[DL] Lone Stars

["Chris Beilby" <cbeilby@hroads.net>]

My copy of Lone Stars came in today, and I've had time to read through it,
so I thought I'd post my initial impressions

Basically, I can sum it up in a single sentence...

Mr. McGlothlin, you've done it again.

No, I'm not sucking up.  I really thought that Lone Star was that good.
I'll take it one chapter at a time

Chapter 1:  Most of this was basically stuff we already knew about, thanks
to previously published materials.  No suprises here.  However, the little
red herrings that were put in are great, just what's needed to throw the
posse off the trail just a bit.  (I love the complete lack of the Duster's
true weakness, for example...)  It was especially nice for me, since it
helped me (a relatively new Marshal) get caught up somewhat with the overall
metaplot.

Chapter 2: The expected and almost mandatory section on character creation
and the Rangers.  I liked the detailed information on procedures for the
Rangers, as well as how they integrate with the Confederate regular army and
the Chaplain Corps (Nice bonus.)  Also nice were the new game materials
included in this section.  However, this section includes the only error
I've found in the book (don't worry, it's a typo, not a content error.)  In
the second part of the info on the standard edition of Fugitives from
Justice of the Confederacy (page 82, Column 1, Paragraph 1) there's is a
cross reference to Secret Messages, which lists it as the infamous 'Page
XXX" (It should read page 75.)

Chapter 3:  Ah, the long awaited Shootist update to the Hexslinger rules.
NICE...  As I don't yet have Law Dogs, I can't comment on the differences
from Law Dogs.  The only quibble I have here is that there should have been
an updated profile for Doc Holliday to go with them, but again, Law Dogs may
have this covered..

Chapter 4:  Now we hit the Marshal's Territory.  Ya don't have a badge,
hombre, don't read beyond this point.


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This is the meat and potatos section for most of us Marshals.  The chapter
starts with tips for integrating Rangers into a campaign and the posse.
Again, much of the section gives information relating to the metaplot (this
time without the disinformation that the Player's Section has.)  however,
for me, the best section is the (admittedly far too brief) section on
Missouri.  This is going to be of great value to me, since I'm planning for
my Posse to roam mostly through Bloody Kansas, and having information on the
neighbor to the east is valuable. The rest of the chapter is Marshal's tips
and rules for the new player materials included earlier in the book, and the
first print incarnation of the Classic to DL-D20 conversion guidelines.

Speaking of D20 info, I have to say that the D20 profiles were well done,
and detailed, and by no means detract from the book.

Overall, an excellent sourcebook, and in my opinion, a Must Buy for any
Deadlands player.