A jumpstart into Alien horror - a Mephisto review

The Alien RPG Starter Set provides an alternative approach to the Alien role-playing game and contains a rulebook, an adventure, and additional game material in the digital version. As is usual for the starter sets, the rulebook is significantly reduced compared to the Alien RPG Core Rulebook and only has a good quarter of the pages. Nevertheless, some chapters are completely taken over from the core rules. 

With Space is Hell, the booklet provides an introduction to the basic background, the timeline of Alien, and the core concepts of the role-playing game. 

The second chapter is about characters and is significantly limited in the Starter Set, as there are explanations of the game statistics and character concepts, but there are no further rules for character creation or the underlying archetypes. You can, therefore, only play a pre-made character with these rules, not create your own. 

The chapter listing the various skills and explaining how to use them is also taken completely from the Core Rulebook. The talents, however, are missing and are only mentioned for the individual characters that come with the set. 

The central rules chapter, Combat & Panic, contains the combat rules for Alien as well as the special rules that describe how panic affects the game and changes the dice pools. This chapter is essentially the same as the Core Rulebook, except that the vehicle combat aspect is not mentioned here. 

This reduction also applies to the equipment chapter, which is complete except for the topic of vehicles. All other chapters of the Alien RPG Core Rulebook, which provide more background and aids for the game master, are completely missing here. Nevertheless, the 100 pages of short rules are sufficient to play Alien without any problems, at least for the published adventures. 

The second booklet contains the adventure Chariot of Gods, originally included in the Cinematic Starter Kit and now available as a stand-alone adventure. It presents a space trucker scenario analogous to the first Alien film, in which a spaceship crew encounters a mysterious wreck, which is the prelude to a brutal fight for survival. 

The Starter Set also contains the large star map and the deck plans of the Cronus, the ship of the player characters from Chariot of Gods. The five pre-made characters from the scenario are also included with their character sheets, and a marker sheet completes the set. There is also a deck of cards consisting of initiative cards, equipment cards, character cards, and agenda cards. These must, of course, be printed out in the digital edition. The character and agenda cards are also tailored to the adventure. 

Like other starter sets, the Alien RPG Starter Set provides an easy and compelling introduction to the world of Alien. Although it lacks background material and tips for the game master, it is most likely the missing character creation rules that represent a gap here. 

With Chariot of Gods, the set offers an excellent and extremely tough introductory adventure to get a feel for the setting and mechanics. In the case of the digital PDF set, however, the markers and cards are more of an accessory, and basically Alien has the disadvantage of a layout based on black pages when printing itself. 

Whether the Alien RPG Starter Set is the right introduction to the game depends on the objectives of the game group. It is well suited for a first try-out because the relevant rules are presented in a compact format, and the introductory scenario provides a challenging showcase demonstrating how the game works. Unsurprisingly, however, you will need the Core Rulebook for the full gaming experience. The adventure alone is not a compelling argument for buying it, as it can also be purchased separately. 

So if you want to spend more time with the Alien role-playing game, go straight for the Alien RPG Core Rulebook and buy the Chariot of Gods adventure as a supplement. If necessary, the abridged rules can be used as a handout for players. What remains is an exciting and hard-hitting role-playing game in the world of Alien.

(Björn Lippold)

It is all about location - a Mephisto review

The Blade Runner RPG Map Pack is a set of eight maps for individual buildings and one map depicting an entire street. The individual buildings offer typical Blade Runner locations, including an apartment, a factory, a street store, a nightclub, a workshop, an office, a bar, and a larger office complex. There is also a more extensive map in the form of the street, which includes several buildings on both sides of the street.

The maps are kept in the style of the previous Blade Runner maps and also show furniture and explanatory labels. While the maps for the street or the nightclub can provide an overview of more complex terrain, maps such as the apartment or the office, which only consist of one room, are rather unspectacular and probably not very helpful.

In addition, the existing case files come with their own special maps. If this set of maps were included in the Starter Set or the Core Rules, it would have been an interesting addition. As a separate product, however, it falls a little short of expectations and is an unspectacular addition to the game.

(Björn Lippold)

Death threatens the zone - a Mephisto review

The zone is facing significant upheavals. What begins for the player characters as a battle between a Zone Rider and unknown assailants develops into a scenario that will entirely change the zone as part of The Gray Death campaign. Depending on how the players act, they will be recruited by the Zone Rider for further investigations or drawn into the events in other ways because they cannot ignore the coming developments.

The Gray Death is a campaign book that confronts the player characters with a major story arc and, unlike the scenarios in the Zone Compendiums, gives them no chance to ignore it. The campaign offers five locations, each with a starting situation, an overview, various characters, and possible events, similar to the typical Special Zone Sectors. Even though these scenarios still give the player characters a lot of freedom, they always offer conflicts and problems that the player characters have to solve.

However, before the individual scenarios are presented, the game master is first given a detailed overview of the occurrences that led to the events in The Gray Death and of the plans of the parties involved. Even though a single person catalyzes the events, various storylines from the Zone Compendiums are also picked up and continued here. The Zone Riders, for example, appear in an important role, having already been introduced in Die, meat-eaters, die! Elements from Hotel Imperator have also been picked up and continued.

Basically, there is a lot for the player characters to discover. An old steamship, for example, serves as a mobile theater that brings more than just fun to the zone. Characters with an inclination for detective work await a criminal investigation to uncover one aspect of the conspiracy.

There is also a trading post that trades with the mysterious Dawn Army, who are traveling through the zone in their airships. Here, the player characters can learn more about this new power factor.

Finally, they can also investigate the Dawn Army and its activities in The Garrison. With the emergence of their airships and better weaponry, this army suddenly shifts the balance of power in the zone. Even if it promises order and stability on the outside, it also suggests a more sinister plans.

The finale finally begins in the settlement of Dawnville, which is under the protection of the Dawn Army. Here, a large prize of 100 bullets attracts potential participants for the big body bombing tournament. For the player characters, however, this scenario can also open the way into the dark heart of the conspiracy, with several parties coming into play at once.

The final chapter, The Great Death, offers not only a dangerous Special Zone Sector but also a larger mission that encourages the player characters to stop their enemies' plans.

The Gray Death offers a comprehensive campaign with clear objectives. It utilizes all elements of Mutant Year Zero, from the mutants to the animal mutants and robots that have entered the zone to the fall of Elysium 1. All of these previous plots play a role and provide for the wide range of characters that can be used here as non-player characters as well as by the player characters.

These events will undoubtedly change the zone as a whole. Nevertheless, the individual adventures remain true to Mutant Year Zero's approach of offering a basic scenario in which the player characters can operate relatively freely. Only the finale has the strong feel of a dungeon that has to be explored and offers battles that the characters have to fight. But even here, the player characters are offered a variety of options to stand a chance against what is actually an overpowering opponent.

However, playing this campaign only makes sense if you have already played the other campaigns from the rulebooks or do not intend to play them. Otherwise, the chronology will not work. Knowledge of two Zone Compendiums is also helpful here. In this respect, the campaign plays a central role in the overall game and does not miss the opportunity to hint at the future on the last page, suggesting that later sourcebooks are to come.

In my opinion, The Gray Death is particularly suitable if the players, after a lot of initiative on their part, are to be brought to a targeted action by an external development, in this case, the appearance of the Dawn Army. It is also a good idea to play through this campaign very consistently. For those who prefer to play the game completely on player initiative, this campaign volume will impose too many actions.

The Gray Death does an excellent job of organically continuing previous storylines and bringing the interplay between the various inhabitants of the zone more into focus. In this respect, the book is a great, exciting, and compact addition that will fill several game evenings. After this campaign, the zone will no longer be the same as it was before, thanks to the adventures of the player characters and the development that can be derived from them.

(Björn Lippold)

War can be quite different - a Mephisto review

Like its predecessors, the fourth Zone Compendium for Mutant Year Zero, The Eternal War, introduces four Special Zone Sectors. As The Eternal War focuses on robots, it fits in well with the Mechatron expansion.

The first Special Zone Sector, The Eternal War, which gives the book its name, introduces an outpost of the Titan power Noatun, where robots engage in an endless battle. Here, the player characters can not only get caught between the fronts but can also find old technology. A unique feature of this scenario is that this Special Zone Sector is suitable for providing player characters who are not robots with access to Mechatron-7, the location of the Mechatron sourcebook.  

Fort Robot, the second Special Zone Sector, is reminiscent of a science fiction movie. It presents a Wild West amusement park that has been taken over by robots who are cleaning up and running the park. But of course, this setting is not about offering the player characters some leisure activities. Conflicts and secrets can draw the player characters into a broader story if they get involved.

The third scenario, North Bay Nandeep 23, on the other hand, is centered around robots as player characters, making it suitable as a mission within the Mechatron-7 scenario. The robots are sent out to investigate an outpost run by robots and investigate what resources can be found in this farm facility. What awaits them is, in a way, a zombie setting for robots…  

The final scenario, The Robot Factory, revolves around an old factory where an enterprising mutant uses robots to produce canned food. Naturally, this place offers an exciting resource, but also presents a situation in which players must decide whether and which side to take, as some of these robots begin to develop consciousness.

As usual, the Special Zone Sectors work according to the familiar principle: a setting including background, an overview map, and characters are introduced, and some events are presented to fill a game session using this location. There are no specific game objectives or “correct” solutions, except for the third scenario, which must be adapted for characters who are not robots.

Especially in the interaction with Mechatron or considering the initial situation that the robots have moved into the zone, there are interesting hooks for adventures here. These range from a bleak survival scenario to a somewhat bizarre amusement park, each with its own challenges. In this respect, The Eternal War is a captivating addition that enriches the game with more special locations.

(Björn Lippold)

Conspiracies in the zone - a Mephisto review

Hotel Imperator is the 5th Zone Compendium featuring four additional Special Zone Sectors to expand the game.

The eponymous Hotel Imperator setting is also the scenario that is described in the most detail and takes up almost half of the book. It features an old hotel that has become the headquarters of a conspiracy that introduces a major power factor into the zone and may pose a significant threat. As usual for such settings, the situation is complicated, and even within the conspiracy, there are several factions that can be played off against each other. Even though the Hotel Imperator is at the center of the scenario, the organization operating here, the Brain Circle, can also be used as a longer-term threat in the game. Notably, elements from this setting are taken up and continued in the scenario book The Gray Death.  

The second Special Zone Sector, The Long Road, picks up on animal mutants traveling through the zone in a vehicle caravan. The player characters can encounter these animal mutants and the fact that a few humans are with them as prisoners can lead to a conflict in which the players have to choose sides.

The Zone Fair is an old amusement park that has been reopened by a robot and offers several attractions. The player characters can take part in a high-stakes poker tournament. However, a boat of explorers has docked here, and the promise of tasty food can also attract the player characters. The setting also offers a small reference to the Rabbit Kingdom from Zone Compendiums 3, which also plays a role here.

The final scenario, The Great Zone Walker, brings a gigantic mining excavator to the zone operated by a small crew. Here, the mixture of bizarre animal mutants using this gigantic machine as a vehicle and the massive vehicle itself creates an atmosphere reminiscent of Mad Max in this setting.

As a bonus, this volume offers four new mutant powers - Beastmaster, Clairvoyance, Electric, and Telekinetic - and reclassifies which mutants are psi mutants, giving players the option to explicitly create psi mutants and then roll on a correspondingly reduced mutation table. Two new artifacts also round off the book.

Hotel Imperator focuses on a setting that integrates a major threat into the zone, which also plays a long-term role in the campaign. Post-apocalyptic road movie elements are incorporated into the game with the large excavator and the animal mutant caravan. The amusement park comes with its own dark secrets. Due to the various plot elements, it is also suitable for a longer game, even if this setting has superficial similarities with the Wild West park from Zone Compendium 4.

Zone Compendium 5 also provides some exciting and interesting ideas. With its eponymous setting, this book offers strong story hooks, especially for those who want to include a larger plot in their campaign.

(Björn Lippold)

Building better worlds ... or dying trying - a Mephisto review

The title of the Alien sourcebook Building Better Worlds is a direct allusion to the corporate motto of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, one of the corporations dedicated to the conquest and exploitation of space and its colonies in the Alien setting. Like the Colonial Marines Operations Manual, Building Better Worlds is a combined sourcebook and campaign book.

It starts with a few basic explanations of the exploration and colonization of space and the dangers involved. This introduction clearly emphasizes that these colonists must meet special requirements to be physically fit, mentally stable, and prepared to live out their lives in colonies that are barren at the beginning. However, this also gives them the chance to enter previously uncharted territory.

The History of Colonization chapter describes a timeline of the colonization of space in which the first steps begin as early as 2023, while the timeline extends much further to 2186, covering more than 150 years. The chapter describes the history of several topics so that you do not get a chronological sequence at first but only a partial outline of topics such as expansion, the conflicts between the colonies, and other political developments or problems that affected the colonies. Although this gives you a focus on specific topics, it is the added timeline that brings the events into proper order. Here, you can also see that one of the challenges of the role-playing game Alien is to decide when you really want to play within the time frame and which events have already happened for this period. Of course, you can find references to the events in the films, from Prometheus to the Alien series, here.

The following chapter introduces the organizations that play a role in exploration and colonization — from the Scientific Exploration Vehicular Expeditions, i.e., the exploration teams, to the various authorities and government organizations that play a role here. Here, too, the game master is provided with complex material, as the various organizations of the different major powers are presented. You will find exciting information here, but I was somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer number of organizations. Especially as these organizations appear, change their significance, and sometimes disappear again within the timeline in this chapter, it is complex.

The Making Frontier Colonist chapter is much more tangible, as it deals with creating player characters for a campaign as colonists and exploration teams, known to be the third of the three setting variants of Alien (alongside Space Truckers and Marines). This chapter briefly notes what kind of people act as colonists and slightly adjusts the existing careers. This adaptation primarily concerns the description of how such a career fits into the colony context and provides new options in the form of two so-called frontier talents and two pieces of frontier equipment that can be used instead of the standard options from the basic rule book. This chapter gives you a small arsenal of new talents that fit the setting but do not change the game much.

Two new character paths, Wildcatter and the Entertainer, are introduced, with the Wildcatter being a prospector searching for exploitable resources and the Entertainer covering a range of singers, croupiers, and other people from the entertainment industry. The chapter still offers some options for a personal agenda. Then it comes to a close after just a few pages, so that, similar to the Colonial Marines Operations Manual, only limited new character options come into play here.

At least the equipment section describes a small arsenal of weapons, suits, and armor, as well as other pieces of equipment. Of course, there are also numerous different vehicles, ranging from small ground buggies to two-and-a-half-kilometer-long colony ships. The items are each briefly described and tabulated with a stats profile, which seems sensible for the weapons and items of equipment. However, the vehicles and ships are more of a story element, so the statistics are secondary.

The sixth chapter, Campaigns on the Frontier, provides campaign background for the game as a colonist or exploration team. It begins by classifying different types of settlements and explaining what types of settlements there are and what extraordinary worlds players can encounter. Then, the basic campaign styles are discussed, and a distinction is made between explorer and colony campaigns. For the explorer campaigns, various expeditions, i.e., approaches for missions and stories, are provided. Typical tasks are described here in short sections, ranging from salvage operations and scientific field studies to hunting expeditions and criminal investigations. A few additional ways of making money in the border worlds are also described. These include the alien life forms known as harvesters, which can be used for daring mining operations. There are also tables on what you can find as a Wildcatter or what happens if the pressure suit is damaged.

The chapter Systems and Colonies catalogs additional worlds, each with a brief description, a few stats as a table, and a star map section. The focus here is on the Outer Rim Territories, the Frontier, and the Far Spinward Colonies. In the case of the Far Spinward Colonies, with which contact has long been lost, it is also noted that the data, as it can be found here, may no longer be up-to-date. Even if there are exciting ideas for these worlds, this is more of a catalog that is only suitable for reading to a limited extent. However, background information for the campaign is already woven in here.

The next chapter deals with the entries redacted from the Weyland-Yutani Extra Solar Species catalog according to the chapter name. Here the game master once again finds additional variants of the Abominations, such as the Xeno-Cobra, which is a snake-like Abomination, or dog-like variants. There are also further variants of the humanoid Abominations, as they appear in the Spinward region. Some of these Abominations have already been touched on in Chariots of God. A significant contribution revolves around the Perfected, which are presented in detail here and have already been briefly addressed in the Heart of Darkness expansion. There is also a section on the Proto-Xenomorphs, which also appeared in this expansion. The Proto-Xenomorphs introduce another threat to the game and add another stage to those presented in Heart of Darkness. Even the classic XX121 Xenomorphs are given an eighth stage in this book, which is even more dangerous than the Queen, who was previously at the top of the Xenomorph hierarchy.

While the book up to this point consists of various game material, some of which has already been touched on in other sourcebooks or expands on them with minor variants such as new equipment or new systems, the campaign approach hidden in this sourcebook begins halfway through the book with The Lost Worlds. The book presents a look at the Far Spinward Colonies and their development. The special feature is that contact with the colonies was lost for a long time due to solar flares, and the colonists had to survive on their own in isolation. These colonies were founded in the early 2050s, while contact was broken off 75 years later. Now, in 2185, there are new opportunities to reach these colonies, and so the Great Mother Mission is sent to reestablish contact with the colonies and reintegrate them — or, if the colonies have perished, to recolonize the area.

At the heart of this endeavor is the UNCSS Ìyánlá, a gigantic, modular colony ship two and a half kilometers long, which is to transport four complete atmosphere converters, 10,000 colonists in cryosleep, and 12,000 frozen embryos. However, the focus for the player characters is on one of the four SEV exploration ships, from which they are to carry out exploration missions as its crew. The special thing about this endeavor is that several powers are working together here that normally get along with each other to a limited extent. The United Americas, the Three World Empire, the Union of Progressive People, and the Interstellar Commerce Commission are all involved. And, of course, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation is also on board. With such an illustrious mix of powers, quarrels are inevitable, not least because the New Albion Protectorate is currently splitting off from the Three World Empire. In addition, Hyperdyne Corporation, Omnitech Resources, and Kellen Mining Company are three smaller corporations striving for power. All player characters have an allegiance to one of the powers involved and different perspectives on the missions. They form the crew of the UNCSS Solovetsky Island, one of four exploration ships docked at the colossal colony ship.

The chapter provides a comprehensive description of the initial situation, the problems between the parties involved, and details of the ships, including schematic drawings and a map of the UNCSS Solovetsky Island. Various characters are described, and a list of the colonies is presented with the data on what they looked like before contact was lost. For the game master, the rest of the campaign is also described. There are tips on how to expand it with additional interim missions. There is also an outline of how to organize session 0 to set up this complex campaign.

In the Expeditions chapter, seven ready-made missions await the player characters. Each of these missions begins with an assignment to explore a system and fulfill the tasks of the entire mission. What the player characters encounter there varies greatly, but generally has little to do with the briefing data on the colonies' appearance before contact was broken off. On one mission, the characters find only two surviving families on a planet, and in addition to a fight for survival, they get caught up in an investigation. On one mission, they find a culture that has become very primitive and are confronted with an opponent they did not expect. On one mission, the characters stumble across various legacies of the Engineers and can explore them with the usual dangers that this entails, until the seventh and final mission finally leads to the ultimate confrontation between all parties involved. This finale decides nothing less than the fate of humanity.

The campaign features mysterious relics of the Engineers and the horrors they have bred. Colonies that have undergone significant changes, some of which have limited interest in giving up their independence, form the backdrop. This setup is mixed with the political ambitions of some of those involved in the expedition, the activities of a dangerous cult, and the legacy of the Engineers, which has awakened and poses a deadly threat. More cannot be revealed here without taking too much away from the campaign.

The adventures are varied but, at the same time, quite tough, so the chapter describes how to handle a character's death during the missions. Each mission presents an initial situation, data tables, and an overview map of the planet, characters, and various events and action sequences. The scenarios are designed in such a way that they are strongly driven by the actions and initiative of the characters. In addition, non-player characters are often assigned to missions and further influence the course of events through their interests.

At the end of the book, there is an appendix with tables for rolling expanded solar systems and planets, which can also be used to record the colonies with game statistics or to go through their development in the game if the aim of a campaign is to play through the rise and possibly the fall of a colony. Here, too, there are various tables and instructions for playing such a colony, as well as a handful of events that can be used to color the whole thing.

I felt the same way about Building Better Worlds as I did about the Colonial Marines Operations Manual. I found the first chapters, with the timeline, the organizations, etc., relatively confusing, as it was not clear why certain events were chosen and how these pages were structured. After all, a lot of space and time are covered here. The approaches to making colonists as player characters were also rather incidental and covered comparatively minor compared to the basic rulebook. The expanded equipment and systems are also an addition that, while interesting, is optional at first glance. Of course, the background material and the description of how campaigns can be played as colonists or pioneers are helpful.

Even the chapter that promises excitement, namely the species catalog, contains some alien species that have already been mentioned elsewhere and are only partially expanded here. The problem is that the different variants of Xenomorphs, Protomorphs, etc., with their various life cycles, are relatively complex, especially as they all pose extreme danger to player characters.

So, while the first part of the book did not really pull me in, this was utterly changed by the campaign because, when you start it, everything suddenly begins to fit together. You understand why certain organizations, storylines, and aliens were presented. Once again, the game successfully creates an exciting and epic campaign, which is exceptionally thrilling from the background of finding and returning the lost colonies. However, the whole thing is combined with a deadly threat that strongly ties in with the Engineer storyline, which Prometheus and Alien Covenant introduced. The campaign offers a broad spectrum, ranging from minor conflicts to major political intrigues and betrayals to insane death cults. The Perfected pose a threat against which the normal Xenomorphs seem almost harmless.

My rating of the book is accordingly. Building better worlds is primarily worthwhile for those who want to play a huge, epic, and hard-hitting campaign in the Alien universe, investigating planets as an exploration team and solving a big puzzle step by step to avert a deadly threat. Anyone thinking about their own campaign game in this direction will also find material here in the form of rules and, in particular, background descriptions and ideas.

In terms of rules material and additional options, the sourcebook is optional. Although there are a few more alien species, some equipment, and a few systems, these alone do not carry the book. This means that the book is mainly worthwhile for those who see it primarily as a campaign book and less as a rules supplement. As a campaign book, however, it once again presents an epic and hard-hitting campaign that really impressed me with its many facets. Anyone who dares to face the horrors of deep space as an explorer or colonist is in exactly the right place here.

(Björn Lippold)

More than just replicant hunting - a Mephisto review

The Blade Runner Core Rules are the basic set of rules for Blade Runner and expand on the setting and rules as presented in the Blade Runner Starter Set.

First, the book gives a detailed introduction to the Blade Runner setting. It provides the background and historical development from the 1980s, when the timeline diverges from ours, to the 2030s, when the Wallace Corporation introduces new replicants. This chapter describes exactly how the states disintegrated and how the mega-corporations became the dominant powers. You learn how Earth became a dying planet, which led to an exodus to the off-world colonies, and how eventually the artificial humans known as replicants were initially considered cheap labor, especially in the colonies. When a rebellion of individual Nexus-6 models occurred, replicants were banned completely, only to be reintroduced recently under the aegis of the ambitious Wallace Corporation. The game world focuses on the setting of Los Angeles and provides little information about the rest of the world.

One important aspect of the Blade Runner Core Rules that was missing from the Starter Set is the rules for creating your own characters. This process begins with the question of whether you want to play a human or a replicant. This choice is followed by the selection of an archetype. Another aspect here is how long the character has been a Blade Runner, which manifests itself in the statistics. Old characters have poorer attributes but better skills and specializations, and can also use more Promotion Points and Chinyen Points.

Blade Runner uses a variant of the Year Zero system, whereby different dice are used depending on the level of an attribute or skill from A to D. D stands for a d6 and A for a d12. For tests, two dice are rolled, and the aim is to get at least one 6. If you want to achieve more, more successes may be necessary.

An important element in character creation is the so-called key memory, i.e., a memory or experience that has shaped the character and which is determined by random tables. This characteristic applies to both humans and replicants. It is similar to the so-called key relation, which is a significant person in life who does not necessarily have to be a family member or friend but can theoretically be antagonistic to the character. Both concepts, which were only touched on in the Starter Set, are explored in greater depth here.

As is usual for Fria Ligan games, characters are also given a signature item, which can give them an advantage to reduce stress. Otherwise, however, the equipment is predefined as the standard gear for Blade Runners.

The rulebook once again explains the concepts of Promotion Points, which are awarded for good behavior in line with service, and Humanity Points, which are awarded for human behavior.

The professions are then introduced. These offer a few rule aspects, e.g., which specializations are available or what the core skills are, but also offer tables for appearance and names. It is noticeable here that the appearance is partly abstract and very reminiscent of the visual language of the first Blade Runner film. As professions, players can take on roles such as Analyst, Enforcer or Inspector, which are then slightly differentiated accordingly.

The book presents the skills and dice mechanisms in detail and lists the corresponding specializations. The core of the rules are combat and chases, which are tough in the case of combat because there are also tables for critical hits, which can lead to a quick death.

In addition to health, there is another value, stress, which is used when the mental or emotional well-being of the character is affected. This can happen, for example, when rolls are pushed, which means that a character first needs a break to regain their composure.

Combat rules for vehicles are also briefly explained and supplemented with random tables for chases both on foot and with vehicles. There are mainly a few minor additions here, while the core of these rules is already included in the Starter Set.

After this introduction and rules section, which takes up a little more than the first third of the book, the setting is described in more detail. The aim here is to capture the style of Blade Runner and the division of the city into two cities, namely the city of those who are mega-rich and those who have nothing. An interesting concept here is the idea that the city was built upward. This was done not only because of the available space, but also from the perspective that the impoverished population lives on the lower old floors, i.e. at street level, while the mega-rich live high up in the tops of the gigantic buildings. So you can tell someone's social status and wealth by the floor they live on.

It is also stressed that the Earth is destroyed and dying. The current inhabitants of Los Angeles are those who did not have the necessary qualifications to emigrate to the colonies, or who lack the financial means to make a good life for themselves on a broken Earth. Of course, technology, corporations, and other aspects of life are also described, although the setting here is that of Blade Runner 2049. So there are the new Nexus replicants, who can also be Blade Runners themselves, while the Wallace Corporation is the most important power factor in Los Angeles.

The city is presented by examples, with only six sectors highlighted, each offering a few exemplary locations with a brief description. This approach is deliberately chosen so that there are a few archetypal central locations for the setting, and the rest can be adapted by the game master to suit his campaign.

The outskirts of Los Angeles, such as the flooded San Diego, which has been turned into a garbage dump, are also touched upon, as are trips to the off-world colonies.

This is followed by another chapter that introduces the corporations, but also the UN as a state power, and shows how they are intertwined. Of course, the main player here is the Wallace Corporation and its charismatic leader, Niander Wallace. The replicants of the earlier series Nexus 1 to 5, the rebellious Nexus 6 and the current Nexus 9 are also introduced in detail.

The book also focuses on the role of the replicants, with the so-called Sympathizers on one side who want to grant these artificial life forms equal civil rights, while the Empathy movement would like to get rid of the replicants as job killers.

This detailed background is the element that is completely missing from the Starter Set at this level of detail, and helps to prepare the game setting for a long-term game.

The next chapter is dedicated to police work, and here there is additional information on the Starter Set, highlighting various departments and opportunities for the characters. This includes cooperation with the Wallace Corporation and expands the topic of reputation, promotion, etc. There is also an in-game leaflet explaining police work in various steps.

As in the Starter Set, the equipment chapter introduces the most important weapons, items, and vehicles and also provides a brief reference to synthetic augmentations that can be used to improve characters or buffer serious injuries. This means there are a few new features compared to the Starter Set.

The chapter for the game master is likely to be very important for the game, which once again clearly explains the game's focus. Here it is stressed that Blade Runner is not to be understood as an action role-playing game where the Blade Runners hunt down replicants, even if fights and chases are an important element of the game. Rather, this is just the outer plot around the central questions of the game, which deal with questions of being human. Here the game creates a clear parallel to the first film, which as a science fiction film was not to be understood as an action film, but rather struck a more philosophical tone.

The Blade Runner Core Rules do not include an adventure or campaign and only provide a mission generator. This means that the Starter Set plays a very significant role here because, on the one hand, it offers the rules in a compact form, but on the other hand, with Electric Dreams, it primarily contains the start of the core campaign.

Blade Runner offers a well-written and excellently illustrated and laid-out role-playing game. As usual with Fria Ligan, the rules mechanics are not too complicated, and even though the background is well worked out, it leaves plenty of room for the players' imagination.

In terms of craftsmanship, the book offers a very well-made role-playing game, which, in my view, can have certain challenges for the game master or may not meet the expectations of the players. This is because the focus here is really on aspects of what it means to be human, and whether the replicants are human or not. The cases that the player characters solve actually take a back seat and only serve as a backdrop for playing with these questions. Although this is an exciting approach in itself, it is unlikely to be easy for many game masters to consequently include in their campaigns without further ideas or ready-made adventures, and it also requires the right players to get involved.

It's probably the same here as with the first Blade Runner movie. Anyone who thinks they are being served a furious action spectacle will likely be disappointed. However, if you get involved with the themes, you will get a role-playing game that can strike a profound chord. In my opinion, this makes the game suitable for a limited target group because players who only see the action aspect are not the target group here. Even if the game has sensible but tough rules for battles and chases, these cannot carry the game in the long term — this should be done through the deeper themes. For a good introduction to better understand how the game actually works, the Starter Set is an essential addition alongside the Core Rules. In my opinion, without the campaign start, it is a great challenge for the game master to play the game as it is intended. Perhaps the Blade Runner movie can be used as a test here: Anyone who finds the movie boring and too slow is unsurprisingly also wrong for this game. However, if you can get involved in the focused setting with its deeper themes, you will find an exciting game here.

(Björn Lippold)

Guardian of a falling enclave - a Mephisto review

The destruction of the world by the Red Plague and the subsequent conflicts between the Titan powers have devastated the Earth. While the Mutant Year Zero rulebook and the GenLab Alpha and Mechatron expansions have already introduced different variants of the survivors in this changed world, the Elysium rulebook takes an entirely different approach to the setting. 

Elysium is one of the Titan powers that survived the Fall and also played its part in the cataclysms. In the face of the impending catastrophe, the idea of this Titan power was to create enclaves deep underground, which bore deep into the earth as a mixture of bunker and city with many levels. Elysium has built several of these enclaves, but at the center of the plan stands Elysium I, a shelter for 10,000 inhabitants. 

Elysium is founded and managed by four large houses that control the fate of this subterranean society. Elysium I offers the survivors a civilized society based on traditional values. However, this society is also strongly hierarchical. The four great houses stay at the top, both socially and regarding their placement in the vertical enclave. The other inhabitants, who are mainly necessary workers for the houses, live below them, and the scum of this society dwells in the lowest levels of the gigantic bunker. While the so-called Crown, in which the four large houses reside, offers space and splendor, the living and working conditions get worse and worse with each level one moves down. 

Naturally, such a tightly packed society, which has spent well over 100 years isolated in this bunker, surviving attacks from hostile titanic powers, is under pressure. The power games and intrigues between the four houses also threatened the existence of Elysium I. This is why the so-called Judicators were introduced as police units provided by the four great houses. Usually and ideally, all four houses are always represented in these teams so that they can carry out their tasks neutrally and not in the interests of a single house. 

The Judicators therefore have far-reaching powers to intervene directly, and of course, the player characters take on this role in Elysium. 

While Elysium offers a wholly new setting that has nothing to do with the regular zone of Mutant Year Zero, but presents the gigantic enclave of Elysium I with its many levels, the basic principles of the rules and character creation are largely analogous to Mutant Year Zero. 

Nevertheless, there are some special features. For example, players choose one of the four houses for their characters, each of which has a small advantage in terms of an attribute. There is a choice between House Warburg, which focuses on building and creating things, and House Fortescue which is concerned with defense. House Morningstar focuses on entertainment, while House Killgore provides the scientists within the enclave. It is important to note that each house should only be represented once in a team, which ideally consists of four characters. 

Further differentiation is provided by the professions, which are presented as basic archetypes with a brief description, a special skill, and several background aspects such as appearance, relationship to other characters (especially non-player characters), but also a big dream and their equipment. Professions such as the Investigator, the Officer or the Technician can be found here. In terms of rules, they differ mainly in one special skill and the starting equipment. 

It is critical to note that the main survival problems for characters from Mutant Year Zero, namely grub and water, do not play a role, as the supply situation within Elysium I is not a problem for the Judicators. Not bullets are used as currency, but credits. As before, the player characters distribute points to attributes and skills. Here, it is the chosen age that determines how many attribute points are available and how many skill points. Younger characters are strong in attributes, while older characters have had time to acquire more skill points. 

There is a special feature among the talents: the mechanical implants called biomechatronics, which some player characters can also pick.  These implants are generally rather crude, run the risk of breaking, and are normally used by workers. Nevertheless, some player characters can pick them. 

Another special feature is the contacts, i.e., people who can help the player characters. An important game stat in Elysium is reputation, which measures a person's standing within the enclave's hierarchy. Here too, the starting value is determined not only by age, but also by profession. 

The last basic point, the security class, is the same for all player characters and is correspondingly high for Judicators so that they have significantly more access and authority than the normal inhabitants of Elysium. 

An important element of the game is the group dynamic: a Patrol Leader is chosen for each mission, which is actually voted on by the players and depends on the influence of their houses. In their role as Judicators, the player characters are supposed to investigate so-called incidents, i.e. problems within Elysium, which are usually initiated by one of the houses. However, as the player characters may want to strengthen the influence of their house, it can happen that they work as double agents in incidents where their house is pulling the strings in the background. If an incident is not solved by the player characters and ends in favor of one house, its influence increases, and with it the influence of the corresponding player character. In addition to cooperation between the characters, it is now also possible to work against each other to a certain extent. 

The skills and other rules, such as pushing rolls, etc., correspond to the standard of Mutant Year Zero and follow the same pattern. There are, of course, new variants for the new professions in the special skills, and the available talents also offer a new selection. As already mentioned, the player characters can select contacts. There are twenty contact types to choose from, which can be activated by influence points. For example, an assassin contact can eliminate non-player characters, while a mentor can be used to gain additional experience points. 

In terms of a complete set of rules, the book also offers combat rules and rules for social interaction. It is important to note that the equipment is very different from that of Mutant Year Zero, as it is equipped with state-of-the-art Gauss or Gyroject weapons. There is also high-tech equipment that normal mutants would probably dream of. Vehicles are also mentioned, as the Judicators can use hoverbikes or hovercrafts to move quickly around the gigantic facility. 

An extensive chapter describes life in Elysium and also gives an impression of the size of the enclave. It is divided into different levels, some of which are large enough to accommodate multistory buildings and streets, while a central shaft runs from the top level to the very bottom. While the correspondingly influential personalities reside at the top, their influence decreases the lower down you go. 

Naturally, the four great families and their current patriarchs or matriarchs are introduced, and examples of a few of the smaller houses are also given. 

The background chapter also introduces the different sections and districts within Elysium I and provides selected locations. It is important to note that, from the perspective of Elysium I, the surface of the Earth is completely uninhabitable, so no one can leave the enclave, which offers a complete game world. The aspects of exploration from Mutant Year Zero play no role here.

Of course, the obligatory game master chapter explains the role of the game master and also provides a few examples of how to improvise scenes or generate missions by rolling dice. There are also a few artifacts and the aforementioned biomechatronics. 

The associated campaign, in this case, The Guardians of the Fall, makes up a good half of the book. This is a campaign with eight individual missions or incidents. What is essential here is that the incidents can lead to shifts in the power of the Houses in certain sectors, which may give the corresponding characters more influence there. In this way, the campaign creates a dynamic environment for which a record is kept of which house gains or loses influence and where. 

The players also select the missions on a metagame level, playing the houses their characters represent. This means that each player has missions to choose from and tries to get them into the game through voting. If the Judicators fail the incident later, their house gains a corresponding advantage, which can make it interesting to sabotage the mission. 

While there are several more generic missions that can be played at will, there are also three essential missions that drive the game's metaplot forward and thus thoroughly change the situation in Elysium I. 

The title of the campaign already emphasizes that life in Elysium I will not exist as it is. The fact that many of the non-player characters in the campaign already appear in the relationships of the player characters during character creation is very exciting. As a rule, one or two characters in most incidents already have a positive or negative relationship with one or more of the non-players, which adds an extra dynamic to the whole thing. 

With the number of missions, the campaign should fill quite a few game nights. Here you get an exciting mix of kidnapping cases, riots, and similar challenges, each presented as usual for Mutant Year Zero with a starting situation, maps, non-player characters and scene suggestions, but not with a predefined course of events or solution. The level of difficulty can lead to the failure of the player characters. 

The book concludes with a chapter on how to integrate normal humans from Elysium I into the zone, and how the different game stats of the various Mutant Year Zero systems interact. When Elysium player characters play on the surface, aspects such as house control, influence, contacts and so on are transferred into a collaborative game. 

Elysium is probably the most unusual of the four Mutant Year Zero settings, as the characters start here in a completely isolated world, namely the enclave Elysium I. The whole thing has a futuristic, dystopian feel, and the teams, which may work with and against each other in intrigues, also convey a different game dynamic. 

The approach of linking the characters with non-player characters and these with the campaign creates a very vivid setting, and the basic story arc of the campaign is fascinating and once again reveals spectacular secrets for the entire metaplot. 

However, Elysium is not a role-playing game that offers the typical post-apocalyptic flair of Mutant Year Zero at the beginning, but rather introduces an entirely different society and thus provides a different atmosphere. Nevertheless, the game succeeds in integrating Elysium into the larger game world by linking the metaplot with Genlab Alpha, for example, and possibly continuing it as a shared game system after the campaign has been completed. 

Above all, Elysium is largely decoupled from the background of the rest of the Mutant Year Zero universe. This means that it can be played without any prior knowledge, but it also offers an entirely different gaming experience. In particular, the majority of the background is used exclusively for playing the campaign, which radically changes the setting and merges it with the regular Mutant Year Zero. In other words, unless you expand the eight incidents with additional storylines, the setting of Elysium comes to an end, and you need Mutant Year Zero to continue the story along with the other storylines. Whether this is a disadvantage or an advantage depends on the individual gaming group.

The book is excitingly written, very well illustrated, and offers a successful introduction to the Mutant Year Zero world, both for veterans of the previous systems and for newcomers. The book can therefore be recommended to Mutant Year Zero players and fans of dystopian role-playing games.

(Björn Lippold)

Die Verschwundene

Neuengland in der Gegend von Dunwich: Ein junges Mädchen verschwindet während eines Schulausflugs, und der lokale Sheriff organisiert zusammen mit dem Lehrer Suchtrupps, um das Mädchen in den Wäldern wiederzufinden.

Was als einfache Suche beginnt, wandelt sich bald schon in ein bedrohliches Abenteuer für die Spielercharaktere, bei dem sie unerwarteten Gefahren trotzen und das Mädchen finden müssen, bevor es andere Mächte tun.

Die Verschwundene ist ein kostenloses Abenteuer für Cthulhu, was einen klassischen Story-Rahmen bietet. Die Spieler werden als Gruppe auf die Suche in die Wälder Neuenglands geschickt und treffen dort auf das cthulhoide Grauen.

Das Abenteuer besteht aus einigen Szenen, die es erlauben, die Handlung entweder relativ kompakt zu spielen oder auch, falls der Spielleiter das möchte, ein wenig auszudehnen, bis es dann schließlich zum Finale kommt, was sehr von der Herangehensweise der Spielercharaktere abhängt.

Zwar fand ich persönlich den übergeordneten Hintergrund selbst für Cthulhu ein bisschen sonderbar, dieser spielt aber für die Spielercharaktere vermutlich nur eine sehr begrenzte Rolle. Wer also ein schnelles, kompaktes und von der Story her klassisches Cthulhu-Abenteuer sucht, findet mit Die Verschwundene einen stimmigen, kostenlosen Beitrag für ein oder zwei Spielabende.

(Björn Lippold)

Die Spur der schwarzen Katze

Passend zu dem Kurzregelheft Katzulhu gibt es auch einen kleinen Abenteuerband mit zwei Abenteuern, um mit den Katzen-Investigatoren direkt in Ermittlungen einzusteigen.

Die Spur der schwarzen Katze ist hierbei eine klassische Geschichte, die auch ein wenig an den Roman Felidae erinnert: Hier müssen die Spielercharaktere eine mysteriöse Mordserie unter Katzen aufklären, die sie schließlich mit einer ungewöhnlichen Bedrohung konfrontiert.

Das Abenteuer bietet sowohl Ermittlungsarbeit als auch einen Showdown, der sehr vom Vorgehen der Spielercharaktere abhängt, wie sie mit der Bedrohung umgehen.

Das zweite Abenteuer, Der Fluch des Rattenwesens, ist zum Teil eine Parodie auf Rollenspieler. Hier geht es darum, dass ein durch gefährliche Rollenspiele völlig durchgedrehter Spieler eine Spielrunde entführt. Die Katzen müssen (ggfs. mit der Hilfe von Hunden) eingreifen, um Schlimmeres zu verhindern. Ob einem der Humor mit Anspielungen auf Spiele und Branche gefällt, hängt vom Betrachter ab. Dieses Szenario stellt sich aber deutlich weniger ernst dar als das erste Abenteuer.

Auch für den Abenteuerband gilt, dass die Grundvoraussetzung ist, dass die Spieler eine Katzenaffinität haben, um das Cthulhu-Universum auf vier Pfoten zu erkunden. Damit bekommen sie mindestens im ersten Fall ein atmosphärisches Abenteuer, das zeigt, wie ein Ausflug in die Katzenwelt funktionieren kann. Das andere Abenteuer hängt stark vom Humor der Spieler ab. Wen die Idee von Katzulhu fasziniert, der bekommt hier kostenloses Spielmaterial für ein paar Spielabende geboten – und zusammen mit dem Katzulhu Regelwerk einen weiteren, wenn auch bizarren Spin-off aus dem Cthulhu-Universum.

(Björn Lippold)

Katzulhu

Cthulhu-Rollenspiele und deren Hintergrund zeichnen sich dadurch aus, dass beides für die unterschiedlichen Spielsysteme und auch für die verschiedensten Zeitepochen adaptiert wurde, sodass es unzählige Varianten gibt. Mit Katzulhu ist nun auch noch die Welt der Katzen im Universum von Cthulhu erschlossen worden. Dieser Beitrag, der ursprünglich in den Cthuloide Welten erschienen ist, liegt nun wieder als kleines, kostenloses PDF-Heft vor.

Hierbei kreuzt Katzulhu das Cthulhu-Setting ein wenig mit dem Ansatz des Kriminalromans Felidae, in dem Katzen die Hauptrollen spielen und investigativ tätig sind. Auch bei Katzulhu sollen die Spieler Katzen als Charaktere übernehmen, die sich auf ihre Art und Weise dem Mythos stellen und so ihre Dosenöffner beschützen. Völlig aus der Luft gegriffen, wie es vielleicht auf den ersten Blick scheint, ist der Bezug zu Katzen nicht, denn beispielsweise in den Traumlanden und in Ulthar spielen auch in den Geschichten von H. P. Lovecraft Katzen eine besondere Rolle.

Die kurze Regelerweiterung erklärt die Charaktererschaffung, wobei die Werte etwas anders ausfallen, definiert Fertigkeiten um und reduziert sie auf ein relevantes Set und liefert mit verschiedenen Katzenrassen auch einen Differenzierungsgrad. Natürlich haben unterschiedliche Katzenrassen in bestimmten Aspekten individuelle Vorteile. Die geistige Stabilität wird durch einen analogen Mechanismus von Tierhaftigkeit ersetzt, der allerdings im Falle eines Ausfalls eher dazu führt, dass sich die Katze nur noch wie ein normales Tier verhält.

Kleine Aspekte wie der Umgang mit den neun Leben von Katzen werden besprochen, und so liefert das Buch einen übersichtlichen Regeleinstieg. Wie man zu Katzulhu steht, hängt sicherlich sehr von der Begeisterung für Cat-Content ab. Auch wenn das Ganze stimmig begründet sowie solide zusammengestellt ist und einen Ansatz für eine ungewöhnliche Spielrunde liefert, sind mir persönlich die verschiedenen Katzenrollenspiele ganz allgemein ein wenig suspekt und der Ansatz, in die Rolle einer Katze zu schlüpfen, übt auf mich keinen besonderen Reiz aus. Tatsächlich kenne ich aber auch bei meinen Spielern Kandidaten, die sich vermutlich für einen Ausflug als Katze in die Welt von Katzulhu begeistern können.

(Björn Lippold)

Variationen klassischer Regeln für ein klassisches Setting - eine Mephisto-Rezension

Am unaussprechlichen Namen erkennt der Mythos-Kundige schnell, dass mit FHTAGN ein weiteres Rollenspiel vor dem Hintergrund von H. P. Lovecrafts Cthulhu-Mythos vorliegt – der fiktiven Welt, für die es vermutlich bereits die meisten Rollenspielsysteme gibt. So stellt das FHTAGN Regelwerk selbst bereits in der Einleitung die Frage, ob wirklich noch ein weiteres Rollenspiel vor dem Cthulhu-Hintergrund nötig war. Doch in gewisser Weise gibt die Existenz des Regelwerks bereits die Antwort, denn die Deutsche Lovecraft Gesellschaft hat mit dem FHTAGN Regelwerk und der FHTAGN Spielwelt zwei Bücher ihrer Interpretation für ein Rollenspiel vor dem Hintergrund von H. P. Lovecrafts Cthulhu-Mythos veröffentlicht. Dabei basiert FHTAGN im Kern seiner Regelmechanik zudem auf dem Prozentsystem des klassischen Cthulhu-Rollenspiels, geht aber an einigen Stellen eigene Wege. Es ist die erklärte Motivation der Autoren, bestimmte Mechaniken und Möglichkeiten anders abzubilden und das Rollenspiel auf den Kern von Lovecrafts Geschichten zu fokussieren – und sich dabei auch nur inzwischen gemeinfreier Quellen zu bedienen.

Wie für Cthulhu-Rollenspiele typisch, geht auch FHTAGN den Weg, das Grundregelwerk in zwei Bücher aufzuteilen. Zum einen gibt es das FHTAGN Regelwerk, das die Regeln, Charaktererschaffung und Ähnliches enthält und auch für die Spieler geeignet ist. Alle Geheimnisse und Schrecken des übernatürlichen Hintergrunds finden sich im für den Spielleiter bestimmten Band der FHTAGN Spielwelt. Das Regelwerk können die Spieler somit problemlos lesen, ohne etwas über den Hintergrund des Cthulhu-Mythos und die Geheimnisse der Welt kennenzulernen.

Nach einer kurzen Einleitung, um FHTAGN einzuordnen, in der auch kurz die üblichen Sicherheitstechniken wie die X-Karte oder Grenzen und Schleier erläutert werden, startet das Buch zunächst mit dem Thema Epochen und Settings. Dabei stellt es auf einem Zeitstrahl mögliche historische Settings vor, in denen man das Rollenspiel spielen kann, die von der Steinzeit bis in das nanotechnologische Zeitalter reichen. Während Epochen größere Zeitabschnitte bieten, sind die Settings darin eingebettete spezielle Hintergründe. So umfasst das Maschinenzeitalter als Epoche, die ungefähr 1880 startet, Settings wie das viktorianische Zeitalter, die Belle Époque, den Ersten Weltkrieg und die Goldenen Zwanziger. Diese Zeiten werden nur kurz vorgestellt, und es gibt eine kurze Übersicht des Technikniveaus. Fokus dieses Kapitels ist die Erklärung, wie mit verschiedenen Zeiten regeltechnisch umgegangen wird. Hierbei ist die Idee, dass sowohl die Berufe, die Charaktere annehmen können, als auch die Fertigkeiten generisch genug definiert sind, dass sie sich für viele Zeitepochen problemlos übernehmen lassen, wenn sie in den entsprechenden Kontext einsortiert werden.

Zudem werden hier zwei Spielmodi vorgestellt, der Mystery Modus und der Action Modus, für die dann in den weiteren Kapiteln Regelvarianten angeboten werden, um die Atmosphäre des Spiels anzupassen. So ist insbesondere das Thema Stabilität im Mystery Modus deutlich weniger hart für die Spielercharaktere, während der Action Modus eine höhere Überlebenschance im Kampf zu bieten hat.

Die Charaktererschaffung bei FHTAGN basiert auf sechs Attributen und diversen Fertigkeiten. Hinzu kommen abgeleitete Werte, wie Trefferpunkte, Willenskraftpunkte, Stabilitätspunkte und die sogenannte Belastungsgrenze. Charaktere werden primär durch ihre Berufe und ihre Bindung definiert. Wie beim klassischen Cthulhu-Rollenspiel bestimmen die Berufe der Charaktere deren Startfertigkeiten und erlauben die Wahl weiterer Fertigkeiten, um den Charakter entsprechend zu verfeinern. Außerdem definiert der Beruf die Zahl der entsprechenden Bindungen, womit Personen abgebildet werden, die für den Charakter wichtig und die in diverser Hinsicht hilfreich sind. Das Regelwerk bietet eine Reihe Berufe, die relativ breit interpretierbar sind, sodass etwa die Gesetzeshüterin von der Parkrangerin bis zur Streifenpolizistin eine große Bandbreite umfasst oder auch die Naturwissenschaftlerin alle möglichen Felder abdecken kann. Jeder Beruf wird mit einer kurzen Hintergrundbeschreibung eingeführt, die illustriert, wie ein solcher Charakter in die Mythos-Geheimnisse hineinrutschen kann. Danach werden die Berufsfertigkeiten und Bindungen festgelegt, was einen schnellen Einstieg für die Charaktererschaffung bietet. Die Berufe bieten die üblichen Verdächtigen, die man von Cthulhu-Rollenspielen kennt, und auch die Fertigkeiten sind typisch. Etwas auffällig ist jedoch, wie viele Charaktertypen die Möglichkeit haben, die Fertigkeit Militärwissenschaft zu nehmen, die theoretisch in einem Cthulhu-Setting nur begrenzten Wert haben sollte.

Die Fertigkeiten werden jeweils kurz beschrieben, und als Zusatz gibt es hier die sogenannten Spezialtrainings, die notwendig sind, um diese Fertigkeiten in besonderer Art einzusetzen oder auch dafür Attribute zu verwenden. Spezialtrainings können exotische Waffen, aber auch ungewöhnlichere Fertigkeiten wie Fallschirmspringen als Teilaspekt der Athletik oder Ähnliches umfassen.

Ein weiterer wichtiger Charakteraspekt sind die Bindungen, die nicht nur Kontakte des Charakters sind, sondern ihm auch dabei helfen, seine Menschlichkeit und damit seine Stabilität zu bewahren. Abhängig vom Beruf definiert der Spieler mehrere dieser Bindungen, die einen entsprechenden Zahlenwert bekommen, der dann sinken kann, wenn diese Bindungen stark benutzt werden. Dies bildet eine Entfremdung mit der Bindung ab, was jedoch durch entsprechende Zwischenaktionen kompensiert werden kann. Wenn für den Spielercharakter noch ein paar Hintergrunddinge definiert und gegebenenfalls Facetten ausgesucht werden, ist der Charakter schon fertig. Facetten sind zusätzliche Lebensumstände, wie dass ein Charakter arm oder gläubig ist oder ein Handicap hat. Facetten bedeuten, dass der Charakter einerseits Vorteile bekommt, andererseits aber auch entsprechend Nachteile erhält. So liegt der Vorteil bei einem armen Charakter darin, dass er eine zusätzliche Bindung bekommt, gleichzeitig werden aber finanzielle Ausgaben erschwert. Hinzu kommen noch die Motivationen, die definieren, was den Charakter antreibt, wobei auch diese Motivationen durch die Erosion durch den Mythos verloren gehen können.

Nach der Charaktererschaffung werden die Regeln vorgestellt, wobei die Proben Prozentwertproben sind. Für Attributsproben wird deren Wert vorher einfach mit fünf multipliziert, um ebenfalls Prozentwürfel einzusetzen. Neben Erfolgen und Fehlschlägen gibt es kritische Erfolge und Patzer, die bei Extremwerten oder jeweils Paschwerten auftreten. Zusätzlich stellt das Spiel die Glückswürfe vor, die jedoch nicht mit einem Spielwert zusammenhängen, sondern einfach eine 50:50-Chance bieten.

Nachdem die grundsätzlichen Regelmechanismen erklärt werden, werden diese für Verfolgungsjagden und für Kämpfe besonders ausgearbeitet. Zudem nutzt das Spiel Willenskraftpunkte, mit denen sich Stabilitätsverluste, Störungen usw. unterdrücken lassen, sowie Regeln für Erschöpfung, die den Charakter vorübergehend schwächt.

Die Kampfregeln nutzen das typische Prozentsystem und zusätzliche Manöver wie Entwaffnen, Ausweichen etc. Hierbei gilt, dass die Spielercharaktere relativ wenig Trefferpunkte haben, sodass Kämpfe schnell tödlich sein können, insbesondere wenn Feuerwaffen im Spiel sind. Zudem verursachen Lebenspunktverluste schlimmstenfalls bleibende Schäden, was den Charakter weiter schädigt. Hier bietet der Action-Modus Regelanpassungen, die diesen dauerhaften Schaden etwas reduzieren, um Charaktere länger im Spiel zu halten.

Bei den Waffen gibt es eine besondere Regel, dass schwere Waffen einen Tödlichkeitswert haben, was einem Prozentwert entspricht, bei dem ein Treffer automatisch tödlich ist. Auch wenn die Tödlichkeit nicht greift, haben diese Waffen in der Regel dann einen regulären Schaden, der in vielen Fällen einen Charakter ausschalten dürfte. Natürlich werden auch andere Bedrohungen wie Gifte und Krankheiten, Ersticken, Feuer, Kälte und Radioaktivität vorgestellt. Auffällig bei diesem Kapitel ist, dass die Krankheiten und Gifte zum Teil in ihrer Wirkung relativ ähnlich sind. Auch suggerieren die Kampfregeln mit ihren Regeln für Tödlichkeit usw., dass die Spielercharaktere sich den cthulhoiden Schrecken mit schweren Waffen stellen können, wo die Realität jedoch häufig ist, dass sie weder diese Waffen besitzen noch diese besondere Wirkung hätten.

Ein weiteres zentrales Kapitel dreht sich um die geistige Stabilität, um den mentalen Verfall abzubilden, den Charaktere bei der Konfrontation mit dem Mythos erleiden. Hier gilt die klassische Regel: Wird die Stabilität eines Charakters angegriffen, würfelt er auf diesen Wert, und wenn die Probe misslingt, wird die Stabilität weiter reduziert. Wenn zu viel Stabilität auf einmal verloren wird, erleidet der Charakter einen temporären Kontrollverlust und wenn seine Stabilität unter die Belastungsgrenze sinkt, tritt eine Störung auf, die permanent ist und sich in extremen Situationen manifestieren kann.

Hierbei unterscheidet das Regelsystem drei Bedrohungen für geistige Stabilität, nämlich zum einen durch erlebte oder zugefügte Gewalt, durch Hilflosigkeit und durch Übernatürliches. Die Regeln sehen dabei vor, dass Charaktere, die sich mehrfach gut gegen Stabilitätsverluste durch Gewalt oder Hilflosigkeit wehren können, schließlich eine Abhärtung bekommen, die sie gegen weitere Verluste stabiler macht, andererseits aber ihre Bindungen schwächt, da sie Persönlichkeitsveränderungen erleiden. Natürlich gibt es eine Reihe Störungen, die je nach Quelle des Stabilitätsverlustes ausgewählt werden können, wobei hier die Liste deutlich kürzer und kompakter als bei anderen Rollenspielen ist, dafür aber gut zu dem entsprechenden Setting passt.

Ein zentraler Punkt des Spiels ist natürlich auch die Fertigkeit Unnatürliches Wissen, wie sie hier heißt, die sich um die Kenntnis der Wahrheit des Cthulhu-Mythos dreht. Und auch hier gilt, dass dies eine Fertigkeit ist, die häufig durch Konfrontation mit dem Mythos erworben wird und gleichzeitig die Stabilität entsprechend einschränkt. Wie üblich kostet das Lesen von entsprechenden Wissensquellen zu unnatürlichem Wissen die Charaktere Stabilität, genauso wie die Durchführung von Ritualen. Eine Besonderheit ist hier, dass Stabilität negativ für das Durchführen von Ritualen ist. Das heißt, je stärker die Stabilität eines Charakters ausgeprägt ist, desto schlechter sind seine Chancen für Ritualmagie.

Das Kapitel Zwischenszenen beschäftigt sich hauptsächlich damit, wie die Zeit zwischen den Abenteuern genutzt werden kann, um bleibende Schäden oder Störungen abzuhandeln und wie sich Bindungen weiterentwickeln. Hierfür gibt es eine Reihe von Freizeitbeschäftigungen, die mit einer Probe abgehandelt werden können und im Idealfall diese Werte verbessern oder stabilisieren, im Problemfall aber weitere Schäden nach sich ziehen, weil etwa Bindungen noch weiter abbröckeln.

Das abschließende Kapitel dreht sich um Ausrüstung, wobei hier der Fokus auf Ausgabenkategorien zur Einordnung der Kosten liegt. Ziel ist es hier nicht Buchhaltung zu betreiben, sondern bei der Beschaffung von Ausrüstung durch Spesen, Gefallen, Schwarzmarkt oder eigenes Geld pragmatisch zu entscheiden, welche Sachen verfügbar sind und welche Folgen der Erwerb hat. Zudem gibt es natürlich Listen von Nahkampf- und Fernkampfwaffen, die hier jedoch generisch beschrieben sind, sowie auch Körperpanzerung und Körpermodifikationen, also Implantate, die in einem futuristischen Setting zum Tragen kommen. Fahrzeuge werden nur kurz behandelt.

Auf den ersten Blick ist das FHTAGN Regelwerk sehr stark mit dem klassischen Cthulhu-Rollenspiel verwandt, weil der Grundtenor und viele Grundmechaniken hier übereinstimmen. Andererseits geht FHTAGN in einigen Punkten andere Wege und variiert das Thema Stabilität. Mit den Bindungen bietet es einen zusätzlichen Faktor, der abbildet, wie sich langfristige Cthulhu-Ermittler immer mehr von ihrer Umgebung entfremden oder diese Verbündeten und Freunde eventuell helfen können, nicht in den Wahnsinn abzugleiten. Auch dieser wird hier etwas pragmatischer herübergebracht.

Somit kann man FHTAGN als Spin-off des klassischen Cthulhu-Regelwerks sehen, das einige der Regelmechaniken etwas verändert und einige Konzepte anders abbildet. Der Regelkern basierend auf dem Prozentsystem, Schaden durch verschiedene Schadenswürfel, Fertigkeiten nach Berufen und geistige Stabilität finden sich hier aber auch wieder. An einigen Stellen wie den Berufen, Fertigkeiten und der Ausrüstung fokussiert sich das Buch auf weniger Optionen, was praktisch sein kann. Während FHTAGN für sich in Anspruch nimmt, stark auf den Kern von Lovecrafts Geschichten zu fokussieren, wirken dann Konzepte wie Tödlichkeit für schwere Waffen aus dem Kampfkapitel sonderbar, da die Ermittler, die sich dem Mythos stellen, selten über solche Ressourcen verfügen.

Von der Aufmachung ist das Regelwerk pragmatisch und nutzt vorwiegend freie Stockfotos zur Illustration, was manchmal etwas generisch wirkt. Welche Regelbasis besser zum eigenen Spielstil passt, hängt an der Spielrunde: FHTAGN ist das reduziertere Regelwerk, was mit den Regeln die Atmosphäre ein wenig verschiebt. Das klassische Cthulhu bietet hier viel mehr Material und ist von der Aufmachung auch deutlich opulenter. Mit dem gleichen Regelkern ist es jedoch einfach, Abenteuer oder Regeln von einem für das andere System zu adaptieren oder sich die Teile, die einem am besten gefallen, zusammenzuführen.

(Björn Lippold)

Die Geheimnisse des Mythos - eine Mephisto-Rezension

Die FHTAGN Spielwelt ist das zweite Regelwerk zu FHTAGN und richtet sich an den Spielleiter. Auch hier findet sich zu Beginn noch mal ein Vorwort, das die Zielsetzung des Spiels erklärt und es in den Cthulhu-Mythos und die Welt von H. P. Lovecraft einordnet. Dabei widmet sich die Einleitung zunächst dem Genre des kosmischen Horrors und den Prinzipien und Themen, die für dieses Genre gelten. Dazu gehören Konzepte wie, dass die Menschheit gegenüber dem kosmischen Grauen unbedeutend ist oder auch, dass die Spieler durch die Unberechenbarkeit der Welt und den damit einhergehenden Kontrollverlust dem Horror ausgesetzt sind. Hier finden sich auch einige Tipps, wie man die Horrorthemen entsprechend am Spieltisch verwenden kann. Gleichzeitig wird der Begriff der Yog-Sothothery eingeführt, der sozusagen der Kern von Lovecrafts Kanon ist. Und dieser Begriff wird in den späteren Kapiteln immer wieder in Textkästen verwendet, um die Elemente hier einzuordnen.

Nach dieser Einführung folgen die klassischen Spielleiterkapitel, beginnend mit dem unnatürlichen Wissen. Hier werden zunächst verschiedene Bücher vorgestellt, über die Spielercharaktere unnatürliches Wissen, aber auch Rituale erwerben können. Dabei wird auch erläutert, wie die Recherche in den Büchern entsprechend regeltechnisch umzusetzen ist. Hierbei gelten die üblichen Prinzipien, dass das Lesen und Recherchieren dieser Bücher Zeit kostet, Wissen und gegebenenfalls Rituale zur Verfügung stellt, gleichzeitig aber auch den Verstand bedroht und geistige Stabilität gefährdet. Ein interessanter Ansatz bei FHTAGN ist, dass die einzelnen Bücher teilweise gezielte Störungen beim Charakter auslösen können, was sie noch einmal etwas spezieller und gefährlicher erscheinen lässt. Natürlich werden eine Handvoll Bücher vorgestellt, wobei es hier in erster Linie um klassische Vertreter aus dem Mythos geht und diese vierzehn Bücher sich auf Kernelemente fokussieren und damit gegebenenfalls eine Schablone liefern, um auch eigene Bücher zu entwickeln.

Nach den Büchern folgen unvermeidbar die Rituale, also die Magie des Cthulhu-Mythos. Hier wird noch einmal auf die besondere Regel hingewiesen, dass zum Wirken von Ritualen die Stabilitätsprobe eines Charakters scheitern muss. Das bedeutet: Je stärker der Charakter bereits durch das unnatürliche Wissen angeschlagen ist, desto wahrscheinlicher ist, dass er Magie wirken kann. Auch hier liefert das Buch eine Reihe von ungefähr zwanzig ausgearbeiteten Ritualen, die erneut den Kern der üblichen Rituale abbilden und in diesem Fall auch Bezüge zu entsprechenden Geschichten von H.P. Lovecraft ziehen, die jeweils mit einem kurzen Textzitat referenziert werden. Wem diese Rituale nicht ausreichen, findet am Ende des Kapitels einen Ritualbaukasten, der erläutert, wie man eigene Rituale entwerfen kann, welche Komponenten zum Einsatz kommen können und wie man die regelmechanischen Aspekte abwickeln kann. Auch liefert das Kapitel einen Werkzeugkasten und Ideen, um eigene Ideen umzusetzen.

Weiter geht es mit den Artefakten, also einerseits außerirdischer Technologie, wie die Gehirnzylinder der Mi-Go, aber auch rituellen Gegenständen und anderen Artefakten, die typische Elemente des Mythos sind. Artefakte sind hier zumindest in der Regel in Gegenstände gebundene Rituale, die von den Charakteren aktiviert werden können. Erneut findet man Beschreibungen exemplarischer Artefakte, die Bezüge zu H. P. Lovecrafts Geschichten schaffen. Analog zum Ritualbaukasten gibt es auch hier einen Artefaktbaukasten, bei dem man entweder auf Tabellen auswählen oder auswürfeln kann, um schnell eigene Artefakte zu erstellen.

Das folgende Kapitel, Nichtspielercharaktere, ist extrem kurz, weil es nur anhand von zwei Beispielen kurz zeigt, wie man Nichtspielercharaktere baut, aber darauf verzichtet, eine wenig sinnvolle Bibliothek von Nichtspielercharakteren zu liefern.

Wichtiger ist dem Buch die Vorstellung der Kulte, also Organisationen, die innerhalb des Mythos agieren. Auch hier findet man wieder viele der üblichen Verdächtigen, wie den Cthulhu-Kult, den Esoterischen Orden des Dagon und andere Kulte, die entsprechend beschrieben und auch an Geschichten von Lovecraft verankert werden.

Den größten Teil der zweiten Hälfte des Buchs machen jedoch die Wesen aus, also die außerirdischen Kreaturen, sonderbaren Wesenheiten und Großen Alten, die im Kern des Mythos stehen. Hier gibt es jeweils eine kurze Beschreibung, die entsprechenden Spielwerte und Besonderheiten, sowie den obligatorischen Auszug aus einer Geschichte als Quelle. Dabei besinnt sich das Regelwerk im Kern auf die Wesen, die von Lovecraft eingeführt wurden und zudem gemeinfrei sind. Auch wenn diverse Große Alte vorgestellt werden, verzichtet FHTAGN Spielwelt darauf, für diese Spielwerte zu definieren. Bereits die Spielwerte einiger anderer Kreaturen fallen schon so aus, dass der kurze Hinweis, dass die Spielercharaktere eine direkte Auseinandersetzung nicht überleben können, gereicht hätte. Hier wird häufig der Regelmechanismus der Tödlichkeit genutzt, was die Begegnung entsprechend brutal machen kann. Bei Großen Alten gilt dann tatsächlich einfach, dass die direkte Begegnung mit ihnen in Tod oder Wahnsinn enden soll. Auch hier erhält man einen stimmigen Querschnitt und entsprechende Ideen und Kreaturen, die man verwenden kann.

Den Abschluss des Buchs macht der Kampagnenrahmen. Hier wird ein Ansatz geliefert, wie man FHTAGN als Kampagnenspiel spielen kann, indem das sogenannte FHTAGN-Netzwerk eingeführt wird, also eine Organisation, die die Charaktere zusammenhält und als Ansatzpunkt dient, diese immer wieder mit Elementen des Cthulhu-Mythos in Kontakt zu bringen. Dabei wird jedoch das Netzwerk nicht als fest definierte Organisation vorgestellt, sondern dem Spielleiter verschiedene Optionen präsentiert, um die Natur des Netzwerks an die Runde anzupassen und hier auch ein wenig die Aura des Geheimnisvollen zu wahren. Dazu gibt es noch eine kurze Ausarbeitung, wie bestimmte Elemente in anderen Zeitepochen zu interpretieren sind, um beispielsweise zur viktorianischen Zeit oder in den 1920ern statt dem Standardszenario der Jetztzeit zu spielen.

Die FHTAGN Spielwelt bietet genau das, was man für ein Cthulhu-Spielleiterbuch erwarten würde: gefährliche Bücher, schreckliche Rituale und grauenhafte Kreaturen, sowie etwas Kontext zum Spielen vor dem Hintergrund von H.P. Lovecrafts Geschichten sowie dem Aufbau einer Horror-Kampagne. Im Vergleich zu anderen Publikationen ist die Auswahl der Bücher, Rituale und Wesenheiten deutlich reduziert, was ich persönlich jedoch eher als Vorteil empfinde. Anstatt dass man sich durch Hunderte Bücher, Rituale und Monster arbeiten muss, bekommt man hier Inspiration, um entweder die Klassiker ins Spiel einzubauen oder diese als Schablone zu nutzen, um die Spielercharaktere mit überraschenden Elementen konfrontieren zu können.

Regeltechnisch ähnelt das Buch an vielen Stellen stark anderen Spielen, bietet aber beispielsweise mit den besonderen Auswirkungen von Büchern auch kleinere Ergänzungen, die sich stimmig anfühlen. Auch wenn durch die Nutzung von Stockfotos konkrete Illustrationen beispielsweise der Wesen fehlen, vermitteln die Bilder trotzdem eine passende Atmosphäre und lassen Platz für die eigene Fantasie. Damit ist auch die FHTAGN Spielwelt eine Alternative zum Spielen des Cthulhu-Mythos, insbesondere wenn man sich auf den gemeinfreien Kanon von H.P. Lovecraft fokussieren will und kompaktes Spielmaterial sucht.

(Björn Lippold)

Mythos-Mystery - eine Mephisto-Rezension

Es beginnt mit einer Nachricht des FHTAGN-Netzwerks, die die Spielercharaktere auffordert, mit einigen etwas ungewöhnlichen Gegenständen ausgerüstet in einer Straße in Berlin aufzutauchen. Wenn dann die Ereignisse eintreten, für die die Spielercharaktere herbeigeholt wurden, rutschen diese schnell in eine Geschichte, die noch mysteriöser und verwirrender wird, da die Grenzen von Raum und Zeit beschädigt zu sein scheinen. Die Spielercharaktere müssen herausfinden, was eigentlich passiert, und gleichzeitig die richtigen Entscheidungen treffen, um diese Phänomene aufzulösen. Mehr kann man über dieses Szenario leider nicht verraten, ohne die Spannung zu nehmen.

Grundsätzlich ist Zur Geometrie der Welt ein kurzes Abenteuer, das einen etwas freieren Verlauf hat, da hier die Spieler einerseits verschiedene Dinge ausprobieren können und sich andererseits das Szenario selbst hochdynamisch entwickeln kann.

Natürlich steht hinter all dem eine größere Hintergrundgeschichte, ob die Spielercharaktere diese aber in Gänze verstehen und nachvollziehen, bleibt fraglich.

Das kostenlose Abenteuer ist kompakt formuliert und sollte theoretisch auch an einem Spielabend durchspielbar sein. Neben dem Abenteuer selbst gibt es mehrere Handouts in Form von Zeitungsartikeln und Handy-Screenshots, um die Immersion zu verbessern. Zur Geometrie der Welt ist ein stimmiges und spannendes Mystery-Abenteuer in der Welt von FHTAGN, das als kostenloses Kurz-Szenario einen schnellen Zugang ermöglicht.

(Björn Lippold)

Ein cthuloider Escape-Alptraum - eine Mephisto Rezension

Mehrere Personen finden sich spontan in einem kargen Raum wieder, ohne eine Erinnerung zu haben, wie sie dort hingekommen sind. Sie finden jedoch schnell den Hinweis, dass sie eine Stunde Zeit haben, eine vergiftete Suppe, die auf dem Tisch steht, zu trinken. Falls sie dies nicht tun, würden sie „eingesammelt“ werden. Dies ist der Auftakt eines Escape-Szenarios, das aus mehreren Räumen besteht, die verschiedene Rätsel beinhalten.

Es liegt an den Spielercharakteren, innerhalb der einen Stunde Zeit in der Spielwelt, was ungefähr 1–3 Stunden Spielzeit entsprechen sollte, einen Weg zu finden, diesem Szenario zu entkommen. Für die Spielercharaktere ist es dabei deutlich weniger wichtig, den Hintergrund der Situation zu verstehen, als einen Ausweg zu finden. Und es besteht eine gute Chance, dass am Ende für sie einige Fragen offenbleiben, auch wenn die Charaktere es schaffen sollten zu entkommen.

Giftige Suppe ist als kostenloses Szenario für FHTAGN die Übersetzung eines ursprünglich japanischen Abenteuers, das sich laut Vorwort in Japan einer großen Beliebtheit als Einstiegsabenteuer erfreut.

Mit seiner Handvoll Räumen ist das Abenteuer schnell gelesen und einfach vorbereitet. Und zusätzlich gibt es noch mehrere Handouts zu Hinweisen, die die Spielercharaktere finden können.

Giftige Suppe ist ein durchaus spannendes Kammerspiel, das sich als Escape-Szenario für einen kurzen Spielabend eignet und dabei gegebenenfalls auch einige Grundlagen des Rollenspiels transportiert. In diesem Sinne ist Giftige Suppe nicht nur aufgrund der Tatsache, dass es kostenlos ist, einen Blick wert.

(Björn Lippold)