| Masterbook | |
| Designer: | Ed Stark |
| Illustrator: | Paul Daly, Jamie Lombardo, Ron Hill, Karl Waller, Brian Schomburg, Stephen Crane |
| Publisher: | West End Games |
| Date: | 1994 |
| Genre: | Role-playing game |
| Language: | English |
| Random Chance: | Medium (dice rolling) |
| Skills: | Strategy, tactics, probability |
Masterbook is a generic role-playing game that was published by West End Games (WEG) in 1994.
The generic rules of Masterbook, which do not have a specific campaign setting, use rules from both WEG's multi-genre role-playing game Torg (1990),[1] [2] and WEG's science fiction role-playing game Shatterzone (1993).
Like Torg, the Masterbook system utilizes two complementary forms of in-game conflict resolution: a unified dice mechanic, which is based on a roll of two ten-sided dice, and a game-specific deck of cards (the MasterDeck, similar to the Drama Deck in Torg) that is used to influence random number generation, character actions, and the game's plot.
Masterbook is a 176-page softcover book that was designed by Ed Stark, with interior art by Paul Daly, Jamie Lombardo, Ron Hill, Karl Waller, and Brian Schomburg, and cover art by Stephen Crane. It was published by WEG in 1994. A limited-edition 483-page hardbound version was made that also included the World of Bloodshadows and World of Indiana Jones material in one volume.
It was designed for use with the MasterBook Deck (also designed by Ed Stark), which contained a 108-card deck of playing-card size. It came in three types of effects. The 83 black Enhancement cards are handed in by the player for random benefits, like a bonus on a character's task roll, temporarily allowing extra actions, or granting extra Life Points.[3] The 17 red Subplot cards are used immediately by the Game Master to create a random event or encounter. The four Picture cards (Disaster, Opportunity, Wild, and Interloper) are Wild Cards that can provide special effects that the gamemaster can tailor to their needs. The remaining 4 were two blank cards and 2 blank Picture cards. The deck was sold separately from the standalone rule book, but a free deck was enclosed with each worldbook box set. Expansions to the MasterDeck come with 12 blank cards and 24 Plot Development cards, which are Subplot cards that the players control that potentially could grant extra Skill Points.[4]
The Masterbook system was used for several licensed properties. It was also used for their proprietary fantasy-noir setting Bloodshadows. Each softcover worldbook came in a box set with a copy of the MasterBook rules, a MasterBook deck, and a pair of 10-sided dice.
In 2011, MasterBook was re-printed by Precis Intermedia Gaming. They are currently working on an improved second edition, called MasterBook 2E,[5] and have released a free simplified version, called MasterBook EZ.[6]
In 2016 Precis Intermedia printed the new Bloodshadows 3rd Edition worldbook. It has conversion rules for use with the Active Exploits and MasterBook EZ rules.
In the March 1995 edition of Dragon (Issue #215), Rick Swan was not enthusiastic about the rules, which he found too derivative of the rules from Shatterzone that he had roundly criticized in a previous edition of Dragon. But while Swan found the rules less complex than the original Shatterzone rules, he still found that "while less confusing [than ''Shatterzone'', ''Masterbook''] can't get over its love affair with charts and numbers." He did find several strong elements, including "a well-written text, an intriguing selection of skills, [and] a clever use of cards." And he lauded the included card deck, which he found "inventive, fun to use, and in contrast to the rest of the rulebook, blessedly succinct." He concluded by giving the book an average rating of 4 out of 6, saying, "even with its flaws, the Masterbook system remains a solid, versatile game with strong characters and clever concepts. The designers just didn’t know when to quit."[7]
There were two core rule books. One was included with the boxed sets and the other was sold separately. Apart from the cover, they were both identical. A Companion book also compiled rules from the boxed set world books. The world books were only available in their dedicated box sets. This may have had an effect on sales, due to the world books not being available separately.
There were several licensed properties released using the Masterbook, but only Bloodshadows and World of Indiana Jones found success. These two were both later rewritten for West End Games D6 system, which had been adapted from their more popular .