Castlemourn Cortex Quickstart is a quick summary of the cortex rules followed by an introductory adventure. All in all it's a good, well presented and well written pdf. The system seems to work well and the adventure description is clear and characters are interesting.
Pros:
- well written and clear. Adventure is described really well with good overview sections. Some funny and innovative additions to plot.
- cortex explained well and works well with the setting, though magic seems a big complicated at face value (see below).
- not a bad combat/resolution system.
- sample characters explained very well, including narrative around skill and trait selection.
- interesting scene framing for adventure opening - it begins in the middle of a fight with a call for initiative!
Cons:
- text laid out well but text just a bit too small, especially reading on a computer/tablet. Lots of content for 36 pages.
- character traits and possessions can get a bit overwhelming, especially since this is a quick start introductory book.
- adventure throws you in the deep end, perhaps a little too much for a quick start, though it depends on GM prep and familiarity with fantasy settings.
Overall great product, especially for free, and good intro to cortex.
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