Being someone who missed the bus on the original D&D in the 80’s and only having truly come into TTRPGs in the 90’s with Legend of the Five Rings and World of Darkness, I will admit that I only had a passing understanding of what made dungeon crawling RPGs a thing.

I knew they were fun. And I knew that people weren’t in it for the story.

So I came into this Let’s Study for Dragonbane with the lowest of expectations, and come out with the highest of praise.

A Thing of Beauty

One can’t begin talking about Dragonbane without actually considering the aesthetics. Free League Publishing is famous for it’s amazing work in terms of the look of their games, and Dragonbane is no exception.

The artwork of the game manages to convey the feel of the game’s claim of “Mirth & Mayhem”. Cartoonish elements like the Mallard race, mix delightfully with the darker fantasy bits of the game giving it a strange balance between a beer & pretzels kind of game… but also one that doesn’t let you let completely go of your tactical thinking.

The illustrations in the Core Rules are top notch, and consistent in tone, never feeling like they were cobbled together haphazardly. There was clearly very strong art direction, and the monster illustrations, in particular, were a highlight for me.

So Much Game In So Little Pages

Dragonbane doesn’t have much in terms of setting. Some things are implied, but hardly anything is really explained. That said, what IS there is a solid game where the mechanics are conveyed clearly, and in a fashion that gets you playing as soon as you can.

Players have a good number of options to play, and nothing feels particularly wrong. I don’t think there terrible “builds” in the game, as the skills and relatively small spread of HP means people occupy similar levels of power.

The Mechanics for Combat and Adventuring are complete, and while it might be a bit deadly, it does manage to play up the tactical nature of the game. Sure it’s funny at times, but there’s plenty of tense moments too when you’re not sure you’ll manage to survive an encounter, especially when up against a monster.

Solo Capable

As I mentioned in my coverage of the Solo Rules, Dragonbane is completely equipped, and adds what amounts to a full campaign for solo play in the Alone in Deepfall Breach. What’s more, there’s no need to go get a separate GM emulator or other tools, Dragonbane already has them all right there for you to use.

A Full Campaign

The Adventure book that comes in the corebox also includes 11 different adventures, all of which are strung together to form a campaign. That’s already quite a bit of playtime stuffed into a single box. Sure there won’t be too much in terms of say, cultural exploration, or A Game of Thrones-style backstabbing and politics, but Dragonbane knows what it wants to be and does it well.

Everything Else

The promise of a core set that had everything brought me way back to 1989, when I first opened my Star Frontiers Alpha Dawn boxed set and got dice, maps, the rules, and cardboard counters.

Finally seeing this format return in Dragonbane brought a tear to my eyes, as it makes it for an excellent gift to a budding new GM or a gaming group who is looking for a game that they can quickly get on the table and start playing.

Conclusion

Dragonbane deserves to be on your shelf, whether in physical format or digital via VTT. Free League Publishing delivers on the promise of a complete game in all fronts, and does so without sacrificing quality.

There’s so much already said about the value of this set, but I can’t stress enough the fact that the game itself is already worth almost twice the cost of the set itself. Sure there’s so much that hasn’t been written about the setting, but that’s something that I imagine Free League will be working to expand on very soon. Already they’ve released a Bestiary, and at the time of this writing they’ve already gotten The Path of Glory Adventure Campaign on Pre-Order!

Dragonbane is a must buy on anyone’s list and will certainly be among my first and strongest recommendations for anyone, from those new to the hobby who are intimidated by big rulebooks, to someone who is looking for a nostalgic kick with a streamlined system that’s easy to teach and run.

This is a portion of a full series of Let's Study articles focused on breaking down the various sections of Dragonbane. If you'd like to read up on more of it, please visit

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/category/roleplaying-games/dragonbane/

I have no doubts that Imperium Maledictum is the Warhammer 40,000 game that I've been waiting an awful long time for. It does a great job as a "spiritual successor" to Dark Heresy and improves on it in ways that doubles down on the investigative angle in a terrifyingly corrupt Imperium that makes one wonder how the entire thing is still somehow operational given that it's held together by duct tape and prayers to the God-Emperor of Mankind.

Mechanically, the game stands out in terms of supporting careful and clever investigation thanks to the Superiority mechanics which rewards finding things with actual advantage in an confrontation. Add the Faction and Influence bits and you get a game where you are constantly favor trading with a host of groups that have their own agendas.

Setting wise, the Macharian Sector is HUGE, and a masterwork of building a setting where every planet is enough to kick off a full campaign. The writing team clearly brought their best work to the table and I applaud them for the effort.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention how pretty the book is, in the bleak and dire Warhammer 40,000 sort of way. Cubicle 7 has never failed in terms of artwork for their Warhammer RPGs and Imperium Maledictum is one of the better ones. The layout is also easy to read and the tables are easy to reference. Having page references built into the margins helps a ton as well.

Imperium Maledictum is a very, VERY easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys Warhammer 40,000 from a more human angle. Sure you won't be a Space Marine here, nor will you be going into fistfights with the Orks, but if you're looking to do some good old Eisenhorn-style adventuring while putting few bolt pistol shells into the skulls of a heretic, you'll find it right here.

This is a portion of a larger Let's Study series of my blog that goes through the various sections of the book. If you're interested, you can find it here:

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/category/imperium-maledictum/

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from Chaosium

Third in a series of books covering the various gods and cults of the Glorantha setting, The Earth Goddesses brings the focus towards the goddesses (and gods) relating to the Earth Rune.

If anything I was looking forward to digging into this book a little more than The Lightbringers, if only because as a GM, I was determined to get myself to a level of comfort with Glorantha’s setting and vibe so that I could start running it with confidence. The Lightbringers’ focus on the most player-friendly set of gods was a great start, but I was interested to see how Chaosium was going to make these gods equally (if not more) compelling to players.

Structurally, the book sticks with the same format as The Lightbringers, with a primer on the Earth Goddess religions and their tenets, along with a mini encyclopedia of the Earth Pantheon. This book features sixteen cults:

Out of this list, the three “heavy hitters” would be Ernalda, the preeminent Earth goddess, Aldrya, the goddess of the Woods and Elves, and Mostal, the god of the Dwarfs. Each of these gets an extra number of pages to go through their natures, as well as their religious institutions, practices and worship.

What’s more valuable is the fact that the Elves and Dwarven history, myths and society are given extra attention in the entries for Aldrya and Mostal. This is a huge deal for someone like me who is relatively new to the setting. I’ve honestly been avoiding a lot of the Elder Races in RuneQuest as I felt I was unprepared to run them and didn’t have much to go on outside of the Bestiary, but the information found in The Earth Goddesses is worth the price of admission.

With regards to the artwork, the books continue to be utterly beautiful, and I find myself quite compelled to collect the entire set in physical form as it feels shameful to not at least have this completed and on my shelf.

—

Cults of RuneQuest: The Earth Goddesses is a powerful follow up to The Lightbringers. While the first book is a splendid onramp to the wonders of the various Cults for new players and GMs, The Earth Goddesses is where you really get the sense that the writers decided to really showcase the grandeur and depth of the fictional mythology at the heart of the game.

Not only do I recommend it, I’m also very excited to see the rest of this splendid line to completion, and will gladly pay for it.

Disclaimer: I received a Review Copy of this book from Chaosium

Named after the group of gods that took on the Lightbringers quest, this supplement is perhaps the most “entry level” as this collection of gods are the ones most likely to be chosen by players (save for Ernalda, who shows up in The Earth Goddesses).

The book opens up with quick primer of what to expect from the book, starting with a primer on the Lightbringers religion and their understanding of the world, a neat map of where the religion is prevalent and a mini-encyclopedia of the Storm Gods and the Lightbringers.

The book then launches into the meat of it’s content, the gods and cults (and subcults!) of the Lightbringers. This book contains no less than nineteen different gods. For the curious, these are:

Each god’s chapter is broken down into a treatment of their Mythologies and Histories, the nature and organization of their Religion, and of course the initiations and benefits to Lay, Initiate, Rune Priests and Rune Lords. There’s also sections dedicated to subcults, associated cults and for particularly powerful cults like the Orlanthi, subservient cults.

Among the benefits of the cults are access to spells, and spells from subcults, and for special cases such as Lanbril, the God of Thieves: magical devices.

Each of the chapters is an eye opener for someone as new to the setting as myself, and it’s interesting to see that each Cult really does behave as it’s own religion, despite existing alongside so many others that are capable of their own spells. The writeups are vivid and lovingly crafted, clearly meant to seize the imaginations of players into considering characters for any of these Cults and make them cool.

I should be ashamed to make it this far in my review without mentioning the incredible artwork and layout of this book. Not only is it easy to read, but the colors and vivid illustrations are all powerful and attention-grabbing. I would be more than proud to have these around my home for guests to pore over and marvel at the artwork.

—

As a new GM to RuneQuest: Glorantha, I have found The Lightbringers to be a solid addition to the RuneQuest line, easily fitting right alongside The Red Book of Magic as a “must-have” in the line.

It’s an easy volume to hand to players, especially if they’re stuck in bind when it comes to choosing what kind of character to play. Rather than picking a class, the Cult sort of takes that place, filling out so much more than what the character does… but the whys and hows and the morals that inform their choices.

Homeworld Revelations is a great example of a corebook that delivers pretty much everything. Modiphius clearly took all the lessons they learned from developing Star Trek Adventures and refined it into Homeworld. The rules are rock solid, if a bit intimidating to new players. That said, I hope that enthusiasm will help get over that hump, and the fact that there’s a Quickstart product out for free will allow for people to get their feet wet in the system without being overwhelmed.

It delivers on all the important bits of a licensed franchise: it explores the setting in a way that gives insight to how the world works, without talking down to the reader, nor leaving them in the dark. There’s a host of inspiration, as seen in the dozens of plot seeds scattered around the setting chapters, making sure that GMs have something that could spark a campaign.

With clean, readable layout, and beautiful artwork, it is slightly marred by the minor oversight of not having a Starship sheet. That said, this is easily something that I’m sure Modiphius can address by uploading it on their website as a downloadable PDF once it’s available.

Overall, if you’re looking for a solid Space Opera offering what won’t ask you to buy dozens of books for a complete experience, then Homeworld is a good bet. Definitely something I’m glad to have in my library.

The Rules Booklet

This 56 page booklet contains a streamlined and far less intimidating version of the Fallout 2d20 rules. In fact, it makes for a useful handout to players if you already have the core book and don't want to burden players with having to consume the entire tome.

In it you'll get a quick primer on what RPGs are and how gameplay is handled, Character Creation rules, the Mechanics of the 2d20 system, Combat Rules and finally Reference lists for Perks and Equipment in the game.

It's all very well laid out, and the colors and callout boxes make it that the rules are easy to read while vividly illustrated.

The Adventure

Once Upon A Time in the Wasteland is the adventure that comes with the starter set, and is a 60-page booklet that contains a small campaign of three Quests. Designed to teach the game as they play, each adventure is broken down into three main acts, and has a good spread of different challenges and situations.

While the starter set has pregenerated characters, the adventures here don't require them, and so players can make their own characters.

The three adventures each open with an summary of events, an introduction to the section and Quest goals to help prepare the GM to run the game.

The GM is led through with the usual "read this to your players" boxes while also getting advice along the way to conduct things like handling encounters and what rolls might be needed. It's the kind of hand-holding I like given that this is an introductory product and many GMs who might be getting into this might be more used to the computer games as opposed to TTRPGs.

Enemy encounters also introduce the relevant stat blocks right in the encounter to minimize page flipping

While I won't go through the exact specifics of the adventures in an effort to avoid spoiling it for those who will be playing through it, I do find that the storyline is pretty solid, with all the hallmarks of a good Fallout yarn. Those who want fights will get enough set piece battles to have it stay interesting, while those who are there to explore will have a section dedicated towards the surviving the wasteland. Of course, those who also prefer to role play will find themselves talking to all manner of people throughout the adventure and there are more than a few key decisions that stand to change the fate of the wasteland in dramatic ways.

Pregenerated Characters

The starter set also contains six characters to start with, with each one featuring an Origin from the game: Vault Dweller, Survivor, Brotherhood Initiate, Ghoul, Super Mutant and a Mr. Handy robot. It's quite the mix, admittedly, and I don't imagine that this is a "normal" composition of characters in a Fallout game, but at least every one of them is represented.

Each of these pregens are also given their own Biography. These are pretty well done and I would gladly play any of the characters given the interesting nature of their histories.

Conclusion

The Fallout Starter Set is a solid investment to get people playing in the Wasteland. The condensed rules and the accompanying adventure provides the perfect onramp to build up familiarity and confidence with the often intimidating nature of the full 2d20 system through play rather than study.

The art and layout of the books and sheets make them easy to use, and having the starter set makes it more likely for play groups to dip their toes into the irradiated groundwater of the Wasteland.

Disclaimer: This Let's Study series is made possible by the generosity of Edge Studio, who provided an advanced review copy of the PDF.

When I heard Adventures in Rokugan was announced by Edge Studio, my knee jerk reaction was to look for something bad about it. Thankfully, curiosity and hope won over, and I forced myself to really go through what Adventures in Rokugan had to offer and what I found surprised me.

Adventures in Rokugan was a book built purposefully to serve a particular goal: to offer Rokugan as a new and exciting setting for heroic adventure using the mechanics of the 5e SRD. In doing so, the design team made deliberate choices to lean into what that system does best: heroic combat and adventuring. This is the game you can go for if you're looking for thrilling martial arts heroics and the zero-to-hero story arc that 5e is best known for, paired with a stunningly realized setting that has made L5R a favorite of fans from all over the globe.

What Adventures in Rokugan wasn't meant to do, is to emulate L5R. Courtly intrigue, doomed romances and high-stakes politics are less of the point in this game. Winter Court isn't something you'll see much of in this edition, for example, though there are still little nods here and there to the worth of dressing right and knowing how to do well in proper society.

So let's set those aside and judge it on its own merits.

Clever, tactical combat

As mentioned in the classes section of this Let's Study series, Adventures in Rokugan introduces a ton of clever mechanics for combat, with each of the Classes having a very strong form of niche protection. Add the extra layer of customization from the Backgrounds and every character brings something new to the table.

That said, I can't help but feel that the game really starts at the 3rd Level, as many of the foundational Class Features really come in at that point. A fully-realized setting

Rokugan is a beautiful setting with so much lore and history that has been refined and improved over decades and Adventures in Rokugan delivers that in one easy package. I'm sort of jealous of new DMs who might discover the setting with this book as everything was bundled together so neatly in a way that is easy to consume.

Of course, it helps to have strong cultural notes in the game as well, and the way that Rokugani culture was portrayed reveals that there's a funny disconnect between how the society functions, versus the way that Adventurers go about their business. Adventurers sort of get a free pass, an odd exemption from the way the rest of the world works, but again, that's an assumption that all adventurers in 5e worlds seem to work with.

A missed opportunity to bring social mechanics to 5e

Given all of the innovations and mechanics that were new in the game, I can't shake the disappointment of seeing that Courtiers didn't get as much focus as social characters as they could have. L5R can be a political game, and I have a feeling that Adventures in Rokugan might have had mechanics that dealt with this but were left on the cutting room floor.

The tools were all there: A host of new Conditions could have been introduced, much in the way that they were done in Martial Techniques. Intrigue Dice could have been spent to enact Rhetorical Flourishes that imposed these Conditions on targets with special means by which the Conditions could be resolved or removed.

But somehow, they fell back to tactical square grids and attack bonuses.

As a GM, I know that I could simply jury rig a system that works as above, but the point is that I shouldn't have to.

Final thoughts

As a 5e product, Adventures in Rokguan is a steal. Not only do you get a wealth of new character classes, you also buy into one of the best settings that isn't based on traditional tolkien-esque fantasy. The rules are easy to understand and there's a ton of flavorful lore and stunning artwork to enjoy.

As for L5R fans? It's worth picking up if you're looking for something with a lot more action. Many of the L5R groups I've met pride themselves for having tension-filled campaigns where not a single combat roll was made for entire storylines. Clearly Adventures in Rokugan isn't meant for those campaigns.

In the end, I like having it around because it gives me options. Not every group of players will like the way L5R might be too focused on flowery words and clever politics and tragedy. Sometimes, you just want to go off on a journey and forge a legend of your own.

And that's fine, because now, I've got a game to offer for that kind of play.

This is the Review portion of a full Let's Study series of the book, which you can find over at the links below:

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2022/08/05/lets-study-adventures-in-rokugan-part-1-introduction-and-expectations/

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2022/08/08/lets-study-adventures-in-rokugan-part-2-species-of-rokugan/

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2022/08/09/lets-study-adventures-in-rokugan-part-3a-bushi-duelist-courtier-and-shinobi-classes/

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2022/08/10/lets-study-adventures-in-rokugan-part-3b-ritualist-pilgrim-and-acolyte-classes/

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2022/08/11/lets-study-adventures-in-rokugan-part-4-backgrounds/

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2022/08/12/lets-study-adventures-in-rokugan-part-5-character-motivations/

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2022/08/15/lets-study-adventures-in-rokugan-part-6-adventuring-history-and-atlas-of-rokugan/

Mechanically-dense and full of random tables and a massive equipment list, Fallout is a Rules-Heavy take on the 2d20 system. If the Devil is in the details, then Fallout is firmly in hell, but in a good way. Fans of the videogames will instantly recognize analogues of the mechanics they’ve come to know and love reflected in a way that is playable on the tabletop.

The game oozes the unique Fallout vibe, and is generally complete in terms of everything you’ve seen in the games. My concerns lie with the possibility that it might be slow going given all the rules, but with time and familiarity, I expect things to go faster.

Combat is a common feature, but seeing Scavenging and Survival being given a lot more space in this book is a relief. In a setting like this, stuff (even junk) is valuable, and the game takes pains to make everything you can possibly pick up worth something.

That said it isn’t for everyone. People who are looking for a narrative game will have to give this one a pass, as it falls firmly into simulation. People who enjoy shorter story arcs and hex-crawl-ish exploration will love this game, and I’m eager to see what else Modiphius will release for the game, whether it’s new settings, or a means to explore further.

Art and Layout

As a Modiphius product, I’ve come to expect good art and layout in their books, and Fallout is no exception. Font choices and clean layout are accompanied by gorgeous artwork, with the bestiary being a notable section for featuring the various kinds of disturbing things you’ll see in your wanderings in the Wasteland.

Conclusion

Fallout is big, beautiful and might be a little hefty for those who aren’t used to a lot of mechanics, but everything about this book is a love letter to the videogames. Get it if you’re a fan of the games, or if you’re looking for a darkly humorous take on the apocalypse mixed with 1950’s Atomic Age nostalgia.

It’s a game that lends itself well to both irreverent play, or serious storylines. Like a beaten up Chryslus Highwayman, it might take a bit of elbow grease to learn get going, but once you do, you’ll be exploring the vast expanse of the Wasteland like a pro.

This is the review portion of a full Let's Study series looking at the entire Fallout RPG in detail. You can find those here: https://philgamer.wordpress.com/tag/fallout/

Dune Adventures in the Imperium belongs to a category of licensed RPGs who have quite a few hurdles to overcome. Let’s take a look at each of these and see how Dune did:

With licenses, fans of the fiction will pick this up and hopefully migrate to the hobby, is Dune Adventures in the Imperium a good introductory product as far as RPGs go? Yes but with a slightly steeper learning curve, and with the additional benefit of being a great resource for fans looking to get more information on the setting. Dune is written with a strong focus on keeping things accessible for those new to the hobby. While the 2d20 system is a bit on the “rules-medium” side of things, there’s a lot of support and examples to help learn the game.

RPGs of a particular license has to “Feel” like the source material, does Dune manage to convey the feel and tone of Dune through it’s mechanics or does it feel like a generic system bolted to a franchise? Dune does a great job with this. Everything from the Duties and Duty Statements, the subtle and bold Move options, character options and even the uneven power balance due to faction-aligned characters having unique powers all work to enforce the truth of the setting.

For those who aren’t all that interested in the game aspect, but like collecting Dune, does the book look like a collectable? Yes. The artwork, layout and “feel” of the book is such that not only is it a joy to use as a game, it looks like a wonderful coffee table book and something you can brag about once this Pandemic lets you have friends over.

Dune Adventures in the Imperium takes the already capable 2d20 system and modifies it to a point where it conveys the mood and feel of the setting to the point of authenticity. It manages to handle a huge amount of different factors in conflict in an elegant manner.

Character Creation and House Creation is compelling and does well in a Session Zero group activity, where each player gets to contribute and have a stake in the House they belong to. It’s a clever means of getting players to bond, and make sure that their loyalties are true.

Dune Adventures in the Imperium is a splendid RPG, with great ambitions, which it manages to pull off with grace and style. It might not be a perfect “entry level” product, but I’m extremely happy to have bought it.

Definitely a must have for any collection, whether for a lifelone Dune fan or just someone new to the setting but has a love for sprawling, epic Space Opera.

This is an excerpt from a full Let's Study Series for Dune Adventures in the Imperium, which takes a look at each of the sections of the book in detail, available on my blog on the links below: https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2021/04/09/lets-study-dune-adventures-in-the-imperium-part-1-introduction-and-the-known-universe/

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2021/04/09/lets-study-dune-adventures-in-the-imperium-part-2a-creating-your-house/

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2021/04/10/lets-study-dune-adventures-in-the-imperium-part-2b-character-creation/

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2021/04/11/lets-study-dune-adventures-in-the-imperium-part-3-systems/

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2021/04/11/lets-study-dune-adventures-in-the-imperium-part-4-conflict/

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2021/04/12/lets-study-dune-adventures-in-the-imperium-part-5-gming-chapters-and-review/

Age of Sigmar is a setting full of potential, and the Starter Set manages to communicate it well to new play groups. There’s a boatload of support for a new GM, from reference sheets, to well designed character sheets, and a full guide to the city that can fuel an entire campaign.

The Faltering Light adventure is cinematic and full of interesting things that play up the mysterious nature of Brightspear, but might benefit from being the second thing you play, shortly after you’ve had a low-stakes adventure involving exploring the city, for example. With a better emotional investment in the city, the events in Faltering Light suddenly become much more interesting in play.

For it’s price, you’re getting a ton of value, and enough gameplay to inform you of whether or not you want to commit to the Soulbound RPG line by Cubicle7. My experience in running this adventure twice has convinced me that I’m going to have a lot of fun with it and I hope you’ll also give it a chance.

This is an exerpt from a longer review. To see the whole thing, please visit https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2021/02/11/review-warhammer-age-of-sigmar-soulbound-starter-set/

Warhammer Age of Sigmar Roleplay: Soulbound is a stellar product that gives me great hope for the Soulbound RPG line. Cubicle 7 has done a great job in bringing the setting to an RPG format, and in a manner that feels heroic, while keeping the desperate tone of the setting.

The rules are quite a bit for new GMs, but they draw inspiration from sources that are familiar to those who are used to systems like 2d20 and the World of Darkness and should be an easy transition to those who’ve played or run such games. Even the Doom mechanic feels like a similar element from Deadlands.

That said, a game is more than just it’s mechanics, and Soulbound offers a unique fantasy setting to explore that isn’t about just dungeon delving. And with so much more of the setting to explore past those options in the core book, Cubicle 7 has a lot more surprises in store.

If you’re interested in near-mythic heroes fighting against the tide of darkness, but without the tired tropes of D&D and the anime-inpired trappings of Exalted, then Age of Sigmar might just be up your alley.

Personally, it’s a purchase I do not regret at all, and I have a good feeling that Age of Sigmar will be one of the games I’ll be offering up for my home games very soon.

This is an excerpt of my full review, which you can find at: https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2021/01/16/review-warhammer-age-of-sigmar-roleplay-soulbound/

Degenesis: Rebirth is aptly named. More than a second edition, it was reconstructed from the ground up to be better than it’s previous form.

The Art and Layout is absolutely amazing. I would be happy to leave a copy in the open for visitors to flip through because it’s just that pretty (if a bit disturbing.)

Rules-wise, Degenesis is straightforward, and relatively easy to learn. There’s a bit of going back and forth with regards to the character creation, but the rules themselves tend to be on the medium range of complexity. That said, combat looks to be very lethal and absolutely terrifying in play.

But of all the things in Degenesis: Rebirth, it’s definitely the setting that sold me. Each of the Cultures has a unique struggle against an antagonistic world that feels like it’s doing its best to snuff out humanity entirely, and you’re the only ones that can stop it.

If you like bleak post-apocalyptic settings with more than a pinch of body-horror and science gone wrong, then Degenesis is an absolute must-buy. Take note though that it’s not a game for kids and some themes and imagery in the game is Grade-A nightmare fuel.

This is part of a longer "Let's Study" series of articles on Degenesis: Rebirth on my blog, if you'd like to read more, you can find the beginning over at https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/lets-study-degenesis-rebirth-introduction/

Unknown Armies is one of those books that would survive a bookshelf purge after a post-New Year’s viewing of “Tidying up with Marie Kondo”. It sparks the same kind of perverse joy on reading that puts me in the same bewildered headspace as I felt after I’d finished Grant Morrison’s “The Invisibles”.

I feel that it has something to do with how the Unknown Armies team of writers were able to tap into the “just maybe…” school of thought, those weird plays of imagination when you entertained, even for just a fleeting moment that if you wanted something enough, reality would play by your rules for once.

The outcome is a mechanically clever, easy-to-run game whose rules tie in strongly with the themes. There’s no fat in the mechanics, it does exactly what it needs to do, then it gets out of the way, letting players experience (second hand) the depths of madness and sacrifice necessary to manifest their wants on the world.

I’ve mentioned before on twitter that Unknown Armies deserves to be required reading in a “How to write an RPG” seminar, and I stand by those words. I highly recommend Unknown Armies for any GM, even if you think it might not be your thing, you’ll find something to amaze you in these pages.

The John Carter of Mars RPG comes out at a time when there is a great demand for games with laser-focused mechanics that know exactly what kind of experience they aim to deliver. While built upon the existing 2d20 framework, the team was able to craft a quick, punchy, and perhaps most important: authentic John Carter experience with this game.

Layout and Artwork

John Carter of Mars is published in a non-standard landscape format that works well for such a cinematic game. I imagine that the physical format of these books is impressive as heck, and I eagerly await the copies I ordered a few weeks back.

The artwork is beautiful, and portrayal of the Red Martians is tasteful as opposed to other portrayals of their clothing in other materials. I’m honestly relieved as I’ve had the hardest time getting my wife interested when all she gets in Google Image search are pinup artwork of Dejah Thoris in exceptionally revealing attire.

Also cheers for Francesca Baerald’s gorgeous character sheets! There is no excuse to not use the colored versions.

The Rules

Not only do the game mechanics read well, they deliver the power-levels expected of these larger-than-life heroes, for which death defying adventures are the norm. Paired with design choices that highlight these, (like the lack of cover rules) the players are guided both mechanically and thematically towards the genre it was meant to run.

The Setting

The game also handles the potentially problematic elements of the game with surprising grace, framing John Carter’s adventures and characters in a way that makes sense in a day and age where we’re more aware of issues such as sexism and racism, without detracting in any way from the source material.

For fans of the setting, the RPG also delivers on the depth of analysis that discusses the social norms and cultures of the various societies in Barsoom in a way that rings true. There’s never this sense that the designers just built the rules and left you the hard work of world building or baking in the feel of the game.

Conclusion

Fast, fun, but backed with a solid framework of the 2d20 mechanics, John Carter of Mars the Roleplaying Game is one of those games that reaches out and seizes the GM’s imagination, demanding to be played.

Much like it’s titular hero, the game cuts down any and all opposition that gets in the way of the primary goal of being able to play a fun, swashbuckling adventure game. Streamlined mechanics, and a focus on Renown as a means of denoting advancement leaves player characters less worried about survival and has them looking forward to the next dire peril that the GM will throw at them next.

GMs, on the other hand, are given the keys to the kingdom, with an entire toolkit for making Sword and Planet adventures, and the means to run them right with confidence.

Overall, John Carter of Mars the Roleplaying Game is a must have for fans of the setting, and for those who are looking for something new, but with solid depth to its setting.

The return of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game to the hobby is something that I welcomed with a cheer, and I’m glad that Cubicle 7 did a fantastic job at bringing back the game. Not only did they restore the black comedy gold of the setting, but also introduced some mechanical streamlining that made it work better overall.

Sure there are some old mainstays, such as the incredible number of tables, but that’s part of the experience. Warhammer Fantasy always played well with people who enjoyed all sorts of risk-taking, and both good and bad things happen to player characters all the time.

Art and Layout

The art of the book is nothing less than stunning, and the layout is clean and readable without losing the feel of the game. Cubicle 7 has always excelled in this aspect, and they continue their winning streak here.

Language and Mechanics

The rules are on the middle to high range of mechanical difficulty, and will require a test game or two to really get into, but every rule here has a place. There are no odd mechanics that don’t reinforce the feel of the setting, and that’s something that I find very admirable.

Extra credit for having a book that knows how to best use language to push for the feel of a setting, then shifting to provide clarity in mechanics.

Conclusion

If you’re a fan of fantasy RPGs, you owe it to yourself to have this in your collection. The world and mechanics of Warhammer Fantasy RPG has a unique fingerprint in terms of both rules, setting and even feel that makes it stand out in the most crowded of fantasy worlds.

There’s a reason it’s lasted this long, and in the hands of Cubicle 7, this might be the best edition yet.