Think back to every story of alien visitors, psychic powers, occult lore, unexplained miracles, strange cults, and secret societies that you've ever heard...then imagine if they were all true, and your job was to investigate them.

Dark Matter is a "day after tomorrow" campaign setting for the Alternity science fiction roleplaying game that was published by Wizards of the Coast just before the turn of the millennium. Written by Wolfgang Baur and Monte Cook, the book begins with the bold claim that "All that you see is not all that there is," and from there turns into a roller coaster ride of truth, fiction, and the really strange stuff in between the two.

The setting includes information on generating characters who belong to the enigmatic Hoffmann Institute, an organization dedicated to investigating paranormal activities. It describes several new skills appropriate to the world (both mundane and psychic), and details six forms of magic present in the setting.

But the heart and soul of the book are Chapters 5, 6, and 7, which present the true and secret history and geography of Earth and the powerful forces who control it all from behind the scenes. For a full hundred pages, the reader sinks deeply into a web of conspiracies, half-truths, and bald-faced lies.

The book also provides game statistics for nearly two dozen bizarre creatures that populate the dark corners of the world, and two chapters of GM advice. Throw in a pair of adventures for novice characters, a page of inspirational reading and viewing, a wealth of evocative artwork, and some of the very best graphic design seen in the industry to date, and you have yourself a recipe for edge-of-your-seat gaming.

You can share your experiences and memories of Dark Matter on my message boards.

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All material copyright Andy Collins 2001-2007.