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Eclipse Phase earns a place as a truly distinct RPG for those seeking the space between sci-fi, horror, cyberpunk, suspese, and conspiracy theory-crafting. It manifests as a deeply mature work of writing that seriously considers the implications of unimpeded technological discovery and evolution divorced from the perceived shackles of ethics, morals, and 'the common good' that plunges humanity into near extinction. The political, religious, philosophical, and technological themes are all-pervasive, and represent a game that frames threats as existential; challenging the player-characters to become immersed in a game that asks difficult questions without providing clear answers. In short, this is a game where personal truth (with a lower-case 't') is far more likely than any universal Truth - and even then it can morph, mutate, or be forcibly altered into something very different in the span of only a few game sessions.
Within this futuristic setting 95% of the human population have been destroyed, and the remainder have embraced (to varying degrees) transhumanity - that humanity is more than a fleshy form, and consciousness is a valuable asset that can be saved, restored from back-up, and even beamed across light-years to be re-sleeved into new forms. Experimentation on the natural world has 'uplifted' species to sapient levels; to the point these creatures are autonomous, self-determing life forms who need reassurance of their status and place in the expanding galaxy. Earth is a dangerous wasteland, its' near orbit littered with failed attempts to escape and the frozen remains of those doomed to never leave - the rest of humanity has spread across the solar system. Political strucutres are diverse, from the autocratic repressive regime of the Jovians (whose increasingly isolationalist totalitarianism outlook threatens internal obselecence) to the values-driven democratic socialist clades (and every possible permutation in between and beyond).
Society is constructed from uploaded and saved sapients, effectively immortal, and able to edit memories, and tailor their forms for every environment but bearing a great psychological and emotional cost. Humanity, though, is presented at its' self-destructive, cannibalistic best - even the threat of species-level extinction fails to act as a deterrant for perpetuating class divides, a death-grip on capitalist structures and intellectual property, and imposing scarcity economics.
It should be noted that the lion's share of this book is dedicated to setting. Whilst the mechanics (a percentile system) are well-detailed, described, and implemented, it is the incredible attention to a believable habitat for the human race that is most compelling.
The authors are obviously well-aware that the philosophical themes, sheer scope and diversity, and choice position it as a possibly confronting purchase. Mitigating this are the highly practical advice sections that delineate portions of the game, present the essentials, and then offer ways to purposefully grapple with the concepts at the table. The writers exercise excellent judgment in the topics covered, and this section is placed about halfway through the book - roughly about the time my head was full of racing, competing ideas that defied immediate attempts to fashion them into usable ideas. In that state of excited creativity, I was presented with sections that grounded my ideas, provided focus, and helped me to pare down the core elements of interest. Once completed, I was ready to dive into the rest of the book.
The writing style is mature, thoughtful, and thought-provoking, but at the same time accessible. The authors acknowledge the work of others as inspiration, and fans of Takeshi Kovacs, The Expanse, and even Ghost in the Shell will find enough touchstones to easily digest the content.
As mentioned, the content sequencing and structure is a highlight, and it is clear the developers tried to predict how readers would use the book, in what order ideas should be presented, and when the reader was likely to need a short rest to collate.
Artwork is uniformally evocative of the universe presented, and has a gritty, yet tasteful approach that complements the text.
Overall, I cannot praise this book more, and will add a physical copy to my shelves. Even if you do not intend to play this game, but it for the setting and you'll not be disappointed. I have no experience with the First Edition upon which to base comparative reviews, but as my entry point to Eclipse Phase this has given me a lot to think about, plenty of inspiration, and a desire to read more.
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Whilst I am not overly familiar with the Fallout franchise, I am a sucker for post-apocalyptic settings. When offered the review copy, I spent an evening reading Nukapedia Fallout Wiki only to discover that the setting was compelling enough to explore further.
The Wasteland Warfare RPG Expansion is designed primarily for folks who have purchased the Wasteland Warfare minis game and want to branch off into role-playing sessions. As long as you have this background knowledge as your lens, there will be very few surprises. As such, the game assumes you have the custom dice, character cards, and other card decks included in the minis box. That said, the purchase of this game includes the digital character cards and playmats, so this alleviates some of the issues. You could also buy the requisite decks, and the custim dice seperately if you really just want the RPG experience.
The expansion book allows you toplay a wide selection of character types, from fixers, researchers, pilots, foragers, and bandits, through to infantry, snipers, Brotherhood of Steel Paladins, and even ghouls or a Mr Handy Robot. Most of the game is icon-driven as shorthand, so the icon reference sheet will be a must at the table (although I'd imagine that those already playing the miniatures game, or playing the RPG for a sustained period of time will learn the icons). Characters are customised by selecting Gifts (such as Dead Aim, Famous, Sense of Time, or Wealthy), Scars (such as Hemophiliac, Dullard, or Diseased), and then some Perks (like Bloody Mess, which means that enemies tend to be intimidated by displays of your combat techniques; or Lead Belly, allowing you to ignore the irradiation effects from consuming tainted food and drink; and every party will love Scrapper as it generates more resources when scrounging).
The system is very straightforward; with Tests conducted on Skill Dice, Armour Dice, or any of the four Effect Dice. The results are interpreted and applied depending on the type of test required. At this stage, I want to commend the authors for the use of icons - on p. 52 there is specific mention of the icon design incorporating colour blindness; thus any gamer accessing this book who percieves colour differently can rely on the icon shape to indicate the type of dice rolled, rather than simply the colour. As the dice are all very different, identifying them becomes relatively simple too. It's the first time I've seen a company consider this in game design.
Included in the book are rules for iincorporating the RPG with the Wasteland Warfare miniatures game which may be of interest to gamers seeking to maximise their enjoyment and use of both games, and again is a nice touch. The one hundred pages of setting background, rules, and advice is rounded off by a chapter for the Overseer (GM) with plenty of tips on running games that fit the Fallout mood. The remainder of the book is given over to a thirty page module (very interesting premise with lots of potential), five pages of miniature gallery photos, a one-page icon reference (that also includes the page numbers upon which those concepts are found), and an index. For a 138-page book, this fits a lot in, and gives you the tools to play in the Fallout Wasteland. I'd imagine those more familiar with the video-game franchise will be able to make excellent use of the book, but for someone who was only vaguely familiar with the setting (I now know why you need to collect Caps, and how important Vault-Tec is, so I'm getting there) I can see so much potential for post-apocalyptic mayhem. The only rules I failed to see in the book concern vehicles (vehicles are mentioned in a lot of the background setting sections, and the images show wrecked cars, so I assume vehicles exist). That said, there are plenty of repair, Armour, and Object rules that creating your own shouldn't be too difficult (it certainly beats walking everywhere, and scavenging fuel would be a session of challenge, I'm sure).
In all, this has a lot of promise, and I intend to try it out very soon. One of my gaming group has the miniatures game, so between us we have the resources to host a sessionor four. I'm very much looking forward to downing a Nukacola, fending off ghouls, and scavenging for my life in the Wasteland. Highly recommended.
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Whilst I am not overly familiar with the Fallout franchise, I am a sucker for post-apocalyptic settings. When offered the review copy, I spent an evening reading Nukapedia Fallout Wiki only to discover that the setting was compelling enough to explore further.
The Wasteland Warfare RPG Expansion is designed primarily for folks who have purchased the Wasteland Warfare minis game and want to branch off into role-playing sessions. As long as you have this background knowledge as your lens, there will be very few surprises. As such, the game assumes you have the custom dice, character cards, and other card decks included in the minis box. That said, the purchase of this game includes the digital character cards and playmats, so this alleviates some of the issues. You could also buy the requisite decks, and the custim dice seperately if you really just want the RPG experience.
The expansion book allows you toplay a wide selection of character types, from fixers, researchers, pilots, foragers, and bandits, through to infantry, snipers, Brotherhood of Steel Paladins, and even ghouls or a Mr Handy Robot. Most of the game is icon-driven as shorthand, so the icon reference sheet will be a must at the table (although I'd imagine that those already playing the miniatures game, or playing the RPG for a sustained period of time will learn the icons). Characters are customised by selecting Gifts (such as Dead Aim, Famous, Sense of Time, or Wealthy), Scars (such as Hemophiliac, Dullard, or Diseased), and then some Perks (like Bloody Mess, which means that enemies tend to be intimidated by displays of your combat techniques; or Lead Belly, allowing you to ignore the irradiation effects from consuming tainted food and drink; and every party will love Scrapper as it generates more resources when scrounging).
The system is very straightforward; with Tests conducted on Skill Dice, Armour Dice, or any of the four Effect Dice. The results are interpreted and applied depending on the type of test required. At this stage, I want to commend the authors for the use of icons - on p. 52 there is specific mention of the icon design incorporating colour blindness; thus any gamer accessing this book who percieves colour differently can rely on the icon shape to indicate the type of dice rolled, rather than simply the colour. As the dice are all very different, identifying them becomes relatively simple too. It's the first time I've seen a company consider this in game design.
Included in the book are rules for iincorporating the RPG with the Wasteland Warfare miniatures game which may be of interest to gamers seeking to maximise their enjoyment and use of both games, and again is a nice touch. The one hundred pages of setting background, rules, and advice is rounded off by a chapter for the Overseer (GM) with plenty of tips on running games that fit the Fallout mood. The remainder of the book is given over to a thirty page module (very interesting premise with lots of potential), five pages of miniature gallery photos, a one-page icon reference (that also includes the page numbers upon which those concepts are found), and an index. For a 138-page book, this fits a lot in, and gives you the tools to play in the Fallout Wasteland. I'd imagine those more familiar with the video-game franchise will be able to make excellent use of the book, but for someone who was only vaguely familiar with the setting (I now know why you need to collect Caps, and how important Vault-Tec is, so I'm getting there) I can see so much potential for post-apocalyptic mayhem. The only rules I failed to see in the book concern vehicles (vehicles are mentioned in a lot of the background setting sections, and the images show wrecked cars, so I assume vehicles exist). That said, there are plenty of repair, Armour, and Object rules that creating your own shouldn't be too difficult (it certainly beats walking everywhere, and scavenging fuel would be a session of challenge, I'm sure).
In all, this has a lot of promise, and I intend to try it out very soon. One of my gaming group has the miniatures game, so between us we have the resources to host a sessionor four. I'm very much looking forward to downing a Nukacola, fending off ghouls, and scavenging for my life in the Wasteland. Highly recommended.
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This is a magnificent piece of work, reminiscent of a dying art in RPG core books. By that, I mean a slightly smaller-than-usual book (in dimensions), coming in at 256 pages, and containing absolutely everything you need to run the game in one place. Add in some Fate dice, and you have the makings of a long-term campaign for very little outlay. Production values are high, the artwork is uniformly good (players of the Dresden Files co-op card game will recognise many pieces) and the writing style is highly engaging.
Having no experience with the Fate system before this, I am led to believe the 'Accelerated' moniker points to a streamlined version of the rules, specifically designed to lower the learning curve for the game. This certainly works for me, but don't let the 'lowering the learning curve' description fool you. The system is elegant and easy to learn (and run) but the flexibility becomes apparent after you play a few sessions; and then possibilities start emerging and an appreciation for the design really stares out from the pages.
Character creation is very easy and straighforward, yet allows for high levels of customisation. For example, you could create two Wizards, but with the various packages and intepretations left up to the players, they can be wildly different, and completely playable. Characters can be drawn from Wizards, Fae, Vampires, Werewolves, Knights, and regular folk who have become entangled with the supernatural. The perks for each type of character mean that everyone has a chance to shine; a Reporter will be able to contribute as much as a Werewolf, just in different ways in different scenes - and there's very little overlap.
The main points are to do with the party's familiarity with the novels. Firstly, as noted by other reviews, this book assumes you are completely up-to-date on the novels (as of this review, you should have read 'Skin Game' before diving into the RPG to avoid spoilers). This is a major bonus in some ways, but a drawback in others. Secondly, there is a certain level of lore required to completely immerse yourself in the setting, so the GM at least should be familiar with the novels and the setting. In our group, one of the players and myself are Dresden fans, the other two players have never read any of Jim Butcher's work (for shame). The players unfamiliar with the setting picked it up well (we drew a lot of references to World of Darkness, with which they are familiar), but the player with setting knowledge was able to take a greater advantage of opportunities in the game. This sounds like common sense, but it's worth noting nonetheless, in case you are considering the purchase.
Overall, this is a highly flexible game that encourages the GM and players to work together on the story, supported by a great rules set, with all the tools (except for the Fate dice) required to play the game in one volume. As a fan of co-operative play in general, and Dresden in particular, I've purchased a physical copy to complement the digital, and will be running this for some time to come.
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A GM Screen is an essential part of my gaming kit. Whilst constructing your own is extremely easy with .pdf books, it's always good to have a rpeconstructed option. This bundle includes a printer-friendly 4-panel screen with a good selection of often-used charts, and provides stunning artwork for the exterior of the screen. It also includes the character sheets for the Original Series, and Next Generation crew. The main items I found useful on these sheets were the Values as inspiration for character creation. By showing players these character sheets, they were able to create their own character Values with some ease, but unless you intend to allow the players to take these as their characters there isn't a lot of added value to their inclusion. The Quadrant Map is spectacular, and I'd like to see if I can print this off in A3, or larger as it provides a great map to place on the table during play as a ready-reference.
Overall, this is a useful package, but at the time of review, the price point is high. The nearly AUD30.00 price tag is something I'd consider were this in print and on the shelf at my FLGS, but not for digital-only files that I need to print and then construct. The usefulness of the product, production values, and reusability are all very high - it only loses stars for me due to perceived value for money alone.
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As a long-term but casual fan, I've never been tempted to try a Star Trek RPG before, despite the previous incarnations; but I am glad that I have run Star Trek Adventures as this game has become a staple at my table. As one would expect with game built on existing intellectual property, it presents ways 'to boldly go', exploring the galaxy and the myriad of tales and encounters that such a rich franchise offers. The default time period is Star Trek: The Next Generation, but it provides plenty of advice for adapting the game to other parts of the Star Trek chronology.
The book is remarkably comprehensive in both the types of Starfleet roles, and alien races represented across the organisation. Equipment and starships runs the list of the iconic and easily recognisable, essentially giving you all the tools to make this feel like an episode of Star Trek.
Character creation is a points-buy system modified by Life Path. We found the Life Path extremely useful to generate quirks and to shape broader views for each character that really provides a spark of life and key ideas around which any player can anchor the portrayal of their character. There is flexibility in the Life Path to either roll for a result, or select a result that directly aligns with the players ideas. This is a rewarding part of character creation; and gave some great motivations for the characters at our table (from the Bajoran Medical Officer who studied medicine after his village was ravaged by disease, to our Vulcan overcoming an 'illogical' distrust of transporters after an accident almost left him dead).
Where the system really excels is in the inclusion of Values. As the word suggests, these are core beliefs that influence a characters’ behaviour and how they respond to situations. They require a lot of thought from the player, but offer a rich yet simple tool for role-playing. Interestingly, they come into play by offering some advantages when a character acts in accordance with their Values, but can cause internal conflict if situations arise that challenge that Value. For example, a Medical Officer with the Value ‘No One Dies On My Watch’ is vigorous in the defence of life and will exhaust every opportunity to preserve personnel. However, what happens to this character if a member of the Away Team willingly sacrifices themselves for the team? Lots of potential for storytelling and good roleplaying here.
The system uses the 2D20 system, and players use a combination of Attributes and Disciplines to generate the Target Number under which they must roll to succeed. Difficulty is achieved by increasing the number of successful dice rolls, and this streamlines the system well. The mechanics I enjoyed most was Momentum, and Threat – the two enjoy a symbiotic relationship that provides a good flow and pace for the game. Momentum points are generated by extra successes (or agreeing to add Threat points to the pool), can be used to buy more dice for a roll, and are accessible by all players. They can also be spent for a range of in-game effects too. Threat, on the other hand, is spent by the GM to introduce challenges, reinforcements, complications, and the like. As such the two pools work to create a dynamic play environment.
We played a long session of the game to try it out and found that character creation took about half an hour, and it took about that long again to completely pick up the rules smoothly. I created a ‘cheat sheet’ of the main rules and page numbers in advance (took me about an hour), and the session moved at a good pace – almost as though we’d been playing for months. The game mechanics supported the feeling that this was a game of Star Trek and it was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.
The only point for improvement I noted was the book layout. There’s a lot of white space, and random deck plans, images, and communiqués inserted that don’t add a lot to the text. The section on the chronology of the universe wasn’t especially helpful; presented as a series of in-universe documents that the reader needs to contextualise. I found the Memory Alpha wiki timeline to be a great replacement for this chapter, which is a shame, because casual fans like myself don’t have an in-depth working knowledge of the universe – we just enjoy it as entertainment, and now want to game in the same universe. That said, it’s an easily remedied situation, so it should not stop you from buying the book.
I highly recommend this book, as it makes the universe highly accessible to fans who want an enjoyable, thematic win when experiencing the opportunity to boldly go where no one has gone before.
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I always use a GM screen, mostly as a handy space for those oft-used charts and tables (when not covered in my own sticky notes). The Symbaroum Screen is an incredibly useful resource that accompanies me to every game. Aside from the excellent and considered selction of charts and tables, the artwork is evocative and helps to set the scene. A must-have for all Symbaroum gamesmasters.
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These are an absolute 'must-have' for anyone considering VAV products for the Storyteller Vault.
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An excellent resource once again for Storyteller Vault authors. Works perfectly, and lends a air of professionalism to any KotE work.
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These types of titles represent great investment for any Storyteller, and can easily be used to spawn entire chronicles. The format follows that a story seed is presented, some steps and avenues for exploration and (in some cases) resolutions are suggested, and then relevant statistics are provided for adversaries.
In this title, the Pentex subsidiary O'Tolley's appears to be at the centre of an incident involving the Sept and it falls upon the Pack to investigate the sinister goings-on.
Overall, the layout is very professional, clear attention to detail, and a strong writing style that demonstrates a great grasp of Werewolf: the Apocalypse. You can tell that the author has put a lot of thought into the logical flow of information, and with a little work, any Storyteller could adapt this to their table. It represents excellent value for money, and I'm keen to check out the rest of the range.
Highly recommended.
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As usual, my reviews of 'Wyrd Chronicles' are limited to the 'Through the Breach' module contained within. This installment gives Games Masters 'Smuggler's Run', a great story about a disrupted (and completely illegal) moonshine shipment that sees the Fated despatched to Edge Point and thence into the Bayou to investigate.
This is definitely a high-spirited adventure with plenty of opportunities for laughter and general gremlin hijinks as the Fated scour the Bayou for traces of the distillary only to discover the mayhem at the heart of the moonshne shortage. Throughout this adventure there is plenty of advice on how to expand encounters, and how to develop a much longer story with this as the starting point.
This would be excellent for a group that wants a break from the city to try their hand out in 'nature', or if you are looking for something more darkly humorous than the average game of 'Through the Breach'.
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This is seriously incredible. I'm always on the lookout for orchestral music either to use in-game, or as inspiration for writing games. This soundtrack achieves both with hgh production values, crisp audio, and a variation in style and tone that does not feel forced.
From 'Eclipse Phase Overture' that mixes an ominous yet epic mood (and gives the sense of dark majesty for a subtley dangerous galaxy), to 'Lagrange Point 1' with it's synth minimalism that slowly builds in strangeness, to the low tension of 'Pandora Gate', and oddly (yet satisfyingly) upbat 'Sunward', the CD does represent a fine range of tracks that are flexible enough to be used in almost any science fiction setting (although I can see uses for some of the tracks in Shadowrun, and World of Darkness games).
Definitely worth the cover price, and a great addition to your audio library.
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Whilst the rest of the content in the eZine is always of high quality (I'm still amazed this is a free publication), the module 'The Forgotten' was the main reason for my download. This is probably one of the most complex and challenging modules to run out of any found in 'Wyrd Chronicles'. On the surface, it appears to be a simple investigation into a haunted house, but there is far more at stake. I'd start by suggesting that any potential Fate Master thinks carefully about their group and the themes in this module - it is not for everyone. It does call for some decisions that players might find deeply uncomfortable, and the main antogonist is an excellent example of the horror that lurks in Malifaux beyond the ken of humans.
That said, the module is a mystery first and foremost as the Fated try to find answers to claims of a haunted house, and a family that wants only peeaceful existence. The Fated need to draw on plenty of resources, but fortunately the module provides the Fate Master with the necessary tools to guide the investigation, and provide allies as needed.
Aside from the warning about the potential for uncomfortable scenes, the story demonstrates a great grasp of what makes Malifaux a distinct setting. There is depth to the narrative, and the NPCs are well-developed, and provide plenty of role-playing opportunities. The resolution of the story will also lead to greater consequence for the Fated, should this be run as aprt of a campaign.
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This review covers the module in eZine 25 'Rust and Ruin'. This is a fine accompaniment to the module 'The Whispering Affair', as both seem to be of similar ilk on face value. The focus of 'Rust and Ruin' is on the missing daughter of a Guild Sergeant, such a nice young lass who can't have possibly know anything untoward of the sinister side of Malifaux. It is up to the Fated to find news of the missing teenager, and bring her back safely to home.
The investigative sections in the module are well-designed, and offer challenge not only in gathering the clues to her location and the circumstances, but there are some politically-motivated decisions to make too. The combat encounters will certainly challenge even the most well-organised group and can be scaled accordingly. Overall, it does provide an excellent view into the seedy underside of Malifaux, and the Fated are given some difficult choices to make at the conlcusion of proceedings. Highly recommended for an evenings' session, and it can easily spawn a multitude of further adventures if the Fate Master wants to expand any of the ideas or 'loose threads' at the end.
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The module 'The Death of Truth' is the focus of the review. Many of the eZine modules tend toward a linear plot, with very straightforward story-lines. This is actually a strength of this series, as they provide flexibility for those groups with plenty of time, or can be run 'as is' with little preparation to fit into smaller timeslots. Also, the plots are highly transferable, and the authors are to be commended for the continuing series - and did I mention that this was in a free publication?
This module provides a lot more character choice than many of the other module sI have reviewed, although it does have enough 'Plan B' options in case players need a nudge, or ideas for their characters to pursue. In short, the module deals with an unlikely request from the Three Kingdoms that will require ingenuity, creativity, and (in part) some luck to pull off. It relies on the players seeking alternatives to violence (although there are a few scuffles ot be had along the way), and out-thinking the machinations of their opponents. It's also one of the rare modules where the characters get to accomplish something 'good' for someone else.
This would be a great module to introduce if you are looking for a change of pace, or a new challenge for your players. It rewards inventiveness and lateral thinking, so if that is appealing to your players, download a copy as soon as you can.
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