic Rick Swan advised even fans of the Jack Chalker novels to avoid this game. "The premise has a lot of potential .... but the game doesn't do much with it." Swan also found "The game mechanics are unimaginative and superficial." Swan concluded by giving the game a poor rating of only 1.5 out of 4. [3]
Reviews
[edit]- Different Worlds #42 (May/June, 1986)[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games. Prometheus Books. p. 352. ISBN 0-87975-653-5.
- ^ Davis, Graeme (November 1986). "Open Box: Master Rules". White Dwarf. No. 83. p. 4.
- ^ Swan, Rick (1990). The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 139–140.
- ^ "Different Worlds #42". 1986.