Magister’s Miscellany

Magister’s Guide – A Spire RPG GM Handbook is supplement for Spire: The City Must Fall, the roleplaying game of secrets and lies, trust and betrayal, violence and subversion, conspiracy and consequences, and of committing black deeds for a good cause. It is set in a mile-high tower city, known as the ‘Spire’, in the land of the Destra, the Drow, which two centuries ago the Aelfir—or ‘High Elves’—invaded and subjugated the Dark Elves. The Drow have long since been forced to serve the High Elves from their homes in the city’s lower levels and allowed only to worship one facet Damnou, the moon goddess, instead of the three they once did. However, not all of the Drow have resigned themselves to their reduced and subjugated status and joined ‘The Ministry of Our Hidden Mistress’, or simply, the Ministry. Its members—or Ministers—venerate the dark side of the moon, the goddess of poisons and lies, shadows and secrets, her worship outlawed on pain of death, and they are sworn to destroy and subvert the dominion of the Aelfir over the Drow and the Spire. Published by Rowan, Rook, and Decard Ltd., Spire: The City Must Fall inverts traditional fantasy, making the traditional enemy in fantasy—the Drow—into the victim, but not necessarily the hero.

Magister’s Guide – A Spire RPG GM Handbook is a a companion to Spire: The City Must Fall. Born of four years development, it brings together a number of new systems, new stuff for every Character Class in Spire, including content drawn from the Strata and Sin sourcebooks, as well as advice for the Game Master. It is a fairly slim book, but comes packed with content for both the player and the Game Master. The book opens with four New Systems, beginning with ‘Liberty’, based on the ‘Control’ mechanic from Strata. This is a further measure of control and oppression applied by the authorities on the Dark Elves in response to actions of the Ministers that make the High Elves feel threatened. It does not target them specifically, but the Drow population in general. Liberty is a broad response and its Fallout can be Minor, Moderate, or Severe. For example, Light Fallout might be ‘No Congregation’, meaning that no Drow can gather together, Moderate Fallout might be ‘Branding’ or tattooing of Drow criminals, and Servere ‘Sanctioned Killers’ which arms the agents operating against the Ministry. Its broad nature means that Liberty is difficult to reclaim or remove. Only two options are listed, but the rules suggest using ‘Acquisitions’, the third of the new Systems to supplement these two.

‘Advancement Beats’ give a Minister and his player options in terms of challenges, goals, and achievements. Each ‘Beat’ can be a personal aim or shared with a fellow Minister, but is not specifically tied to the broader advancement of the Ministers’ cell and overall objectives of the The Ministry of Our Hidden Mistress. A Minister can have as many Beats as he wants, but only two are active in play at any one time. They are measured in terms of time they take to achieve. So a Low Beat such as ‘Sell someone out to the authorities’ can be fulfilled in a single session, a Medium Beat like ‘Research and perform a demonological ritual’ takes two or three, and so on. Essentially an adaption of the concept of ‘story beats’, this New System provides a player with story options that flag to the Game Master what he would like to have happen to his Minister—good or bad—in a session or more.

‘Acquisitions’ provides a further means of Player Character improvement, not just a means of getting items of equipment. One way to use them to is reclaim or remove the aforementioned Liberty, but options here include gaining an Ability from an entirely different Class, Favours, extra Advances, and a Safehouse. The latter nicely ties in with the rules for safehouses later on. For the Player Characters, this takes time, but they can push the attempt and act recklessly, to increase the Stress they suffer. Acquisitions are similarly categorised into Low, Medium, and High. The system is nicely worked through with a couple of good examples and enable a Player Character to have something going on in the background that he is working towards in terms of story and bring it into the action when necessary.

The fourth and last of the New Systems is for ‘Safehouses’. Out of all of the New Systems in the Magister’s Guide – A Spire RPG GM Handbook, this does like the most obvious addition. After all, the Player Characters do make a terrorist cell and will need somewhere to hide out and operate from. Once they have a safehouse—and the rules here suggest a ‘starter’ safehouse—the Player Characters can upgrade it with facilities such as a secret entrance, a gunsmith, and even a sacrificial chamber! Each of these is rated as a Medium Advance or a Medium Acquisition, using the previously presented ‘Acquisitions’ system. Suggested too are options for making the sanctuary a community instead of a hidden base and for using it as part of the story, so again giving both the players and the Game Master some flexibility in how the System is used.

The bulk of the Magister’s Guide – A Spire RPG GM Handbook is devoted to new options for the roleplaying game’s numerous Character Classes. Each is given various options including, but not all, new abilities, equipment and special equipment, adversaries, and Fallout (or consequences specific to the Class). For example, the Midwife emphasises the arachnid nature of the Drow and her role in the nurseries with Abilities such as ‘Hands of Silk’ which give her silk glands in the wrist from which can draw and combine with any hand-to-hand weapon to stun and bind, whilst with ‘Trapped Door’ she casts glyphs upon a door to hide it. She can use equipment such as a ‘Prosthetic Limb Array’, useful for the Midwife who finds it difficult to partially change into a spider, or a weapon like a ‘Arachnid Glaive’ . Her Special Equipment includes ‘Frenzy Incense’ which allows her to shrug off the negative effects from Minor or Moderate Blood Fallout. Her Adversaries include ‘The Black Sheep’, those that the Midwife raised, but which turn out bad—criminals, High Elf loyalists, apostates, heretics, and worse... Potential Fallout specific to the Midwife consists of ‘Spiders’ which crawl out her clothing, the walls, or even her mouth, much to the consternation of those around her.

In addition, the entry examines the nature of birth and child-care amongst the Drow, but also neatly provides a list of elements related to her role that the Game Master can bring into play. So, children, families, sacrificial altars, upholding traditions, and so on, and these work for NPCs as much as they do for the Player Character. The Magister’s Guide – A Spire RPG GM Handbook does this again and again for each of the Classes in Spire: The City Must Fall, each time providing options for the player to chose from, as for the Game Master to add to the story.

Rounding out the Magister’s Guide – A Spire RPG GM Handbook is a quartet of short essays in ‘Essays and Advice’. ‘Just the Basics’ is a relatively short blurb which the Game Master can use to explain the setting to prospective players or even for convention games. Even better is ‘Preparing For A Game of Spire’, which gives advice on how to prepare a scenario if a Game Master has no time, twenty minutes, an hour, or two hours. The advice of course, directly applies to Spire: The City Must Fall, but could easily be adapted to any roleplaying game. The essay also includes advice for preparing for a one-shot and again, is applicable to other roleplaying games. If Rowan, Rook, and Decard Ltd. was to publish a generic book of advice for running games, a version of this essay would definitely be included. Similarly, ‘When To Roll, And When Not To’ and the shorter ‘Creative Use Of Skills’, can apply to this roleplaying and others, but are not quite as interesting.

Physically, the Magister’s Guide – A Spire RPG GM Handbook is well presented and its contents are neatly organised and easy to reference, done in a succinct style from start to finish. All of that content is really very good, providing options in terms of Player Character abilities and actions, that both the player and the Game Master can use or effectively tag in the game. It is backed up by really good advice for the Spire Game Master, that is applicable in any roleplaying game. Overall, the Magister’s Guide – A Spire RPG GM Handbook is great supplement for the Spire Game Master, which the Game Master for almost any other roleplaying game should borrow (from her Spire Game Master) just to read the essays.

Quick-Start Saturday: The Terminator

Quick-starts are a means of trying out a roleplaying game before you buy. Each should provide a Game Master with sufficient background to introduce and explain the setting to her players, the rules to run the scenario included, and a set of ready-to-play, pre-generated characters that the players can pick up and understand almost as soon as they have sat down to play. The scenario itself should provide an introduction to the setting for the players as well as to the type of adventures that their characters will have and just an idea of some of the things their characters will be doing on said adventures. All of which should be packaged up in an easy-to-understand booklet whose contents, with a minimum of preparation upon the part of the Game Master, can be brought to the table and run for her gaming group in a single evening’s session—or perhaps two. And at the end of it, Game Master and players alike should ideally know whether they want to play the game again, perhaps purchasing another adventure or even the full rules for the roleplaying game.

Alternatively, if the Game Master already has the full rules for the roleplaying game the quick-start is for, then what it provides is a sample scenario that she still run as an introduction or even as part of her campaign for the roleplaying game. The ideal quick-start should entice and intrigue a playing group, but above all effectively introduce and teach the roleplaying game, as well as showcase both rules and setting.

—oOo—

What is it?

The Terminator RPG Quick Start is the quick-start for The Terminator RPG, based on 1984 film, The Terminator, in which Resistance Fighters travel back from the future to prevent Skynet, a computer system, from achieving awareness and declaring war on mankind and so bringing about a devastated world where the survivors are hunted by robots.

It includes a basic explanation of the setting, rules for actions and combat, details of the arms, armour, and equipment fielded by the Player Characters, the one-shot mission, ‘Two Steps Back’, and seven ready-to-play, Player Characters, or Resistance Fighters.

It is designed to be played by three to five players, plus the Game Master.

It is a fifty-two page, full colour book.

The quick-start is very lightly illustrated, but the artwork is excellent. The rules are a slightly stripped down version from the core rulebook, but do include examples of the rules which speed the learning of the game.

The themes and nature of The Terminator RPG and thus the The Terminator RPG Quick Start, specifically the horror and despair associated with the future it depicts, and the fact that the Resistance Fighters will be hunted, means that it is best suited to a mature audience.

How long will it take to play?
The Terminator RPG Quick Start and its adventure, ‘Two Steps Back’, is designed to be played through in one or two sessions.

What else do you need to play?
The Terminator RPG Quick Start requires six ten-sided dice per player. One of these dice should be a different colour to the rest, ideally, black.

Who do you play?
The seven Resistance Fighters in The Terminator RPG Quick Start consist of a mechanic-turned explosives expert and strategist, an engineer and hacker, a heavy weapons expert with the best hair in the future, a medic with a sense of humour, close-in knife-wielding Sikh, a veteran sniper, and a rookie grunt. Two are core characters, needed for the plot, and three standard characters. The other two are ‘advanced’ characters intended as replacements or alternatives.

How is a Player Character defined?
A Resistance Fighter has six stats—Strength, Dexterity, Knowledge, Concentration, Charisma, and Cool. Stats are rated between zero and six, whilst the skills are rated between one and four. A Resistance Fighter can have Traits, such as Addiction, Arrogant, Exceedingly Cool, or Vision (Good). He also has Hope Points, which divided between three categories—Body, Brains, and Bravado—and indicate the ways in which a Resistance Fighter can emulate the cinematic style of The Terminator. For example, with Body 2, Brains 3, and Bravado 1, Minguez the strategist could ‘Go Crashing In’ to dive into a room and gain a single charge or ranged action before combat begins, to make a ‘Luck Guess’ and gain a free bonus to a Knowledge or Concentration skill roll, or ‘Lead From The Front’ to lead soldiers into battle and bolster their morale. Some of the pre-generated Resistance Fighters specialise in one category, whilst others are more balanced.

All of the Resistance Fighters have a special ability related to their role. For example, Davis is the Engineer and has ‘Technical Minded’. This allows the Resistance Fighter’s player to spend a point of FATE to reroll any or all dice for any Techanical Skill Test.

How do the mechanics work?
Mechanically, The Terminator RPG Quick Start uses the ‘S5S’ System first seen in SLA Industries, Second Edition. This is a dice pool system which uses ten-sided dice. The dice pool consists of one ten-sided die, called the Success Die, and Skill Dice equal to the skill being used, plus one. The Success Die should be of a different colour from the Skill Dice. The results of the dice roll are not added, but counted separately. Thus, to each roll is added the value of the Skill being rolled, plus its associated stat. If the result on the Success Die is equal to or greater than the Target Number, ranging from eight and Challenging to sixteen and Insane, then the Operative has succeeded. If the results of the Skill Dice also equal or exceed the Target Number, this improves the quality of the successful skill attempt. However, if the roll on the Success Die does not equal or exceed the Target Number, the attempt fails, even if multiple rolls on the Success Dice do. Except that is where there are four or more results which equal or exceed the Target Number on the Success Dice. This is counted as a minimum success though.

FATE can be spent to reroll the Success Die or any of the Skill Dice. The rules also cover fear and willpower. Failing Fear Tests, which typically occur when the Fear Rating of situation is above a Resistance Fighter’s Cool stat, lead to a loss of Willpower, as can losing too many Hit Points or encountering a Terminator. As long a Resistance Fighter’s Willpower remains above ten, they should be fine.

How does combat work?
Combat in The Terminator RPG Quick Start is designed to be desperate and dangerous. It is detailed and tactical. It takes into account offensive and defensive manoeuvres, rate of fire, recoil, damage inflicted on armour, cover, aiming, and so on. The scenario features a lot of combat and the Game Master should pay particular attention to those rules in the quick-start.

All Resistance Fighters are combat trained, though some do specialise more than others. In general, the more combat capable Resistance Fighters should be working to protect the less capable, but less important specialists on their mission.

How does Hacking work?
One of the pre-generated Resistance Fighters possesses the Computer skill and is the designated Hacker for the mission. This enables him to hack electronic devices and computer systems. In general, hacking small systems requires only a simple skill test, but for bigger systems and where it is narratively appropriate, the hacker can attempt to infiltrate a system consisting of a series of connected nodes represented by a ‘Network Architecture Diagrams’. The player rolls Computer skill tests to generate points of Progress which can be expended to move deeper into the network, create a backdoor, capture a node, exploit a subroutine. If alerted, Network Security, or ‘NetSec’, will spread through the system attempting to locate the hacker and halt his progress.

Hacking is in effect a two-player mini-game between the Hacker’s player and the Game Master. Fortunately, it is intended to take place at the same pace as combat rounds do, so it can be run in parallel with them if need be. It needs careful study by both the Hacker’s player and the Game Master, and although there is an example hacking attempt given of the system included in the scenario, it would be a good idea for the Game Master to run through this at least once to understand it.

What do you play?
The Terminator RPG Quick Start includes ‘Two Steps Back’, a short, one-shot mission. Set in the future, the Resistance Fighters must break into a Skynet compound to find their captured leader and prevent Skynet from sending several Terminators into the past to destroy several armouries set up by John Connor. It begins en media res with the attack on the compound, and after some bloody encounters with Terminators and a chance for hacker to show off his skills, before they can get into the Time Displacement Chamber and take command of it. Once alerted, Skynet will do its very best to prevent the Resistance Fighters from taking command of and using the Time Displacement Device. It ends in an even bigger battle and a cliffhanger...

As a mission, ‘Two Steps Back’ feels very appropriate for The Terminator setting.

Is there anything missing?
The Terminator RPG Quick Start is complete and it even comes with advice for the Game Master on running the game. Where it is lacking is in art. None of the Resistance Fighters or NPC are illustrated, and neither are the weapons. The Game Master may want to provide them. In addition, the Resistance Fighter biographies are separate to their character sheets, so the Game Master will make sure that each player receives both.

Is it easy to prepare?
The core rules presented in The Terminator RPG Quick Start are relatively easy to prepare. The Game Master will need to pay closer attention to how combat works in the game as it is the most complex part of the rules and highly tactical in play, as it figures heavily in the scenario. She should also study and work through the hacking rules so that they can be easily taught to the player who roleplays the hacker.

Is it worth it?
Yes. The Terminator RPG Quick Start is a short, bloody, and brutal mission that demonstrates the desperate and dangerous nature of the future under the dominance of Skynet. The emphasis on combat and the hacking rules make it slightly too complex for a convention scenario unless the Game Master knows the rules for both well. Otherwise, The Terminator RPG Quick Start is solid introduction to the setting and potentially more if the Game Master decides to run the sequel, The Terminator Quickstart Part II ‘One Step Forward’.

Where can you get it?
The Terminator RPG Quick Start is available to download here.

2003: Idylls of the Rat King

1974 is an important year for the gaming hobby. It is the year that Dungeons & Dragons was introduced, the original RPG from which all other RPGs would ultimately be derived and the original RPG from which so many computer games would draw for their inspiration. It is fitting that the current owner of the game, Wizards of the Coast, released the new version, Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition, in the year of the game’s fortieth anniversary. To celebrate this, Reviews from R’lyeh will be running a series of reviews from the hobby’s anniversary years, thus there will be reviews from 1974, from 1984, from 1994, and from 2004—the thirtieth, twentieth, and tenth anniversaries of the titles. These will be retrospectives, in each case an opportunity to re-appraise interesting titles and true classics decades on from the year of their original release.

—oOo—

Published in 2003, Dungeon Crawl Classics #1: Idylls of the Rat King was the first adventure to ask the question, “Remember the golden days of role playing, when adventures were underground, NPCs were there to be killed, and the finale of every dungeon was the dragon on the 20th level? Well, those days are back. Dungeon Crawl Classics feature bloody combat, intriguing dungeons, and no NPCs who aren't meant to be killed. Each adventure is 100% good, solid dungeon crawl, with the monsters you know, the traps you fear, and the secret doors you know must be there somewhere.” In doing so, it launched the Dungeon Crawl Classics line from Goodman Games that in the twenty years since has seen the publication of over one hundred titles for three different roleplaying games. It began with Dungeons & Dragons, Third Edition in 2003, before moving on to Dungeons & Dragons, Fourth Edition in 2008 and finally finding a home with Dungeon Crawl Classics Roleplaying and the release of Dungeon Crawl Classics #66.5: Doom of the Savage Kings and the classic Dungeon Crawl Classics #67: Sailors on the Starless Sea.

Dungeon Crawl Classics #1: Idylls of the Rat King is designed to ape the appearance of early adventures for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, First Edition. Thus, the blurb is on the front cover rather than the rear, the rear being saved for a list of other products, and the maps inside the card cover are done in white on blue to thwart photocopying. The scenario itself is set in and around the town of Silverton, known for its silver mines. In recent months, goblins have been raiding the caravans carrying the silver and so hindering the town’s primary trade and means of income. The scenario begins with the Player Characters at the entrance to an abandoned mine whose silver has long been worked out and where the tracks of the raiders on the last caravan lead back to. The Player Characters have been hired to deal with the raiders and end their menace once and for all. Dungeon Crawl Classics #1: Idylls of the Rat King is designed for a party of Player Characters of First to Third Level. It is recommended that a Rogue, a Good-aligned Cleric, and a strong Fighter, preferably one armed with a silver sword be amongst their number. That said, an Elf, which his ability to spot secret doors will also be very handy.

The bulk of the scenario consists of a four-level ‘Abandoned Silver Mine’ infested with goblins and worse. The rooms of the played-out mine are all decently described, and where the Player Characters do encounter opposition, the location descriptions do include their tactics upon seeing intruders. Initially, the Player Characters will face a fair bit of opposition. The goblins are on guard and prepared to defend their home. The first level of the mine appears to be quite lightly populated, but an encounter with the Goblin Chief reveals that there is something else going on in the mine. Patience upon the part of the players and their characters will pay off if they find the secret vaults scattered across this level. The secret vaults and chambers on this level and the levels below contain not just treasure, but also useful, silvered or magical weapons and clues to the secrets of the mine.

Notably, although the Goblins are Neutral Evil, and signs of their nasty, vicious ways are found throughout the mine complex, the scenario specifically states that Good-aligned Player Characters suffer an Experience Point penalty should they put the females and young of the tribe to the sword. There are several nurseries and day-care rooms where they may be found, but there are also several temples dedicated to the rat gods, Narrimunth and Nimlurun, as well. The lower levels—three and four—are smaller, with the third actually being worked by miners still. Zombie miners, including zombie badgers, but miners, nonetheless. The nature of the encounters down here changes too, and whilst there no dragon in the final room, there is a definite sense of something much bigger on the fourth level. In comparison to the upper levels, there is scope on the lower for more than combat. The important NPCs will at least initiate or engage in conversation before they turn on the Player Characters and attempt to kill them. Some of the encounters on the lower levels are tough.

So what is going in the mine and Dungeon Crawl Classics #1: Idylls of the Rat King? The back story explains that century ago, one Jasper Gannu discovered the first silver mine outside what would become Silverton. However, the miners uncovered a great evil which had been buried there in ages past—a vampire named Serrenna. She was only stopped and locked away once again after twenty miners were killed. The survivors turned on him, lynched him, and drove his wife and child out with a curse. This curse turned them both into wererats, and now, Jasper’s grandson, Lawrence, has returned to the area to enact his revenge. Not only is he directing the goblins in the raids on the caravans, but he has also turned some of them in Wererats too! This is the reason why the Fighter needs to come armed with a silver weapon. The other is the vampire, Serrenna. If the Player Characters do not discover the clues to the ’ancient evil’ buried in the mine or ignore the warnings when they do, they may well free her from her prison and that would be a bad thing to do. Of course, she is evil, but Serrenna is very tough opponent too. That said, the Dungeon Master should have fun roleplaying her should the Player Characters encounter her.

In addition, Dungeon Crawl Classics #1: Idylls of the Rat King includes two appendices. One describes the Silverton Area and its inhabitants. Lawrence Gannu can be encountered here, performing as a Bard, and spying on the townsfolk and anyone who passes through the town. The handouts hint at the great evil in the mine as well as give the Player Characters a map. The start of the scenario provides three possible employers who would pay well for the Player Characters to investigate the abandoned mine.

Physically, Dungeon Crawl Classics #1: Idylls of the Rat King is a mixed bag. The layout is clean and tidy. The artwork is decent. However, the handouts are plain, just handwriting founts and whilst the map of Silverton is clearly done using Campaign Cartographer, so is decent enough, the map of the four levels of the mine is dull. To be fair, we have all been spoiled by the fully featured and illustrated maps of the scenarios for Dungeon Crawl Classics, but here they are all but featureless. The maps primarily consist of straight corridors and rectangular rooms, so all of the detail comes from the room descriptions. Trying to describe the route through the mine can only be challenging for the Dungeon Master because the maps are so bland.

One issue with Dungeon Crawl Classics #1: Idylls of the Rat King lies in the presentation of the monster stats and that comes from the d20 System and Dungeons & Dragons, 3.5. NPCs, including monsters, in Dungeons & Dragons, Third Edition and Dungeons & Dragons, 3.5 can have Classes and that leads to extended, detailed stat blocks. In addition, there are lots of Wererat Goblins in the scenario, so for every encounter there are three sets of stat blocks—one for Goblin form, one for Dire Rat form, and one for Hybrid form. There is a lot of detail for the Dungeon Master to handle in terms of game stats in the scenario. Also, placing the town details in appendix makes it feel like an afterthought, but at the same time, it means that the Dungeon Master can get straight into the adventure without having to flip to the back of the scenario if it is not required.

Dungeon Crawl Classics #1: Idylls of the Rat King received an Honourable Mention for Best Adventure, at the ENnies in 2003. It would be followed by a sequel in 2006. This was Dungeon Crawl Classics #27: Revenge of the Rat King designed for Player Characters of Fourth to Sixth Level. Then in 2008, the two modules were compiled for release at Gen Con 2008, but not for Dungeons & Dragons, 3.5. Rather it was written for use with the version of the roleplaying game whose style for its scenarios the two scenarios were aping—Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, First edition. In addition, Dungeon Crawl Classics: Saga of the Rat King included a third adventure, ‘The Scourge of Silverton’, which bridged the two. Although titles for the Dungeon Crawl Classics line for previous iterations have since been updated for use with Dungeon Crawl Classics Roleplaying is not one of them. Perhaps on its twentieth anniversary, it deserves the Dungeon Crawl Classics treatment? Dungeon Crawl Classics #1: Idylls of the Rat King would also be the subject of several reviews at the time of its release—one of which is here.

Dungeon Crawl Classics #1: Idylls of the Rat King is twenty years old and was even a nostalgia piece back then. There is much to like. The choice of monsters is a surprising combination, and with its mixture of the Undead, Vampire femme fatale, and Wererat Goblins, there is an element of horror to the scenario which adds to both its atmosphere and mystery. Yet this is undone in part by the maps, which are featureless and uninteresting, adding nothing to the adventure and barely even supporting it. The scenario is primarily combat and exploration focused, but it does have the mystery of the unspeakable evil and a few roleplaying opportunities here and there. For a twenty-year-old, nostalgia focused scenario, that is not bad. Indeed, Dungeon Crawl Classics #1: Idylls of the Rat King is not perfect, but definitely not bad, and it definitely got the Dungeon Crawl Classics line off to a solid start.

Friday Filler: Chariot Race

Chariot Race is a ‘Roll & Race’ board game. Now lots of board games are races, involving the rolling of dice to move. For example, Snakes & Ladders and Ludo are both children’s classics, both involving races, but Chariot Race is a modern board game and uses its dice rolls to create different effects and determine what a player can do from turn to turn, much like the earlier King of Tokyo. In the game, the players are charioteers, standing in their chariots, reins and whip in hand, javelins and caltrops to one side, ready to race, to the sound of the roaring crowd of the colosseum. To win, a player must be first across the line after completing two laps of the arena. Unfortunately, his rivals will not only do their best to outrace him, but they will also do their best to stop him—dropping caltrops into his path if he is behind, throwing javelins at him if close enough, and even ramming him! The result is a fantastic spectacle for the crowds and glory for the winner who can survive long enough to cross the finishing line. All this will be done according to the rolls of the dice—can a player slow his chariot down enough to get round a corner without risking damage or speed up to catch his competitors? Can he change lane to avoid an obstacle, a rival charioteer and his chariot, or caltrops thrown in his path? Can he attack a competitor? Can he gain the Favour of Fortuna and make repairs to his damaged chariot or alter the results of the other dice? Only the bravest of the brave and luckiest of the lucky charioteer will be able to find out in Chariot Race.

Published by Pegasus Spiele, the biggest draw for Chariot Race is the fact that it is designed by Matt Leacock, who is best known for designing Pandemic, the board game of the CDC attempting to find cures to diseases before they overwhelm the world. Where Pandemic is co-operative, Chariot Race is not. It competitive, combative even. Designed for two to six players aged eight and up, it can be played in fifteen to forty-five minutes, is easy to set up and play, and includes advanced options too.

The core components consist of a double-sided game board, six chariot pieces in different colours, six double-sided chariot boards which match the chariot pieces, twenty wooden caltrop markers, eighteen pointer clips, and five dice. There are also Dolphin tokens to indicate if a player is on his first or second lap. Everything is in full colour and easy to use in play. The game board depicts the oval of the colosseum with three tracks. On the one side, this is plain, but on the other, it is marked with heaps of stone which will damage any chariot which runs over them. The chariot boards are marked with three tracks—the Damage Track, the Speed Track, and the Fate Track. The Pointer Clips are used to track these numbers. The amount of Damage a player’s chariot has taken restricts its maximum speed and the amount of dice the player can on his turn. The five dice are marked with Horse (Normal movement), Double Horse (Sprint), Steer, Attack, and Favour of Fortuna symbols. In play, a player will use these to alter his chariot’s speed, change lane, attack his competitors, and alter his luck.

Initial order of the chariots is determined randomly and then the turn order works from the chariot in the lead backwards, that is, from front to back. A player’s turn consists of six phases—Repair, Adjust Initial Speed, Roll Dice, Obtain the Favour of Fortuna, Move, and Attack. The Repair and Attack phases are optional. In the Repair phase, a player can spend three Fate Points to repair his chariot by up to three points of damage. The Adjust Initial Speed requires the player to check that his chariot’s Initial Speed does not exceed its current Damage Value as more damage reduces its maximum speed. The player than rolls the dice, the number again determined by the chariot’s current Damage Value. Then the player rolls the dice. A player can reroll as many dice as he likes once, but can spend Fate points to reroll again or to adjust a single die face to any non-Fortuna side.

Once a player has rolled the dice and made any rerolls, he begins applying them to his chariot. To Obtain the Favour of Fortuna he records any Fortuna symbols rolled on the dice. He can have a maximum of six. Then he can Move and Attack. However, actual movement is equal to his chariot’s Speed, and what the Horse (Normal movement) and Double Horse (Sprint) symbols do, is adjust that Speed. Horse (Normal movement) symbol lets a player adjust his chariot’s Speed, up or down, by one, whereas the Double Horse (Sprint) symbol lets a player adjust his chariot’s Speed, up or down, by two, but at the cost of a point of damage. The obvious reason for adjusting his chariot’s Speed is to catch up with another chariot, whether to pass it or ram it, but he may also need to slow down. This is because he might want to avoid another chariot or because he has to career around a corner! Both ends of the arena are marked numbers—higher numbers on the outside, lower numbers on the inside. If a chariot has a Speed higher than this number when it crosses through it, the chariot suffers damage. The inside track is shorter, but tighter, and so their number is lower. The outside track is longer, and its number is higher. On the expert board, which has stone heaps, the player might slowing down to avoid hitting them.

The Steer symbol allows a chariot to change lanes. Lastly, the player can use the Attack symbol to inflict damage on his rivals. First, by dropping a Caltrop on the track which another chariot might ride over and take damage from, and second, by throwing a javelin at a rival chariot. Another means of inflicting damage is to ram a chariot, but this inflicts damage to both the ramming chariot and the rammed chariot. It is possible to destroy a chariot, whether through poor handling round corners, riding over caltrops, being rammed, or having javelins thrown at it. A destroyed chariot means the player is out of the game, it leaves wreckage which does the same damage as a caltrop.

Chariot Race includes rules for two- and three-player games, with teams of chariots rather than singles. This enables a player to keep playing if he loses a chariot. Besides the alternative board on the other side marked with stone heaps, the chariot boards each have a different chariot on the back. They add a degree of variety to the game and a bit more individualism to the game.

Physically, Chariot Race is underwhelming. The components, done in full colour, are on thin card. The chariots are cardboard standees rather than wooden or plastic pieces. The dice are decently done though. Consequently, the feel is of a game with a lower budget and less durability. The rule book though, is clearly written, easy to read, and includes examples of play that ease learning the rules.

Chariot Race is primarily luck driven, with little in the way of player choices or tactics. Does a player race ahead to get a good start or hold back and avoid the carnage upfront as players battle for the lead, only to push forward on a chariot that has taken less damage and can thus maintain a higher speed? Other than that, a player is really only trying to make the best use of his dice rolls from one turn to the next. The result though tends to be a chaotic free-for-all, a brawl on two wheels drawn by thundering hooves and steaming nostrils of the horses. So, in the way Chariot Race does make a good filler. It is light, easy to understand, and quick to play. However, a group wanting something more thoughtful, less combative, but of a similar length, might try Ave Caesar. For more detailed, simulationist version of chariot racing, the classic Circus Maximus would be a good choice.

Ultimately, Chariot Race feels just a little too light, a little too lacking in depth for repeated play, and not enough choices. The variant rules do not add enough to keep the players’ attention for more than a few games, and ultimately, Chariot Race is more going to be remembered for the designer than the design.

Miskatonic Monday #190: The Things We Feed

Between October 2003 and October 2013, Chaosium, Inc. published a series of books for Call of Cthulhu under the Miskatonic University Library Association brand. Whether a sourcebook, scenario, anthology, or campaign, each was a showcase for their authors—amateur rather than professional, but fans of Call of Cthulhu nonetheless—to put forward their ideas and share with others. The programme was notable for having launched the writing careers of several authors, but for every Cthulhu Invictus, The Pastores, Primal State, Ripples from Carcosa, and Halloween Horror, there was Five Go Mad in Egypt, Return of the Ripper, Rise of the Dead, Rise of the Dead II: The Raid, and more...

The Miskatonic University Library Association brand is no more, alas, but what we have in its stead is the Miskatonic Repository, based on the same format as the DM’s Guild for Dungeons & Dragons. It is thus, “...a new way for creators to publish and distribute their own original Call of Cthulhu content including scenarios, settings, spells and more…” To support the endeavours of their creators, Chaosium has provided templates and art packs, both free to use, so that the resulting releases can look and feel as professional as possible. To support the efforts of these contributors, Miskatonic Monday is an occasional series of reviews which will in turn examine an item drawn from the depths of the Miskatonic Repository.

—oOo—

Name: The Things We Feed

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Zander Ford

Setting: 1926 New Orleans
Product: Scenario

What You Get: Twenty-page, 15.28 KB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Hunted house horror as theft turns to terror.

Plot Hook: Can a book be recovered before state officials intervene?

Plot Support: Staging advice, six handouts, one NPC, one map, one Mythos tome, and one Mythos monster.

Production Values: Decent.

Pros

# Suitable for criminals, antiquarians, and art experts alike

# Weird haunted house horror in which the horror lurks between

# Easily adapted to other time periods

# Mnemophobia

# Toichophobia

# Ommetaphobia

# Paranoia

Cons

# Needs an edit

# No pre-generated Investigators

# Investigation could be better developed
# The horrors seen in the scenario could have been better developed

# Pre-generated Investigators could have meant more tailored horror

Conclusion

# Claustrophobic ‘haunted’ house horror with engaging sense of otherness.

# Rushed and slightly underdone in places, but otherwise solidly serviceable scenario

Miskatonic Monday #189: Walk Among Us

Between October 2003 and October 2013, Chaosium, Inc. published a series of books for Call of Cthulhu under the Miskatonic University Library Association brand. Whether a sourcebook, scenario, anthology, or campaign, each was a showcase for their authors—amateur rather than professional, but fans of Call of Cthulhu nonetheless—to put forward their ideas and share with others. The programme was notable for having launched the writing careers of several authors, but for every Cthulhu Invictus, The Pastores, Primal State, Ripples from Carcosa, and Halloween Horror, there was Five Go Mad in Egypt, Return of the Ripper, Rise of the Dead, Rise of the Dead II: The Raid, and more...

The Miskatonic University Library Association brand is no more, alas, but what we have in its stead is the Miskatonic Repository, based on the same format as the DM’s Guild for Dungeons & Dragons. It is thus, “...a new way for creators to publish and distribute their own original Call of Cthulhu content including scenarios, settings, spells and more…” To support the endeavours of their creators, Chaosium has provided templates and art packs, both free to use, so that the resulting releases can look and feel as professional as possible. To support the efforts of these contributors, Miskatonic Monday is an occasional series of reviews which will in turn examine an item drawn from the depths of the Miskatonic Repository.

—oOo—

Name: Walk Among Us

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Marco Carrer

Setting: 1926 New Orleans
Product: One-hour scenario

What You Get: Fourteen-page, 3.90 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Zombies, werewolves, and the Black mafia down the bayou. Oh my!

Plot Hook: William Faulkner asks the Investigators look into the return of a friend’s friend and his listless state.

Plot Support: Staging advice, four pre-generated Investigators, four NPCs, one map, four non-Mythos monsters, one Mythos artefact, and one Mythos monster.

Production Values: Plain.

Pros

# Pulpy, noir-style mystery in New Orleans

# Decent plot to be found if properly prepared

# Kinemortophobia

# Lupophobia

# Limnophobia

Cons

# Needs a strong edit

# Underdeveloped, unclear, and unkempt

# Decent plot to be found properly prepared

# Irrelevant werewolf

# No handouts

Conclusion

# Messy, underdeveloped plot and set-up hides a reasonable plot to be found if properly prepared by the Keeper

# Irrelevant werewolf

Review 2000: James Bond 007

1974 is an important year for the gaming hobby. It is the year that Dungeons & Dragons was introduced, the original RPG from which all other RPGs would ultimately be derived and the original RPG from which so many computer games would draw for their inspiration. It is fitting that the current owner of the game, Wizards of the Coast, released the new version, Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition, in the year of the game’s fortieth anniversary. To celebrate this, Reviews from R’lyeh will be running a series of reviews from the hobby’s anniversary years, thus there will be reviews from 1974, from 1984, from 1994, and from 2004—the thirtieth, twentieth, and tenth anniversaries of the titles. These will be retrospectives, in each case an opportunity to re-appraise interesting titles and true classics decades on from the year of their original release.

—oOo—

James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty’s Secret Service was published in 1983 by Victory Games, a subsidiary of Avalon Hill. It was not the first espionage roleplaying game. That honour goes to Top Secret: An Espionage Role Playing Game for 3 ormore players, ages 12 to adult, published by TSR, Inc., and whilst Espionage! from Hero Games and Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes from Blade, a division of Flying Buffalo, Inc., were both published in 1983, it was the James Bond 007 roleplaying game which not only took the crown, it remained the preeminent espionage roleplaying game, arguably never to be equalled. After all, what it had was brand recognition and few of the espionage and spy roleplaying games which came after James Bond 007—and certainly none of those that came before it, were not influenced by the films adapted from Ian Fleming’s novels. The James Bond 007 roleplaying game took that brand recognition and offered the players the opportunity to roleplay in the setting of the world’s greatest spy, to travel the world and visit its greatest cities, enjoy the most luxurious food, play at the best gaming tables, seduce the most attractive women, use the most amazing gadgets, thwart the diabolical plans of evil masterminds, and so save the world, and of course, seduce the attractive women again. All whilst looking suave.

James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty’s Secret Service is based upon the James Bond films and the original James Bond novels, but drew more from the former than the latter. This would have consequences for the roleplaying in terms of background. The rules—primarily percentile based—covered every type of action seen in the films. Action, combat, chases, gambling, seduction, thrilling cities, and gadgets are all there. Most of the major characters to have appeared on screen are also included with full stats, Bond himself receiving a chapter of his own. The one element missing from the roleplaying game and the one that everyone expected to be there, is SPECTRE and its leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. At the time of James Bond 007’s publication, the rights to them were contested and so they could not be included. Instead, the roleplaying game provided a similar organization called T.A.R.O.T. or ‘Technological Accession, Revenge, and Organised Terrorism’, complete with a range of NPCs, including its leader, the evilly named Karl Ferenc Skorpios. Although disappointing, the absence of both SPECTRE and Ernst Stavro Blofeld actually frees up the Game Master to create her own missions, free of the associated backstory between Bond and Blofield and obviously designed around the Tarot card theme of T.A.R.O.T., and Karl Ferenc Skorpios and his minions can become the nemesis for the Player Characters in ways that SPECTRE and Ernst Stavro Blofeld never quite will.

James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty’s Secret Service opens with a bold statement: “The James Bond 007 Game in [sic] not like most role playing games available today. Those games are designed to make the GM all-powerful and give the NPCs a much greater advantage over the Player Characters.” It expands on this by saying that NPCs in fantasy games are often incredibly powerful because of their armies or magical artefacts, and that in Science Fiction settings, the universe is so big that the Player Characters have little influence on any course of events, before explaining why James Bond 007 is different. It gives Player Character agency, the ability and authority to act and so succeed rather than fail, to fulfil a mission and save the world rather than fail and let some criminal mastermind’s plans come to fruition. There is both truth and hyperbole in this statement, but James Bond 007 does place the Player Characters at the centre of the story and the action. It also gives both them and their players the means to succeed. The Player Characters are skilled spies and they are often equipped with gadgets devised by ‘Q’ which give them an advantage. For the players, James Bond 007 provides them with a magnificent gift—Hero Points. Arguably the roleplaying game’s greatest innovation, in play they are used to alter the effect of skill rolls and to shrug off wounds and even death, and so allow the Player Characters to be more heroic. Although a Player Character will not necessarily succeed on every action—and why should he, otherwise how else is he going to be captured and have the opportunity to listen to the villain’s monologue?—he has the means to succeed where it counts. The rest of course, is down to player decisions and roleplaying, although it is interesting to note that although the players are encouraged to roleplay like Bond, when it comes to the published scenarios, most of which were directly based on the films, they are advised not to roleplay like Bond, or at least not follow the exact same actions as he did in the films. This is because although a scenario like Goldfinger would follow the plot of its film, it had significant details changed to make it challenging and to ensure that the Player Characters would fail if they followed the exact same path of investigation and action as seen in the plot.

The introduction to the roleplaying game is excellent. Besides the provocative opening statement above, it explains the nature of roleplaying in James Bond’s world, the core concepts, terms, and rules of the game, and provides six example characters ready to play—James Bond, Anya Amasova, Felix Leiter, Holly Goodhead, Mary Goodnight, and Lieutenant Chong Sun Hip, all taken from the films. It also includes an exceptionally good example of play. In fact, it is arguably the best example of play in any roleplaying game. Six pages long, it takes two scenes from Goldfinger, first where Bond escapes the factory in the company of Tilly Masterton, but when she is killed by Oddjob, he gives himself up before attempting to flee again, using the ejector seat built into his Aston Martin DB5 by ‘Q’, and when captured again, his interrogation scene with Goldfinger. Parallel to the fiction is Game Master Jessica running the game for Dave, who is playing Bond. This is great writing, the parallels between the two working our imagination, showing how a roleplaying is played (and its highs and lows), and of course, the rules. Although the rules do not include another example of play like this, they do include numerous examples of the rules, all highly thematic and readable.

In James Bond 007, the Player Characters are secret agents working for MI6, the British Secret Intelligence Service, and sometimes its allied agencies, such as the CIA or Japan’s Public Security Intelligence Agency. Depending upon their ability and assignments, they are ranked ‘00’, ‘Agent’, or ‘Rookie’. James Bond is of course, ‘00’ rank, as is Anya Amasova from The Spy Who Loved Me, whilst Felix Leiter is ‘Agent’ rank and Mary Goodnight from The Man with the Golden Gun is ‘Rookie’. Rank determines the number of points to be spent during character creation and to a certain extent the number of Player Characters in the game. Higher ranked characters are more capable and thus fewer of them are required to complete a mission.

A Player Character in James Bond 007 has five characteristics, Strength, Dexterity, Willpower, Perception, and Intelligence. These range in value between five and fifteen. He also has numerous skills, such as Charisma, Driving, Evasion, Local Customs, Science, Seduction, and Sixth Sense. Notably, like the films, the roleplaying game does not include the use of languages (and similarly money). These are rated between one and fifteen. His height, weight, and appearance also matter, as the more notable a Player Character looks, the more Fame Points he will have, and the easier it is for him to be recognised. Derived values such as Speed, Hand-to-Hand Combat Damage Class, Stamina, and Running/Swimming Value are all primarily used in combat. All Player Characters have the Connoisseur, First Aid, and Photography, which are set values and work like skills, but optionally, a Player Character can also have Fields of Experience, which represent areas of knowledge and skill gained prior to becoming an agent for MI6, and also a weakness, for example, Board Games, Computers, Toxicology, and Rare Collectibles. Selecting one or more Fields of Experience increases a Player Character’s age, but grants him more points to spend on associated skills. To create a character, a player is given Generation Points to spend on the skills and attributes. The skill level is then added to the appropriate attribute to determine its Primary Chance. A Rookie receives 3000, an Agent 6000, and a ‘00’ 9000 points to spend. The process is a little complex and does take a bit of time.

Character Name: Claudia Romanov
Character Rank: Rookie
Age: 33 Fame Points: 76 Hero Points: 0
Appearance: Striking Height: 5’ 3” Weight: 125 lbs.

Strength 5 Dexterity 10 Willpower 7 Perception 8 Intelligence 7

Speed: 2 Stamina: 28 Running: 25 Carry: 60-100
Hand-to-Hand Combat Damage Class: A

Charisma (5) 12, Driving (4) 13, Fire Combat (3) 12, Gambling (5) 13, Hand-to-hand Combat (4) 9, Lockpicking and safecracking (7) 17, Mountaineering (4) 10, Seduction (2) 8, Sixth Sense (5) 12, Stealth (7) 11

Weakness: Greed
Abilities: Connoisseur, First Aid, Photography
Fields of Experience: Fine Arts, Jewellery, Law, Mechanical Engineering, Rare Collectibles, Snow Skiing

Mechanically, James Bond 007 employs a percentile system. The Success Chance of an action is determined by multiplying the Primary Chance—typically that of a skill—by an Ease Factor, which ranges from ½ to ten. The harder the task, the lower the Ease Factor, and vice versa. A roll under the Success Chance succeeds, whereas a roll of one hundred always fails. For ease of play, a multiplication table is included on the character record sheet. In addition, the quality of a successful roll can matter. This is measured by the Quality Rating of the roll, which ranges from 1 to 4, or Acceptable, Good, Very Good, or Exceptionable. These various degrees of success determine how well the Player Character has done or how quickly, or in combat how damage is inflicted.

For example, Claude Romanova is attending the party held by the Russian oligarch, Samuil Vorobev, at his villa on the Côte d’Azur. She has already sneaked upstairs, into a bedroom, and then into his study. She quickly locates the safe and begins to crack it. The Game Master sets the Ease Factor at 3, as the safe is modern, meaning that with Claudia’s Lockpicking and safecracking Primary Chance of 17, her Success Chance is 51%. Claudia’s player rolls 18. This gives a Quality Rating of 3 or Good. This means that she has cracked the safe, purloined the jewellery that Samuil Vorobev’s girlfriend is not wearing that night and closed up before one of the oligarch’s security guards comes knocking at the door. Now to get back downstairs to the party…

Combat and other action scenes in James Bond 007 are played out in Action Rounds. Declarations of actions are made in reverse order of Speed—slowest first, and then enacted in order of Speed—fastest first. Combat handles hand-to-hand combat and gun combat in a decent fashion, with the Ease Factor used to modifier the Primary Chance if a specific location is being targeted. Chases are a special case though. Whether Boating, Diving, Driving, or Piloting, the participants in a chase bid against each, not up, down, lowering the Ease Factor and increasing the difficulty of the manoeuvre they want to perform. The manoeuvres include ‘Pursue/Flee’, ‘Force’, ‘Quick Turn’, ‘Double Back’, and ‘Trick’, the latter a catchall for all manner of stunts—jump a ditch, grab an opponent’s parachute mid fall, and so on. Failing a roll can lead to mishap as can driving below the Redline of a vehicle and exceeding its capabilities. The chase rules are clear and simple, handling the narrative of Bond-style chases in a tense fashion.

Other rules in James Bond 007 cover interaction with NPCs—Persuasion, Seduction, and Interrogation, as well as gambling and gambling life. The latter includes a range of card games plus descriptions of casinos around the world. Fame handles the chances of the Player Characters being recognised by the wrong (or right) people, and then there are Hero Points. These enable a Player Character to alter the outcome of a skill roll, adjusting Quality Rating in his favour. So, he might lower the Quality Rating during a chase to ensure he pulls off a manoeuvre or raise the Quality Rating of an NPC’s attack roll to reduce the damage he would otherwise suffer. They are also used to perform a stunt or at the Game Master’s discretion, even affect the environment around the Player Character. The advice on handling Hero Points in this fashion is underwritten in comparison to their mechanical use, but the possibility is there to pull off some great stunts. For the Game Master, there are Survival Points, which she can spend on her important NPCs to do the same thing. In play, this can lead to great action scenes as the Player Characters and villainous NPCs attempt to outdo each and the Hero and Survival Points fly.

Having successfully raided the safe, Claudia is attempting to return downstairs to the party, but a security guard has come looking for her. As she exits into the hallway, bottle of champagne and glass in hand, slightly dishevelled after clambering over the balcony, she is confronted by the guard, asking what she is doing there. The Game Master sets the Ease Factor at 4, since the guard is suspicious and although out of place, she looks as if she is meant to be at the party, meaning that with Claudia’s Charisma primary Chance of 12, her Success Chance is 48%. Claudia’s player rolls 61. This is a failure, but Claudia’s player decides to spend a Hero Point to adjust the roll to Quality Rating of 4 or Acceptable. She has just about convinced the guard. …For now.

It is important to note that James Bond 007 was not actually the first to use a mechanic similar to its Hero Points. The earlier Top Secret: An Espionage Role Playing Game for 3or more players, ages 12 to adult had included an optional rule for Fame and Fortune Points. However, they were only used to overcome a fatal wound and not affect game play in a wider fashion as in James Bond 007. Essentially, James Bond 007 takes the concept and refines them, making them intrinsic to both play and playing in the style of James Bond.

In terms of support, James Bond 007 details and illustrates numerous weapons and vehicles, as well as detailing other pieces of equipment. These all feel just enough to get started, but really the Game Master is going to want to have a copy of the Q Manual: The Illustrated Guide to the World's Finest Armory, which along with equipment descriptions and illustrations includes an assessment of every item by ‘Q’. The book is a brilliant read and consequently a great resource for any cinematic spy roleplaying game. For the Game Master there is solid advice on running the game and handling NPCs and personalising major villains; a description of MI6, its facilities and full write-ups and stats for its personal, including ‘M’, ‘Q’ (Major Boothroyd), Miss Moneypenny, and more; and of course, T.A.R.O.T. This is followed by similar stats and write-ups for James Bond’s allies and enemies, enabling the Game Master to have her players be helped or confronted by the signature characters from the films. Thrilling Cities describes some of the exotic locations that Bond and thus the Player Characters might visit—Hong Kong, London, Nassau, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo. Included in the descriptions are hotels, casinos, places to visit, restaurants, and so on, essentially location guides where encounters can be had in places of interest. Just as with the equipment section formed the basis for the Q Manual supplement, these city locations would form the basis for the supplement, Thrilling Locations.

Rounding out James Bond 007 is the introductory adventure, ‘The Island of Dr. No.’ This is a solo adventure based on the film of the same name (though it would also receive a standard adventure that could be played with a group in 1984). It is intended to be played after the reader has read the introduction and understood the basics of the game. Consisting of just over a hundred entries, if used in this fashion, it does leave the player unprepared for any combat that might occur. Ideally the player should read that beforehand as well, or at least be prepared to refer to them in play. Otherwise, the scenario can be run by the Games Master and one player with relative ease. The scenario is decent and should help a player learn the rules, but it does leave the prospective Game Master needing a new scenario if she wants to run something for more players.

Physically, the James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty’s Secret Service core rulebook is done in black and white with tones of blue, which gives it a distinctive look all of its own. It does need an edit here and there, but what really stands out is the artwork. Unable to obtain the rights to stills from the films, the roleplaying game is illustrated throughout with black and white line art. Unfortunately, although inspired by the firms, the artwork does not always work. In general, the action pieces feel slightly off, but the character pieces and the portraits are actually really very good. Plus, the use of black and white line art actually gives the rulebook a consistent look and style whereas black and white stills from the various Bond films from the sixties, seventies, and eighties would have looked discordant.

Ultimately, the issues with James Bond 007 as a roleplaying game are fourfold. First, there is the matter of the source material. To quote Judi Dench as ‘M’ in the 1995 Goldeneye, “I think you’re a sexist, misogynist dinosaur. A relic of the Cold War.” The social attitudes of both the novels and the films, then starring Roger Moore as Bond, are outdated, but reflected those of the time. Worse, Bond himself is seen to travel world, drinking, gambling, and seducing women, with the latter in particular, embodying the least attractive aspects of the character. Of course, the roleplaying has rules for seduction, but it has to in order to fit the genre. The Game Master advice for Seduction—as well as Persuasion and Interrogation (and Torture, though for NPCs only)—are they that are used as tools to gain information. To be fair, the inclusion of the Seduction mechanics cannot really be seen as the fault of the roleplaying game itself, and although attitudes have changed since the publication of James Bond 007 in 1983, it would be difficult to write a roleplaying game based on the licence today without including them. However, the likelihood is that the advice for their use would be very different in a contemporary Bond roleplaying game. Just as the depiction of Bond has changed over the years so have roleplaying tastes.

Second, it is a fantasy. The stories of James Bond and thus James Bond 007, do not reflect reality and certainly not the reality of espionage during the Cold War when the stories are set. Compared to the often-grubby world of spies, James Bond is an outlandish superhero, but in the public imagination, he is a spy and not only that, a superspy and his missions and adventures are exciting and thrilling. James Bond 007 reflects this, just as the many other espionage roleplaying games do. Ron Edwards’ Spione: STORY NOW in Cold War Berlin is one of the very few spy-themed roleplaying games to actually eschew the over-the-top style of James Bond.

Third is the absence of SPECTRE and Ernst Stavro Blofeld. This is less of a problem than it first seems. After all, the Game Master is free to create both if she wants and the provided T.A.R.O.T., and Karl Ferenc Skorpios free her to create a wide range of themed missions. Fourth, James Bond 007 is not a roleplaying game for multiple players. It simply does not work with the typical group of four, five, or six players in other roleplaying games, such as Dungeons & Dragons. There is rarely enough story for every Player Character to have time in the spotlight, plus, when it comes to the gadgets, not every Player Character is going to get to play with them. After all, who wants to sit in the back seat of the Aston Martin DB5? James Bond 007 can of course be played with a single agent and the Game Master, but works equally well with two Player Characters or three. There are other minor issues. James Bond 007 is chart heavy, so requires more page flipping than a Game Master might like. Then there is artwork which is used instead of stills from the films. Some of it is bad, but not all.

—oOo—

James Bond 007 was reviewed extensively at the time and since. It was first reviewed in Space Gamer Number 67 (Jan/Feb 1984) by Aaron Allston. (Notably, the issue also included ‘Spy Vs. Spy Vs. Spy: a comparative review’ by W.G. Armintrout of Espionage! and Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes, the then newly released rivals to James Bond 007.) The review was extensive, Aaron Allston was critical of elements of the game—the Hero Points gave the players too much power, the legal issues over the rights to Spectre and its associated characters, its Britishness, the art, the lack of references for the NPCs presented in the book, and its preponderance of charts. However, he liked the rest of the game and its innovations, saying that, “James Bond 007 does a good job of simulating the Bond milieu. It won’t make me give up Espionage, but I was intrigued by some of the game mechanics, impressed by the flow of play, and glad of the background detail involved. Bond aficionados looking for a decent game will find it here. Gamemasters for practically any contemporary RPG should look into the Q Manual. And the price isn’t bad. I give the game a qualified recommendation; it’s a valid effort, and generally does what it set out to do.”

James Bond 007 was reviewed not once, but twice in the pages of Dragon Magazine. First in Dragon Magazine #83 (March 1984) in ‘Good evening, Mr. Bond – The 007 role-playing system reviewed’ by Tracy Raye Hickman. He concluded, “As a game designer, the James Bond game made me sit up. I guess I’ll have to work a little harder. As a game player, I decided this game fills the bill. With a rule book that is easy to digest and use, the game system conveys all the sizzle of 007’s world. Don’t expect this game to be anything more than James Bond fantasy – but be assured that you.re getting nothing less.” It was then reviewed in Dragon Magazine #137 (September 1988), in ‘Role-playing Reviews’ by Jim Bambra, who said in his evaluation that, “The JAMES BOND 007 game is a good, action-packed system that neatly captures the flavor of its subject. The need to refer to numerous tables during play tends to slow the action down, but the Hero Point system allows agents to perform just like 007 himself. To anyone looking for a game firmly based in the Bond mythos, the need to check tables proves to be a minor inconvenience, but for anyone looking for easy-to-use mechanics, the JAMES BOND 007 game is not an ideal choice.”

Nick Davison reviewed James Bond 007 in Imagine No. 11 (February 1984). He said, “Needless to say, I have some reservations about this game. The combat system takes a backward step, which is a pity: there is no hit location. Presumably the designers would argue that their simplistic approach was to speed up the game. True, but most role-players want interesting combat. Finally, this game is clearly unsuitable for a large group of players — imagine them packing into M’s office, packing into lifts and queueing up to seduce the villainess. Indeed, if there are too many, then villains will need platoons of infantry to overcome them. A necessary evil to improve play balance would be to separate them. However, this never works due to the extra complication for the GM.” Despite this, his review ended positively, “An excellent game for those primarily interested in role-playing rather than combat. It is not recommended for more than three players and is best with less.”

It was reviewed by Larry DiTillio in Different Worlds Issue 34 (May/June 1984). He said, “Overall I give 007 the highest marks as a game. It is easy and fun to play, and it simulates the Bond films (not the books, as fans know there is a big difference) excellently. Players could even play Bond himself with ease, using the stats provided (of course the mission would have to be big). Most of all, the designers have instilled the flavor of Bond, the color, the dash, the improbable stunts, and the adventure we expect from the world of Bond. Moreover, since it works in a milieu that players can easily relate to, it is more vivid than most spy games on the market. Most of all, it is true to its subject, the designers state that it is not created to play hard-edged spy stories in the John Le Carre genre, it is Bond, plain and simple.”

Bob Neville reviewed James Bond 007 in ‘Open Box’ in White Dwarf Issue 57 (September 1984) and only gave it a rating of six out of ten. Despite this, he said, “As a complete system, the 007 game stands up quite well, with a real feeling of belonging to part of the Bond mythos being generated in play. There are faults, however, resulting from complexity of mechanics which can hinder play if adhered to. The rules also concentrate on the more modern pieces of equipment to the detriment of earlier Bond movies (which relied more on plot and action rather than gadgets) and a number of essential areas remain untouched or insufficiently developed. The game might not be the best spy role-game available, but is more complete and playable than any of its rivals.”

Retrospective reviews would follow in 1996. First in Shadis Issue 27 (May 1996) by John Wick in the ‘Lost Treasures’ section of the Reviews department. He said, “A lot of people ask me why I run games without dice Well, it all started with the James Bond Role-Playing Game. You see I was dating this girl when I was living back in St. Paul who was also a gamer and a Mission Impossible/Avengers fan (they used to run them back to back on Channel 11 on Saturday afternoon). So, when I saw the JBRPG, I had to pick it up. We spent many a long, cold evening in front of a fire—with me as the GM and her as the Agent. Sheila and me, we didn’t need any dice. So when gamer couples came into the store (yes, they do exist!), I’d always refer them to the James Bond RPG. The system was simple: it was great for beginners and those of us who prefer storytelling over statistics. 0f course, as the engineers in the office remind me, it’s the guys who know statistics that make it easy to play. The sourcebooks were also a lot of fun (although not accurate). The Q Manual was packed with gadgets and submarine cars, wristwatches with laser cutters and iron teeth.” … “So if you sit around on Saturday afternoons watching old reruns of Mission: Impossible, The Avengers, Secret Agent and The Saint, then you must go out to your local con and start digging through those used game boxes. I picked mine up for $5.”

The second retrospective review appeared in Arcane Issue Nine (August 1996). In the regular ‘Retro’ department James Swallows described the roleplaying game consisting of, “Larger than life characters, loose, almost non-existent plots, fantastic gadgets, fast cars, beautiful women, lots of shooting and explosions, megalomaniac villains and ludicrous names – all set in exotic locations in a glamorous version of our own drab world.” His review was positive, concluding that, “The James Bond 007 roleplaying game had exactly the same sort of instantly playable background that, say, Star Wars does. It had ‘M’, ‘Q’, Moneypenny, Oddjob, Jaws, Goldfinger, and Scaramanga. It even had the infamous Pussy Galore! What more need be said?” It was followed in Arcane Issue Fourteen (December 1996) by its inclusion in ‘The 50 favourite RPGs of all time’ based on a reader’s poll at position #46. Arcane’s editor Paul Pettengale commented: “Because of the subject matter, and because the rules are easy to get to grips with, this proved to be an instant hit. It has also been backed up with a couple of cracking supplements – Thrilling Locations and the Q Manual – which makes creating all manner of interesting scenarios an absolute breeze.”

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James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty’s Secret Service would go on to win the H.G. Wells Award for ‘Best Roleplaying Rules of 1983’ at the 1984 Origins and at the 1984 Strategists’ Club Awards, it won ‘Outstanding Role-Playing Game of 1983’. It is not difficult to see why. Long out of print—although a retroclone of the rules shorn of the licence, Classified, is available—James Bond 007 is still the best emulation of James Bond stories seen on screen. The mechanics are at their core simple and elegant, and its various subsystems—gambling, chases, seduction—do all really work together to emulate the source material in a fashion that can only be described as pitch perfect and peerlessly playable. Add on top of that, the innovation of Hero Points that enable the Player Characters to get into the story and action of Bond in a fashion that had never before been seen in any roleplaying game, and what you have in James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty’s Secret Service is an impeccable roleplaying game, the first great licensed roleplaying game, the like of which would not be equalled, let alone bettered for decades.