Very interesting system…you play a mythic/heroic character that we so often see in fiction - think Conan, John Carter, or Zorro. But it wouldn't be hard to use the system to play modern characters like James Bond or even supers like a solo Wolverine or Superman adventure.
Everything is based upon different dice (d4, d6, d8, etc). A character has Elements (5), Trappings (3), and Lore (5) - thing Abilities, Gear, & FATE style Aspects. Each one of these is tied to the five broad Elements: Fire (Might/Combat), Craft (Craft/Magic), Song (Charisma/Social), Granite (Wisdom/Knowledge), Ice (Agility/Stealth).
Adventures are built collaboratively - which is cool. There are seven scenes and each scene is tied to two Elements defining the conflicts that will occur within the scene. Storyteller and player both get to pick one of the elements in the scene. The following scenes cannot feature the same elements as the previous - so it is sort of like a puzzle, and it means that you have a robust story that just doesn't feature one element. Very cool!
Conflicts are based upon the elements of the scene. So a Fire/Craft scene could be a magical fight or even using might to overcome a trap. While a Granite/Ice scene might involve a puzzle that depends upon manual or physical dexterity. Each conflict has 3 phases - each with its own difficulty. You get to pick dice from your Elements (1), Trappings (1-2), Lore (1-2) to overcome the conflict. Once a die has been used in a conflict it can't be used again in that conflict.
No minis, no maps. Just story and a little dice rolling to add the spice of random results.
If you lose a phase of the conflict it is more about story that it is about damage - you're trying to create an epic story of your character's exploits. And when was the last time Wolverine died in the middle of a movie? Though heroes do get hurt, and there are rules for wounds - not unlike consequences from FATE. Wounds are tied to Elements too, and they increase the difficulty of future conflicts involving those Elements.
The game is designed for 2 players - Storyteller and the hero's player. However you can add a third by giving the hero a companion. Batman and Robin, Lone Ranger and Tonto, etc. They're noteworthy characters, but just not as powerful as the hero. Now that isn't saying they can't have their own spin-off later, but in the story where they are the companion they simply aid the hero. Cool concept, but might not be for every player.
The wrap-up: Era looks like a fun "rules light" system that could enable 2-3 people to play a quick "epic" game or two. It is also a very fun concept for story building and the adventure creation idea could definitely be used in other games.
I like it, I'd love to play it, and the price is right (but give the author and publisher a fair amount - it is a good book)!
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