Pyramid #3/006: Space Colony Alpha

In this issue of Pyramid, the PDF magazine for roleplayers, our theme is "Space Colony Alpha." In these 44 pages are tools, tips, and inspiration for any group of determined futurists looking to stake a claim on a distant world. Contents include:

• "Surprises from Mother Nature" – four life forms that can present unique challenges for colonists. Each has GURPS stats, but is generic enough to plug into most space-faring games.
• "When the Dark Eats You," which offers generic information on neuroses and mental afflictions likely to trouble the first off-worlders.
• "The Super Colony," with ideas for how to combine colonization themes with more-than-human abilities.
• Ready-to-print cards that allow you to make a representational map for a colony, with key features and how they relate to each other. Build it to your specifications, or "deal" out a random colony!
• Plus articles dealing with the "whys and wherefores" of getting a colony together – why colonists travel, what means do they use to get there, how they might set up their new homes, and how the travelers' distance from the homeworld affects the campaign.

In addition, Pyramid serves up more goodies that make a magazine fun, including odds and ends, Murphy's Rules with Greg Hyland, reviews and recommendations that fit the theme, and a "Last Word," where we ask an industry luminary to pick a word or phrase related to the issue's theme. This month, Ken Burnside, creative force behind Ad Astra Games, gives the last word on the first colony.