This article originally appeared in d20 Weekly
Deadlands: The Great Weird North
Published by Pinnacle Entertainment
Written by Aaron Rosenberg
128-page b&w softcover; $20.00
In Deadlands: The Great Weird North, Pinnacle finally gets around to describing Canada and Alaska. With the entirety of the continental United States already fully fleshed out, turning to the north was the next logical step in the development of this award-winning game line. Despite being a highly anticipated book, Great Weird North is without a doubt the weakest link in the Deadlands chain. It's a disappointing effort, all round.
Great Weird North is divided into two sections, one for players and the other for Marshals, as is typical of all Deadlands sourcebooks. The Epitaph's Guide to the Great Weird North is the players' section. It gives a lengthy overview of Canada's history and geography, as written by reporter Lacey O'Malley. It's far less entertaining in terms of style than most Deadlands releases; other authors have endeavored to craft their prose in a very western voice, but Aaron Rosenberg made little attempt to do so. The result is a dry, textbook-like read.
Unfortunately, the content is reminiscent of a textbook, as well . . . one aimed at middle-school students, no less. The chapter is divided into logical geographic subsections -- Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, the West, and Alaska -- in which local culture, principal cities, and notable personalities are discussed. The author barely scrapes the surface of this expansive land and makes little effort . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: January 22, 2003
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