Ring Side Report- RPG review of Death Metal

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!

Product- Death Metal System- When the Wolf Comes Producer- Schwalb Entertainment Price- $3.99 here https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/486488/death-metal?affiliate_id=658618
TL; DR-NORSE NUKES! 98%

Basics- You know what Vikings need? NUKES! Death Metal is less about hard core bass riffs and more about particle physics and Norse scientists inventing nukes to finally deal with those pesky giants. Death Metal refers to radioactive metals that cause death in those that play with them. This book has class options, story and theme, and weapons for both When the Wolf Comes and standard Shadow of the Demon Lord.

Mechanics or Crunch- Death Metal has a decent amount of toys for the GM and player. There are three expert and four master paths. This is primarily written for When the Wolf Comes, but it crosses into standard Demon Lord, so the mythic paths are not tied to race. I honestly enjoy that more. It has a few alternative race options for your characters to take in Wolf as well. There are rules for nukes. Everyone loves handheld nuke grenades, so that's new fun for the party. There is not a ton of new crunch here as this is very much a theme heavy book. It’s good, but I would like a bit more. Overall it's solid work that fits well into the crunch that’s out there already. 4.75 /5

Theme or Fluff- This is where the book shines the most. There is LOTS of story for both Wolf and Demon Lord here. Heck, as a chemist, any book that includes what the Norse would have called beta particles makes me irrationally happy. You have an in-lore explanation of why different Norse races would have made reactors, and in Demon Lord you have a story about how a space man created a space elevator to get home and left nuclear tech with some people stuck in gothic horror. It’s a ton of fun! 5 /5

Execution- This book is easy to read, fun to read, hyperlinked, and has good art. That’s honestly all I want in a book. For the page length, the price is pretty standard, but I need to stress it’s well put together. 5/5

Summary- Nothing like nuclear Vikings and atomic weapons to brighten your day or entire coast line! This is a solid book adding new fun twists to both Demon Lord and Wolf. I enjoy how these are added and and something that you can bring in if you want. The crunch is good, but maybe need more. The story is amazing, and something I enjoyed reading from multiple angles. The book itself is a pleasure to read. This is something you should check out if you play Demon Lord or Wolf! 98%