Horror Rules From: Crucifiction Games Reviewed by: Ron McClung

Horror Rules is a new Role Playing Game Core book from Crucifiction Games.

Cheesy horror came to mind when I saw Horror Rules. Something with Bruce Campbell (early years) or some Scream Queen was all that I could think about. There are two ways to run a good horror game and I think they are equally fun. There is the serious and brooding game with mood lighting, candles and occasional spookie sound effects. These are fun in one-nighters, simply because the mood can't be kept more than one or two nights, and are good with the right people. The other kind is good for one night when you don't have anything else to do and you want to goof around and run around like Scooby Doo. Horror Rules is like the latter.

From the Front cover: “A complete (and completely different) Horror Comedy RPG”

It is a well-written, good spirited game geared towards fast and fun play. Its simplicity is pretty apparent upon opening the book, but the simplicity is part of its character. The character classes are general archetypes like Action, Con, Propellerhead and VIP. Each has a list of Occupations for the players to choose from, and a Character Power. There are a total of 6 Character classes or character types. As you can tell by the titles, each is tongue-and-cheek with a little sense of humor thrown in.

The powers are representative of his humorous approach, giving each player an interesting ability that is quite characteristic of the Type. For instance, the Con has the Character Power Looking out for Number One which gives the Con the ability to bail out of a bad situation only to reappear later somewhere else of the player's choosing. By regular RPG standards, some of these powers are pretty powerful, but for this game, it adds to the humor. However, the character can only use this power once per game. The skill system is another example of its simplicity and ease of play. There are eleven total skills, but the GM (or Rules Keeper) can make up more. The player has total flexibility as to what to spend his skill points on, and there is a maximum 4 level limit to all skills in the game.

Aside from the simplicity adding to its character, the system adds in Luck Points, which turns any failure to a success, and Second Thought points. A character doesn't get a lot of Second Thought - at most two at character generation time - and they are used when a player is really unsure of his next action. He simply spends the point and asks the GM if he has second thoughts about his next action. The GM must answer truthfully. I found that interesting and despite its simplicity, I can see how that can be fun for the GM and the player.

Finally, in character generation, the character can spend the "Point" on anything they want within a list of options - for example increase an ability score (Vital Statistic), more skills points, more Luck Points - OR the player can buy one Special Trait from the list of them. Each has an advantage but also a drawback. Most are pretty straight forward and common, but they add just enough spice to the character to make him interesting. The system is, of course, real simple. A d10 role vs. Helping Vital plus Skill level. The player must roll equal to or under the Target number. Simple, quick and easy to remember.

From the back cover: “You'll Die Laughing”

The Combat system is just as simple as everything else, relying on a d10 vs. Target Number. Each character gets multiple attacks in the 5 second round, using the Coordination ability (plus the weapon's rate of attack modifiers) to determine number of attacks. Because the roll is a one die roll, the combat system is easy flowing, and simple. I admire this. It accomplishes exactly what the authors intended. It can be brutal for the bad guys, because Critical Hits can out-right kill some if the rolls are right. I like this because I've always thought that Zombies should go down a lot easier than they do in a lot of systems. For player characters, it hurts elsewhere - in the Vital Statistics. Otherwise, damage is taken from Health Scores.

Supernatural abilities are represented either through the Special Trait Partially Psychic or through Faith. Again, this is fairly simplistic but leaves the GM a lot of room to create broader options with very little work. Also, within these pages are rules on Grip, the equivalent of the classic sanity rating. No horror game is complete without some kind of measure of mental stability in horrific situations. Once again, it is simple, easy to remember and very flexible. This includes options for Panic Reactions and totally losing your Grip, which gets into Meltdowns and going Off the Deep End. Many of these results are listed in tables, but not to worry, there is a quick reference sheet in the back that lists them all and can be photocopied.

The game also includes a short and simple list of modern weapons and vehicles.

The Rulekeeper section completes the second half of the book, starting out with a simple advisory on how to run good horror. A precious gem in this section, however, is a section about Plot Flaws. It encourages Plot Flaws, because it keeps the feel of cheesy comedic horror. It encourages Rulekeepeers, when players say "hey wait a minute, didn't you say....", to respond "Yea, don't you think that's a bit odd...?" I had a good laugh about that.

Another outstandingly original and yet again simple attribute is something called Stupid Thing Points. These points are earned by players when they do something their "Player's Intuition" says they shouldn't do. It promotes situations that are inherent to horror games but players aren't willing to go through because they know the GM is out to get them. Along with this is something called Plot Pushers. These are major events within the game that drive the core plot and are usually harrowing encounters that harm or maim a character. The interesting thing is that at a point when the players feel like they are at a dead-end, THEY can call for a Plot Pushers. This is a case when a Rulekeeper can say "They asked for it" and really give it to them. The reward, if they survive, is more Stupid Thing Points and a big clue in the plot. This gives incredible power to the players. I love it.

The last few chapters cover adventuring, creating monsters, some sample monsters and a short adventure. There are some very inspiring guidelines for the types of games that can be run in Horror Rules. The book itself is well put together, with fine penciled art throughout. The theme and feel of the book is definitely a game that doesn't take itself too seriously. The nice thing is that there is not extra fluff. For a book that is 100 pages, you'd expect to feel shorted. But you are not. It simply doesn't have all that extra fluff that a reader has to read through.

As a final note, I'd like to make a comment on the authors and their publishing company. I consider myself a Christian and a gamer, and it's nice to know that their are other Christian gamers out there that are just as passionate about gaming and having fun at it as I am. I was honored to write this review of their fine product.

In conclusion, I have to say that I was very impressed with Horror Rules and at the first opportunity I want to run it. One thing I get out of reading their work is that the authors are passionate about gaming. Their want to have fun is quite evident throughout this book. This is a very fun game, and I look forward to trying it out.

Fading Suns Revised Second Edition (RPG) By Ron McClung

Fading Suns Revised Second Edition marks the resurrection of one of the best RPGs “you have never heard of.” In 2007, Redbrick Limited of New Zealand acquired the Fading Suns license from Holistic Designs, Inc. Upon obtaining the license, Redbrick released a new version of the core rulebook, available in PDF, hardback, and softback versions. Originally published in 1996, the game developed a considerable following, appealing to a variety of role-playing game fans across the world.

Written by Andrew Greenberg and Bill Bridges, known for their work at White Wolf Games, the game is rich in background and depth. One might describe Fading Suns as Frank Herbert’s Dune meets H.P. Lovecraft. However, it is much more than that. It is a lesson of human existence, faith, and how we are doomed to repeat the lessons of the past if we do not learn from them.

In the dawn of the 6th millennia, humankind has reached out to the stars and built a vast empire. At one time, the Second Republic ruled the known worlds and was a relative utopian society, spanning many worlds with unimaginable technology advancements. However, the Second Republic collapsed several centuries ago after mankind squandered and fought over their prosperity. A new Dark Age fell over the known worlds for a thousand years until a new empire arose from the ashes.

This new empire is considerably human-centric, with most other sentient species subservient in some fashion. Human society in the 6th millennia is modeled after our own Middle Ages. Humans control known space through three ruling groups. First there are the Nobles, made up of five major houses and several minor houses. Next is the League of Merchant Guilds, made up of five major Guilds and several minor guilds, representing those who trade and produce. Finally the Church, made up of five sects, protects the souls of the known worlds. The emperor, a noble granted the title by a majority of the factions, rules over all.

The Church is modeled somewhat after the medieval Catholic Church, complete with an inquisition. The Church tightly restricts technology through the Inquisition, for they see man’s over-reliance on it as the cause of the Second Republic collapse. It is heresy for one to put more faith in technology than in the Pancreator or God. The Church’s power is bolstered by something called the fading suns phenomenon, where stars are literally vanishing at random for unknown reasons. The Church sees this as a sign of human failing and hubris.

The League, through the Charioteers Guild (Pilots), strictly controls travel through space which is done through ancient gates that mankind discovered throughout the galaxy. These gates were apparently built by an ancient race dubbed the Anunnaki. The Nobles on the other hand are the elite political power ruling over the commoners and controlling most of the wealth.

The game system is called the Victory Point System. It uses a single 20-sided die for tasks and 6-sided dice for damage when needed. Fans of Fading Suns either love or hate the game system. Those that hate the system, however, have overlooked it or reworked the system’s shortcomings in favor of the great game universe. The system gives a gritty realistic feel to the game. It focuses on the players’ role-play more than dice rolling and statistics. It is very flexible and customizable, as many of its past fans have discovered.

The Redbrick’s revisions include considerable reformatting, a much larger table of contents, an expanded index, incorporation of errata, an additional adventure, and some additional tables in the back. The new layout is much better than the 1999 2nd edition book. A newly formatted character sheet is included in the back. I found the new tables invaluable.

The authors liken adventuring in Fading Suns to the medieval “passion plays”. In many ways, Fading Suns deals with grand themes universal to human experience while at the same time allows for classic storylines of sci-fi and fantasy. Intrigue can and usually is a big part of this game universe, but swashbuckling adventure can be found also. Fading Suns has elements of both science fiction and fantasy and appeals to both types of fans.

Dumbass! From: Blacksburg Tactical Research Center (BTRC) Reviewed by:  Ron McClung

Dumbass! is a new Card Game (PDF Format) from Blacksburg Tactical Research Center (BTRC).  Some time ago, I wrote a review for F*ck This!, a card game by Blacksburg Tactical Research Center. It was a great game, but a little offensive for some. It involved streaming together words and phrases to form the most vulgar sentence one can put together. Dumbass! is derived from the same mechanic but is less offensive.

From page #2: “You will take the part of one of these walking wastes of oxygen in an attempt to pull off the most boneheaded stunts as possible.”

The PDF includes a 6 page rulebook and the cards in PDF form as well. Obviously, the first thing one needs to do is print out the cards on hard stock and cut them out. They are in a business card format, so they can easily be printed on an Avery perforated template. There are about 130 cards, 10 per page, and he even includes the card back.

The concept of this game "honors" those that make the content of web sites like the Darwin Awards or the local "dumb crook news." Your goal is to pull off the most boneheaded stunts by piecing together stunt sentences through card play. Once you complete a stunt sentence, you pick up all the cards in that stunt and add them to your score.

Most Dumbass! cards have words or partial phrases on them. They are either actions, people, places or things. They also have trump values. Cards can be played on top of other cards but only if they have a higher trump value. At the edge of each card are numbers and shapes designating what cards can be adjacent to it in the stunt sentence. They also could have a coffin or handcuff symbol on them, which warns the player that the card could possible get the player hurt or arrested, and in this game that is a good thing. Some cards also have a "start" or "end" symbol on them, which signifies that the card can start or end a stunt (respectively). Finally, there are also little hazard symbols on the cards that kind of act like suits in a traditional card deck (explained later).

Each player starts with 5 cards and play starts with the dealer. You have two options on your turn. The first is to trump one card and play another adjacent to any card in play. If you complete a stunt after this, then you can pick it up. The second is to play as many cards as you can without trumping or picking up a stunt. There are special cards called Secret cards. They are the only cards that can be played out of turn. They are simply played, and then either discarded or placed in the player's score pile, depending on what they say. They cause a variety of things to happen including stealing cards and adding cards to score piles when certain things (like someone getting arrested) happen. 

A stunt is complete when it starts with a "start" card, ends with an "end" card, and has a total of 10 or more trump points. It also must be a complete sentence and not part of a larger sentence. You are "arrested" if you have a total of three handcuffs in the stunt and "hospitalized" if you have three coffins in the stunt. You earn extra points for them. Also, if there are three matching hazard symbols or five different symbols, you get extra points. Winner is the first person to 12 points.  

The author, at the end of the rules section, supplies alternate ways to run and alternate rules like trading and the "dumbass" rule - if a player takes 30 seconds to decide in his/her turn, he/she is called "dumbass" and lose that turn. My favorite alternate is Dumbass Poker which as the name implies is a twisted version of poker using these cards. 

In conclusion, like its predecessor, this game is brilliant. The best part about it is that it is not just simply a cleaned up version of F*ck This!. It is actually a totally new concept with the same mechanic and just as hilarious. This is a fun and quick game, great for parties or just your group of friends. I highly recommend it.

Nocturne (EABA) From: Blacksburg Tactical Research Center Reviewed by: Ron McClung Nocturne (EABA) is a new Role-playing Game Setting from Blacksburg Tactical Research Center.

From page #1.2: “If you open your mind for me, you won't rely on open eyes to see. ”

First, let me say you can not go wrong with a gaming book that opens with a quote from one of the greatest bands of the 80s, Queensrÿche.

Once again, I delve into a unique Blacksburg Tactical Research Center (BTRC) world written for EABA. I have since reviewed two others - Age of Ruin and Dark Millennia. Nocturne is a markedly different setting from the others. First I will quote the RPGNow text that accompanies this product to get a perspective: "There is the material world, the world of the hereafter, and the world in between. Nocturne is the world in between, that both reflects and shapes the real and the divine."

Nocturne is an EABA role playing game setting where reality is what you imagine it to be. It is a game of reality and legend, myth and mystery in the modern world. A world where dreams are as real as anything else, but only a chosen few can really explore them. To the average person - a Sleeper - the dream world is nothing more than an intangible place to sort out your subconscious thoughts. However, to others it is more. These Dreamers explore the world of Nocturne. For these special people, Nocturne is tangible and can be dangerous. This is a campaign world that either can be a stand alone world or an overlay to another EABA campaign.

Content: In Nocturne you play a Dreamer - one who can remember and manipulate their own dreams and enter the Nocturne world. They go into the dream world and among other things, encounter the Others - Dreamers with a strong hatred of men that lurk in the Nocturne. Sleepers are those normal mundane folks that are asleep and have dreams but do not actual Dream. And then there are the Wakers - those not sleeping and not normally seen in the Nocturne. The Introduction gives you that a little more about each type of person as well as the different aspects of the Nocturne (Pattern, Weave and Thread).

Dreamers are complex and rare individuals. The Adventurers chapter takes the reader into the journey of creating a Dreamer, from formulating their origins and background to choosing reinterpreted as well as new traits. It also introduces some new skills specific to Dreamers including Weaving, Threading, Creating, Projection and Invoking. These new skills are key to Nocturne and to a Dreamer. Otherwise, an Adventurer is a normal human in a modern mundane world.

There is something that all Dreamers are instinctually aware of. It is an event that some want to happen while others do not. What is it? No one really knows, but they call it the Awakening. Some relate it to a type of apocalypse or some 'End of Days' within Nocturne. All anyone knows is that there are factions within and without the Nocturne. Some want the Awakening to happen while others do not. In game terms, it is the core plot device to drive a campaign within Nocturne. It can be interpreted anyway the GM sees fit. This is one concept I like in games like this - an open-endedness that does not give too much information and gives the GM room to be creative.

From this point on, the PDF is primarily about the Nocturne and what you can encounter there as well as a short section on the Apocrypha. The character stat Fate plays a big part in traveling and manipulating the Nocturne. You can use Fate as per the normal rules of EABA but it is also used in entering the Nocturne and changing it with one of the new skills. Times passes as it does in the Materia (normal world). The Dreamer can enter the Nocturne where they stand or transport themselves to another place in the Nocturne. Everything in the normal world has its equivalent in the Nocturne, so you can appear in the same room and in the same building you are in now or you can appear in the middle of some desert formed by a Sleepers despair.

The Nocturne is that which is between Life (Materia) and the afterlife (Apocrypha). So not only are there Dreamers from the Materia going in and out, but there are also the spirits of dead Dreamers. The author spends a considerable amount of time on how one interacts within the Nocturne, how combat occurs, and what happens when one dies. Weaving is explained further in this chapter, as it is the primary way you manipulate the Nocturne. Also Threading, Creating, Projection, Invoking, and Traveling are explored a bit further.

After getting more of a feel for what the Nocturne is, the PDF delves into what is IN the Nocturne. From Entities (sentient beings originating from the Apocrypha) to Shadows to Bogeymen, there are several weird and sometimes nightmarish things to be encountered in the Nocturne. Following this is a section called Friends & Foes, and this primarily defines for the reader organizations and cadres formed by other Dreamers. These are the secret societies or Power Groups, formed by Dreamers to use their abilities for their own purposes. There are those working for the Awakening like the Mater Ecclesia (a secret branch of the Catholic Church who believe the Awakening is the Rapture), Anarchists (who believe the Awakening is the ultimate chaos), Pagans ( a group of mystics and Wiccans who believe that the Awakening will bring a new age of peace and prosperity), and the Enlightened (a group of people who believe the Awakening will bring about 'global consciousness').

There are also those that are working against the Awakening, like the Architects (a group of scholars and scientists who believe the Awakening is the ultimate blow to the human psyche), the Vikings (a collection of people who believe that the Awakening will release the power of the old gods), the Psilent Pservice (a general group name for all the different Dreamer groups that work for the world governments), and the Priesthood (a group of Dreamers who follow the "old ways"). Friends & Foes also includes sections on Allies & Enemies and the Others.

The Others were an off-shoot pre-human species of very powerful Dreamers in the early evolution of man who were competed into near extinction. There are some pure-blood Other that still exist, although they can not walk among us because they are very different from us. They interact with the rest of the world through the Nocturne. They do not walk among humans because due to evolution, humans are genetically coded to react violently to Others. There are also half-breed Others, who in most cases live near the full-breeds and sometimes serve them. This is one of those subtle nuances I like in a Greg Porter game. It is one of those nuggets that I either really like in the game or use in another game. The Apocrypha is that area that lies on the other side of the Nocturne where the souls of the dead are drawn into and occasionally visit the Nocturne in the form of Shadows. This is the basic afterlife concept, with its own Hell and Heaven interpretation. There are Primal Forces identified for each - Lucifer and the Creator, respectively, and have their respective minions. It also integrates concepts of Reincarnation and the Abyss (the Nocturne well of human extreme negative emotion and desires), as well as a place called Valhalla (resting place of warriors and dead gods).

The PDF ends with an adventure, advice on campaigning, and a list of Nocturne personalities. All this of course is handy in getting a perspective and inspiration for the game.

System: Characters, if playing a pure-Nocturne game, are normal human characters. If using Nocturne as an overlay, then you would use the character generation rules of that world, plus add in the additional traits and skills the Adventurers chapter supplies. The new skills relate to Dreaming and manipulating the Nocturne. Additionally, there are some minor rules additions like Cooperative Skill Use.

Supernatural powers and magic is handled through the either the new Threading skill (will-based skill that allows you to change how you or someone else appears in the Nocturne), Weaving (an awareness-based skill that allows you to change the nature of the Nocturne itself), Creating (will-based skill allowing you to create illusions within the Nocturne), Projection (will-based skill that allows you to project your will on others and manipulate things created by Threading skill), Invoking (a skill that allows you to summon a Nocturne "elemental" of sorts) or a Sorcery Skill as described in the core rulebook. As with the other skills, the Sorcery magic only occurs in the Nocturne.

From the website: “All Dreamers know that the Cycle is drawing to a conclusion, and there are many who are not content to simply observe, but want to shape the Cycle for their power and profit. And behind all are the Others, the first Dreamers, implacably hostile to humankind, and very much alive and scheming.”

Layout: The art is pretty good, but not on par with the art usually found in BTRC's stuff. The layout itself is very similar to other EABA PDFs and easy to follow. I have said it before, Greg is a master PDFer. The clickable Table of Contents (which not everyone includes) is very handy and makes things easy to navigate through.

In conclusion, of all three EABA-verse PDF settings I have read, I feel this is my least favorite. It is very representative of Greg Porter's imagination and ingenuity in game setting design. However, it is a little too "Acid-Trip" for me. Much in the same way I never liked Call of Cthulhu Dreamlands, this game world simply did not appeal to me as a stand alone world. I can see the potential as an overlay to another campaign, but not sure I would dedicate too much time in it. The world is part Nightmare in Elmstreet and part cyberpunk cyberspace. There was an old movie from the 80s that this game reminds me of - Dreamscape in 1984 with Dennis Quade. These Power Groups get into the meat and potatoes of what a Nocturne campaign would entail - Intrigue, mysticism and factional loyalties. Between that and the bizarre world of Nocturne, I can see an interesting campaign developing.

Dark Millennium (EABA) From: Blacksburg Tactical Research Center Reviewed by:  Ron McClung

Dark Millennium (EABA) is a new EABA Setting PDF from Blacksburg Tactical Research Center. You can find my review on the EABA system and other EABA settings on Gaming Report. Greg Porter is a very imaginative and gritty game writer.  Dark Millennium is another example of Greg's unique vision and passion for gaming.

From page # 1.3: “The ones behind. The ones behind, they ate Father Olsaf. They are dead yet they walk. ”

Setting:  Dark Millenium takes a dark world and makes it darker. It is the classic "what-if" scenario merging two not-so-original settings into one dark world. The concept - What if the apocalypse started during the Dark Ages, one millennia after the death of Christ (1033 AD). What if the events as described in Revelations started just after the collapse of the greatest empire and barbarians were ravaging the land. This is the setting for this EABA sourcebook PDF. It is a gritty and dark world where human hope is at its dimmest. The world around the humans of western Europe has collapsed around them with the fall of the greatest empire the world had seen. However, they have no idea how bad it has gotten. The first seal on the scroll of seven has been broken in Heaven and events are in motion to bring the world to its final destruction. With the Heavens wrangled in a war with themselves, man is left with only faith and steel to fight off the dead arising again, hungry for the flesh of the living.  

And this is only the first seal...

The setting's history is our own up until 1033. That is when things change and everything is different from there on out. It is not the quaint and honorable fairy-tale world of classic fantasy or the feudal world of late middle ages. It is a world left behind by the great Roman empire, striving to recover. Kings and other nobles have only just begun their reigns. With the apocalypse coming, the world from 1033 onward is going to be a much different one than the one we know from the history books. In this setting, the author starts out by explaining an intriguing concept - playing two characters. Of course, it is not original to play more than one character, but in this setting, he encourages to play two types of characters who are on totally separate campaigns or adventures. The first (and traditionally the primary character) you play is a regular adventurer from somewhere in Dark Age Europe. The other is something else entirely.  

The second character is optional, if the player and the GM agree. It is called a Lesser Fallen - a demon with great power that seeks to redeem himself. While the player plays the adventurer seeking to gain power, the demon works to lose power the sins have granted him and return to Earth forgiven and atoned. The two characters do not have to meet or be in the same party, and in fact the author encourages two separate adventure paths. They may meet occasionally, but they both are usually on separate journeys.

This kind of thing makes a regular old setting book something more. It adds more to the game than NPC and monster stats. I like this approach simply because of the story possibilities.  

Content: After the obligatory introductory short story and general informational introduction (Chapter 1), Chapter 2 covers the above and everything else you would want to know about characters in Dark Millennium (DM). It provides more traits specific to the DM setting which includes an extensive explanation of Status, which is very important in the world of DM. From Nobility and Clergy, the adventurer's position in life usually is key. Also the character's gender has an effect on the type of character they can play. I like social realism, and this contains a satisfying amount. Also included are new and expanded skills for the DM setting, as well as a section of goods and money. Because EABA is a generic system, it uses the metric system for measure as well as the generic credit for money.   The last third of chapter 2 covers the Second Adventurer a player can role-play if he and the GM so chooses. It explains the power that a Lesser Fallen would have in game terms as well as its motivations and destinies. It is safe to say that they are considerably more powerful than your regular adventurer and until the Lesser Fallen has come to grips with his destiny, the two should not meet.

From page # 1.6: “This island, this place, is no longer a place for a village, for women, or for children.”

The other major thing this setting books brings to EABA is its rules on Supernatural. Chapter 3 delves deep into the supernatural of Armageddon, which primarily involves the living dead and divine or faith based magic - the enemy and the ways to fight it.  In general, the undead in DM are zombies, vampires and ghouls, but they are not your standard "text-book" or "Monster Manual" creatures by the same name. They are weaker in some aspects and stronger in others. Using clever Latin derivations of their names, the author takes you into his own interpretation of the undead. The originality is in the subtle nuances and how inspiring they are. Of course, the dead crave human flesh or blood, and the author goes into detail on what happens when they do not get it, how much they need, and what else they must feed on.

The powers of undead vary from creature to creature except the one primary ability which is they are all hard to take down. Each is detailed with strengths and weaknesses. Following this are the powers of good, which includes blessings (like Laying of Hands, Communion, Consecration), which are simple powers that just happen but require a certain amount of faith to maintain, and rituals like Last Rites, Baptism and Marriage. It also includes other supernatural items like dark rituals, relics, and finally magic (white and pagan).

This marks the halfway point of the PDF. The remainder of the PDF contains background to the game world, equipment, and general advice on adventures in the dark millennium. This is where Greg's unique sense of history and imagination comes out. He provides small nuggets of knowledge about society, geopolitics, and history of the time period the game is set in. It gives an abridged version of important subjects like surnames and naming conventions in 11th century Europe, important people of the time period as well as the nations and kingdoms. One thing I found interesting is his section on games of the period. A very valuable section is the one about professions of the time, giving an accurate perspective on what people can play rather than using the standard D&D templates. There are also sections on commerce, mining, warfare, and ways things were constructed back then.

The Campaigning section really delves into the concept of DM - the coming end. Portions of this draw from the Book of Revelations as well as Judeo-Christian apocalypse mythology. It provides you an outline of the events that occur during the dark millennium and how to deal with them. They are basically events that are prophesied, and the characters will either know of them or learn of them during the campaign. All of these events are collectively called the Secret Revelations. There are several series of Revelations to choose from, and in fact the author recommends not using certain ones because they are simply too devastating. They are simple included to give the reader some perspective on the End of Days. These Secret Revelations include the Seven Seals, The Great Battles, and the Seven Trumpets.  Logically following the Campaigning section are three short adventures to help the reader get started in this campaign world. These adventures show that not only is the game about taking our walking dead, but also it is about the human condition, human failing, sin, and faith. Because of the Judeo-Christian inspirations of the game world, there is a fairly strong spiritual side of things.

The book ends with a fairly comprehensive Gear chapter and an index.

System: This setting book does not bring a lot to the system, but it does bring a little. For one, setting specific traits and other traits re-interpreted for the setting are included. Also, the rules surrounding the undead and the powers of good are new approaches to powers and the supernatural in EABA, using the same system of powers and traits as the core system. The powers include blessing and rituals for believers in the Creator as well as Pagan rituals. The Magic system is framed just like powers in the core system and include spells like Loaves and Fishes, Heal the Sick, Walk on Water, and many others inspired by Biblical miracles.

Layout: The art is fantastic, as it usually is with BTRC's stuff. Ever since I bought Guns, Guns, Guns way back when, I have liked his taste in art. The layout itself is very similar to other EABA PDFs and easy to follow. Greg is a master PDFer. The clickable Table of Contents (which not everyone includes) is very handy and makes things easy to navigate through.

In conclusion, Greg Porter has done it again with a powerfully original and different setting. The two I have reviewed - this one and Age of Ruin - although dealing with similar concepts - the end of the world - actually are markedly different. The originality is subtle and those amount of a subtleties effect the game world significantly, making every EABA experience different. This is a game that combines the hack-n-slash of a zombie game with the deep and heavy subjects of spirituality and sin in the Dark Ages. It is an interesting trip into two very key facets of gaming in general.

Ghostowns & Gunsmoke From: Crucifiction Games Reviewed by: Ron McClung

Ghostowns & Gunsmoke is a new Roleplaying Game Expansion from Crucifiction Games. Some time ago, I reviewed Horror Rules, which is an outstanding product. Since then, Crucifiction Games has released several expansions, one of which is Ghostowns & Gunsmoke (G&G) - their western horror setting book. It is available in both PDF and softback book.

From page #1: “Welcome to the Wild Wild Wicked West - Free Pine Box Fittings Every Thursday”

Assuming you are familiar with Horror Rules (which you would have to be to play this game), G&G brings to the game new Character Types, new Western Skills, new Special Traits, new rules for Western Mayhem, new Western Bad Guys, new Western Weapons and Gear, Ghostown & Gunsmoke Character Sheets, background and source material, and a complete Ghostowns & Gunsmoke adventure, "A Fistful of Livers."Part One of G&G covers the additions it brings to Horror Rules. The new Character Types include City Slicker, Doc, Gunslinger and Indian. They each have their own unique character powers like the Gunslinger's Dead Eye and the Doc's Patching Holes. Character skills include some new skills as well as skills from the core book that are renamed "to sound more Old Westy." Of the skills, several are new, including Bows n' Arrows, and Cowboy. Some name changes include Hackin' n' Whackin' (Melee Weapons), Shootin' (Gun), and Sawbones (Medicine.)  

G&G also adds a new set of Special Traits. These include Deathwish, Gamblin' Man, and No Speak'um English. Like in the core rule book, these are used to spice up the character and give them more depth.  New Weapons & Equipment covers the obvious - guns, ammo and stuff for the Wild West setting. This is a fairly comprehensive list, giving the players enough to work with.

G&G also brings something new to the game of Horror Rules. Now a player can Take a Gamble, using a special set of rules presented in G&G. These are used at a point when a player wants to take a gamble. Any situation is applicable - attempting a task without a skill in it, trying something risky with an NPC, or trying something heroic. When the player wishes to use this option, he must state that he wants to "take a gamble that..." and state the gamble he is going to take. For example, the player may say "I'm taking a gamble that there's a back door to this saloon..."  

The key part of any gamble is the Wager. Wagers can be any in-game commodity from weapons and gear to health, Grip, Second Thought Points or even character powers. Once the wager is agreed upon between the GM and the player, then comes the moment of truth - Laying Down Your Cards. The player makes a roll against his Gameblin' skill. If the player succeeds, he keeps his wager and succeeds at the task in question. Otherwise, he loses the wager or he can Double Down - try again against his skill only by doubling his wager. This in my mind, is brilliant. It is a very cool and fun mechanic.Another interesting mechanic is the good old-fashioned classic Wild West Quickdraw. Players may find themselves in a situation similar to the classic Western face-off. In this case, the game provides a quick and easy way to perform them in-game. It gets quite comical when two Gunslingers with the Dead Eye power face off. One option to determine who goes first in that case is whoever calls Deadeye out first wins the draw. Setting the Scene is a short section on the Western setting, with a few historical references as well as few facts of life about the West in that time. There is not a lot of detail but enough to give you an idea. This game is not about historical accuracy and reenactment, it's about having fun. One area I think they did well in is the sensitive area of Native Americans and their role in the old West.  

"During the Wild West era, Native Americans were largely misunderstood, mistreated, mistrusted and generally given the shaft. While we can't be proud of how we treated our brothers, we can't overlook or sanitize it either. Native Americans played an integral role in the settling of the West, and to fully embrace this epic time without including them would be a disservice."

It shows guts that they did not sanitize it and kept it real.   This section also gets into the superstitions and supernatural of the West, a little. It introduces a short description of the Society for Supernatural Inquiry, a group that can serve as an enemy or a ally to the players in their G&G adventures.  

The Ruleskeeper section, like the core book, supplies the Ruleskeeper with all he needs to "scare the pants off people." The Ruleskeeper is reminded that the Old West was a violent and dangerous place and to make sure the players know it. It sets the scene of a gritty and dark place that most everyone should be familiar with through movies or books, and then asks the Ruleskeeper to throw in the creepy and strange, the alien and weird. It also encourages the use of player cards for a game a poker or blackjack if the adventure calls for it, to set the mood. It also gives you general guidelines as to how to create a good Western Horror adventure, reminding the reader that they don't have to know Old West history to have a good adventure. 

At the end there are three creatures supplied (the haunting Buffalo Spirit, psychopathic Coyote Jack, and undead Miner 49er), and an adventure called A Fistful of Livers. This adventure opens in a small town in Core Butte, Wyoming, where something dark and sinister is taking place. It is a fun little introduction to the game of Horror Rules and the G&G setting.

The layout is fairly basic and nothing to go crazy about, but it is well written and a fun read. The art is on par with the rest of the Horror Rules line, which is basic black and white sketches. The art is better than some but not as good as most. However, you are not buying this for the art, you are buying this for the fun.

In conclusion, I enjoyed Horror Rules because if its simplicity, its focus on ease of play and fun, and its general fun nature. Ghostowns & Gunsmoke is not any different. Old West cheesy horror is as much fun if not more than modern cheesy horror. One of the things I like most about this and their other supplements is that it is very entertaining to read, especially from a gamer point of view. These guys have a fun and goofy sense of humor. It is a great expansion to a great game.

Kraken's Loom From: Redbrick Limited Reviewed by:  Ron McClung

Kraken's Loom is a new Short Adventure (PDF Format) for 2nd Edition Fading Suns from Redbrick Limited.

Fading Suns is the best game you have never heard about, in my opinion, at least in the game material and background arena. The system leaves a lot to be desired and that is maybe why it did not hit as big as it should have. It has been resurrected by a company in New Zealand, Redbrick Limited, as part of a new licensing deal with the creators, Holistic Designs Inc. Kraken's Loom is one of the first products to be released by Redbrick as part of their online Fading Suns Shards series.

Kraken's Loom is a short adventure designed for a group of 3 to 6 Fading Suns player characters (PCs). It can be used as part of an existing campaign or as the start of a new epic. In this adventure, the characters search for a missing Hawkwood Count, lost a few years ago when a ship disappeared leaving Leminkainen space. This adventure seeps in Fading Suns lore and myth, as the players investigate whether the reports are true - that the ship was attacked by a dreaded Void Kraken. It takes them into the Known Worlds and beyond into barbarian Vuldrok space to a world known as Hargard.

From the website : “It is the dawn of the sixth millennium and the skies are darkening, for the suns themselves are fading.”

As the adventure mentioned, it would serve the GM well to have a copy of Hawkwood Fiefs: Imperial Survey 1 for the information on Leminkainen as well as Star Crusade for the information on Hargard, but they are not required. There is a section in the intro that gives you a short rundown of each world. 

NOTE: This review should only be read by someone who wants to run this adventure. While I do not give away the ending, I do give a way some of the flow of the adventure. The adventure background spins a tale of lost ships and legends of space krakens. Ships disappeared all the time, from pirate raids or barbarian attacks, but sometimes it is something else. One ship, the Lexington Script, disappeared a few years ago and someone of interest was on it - Count Anderton Blake Hawkwood. Recently, an item thought lost on the Lexington Script has turned up, making people wonder what else or who else might have survived. There are two conflicting parties interested in this item, which creates an interesting intrigue. The first is the sincere relative who has lost her cousin. The other is a noble who stands much to lose if this cousin was to return to claim his holdings.

Plot Summary: The adventure is basically an investigation into the disappearance of the ship by interviewing several key characters. They travel from Leminkarinen after interviewing a few survivors and the ship captain that found the survivors in their life pods, to Hargard in Vuldrok barbarian space following the trail of the item thought lost - an heirloom owned by the lost count. There is a lot of background and atmosphere setting text in it. There are also several very three-dimensional characters with good backgrounds and believable motivations. There is good intrigue and role-play opportunities. However, there is not a lot of action set up in the adventure, although there is potential for it for a creative GM that can come up with encounters on the fly. 

Locales: The focus of the adventure takes place on two very different worlds. The adventure expresses many times about the culture shock inexperienced characters might have between the comforts of the Known Worlds and barbarian space. The party gets to interact with House Ramakrishna of Hargard, the Vuldrok people of Thane Eldrid the Wise, and a heretical cult with dark intentions. 

From the website: "A New Dark Age has descended upon humanity, for the greatest of civilizations has fallen and now even the stars are dying.”

Antagonist: The bad guys vary throughout the adventure. The first opposition depends on which proposal they take when they are approached by both sides of the plot-line. Assuming they take the more honorable approach, the opposition would be the noble that stands to lose something if the group finds the missing count. This, I have to admit, is not explored deeply enough but it can be with an imaginative GM. Beyond that, the enemies range from the regular thug on the street that wants to steal their shiny things to the cultists in the end.

The other NPCs, in particular the survivors of the Lexington Script and some of the House Ramakrishna characters, are very interesting and present great roleplay opportunities for the GM and the players. This adds to the appeal of the adventure a lot. Overall, each NPC has appropriate depth for the adventure but there is room for more.

In conclusion, it is no secret that I am huge fan of this game universe, although not a big fan of the system. This is the second in the Shard series of adventures. This one is full of intrigue potential and story. It definitely has the Fading-Suns-feel. It has a good grasp of what a Fading Suns intrigue investigation needs with a lot of good background deeply entrenched in all that is Fading Suns. However, it does pace a little slow without some GM-inserted encounters or personal story hooks. The intrigue and the essential parts of the investigation are there and are good, but there is not a lot to wake the characters up between these essential acts. It has depth and richness but maybe too much. By far the best part is the ending, which is sort of a surprise. However, the ending also opened up other possibilities for intrigue and action in past acts, so the GM should read all the way through and see how they want to integrate what he learns into the earlier acts.

The PDF ends with a few sections on changing the plot slightly and spinning off other adventures from this one. There is a lot of potential for more adventure with this PDF and it is easy to see this as a starting adventure for an interesting campaign.