Archeterica: The Invitation is published The Imago Cult following a successful Kickstarter campaign. The Ukrainian roleplaying game describes itself as the ‘game of genteel conspiracy’. It is set at the Dawn of the New Times. The opening years of the nineteenth century as the world is beset by revolution and occultism. The Industrial Revolution brings changes to the daily lives of workers, bankers, and the increasingly rich industrialists, whilst actual revolution brings about political change as bright young republics burst in existence alongside the older, staid monarchies and colonial powers. All of this takes place on the Disc, for no sailor is yet to brave the edge and beyond to see whether some scholars’ claims that the world is a sphere is true. The Old World lies in the west, its continents of Adriano and Al-Avid being similar to Europe and the Near East, respectively, whilst the New World is in the east, its continents of Salmandia and Graaldo being similar to Africa and the Americas, respectively. This is an alternate world in a Napoleonic Age of its own.
This is no mundane world though. It is full of secrets and conspiracies and the paranormal. Proper society dismisses such subject matters and discussions of them as being the realm of the fool and foolishness, often pointing to the countless charlatans, pseudo-scientists, and straight-up madmen that indulge the gullible or indulge themselves in such matters to no good end. Yet there is hidden truth in the occult and the Unearthly is real. Curses are real, paranormal abilities are real, rituals that take months of study and research that when enacted have the potential to grant enlightenment or change the movement of the heavens are real. Artefacts known as ‘Diablica’, perhaps ritualistic or occult objects or devices employing technologies not yet known, brought home from the New World or constructed by the enlightened (or the mad), continue to fascinate both researchers and collectors, yet their possession is banned by churches and governments alike. The authorities consider such artefacts dangerous sources of spiritual corruption and fear the powers they grant lest they be turned to revolution. Yet interest in the occult and diablica is rife, with amateur occultists forming local societies of their own to research and discuss such matters, their interests often benign, but all too often becoming a danger to themselves and others. Other societies have transcended mere parochialism, growing in power and influence, abutting, competing, and feuding with not just other occult brotherhoods, but also secret political and criminal organisations. Fear and suspicion of these secret cabals is fuelled by the sensationalism of the yellow press which sees and blames conspiracies everywhere.
The elevator pitch for Archeterica: The Invitation is The X-Files in the Napoleonic era. It is not though a roleplaying game about alien invasion or the fear of alien invasion, but rather a roleplaying game of Napoleonic conspiracy and the occult. Inspired by the television series Sharpe and Taboo, the film The Prestige, the Assassin’s Creed series of computer games, Archeterica: The Invitation casts the Player Characters as seekers of enlightenment, occult researchers, conspiracy theorists, and so on, who investigate both signs of the occult and conspiracy and work to prevent either from having too strong an influence on society.
A Player Character is defined by a concept, Narrative Attributes and their associated Talents, Burdens, combat skills, and inventory. The concept is who he is, whilst each Narrative Attribute represents an area of expertise or knowledge, profession, background, or previous experience. For example, a student radical might be represented by the ‘Student’ and ‘Firebrand’ Narrative Attributes, muckraking yellow journalist by the ‘Agent’ and ‘Journalist’ Narrative Attributes, and dilettante occultist by the ‘Aristocrat’ and ‘Occultist’ Narrative Attributes. Talents are the skills associated with a Narrative Attribute. Burdens are his personal flaws and weaknesses and are rated I, II, or III depending on how much of a hindrance they represent. Archeterica: The Invitation gives four options for combat skills—‘Fine Choice’, ‘Resourceful Ranger’, ‘Artful Daredevil’, and ‘Peaceable Socialite’.
Ottilie van Tulleken
Concept: Campaigning Journalist
GENTLE FOLK
Мanners II, Etiquette I, Social Connections I
JOURNALIST
Journalistic Reputation I, Subtle Bribery I, Reporting II
DETECTIVE
Information Gathering I, Sharp Eye I
BURDENS
Feminist II, Adventurism I, Vanity I
COMBAT SKILLS – PEACEABLE SOCIALITE
Classic Fencing II, Shooting I, New Beginnings 2, Instinct 3
INVENTORY
Pocket Pistol, Dagger, Umbrella, Small Set of Tools (lockpicking kit) Aristocratic Wardrobe, 1 mark in savings
Archeterica: The Invitation does detail several Narrative Attributes and their Talents as well as sample Burdens. A player is free to pick these or create his own and they do give a surprisingly wide choice. The creation process is not fully explained however, and it is only clear from the example that ranks are applied to the Talents. It does include some tables for character ideas, suggesting a character’s home country, social class, and former secret society. The entries for the table of home countries do draw parallels between the nations of the Disc and those of our Napoleonic era. Alternatively, the players can instead use the pre-generated Player Characters included in Archeterica: The Invitation. They include a ‘Gentleman Incognito’ with the Narrative Attributes of ‘Gentleman’ and ‘Malefactor’; a ‘Barricades Queen’ with the Narrative Attributes of ‘Revolutionary’ and ‘Commissar’; a military ‘Pioneer’ with the Narrative Attributes of ‘Sapper’ and ‘Expeditioner’; a ‘Foreigner’ with the Narrative Attributes of ‘Secret Broker’ and ‘Mystic’; a ‘Modern Day Hero’ with the Narrative Attributes of ‘Doctor’ and ‘Businessman’; and a ‘New Times Child’ with the Narrative Attributes of ‘Courier’ and ‘Opportunist’.
Mechanically, whenever a player wants his character to undertake an action in Archeterica: The Invitation, he rolls two six-sided dice, attempting to beat a Narrative Test Difficulty Level, which ranges from three and ‘Trivial’ to twelve and ‘Desperate’ with eight and ‘Challenging’ being the median. A player can lower the Difficulty Level by using his Talents, but the Game Master can increase it depending upon the character’s Burdens. Talents at Rank II or Rank III also enable a player to ‘Flip’ a roll, that is, to Flip it up or down, by turning the dice over to reveal and apply their reverse faces. In general, a player will want to perform an Upward Flip to have his character succeed at a task, but certain situations might mandate a Downward Flip. A player may only perform an Upward Flip once every twelve hours and it always incurs a complication of the Game Master’s choice. This might be to suffer Stress, which if ever reaches twelve means that the Player Character breaks down under the mental trauma, but it could also be a time delay, a loss of reputation, and so on.
In comparison to the core mechanic, combat in Archeterica: The Invitation is more complex. Actions require the expenditure of Action Points, whether that is step from one hex to another, run, aim, shoot, reload, cock a weapon, and so on. However, the number of Action Points a combatant has each round is rolled randomly. An attack requires a Mastery Test determined by comparing the attacker’s Mastery against the target’s Difficulty and rolling equal to or higher than the given target value. Although there are plenty of firearms listed, fencing is the preferred form of combat. It allows a combatant to attack as well as react to an attack against him. Such a reaction also costs Action Points, so it is wise to save some for that very purpose. Five styles are given, including ‘Classic’, ‘Savage’, ‘Court’, ‘Knightly’, and ‘Trickster’, and each comes with its form of attacks, reactions, and stances, all with their own Action Point costs.
Success indicates a successful strike and damage is rolled on two six-sided dice—for all weapons and attacks, though it can be modified depending on the weapon or type of attack. Some armour is available, which blocks damage, but all Player Characters have twelve Endurance Points whilst NPCs have ten. When a combatant’s Endurance is reduced to zero, it indicates that he has suffered an extra effect, the severity depending upon the amount of damage inflicted with the blow that reduced his Endurance to zero. This might be an insignificant scratch, being knocked out, receiving a scar, a severe wound, or death. Once every twelve hours, a player can Flip Down the damage his character receives in a single blow to reduce it. Each combatant’s number of Action Points and Endurance Points can be tracked on the Combat Status Chart.
Ottilie van Tulleken is conducting an investigation in a rookery when she is set upon by Albert, a thug who does not like her poking her nose into things. Albert has ten Endurance Points as an NPC, plus Savage Fencing II and is armed with a club that does three to seven points of damage (2d6/2+1). In the first round Ottilie has five Action Points and Albert has ten! Albert opts for a Battering Assault as part of his Savage Fencing Style. It costs him seven Action Points and will leave him with three. This enables him to attack twice. Ottlie opts for a Clean Block as a Reaction, using her umbrella. It costs three Action Points and will leave her with two. Not enough to repeat the action though. The Target Difficulty for Albert is seven because Ottilie has Classic Fencing II, which reduces it to five. Similarly, Ottilie’s Target Difficulty is also seven because of Albert’s Savage Fencing II and her Classic Fencing II. The Game Master’s Mastery Test for Albert’s first Battering Assault is ten, meaning his first punch lands, but Ottilie’s player’s is twelve meaning she blocks the first blow with her umbrella. For Albert’s second Battering Assault, the Game Master’s Mastery Test is nine and his second connects. This time Ottilie cannot defend against it and the Game Master rolls for damage. This is on two-sided dice and halved because it is non-lethal. The Game Master rolls ten and Ottilie’s Endurance Points are reduced to seven.Throughout, a Player Character can suffer Stress, which is tracked on a twelve-point scale, from ‘Clarity of Mind’ to ‘Onset of Madness’. The Game Master imposes Stress upon the Player Character, anything from a minor misfortune like the death of an acquaintance, worth one or two points, to the five or six points from the loss of a loved one, regarded as a major tragedy. That said, a Player Character resist Narrative Stress by making a Desperate Test, halving the number suffered, and when suffering an Archeshock from encountering the Unearthly, a Player Character can force himself to forget the experience and replace the memories of it with something mundane, or retain it and suffer the Stress. In the long term, taking a holiday or engaging in a hobby can reduce Stress. If however, the Player Character’s Stress exceeds twelve, he does go insane and he gains a point of Deep Stress, which cannot be removed. The nature of the insanity is a matter of discussion between player and Game Master, giving the player control over the effects. Should a Player Character’s Deep Stress also rise to twelve, the madness is permanent and he becomes an NPC. One side effect of Stress is that if the Action Point roll in combat is under a Player Character’s Stress level, he panics rather than acts.
In the next round, Ottilie’s player rolls eight for Action Points, whilst the Game Master rolls four for Albert. With little he can do, Albert backs off, but not before Ottilie thwacks him one with her umbrella. This is a standard test and her player’s Mastery test result is six, meaning that she has succeeded. Unable to defend himself, Albert takes five points of damage from the Thrust. Ottilie still has four Action Points to spend. In turn, she uses two Action Points to draw her pocket pistol, another to aim it, and her last one to cock it. Albert finds himself at the point of her gun and steely gaze when she asks him, “Who sent you to lay your hands on me?”
In terms of Player Character development, players are rewarded three types of points. The first is Narrative Points which are used to buy and improve Talents. The second are Combat Points, used to improve Combat Techniques. The third are Burden Points which can be exchanged for Narrative Points, Combat Points, or used to reduce a Player Character’s Stress. The neat aspect is that the higher the Ranks of the Burden and the more of a hindrance, the better this exchange rate is. Although more complex than simple Experience Points, this encourages players to roleplay all aspects of their character as they will be rewarded for doing so.
Mysticism is the study of occult secrets and otherworldly knowledge, found in the whispers spread in the most select salons, in spirits that haunt the edge of vision, and tomes of esoteric knowledge that appear to be nothing more than the ravings of the deluded. However, the line between delusion and the actuality of the Unearthly is uncertain, giving scope for the charlatans, the believers, mystics and occultists, and the unfortunate who have been driven mad by their experiences. Archeterica is the pseudo-scientific study of Occultism and all that relates to the Imagosphere, the otherworldly plane of ideas and images, the Hexen Cauldron where the boundary with the Imagosphere is at its weakest and where most Diablica are found, and the Vladyfus, the ethereal rulers of Otherworld who have attained True Enlightenment and who most occultists want to emulate. All beings and some artefacts have an Imago, their esoteric essence and reflection of their soul. This is manifested in mystics, otherworldly entities, and artefacts as their mystical powers and represented by Imago Strings, ranging from between one and twelve. The greater the number of Imago Strings, the greater an Imago’s power.
For the Player Character, it is possible to increase the number of Imago Strings he has. To do so, he has to acquire Focus Points, whether through spiritual practices, studying occult literature, suffering shock enlightenment, or experiencing events of historical significance that further herald the Dawning of the New Times. He can also purchase Mystical Abilities such as Intuition, Manipulation, Fortune’s Favourite, and Anomaly Compass. Only six such Mystical Abilities are detailed and they are relatively low key in their application. As with the capacity to either ‘Flip Up’ or Flip Down’, they can only be used once every twelve hours. Conversely, a Player Character or NPC can gain a Metamorphosis, the mystical manifestation of a sin that they have committed, such as hearing ‘Wicked Voices’ or suffer ‘Sinner’s Shame’. There are ways of Absolving yourself of a Metamorphosis and its sin, but this would be a demanding task.
Rounding out the ‘Archeterica Invitation Rules’ are details of several of the Shadow Clubs, Shadow Leagues, and Shadow Empires lurking across The Disc. These are its secret societies, from local clubs to grand conspiracies, such as ‘The Evercourt’, the society of aristocrats and kings and queens, many of whom who have been forced into exile following revolutions; ‘The Blackwater Marauders’, Strangers from the other side of The Disc who have inveigling their way into societies across this face of The Disc; and the travelling warlock communities known as ‘The Wandering Cities’. Each description includes details of known agents, known vassals, and associated conspiracy theories.
‘Archeterica Invitation Rules’ is surprisingly comprehensive, but far from complete. The secret societies details are large rather than small and there is no advice for the Game Master or any discussion or presentation of any threats. So, no monsters or NPCs. The description of the occult is understandably brief, but one of the pre-generated Player Characters does have Mystical Abilities that will show off that aspect of the setting in play. However, what Archeterica: The Invitation does have is three scenarios. Each of the three comes with a good introduction, some character hooks that can be used to get the Player Characters involved, a breakdown of the plot, the dessert, and handouts. Some also include some lore as well, but the ‘dessert’ actually gives the supplementary information for the Game Master, including the stats for any NPCs or Imago.
The first of these, ‘Game Scenario: The Good Mayor’ is designed as an introductory scenario that can be played through in a single session. The Player Characters are employed by the Senate Special Services in the small town of Tsaplyny in the Brasian Republic to stifle any news of the death of the town’s mayor. It quickly escalates into a search for the body and a race to get a new one! The second, ‘Game Scenario: The Bastinarys’, switches the action to the end of the eighteenth century during the revolution in the Spohledian Protectorate that led to the founding of the Brasian Republic. It takes place in the capital of Bramastadt where the Revolution Commissary appoints the Player Characters to take control of the Bastinarys, the city’s royal fortress prison. They have to decide which faction they need to align with and free the prisoners previously incarcerated by the monarchy. Unfortunately, one of the inmates is much more than they expect and ultimately, they need to avoid ending up being executed by the Revolution Commissary. The third scenario is the most sophisticated of the three. ‘Game Scenario: Shady Deals in Strange Alley Ways’ begins with the Player Characters in possession of a mystical tome as they attempt to find a seller in Bramastadt without attracting the attention of the authority. Each of the scenarios in their own way deal with the occult elements of the setting, but not the conspiratorial elements. That will have to wait for a fuller longer scenario or game.
Physically, Archeterica: The Invitation is—as already mentioned—lovely. The quality is amazing and the artwork is superb. The writing is not always as clear as it should be, but the examples of play help illustrate the rules and make it easier for the Game Master to grasp them. Of course, it is so lovely that really, as the Game Master, you do not want your players getting their grubby little mitts on it.
As a starter set, what Archeterica: The Invitation is missing is perhaps ready reference material for both the Game Master and her players. Some tables and explanations of what various aspects of each Player Character are and how they work would have been useful. The setting itself probably does not receive as much attention or explanation as it should, and in places the rules really rely upon the examples to impart full understanding of them.
Of course, what grabs the reader first about Archeterica: The Invitation is its stark physicality. This is a gorgeous boxed set whose contents are genuinely delightful. Yet this is not just a pretty box with pretty contents. Inside the very well appointed quick-start not only makes a ‘I want to play now’ elevator pitch of a Napoleonic-era meets The X-Files world of the occult and conspiracies, but whilst not quite perfect in its execution, delivers on that promise. Archeterica: The Invitation is absolutely worth accepting and it would be impolite not to try this, the introduction to the first Ukrainian roleplaying game to reach the English-speaking hobby.
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