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Through the Breach RPG - Fated Almanac (1st Edition)
 

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Average Rating:4.6 / 5
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Through the Breach RPG - Fated Almanac (1st Edition)
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Through the Breach RPG - Fated Almanac (1st Edition)
Publisher: Wyrd Miniatures
by Alex M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/09/2016 01:10:47

Summary first! This game is a very nice alternative to dice based RPGs. It gives the game a fresh spin with some lovely mechanics which keeps the game fast paced and great fun. I would recommend it to anyone who has an experienced game master to lead the group.

The "tests" are all done by flips of a communal fate deck. With a target number associated with the difficulty of a task. But players have the ability to "cheat" by swapping that card for one in their hand. Each player has a cheat deck of 13 cards based on their character creation. As they develop their character these cards can change.

Characters are created in a fantastic way by dealing a tarot of cards. This generates the characters fate which they must either accept or try to cheat.
As the tarot is dealt it gives players atribute points which they need to allocate. There is always some positive and some negative, so you cant have a character who is good at everything! Which I like. Some RPGs allow the development of characters who I feel are too well rounded, this game gives a more honest feel of what people are like.

The character sheets are larger than other RPGs at 4 pages. But this also holds information on the fate of the character, cheat deck and gear options etc. For someone new to RPGs it may look a little daunting.

The book also holds some great fluff for the background of the world of malifaux to help set the scene and get you in the mindset of someone about to enter the breach.

All in all I think this is a great game with a fresh aproach to RPGing. I would recommend it. However If you plan on Game mastering (Fate mastering in this game) you will probably also need the fate masters almanac.

With so much to keep track of as the fate master I think you would need a bit of background knowledge and experience in RPGs to do it effectively. (but I will review the fate master almanac separately)



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Through the Breach RPG - Fated Almanac (1st Edition)
Publisher: Wyrd Miniatures
by Adrian S. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 07/20/2015 04:56:58

‘Malifaux’ is a game setting that has intrigued me for a while and so I leapt at the chance to review the RPG. The miniatures line has been running for a few years and has a very distinct look in both the sculpts and the artwork (much of which has been transferred across to the RPG book). The ‘Fated Almanac’ is the players’ book for ‘Into the Breach’ and contains everything you need to build a character (referred to as a ‘Fated’). The setting is simply fantastic and it is clear that a lot of development has occurred to ensure a consistently themed and intriguing world. In short-form, the city of Malifaux was discovered on the other side of a breach (the same mentioned in the title of the book) as well as the mysterious substance known as ‘Soulstone’. Earth’s economies adjusted quickly to the new trade item and the city soon fell under the sway of rival factions, and fed by a broad array of folks wanting to find their fortune on this new frontier (or folks wanting to flee from whatever wrongdoing they had committed on the Earth-side of the Breach). The city of Malifaux has a strange feel – a slightly Western, steampunk, Victorian feel that mashes the genres in a pleasing fashion. Whilst some elements are reminiscent of Deadlands and even Mordheim (both feature similar motifs and supernatural stones – both Ghost Rock and Wyrdstone), Malifaux manages to evoke a separate tone.

The game system is card-based and whilst there are ‘official’ decks for the game, you do not need one to play. There are a couple of quick modifications that allow you to use a standard deck of cards. This in particular lowers the barrier to play given that everyone at the table will need a deck. Skills and Talents are used in conjunction with revealed cards (called a ‘Flip’) to beat a Target Number. Some abilities will allow you to Flip additional cards, and each player also has a hand (called a ‘Twist Deck’) that allows for card substitution if the card you Flip is too low. However, there is an element of resource management as the Twist Deck is finite. Overall, anyone familiar with Target Number-based systems, and the notion of mechanics to influence the outcome of a score will find the system easy to pick up.

You’ll also find an array of spells, equipment, and special items to either round out or enhance your character. As with the other aspects of the game, character creation is handled by the cards. You lay a ‘Tarot spread’ of cards and then consult the character tables for the results. This will give you your stats (which can be assigned) and other aspects of your character. A nice touch is the prophecy lines that accompany each result. You can take all of these and construct them into a stanza which actually has an impact on the game. The GM (referred to as the ‘Fate Master’) uses these prophecies to provide plot hooks and there are in-game benefits when they come up in an adventure. After trying the character creation rules a few times, I easily understood the system, and there is certainly enough flexibility built into the process so that no two characters will emerge the same.

Overall, this is a great book. It’s worth mentioning that you don’t need anything from the miniatures line to play the game, but you might like to purchase some of the minis for the table nonetheless. The game line has a distinct look and simply having the models on the table might be evocative. The book mentions quite a few of the named models and how they fit into the world, but there is no sense that these NPCs would overshadow the PCs – they are simply mentioned as a matter of course and then left alone.

For anyone who likes the genres I listed above, I’d say this is a must-have. You could learn the game very quickly, but it does strike me as one that would support a number of very different play experiences for a long-term campaign. I will also check out the ‘Fate Masters’ Almanac’ and review it soon, but obviously if you are to run this game you’ll need both books.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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