Review & Commentary On Tree of Life: Altrants in Clement Sector by John Watts From Independence Games For The Clement Sector rpg, Cepheus Engine, or Your Old School 2d6 Science Fiction Rpg's

 "Are you ready to alter your experience?

Altrants are defined as groups of humans which have been genetically manipulated to have abilities different than a baseline human. These changes were most often made to allow humans to be able to perform tasks or live in environments which would be difficult or impossible for baseline humans.

Tree of Life: Altrants in Clement Sector details altrants, how and why they came into being, how they deal with humans and uplifts, and what sort of lives they live within Clement Sector.  Tree of Life expands on the information provided in The Clement Sector Core Setting Book and introduces you to new altrant types such the Siren, the Khailt, and the Baaz.

In addition, Tree of Life brings you the ability to not only alter existing human and uplift characters but also provides you with a system to create your own altrant types.  Humans in Clement Sector have long had the ability to make alterations to their bodies and now your characters will be able to make changes as well." 

Tree of Life: Altrants in Clement Sector by John Watts   takes what was in The Clement Sector Core Setting Book and then ups the material by throwing in a whole other way of handling PC's by bring in 'altered' & uplifted PC's into the Cepheus Engine rpg. What is an Altrant?! Well according to the Tree of Life: Altrants book; "Altrant – An altrant is a human which has been genetically engineered to have abilities and alterations present at birth.  The term is most often used to describe an engineered person of a specific type rather than a human with some genetic alterations." Altrants are actually those who have been genetically tailored to be specficially gene created for specifically for certain roles such as warfare, telepathic abilities, and other roles. But the most interesting Altrants are those who were created to colonize certain styles of worlds, colonize certain environments, and fit certain types of planetary criteria. Although Tree of Life: Altrants in Clement Sector certainly pans on the 2d6 Cepheus Engine rpg system it does it by making the PC generation system a solid part of the Altrant make up. And this comes in deeply in the second half of the Tree of Life: Altrants in Clement Sector pdf. We see this in the generation, skill trees, and other PC generation elements within the book. Even though Tree of Life: Altrants in Clement Sector only clocks in at eight one pages. Tree of Life: Altrants in Clement Sector  uses these pages to set the Altrants up as a faction of racial power within the Clement sector. Think of the Clement Sector as being the best & brightest political, factional, and dangerous powers of the Cepheus Engine with the focus on up lifted animals, psionics, and Altrants being at the fringes of the power structure. We can see this within 'An Introduction to the Clement Sector' & the material here is solidly done. 

The Altrants introduced with the Clement Sector has mentions of the following types  altrant types such the Siren, the Khailt, and the Baaz but Tree of Life: Altrants in Clement Sector  expands upon it in spades. Not only do we get the Altrants types & their details but also their political agendas with background, history, & current takes within the Clement Sector's details. Many of the events within the Tree of Life: Altrants in Clement Sector  crossed over into the technologies, sciences, and ideas found within Wondrous Menagerie: Uplifts in Clement Sector.

The Clement sector has the Uplifts as both bane & boon as the uplifted animals are fighting for their rights, & even the struggle to exist in some regions of the subsectors of the campaign setting. And the Altrants are pointedly within the target sights of these same forces. The gene tailoring technologies of the Clement sector are highly advanced and these technologies are very dangerous if used incorrectly and this is very evident within Tree of Life: Altrants in Clement Sector . 

The Tree of Life: Altrants in Clement Sector  book makes it clear that the Altrants are a force to be taken seriously as they have political power, factional power, and can be a great source of adventure, NPC characters, and even implacable enemies of the PC's.  All in all I think that Tree of Life: Altrants in Clement Sector is one of the strongest books within the Clement sector line. And that the Altrants make excellent PC's, NPC's, sources for adventure, & even as the focus for an all Altrant campaign. Tree of Life: Altrants in Clement Sector  is an excellent source book & supplement for the Cepheus Engine, & the Clement Sector. 

Tree of Life: Altrants in Clement Sector Is Available Here For Both the Cepheus Engine rpg & The Clement Sector Here