In this episode of The Reviews, Tom (@BeskarTom) and Chris Burlew (@burlew_chris) take a look at the latest D&D adventure. Dragolance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen. Does this book live up to Chris’s love of Dragonlance? Will Tom actually like a D&D book ever again? Find out now!

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In this episode of The Reviews, The Caleb G ( @TheCalebG ) takes a look at The Calling Sci-Fi Western RPG by Ohad Reiter ( @OhadReiter )

Howdy cats and kittens! It’s TheCalebG aka Professor Crunch aka the founder of Point Five Past. Today I’m here to review The Calling, a game published by Ohad Reiter and currently available on DriveThruRPG. The publisher was kind enough to send a copy of the book for the purpose of this review.

The Calling has several purchase options available on DriveThruRPG as well as a free quick-start guide. On the game’s website (www.thecallingrpg.com) character and GM sheets are available for both letter and A4 paper, as well as fillable PDF options.

Quick Overview

The Calling is a genre mashup of Science Fiction and Western tropes. The game’s world is a post-Armageddon that has been rebuilt based on classic movies. Players create characters that are the Chosen of Star Gods, alien beings that reshaped the world prior to Armageddon. Adventures range from classic elements of fighting mutated creatures and salvaging ancient tech to protecting the Star Gods from cosmic horror monstrosities. While most RPGs will have GMs take the role of deities, the Star Gods in The Calling have a much more active role and impact on the game.

Book and Resources

This book comes in at just shy of 450 pages. Most of these pages are text, charts, and examples of how to play the game. There is some full page art scattered through the book. It’s black and white and very reminiscent of classic pulp comics.

The first 300 pages are devoted to game rules and structure. Story details are scattered throughout, but the main mythology of the game world is told in about 10 pages after that first rules section. The last 100 pages are focused on the bestiary and magic spells.

Primarily focusing on the rules with flavor sprinkled in is a great approach. The Calling is a pretty crunchy game, so building a foundation for the game’s intent and concept on the mechanics is crucial. 

The online resources for The Calling are slim but helpful. Three different versions of both player and GM sheets cover the bases of everything the table will need for a game. And as someone who is always searching for an easy-to-use digital character sheet for games, having the official sheet from the publisher is much appreciated.

Story

The short version of The Calling’s story is that Armageddon happened 300 years ago. Survivors gathered somewhere in Asia and rebuilt society based entirely on old movies. There aren’t big cities, just small towns surrounded by farms and ranches. Towns are drawn straight out of old Westerns, right down to Main Street and the saloon. Leadership in towns is organized like mafia movies. Monasteries show movies to town residents for both entertainment and spiritual enlightenment.

Most folks in this world rarely leave their towns. PCs are adventurers, the few brave and skilled enough to survive the dangers of the new world. They are also the Chosen of the local Star God, an alien being that is more or less responsible for the region where the PCs live. Not only do the Chosen Ones complete heroic quests, but they also serve and protect their Star God who, in return, supports them by answering prayers and granting miracles.

The longer version of the story tells players exactly what happened 300 years ago and how encountering the beings that would become Star Gods led to Armageddon. While exploring the depths of space, humanity met alien beings. These beings came back to Earth, became part of human society, and began using their advanced genetic manipulation abilities to help improve the world. However, the Star Gods also picked up many of humanity’s worst traits and started fighting amongst themselves. During this time, humans continued their usual terrible behaviors and ended up in a war as well. However, they now had access to much more advanced technology thanks to the Star Gods, so this war became Armageddon and wiped out most of humanity.

In the aftermath, the remaining Star Gods repaired and rebuilt the Earth, returning it to a vibrant natural state. They nurtured the surviving humans and helped them develop. When humanity was at a point of being able to understand concepts such as history and culture, the Star Gods used old movies to instruct and guide them. Thus we see the current state of the world in The Calling.

All of the dangers in this new world come from both the impact of both the Star Gods and the destructive choices of humanity. The genetic experiments the Star Gods performed led to mutated beasts roaming the world, including even deadlier versions of dinosaurs. Creatures based on human myths are also a threat, but these have a more unclear origin. During the Armageddon, humans built advanced and dangerous robots who are now living deep underground doing strange robot things. They have taken on shapes reminiscent of monsters from high fantasy stories to strike additional fear into their human prey A variety of classic monsters like vampires, demons, and werewolves also exist as altered humans who made deals with Star Gods. And there are also cosmic horrors that are on Earth for the sole reason of hunting and killing the Star Gods.

Mechanics

The basic dice resolution in The Calling is very simple. Characters have five traits (Muscle, Grace, Insight, Resolve, and Charm) that range from one to six. When faced with a task, players roll 2d6 and add the related trait value. Meeting or beating the target number (called the Difficulty Score) generates a successful result. Rolling snake eyes (two 1s on the dice) is a critical failure and rolling boxcars (two 6s on the dice, called Midnight here) is a critical success. A Midnight roll also generates a currency called Favor that can be used when interacting with Star Gods.

There are 14 skills, each of which is assigned or related to a specific trait. However, there is no positive modifier for being trained in a skill. Instead, there is a negative modifier for rolling an untrained skill. Character abilities and situations can provide both positive and negative modifiers to rolls.

With only a few exceptions, NPCs and monsters do not roll against PCs. NPCs and monsters have set values that players roll against. For example, the player will roll their character’s attack against a monster’s dodge score and roll their character’s dodge against a monster’s attack score.

The Calling also provides a structure to resolve dramatic scenes from movies such as negotiations, heists, investigation, and so on. When a scene like this starts, players describe three actions the party takes to resolve the scene. The overall result is based on how many successful skill checks are made ranging from zero to three. The book gives a breakdown of several classic scene types and guidelines of how to establish the scene, what skills to use, and how to define the overall success after rolls are made.

Character Creation and Gameplay

Building a character in The Calling is very quick. Players start by selecting their character’s Dojo and Calling. A Dojo is a fighting style. There are eight options including Cyborg, Katana, and Laser. A Calling is both a character’s background and their general method of interacting with the world. There are ten options including Cowboy, Nun, and Witch. Players then assign a set array of five numbers to their characters’ traits.

Dojos and Callings also grant Masteries, which encompass everything from supernatural powers to physical prowess. To use the terms of other games, Masteries are the catch-all for feats and class abilities. They also grant access to Prayers, which are The Calling’s version of magic.

To use Prayers, players take a specific combat action to role play offering up the request to their character’s Star God. If the request is granted, the Prayer is paid for with Favor. Prayers have many effects, ranging from summoning ally spirits to dealing elemental damage to enemies. Almost every Prayers also has a healing effect for the party as well.

Players strive to complete their characters’ individual quests as they experience the game’s other events. Quests are selected from a list in the character’s Calling and are broad enough to be incorporated into larger plot elements and intertwined with other characters’ quests to make the overall story more interesting. Completing Quests is how characters advance and gain levels.

As mentioned before, NPCs and monsters don’t roll dice. Instead, they have set Difficulty Scores for players to roll against. The only exception is their initiative. Their attacks and abilities also have flat damage, no rolling. This makes for very streamlined encounters and combat. 

There are a large variety of combat maneuvers and options. This is where most of The Calling’s crunch comes into play. All of these maneuvers draw upon action and western movie themes and strive to help players recreate that fun on-screen action at the table. As a perfect example, ever want to shoot off someone’s hat? That’s in there. 

A helpful feature of combat is that Goliath-sized monsters (the largest size category) are treated as multiple creatures each with their own stats, actions, and attacks. When a part of the Goliath is reduced to zero hit points, its actions are no-longer available in combat. This is an excellent way to manage combat with larger creatures and give players strong tactical options and clear objectives.

Gameplay in The Calling fits the fairly standard “big heroes in a dangerous” world concept. As Chosen of local Star God, characters will be asked to help with all kinds of tasks as they venture between towns completing their own quests. Unlike deities in other games, the Star God plays an active role in the campaign and interacts with the characters regularly, In fact, the choice of the Star God’s domain defines the overall theme of the campaign that’s being played.

Being an active part of the game puts the Star God in danger. The Chosen are not quite the Star God’s bodyguards, but they were chosen to defend the Star God from extreme danger. That danger takes the shape of Doppelgangers, a unique monster type that exists solely to destroy the Star God. This is where the cosmic horror element entrees The Calling. These Doppelgangers are hidden in the world and turn into twisted, terrifying monstrosities when they reveal themselves.

These Doppelgangers are integral to every campaign in The Calling. Only six exist in the game world and characters must find and destroy them. Doing so advances the Star God, granting them additional abilities that can support the characters. Dying to a Doppelganger is the only way for a character or party to be truly wiped out. In fact, if this happens the players lose the game. Additionally, Doppelgangers act as progress locks. They must be destroyed in a specific order for characters to advance through available levels.

Opinion

I’m torn about The Calling. It’s a great concept. Mashing up genres and presenting a post-Armageddon world inspired by action movies and Westerns is amazingly fun. Building a character with the Dojo and Calling option provides for lots of flexibility and creativity. The mechanics are easy to learn and understand but crunchy enough to provide lots of engaging tactical combat. The monsters are easy to run while still being interesting. The story itself is original, unique, and very entertaining. The book is written in a very accessible style and contains lots of great information for players and narrators of all skill levels, even though it does seem to be aimed primarily at new players. 

But there are elements that are not so great as well. The book, while mostly well-organized, does present some information randomly. It’s not a distracting problem, but it could have a better structure. There are some minor grammatical errors throughout the entire book. The art that is there is fantastic and on-theme but there’s not much of it. The language of the book is inconsistent, changing between in-world style, generic advice structure, and personalized “I” statements from the author. The game advice contains many “only”, “never”, and “always” statements. This is not necessarily a problem but it does feel like the game comes with lots of restrictions.

Speaking of restrictions, The Calling has a very defined structure and pace. There is clearly a start and finish to the campaign, along with win and loss conditions. This is not bad, but it is different as the majority of RPGs are open-ended. But a defined structure can be very beneficial, especially for newer players. Open-ended RPGs can present players with paralysis of choice. Having too many options can be overwhelming. The defined structure and pace also helps with time management when it comes to playing the game.

Overall, I like The Calling. It’s a fun, pulpy game with a cool story and setting driving the action. It asks for a lot of role-playing prompts from players and rewards those with mechanical support. But the presentation is rough around the edges. It’s a little distracting but that’s the worst of it.

The Calling is easily accessible to new players and appealing to experienced players. It’s not quite a niche game but it’s not as expansive as other RPGs. I hope that it continues to grow and develop. This game feels a lot like 13th Age, to me. It gives players a very specific box to play in, but provides many options of what to do inside that box. I feel that this is an excellent game for an actual play podcast or stream. It’s the type of game that delivers a very specific experience. If that’s the experience you want, you will absolutely love this game.

The Caleb G: C+

If you’d like to grab a copy of The Calling (or anything) from DriveThruRPG please use our link first and we get a small % of what you pay.

If you’d like to support the RPG Academy you can use this AMAZON link and then purchase anything from amazon you’d like.  Use it every time you shop there, and the RPG academy will get a small % of what you spend.  

Please consider contributing to my Patreon, making a modest donation via Paypal or even support your show at no extra cost via your purchases on DriveThru RPG.

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Playing Roleplaying games can be an amazingly fun time and also a benefit to your well being. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental or emotional well being, please reach out to someone who can help: 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255

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Our Intro and Outtro music is Fly a Kite by Spectacular Sound Productions used via Creative Commons Attribution License

In this episode of The Reviews, The Caleb G ( @TheCalebG ) take a look at Defiant RPG by Game Machinery (@Thilnen )

Thank you to Game Machinery for providing us with a review copy.

Howdy cats and kittens! It’s TheCalebG aka Professor Crunch aka the founder of Point Five Past.Today I’m here to review Defiant, a game published by Game Machinery and currently available on DriveThruRPG. The publishers were kind enough to send a copy of the book along with the various resources needed to play the game for the purpose of this review.

Defiant was successfully funded by 543% on Kickstarter in July of 2021. The campaign met 10 of its 12 stretch goals. There are currently 3 supplemental books available for purchase and a free Quick Start guide. The Kickstarter campaign mentions an online system to manage characters and games, but as of the writing of this article this resource is still under construction. The core book comes in both a standard print layout and a screen-friendly layout, which is a great approach for our digital gaming environment.

Defiant is an urban fantasy game with a focus on political drama and intrigue. The story is set against the background of an ongoing apocalypse. Players create supernatural characters who are part of elaborate courts that are safe havens from apocalyptic danger and mortal observation. Gameplay is focused on managing court expectations and responsibilities while maneuvering and manipulating others to accomplish a variety of goals. Although it is not the focus, many themes in the game are mature and not for younger players.

The print version of Defiant is just over 300 pages and the screen-friendly version is just over 600. Most of the book is focused on how to prepare and play the game. It seems like common sense to say this, but given the intent of the game, this a crucial point to recognize. More on that later.

Interestingly, the book’s art was “made using stock images from paid and free sites.” My understanding of this is that the stock images were used as a base for the art. Characters are depicted as ultra-rich socialites with typical supernatural details like wings or horns. The art is striking, with mostly yellow and purple tones, which gives a surreal depiction to everything. Note that while none of the art is explicit, there are risqué depictions of mature content. Nothing here is worse than you’d see in a fashion magazine or on Instagram, but there are quite a few implications being made. This is not a book for kids.

There is a good, common sense flow to how the information in the book is given to readers. Given the complex nature of Defiant, this is a smart move. Starting with the foundation of a quick overview of the game and its intent, the book then builds by explaining the game’s setting and how to prepare for the first game session. It is comforting to see a focus on Line and Veil rules here, considering the adult nature of much of this content.

Game mechanics are referenced but not explained in detail until around 70 pages into the book. Similarly, character abilities and details are discussed but not given details until almost 200 pages into the book. Normally, this is something I would call out as a concern. However, given the need to understand the social dynamics of this game world, I feel that the focus on how to facilitate this type of game and the unique nature of the game world is the best approach. Additionally, the mechanical structure of characters is addressed during character and game creation with the included game resources.

Speaking of resources, Defiant provides a lot of them. This is an appreciated decision, as the specific details of game mechanics are on the complex side. Maps and reference cards provide details of the setting and reminders about how everything works. Cards are also used in character creation. More on that later. These resources are clear and easy to use, giving enough information to keep the game moving without having to dig through the book.

The apocalypse is happening right now in Defiant. But due to illusions maintained by powerful magic, mortal folks don’t know this. Terrible apocalyptic events are understood as acts of terrorism, tragic accidents, or environmental disasters. Players take on roles of supernatural beings that once were part of carrying out the apocalypse but have decided to defy their responsibilities.

Safety in this world is found in the Domains of the Defiant. These are small pockets of supernatural civilization hidden within regular cities inhabited by mortals. Domains are isolated from each other, so each game that’s played takes place completely within one single Domain. The safety of Domains are maintained by following strict rules and structure, which leads into the court hierarchy structure of the game.

Characters come from one of four supernatural origins. Angels are fallen divine servants; Daeva are former gods and legendary creatures; Leviathans are ancient draconian forces of destruction; Infernals are tormented humans who became tormentors over centuries of suffering.

The majority of daily activity in Defiant is focused on maintaining the status-quo of the Domain to ensure that the apocalypse remains safely outside its walls. As powerful as the characters are within a Domain, they cannot fight against creatures still serving in the apocalyptic war. These creatures are also grouped into four origins, this time based on the classic mythology of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. These creatures might infiltrate or take action against a Domain, but this is very rare.

The core dice mechanic in Defiant is a fairly simple dice pool roll of 3d6 with successes generating from a result of 5 or higher. But instead of a more typical mechanic of adding successes to a stat or attribute, a character’s Potential allows players to increase the dice size up to a maximum of d10s while success is still determined with a result of 5 or higher. Potential is gained from a variety of sources such as character traits, adversary flaws, and outside sources of help. Potential can be reduced by things such as an enemy’s advantages or a character’s weaknesses.

Potential increases dice one at a time starting with the lowest die. So 1 Potential would let a player roll 1d8 and 2d6, 2 Potential would let a player roll 2d8 and 1d6, and so on.

There is also a resource called Shards. These can be used to add a d8 to the dice pool, which can then be upgraded with Potential as normal. Shards have a variety of other uses related to character abilities.

When it comes to the dice pool mechanic, this is a relatively simple system. There is some complication in finding all the ways that Potential is gained and lost, but this becomes much easier as the game progresses.

Building a supernatural character in Defiant is both simple and complex. On the simple side, there are no stats or attributes. Characters are defined in themes and traits which are all descriptive words or phrases. Also, everything is done with cards. Players randomly select cards to define all important aspects of their character from their supernatural origin to their standing in their court to, believe it or not, their marital status. Once these choices are made and details are recorded on a character sheet, character creation is done. Compared to the more typical number- and option-heavy character creation process, this is a breeze.

But on the complex side, character creation is far more involved than making these simple choices. Unless the group is playing in a pre-made Domain, players are also creating their home town and court while making characters. They are fleshing out all the NPCs that hold specific court roles. The hierarchy of the courts in Defiant are crucial to the overall story. If the rules of the Domain are not met through the structure of the court, the magic that holds back the apocalypse fails. And don’t forget that regular folks also exist in this supernatural world. Interaction with them is rare, but they are still a factor of how the Domain operates. Thus, character creation in Defiant is more along the lines of world creation. This isn’t terribly complicated as most things are defined with a few simple phrases, but it is a very different experience when compared to other games.

Playing Defiant is similarly different from other RPGs. The focus is not on combat or exploration. Instead the game is about managing the daily activities and responsibilities of the court while also pursuing individual goals of advancement. Conflict comes from clashing schemes and personalities. Physical combat can occur, but it’s typically in the form of a tournament or a duel. Defiant is about playing politics and managing grand plans over a long term. To support this structure, a campaign is organized like a television show with a Season that is broken into six to ten Episodes. Character abilities are focused on supporting this narrative structure and prompt players to ask large-scale questions that introduce new elements into the game and move the story forward.

Defiant presents an impressive concept and supports it with a vivid world and clever mechanics. The rules at the core of the game are easy to understand which helps players focus on developing a shared narrative experience at the table.

That being said, Defiant is a very niche game. This is not an easy game to pick up and play at random. This is a game where everyone needs to share the same mindset, expectations, and mental preparation. Given the type of gameplay and mature themes in Defiant, players need a high degree of comfort and trust with each other. Luckily, the book is full of reminders about how to play the game successfully and safely. But this is not a game for younger players and probably is not what you’d play randomly at a convention or run for strangers. 

I commend the writers for taking on an ambitious topic and presenting it in an accessible way. Personally, I’ve always struggled with how to best execute a game of intrigue and political drama and the mechanics here are a perfect approach. I also love how the writers embrace and support the LGBTQIA+ community and present a refreshing attitude of inclusivity. 

Defiant is a narrative-focused game about social elite with supernatural powers pursuing their own agendas while also maintaining their responsibilities in strict court hierarchy with the apocalypse ongoing in the background. Why the CW hasn’t optioned this for a new show yet is beyond me. The game is focused on style but delivers the substance needed to tell a great story. This is not something I’ll likely play at length. It’s just not the right game for me and my typical players. But I like what Defiant presents and how it executes the concept. If you are seeking this type of story, I can’t think of another game that presents the concept in such an accessible and streamlined way. 

The Caleb G: B

If you’d like to grab a copy of Defiant (or anything) from DriveThruRPG please use our link first and we get a small % of what you pay.

If you’d like to support the RPG Academy you can use this AMAZON link and then purchase anything from amazon you’d like.  Use it every time you shop there, and the RPG academy will get a small % of what you spend.  

Please consider contributing to my Patreon, making a modest donation via Paypal or even support your show at no extra cost via your purchases on DriveThru RPG.

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Playing Roleplaying games can be an amazingly fun time and also a benefit to your well being. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental or emotional well being, please reach out to someone who can help: 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text line: Text HOME to 741741

The Trevor Project 

Our Intro and Outtro music is Fly a Kite by Spectacular Sound Productions used via Creative Commons Attribution License

In this episode of The Reviews, Tom ( @BeskarTom ) and Michael ( @TheRpgAcademy) take a look at the newest adventure anthology from Wizards of the Coast for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition.

As always – thank you to Wizards for providing us a review copy.

Tom –        C

Michael –  C – 

If you’d like to support the RPG Academy you can use this AMAZON link and then purchase anything from amazon you’d like.  Use it every time you shop there, and the RPG academy will get a small % of what you spend.  

Please consider contributing to my Patreon, making a modest donation via Paypal or even support your show at no extra cost via your purchases on DriveThru RPG.

Email: TheRpgAcademy@gmail
Twitter / Facebook / Website

Playing Roleplaying games can be an amazingly fun time and also a benefit to your well being. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental or emotional well being, please reach out to someone who can help: 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text line: Text HOME to 741741

The Trevor Project 

Our Intro and Outtro music is Fly a Kite by Spectacular Sound Productions used via Creative Commons Attribution License

In this episode of The Reviews, Tom ( @BeskarTom ) and Michael ( @TheRpgAcademy) take a look at the One Ring Starter Set from Free League Press.   Free League sent Michael a copy of the Starter Set for this review and Tom backed the One Ring Kickstarter at the All-in level.

Tom – B- 

Michael. A+ or C- depending on who’s buying it. Average to straight B

If you’d like to pick up a copy of The One Ring Starter Set or any Free League Press games, use this link for convenience. We get no commission from you using this link.

If you’d like to support the RPG Academy you can use this AMAZON link and then purchase anything from amazon you’d like.  Use it every time you shop there, and the RPG academy will get a small % of what you spend.  

Please consider contributing to my Patreon, making a modest donation via Paypal or even support your show at no extra cost via your purchases on DriveThru RPG.

Email: TheRpgAcademy@gmail
Twitter / Facebook / Website

Playing Roleplaying games can be an amazingly fun time and also a benefit to your well being. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental or emotional well being, please reach out to someone who can help: 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text line: Text HOME to 741741

The Trevor Project 

Our Intro and Outtro music is Fly a Kite by Spectacular Sound Productions used via Creative Commons Attribution License

Howdy AcadeManiacs, it’s your old friend Professor Crunch. I am thrilled to bring you a review of Death in Space, “a rules-light tabletop roleplaying game in a gritty science fiction setting” that was successfully funded on Kickstarter back in April 2021.

I reviewed a copy of the PDF kindly provided to the Academy by Free League Press.

The Kickstarter campaign was successfully funded by 2545% and let me tell you, the finished product deserves the hype indicated by its success ratio. I absolutely love this game. If you’re a fan of narrative-focused games, you’ll like these mechanics. If you’re a fan of grungy, edge-of-civilization survival sci-fi set against a backdrop of cosmic horror stories, you’ll like this setting.

First and foremost, this book oozes with style. It’s gorgeous. The book is printed in sharp contrast with a light font on a dark background. The art is subtle but stunning, quickly demonstrating the strange, desperate mood of the setting. There’s also a holographic cover that is simply slick as all get out.

As a word of caution, some might find this visual presentation challenging. Many folks read digital material in a “night mode” setting nowadays, myself included, and this book comes with that setting already selected. I personally did not experience any additional eye strain when reading this book. But fair warning to anyone picking this up.

This book is expertly designed to draw readers into the intended mindset by the game creators. The game’s genre is nothing new, but the story of the game setting is injected with unique twists on core sci-fi  and cosmic horror tropes. Every part of the book, from cover to cover, helps readers and players feel these unique story elements viscerally.

This same careful attention to style and prevention carries over into the support resources available to players. While character creation is quite simple (more on that later), an online character generator is available. It’s presented in 8-bit, old-school DOS-style graphics and serves as an easy tool to help players embody the mindset of the world and their characters. There’s also a glorious soundtrack that provides a perfect background for your game session. It’s moody and evocative.

All in all, every single detail of this game has been designed to put readers and players in the exact  mental space that the creators intended.

The book is short, at just over 130 pages. But it is jam-packed with content and art. Every single page is visually appealing, full of art and details that deliver the theme and style of this game. The book is also very well organized, with information following (except for one odd exception) a logical flow.

After a short introduction to the game world, the book starts with character creation rules. Personally, I love this approach. Not everyone feels the same way, but I think that starting with character creation gives players the best foundation for gameplay. In this game, after creating characters the party creates a living space. That space is crucial for survival, so naturally the book takes readers there next.

Following both steps of pre-game creation, the book next shows us how to play the game. While the rules are relatively simple (more on these later), there are quite a few different things to keep track of during gameplay. But the explanations are easy to understand. They’re also very easy to reference during a game session.

The next section of the book is focused on lore and setting. We learn the history of the game world and interesting facts about the star system where the game takes place. Most of the information in this section is focused on The Ring, which is the primary location where most events in the game take place. And since there are elements of cosmic horror lurking in the background, we also learn about cults that are active in the game.

The rest of the book is devoted to tables of information necessary to play the game. Most of this is focused on equipment and items. But tables are found in every section of this book. The majority of these tables are numbered for selection by a random roll.

As mentioned earlier, there is one odd point of organization in the book. The very first thing seen in the book is a list of in-game items and their cost. While this is necessary information, it’s odd to read it first. I would think placing it at the end of the book with the rules cheat sheet would make more sense.

As a mostly rules-lite system, Death in Space has 6 steps of character creation. The whole process is simple and entertaining, especially when you roll on the random tables. 

The first step is generating the 4 character abilities that define each player character. This is done by rolling 1d4 minus 1d4. That’s right. The abilities in Death in Space range from +3 to -3. If you haven’t guessed so far, the spooky space game with ‘death’ in the title is super lethal. To support this, PC hit points are defined by rolling 1d8. Once.

Additional steps include selecting an origin (which grants a choice of special abilities) and selecting or rolling for a variety of flavor-based character details and starting equipment.

The second part of pre-game creation is about creating a space for the PCs to live. The game calls this a Hub. The Hub can be either a spacecraft or space station. Each is defined by pre-set stats which come into play later when filling the Hub with equipment and supplies. The Hub is completed by selecting or rolling flavor details, just like with PCs.

The core mechanic of Death in Space is an ability check of 1d20 plus the relevant ability, which can be negative. A result of 12 or higher is a success. For an opposed task, the same roll is made but the higher result wins. Combat is done with the same roll again, but in this case it’s compared to the defense rating of the target. A roll equal to or greater than the defense rating is a success.

Failure of an ability check is noted as generating “a complication or setback”, which I interpret as embracing the “fail forward” ideology. Given the setting and tone of the game, this feels exactly on-brand. 

Failure of an ability check or attack roll also grants PCs a Void Point, which is a really fun resource for players. These points are related to Cosmic Mutations, which essentially super powers that PCs can gain through a variety of methods. This is where the cosmic horror vibe really kicks in. These Mutations grant useful powers but bring a risk of triggering a Void Corruption. Triggering a Corruption injects crazy horror elements into the game.

As fun as this is, the Cosmic Mutations are the one small gripe I have with this game. They are defined vaguely, which is deliberate and gives players the opportunity to use them creatively. The rules state that a player has to spend a Void Point to activate a Mutation, but many of them are defined as seemingly on-going abilities. This obstacle can be easily overcome with a good session zero and clear ongoing communication. But I do think this could be a challenge for new players who may feel less confident with sharing narrative control.

There are also rules for traveling, fighting, and surviving in space. Given the lethality of this game and setting, these are none too forgiving. This is also where the rules slide slightly towards being more crunchy than rules-lite. Tracking things like fuel and oxygen are not tricky, but they’re not easy.

There are plenty of other rules that help flesh out the game world, from carrying capacity to the extra wild things that can happen when a PC dies. A unique and well-executed rule is Morale. Enemies and NPCs have this rating. Depending on how combat goes, a Morale roll can lead to an enemy trying to flee or surrender. While this is a relatively simple rule, it’s one that is missing from many other games. And in this case, it helps reinforce the desperate nature of survival inherent to Death in Space and adds a level of realism to the role play. Enemies are trying to survive themselves, and will not fight to the death when they could escape and try to recover.

Another crunchy element is the condition and repair of gear. There are quite a few rules about when and how items break and how difficult it is to repair them. Survival in this game is very dependent on having the right gear and making sure it is functional. This is a key component of Death in Space. 

As noted above, maintaining gear is a big part of the game setting. A primary principle of Death in Space is “Nothing is New”. The game is set in the Tenebris system, which has been plagued by war that hasn’t ever quite ended. Communication is difficult. Travel is even harder. There are no new resources to be found, so everything is in a constant state of disrepair. Thus, PCs tend to be focused on making sure what they own and use daily will function as needed when needed.

There is quite a bit of information about the Tenebris system itself, including planets and different celestial bodies. But space travel is expensive and difficult in this game, so it will probably be rare that players will see all these locations. PCs will spend most of their time in The Ring, one of the last inhabitable places in the system. The majority of the setting details in the book are focused on The Ring, ranging from elements of the physical location to the intricacies of its political organization.

Also included in this section are resources for things like terrifying creatures, environmental dangers, and random tables that help outline every element of a game session.

Overall, this setting is focused on the desperation of survival. It’s not easy to live in this setting, let alone thrive. The book leaves enough room for players to add in whatever story elements they prefer, but the foundation it delivers reinforces how difficult it is to exist in this game.

Death in Space is an excellent game. It delivers exactly what it promises with a dark, moody, survival experience set against a backdrop of grungy sci-fi meets cosmic horror. The tropes of the game are not unique, but the game does use them in a fresh and engaging way.

The mechanics walk the fine line of crunch and provide a rules-lite, narrative-focused game that has just enough structure to support the more complicated details of the setting. Most importantly, the rules support the style and tone of the setting and help players experience their characters’ desperate efforts to survive.

Every element of this game is designed with style and care. This is not the right sci-fi game for every player and every story. If you plan on running this for your group, make sure you have a thorough session zero and get everyone on the same page when it comes to the horror and survival elements that are a core part of this game. Also be sure to keep lines of communication open during the game, as events can take a drastic turn suddenly.

One of my favorite elements of the game are all the random tables included in the book. Rolling randomly adds to the unexpected and dangerous nature of both the sci-fi and cosmic horror genres. But also, simply reading all of the possible outcomes helps both players and narrators understand the true nature of the setting, which leads to better, more informed role playing. By providing these details about the game world, the game designers have helped players act with confidence.

As a fan of rules-lite games and the sci-fi and cosmic horror genres, I highly recommend this game. It’s quick to set up and easy to run. The book’s style and design elements set the game’s intended tone right from the start, and that tone is further supported by extra game resources that are available for free. Every bit of this game helps players understand and embody their characters, and that makes for an excellent game experience. Death in Space was created to fit a very specific tabletop gaming niche, and it does it perfectly.

Overall I’d rate this game as an A-

Follow Death in Space on Twitter ( @DeathInSpace1 )

Visit DeathInSpace.Com

If you were to purchase just the core rulebook from the same site, it would run you $60 and you’d need another $47

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Playing Roleplaying games can be an amazingly fun time and also a benefit to your well being. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental or emotional well being, please reach out to someone who can help: 

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Our Intro and Outtro music is Fly a Kite by Spectacular Sound Productions used via Creative Commons Attribution License

It would not be an overstatement to say I love the original Star Trek Television show. Growing up a nerd long before it was cool to be a nerd, I watched the original series on reruns and off VHS copies again and again. Over time I fell away from the series though Star Trek: The Next Generation was appointment television for me when it started airing in the late 80’s and throughout its entire run. And so, while I do not consider myself a Trekker by any stretch, I have a fondness and nostalgic love for the show. It should be no surprise then when Modiphius offered me the chance to review their new Star Trek adventures: Tricorder Collector’s boxed set I jumped at the chance with less caution that Kirk did when he brought Tribbles on board the Enterprise.

The most important piece of this boxed set is the box itself. Styled to look like a Tricorder from the Original Star Trek series the case also doubles as a carrying case with the included strap allowing you to sling it over a shoulder and go. The outside is a plain looking case with the open/flap having stickers to give the impression of the dials and flashing lights from the namesake Tricorder. In the description it includes the case for carrying the game components as well as for cosplay.

After the case itself this collection includes five green twenty-sided dice with a custom captain’s tunic design. 10 six-sided Challenge Dice. 6 Momentum tokens and 26 Threat Tokens.

You also get 13 pre-generated characters to play, including eight of the original series characters: Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu and Checkov as well as Nurse Chapel and the game statistics for the U.S.S. Enterprise herself. These pre-generated characters come on digest sized laminated cards with the some containing background info on the flip side and others including rules cheat sheets to assist with playing the game.

You also receive a digest sized version of the rules styled after the original series. Finally, the set includes a exclusive three-part adventure set during the original 5 year mission of the Enterprise: The Keyhole of Eternity In trying to determine if I would recommend this set I wanted to get an idea of how it compares to the other versions of the game you can currently buy. Currently this Tricorder Collector’s Boxed set is listed on their website for $93.00 (though I’m certain when I first got mine it was only $74).

If you were to purchase just the core rulebook from the same site, it would run you $60 and you’d need another $47 for a version of the custom dice. There is a Star Trek Adventures: Starter Set you can purchase for $27 which comes with a Starter Rules booklet that is not the complete rules but enough to play the starter adventure and learn the basics. It also has a three-mission adventure. 6 pre-generated character sheets on the same laminated cards. Two 20-sided dice and four of the custom d6s as well as tokens for Threat and Momentum Looking at these options I think the $27 Starter set is a bargain (one I had already previously purchased myself) but if you’re already set to buy or have played the starter set and want the full rules, I think this Collector’s set is a solid value. The Tricorder carrying case is a nice show piece and truly a collector item whether you actually use it to carry the game around, wear as part of a cosplay or just as a showpiece on your gamer shelf. Plus, the digest size rule book is great for reference at the table and having the original Characters and the U.S.S. Enterprise to play with is worth their weight in transparent aluminum.

Overall I’d rate this whole set as an A+ and it’s a must buy for anyone whole loves the game already or ready to dive head first into it.

I’ve included links below. If you purchase anything from Amazon with our links we’ll get a small % of your purchase price for the referral. We have no referral agreement with modiphius’ web store. Those links are included for your convenience.

Also a super BIG TY to Modiphius for providing me with a review copy.

If you were to purchase just the core rulebook from the same site, it would run you $60 and you’d need another $47

If you’d like to support the RPG Academy you can use this AMAZON link and then purchase anything from amazon you’d like.  Use it every time you shop there, and the RPG academy will get a small % of what you spend.  

Go here to buy your copy of the collector’s boxed set or any other Modiphius merchandise

Please consider contributing to my Patreon, making a modest donation via Paypal or even support your show at no extra cost via your purchases on DriveThru RPG.

Email: TheRpgAcademy@gmail
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Our Intro and Outtro music is Fly a Kite by Spectacular Sound Productions used via Creative Commons Attribution License

“You are a mecha pilot. You have piloted your humanoid machine across the surface of the earth, through the void of space, and among the shattered hulls of space colonies. You have fought a war that has seen cities consumed by fire, fleets of ships struck down by energy weapons, and mecha immolated by their own stricken reactors. You have survived all the way to today, the last battle of the war, waged in the void. Now, your survival is more uncertain than it has ever been.”

For this review Tom and I decided to just overall ratings.

Tom’s Overall rating – A

Michael’s Overall rating – B+

A big thank you to Seamus for sending us review copies.  If you’d like to purchase a copy of the game

Pick up a copy at the Itch.io Store.

Pick up a copy at Drive Thru RPG (which will also give us a small % for sending you there)

If you’d like to support the RPG Academy you can use this AMAZON link and then purchase anything from amazon you’d like.  Use it every time you shop there, and the RPG academy will get a small % of what you spend.  

Please consider contributing to my Patreon, making a modest donation via Paypal or even support your show at no extra cost via your purchases on DriveThru RPG.

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Our Intro and Outtro music is Fly a Kite by Spectacular Sound Productions used via Creative Commons Attribution License

In 2077, the storm of nuclear war reduced most of the planet to cinders. From the ashes of nuclear devastation, a new civilization will struggle to arise, a civilization you will shape. Welcome to the Wasteland. Welcome to the world of Fallout.

Fallout: The Roleplaying Game G.E.C.K. Special Edition Box Set

A d20 game from Modiphius

            A brief forward – this review tackles not only the core book for the Fallout RPG, but also the additional items found in the G.E.C.K. Special Edition Box Set. G.E.C.K. stands for Garden of Eden Creation Kit, and it’s an in-game item that can be found and used, but in real life it’s just a really nice box set of the Fallout TTRPG. In addition to a unique cover, the G.E.C.K. contains the following: a nice box, ergo, box set, the Game Master toolkit (two sets of two handy heavy paper cheat sheets for basic rules and for combat, a badass map of the Commonwealth and downtown Boston, GM’s booklet which contains a variety of tables as well as some additional rules, a character sheet pad, and a sheet of die-cut Nuka Cola Cap Tokens (good for whatever you want to used them for, and marked with 1’s and 5’s)), Custom Dice Set, and Nuka Cola Caps (like, actual caps, useful for again, whatever you want to use them for).

Art and Layout (including the extra G.E.C.K. materials)– A

            The map included in the G.E.C.K. materials by itself raises the art and layout by a whole letter grade. It is truly a beautiful thing to behold. Of course, it will only be useful for in-person gaming, or simply to get out and trace various avenues of travel if you are a daydreaming GM.

            After the map, the art in the Fallout RPG core book is good. If you have played any Fallout video games then you know what Fallout art looks like, and this is, Fallout art. The book does provide illustrations for most, if not all, included NPC monsters/mutants, as well as most, if not all, weapons. As a result, you will feel immersed in the Wasteland and Commonwealth while reading the book, and you’ll have plenty of visual cues to provide your gaming group if they so desire.

            The layout of the books is also very well done. Much like the Dune Modiphius game, this Fallout core book is laid out in a very easy to digest way, with plenty of asides to break up the reading, and with a font and font size that make reading easy, and not a chore as other books are apt to do. I do believe the layout is superior to the Dune RPG, but I suspect that comes with differences between those two games as well as with the video game background of Fallout. An additional bit of design that goes a long way is a color-coding scheme that is not specifically noted in the text, but clear in the form. There’s a specific color that appears in segments that are pointedly aimed at Game Masters, a bright green. Beyond that, every segment of the book is also marked by a tab located at the top of the page.

            This book does an excellent job of incorporating much of what you like in the video game into its layout, which is extremely helpful if you have played Fallout before. I do not know how this translates to a player that has not played any of the video games, but I suspect that even without the background the layout is well-done because of following a kind of lose outline provided by the video games. The bottom line is that this layout is easy to follow and really a joy to read if you are already a Fallout fan.

            Touching upon the other additions to the G.E.C.K. kit – they are all high-quality items, except for the box itself. The design of the box, unfortunately, does lend itself to some damage that would be considered incidental to opening the box. It’s a weakness of design, but the only one in those additional items. The set of dice are clearly of good quality. The bottle caps are actual bottle caps. It’s very cool to see an in-game item like that reproduced for whatever purpose you decide. It’s always nice to get a set of Character Sheets for players, and this is no exception to that rule. The GM’s booklet is not a separate book, but more of a magazine in construction and design. It functions as a set of additional rules for the Game Master to incorporate if they desire, as well as additional tables for random encounters and the like. It’s a nice addition to the core book, but definitely in line with “bonus” material and not “necessary” material. Lastly, the heavy-duty cheat sheets are a must. Having something so succinctly remind players (and GMs) of rules is an excellent bonus item, and well designed both in layout and in materials. They are built to last through regular use.

Fluff – A+

            This book is jam packed with effective and fun fluff.

            The Fallout RPG is based upon the setting of Fallout 4, which is lucky for me, because 4 was my first Fallout game to play, and my favorite, likely as a result. The book is upfront about this, and so most of the fluff is regarding the Commonwealth, an area of New England outside of Boston. That being said, the book does not skip the major fluff leading up to this Wasteland of America beyond the immediate vicinity of the Commonwealth.

            In fact, in addition to simply noting the method and means of the fall of humanity, the book goes as far as to give a minuscule, but enticing, slice of worldview with its inclusion of the Yangtze, a Chinese nuclear submarine currently harbored in Boston Harbor.

The book breaks up the fluff in several ways, one of which is a differentiation between information on corporate entities, and information on locations. The corporate entities are the chunk of the fluff that goes above and beyond simple history and into a kind of meta-history, complete with several ideas to be mined in your own personal games. The location sections also incorporate quest seeds as part of their general form.

            I am not going to count all the different quest seeds in this book, but to be clear, we are talking about an excess of probably fifty once we add corporate quest seeds, location quest seeds, and generic quest seeds together. Modiphius has done an EXCEPTIONAL job of fleshing out this world in such a way that you don’t have to do much fleshing out yourself unless you want to. You can easily find inspiration among the hundreds of pages devoted to various aspects of the Wasteland.

Crunch – B+

The crunch of this game is where I struggled most in reading, retaining, and understanding the book.  The mechanics of this 2d20 system are both pleasantly simple and yet simultaneously confoundingly difficult.   

            The Fallout RPG 2d20 system is less flexible in some ways than the DUNE system, while still emphasizing throughout the book that flexibility is still the name of the game. The core of the system is easier to grasp because the inventory system is more defined and not part of the narrative gaming, as is the case in DUNE. Since you have definitive inventory, it simplifies that aspect of the game, so that you don’t have to make decisions about whether a proposed attribute of the scene is appropriate, or a proposed asset is appropriate. Instead, you have concrete weapons that are collected, built, bought by your PCs, and can be destroyed or damaged. It is a welcome simplification from the DUNE system. To be fair, it is more a result of the type of IP being adapted than anything. Dune is this operatic sci-fi IP with grand sweeping storylines and themes. It’s about intrigue as much as action. Fallout is much more a survival game, a game of action, not necessarily intrigue, but even when intrigue rears its head, in Fallout it still feels more action driven.

            Part of this crunch that again assists in understanding the game better are the variety of tables found in this book. These tables come in various forms, but most are either random roles to generate an outcome or a condition, or they are tables that outline the weapons, the armor, the other items that can be found and used in the book. Obviously, you can go beyond these tables if you so desire, but they provide the level of crunch that eases entry into the game, for both players and Game Masters. Most questions you may have, have answers. To the degree that if a question doesn’t have an answer, you can probably just move past it if you’re not feeling confident or create your own answers if you are. It’s a good mix for both new players and veterans, and the same with new Game Masters and veterans.

            This system is clearly heavily influenced by the video game, and it shows in the crunch as well, with tables that you can find the basic equivalent to the video game. As an example, the Perks are either taken directly from the game, or so closely structured to the game that as a player of a game, reading them feels like sliding back into the video game. This works as both a strong foundation for newcomers to Fallout, and as a familiar safety blanket for those versed in the Fallout video game.

            My only complaint with the system lies in how it describes scavenging and how you find from scavenging. This is the one place where the system adamantly refuses to be specific, instead using generic vernacular to indicate what’s found and/or scavenged – uncommon material, common material, rare material, etc. This is probably just to make it easier to run for DM’s but it’s odd because the mods for weapons and armor and such also indicate necessary items as simply uncommon, common, rare, etc. The part that makes this weird for me is the idea that you may modify some armor in such a way that you are clearly using metal, but you’ve only scavenged out of houses, from furniture, but since we only have common, uncommon, rare, etc., you could effectively modify that armor with what would be metal but use what is probably not metal.

            That’s a small complaint in the long run though.

            The last bit of crunch I want to touch upon is the included starter scenario. This is an exciting scenario, replete with opportunities to practice the basic combat rules of the game as well as effective seeds towards further adventures. To paraphrase a portion of the book – Fallout is a game where the result of any scenario should have significant repercussions across the game. Some of those may be immediate and recognizable, but even if there are no immediate and recognizable repercussions, the Game Master should keep this design in mind and consider how to incorporate those results later in the game. This starter scenario does an excellent job of presenting and exploring that concept.

Overall – A

            My overall impressions of the Fallout RPG are positive, very positive. I would give the book an A overall. It demonstrates an especially successful adaptation of a video game into a TTRPG. Beyond that, the Fallout RPG is simply a good game, well designed, easy to understand, and appears to be fun to play. I look forward to playing the game. 

~ Big Al, the Lawyer.

A big thank you to Modiphius for sending us a digital copy for this review and for Big Al who purchased his own copy of the G.E.C.K. Special Edition of the game.

Head over to Modiphius’ store and order your copy today

If you’d like to support the RPG Academy you can use this AMAZON link and then purchase anything from amazon you’d like.  Use it every time you shop there, and the RPG academy will get a small % of what you spend.  

Alan “Big Al” Nicholas lives in the desert of West Texas where finding a good RPG group is as difficult as finding water. When he’s not looking for a new RPG Kickstarter or an online RPG group, he can be found prosecuting crime as the Ward County attorney or traveling with his wife to his daughter’s volleyball games. He can be found on Twitter at @bigalthelawyer or on the RPG Academy discord valiantly but vainly defending the Snyderverse.

Please consider contributing to my Patreon, making a modest donation via Paypal or even support your show at no extra cost via your purchases on DriveThru RPG.

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Our Intro and Outtro music is Fly a Kite by Spectacular Sound Productions used via Creative Commons Attribution License

Hello and welcome to the 22nd episode of our ‘The Review’ series, this is our review of Strixhaven A Curriculum of Chaos, the newest WotC hardback D&D 5e Campaign Setting / Adventure supplement.  Our hosts this week are Tom ( @BeskarTom )  and myself Michael ( @TheRpgAcademy ) and Chris ( @Sky_Rider19 )

Our Ratings

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We hope you enjoy this episode!

Please consider contributing to my Patreon, making a modest donation via Paypal or even support your show at no extra cost via your purchases on DriveThru RPG.

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Our Intro and Outtro music is Fly a Kite by Spectacular Sound Productions used via Creative Commons Attribution License