S.H.A.L.T.: The Book
Book Details
Description
A universe impossible to take entirely seriously... but if not taken seriously, a universe that can be very dangerous.
A universe where a six-foot gerbil is not laughed at. Not for long, anyway.
A universe where you don't have to really exist to be sentient.
A universe where, statistically speaking, you are far more likely to be a three-legged mushroom than a human.
A place where, unlike other universes, there is no "common" universally understood language.
A place where your skill has a lot more to do with your level of success than your experience.
There is no convenient unified government.
There is no Starship Enterprise.
There is no little green guy with big ears to guide you.
There is, however, the Ooshneel.
Unfortunately.
This is the universe of S.H.A.L.T.
Once vanished and thought lost forever, S.H.A.L.T. is back in print. S.H.A.L.T. originally appeared for a limited Mid-Atlantic audience in the late 1980s, at the height of indie gaming systems. Buried under the rubble of the RPG industry consolidation of the 1990s, S.H.A.L.T. lay dormant, trickling out a handful of reproductions at best. Now, its anonymity ends. S.H.A.L.T. is back and better than ever. We have reproduced the original text precisely, capturing the essence of the underground gaming movement from that era, yet setting it in modern type using modern production methods. This brings S.H.A.L.T. to heights of quality it has never before seen, while also exploring depths of price that it previously dared not tread. The gaming connoisseur wins on both fronts.
Experienced gamers can once again relive the often bizarre adventures of the underground gaming system without the concerns of quality problems which plagued the golden era of independent gaming. Younger gamers can for the first time get a taste for what it was like to be a gamer in the era when people chose between game systems, not between editions.
This is not a new edition. This is the original, the real thing.
What you get is a roleplaying game which will offer exciting and unique adventures while teleporting the gamers back to the late 1980s, when most games on the shelf were still simple but imaginitive undergrounds. When you only needed one book to have an exciting evening.
Take yourself to a universe with ten known sentient races. Step into the sizeable boots of the gargantuan Neptunian Space Bears. Learn to think like the energy-based Lugiani. Master the art of telekinesis through the Flei Trigossi. Question whether you have to be real to be alive as a Mormalli Illu. See the universe through the eyes of power-hungry hairless monkeys called Humans.
Pick a career. Maybe you want to be a navigator. Maybe a medic, or a scientist. Or perhaps you'd rather try your hand at brigandry. No problem. Or you'd like to dabble at a little of everything, be a jack-of-all-trades. That's okay too. The skills system can accommodate any variation.
Dozens of universal pieces of equipment will guide you in your design of your own toys for players and villains alike. Or, if you prefer, the models can be used as they are. Likewise, 20 familiar creatures have been provided as models for thousands of potential extraterrestrial terrors.
Game logistics are kept to a minimum and are easily explained. It doesn't take long at all to pick up the nuances of the system, and the extensive index helps you find information fast.
Things don't always make sense in an indie undergound game. But that's okay. It's hard to make sense when you're a fungus and your best friend doesn't really exist. Think conversation is hard? Try getting out of a bar full of Rei Noo Mai without a fight. But at least you have 3,573,812 brothers and sisters to help you out.
Ready to try S.H.A.L.T. for yourself? You're wrong. No one is ready for S.H.A.L.T., but we don't mind if you try anyway.
