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The Demolished Ones (Fate) |
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Gra ciekawa , wprowadza klimat zagadki . Jednak ma słaby punkt , zazwyczaj można jej użyć tylko raz bo później traci swój zagadkowy klimat . Najlepszy jest ten pierwszy raz kiedy gracze odkrywają pokłady kłamstwa i prawdy które w tej grze przeplatają się ze sobą nieustannie .
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I read all kinds of RPG scenarios whether they apply to my current game or not. This one REALLY caught my interest. As usual, I tried to convince one of my players that we should step away from our current InterfaceZero (SavageWorlds Cyberpunk) game to try this out. As usual, he kinda said no.
Few months later, I decide a virtual reality 'prison' scenario seems to be in order. It occurs to me that this might fit.
Waking up on the stone floor in different 'bodies' in the midst of a murder really excited my players. I let them still use their character stats basically but a session later they realize they are in a virtual reality and having a blast with The City!
WARNING!!! The free preview has spoilers so don't print it off and give it to a player. Better to just spring it on them. ;-)
AWESOME work! I am trying Fate Core RPG on another group and have enjoyed it so far but converting this one to Savage Worlds and using for an unrelated campaign as worked swimmingly.
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An Endzeitgeist.com review
This book is 94 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page ToC, 1 page index (nice!), 1 page SRD and 1 page back cover, leaving us with a total of 88 pages of content, so let's...wait. I've gotta come clean first.
I don't like the FATE-system. I really, really don't like it. Much like alignments (which I LOATHE and always get rid of in my homebrew), I consider the reductionist concepts as reflected in e.g. the aspects as a factor that severely impedes the development of well-rounded situations and character-interaction, as a crutch that may be useful for inexperienced roleplayers, but at the same time as a ball-and-chain for experienced roleplayers seeking to portray a faceted, interesting character in constant flux and growth. I'm obviously the wrong target demographic here and I imagine some of you guys and gals out there feel the same. I'd encourage you to still read this review - things are not so simple in this case. All right, I'm as far out of my comfort-zone as possible, so let's get this thing started: Here's a quick summary of what you need to know, all taken from this book, btw. - you don't require the FATE-core-rules to run this, though I do own them. (Bought them, read them, shelved them as "not my cup of tea.")
What do you need to play? As FATE-experienced people will know, you'll require specialized fudge dice (called dF) as well as some tokens to represent Fate-points. Tasks are accomplished by rolling 4dF and then adding the relevant skill and compare it with a basic difficulty modified by the "ladder", a modification of tasks according to the difficulty of the task attempted. This basic formula may be modified by stunts and aspects. Aspects may be discovered and are part of the characters involved or the scenery, allowing you to take advantage (or be put in a disadvantageous position). In combat, DMs determine who acts when and each character may attempt an action on his/her turn. Damage is handled via stress, both to the psyche and the body, via composure or health. If you take stress that you otherwise couldn't handle, you may incur a consequence of either minor, medium or severe level, all of which can absorb varying degrees of trauma and which are less easy to recover than the auto-recovering stress.
Now I've mentioned aspects - Aspects are one sentence-descriptions of some of your character's traits/powers - you may invoke these to get a bonus to your rolls or make a declaration associated with the aspect - Security-experts may e.g. make a declaration to have an escape plan ready. This costs a fate point, which may be regained by compels. The DM may use aspects versus the PCs with compels - by accepting these, they may regain fate-points. So yes, the system awards double-edged aspects that can be interpreted both positively and negatively. We also are introduced to the set of skills available, each of which may positively influence the stunts attempted by the respective player character.
Now this is where the basics stop and the minor SPOILERS begin. The players start with an empty character sheet and NO idea who their character is. Instead, the players get the following questions: "The PC of the player to your right - what is his/her most distinct physical feature? The player to your left: What is your char's first impression of that character? What common object do you have on your person? - These questions are the beginning in creating a new character - for they all have amnesia and only fragmented disturbing glimpses of memory and seem to be alone in a dirty room with strangers (the other PCs), who also suffer from amnesia. Oh, and a dead body.
From here on reign the SPOILERS. Potential players should jump to the conclusion.
Still here? All right! As the PCs escape from the police, they will be faced with the surreal surroundings - turns out they are in the "City", which is encompassed by the "Dome" - a Victorian, strange noir dystopia and closer environment. And they better find out who (if any of them) killed the man lying in the room. From properly escaping to fighting the police to the very real possibility of being imprisoned, there are a lot of possible things that may happen. Much a player-driven setting, we also get multiple further leads that lead to either the house of the deceased or to a boarding house - beyond these, a chance encounter with a madman who may know the truth behind the strange conspiracy...or just ramble on with just false information.
So what is the Dome about? Do you get those "Dark City"-flashbacks? (If not, go watch the movie before running this!) Here, I might go on to depict the intricate layer of mystery that this book weaves - and quite probably fail at it. Why? because, while there IS an underlying plot including a great adversary, the action remains impressively player-driven. While many factions and NPCs add their own motivations to the fray, the plot itself is surprisingly layered and versatile - for the PCs not only will start to be hounded by strange inhuman monstrosities and contact various factions - all of which seek to use the PCs for their own more or less nefarious ends - worse yet, as the noose tightens and the sheer wrongness of the setting slowly hits home, the memories of the PCs will slowly return - and they are not reliable.
However, these memories are actually extremely ingeniously entwined with the FATE-rules-system: There are TRUE aspects - these reflect a sort of component of the character's true nature and these allow the respective PCs to bend the laws of physics and do superhuman stunts, but at the cost of their sanity... All while the somewhat trans/inhuman masters of the Dome play their inscrutable gambits for power, change or retaining the status-quo: The FATE of the Dome hangs in the balance indeed... But the endgame, as befitting of such a free-form setting/rule-system, is very much up to the players and the DM - the mystery's yours to shape and a vast chapter on locations, characters and associated memories should make sure that the imagination of all but the most burnt-out DM should brim with ideas galore for how to end this epic journey.
Speaking of running this - copious advice on steampunkish anachronisms, noir mood, lovecraftian horror and how to entwine these and emphasize different aspects, on how to handle the fluidity of memories - all of that is covered. Better yet - ways to "grit-up" the experience, changing and emphasizing aspects (haha) and themes - all of that and beyond, both rules and the dome, are provided for the DM. We also get 6 player-handouts, a glorious map of the Dome and a char-sheet as well as the index to improve the overall playing experience. And no, I'm NOT going to SPOIL all the details of the story and how it may or may not turn out - in order to experience that, you'll have to take a look at the Demolished Ones yourself!
Conclusion:
Editing and formatting are top-notch, I didn't notice any glitches. Layout adheres to a drop-dead gorgeous b/w-2-column standard and the pdf comes fully bookmarked. let me talk about teh art a bit - it's b/w, it's all by Hugo Solis, and if that name doesn't ring a bell - he is one of the most prolific and talented artists working in the industry right now. These drawings are AWESOME, oozing both familiarity and wrongness, capturing and enforcing a distinct visual style unique to "The Demolished Ones" and...well, rendering the book simply awesome to look at. The pdf comes with extensive nested bookmarks for your convenience. The product also comes with an extra-pdf of char-sheets.
I rambled and ranted on how I don't like FATE. Did that change? No. I still consider the rules-system to be reductionist, don't like it and vastly prefer e.g. Pelgrane Press' GUMSHOE for investigative-heavy scenarios. HOWEVER: I spite of my complete and utter disdain for the rules, I actually really, really want to run this. "The Demolished Ones" actually has succeeded in taking rules I don't enjoy and turn them into the form of a supplement with a setting so compelling, so unique, so intricately interwoven with the rules, that I do think that I'll convert it but rather instead run it in its presented and intended form - where in a regular story, I'd consider the rules an impediment to my enjoyment and the story, here they actually improve it, enable it and make it almost palpable.
Creepy, distinct and masterfully crafted, I can't fathom how awesome this setting must be to people who actually ENJOY the FATE-rules, when even from my own point-of-view, I'm blown away. Designer Brian Engard has crafted a truly superb supplement here and one that has shown me as a detractor of the system, that there are actually stories it tells exceedingly well. I'm somewhat stumped how well this book works and entwines narrative. set-up and crunch and can only recommend from the bottom of my heart, to check this out, even if you're a skeptic of the FATE-system or even, like me, someone who actually actively dislikes it - when a supplement is good enough to broaden one's horizon with regards to a particular rules-set and how it can be used while also providing a thoroughly captivating read - well, then we have a product on our hands that does indeed deserve 5 stars + my seal of approval: Harder won than about 99% of products I've ever reviewed, this supplement leaves you essentially no choice but to love it. It's that good and should provide a distinct, cool alternative. Get this. There are not many supplements out there that can pull off such a stunt.
Endzeitgeist out.
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The following review was originally posted at Roleplayers Chronicle and can be read in its entirety at http://roleplayerschronicle.com/?p=40343.
Few games are capable of deeply exploring what drives a character while at the same time completely discouraging any kind of back story from the players. The Demolished Ones is a game where players must put a lot of trust into their GM and the writers of the module to create a compelling experience of self-revelation. Players won’t like what they discover about their characters, but then again, that’s kind of the point of the game – discovery. This is a game that revolves around a big secret, and it’s pretty tough to talk about it without at least touching on that secret. You have been warned.
The Demolished Ones is a fantastic little book that offers the best way I’ve ever read to introduce your players to the world of the Fate RPG system. If you’re not familiar with Fate, it’s an abstract, rule-medium system that has become quite popular recently, in no small part thanks to the massively-successful Kickstarter campaign from Evil Hat Productions, the creators of Fate. Since the demise of the glut of d20 products of the late 90′s and early 00′s, Fate is one of the systems among a handful of options available to third-party publishers. It’s a difficult game system to describe in just a few words, but the important thing to note is that it’s highly-adaptable and perfect for pulpy action. You can mold Fate to do many, many different things, and the folks at Rite Publishing appeared to have designed the perfect introduction to the basic game mechanics.
So what is this big secret of the game? Let me start with the premise. The characters wake in a room with a dead man and no sense of who they are or why they’re there. Through the course of the game, they discover the secrets of the Domed City (the setting of The Demolished Ones), the ones who put them in this situation, and of themselves. Here’s the thing though, can they trust what they find out, or is just another layer of illusion – another lie? If you’re familiar with the movie Dark City, you’ll see that The Demolished Ones owes a lot of its inspiration to it. Of course, while Dark City may appear quite original, it shares a lot in common with some universal themes of deception, deceit, and out-right subjugation of one’s will to a more powerful, malevolent being. These themes pop up in other movies where reality is hidden under an illusion for the purposes of control.
Reality is what you make of it. This is a central theme of the game and the story. It’s a particularly strong theme to match up with the rules of Fate. Fate offers players the freedom to create or discover new aspects of their environment, sharing some of the responsibility of setting the scene and telling the story. This translates well to the story because players will discover that their characters eventually have the power to actually change reality around them; at a price. As they discover more about their past, what they were supposed to be, they’ll gain power and abilities in the game as well. It’s a very tidy way to tie story and mechanics together for a powerful effect on the players.
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The Demolished Ones Review
Perfectly controlled explosion or scattered rubble?
Summary
A deep mystery game, which keeps you on your toes throughout the campaign, with dangers from within and without.
This product has a unique take on FATE's quick character generation, which provides a blank slate approach to that encourages immersion in its rich thematic element.
The rules within are a great entry product to the FATE system, the uncluttered approach and slow building up of mechanics suits newcomers well.
For those who enjoy mysteries, twists, and cinematic play, the ending of this product is both fulfilling and unexpected.
A mystery in FATE? I would typically be uninspired by this sort of thing. It is not that you could not run an investigation using this lighter rules system, rather that the system does not explicitly support it like systems such as Gumshoe. However, I'm pleased to be disproved by The Demolished Ones by Brian England and Rite Publishing. This setting creates a compelling cinematic Victorian-themed Noir mystery by playing to FATE's strength, character backgrounds, by making who your characters are the true mystery.
This product has a clean two-column layout with unobtrusive background art inlaid. The evocative art sprinkled throughout the book meshes well with the gaslamp aesthetic as well as the black-and-white format. The handouts in particular are well-executed. The whole thing comes to 88 pages which is packed with to-the-point content and an accessible brevity.
The base mechanics follow the same sort of lighter bent, much like the recently released FATE Core. Resolution, for those unfamiliar, is based on rolling 4 fudge dice, which have blanks, plusses, and minuses, yielding a result of -4 to +4 biased toward +0. This is added to a skill value, which is then compared against a difficulty. Beyond this mechanic, the true engine of the game is FATE points and aspects. FATE points are an economy which rewards accepting poor choices based on aspects which describe character background or unfortunate circumstances. These are then spent to allow PCs to influence the plot at times of their choosing based on character background or fortuitous circumstances. This product provides a clean, uncluttered, and nicely brief explanation of the rules, and the light mechanics seem to fit well with the setting.
The flavor of this product is reflected in mechanics through the Stress tracks (here Health and Composure), Skills (Engineering, Science, Slight of Hand), the use of aspects to reflect temporary and permanent Gear, and some especially powerful aspects that can have special features at extra cost. However, the real innovation is how characters are made. This game is about discovering the mystery of yourself, and using a re-imagining of the on-the-fly character generation to build, rebuild, and perhaps destroy who you thought you were, all based on progression in the plot. This is where the mystery lies, and is reflected eloquently in how you build your character as you move along.
As a mystery is the key to this neat campaign, I feel the need to avoid spoiling the fun. In broad strokes, the story is broken into a three act structure. The players have leeway, but there is definite structure and a sequence to the game. Character development is key, but there is a narrative and a progression to the game which makes it compelling. This product's plot does require a bit of trust from the players, things could go awry if they are not expecting some twists or the GM to alter aspects of their character. That said, it is worth these concessions to keep the mystique of the game. Speaking of twists, they are numerous and like any good thriller or investigation novel, the biggest come at the dramatic conclusion.
Overall, the tightness of the narrative is reminiscent of other great games and novels of self-discovery, notably Aletheia, another great mystery game. This is a well-thought out product which targets a particular play style and is incredibly accessible, the kind of game which could bring in new players that are huge mystery fans. I'm left with the lingering impression that with the right type of group, this could be the kind of campaign which can help shape a very memorable experience.
Original Review here:
http://agameofwhits.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-demolished-ones-review.html
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I was supplied with a reviewer's copy of this material, and I work with the publisher Adventureaweek.com. I have no professional attachment to Brian Engard, Steve Russell or Rite Publishing. I strive to keep my reviews unbiased, and presented from the voice of a fellow gamer.
The Demolished Ones, by Brian Engard, from Rite Publishing. The book weighs in at 94 pages, with an incredible cover from Hugo Solis. Interior art goes again to Mr. Solis's talented skills, gracing the feel of the art throughout this book. Following a dual column approach, with editing and formatting being of high caliber as come to be expected from Rite Publishing. Fully bookmarked (though not linked on the TOC page, although the TOC page is more intended for a printed concept than the bookmarks), with nested bookmarks throughout. So, that really covers the basics, doesn't it? The stuff that lets you what to expect in regards to the framework....so lets get to the fun stuff, shall we?
First off, and it has to be stated, right up front, I have never played a single game of Fate, ever. Before this book I had never even looked at the system. So how could my opinion of this product be worth anything right? Simple, the book taught me how to play. Yep, by the time I was done reading the intro to the storyline and drooling like a fanboy I was scouring through the pages teaching me in an extremely easy method to learn the basics of the system. Now, seriously, I learned a full system in a matter of a chapter within this book, OK, granted, there are always more things to learn about any system, but there is ENOUGH here to be able to play this storyline. And that is what matters. Turn sequence, character creation, character actions, and turn resolutions....all there. No, I am not going to get into how to play the system here in this review, that is not the intention of this review. Just well enough to say, this product handles, with ease, making sure than anyone could jump on board and enjoy this product.
And what exactly are we looking at here? What is the storyline the players are in store for? We can do this one of two ways, I can walk you through the story and ruins it for those sneaky players who troll for reviews. Or I can tell you what they can learn for themselves, without ruining the interwoven layered story. I'm going for option 2, trust me, it is worth to not give away anything to those looking to play this one.
The players awaken in a room, with no clue who they are, who the other people in the room with them are, and why there is a dead body. They have no memories of how they got there, if they are connected to each other, if they might be the responsible party for the body, or victims themselves. A phone call bringing a warning that the authorities are on the way puts everything into movement, and from there on the story is driven by the actions of the players as they piece together their fractured memories and lives. All is not as might appear for the players, as there are forces moving behind the scenes pulling strings to manipulate their lives and actions.
Hearkening to the feel and spirit of the distinct inspiration of the movie The Dark City this storyline brings forth the excellence of the neo-gothic feel of this movie. Working better described as a Victoriana Era piece perhaps, but feeling to my personal taste as very gothic. As well as the feel of the world being more below the surface than what can be “seen”. Whereas the game has an elite group of “adversaries” (known as The Masters) for the players character's to deal with within the setting for the storyline, the more direct Mr. Tock is everything you could ever hope for with a villain, and then some. Bringing to the table a bit of the classic concept of manipulating the world around him treating those involved at pieces on a chess board as he moves his “pawns” throughout the story, all the while attempting to better his own status amongst his peers.
Supported with a handful of excellent player handouts, from fliers with notes scrawled on them to torn articles from the local newspaper. I love the addition of these handouts, and really help to make sure that immersion into tho storyline is better for your players. And yes, it includes its own 1 page character sheet to make easier for players to manage their characters.
The world created here within this setting, within the city “under the dome” (spoilers, lol) does an excellent job of bringing to life several various locations throughout the city for the players to explore as they work their way through this storyline. And to that, it should be pointed out, that the storyline does a very good job of staying out of its own way, in that it is sandbox enough to allow for enough free roaming, while leading more then enough direct for purpose.
So, wrapping this up, using a scale of 1-5, with a 5 being the highest rating I can apply to this, I have no option but to give it a 6, flat out. I loved this product. There is so much Win here that it sold me, entirely. Not only does this product do an excellent job of teaching me a new game (handled with ease without making me feel like a noob), but delivering with a killer of a mystery for a twisted storyline. I can easily see this being used not just for a tabletop session with friends, but with the most minimal of effort to turn this into a live action evening with friends who have never roleplayed before, introducing this story much like a Murder Mystery Party night, over even a convention event.
This is an excellent storyline, and yes, I have gone out of the way to avoid referring to it as an adventure, as this feels more to me as a storyline. Shortly after reading through my review copy I jumped on the chance to get a print copy, adding to this to my shelf of personal favorites. And will more than likely be adding to this to my Top 10 list for the year of 2013 at the end of the year.
Well done Mr. Engard, well done indeed!
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The Demolished ones a game review
( a FREE review previously published at www.trooperx.com )
by
Trooper X and The Order of the Raven Gaming Group
( R.J. Huntman, Roger Huntman, Leo, Chip and The Grumpy Old Wyrm)We were provided a complimentary review prior to the game's release but accepted no fee or other product compensation for this review.
As the Trooper always says we are a fair reviewer This week we reviewed a game coming out on Aug 22 called The Demolished Ones. It is powered by the Fate system. The five member team and myself put the game through its grueling paces before coming to our final conclusions.
The Money BENCHMARK
First off I would like to explain the cost formulae for a game. A game is entertainment. The most common source of entertainment, here, is the cost of a two hour movie ticket which rates 6.00. So after buying the dice for 6.00 I’m expecting to get at least 2 hours of investment out of the dice alone. The book is about twenty five dollars. This means that the product needs to entertain me for eight more hours.as a module.
We played the first session for four hours. The group was not fans of learning a new system and learning to use the new dice was an added non-incentive. The Order even brought a backup game in case the game was a stinker. The group did have fun and agreed to play out the adventure at out next meeting after having experienced the first session of game play. In total it looks to be forth 3-4 sessions ( at four hours a piece) of real good role playing. The fact that it is a game system, however allows the gamemaster to continue on with more adventures using this world as a springboard.
Positives
-This product is a game book and a module. At twelve dollars that is quite the deal. The game will easily provide more entertainment than cost. This is a steal!
-Absolutely gorgeous art. The art is exactly matched to the theme of the words and descriptions that are in the book. There is little to no skip in flavor from one book chapter to the next.
-Concept. The wake up in a room with no memory is true to role playing which is far more cultured as a concept to propel a group to play a role yet leave them a challenge as others help define their character. This is not a Roll the dice dungeon crawl kudos.
-Fate tokens are a neutral piece since the game says you can use anything then there is no significant investment. Since I already had pokerchips we used them. Beware of using edible things like Hersheys kisses…..some players have no restraint.
-Exchange order or initiative. The judge decides initially. This allows the judge to use common sense rather than a mechanic. This system recommends the judge make a decision rather than use a mechanic. I love when a system allows the judge to weave a story rather than argue with a munchkin over some absurd mechanic.
Comments
“Action was fast paced”
“Loved the Adventure’s atmosphere”
“promotes ROLE play and I like the ability to help others determine their characteristics”
“I like how the skills develop from the choices you make”
“Building a character through playing, very nice”
Negatives
-Fate dice, I’m not a fan of non-standard dice. I do not like investing money on extra game books or other gaming equipment.
- Room descriptions were not very clearly boxed off preventing a gamemaster from playing the game on the fly.
Comments
Overall score
The overall score of this product is a solid Four Stakes out of five.
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Please note, this review was originally published on www.thepathfinderchronicles.com. I was provided a complimentary pdf copy of the book to review by the Publisher.
A second review on a Rite Publishing product for the week. It is the review I have most been looking forward to so there was the chance that it could disappoint me horridly. I pay close attention to Rite's publishing schedule and I had my eye on this little number because it offered two things that interest me. First, it is the FATE system that powers this game, and all I knew about the game was that it largely has the players start as amnesiacs.
Let me address the amnesiac issue first. This interests me because as far as RPG's go one of the biggest tropes you can find is the amnesiac. It is normally the sign of a lazy GM who just cannot be bothered working up a reasonable backstory for their players. On reading the first couple of pages of this book I realise that this book does start out with the amnesia trope immediately. No apologies for its presence so it looks like I will have to read the full book to find the whys and wherefore a of this. I am lead to believe that the players actually start with a blank character sheet too! What madness is this?
This is definitely FATE but not exactly as I know it which is through FATE Core. There are minor variations to the Core rules but there is little to suggest that you cannot adapt this to the Core book and when I run it that is exactly what I will be doing. This book is a weird mix between module and full game system. Certainly all the rules are here should you want to run this as an ongoing setting although I will mention that the advancement rules are very light on and seemingly added as an afterthought.
So, to the module itself. What is it about? Well, it is about a group of characters that wake up in a room in a Victorian England style setting and soon realise that none of you remember who they are. The rest of the module is all about finding the truth of what has happened to the characters and why. It is called the Demolished Ones in part because the players have all had their memories wiped. Their sense of self demolished. The module traces their discovery of themselves and discoveries of secrets, in part. To protect the module I can not really go too much more into the story of the module and In fact I have said all I will about the actual content. This game really relies on the players not knowing anything about what is going on in the city.
So how can you tell if you will like this module? Let me say that if you like movies like The Matrix, Dark City, Sixth Sense, Fight Club and the twists that happen in them then you will love this game. The style of this module is one that builds the players up from the initial scene and then at the end of the first Act changes things up. The whole game the players will be investigating and seeking to keep ahead of the game to find out that next snippet of information because in this game, like no other, truth is power.
As a GM I read this book and went from intrigued, to impressed, to confused, to in awe and then finally a mixture of all of these with a healthy dose of shock. This module is exceptionally well written, well presented and very well thought out. Throughout the module there are sidebars that contain stats for important NPCs and other important information for the module at that point in time. I became a little bewildered when in Chapter 4 they repeated all this information again but then I thought it was a great idea. In essence you can just use what is near the bits in the module or if you have it in PDF you could print out the section of all the stats you need through the whole game and beyond.
What else can I tell you about this? Well I can tell you that there has been only one other module/game that has had me this impressed. As I was reading this it just built this feeling in me as I was reading it. A feeling like you are touching greatness of some form. I have not seen the build up to a product from Rite Publishing before like it has been with this. For example, I have for the past couple of weeks had a purpose made Demolished Ones background wallpaper on my mac and there have been a lot of updates along the way. It was so worth them taking this route as they have here one of the finest role playing products I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
I will answer one criticism that was levelled at this game and that is it was annoying how they had to buy new dice for this game. Well, I am here to tell you that you don't have to. As long as you have d6 you can play this game. The Fudge dice that they talk about are dice that contain 2 + symbols, 2 - symbols and 2 blank faces. If you are not keen to pick this module up because you have to pick up new dice get it anyway and use your d6 so that 1 or 2 stand for a -, 3 or 4 are the blank sides and 5 or 6 are treated as the + symbols.
As the GM, right up to the final pages of the module and into Chapter 4 I was still having my mind reel at some of this information. I am telling you right now that if you are a FATE GM you must get this game. If you have not got FATE Core, get it from Evil Hat Productions (it is pay what you want) and then buy this. NOW. If you are in Gencon, seek the book out. It is being released there. I think again that this is something I want to have a physical copy of and it is the game that I will be introducing to my in person players.
So I have no hesitation. This book is brilliant. The content, fantastic. The game is just so good that you must have it. I give five out of five amnesiacs for this Rite Publishing gem and I seriously suggest you buy it. What are you doing still reading? Get out there and buy it!
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Disclaimer: A complementary copy of this product was provided for review purposes.
This game's basic premise is that the characters wake up with no memories to something terrible, something vaguely familiar, but also something out of place. That sense of unease follows through the story as they unravel the mystery. They will experience the power of knowledge, as well as the price and horror that comes with it.
In this game is a setting, a story and all of the system that you will need to play. It is a Fate-based game, but even people familiar with Fate should go over this variation of the system to cover some of the subtle differences. In addition to the minor changes, there are some significant additions to the basic Fate foundation that give this game a great deal of it's flavor.
This is your official spoiler warning. If you are going to be a player in this game, you would do yourself a service by not reading any further. If this sounds pretty good so far (hopefully it does, because this is a good game) and you want to play, find a kindly GM and direct them here in hopes that they will be inspired to acquire and run this game for you.
To really discuss this game, secrets are going to have to be divulged. As mentioned previously, this is a game of memories and mysteries. Even more than that, this is a game of truth and lies. I've already lied to you: the setting is only known as the City to those within that don't know the truth; to everyone else, which is a small group, it is known as the Dome.
Have you seen Dark City? If the answer is "no", do yourself a favor and watch that movie. Now that everyone has seen it, if you liked that it and thought that there was some amazing ideas that would be great in a game, then this game has been written for you. While it isn't just Dark City, the game, it has certainly been heavily influenced by that work with some changes, such as the inclusion of horror elements and the price of power and knowledge. I'm getting a little ahead of myself.
There are changes to the basic Fate formula in The Demolished Ones. To begin with, your character is a blank slate, no Aspects, no skills, no stunts. Nothing. These, along with your memories are developed during play. Characters will have flashbacks that initially give some insight into who they think they are, along with an associated Persona Aspect and related skill.
Eventually, they will get more sinister memories about who they really are, which is a terrible individual. Unlike the previous suggestions, these come from the GM, not the player, and reveal truths about the setting and the character. Nearly everyone in the Dome is living as a part of some inhuman experiment towards unknown ends. Those that start to learn the truth, of which the players will be some, gain power because of that.
They will gain Aspects and skills like the previous memories, but these Aspects can be used to fundamentally change the world within the Dome. Through these True Aspects, these characters can perform superhuman feats, influence and bend the will of those around them who do not have True Aspects, or even shape their surroundings. All of these come at a cost - mental consequences are just the beginning. These powers rely on embracing their darker nature and utilizing the power that it gives them. Eventually there will only be the darkness and they will simply be a monster.
True Aspects are also more difficult to resist when compelled. Doing so is resisting a fundamental part of your nature; it is one of the only truths to your existence to rely on. However, by doing so for long enough, you can change your stars. You can become a different person. In this noir setting, it may not rain every day after all.
The story itself is presented as three acts, with the first two acts being a relatively well scripted mystery with enough hook to get the players moving in the right direction. In the first act the groundwork of the mystery is laid as the players regain their "memories", though there is the unshakable feeling that nothing quite adds up. Act 2 introduces their actual memories and begins to fill in the blanks. The players will ultimately be caught in the middle of a struggle for the fate of the Dome. Finally, Act 3 will has the players doing whatever it is they want. They will have the information and the tools to profoundly affect the setting. For better, or worse.
There is a lot to like about this game and it definitely uses the basic framework of Fate to its advantage as the story unfolds. The way that memories, Aspects and skills work together is elegant. It is worth mentioning that mental stress and consequences are going to be a headache as the game proceeds and the more monstrous elements appear.
The layout of the book is clean and easy to follow, though with one small, but at times glaring, issue: the font used for titles has virtually indistinguishable capital "C" and "G". While a minor distraction and easy to sort out, it's distracting from an otherwise very pleasant flow of the text. All of the art maintains the moodiness of the setting. It tends towards high contrast use of dark and light, and has a Victorian noir sense about it. There are a few pieces that are distinctly not Victorian, which gives a feeling that they do not fit. Naturally, this supports the concept of the story and the setting of it being amiss and out of place.
One thing to be wary of is that this may not be a great fit for all players. Not everyone is willing to cede so much control of their character, nor will everyone be pleased about what could be termed a bait-and-switch. On the other hand, this can be a great introduction to Fate. It introduces the core concepts slowly and shows how the various pieces (character background, Aspects and skills) can all be linked together.
The Demolished Ones offers a unique game and premise that is certainly worth looking into for those interested in Fate, and those looking to do some new things with Fate.
This review was originally posted at http://pandagaminggrove.blogspot.com/
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Let’s get into the review of The Demolished Ones by Brian Engard.
The first thing, and always great in importance, is the front cover. We have a suicide, in between the heads of two investigators, male and female (good to see equal representation, top marks there), a backdrop of cultists, one sporting a billy club and a grim top-hat man looming over them. This has my attention; the details are crisp and the woman, judging by her expressive eye, seems sorrowful. The blood from the next of the hanged victim/suicide cuts through the browns and greys on the cover. It is a good start, and yes, I am impressed (always a good early sign).
Inside we find the publishing info, but also a charming dedication of Brian to his wife. Great partners assist their partner in expression.
The Table of contents presents five chapters, a map, five handouts and another copy of the character sheet. Checking over the handouts first, I love the care that has gone into them. Pen and paper gaming has long put a lot of past effort into these little tidbits for the players to hold, and it is good to see this practice continuing after being quiet for a number of years.
Page 1 and 2 sets up the situation the player is in as the game starts. It does this by posing a series of questions to draw players in, and immediately there is a mystery to solve and questions to be asked.
Chapter 1 gets into the rule system. It seems easy to grasp, it is not a terribly complex system (which works, since mystery games should be about the mystery, story, interviewing and investigation, and not complex rules systems). I like the shifting ladder of success for making checks, and it reminds me of Fudge (don’t know the fudge and systems like them until you have tried it).
The breakdown of the four core actions was really logical, and I think new players would benefit from this clear presentation of what is possible—overcome, create or discover advantage, attack and defend.
Chapter 2, character creation. The game doesn’t have hp, it has health and composure. Everyone loves a variant sanity system, and damage leads to “taking consequences”. Where is my healer? That sounds scary.
Moving on we arrive at the skill list, and they are well named. It is good to see some new names for various types of skills, like rapport, but alas “stealth” finds its way in and something more original is not chosen.
Skills are introduced in an interesting way, in that the skills are chosen but awakening with no memory, they are steadily unlocked through scenes. I like this as an introductory mechanic. It can allow someone to grow into the character that starts without memories, and they build what they want from the ground up, but won’t be able to do everything.
From skills there are also some supernatural abilities, but I am not going to ruin those, suffice to say I think they can be well-used to move along scenes or get an advantage.
Chapter 3 is on the setting, the story, the map, scenes and acts. It is extremely clear. I like encountering good writing that won’t trip up players or the gm.
There is exploration, the chance to fight police, the mysterious Jacks, and sanity checks (as a Cthulhu player I like to see those, ha ha!).
I don’t want to reveal too much more of what is in the adventure, but it gets grim, creepy and a bit twisted.
The third act is also left open-ended and up to the players. Top marks for avoiding railroad and giving the space and story to set something up for each game group, but for the players to make the call on where to go for act 3.
Chapter 4 adds more info on key characters, their abilities, broad factions and locations.
Chapter 5 talks about the setting of the Victorian world and noir-ness. Of course this story is inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and it discusses the meanings behind the story. Nicely cerebral, without going overboard. I sense strong editing.
The fillable character sheet of the demolished ones (fillable on your pdf reader that is, paper sheets are usually fillable) was compact, a little creepy in fitting with the setting and perfectly does the job. I also like it when the character sheet of a system indicates this will not take ten hours of book study to understand. It looks simple, even welcoming. There are not twenty boxes.
I truly like this product, I look forward to running it, I couldn’t identify any major flaws (even the art is good) as it is clear, creepy and intriguing. I’m giving it a max score, as some products do deserve this, and saying it is worth the coin (and it doesn't even cost much).
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Creator Reply: |
Thanks for taking the time to do a review of our product. |
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