RPG Review: Scum and Villainy- Evil Hat Productions/Off Guard Games

 

It's no secret that I like to play narrative focused and cinematic games.  I have a preference for rules-lite.  Those are some of my biases that I want you to know about going into this RPG review.  Why would I tell you this?  Well, if you look at the cover you can see it is a Forged in the Dark role-playing game.  It is no accident that I am going to be interested in this game.  

Of course, I cut my teeth on the old West End Games Star Wars 2nd Edition.  I grew-up playing that as my sci-fi game of choice.  I should probably do a review on it some day even though it is not new.  I have also played Starfinder for straight Sci-fi games.  For a stretch, I have also played Palladium's Robotech system as well.  Finally, I have also played Green Ronin's The Expanse role-playing game.  I guess I am telling you all this to show my Bonafide's when it comes to sci-fi role-playing games.  I am not a rookie when it comes to this style of game. 

As an added bonus this a game that is about heists.  That makes sense, considering the source of this system is Blades in the Dark, which is a heist game.  I also have experience with heist games.  This is  mainly via Shadowrun.  However, I also have some experience with Noir games such as Hard City.  Therefore, I am familiar with this "less than savory characters" style games too.  In many ways, this one reminds me of the TV show Firefly.    

Therefore, you now know some of my bias going into this games.  You also know some of my history with RPGs of this type.  So, let's dig into this one shall we?  Time to fuel up, load the cargo, and get ready to blast through the blockade.  Does this game have what it takes to keep on flying?      

Things I Like

This game uses a Playbook system.  I tend to like those as it fills core "niche" with appropriate stuff.  However, they are typically choice one of these options which allows for a quick start.  The niche is often "fictionally appropriate" for the style of game being played.  This is a Star Wars/Firefly genre Space Opera.  Therefore, the core "playbooks" are: Mechanics, Muscles, Mystics, Pilots, Scoundrels, Speakers, and Stitches.  I think you can imagine which of your favorite characters fit in where.  

In addition to playbooks, there are a few "crew types" that help create an archetype for the stories you will be telling in a campaign.  These archetype ships set the tone of the table and adventures to come.  It is different being smugglers than bounty hunters than freedom fighters.  You might dabble in all of these, but ultimately the main draw is the archetype of the ship and crew.  

Dice mechanics are simple.  There is a small list of attributes from 0-4 dice.  These represent a dice pool that you roll for tests.  A highest dice as a 6 is a full success, 4-5 is a partial success, and 1-3 is a bad outcome.  No dice, then roll two and pick the lowest with no chance to crit.  Simple.  I like simple dice mechanics. 

The game discusses scene types with "On The Job", "Downtime", and "Free Play".  It gets into more details about types of Jobs and the Engagement roll to help speed up planning.  Therefore, players and GMs have an idea of what to expect from each part of the game.  

You can get extra dice for a roll, but there are always a complication.  They call it a Devil's Bargain!  These can be used to shake things up and raise the stakes.  I can see a certain type of player never taking these, and another always taking them when offered. 

Things I Do Not Like

I rarely talk about lay-out of games, but I am not a fan of how this game is laid-out in the book.  It is not easy to use.  When I was making my character, I had a hard time finding key details.  I was surprised since this is a Playbook driven game yet simple things like "attributes" are buried in the character section without a clear heading name.  Just, not great editing and design.  I know, a bit petty but it made making a character a bit of a frustration. 

There was 12 Attributes, which I think is probably 4 too many.  Again, a bit nit-picky but there you go.  Often times your Playbook will give you a bonus in an Attribute.  There are only 7 Playbooks, so that is probably how many Attributes the game should have as well.  The intention is to give you an idea about how the PCs will approach a given scene, where sneaking across a hangar is played out mechanically different from sprinting across the same hangar.  However, I think a layer of abstraction would work fine here to cover both situations.      

Then there are three resistance rolls that are used in different situations.  Again, I think it is one too many.  Resistance rolls always succeed, but you take stress.  Stress is bad. Instead of damage, you take Stress when called upon to resist.  If your Stress reaches max, you start taking Trauma conditions.  These are more like Role-play notes with names like Paranoid and Cold.  Trauma conditions are permanent, but when you have 4 Trauma you are out of the game.  It looks like you start with 12 trauma, and can choose to take 2 to Push Your Luck.  I think this is too much Stress to start and not enough impact from Trauma.  Instead, if you play Trauma well you get XP bonus.  Play it bad and..... nothing really.     

Meh and Other Uncertainties

Clocks. It wouldn't be a Forged in the Dark system without clocks.  Clocks are a pretty handy and cool idea.  The GM determines how many times you can essentially pass or fail before consequences start to spiral.  Bad Outcomes and Partial successes can cause opposing clocks to move, and success and Crits can have good clocks move.  Pretty neat way to raise the tension, especially since you will want to make these clocks public.  So, why do I put them here?  Ultimately, I think you will have too many clocks going at a time, even in fairly mundane circumstance.  

I.e. a simple smash and grab would have a clock for the PCs to "Get into the Hide-out" and then "Get the loot", and "Escape Clean".  Various actions would help them or hinder, but on the other side you might have the opponents with "Detect Intruders", "Clean-out the Loot", and "Turn-the-Tables"  However, at the same time each PC may also have their own clocks running for various personal reason.  They can stack up fast and a tool to help make tracking and abstraction easier suddenly is not easy.  Doing a clock is easy and cool, but running 12 clocks can be tricky.    

In addition to the dice any individual has, you can boost dice by taking stress, taking a Devil's Bargain, Assists from others, and there are also shared Crew resources.  There are a lot of ways to boost your dice pool, with varying forms of consequences.  It means you can easily manage risk, with only a few options to make interesting complications.      

Ultimately, I think the game just uses too much jargon for things that do not need it.  The lay-out is all ready strained, so the amount of game specific Jargon just takes me out of the rules.  I am sure a great GM can make this all disappear; but a great GM can make any game great!  What about a mediocre or average GM?  I am not sure it can be done here, and I think the jargon and terms will get in the way of the narrative your table is telling.  

Final Thoughts

I really wanted to love these rules.  I had heard a lot of great things about them.  However, I am not sure they are for everyone.  I actually like them less than a standard Powered by the Apocalypse game.  They are slightly more complicated with nothing new to show for it.  The big idea is the Clocks compared to PbtA and I am not sure they deliver an enhanced experience that can not be captured with less book-keeping.   

Plus, I think the lay-out and jargon make this game easier to play than to read.  As a new player to a campaign, I did not find it easy or intuitive to grasp.  I also had a hard time finding what I was looking for in the book.  It was too abstract and too detailed at the same time for my tastes and in the wrong areas.    

That said, I am glad I have read it and played it.  There are really good ideas here, I just am not satisfied with how it all goes together.  I can see others who would absolutely adore this game, and I won't turn down future games.  However, it is also not my favorite either.      

Become a Patron and get access to all the cool stuff, a peak behind the curtain of Blood and Spectacles, and early-access to playtest games!  

Blood and Spectacles Patreon! 

You can follow Blood and Spectacles Facebook page or Instagram for more fun! 

Check out the latest publications and contact me at our Blood and Spectacles Website

Or purchase all out games at the Blood and Spectacles Publishing Wargames Vault Page!   

RPG Review: Inspirisles - Hatchling Games

 

This was a game I picked up for my wife for Christmas.  She has been looking for a game she can GM for her first time GMing.  Therefore, she wanted something that was less complex than the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic game.  This one appealed to her for two main reasons:

• It is designed for younger players and is family-friendly
• It features American Sign Language (ASL) in the mechanics

She learned ASL in college, was a big part of the deaf community in our area and even has a Facebook group dedicated to ASL in our area.  She was very close to being an interpreter before deciding to go a different route.  

Therefore, this game seemed like it would be a good fit for her needs.  We picked up the core rulebook, the Underisles expansion, and set of adventures she could start us off with.  

You can find this bundle here: Inspirisles

Today, I will be looking at the core rulebook.  Let's get ready to shape and sign! 

Things I Liked

A core idea that powers the game is a mechanic called Belief/Disbelief.  Since the setting is focused on Fae and magic, this was a clever idea to focus on.  The players are in an alternate, magical realm that is shaped and powered by Belief.  Disbelief is destructive energy that brings ruin and wrath to the magical lands of the game. Disbelief is negative emotions like Cruelty, Corruption, Greed, and Bloodlust.  Belief is a form of magical currency that powers the world and the PCs powers.   

The game is very clear that its intention is to do three things: 

1. Story-telling
2. Empathy and Collaboration
3. Deaf Awareness

It is always nice for a game to be upfront about it's design goals. 

Sign Language is built mechanically into the game as an effect called Shaping.  They have resources for both American and British Sign Language as they are different.  They even have video tutorials on their site as well, so you can see the signs being made as well.  Using certain signs in certain ways will give you modifiers and re-rolls to various rolls.    

The section about Shaping is a very good introduction to the Deaf community.  For example, it is rude to assume a Deaf person would like a cure for deafness.  Many see it as their own culture and embrace it.  The sections about sentence structure are spot-on, as ASL uses a Yoda-like sentence structure of Time, Topic, and Comment.  The rulebook really mostly covers how to Finger-sign, numbers, basic question words, and a few RPG specific words too.  You could play the game without signing at all if you really wanted to, but that feels like missing the point. 

Character Generation is very easy and has no numbers.  It is all narrative, but asks questions that draw upon the world of the game to help you fit into a place.  In addition, you choose an element as that ties into what you can do with your "shaping".  You also build a sanctuary and narrate 5 items that align with your sanctuary and hobby.  Later you will use Belief to increase these items, your sanctuary, and even your PCs skill level. 

Mechanics and resolution only require 3 regular six-sided dice.    

The GM section does a good job of laying out how the game should be played.  It is broken down into a "Questing Day" that will have a variety of challenge archetypes.  The Questing Day is essentially the session for a night of play.  The archetypes are basically scenes with potential resolution styles.  All Questing Days end in safety and a chance to reflect and for the GM to gather feedback.  A whole chapter is an example Questing Day for a level 1 party using various archetypes.         

Things I Did Not Like

Some of the naming conventions for things I was not a huge fan of.  The background of the game is Celtic and British folklore so it draws heavily from these sources.  For example, the GM is called a Grail Guide.  Player-Characters are called Pendragons.  They use names and terms from Arthurian myth outside of that context and as a fan of Chaosium's Pendragon this caused me a bit of angst and confusion.  The lore in this game is unique to itself.   

There are two types of tests in this game, Belief Barriers and Disbelief Battles.  The first are challenge tests and the second are contested tests.  For any test, the Players choose who will lead based on element and they roll the dice.  Up to two other players can choose how they assist and give a bonus to the dice roller.  To encourage narrative, you only earn belief from shaping and using narrative actions, a simple dice roll may pass but will generate no Belief.  3-4 is a fail, and you gain Disbelief!  10+ is a pass, and 17-18 is Crit which generates additional belief.  Disbelief Battles only force opponents to flee or surrender since Bloodshed caused Disbelief.  These work as Belief Barriers except the total of any dice roll is compared.  The higher dice roll wins.    

These are very simple dice mechanics and lead to no real depths or even much decision making.  The biggest issue is determining the Leaders and how exactly the supporting PCs will do that.  Most of the decision making is how the elements will narratively work.  Therefore, there is little or no tactical depth or thinking to these tests beyond a bit of creativity.  To make them a bit more interesting, the GM can require multiple dice tests so the challenge lasts more than a single round.  

There is a small twist about which elements are dominant over other elements.  Offensive elements like Air and Fire force the opponent to re-roll dice in a Disbelief Battle.  Meanwhile, Earth and Water allow you to re-roll your own dice.  However, if you are facing an element that "Dominates" your own, then all re-rolls are cancelled.  For example, a Water element can cancel the re-rolls ability of a Fire element.  Therefore, picking the right leader does make a difference.   

You will notice that the ASL part is not integrated fully into the mechanics for overcoming challenges.  There is no place where the leader or the assisting players need to use ASL?  It is not clear what role ASL plays with shaping or the resolution mechanics in this game.  It is also not clear to me how ASL is needed to interact in this world either?  This is a BIG miss and almost betrays the Hook that got me to purchase these rules in the first place. 

These challenge types are more like simple narrative beats rather than complex puzzles or challenges of their own.  However, for a simple family-friendly RPG this can work just fine.  The impact of these challenges rests much more on the sill of the GM to make them exciting and how engaged he can make the players with them. This section does have several examples on how the process works and how to narrate them for both GMs and Players. 

This game has a self-contained focus of gathering the parts of Excalibur.  Some of the mechanics seem tied to this quest.  However, at no point does the game really tell you what steps this quest should take.  That is left up to the GM and the Players. 

Meh and Other Uncertainties

Since this game was designed to be played by young adults, learners, and be family-friendly they spilled a decent amount of ink on safety tools, consent tools, and how to play RPGs in a respectful manner.  The free-form nature of RPGs was not an excuse to live out your inner edgelord fantasy but to learn how to be part of something greater than yourself and a larger community.  I especially liked one of the blurbs that said, "Life is full of ups and downs, so use our game to experience disappointment in a safe space" 

The game provides a special tool called a "Grail Tool" that acts like a safety card.  Players can use it to show their discomfort in a scene or with a situation.  You can flip it from Red to Green, or lift it up depending on how series the situation is.  I have seen discussion of such tools in other rulebooks, but mostly as an aside.  Here since the audience is younger and the game is focused on education, the use of the safety tools is much more defined and explicit process.  I have only read about such tools so it was nice to see how the game implemented them.  

The Appendix has a consent document to help the GM know what is an is not triggering or wanted from the players.  This includes topics like blood, harm to children, animals, etc.  Creatures or scenarios that are off-limits like severe weather, illness, claustrophobia, etc.  Finally, it clears the air on romance within your games.  Again, since the game is for new RPG-players and younger folks this level of detail makes some sense to me.  However, I have never gone through such an explicit process in Session Zero, so this was something new to me.    

Since the game is focused on cooperation and empathy, NPCs are called "Friends".  These are fae and magical creatures in the Inspirisles often taken from Celtic and European folklore.  

It is important to note, that this game has no death.  Injury is also not a focus.  Instead the focus is on failure and the collection of Disbelief.  Disbelief builds up on a Calamity Meter.  This creates new threats that will distract the PCs from their goals and objectives.  The game provides gathering the 6-piees of Excalibur together as their main goal.  However, the Calamity Meter will give them distractiosn from this effort, and the only way to reduce the Calamity Meter is by finding pieces of the sword.  Of course, you can also use Belief to buy down the Calamity Meter as well.  

The last chapter breaks down the "Inspirisles", which races and people live where, key locations, etc.  This includes some adventure hooks, some foes, and a few other bits and pieces.  

Final Thoughts

Going into this game was an interesting experience because it had two main goals; be fun and educate.  That is a distinct difference from most of the other games I have reviewed on this site, as most of them are focused on just being fun.  Therefore, I had to look at this game from a slightly different lens and think about whether it accomplished both tasks.  I have an interest in using games as a tool to train and educate in the corporate world, so seeing how they tried to tackle this dual purpose was eye-opening to me.  

The rules are simple, but playable.  In some ways, it uses a lot of ideas as a game like Avatar: Legends using elements and shaping as a focus of gameplay.  It also focuses a lot on leaning into the Narrative too.  However, I think it is a lesser product overall.

Ultimately, the ASL portion of the game was interesting BUT I think it is overstated as a hook in this game.  It is not integrated seamlessly into the mechanics, in fact; the designers even say that they purposely made it playable without using Sign Language!  To me that is burying the lede.  What they tell you about Sign Language and Deaf-Culture is solid, but it is not well represented in the game itself.  It would require some work on the GMs part to make ASL integral to the game.  It almost felt like it was added after the fact and I was disappointed.  

So, do I think they hit their design goals of Story-telling, Empathy, and Deaf Culture?  Maybe, but I think they did not lean into their goals hard enough.  Still, I learned things from reading it.  I am interested to see if my wife decides to try to run it with my group.   

Until next time!       

You can follow Blood and Spectacles Facebook page for more fun: https://m.facebook.com/pg/BloodandSpectacles/posts/?ref=bookmarks&mt_nav=0

Or our website:

http://www.bloodandspectacles.com/

Or our Messageboard:

http://bloodandspectacles.proboards.com/

Or our Wargames Vault Page:

https://www.wargamevault.com/browse.php?keywords=blood+and+spectacles&x=0&y=0&author=&artist=&pfrom=&pto=

RPG Review: Adventures in Rokugan- Asmodee/Edge Studios

 

I have always enjoyed Legend of the 5 Rings.  The 3rd and 5th edition books for the core rules are in my collection, well they were until my pigs got loose and ate them.  The 5th edition I quickly replaced but I have not been able to track down a good price on 3rd edition yet.  However, there is something about playing a game with a strict set of social rules, established culture, and where the characters are supposed to represent and uphold that order.  It is a very different experience than playing in a rough frontier setting.         

A few years ago, I ran a game and wrote out the module that I used to introduce my players; One Year in Rokugan.  It went well, and my players enjoyed it, but not enough to revisit the setting.  One of the primary reasons was that the game required a decent amount of system and lore mastery that they did not want to take the time to learn.  They were used to Dungeons and Dragons 5E and its tropes and had a hard time adjusting.  Plus, they felt that third edition was getting a bit creaky with age and the mechanics felt a bit... dated.  

I still want to go back to Rokugan, and when it is time to pitch the next campaign, I wanted to be ready with a Legend of the 5 Rings pitch.  If the move away from D&D 5E was a challenge, this seemed like a good way to bridge the gap.  I knew the Legend of the 5 Rings - 5th Edition rules would be a bridge too far for some of the members of my group.  This seemed like a good compromise that would make my pitch more likely to be accepted.  

With that said, strap on your Daisho, tune up your shamisen, and prepare to face the forces of the Shadowlands!

Things That I Liked

This book does a good job introducing you to the very complex world of Rokugan in a few short sections. I had a better understanding of the different Faiths in Rokugan than I had after reading both the 3rd edition and 5th edition books.  I had a better feel for the geography too.  Rokugan history and cosmology also clarified things very nicely for me.       

Backgrounds in this game are much more relevant in this book compared to traditional D&D 5E thematically and mechanically.  They are tailored to the world in and around Rokugan.  This includes guidelines to help create some "quick-builds" of classic archetypes in Rokugan.  This includes custom feats, ability score preferences, and details on which class and level benefits to take when.  I think some example or pre-gen characters would have been helpful here as well.   

There is an excellent section on motivations in this book.  Each character is expected to have two.  This will help with the role-play aspect of the game as they focus on duty, fear, ideals, desire, bond and regret.  In the GM section, they also have some ideas about how to tailor your campaign to fit with the desires your characters choose.  This is a good way to help the group make interesting characters to will fit with what the GM is looking to explore.  

There are a ton of unique techniques, invocations, and background specific feats.  These were clearly designed with a tactical battle map in mind.  This is a strong contrast to Legend of the 5 Rings - 5th Edition which leans into a narrative approach.  Martial characters like Bushi and Duelists earn Focus points to pull off Techniques, while Invocations (spells) use Favor to attract spirits.  Magic in Rokugan is not as powerful as in core 5E.  

There is also a unique take on magical gear.  It is a low-magic setting.  However, everything has a spirit and your weapon and armor spirit maybe awakened by triggering events to act like magical weapons.  This is a change from the GM handing out a ton of magical gear, a common trait of D&D.  

Things I Did Not Like

The Bushido Code is really downplayed in this game.  This code and the society around it is very unique and compelling.  It is the "secret sauce" that makes the L5R experience unique to other settings.  However, I think that flavor is lost in this book let.  I know Bushido is kind of verboten and linked to Japanese Nationalism and Fascism, but what they offer around here is the "Code of Akodo" just feels really watered down and uncompelling for the proper role-play in this setting.  They also play down the role of ritual suicide to maintain honor, and ask players and GMs to avoid using it as the topic is fraught with cultural and psychological land mines.  The game also went out of its way to make it accessible to players who did not want to be part of the Samurai class more than I have seen in other versions of the game.  

They allow you to play non-human and non-Rokugani types.  This is a pretty big departure from the Rokugan, and human-centric L5R.  There is a lot of information in the backgrounds about playing folks from the other nearby kingdoms and non-humans.  The book also goes out of its way to tap down on the xenophobia of Rokugan.  

The book also goes out-of-it’s-way to be inclusive.  In old versions, players could choose disabilities like missing an arm, blind, etc.  This book, has a side bar about how such disabilities would have no effect mechanically in the game.  In addition, if you have a language you know how to speak it, write it, and sign it.  Listen, I know American English pretty well but that does not mean I know ASL (American Sign Language). 

Many of the ways to best represent the Great Clans in Rokugan require a good deal of multi-classing.  I know not all of my group are into that.  However, most of the Rokugani character types make extensive use of this to get the right "feel" and abilities for the backgrounds.  Not a fan of this approach, and it makes an all ready rules heavy game extra clunky as you are layering on special rules with more special rules.  Ugh.  We really need a Powered By The Apocalypse version of this game with a ton of simple playbooks.       

There does not seem to be any mention of the corrupting influence of the Shadowlands.  This is a big departure, probably to allow a more hack and slash approach to dealing with the Shadowlands.  Plus, the name has since become problematic; the Taint.  The sample adventure takes place primarily in the Shadowlands further reinforcing that they want to make the Shadowlands simply a place to go "A-venturing" as opposed to the corrupting and insidious realm of chaos it is in other versions of the game. 

The Dueling rules are a bit scattered and do not make a lot of sense to me.  Also, it looks like they expect all duels to be to 0 HP, which makes even less sense.  Like the Duelist is going to square up against a monster and fight it, while everyone else does something else?  Duel rules have always been a bit of a challenge but they do fit a big part of the setting.  Here, they are still struggling to make them work in the D&D-5E rules structures.  I mean, these rules are just not as lethal or attritional as this system usually is.     

  

Meh and Other Uncertainties

I was happy that I had seen every movie that they recommended watching to get a feel for what this game was trying to capture.  I must be the target audience for this game! 

This game glosses over the Yasuki moving from the Crane to the Crab.  The Mantis are also not a Great Clan at this point either.  This aligns closer with 1st edition and 5th edition L5R lore, so they ditch some of the everchanging and living L5R lore.  Probably a good idea to help people transition from D&D into L5R.  The background used to be tied to the results of big tournaments for the Living Card game so it could get pretty complicated.  

As always, they bring awesome artwork for this book.  It is really evocative of the setting and makes it jump off the page.  Again, its background as an RPG, Wargame, and CCG help greatly in this regard.  I am sure some of this stuff comes from these other sources, but much of it was new to me.  

The book has an adventure for 3rd level players and above set in the Shadowlands.  This game was an adaption of a previous L5R adventure (at least I think it is from some of the blurbs in the book) but it feels very D&D in its lay-out and goals.  I am honestly not sure I like it as an introduction to the setting at all as it is very hack and slash focused, go slay the obviously evil dudes, and takes you away from Rokugan civilization and into the Shadowlands.  It seems to lean away from what makes Rokugan great in the first place in an attempt to be just another semi-generic D&D "solve all your problems with violence" type module.        

Final Thoughts      

Wow, this was not what I was expecting at all.  It is basically a new game that just uses the d20 D&D core mechanics as a base.  About all it keeps the same is the very basics.  The backgrounds, fighting styles, and classes are all new and different.  It still keeps the combat-oriented RPG approach that D&D has, and downplays some of the societal restrictions and social aspects of traditional L5R.  However, it is a mistake to think this is just a re-skin as it goes much, much deeper than that.  In a sense, this is L5R 4.5 Edition! 

If my players felt the rules and lore mastery for L5R was too much before, I am not sure this book makes that transition any easier.  Sure, the basic dice mechanics are the same, but the way the classes, techniques, and backgrounds interact make a completely different experience.  It is not like a Bushi is just a re-skin of the fighter class.  Shugenja are not just a re-skin of clerics.  They are all new and unique classes, abilities, and special rules, with the same learning curve about how to use them in the game.  I think Renegade Studios G.I. Joe: The Role-Playing Game might be a closer re-skin to D&D 5E than Adventures in Rokugan and that game uses the Essence 20 system! 

I am glad I picked this up because I love Rokugan and the setting around it.  However, I am not sure this product is the bridge between D&D 5E and Legend of the 5 Rings that it wants to be.  The transition will still be a difficult one.  Rokugan is not for newbie GMs and players, and this book touches on exactly why.  There is a lot of nuance, lore, and detail to this setting which is partially why I really love it.  It delivers an RPG experience unlike many others.      

Until next time.            

 

Become a Patron and get access to all the cool stuff, a peak behind the curtain of Blood and Spectacles, and early-access to playtest games!  

Blood and Spectacles Patreon! 

You can follow Blood and Spectacles Facebook page or Instagram for more fun! 

Check out the latest publications and contact me at our Blood and Spectacles website

Or purchase all out games at the Blood and Spectacles Publishing Wargames Vault Page!        

RPG Review: My Little Pony: Role-playing Game- Renegade Studios

 

My wife got this as a gift for her birthday, so technically this is not my copy.  However, it resides in our household so I decided that I could give it a read and let you all know what I found.  I am somewhat familiar with the franchise, as I was a watcher of the O.G. version way back in the late 80's.  I have also seen the re-booted Friendship is Magic show.  However, I would not call myself a Brony by any stretch of the imagination.  

My Little Pony has proven a popular enough I.P. that this is not the only My Little Pony (MLP) RPG on the market, and it probably won't be the last.  However, the version I have is published by Renegade Studios and uses their proprietary Essence 20 system.  This is the same system they use for Transformers, Power Rangers, and G.I. Joe.  You can read a lot of my thoughts on that system in my G.I. Joe review, and those thoughts pertain to this game too.   

To me, it looks like a modified D&D 5E system but instead of straight bonuses to checks, it uses a bonus dice that gets larger the better you are at something.  It has a lot of other similar yet appropriately re-named mechanics as 5E after that.  For example, instead of Advantage/Disadvantage they call it an Edge or a Snag.  

This has a couple of advantages.  First, it is easy to transition established D&D players to this system as it is essentially the same.  Second, all of Renegade's systems are cross compatible.  You can have G.I. Joe characters, MLP Characters, and Power Rangers all in the same game without any real issues if you wanted a Saturday Morning line-up adventure.  However, the disadvantage is that the game system can be a bit crunchier than you might want for a cartoon-based game.     

So, since a lot of that was recap to what I said about the other Essence 20 systems, let's take a closer look at what this game does to make it feel like Friendship is Magic! 

Things I Like

The introduction chapter is narrated by Pinkie Pie, which changes this section up a lot for those who have read a lot of these types of "What is an RPG" sections before.  Keeps it a bit fresh and really highlights the tone of the game.  What is that you say?  Well, this is a game about telling a story where you work together as a group to solve problems and to explore the world of Equestria with friends. Simple really. 

Sometimes, I think the Essence 20 system Renegade uses can be a bit much for someone new to RPGs.  I imagine some of the folks who get this book might be beginners.  To help facilitate them, they have a set of 6 pre-gen characters at the end of the book called the Renegade 6 that you can print and play with right away.  In addition, the game comes with a first adventure called "Stealing Thunder".  This is a good way to help players learn by doing instead of sitting down and reading an entire book.  In the Intro, they go Chapter by Chapter to give a summary and let newbies know which chapters should be read by who and why.  For example, the Game Master and any players who have Magical powers should read Chapter 8: Magic.   

There are two special mechanics to encourage Ponies to work together.  The first is some simple rules for Group based tests, where Ponies make skill tests appropriate to a challenge.  If half or more succeed that is a success.  The second Mechanic is that all Ponies can use a resource called a Friendship Point to create a Friendship circle, that gives all the Ponies in it benefits when they are a part of it.  By working together, they have a better chance of assist, help, and heal. 

Modifiers take the form of Dice Shifting in this game.  As you assign ranks in skills, these ranks give you additional dice to roll with a d20.  Modifiers increase the size of these bonus dice up or down to add (or subtract) from you d20 roll.  There is a nice ladder on page 113, that goes from Auto-success to auto-fumble!     

The basics of a Character are the 4 Essences.  However, if you want to be a spell-caster you need to use a single point of essence to create or improve your spell-casting ability.  Therefore, magic is a sacrifice from other physical capabilities to create a trade-off.  In addition, spell-casters can always try to dispel another casters magic as a contested skill check.    

Wealth and acquiring gear is an abstracted concept in this game.  Most day-to-day items you can just assume you have available.  Wealth and resources are a standard test where some Perks, Roles, and backgrounds might give you an advantage. There is also a section on having pets as well.  I am a bit sad, because I know at least 1 of my players MUST HAVE A PET in every game.    

The game has a really good breakdown of how to create Conflicts in the game including the Goal, Obstacles, Rewards and Consequences, Participants, and Scope of the challenge.  It also breaks down that a challenge may cause physical Health damage but is more likely to cause stress that reduces a character's Essence temporarily.  This represents mental stress.    

Since a big part of the game is exploring Equestria and the setting, I am glad to say that this book has two sections on the topic (Three if you include the enemies section).  There is a whole section on Exploration and what that means.  This includes diseases, the environment, and other details.  Then, there is a chapter on key locations in Equestria to be explored!  Often times, this pillar is overlooked in a game, but not in this one!  The Friends and Foes section also lays out NPCs from the show and some potential threats to Ponyville.  These all help populate the world.  

The section for the GM was not very helpful.  It was better to read the starter "Stealing Thunder" adventure to get an idea of how the game was to be played.  It had good examples of conflicts and combats that made sense in the world of the Ponies.  It also was useful to understand difficulty levels and various tests.  

I was also disappointed that there was no dedicated section about resolving or using Social skills, even though it is obviously a key part of the rules.  They seem to just the same as standard checks with no meat beyond that.  Since a few Roles lean heavily into Social as does the game itself I felt like this was a big omission.  The section on Conflicts helps, but the core of the Social Pillar focused on standard checks only. 

Things I Don't Like

This game has too many rules and is far too crunchy for a game of My Little Pony!  For example, the core concept of Cutie Marks giving a higher skill dice when it applies to a situation is a good, solid, simple rule.  However, what makes up your Pony is so much more!  There are a lot of skills and a lot of special rules for a new person to recall.  The higher the level the more to recall! 

For example, they have 6 sample characters to get you started.  Looking at one of them there are..... 8-10 special rules per character from a combination of sources.  Many times, these can be somewhat specialized or situational bonuses.  They really needed to streamline this down for ease of play into core ideas.  This is before you even get into Essences, Defenses, and Skills to recall as well.  Too complicated for what this game is trying to be.  You should not need a front-and-back page character sheet for this type of game.   

There are a couple of pages for rules about weapons!  I think the focus in on using them as equipment more than against other creatures, but the rules do cover it.  Seems a bit Un-Pony like to me, but I guess bad guys can use them too. 

This game talks about using battle maps!  AHHHHHHHHHHH!  This does not feel like it should be a game where tactical elements and positioning should be a thing.  The Combat section is far too long for a game like this with a level of detail that should not be required.  However, it does specify that when you go to 0 Health that doesn't mean you are dead, just defeated.  However, this whole section seems more complex than a Saturday Morning cartoon about Friendship should really be.   

Meh and Other Uncertainties

Like other Essence 20 systems, character creation is actually pretty simple.  Your character needs an Origin, Influences, and Role.  Origins are if you are an earth-bound Pony, a Pegasi, or a Unicorn in this game.  Influences are like backgrounds that helped shape your character that comes with some situational bonuses and some ideas for RPG.  Your Role is basically your class that comes with various Class features.  

Unlike the G.I. Joe RPG, the Roles in this game do not match 1-for-1 as closely to D&D classes.  They take the form of a "Spirit of...." and grant situational bonuses.  Most of these are more social focused and conflicts in this game are more about social interactions than actual ficticuffs.  They have:

1. Spirit of Generosity - More of a Buffer character

2. Spirit of Honesty - A Social class

3. Spirit of Kindness - A healer and de-buffer of foes

4. Spirit of Laughter- A battlemaster of performance with a variety of tactics using expendable resources. 

5. Spirit of Loyalty- A sentinel and bodyguard type of class

6. Spirit of Magic - A Caster class

This game uses a Fumble and Critical Success rules.  Fumbles are on a failed test with a d20 roll of 1.  Criticals happen when you roll a success and the highest number on your bonus die. A bit different than D&D.  

There are three spell levels but only specialized Ponies will get to the third level of spells.  The basic level has about 12 spells in 4 categories, the next level has about 8, and the last, most difficult level has 8 as well.  There is also rules for making and using Magic Baubles like Healing Salves and more powerful items.    

The game has a very simple meta-currency called Friendship Points.  These allow players to re-roll dice, trigger special effects by class, active a Friendship Circle, avoid hits, and get hints as needed.  The GameMaster is encouraged to hand them out based on good role-playing and other generally playing in a way where Friendship is Magic!    

Final Thoughts

To quote the introduction: "How can fate be so cruel?  All I ever did was love you, my shiny clicky magical math rocks!" 

This game showed some development and improvement compared to the G.I. Joe. rulebook from Renegade.  It did a better job explaining Conflicts and non-combat oriented parts of RPGs.  I think it also broke-away from the usual Essence 20/D&D 5E framework a bit more than usual.  The Roles especially seemed more thought-out for the type of game being played.  

However, this game is still a bit too complex for beginners, a bit too rules-heavy, and way too focused on combat for what I was expecting.  I would imagine combat should be resolved by a few simple dice rolls and decisions more like a Powered by the Apocalyspe style game, and less like a tactical combat focused-game like D&D.  I think it makes too little of the Social and moral issues of MLP to focus on the easier "physical" conflicts.  However, very rarely do they settle conflicts in MLP this way.  This is not a Military Fantasy show like G.I. Joe!  

My wife would be a first time GM and my group is asking her to run this.  As a first time GM, I think this game needs to beef up the GM section AND make it a bit simpler to run for newbies.  As it stands, I think it will be a challenge for her to run all the mechanics and manage all the character abilities as presented in the book.  Afterall, she is a casual fan of the show and mostly likes it for the color palette and more of a casual RPGer.     

That said, I think this could be a nice change of pace for a short campaign or palette cleansing 1-off for a long running group of RPGers.  I could also see the reliance on the known Essence 20/D&D 5E framework could also make for some fun Convention games of this.  However, as written it is more of a game for experienced RPGers than I expected.   

Until next time!

Become a Patron and get access to all the cool stuff, a peak behind the curtain of Blood and Spectacles, and early-access to playtest games!  

Blood and Spectacles Patreon! 

You can follow Blood and Spectacles Facebook page or Instagram for more fun! 

Check out the latest publications and contact me at our Blood and Spectacles website

Or purchase all out games at the Blood and Spectacles Publishing Wargames Vault Page!                                    

Review: Pendragon Gamemaster's Handbook - Chaosium

Sometime last year, I picked up the Pendragon Core Rulebook for 6th edition.  That review had some critiques about what it was missing, and that the Core Rulebook did not give me everything I needed to run the game.  After doing some research, it appears that others felt the same way and that the Core Rulebook was more of a Player's Handbook.  As the Gamemaster, you needed a different level of detail and that seems to be what this book is intended to provide.  

For those who do not know, Pendragon is a role-playing game where you attempt to take up the mantle of a Knight from the Arthurian Legends.  This is a semi-mythical time period of British history that was greatly influenced by other European takes on what it meant to be a good Knight through-out the Middle and High Middle Ages.  There are various versions of the Legend of King Arthur had his Knights and most of them dwell on the later period.  However, the actual roots of the Saga take place over a 150-year legendary time span, and this game lets you play characters and lineages from the opening to the end of the Myth Cycle. 

I really am a fan of the "idea" of Pendragon as it puts players into an actual society and then asks them to role-play what life in that society may look like.  This is a very different feel for a game where you are character who is semi-lawless out on the frontier.  Here you are the one that represents civilization and its changing ways, and it your job to uphold what civilization you can.  Sure, you can become a character of legend, but the focus is very different from what you see in a typical frontier style RPG.  I have a soft spot for these types of games where players must act within a society, including its constraints and limitations. 

Now, let's strap on our armor, hoist ourselves up on our chargers and grab our lance.  It is time to go out on a quest into the heart of the Pendragon Gamemaster's Handbook..... 

Things That I Liked

First off, there was a lot of things I wanted covered in the Pendragon Core Rulebook such as Feasts, Magic, Foes, Religions, and intro adventures.  Thankfully, this book covers all of those topics very well.  It really fills in the blanks in a way that I think I can actually run the game now.  Yippee!  

The mechanics for Feasts are really fun!  I often joke that Legend of the Five Rings is the game of dinner parties, but Pendragon takes it to another level.  In this game, your main success measure is Glory.  You gain Glory a variety of ways, but you also earn Glory at Feasts!  Characters earn Glory based on where they are seated compared to their Lord, actions they take, and if they do not have a "for sure" agenda; they can draw Feast Cards.  These are essentially random events that act as a spring boards to Trait Tests and/or role-play.  All of which can gain you Glory as a Knight.  This game has a mechanical benefit for engaging in the Social Pillar of the game, and not just a Narrative benefit.  This is a very cool mechanic. 

There is a nice section about running the game as the GM.  This includes advice about moving through time, navigating technology changes, and other items unique to the setting.  Unlike many settings, this one is NOT frozen in time.  In fact, technology improves as you move forward in the Myth cycle.  You start with chain mail, spear and simple shields, but end with full plate armor, horse barding, and dedicated lances.  However, I think my favorite piece of advice in the GM section is this, "When running a scenario, it you have a plot planned out; avoid random events."  Music to my Trad/Neo-Trad ears!  West End Games: Star Wars my favorite GameMaster section, but the advice given in this book is probably my second favorite.  I have an excellent idea of how this game should be approached and played.  

Appendix A gives a very handy summary of Glory rewards for a variety of situations and PC/NPC types.  This is helpful as Glory rewards are often scattered in the rulebooks.  This helps consolidate them into a few pages.  Since this is a key measure and main success metric in the game, you can bet Players will want GMs to get this right.    

Things I Did Not Like

One thing that stands out with this game, is that it is a rather roll heavy game.  Many times, situations in the rules are abstracted down to a Trait test or series of Skill Rolls.  Success is based on the dice rolls more than anything else.  The narrative is shaped by these rolls, so luck can play a big part in what will develop and where the plot may go.  There are ways for players to mitigate the roll of luck using Passion checks, but there is also a risk.  In addition, rather complex situations that may take a few hours to role-play out fully, are designed to be resolved with a few rolls and a few moments of dialogue.  This allows the game to pack 1 year into a session or two.  However, it also leads the game to be a relatively streamlined experience, and some key events are not allowed to breath.  The game itself moves briskly from challenge to challenge, but this can disrupt the Narrative.  However, this game is designed to be more simulation of Arthurian Legend.  

This simulation also leads to a variety of "rituals" in how the game is played.  I.e. when you meet foreign Knights on patrol you do X.  If you end up at a foreign castle you do Y.  If you are flirting or courting you do Z.  The rules cover the most common situations and quickly and easily systematizes them into a Trait test.  This makes the game almost feel more like a series of pre-set rituals rather than creative role-playing.  The characters themselves are trapped a bit, which is one of the games strengths at recreation, but also a constraint on innovative role-play. 

The focus of this book is to put the Player-Knights in the County of Salisbury from the start of the time of the Boy King through to the end of Arthur.  Therefore, much of what is written tends to focus on that time period.  However, there is a great deal of time and geography that can not be covered in this book.

I was also disappointed that there was not a small section on Estates and Estate management in this book.  The main player-state seems to be as Household Knights.  However, I am very interested in running a Campaign (at least partially) as landholders and said responsibilities.  Half the fun of the game seems to be creating a family and lineage to grow over the full 150+ years of the Arthurian Myth cycle.  Also, I could see a fun campaign revolving around the adventures of a Conroi (10-15) of Mercenary Knights as well, but that is hardly touched on here.  Most of the Mercenary Knight detail comes from the main rulebook.  This book seems to want the focus to be on the last 50 or so years of the Arthurian Saga as Household Knights.    

The starting Scenarios also feed into this idea of Household Knights of Salisbury at the end of the era of Anarchy between Uther's death and King Arthur pulling the Sword from the Stone.  The Starting scenarios start the players as Squires, arranges for them to be promoted to Knights, and then allows them to get involved dealing with Saxons and border fights.  These scenarios slide easily into the Starter Set, the Grey Knight, and the Great Pendragon Campaign.  However, they are "mundane" adventures and years focusing on Saxon foes and battle, with a flavor of feasting.  It does not touch on magic or Fae or the more "wonderous" sides of the setting.  However, they do give an example of how to structure a session/year for a GM and serve to get Player-Knights stuck in.       

Meh and Other Uncertainties

There is a very detailed description and section on the various religions of the people of Arthurian Briton.  This section would have been really useful in the Core Rulebook as well.  However, the detail and history of each is fascinating.  This includes Roman and British Christianity, Heathenism(Spirit Worship), Paganism, Wodanism(Norse), and even Evil for NPCs.  As a history guy, this was really interesting to read!  

Of course, these religious traditions also have access to different Magic traditions and Miracles too.  Each of these traditions also has different spiritual foes such as fae, fiends, and Angels as well.  Of note, only fiends (agents of Satan) can use true illusions.  Illusion-like effects from other creatures like glamour change and warp reality itself.  Fiends may not change parts of God's creation as punishment so therefore their works are pure illusions.    

There are detailed rules for running Mass Battles.  These can be applies in tournament style Melees or in actual field Battles and Sieges as well.  These reminded me a bit of the Legend of the Five Rings or Dune: Adventures in the Imperium rules for Mass Battles.  However, the Pendragon rules for Mass Battle seem to be a bit more detailed.  

There are two full Chapters on NPCs and Beasts that the Player-Knights might encounter.  This ranges from standard Pictish warriors, to Saxons, to animals, to Witches, to Giants, and other Fae and Fiends.  They also offer some ideas on how the more bizarre creatures appeared in Arthurian Legends.  They also give Stat blocks for some Key NPCs, mostly from the later periods of the Myth Cycle.    

Appendix B is pretty cool as it has a lot of detail for expanded reading.  This ranges from Academic works, Traditional Folklore, and all the way to modern fiction.  A solid list to help you get a feel for the genre.        

Final Thoughts

If you plan on running Pendragon this is really a must have book.  The detail if gives for the various religions of Briton alone is amazing and worth the read.  The Feasts rules are also really cool and a great look at how to systematize the Social Pillar.  The Bestiary and discussion of Magic helps build on what a complete and interesting world Pendragon lives in.   

That said, 6th Edition still has a few blindspots for a fully developed campaign.  The first is there is very little discussion or talk about the "Exploration Pillar".  Granted, much of the region is "Known" but not to the Player-Knights.  There is some discussion about visiting foreign lands, but those lands are left largely blank.  In addtion, Knights are often Nobles and Land-holders and this book does not touch on that aspect of the setting/campaigns at all.     

With this and Core Rulebook, you now have enough to play Pendragon.... mostly.  Afterall, the GM can fill-in the rest of the Map as they see fit beyond Salisbury.  Afterall, Your Pendragon May Vary!  If you make your Player-Knights Household Knights you have everything you need for a good campaign.  If you want to explore some of the other possibilities of the setting, this will lead you to more books to buy. 

Become a Patron and get access to all the cool stuff, a peak behind the curtain of Blood and Spectacles, and early-access to playtest games!  

Blood and Spectacles Patreon! 

You can follow Blood and Spectacles Facebook page or Instagram for more fun! 

Check out the latest publications and contact me at our Blood and Spectacles website

Or purchase all out games at the Blood and Spectacles Publishing Wargames Vault Page!