Customer Reviews
Most useful addition to the D20Modern series yet? - By: D. J. Sullivan, 19 Oct 2006 
To start I'd like to say, I don't actuallly run or even play D20, I just purchase the books to feed my imagination. Strange? Yes, but it's the only reason I've stumbled across this beauty. Anyway, I'm going to lay this review out in sections to make it a tad more accessable.
1 ) (Ironicallly) Accessibility - As I said before I don't actuallly use the books, however I must admit that from reading them I do gain a want to, & Dark Matter has pushed that to new levels. I actuallly feel like I could grab a few people & just start it off after one read-through. The entire D20Modern system is extremely accessable & Dark Matter is not an exception to that.
2) Adherance to the system - Dark Matter slips around D20Modern like a fresh layer of skin, enhancing & revitalising it. There is absolutely no conversion alterations & thus no complaints. Pretty simple.
3) New material - Dark Matter completely revolutionises any D20Modern game via not only new materials but a deeper backing story, a load of legwork has been done by the writers & the large sections on the past & conspiracies alllow you to litterallly drop your characters into a pre-made environment. It's a lot easier to steer the players along a path when there is a lot of flashy scenery.
There's new material for equipment, classes, starting occupation & FX. To boot there is, as I mentioned, a load of stuff deepening the campaign, details on the evolution of Masons lodges, alien presence on earth et cetera.
4) Presentation/Artwork - The artwork & presentation is - as ever - excellent. The artwork now takes on a much darker tone, better suiting, & in my opinion enhancing, the mood of the book.
In conclusion, it's a great read & - I hope - useful in practise. The book has certainly given me a lot of great ideas that I'd put to use when running a game, I only hope in practise it does the same. (And that somebody who has actuallly used it writes a review on it's practicality.)
