I have run this once with my group and scheduled to run in at the MACE gaming convention in Charlotte, NC. I am a huge fan of the show and love the RPG setting.

I have to tell you that Cortex is not my favorite system. Although I do not hate it, I keep wanting to revert to something like Savage Worlds so my dice can explode. It's a simple rules-light system with a few interesting aspects to it that obviously keeps the fan-base happy.

The adventure itself is well put-together and based on true legends. Obviously, to be Supernatural, it has to be based on some kind of folklore and that's what I liked most about it. For game falvor, I went out and did a internet search and printed out stuff about the legend. I recommend that you READ THAT MATERIAL as well because it gives you ideas for red herrings and other ways to spice up the adventure to make it creepy.

The adventure flows fairly well with a lot of investigation and a few normal encounters. The kick off to the adventure was the only thing that I was not crazy about but that’s not always an easy thing to do in this kind of setting.

One thing one should know is that it gives 4 pre-generated characters in the back. I would have preferred all original characters but unfortunately they were lazy and used Sam and Dean as two of the characters. I had a party of 6 and generated 4 characters on my own when I ran it.

Like many Quick Start Rules, it maintains what I have grown to expect as the standard layout of explanation for any RPG system. It starts with detailing what an RPG is specifically with respect to Supernatural itself.

It details the difference between players and the person who runs the game is, often called the game master. Think of the Game Master as a referee of sorts. It gives a pretty decent description of the basic rules and how they work together to determine the results of a character's actions and what one needs to actually play the quick-start system and the adventure therein.

Unlike a number of Quick Start Rules, they keep the overall amount of rules explained cut down. All of the above is covered in about six pages and then is followed by an example of play to give new players to RPGs or this specific set of game mechanics an idea of how it all interacts.

The adventure gives you a nice taste of what Supernatural is about while also avoiding rehashing plots from the show so even avid fans of the show won't necessarily be able to grab any spoilers from having watched every episode to date though there are a few episodes that might send them off on a red herring.

While the adventure can be used with characters you have created from the core book, four pre-generated characters are provided including character sheets for Sam and Dean Winchester, the main characters from the television series.

I enjoyed this product. As a fan of the show, of any show that has been turned into a RPG I am often wary of the end result as there have been some collosal let downs but this pdf was far from a disappointment and because of it I will be investing in this line and plan to purchase the other books soon.

Wondering if you would like to play in the world of the Supernatural TV show? Or trying to convince your gaming group that it would be a neat idea? In a good move, Margaret Weis Productions offers a free PDF with enough within to play a session and decide for yourself, before splashing out on the full Corebook, an idea I thoroughly approve of!

It begins with a brief introduction to Supernatural, although the assumption is that you've already seen it, in fact if you haven't I'd suggest you watch an episode or two as if it does not appeal neither will this game. The role of the Game Master is also explained, just in case this is picked up by fans of the show who are new to role-playing games.

Next comes a cut-down version of the Cortex System rules, quite enough for you to understand the character sheet and then play a pre-generated character in the adventure provided. Indeed, these few pages would make a handy reference to keep to hand even if you go for the full game later, or as an introduction to new players joining an established game. There's even a short example of play (the same as the one in the Corebook - do NOT read during a flight!) to make everything clear.

The rules explained, next comes an adventure 'Of Wolf and Man.' It is presented very clearly with plenty of tips to help a novice GM, especially if some of the players are new to gaming as well. There's plenty going on, and you should have no difficulty in getting the characters deeply involved and engrossed until the end... probably begging for more!

Finally, there are character sheets for four fully-generated characters (although the adventure will work just as well if you have access to the Corebook and have made your own). Two of them are the show's main characters, Dean and Sam Winchester, and there are two new characters one of whom is female. A nice touch is that instead of just listing skills, there are a few words of explanation of how and when to use them.

Overall, this is a neat introduction to the game which should have you wanting to play it more, with the added bonus of a good adventure in its own right very clearly presented as well as being a good example of how to construct an adventure for this game. Well done!