Avalanche Press, in addition to their excellent line of boxed war games, offers
a quickly growing line of d20 supplements set in mythic history. If Nile Empire
is a representative example, the series are well deserving of ample success.
Nile Empire is, to put it mildly, very well researched. The first twenty-three
pages provide an informed and well-balanced introduction to Egyptian history,
mythology, life, and culture. For the purposes of gaming in the setting, nearly
everything you need to know is in this book.
The chapter on characters points out which classes are incongruous with the
setting and introduces new classes, skills, and feats. The new classes, skills,
and feats are very much in keeping with the setting. Clearly, a lot of thought
went into consistency and playability. If you've been inspired by the latest
batch of Egyptian-themed films, you'll find your character class here.
The fourth chapter provides an overview of the pantheon of Egyptian gods, a
few more than the old TSR Deities and Demigods book covered, if memory serves
correctly. It's not an exhaustive list as nearly every aspect of Egyptian life
had some form of divine representation. But it's more than ample for the setting.
Last, the fifth chapter covers the monsters and adventure seeds for characters
playing in the setting. The premise of Nile Empire is that the war among the
gods has finally spilled over to the land of the mortals and the devout are
becoming combatants. Player characters, as devout followers of their god, have
many opportunities to defend and avenge their divinities. The adventure seeds
here should satisfy players from the bloodthirsty to the problem solver.
Nile Empire is sparsely but adequately illustrated throughout the text. The
cover features a buxom beauty, consistent with the theme that pervades the series.
The text is refreshingly free of errors, in both typography and grammar. Kudos!
At this price, it's hard not to recommend Nile Empire. Even if you're not interested
in playing in an Egyptian setting, the source material is of such a high quality
that it's invaluable.
Nile Empire: War in Heliopolis
From: Avalanche Press
Type of Game: RPG supplement
Written by: Fred Jandt & John Phythyon, Jr.
Cover Art by: Lorenzo Sperlongo
Additional Art by: Terry Strickland
Number of Pages: 64
Retail Price: $16.95 (US)
Item Number: APL0911
IBSN: 097079617-X
