One of my first reviews was of the Pathfinder RPG Beta. It is probably a testament to Pathfinder’s growing popularity that it is, to date, my most read review. So with the release of the final game, I felt I should contribute my thoughts on the official product.
First a little background. When Wizard’s of the Coast released the 3rd edition of Dungeons and Dragons back in 2000 they did something remarkable. They released the core of the rules under a license known as the OGL. This license, which is irrevocable, allows other publishers to create works that are compatible with the d20 system that was the basis of that edition of D&D. The idea was to make it easier for more material to be released for the system. This would in turn drive up sales of the core books and other supplements by WotC. A number of publishing companies were created specifically to take advantage of this opportunity, and a new era of gaming was born.
One unintended consequence of this open license was the possibility for other publishers to rewrite the rules of the game. There are now quite a few variant rule systems out there, from Arcana Evolved to True20. Some companies created even more drastic changes, creating totally different game systems from the d20 system. When Wizards released the 4th edition of Dungeons and Dragons, they did so under a much tighter license. There will be no games like Mutants and Masterminds based on 4th edition. Which is really too bad, because I think it would be a great system for a superhero game. But that is a discussion for another time.
With 3rd edition retired, but still available under the OGL, Paizo stepped up to carry the torch. Pathfinder is the d20 revision that is most like 3rd edition. It doesn’t chance the fundamentals of the game the way that Conan or Iron Heroes did. Instead the goal was to create a game that was mostly compatible with the old material. Paizo wanted to continue making 3rd edition adventures and supplements, but wanted the rules to still be available in print. So they took the opportunity to tweak the system and clean it up along the way. The Pathfinder RPG was born.
Unlike most role-playing games, Pathfinder underwent a yearlong public beta. Anyone could download the beta version for free and provide feedback on the forums. 3rd edition had already undergone one major revision in its lifetime, so the fundamental game is really quite refined. If you are looking for a drastically new system, Pathfinder isn’t it. It is more like a distillation of everything that made the d20 system great.
The book itself is physically quite impressive. It weighs in near 5 lbs and has 575 pages. It is in full color, and is beautifully illustrated throughout. It contains all the rules that used to be in the old Player’s Handbook and Game Master’s Guide. The book may have a hefty retail price, but the PDF is less than $10. There is also a rules reference document provided online for free. Paizo wants everyone to have access to the rules and give them a try. It is probably a little daunting for newcomers though.
I’m not going to go through a detailed list of how it is different from the old rules. The key changes I will point out are an easier skill system, a streamlined maneuver resolution system, and generally more options for character classes. Similar skills have been consolidated together and skill ranks now match levels directly. This is something I will port into any d20 game I use in the future. Special moves like grapple, trip, and bull rush all use a fairly simple combat maneuver system. Most classes now have more options to choose from. For example, sorcerers now can pick from several bloodlines which give them different bonus powers as they level.
I think the biggest strength of the system is also its greatest weakness. The d20 system has always been a very customizable rules set. Characters can mix and match classes at each level. There are a wide variety of feats a character can use to add variety to abilities. So while building a first level character is fairly easy, a new player joining a high level game for the first time can be overwhelmed with choices. If you want a game that has the potential for a lot of complex customization, this is it. If you are looking for a light rules system there are plenty of other good choices out there.
Paizo put a lot work into making this an amazing book and a great system. If you are interested in fantasy role-playing games, you should definitely check it out. It may not suit everyone’s taste, but the OGL will ensure that the d20 family will continue to evolve. The Pathfinder RPG another step forward in the evolution of the game.
Becoming a patron of the Open Design Project The Red Eye of Azathoth has rekindled my interest in Call of Cthulhu. This led me to poke around at Yog-Sothoth, the best source for news and information about all things Lovecraftian. Eventually I noticed a new trilogy of modules called Curse of the Yellow Sign. It is written by fantastic writer John Wick. I’m most familiar with his work from my days playing Legend of the Five Rings, but after reading this module I’m inclined to hunt for more.
First let me talk about Call of Cthulhu. This RPG has been around for as long as I have been gaming. The game is based upon the works of H. P. Lovecraft and other authors that expanded upon his ideas. One overriding theme to Lovecraft’s work is that there are things in the universe that the human mind cannot comprehend. There are terrible beings who barely even notice humanity, even when they are incidentally destroying or upsetting millions of lives. Against this backdrop characters are often expected to investigate mysterious occurrences, ancient ruins, and bizarre dimensions. Since exploring the unknown is a common theme the game is often set in the 1920’s and 30’s, the era in which Lovecraft wrote. In a time before satellite maps of every continent there were still places in the world to explore. There was room for massive pyramids in the unexplored Antarctic or complex hidden cave systems in the mountains around Los Angeles.
Call of Cthulhu is currently in its 6th edition, but the core rules really haven’t changed much over the years. The system is primarily skill based, with a simple advancement scheme where characters improve the skills they’ve used during a scenario. Unlike most role-playing games, more pages are spent dealing with a characters mental health than to combat. As characters learn more about the horrible things that lurk at the fringes of reality, they slowly drift toward madness. Role-playing insanity is one of the highlights of playing in a Call of Cthulhu game. More often a character’s career will end in the asylum than the graveyard. I have always felt this made the game best suited for one-shots, scenarios that are played out in one or two sessions. I’ve heard of people having longer campaigns, but I have never seen one.
Curse of the Yellow Sign – Act 1: Digging for a Dead God is designed to be played in a single evening as a standalone scenario. This might seem a little odd for part one of a trilogy, but the series is related by theme more than specific characters. The scenario comes with six pre-generated characters and it really should not be played without them. Unlike some adventures where premade characters are merely a convenience to get a game started quickly, much of the module’s story is built around the characters. The tension comes from the motivations and relationships that come with the characters. Many of the terrifying acts will be performed by the PCs against each other. Did I mention the player’s will be taking on the roles of Nazis?
The setting really starts quite simply. The group is a Nazi expedition to Africa whose goal is to secretly gather diamonds from a mine in the jungle before the British become aware of their presence in the area. A door with a gold symbol is uncovered by the workers, and when it is opened they learn a terrible secret. From there it is up to the players (with careful nudges from the GM) to do what they can to survive, and perhaps escape with some of the gold.
The scenario is definitely a sandbox. Probably half the module is advice on being a GM for a horror game. I should also emphasize the horror nature of the story. Unlike many Call of Cthulhu modules, there isn’t much of a mystery to discover. The characters may learn some horrible truths, but that isn’t the point. The point is to horrify your players and get them to be terrible to each other. Play on the player’s suspicions of one another; making just one character believe that another is betraying them is enough to spark everything into action. Whether they survive the night isn’t really as important as letting them have good interactions with each other.
As an inexpensive module this one is well worth picking up. If you’ve never played Call of Cthulhu this is a great way to try it out in a single evening. Just reading it made me want to run it. I just need to find six of my friends that I want subject unspeakable things to. Actually, what I really want is for John Wick to come over and run this scenario for myself and friends. I don’t think I can do it justice, but I’ll try.
Writing and putting together a module is quite an experience. It gave me a great respect for the work that other writers and publishers put into their products. We learned a lot that will make creating our next module much more efficient. I want to thank everyone who helped work on the project. I want to doubly thank any of you who check it out!
It has been a long time since I played a Hero System game. Champions is definitely my favorite role-playing game for a super heroes game. It is a point buy system that is very flexible for character creation. Powers can be customized with different advantages or limitations. While the system has expanded to allow for a number of different settings, super heroes has always been its strength.
So when I was given an opportunity to review the War of Worldcraft module for Hero System, I jumped at the chance. The module is definitely feels like a parody, poking fun at popular online rpgs and their players. I think the module works quite well as a one-shot, although I regret not having the opportunity to try it out before writing this review. I would definitely be interested in running it though, it looks like it would be a fun break between more serious games. The module does include advice for how to integrate into a longer campaign, it would be very easy to introduce the villain a few sessions before.
The super villain Download takes over a popular MMORPG and uses the players to hold its creating company hostage. His plan is to make an army of robots to take over the world. In the course of the adventure the heroes have to fight him at a crowded launch party, track him to his lair, get downloaded into robot bodies, and finally get uploaded into the online game itself. It looks like a wild ride, full of great role-playing opportunities.
One of the things I really like about this module is all the extra plot hooks. There is plenty of advice to gamemasters about events and NPCs to interact with. Each of the characters in the appendix has several plot seeds to add depth to their interaction with the players. There are enough ideas that one could easily expand to make this adventure a greater part of an existing campaign. I also like that it doesn’t assume the players will act in any particular way, and provides several methods for the heroes to resolve the adventure.
If you’ve never played Champions before, this module would be a great introduction. I highly recommend taking a break sometime from your regular game (online or table-top) and give this a try sometime. War of Worldcraft will provide a couple nights of good entertainment. After all, isn’t that what role-playing is all about?
Apathy Rating: 3/5.
Want to learn more about War of Worldcraft? Read on…
I’m a patron for Red Eye of Azathoth, one of the new Open Design projects. While the adventure was originally pitched for the Pathfinder RPG, the current poll (which ends the 23rd) has the Call of Cthulhu BRP system in a fairly commanding lead. This is looking to be the first true CoC patronage project! The only problem is, we need more patrons.
For those of you who haven’t been involved with a patronage project before, they are a unique way of creating adventures. Patrons interested in a specific project contribute money to help it cover production costs. This includes not just the writing, but professional illustration, editing, and layout. Patrons receive a PDF of the final product, with the option to buy print-on-demand versions at printing cost.
But patronage is more than just pre-ordering a limited edition product. It is also an opportunity to affect a number of decisions about how the adventure is made. You can contribute to brainstorming sessions. You also get to see the development process from start to finish. Even if you don’t contribute very much, it is a great experience to watch an adventure be created. If you’ve never been involved in a project like this, I highly recommend giving it a try.
As you can tell, I’m excited about this project. It looks like it will be a lot of fun, but we need patrons to make it happen!
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. It wouldn’t be fair for me write a review of my own work, but a few reviews are now available at