RPG Review: Alpha Blue

Alpha Blue

In the vast expanse of the inter-web, a role playing game (RPG) titled Alpha Blue was successfully funded October 2015, via Kickstarter to the tune of $4.5K internet bucks. Authored by Venger As’Nas Satanis of Kort'thalis Publishing (site), the book was up for general sale in the adult section with Onebookshelf (OBS: drivethrurpg & rpgnow) in December the same year. In March 2016, the title was temporarily pulled from OBS for “potentially offensive,” content. Namely, as OBS put it; customer complaints, but after in-house review, the title back up for purchase two days later.

Disclosure: This review includes affiliate links. I receive a token percentage if you purchase something from the landing page. Thanks for your support.

The origin of the controversy, what most of the RPG community picked up on, (Links for reference at Tenkar's Tavern & to RPG Pundit) was the use of a fictional Muslim terrorist organization the “Interstellar Caliphate,” and descriptive text of a plot device, the “Rape Machine.”

Despite the above, Venger As’Nas Satanis’s, Alpha Blue isn’t quite the campy, oversexualized, space station hive of scum and villainy, I might have been looking for.

Move along, move along…

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(Still here?)

Alpha Blue might be cult campy, if there is such category. If by oversexualized, I refine the word to mostly male, metrosexual fantasy tropes. But, then again what else is there (insert, sarcasm)? Hive of scum and villainy? Okay, we give it Dirk Diggler points for that. It’s a brothel, in space! Sort of, but wait there’s more!

Once upon a wishing well, Alpha Blue was the Terran Federation’s (earth’s) repository for sexual deviants, derelicts, and nymphomaniacs. Now embarking upon the 23rd century, it drifts about, never in one place… It roams around, around, around, around, around. The sleaze of Alpha Blue’s half a million many, out sleazes the needs of the galactic stew (promise that’s almost the last, bad pun).

The setting material or where Alpha Blue will roam is presented with a basic outline of the galaxy. A number of brief plot hooks are seeded throughout the writing, as well as chapters for scenario seeds and NPCs do a good job of engaging the reader to potentially run the material. I’m in favor of writing which directly engages the Space Dungeon Master (SDM) to run said material, and it’s not always a given with a setting treatment.

System wise, Alpha Blue utilizes a unique and light, d6 dice pool. Most conflict resolution involves a character rolling 2d6 against a target number of 4 or better, 3d6 if the character has an advantage or 1d6 for situations which the SDM determines the character has a disadvantage. The highest die total of the pool is taken. Success or failure is rated on a sliding scale: 4 being a partial success, 5 a success, 6 a critical success. There is short section on converting the material to OSR and even a couple of interesting ideas for doing so, but it will need a few more hours, to be properly configured on the navi-computer. Instead of the system, converting the setting material to the space opera themed RPG of your preference, be it Stars Without Number, Traveller, or even Starfinder is probably just as likely.

Character creation is just as light as the system. No traits, attributes or (+1 and/or -1) modifiers. Players will pick their poison rolling twice (either once for each, of twice on the same) on the Respectable Careers Table and/or Scoundrel Career Table; or roll once on either of the prior mentioned tables and instead roll for their characters to have mutation, be an alien, or be “something special,” which I’ll leave to the reader’s imagination.

Speaking of tables, Alpha Blue has heaping handful of them. It’s certainly enough to sprain your dice wrist, if you’re not careful. There are tables for: alien creatures, creating character backgrounds, fashion (really fashion…? Yes.). Also, more tables such as character astrology, sexual fantasies & fetishes, wealth, and whole bunch of other stuff, including elements which should assist the SDM in regards to fleshing in some of the details of their adventures.

The portable document format (PDF) of Alpha Blue in 114 pages cover to cover including a basic un-specified map of the station, finishing with character sheets and a lined notes section. The Table of Contents is hyperlinked, which is a nice feature. The color cover does an adequate job of portraying the source material or sleazy theme. The interior illustrations are black and white ranging from semi-raunchy (partial nudity, sexual overtones), interesting, to mundane.

"Note: This review originally written and published on July 28, 2017, Stuffer Shack."

As far as the sexual elements go, Alpha Blue doesn’t go near the level I thought it might. In fact, the writing of these elements are just that, elements (more optional than not) and not a requirement of using the setting. The "Interstellar Caliphate" is a religious group of bad folks doing bad things, and the "Rape Machine" is a plot device used by bad guys. Subjectively speaking, could these elements been pulled off with a little more class, yeah… But, I doubt the author of an RPG who coins his own title as “sleazy, gonzo science-fantasy,” had interest in doing such…

For certain, if you consider yourself sensitive to sexual themed material then Alpha Blue probably isn’t your cup of coffee (if you’re still reading). If you’re mostly indifferent, then this is a product has a respectable amount of material, whether you decide to run it as is, or mine it for ideas in regards to the space opera themed RPG of your choice.

RPG Review: Werewolf the Forsaken 2nd Edition

WtF 2E

This is a review the portable document format (PDF) of Werewolf the Forsaken 2nd Edition, published By: Onyx Path Publishing (company site)which is available in PDF as well as in full color, hard cover print. Either product can be purchased at DriveThruRPG.com and RPGNow.com. To assist with saving space, Werewolf the Forsaken 2nd Edition will occasionally be shortened to WtF 2Ed.
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Onyx Path Publishing (OPP) is the licensed publisher of White Wolf (WW) products and has been since 2012. I queried the company on a complete lark, inspired by the quality of the art: which for this book is absolutely beautiful. It wasn’t till I clicked off the first page that I realized that this product (OPP) was once that (WW) product.

Honestly, I had some trouble with this review. This is the (second, no) third draft. I usually don’t draft. When I finished reading Wtf 2Ed, I wasn’t evaluating it fairly. What happened?

Well, my first problem was that I have a habit of perceiving RPGs in a bubble. Sometimes this approach is works, other times (like for this game) it doesn’t. The second problem (upon thoughtful reflection) is that RPGs are not meant for just reading or case in point, reviewing. RPGs are meant for gaming. Read, comprehended and played. Certainly, the middle one took more time, than most games require.

The main issue with Werewolf the Forsaken 2nd Edition is that the beginning text assumes familiarity. This fact put me a bit off my normal review talents because obviously I was unfamiliar, and neither did this situation provide a simple read. Not even my vague 90’s recollections of the White Wolf games I played back in the day could assist me. To make long story short (too late) comprehension required more than one pass.

My criticism of this RPG is it’s a bit over sophisticated. The confusion starts at the table of contents with how the chapters are titled and continues through with the introduction of vocabulary which is presumed the reader already understands the significance of. It’s not that the game doesn’t define itself, it actually does it very well-it’s about how it goes about defining itself.

While the writing itself is excellent and the art is spectacular, the organization and layout is far from intuitive. I saw this as a problem concerning new storytellers (or GMs) and players. Then again maybe I’m being unfair, as WtF 2Ed won’t be played in a bubble; it will be played with friends. This sophisticated approach is clearly beneficial to those already familiar with Onyx Path Publishing and the new World of Darkness line. To that customer base, I’m certain it appeals. Based on the jaw dropping quality of this product how could it not? Take it with a grain of salt and let’s get to it.

At its core, Werewolf the Forsaken 2nd Edition is a story and character driven RPG. While there might be an argument that all RPGs are character driven or story driven etc. etc. few games in comparison provide the appropriate amount tools for this to be true. Though I hesitate to say WtF 2Ed is a sandbox, given the depth of detail concerning werewolf mythology, as well as in how it coincides with character play, it certainly can or perhaps should be utilized as such.

The mythos of Wtf 2Ed is given in fragments throughout the book, which cover what the werewolf is and how it comes to being. Concerning character, each werewolf is a member of the pack and the pack must hunt. Being a part of the pack and the hunt is the werewolf’s or Uratha’s nature and these dual drives create the story building engine for this RPG.

Auspices are in relation to the face of the moon upon the characters first change to the wolf and outline the characters personality, goals and desires. Auspices are (think character class) The Visionary, The Walker Between, The Stalker, The Spirit Master and The Warrior. Each of these is interesting as well as very distinctive. In regards to character mechanics, each Auspice starts with a specific grouping of gifts, skills, renown and benefits. The tail wags the wolf in this section (a compliment) as everything to do with the individual character builds, keeps to its own and will so in gameplay in regards to dice rolls and mechanics.

(Disclosure: This review is property of Kenzer & Company and republished here with expressed permission.)

Tribes provide a comprehensive subset of culture and philosophy for the characters, the RPG provides five, with the sixth entry involving those who choose to go without a tribe association. Most likely is that the characters will all be in the same tribe and same lodge/pack though it is certainly possible for them not to be. Whichever culture is selected to presumably play is very important. So much so, that it will steer the scope of the game or chronicle. Each tribe is just as diverse as the next, allowing a great deal of variation in regards to the sort of RPG going to be played or the type of story going to be told. I’ll let the game speak for itself:

“Some werewolves turn their back on the duty of Father Wolf. Some remove the marks of Mother Luna upon their spirit, following those Firstborn who ignore their duties, calling themselves the Pure. Others try to ignore the call of the hunt entirely, turning their back not just on Mother Luna and Father Wolf but on their need to hunt. These Ghost Wolves try to ignore what they are, embracing a life that has can never be the same.” ( Pg. 33)

While Auspices cover what the character is and Tribes provide a culture, Lodges are the main setting piece for the how and why the characters interact with the game world. To put it shortly lodges are the finger on the bow, on the gift of the setting. Though the lodges sections are brief when you combine these three elements the picture of the game you want to play comes together quite nicely.

Creating a character with WtF 2Ed is involving without being too time consuming and a lot of fun.

Step one is creating a concept for the character and determining three aspirations. These are exactly what they seem. Create a concept and a list of what the werewolf character aspires to.

Steps two through four are about traits (attributes), skills (generic) and skill specialties (specifics). Nine traits are separated equally into three categories; trait categories are mental, physical and social. In regards to game mechanics the strength of each trait as well as the proficiency in skills are represented by a dot on a character sheet. Each dot represents a D10.

With character creation each of the nine traits receives one dot to start. The player allocates additional dots to each of these three categories, and then distributes the dots based on preference or character concept. In other words, what the player considers the most important trait category receives the most dots to distribute-the least important fewer dots.

Skills are grouped by the same three categories as traits and the distribution of dots follows the exact same model as the player decided for traits. The trait with most dots receives the most skills selections. Each character receives three specialties to start the game. For instance, a character has three dots in the drive skill but has selected a specialty in motorcycle, provides the player with an additional dot (or D10). When (or if) required to apply a driving check three D10s are rolled, if driving a motorcycle four D10s are rolled.

Steps five six and seven are about rounding out the character. Step five is choosing an auspice, tribe and lodge. Steps six and seven are about distributing dots for Merits and Advantages. Merits reveal the characters allies, holdings, and experiences while Advantages is a matter of looking over your character sheet and calculating.

In regards to game mechanics WtF 2Ed is all about the D10s. In all honesty I despise just about any D10 system I’ve come across except the one used here. While I’m a critical pundit concerning the level of crunch with most RPGs, WtF 2Ed does it well. Specifically, the skills section is an excellent example as each skill is listed, given a general description, and provides an actual breakdown of how it will work mechanically. Each One! Crunch wise this RPG does not outline a huge list of possible events and provide rules so I would put it on the lighter side, but with how skills are presented in the hands of an experienced storyteller this is not a problem.

To conclude, Werewolf the Forsaken 2nd Edition captures the essence of what a story building engine should be, without deteriorating into the common trap of having more sand than box. Character and Setting elements are very detailed, yet the writing allows for a lot of wriggle room in the sort of game that can be played. Not many RPGs even attempt to pull this off, let alone do it successfully. Though this RPG is a bit too sophisticated for my tastes overall I’m impressed. The old World of Darkness line is definitely in capable hands.

RPG Review: Crime Network




Crime Network

Welcome to Crime Network Cosa Nostra, published by Bedrock Games (company site). This review concerns the portable document format (PDF). Print and PDF products are available through the company website at Bedrockgames.net. As I recently watched The Godfather trilogy I’m feeling inspired to write this review. We begin by letting the game speak for itself…

“Crime Network is a fast-paced, gritty role playing game, set in the underworld of organized crime. Players control mobster characters as they rise through the ranks of the American Mafia. In the spirit of Goodfellas, Donnie Brasco, and The Godfather, players will work with and against each other in their pursuit of infamy.” (Pg. 5)

Disclosure: This review includes affiliate links. I receive a token % if you purchase something from the landing page. You purchases support this blog and its content. Thank you for that support.

Crime Network is exactly the above; a mafia themed role playing game (RPG), which utilizes a basic system of rules which are just as easy to learn as apply.

In regards to mechanics, the system is for the most part what I call a skill based and utilizes a unique D10 dice system. This system doesn’t include incremental +1 or +2 modifiers to damage etc. but relies on the number of dice to increase the chance of success, given a specific situation.

In short, dice rolls involve the player rolling against a target number (TN) set by the Game Master (GM). Character skill or level of aptitude, is reflected in the total number of dice rolled. A player with less skill may attempt to succeed using one dice, while a player with great skill rolls up to six dice. As long as one of the dice the player rolls is a number equal or higher than TN, the character succeeds on the specific task. Though combat is bit more involving (and death delightfully just around the corner), as well as situation and circumstance may have a number of modifiers explained in the rules, this in a nutshell is the system.

The timeline of Crime Network is modern day. The main setting is Baybridge, a city on the coast under the yoke of organized crime. The city setting is sprinkled with a respectable amount of detail, while plenty is left to the GMs creativity to fill in. Baybridge is made up of twenty-two districts. Each district is provided with a basic outline, a few notable businesses and recent “family,” happenings. Following this a section is dedicated to specific gangsters their personalities and criminal activities. The setting information is very well presented and provides a respectable amount of tools to assist in getting a game going.

(Disclosure: This review is property of Kenzer and Company and republished here with permission.)

Featured is the adventure, “Remo Loves Lucy.” While it’s certainly serviceable, it’s a bit mundane in my opinion for a featured adventure. The introduction specifically mentions the game as one of paranoia and suspense, the adventure doesn’t reflect this, more on this, later.

Chapters written to assist the GM with weaving and running a mafia themed RPG present the basic tropes of (movie inspired) the gangster existence. While there isn’t much original it was nice (even essential) to be able to reference these themes in writing.

Overall, Crime Network is a sort of hit and miss, RPG. The writing is well executed, I felt as an RPG it could have done a better job by showing in certain parts, rather than telling.

Also content of some sections just didn’t capture the essence of the heading. Specifically, this is reflected in the "Creating Tensions" section where the advice summarizes to-and I’m paraphrasing: eventually a gangster character will be targeted to be whacked, perhaps months after a possible transgression and the GM has to decide whether or not to leave that task to the other player characters. I just don’t think the above really captures the essence of tension. Certainly it might create tension between players rather than characters, but this isn’t the sort of tension I usually enjoy with my RPGs.

Tension in any gangster movie I’ve watched usually related to one or two themes, getting caught or the power struggle. Tension is a matter of degree and hard to encapsulate. There are hints of this throughout Crime Network, but central to the game? Ehh!?

Like I mentioned, hit and miss. I really enjoyed the system and the setting elements of this game. I like it when creators balance the setting information as they did in this case: A good amount of detail, a good amount left to the GM to create. The art and layout is refreshingly crisp and easy to follow. I think the game does a decent job of scratching the surface of a mafia themed RPG, though I’d like to have read a bit more depth.

The price for a PDF Crime Network Cosa Nostra is currently $1.99. Is that an offer you can’t refuse? I’ll leave you to it.

RPG Review: Pirates & Dragons

Pirates & Dragons

Avast!
And welcome to a review of the portable document format (PDF) of Pirates & Dragons, written by Peter Cakebread & Ken Walton (site). Pirates & Dragons is available at drivethrurpg.com. Cakebread & Walton were generous enough to provide a complimentary download as well as a digital copy of Curious Creatures of the Dragon Isles, the RPG book of beasts and animals and a full color quality resolution map of The Dragon Isles, the main setting for adventure. Pirates & Dragons was brought to life via Kickstarter to the tune of £6,544 or a bit over $7K US.

Disclosure: Product links within this post include my drivethrurpg.com affiliate identification. At no additional cost I receive a token % if you purchase something from the landing page. It's one way to support this blog and its content. Thank you for that support.

The Pirates and Dragons PDF is full color and clocks in at whopping 349 pages cover to cover. Curious Creatures of the Dragon Isles is full color as well and 147 pages. Fortunately, I’m an avid reader and I take good notes. By page count, the game is by far the largest I’ve reviewed for Indy Game Scene.

Similar to my review of LotFP, I’m breaking tradition of my regular format and focusing the review on the most interesting aspects of this RPG. Let’s jump in and read what the game has to say for itself.

“Pirates & Dragons is a role-playing game of fantasy swashbuckling in a world of magic and treasure, of fantastical islands inhabited by strange beasts and vile necromancers, of treachery and heroism. Together with a group of friends, you take on the role of pirates, out for adventure and booty – raiding the treasure galleons of Esbania, the merchant fleets of Gaule and Batavia, the dragon-hunting ships of Albion, the ruins of lost Adalantas... and the gold-filled caves of ancient and evil dragons.

Gather your crew. Load your flintlocks. And prepare to plunder!” (Pg. 9)

I had to review this RPG in sessions (due to some real life scheduling things) and with each time I sat down, I found myself wanting to read more. Fortunately, it’s well written and despite its page count it was an easy read. The relationships between the games main ingredients or specifically how the setting, rules and game mechanics fit together really impressed me.

From a design standpoint while the current trend of RPGs leans-more towards a focus on mechanics and rules which imply a setting and little bit of fluff to glue it all together, it was a nice contrast to read the effort of game designers who seemingly put world building first; or for a change, the setting ahead of the system. Whether this is actually the case it doesn’t matter. The fact is Pirates and Dragons is an RPG which offers a complete system and setting.

Speaking of setting and as you read in the above quoted, Pirates and Dragons is a clash of high seas adventure and fantasy. The game isn’t a typical high fantasy setting and has toned down or omitted some of the more commonly used Tolkien inspired elements (such as demi-human races), trading these in for doubloons and black powder. There is a certain give and take with the writing of this game that when you finally wash ashore, you’ll realize all of the elements contained therein have been tweaked (that is from what we typically see in a fantasy RPG) in such a way which should allow gamers to experience a unique game world.

The main setting is the Dragon Isles, a collection of warm tropical (think Caribbean) islands and provides the main theater for adventure. Here is a brief on the main cast of cultures.

An impressive amount of detail paints the four most common (human) cultures known as the Uropans. These cultures venture to the “Isles” in search of treasure and glory. Each is inspired from historic seafaring European cultures of the 1600-1800s. Just for fun, the Uropan cultures are the Albionic Batavian, Esbanian and Gallic. Which fictional culture is inspired by which actual culture? If you think about it Uropan- European, you might hit a couple-on the nose.


Curious Creatures of the Dragon Isles

Islanders are native to the Dragon Isles. Islanders who worship or are more enslaved by dragons are known as the Dragon Tribes. Islanders are also human and are the only playable race who can utilize magic. Magic and how it works is not your typical fantasy magic or spell books and broomsticks sort of stuff. Magic in Pirates and Dragons is spiritual/voodoo in origin, seemingly inspired from African culture/mythology.
Dragons are the overlords of the Isles, more often than not to each their own island and Dragon Tribe. One of the most interesting aspects of Dragons with this game is their preference for necromancy magic. Not to be excluded are the undead minions commanded by these dragon barons. With an entire tribe under one wing, necromancy at the summons of a thought and a host of undead beneath the other wing, dragons are the setting’s most powerful protagonists.

In regards to game mechanics, Pirates and Dragons utilizes the Renaissance System (RS) which is a D100 system. Required are a complete set of standard polyhedral dice, with most game rolls hinging on the use of the D100 (or two D10s) or as some know them better percentage rolls. I would put the RS in the light/medium crunch category and should be easy to master.

For those familiar and as far as I can tell, the core of character creation and some aspects of the system are comparable to Basic Role Playing (BRP). Admittedly, it’s been a very long time since I played BRP and I only played it a few times so I’m not going to be comparing the system directly with Pirates and Dragons, but system “wise,” the two, as best I recall, seem similar. To make a long story short, if you like BRP you’ll likely feel at home with RS. Thankfully, if you have no idea and if you’re feeling curious… Or if happen to be afflicted with tight-wad syndrome, you can take a look yourself as The Renaissance System is available as a free download over at Drivethrurpg.com.

In regards to adventurer development or system, one interesting aspect is how Improvement Points (Experience Points) function with the individual aspects of adventurer (character) progression. The game utilizes an ingeniously simple format for adventurer progression, which includes a point buy structure. Adventurer progression is without a level based system and creates a respectable amount of balance between adventurers. Hero are not born, they are developed.

As with any system, player adventurers accumulate Improvement Points and spend these points towards potential advancement. Key is potential advancement, not automatic advancement. Because each category that a player can increase for their adventurer is weighted; the more advanced a character is, concerning skills, magic or characteristics the more likely that attempting to increase these abilities will fail.

For instance to increase skills the player spends an improvement point and takes his chance with dice gawds rolling a D100. If the dice total is above the adventurer’s current skill percentage the skill is increased 1D4+1 (%) points. If the dice total is below the current skill percentage, the improvement point has been spent but no increase to the skill is awarded. Another facet of this is that totals above 100 are possible as skill points are automatically increased with rolls at 96 through 100. So player could conceivably increase his adventurer’s skill if say it was at 98 with a roll of 97, the only caveat of this being that once skills reach 100 they only increase in 1 point increments. Adventurer progression for other areas of potential advancement is similar with this weighted approach.

(Disclosure: This review is property of Kenzer & Company and republished here with expressed permission.)

I might very well be the only person I know who gets excited about how RPG systems work as well as the ideas and design choices behind them. This might also be why I enjoy writing this column. The rules which make up a system are rarely sexy but often a few well thought and written rules can make something decent into something great. Pirates and Dragons provides a comprehensive system and a healthy dose of rules including maritime situations and well beyond. No RPG can cover every situation but if there was anything absent I missed it.

Conclusion: While I usually spend some amount of space nitpicking something I honestly didn’t find much if anything to critique. As far as I’m concerned everything you need to play Pirates and Dragons is adequately covered. Curious Creatures of the Dragon Isles, the games book of beasts and animals would make a nice companion though there is also a decent sized listing of creatures in the main book. Due to the sheer amount of detail while there might have been a section or two I could argue was a bit lite, my tendency was to think that this was more about prioritizing space for what the creators thought were more pertinent.

The organization and layout of this RPG is well put together. The art is respectable as well as consistent. While it spanned a 3 week journey to get through, when I finished I was really impressed. Introducing Pirates & Dragons as an exploratory RPG product or as something new and different to your player group you’d be hard pressed to find something better.

Walk the plank I say...

RPG Revew: Mermaid Adventures



Mermaid Adventures

Welcome to a review of Mermaid Adventures, a complete role playing game (RPG) which was formerly available in portable document format (PDF) at DriveThruRPG.com and RPGNow.com. Mermaid Adventures was brought to the surface via Kickstarter to the tidy sum of just over 5k internet bucks. This review concerns the non-revised version which is no longer available, but since the premise is the same, you can take a closer look at Mermaid Adventures revised, by clicking the affiliate links in this review.

Indeed, there is a growing market of games aimed at introducing a young (or younger) player base to the fold of RPGs. Mermaid Adventures is one such, but there are a few pleasantries about this game which distinguish it from some of the games I’d happened upon over the years. We need not play the name-games-game, but some of these “other creators,” should consider taking some notes.

Disclosure: This review contains affiliate links I receive a token % if you purchase something from the landing page. It's one way to show your support of this blog, and its content. Sincerely, thank you for that support.

Clicking off the first couple of pages on my PDF copy the first thing to be appreciated is that the games list of play testers, include members of its target audience. Ahem, “other creators,” ages four to eleven. While you might not think this is such an innovative idea, you’d be surprised at how many RPGs while designed for kids, fail to include the target audience (or even playtesting at all) in the mix. Just saying…

I was impressed by the overall organization and design of this book. Certainly, Mermaid Adventures is not a large volume at just over 100 pages cover to cover, but everything contained therein feels or seems to be where it should be. I’m not exactly certain where this sentiment comes from, but my ego tells me it’s because: everything is where it should be! The game is properly organized; I’ll leave it at that.

The illustrations are bright, colorful-as well as plentiful and should appeal to the young gamer, more specifically I would argue girls, a bit more than boys, under the age of ten. Tables are well placed throughout with the pertinent information to each section. The book is structured without a multi-column format, which makes the print larger than typical as well as easy to read. For the most part Mermaid Adventures passes the eye test, so let’s move the review to what I like to call “the fiddly-bits,” otherwise known as game content and mechanics.

Creating a character in Mermaid Adventures is broken down into four steps. The first of which is picking a species of Merfolk from a list of eight varieties. Each type of Merfolk has some special abilities and provides the starting base for character attributes. For example, Lobsterfolk have a hardened body, Rayfolk can flatten their body, while the Jellyfolk have a see thru body, in the right lighting, etc. etc. Overall, each Merfolk is pretty interesting in the range of available abilities to start with and so each has their appeal in playing them.

Each Merfolk starts with a base number for each of the four character attributes with character creation. With step two, players receive five additional points in which to distribute among the character’s attributes as they desire. The Attributes are Body, Mind, Charm and Luck. As you might surmise, all conflict or contest resolution will be determined on these scores and will aid the number of dice rolled relevant to the situation. Each attribute, fits and will be used in game, exactly where you would intuitively guess it should.

Step three of character creation is the option of rolling on random charts to determine superficial things about a character; hair color, clothing etc-etc. This section is a bit of optional fluff, whether characters roll or the players determine it themselves is left to the Navigator (GM). Any good parent knows, you don’t tell a four year old the color of her character’s hair. She tells you. That is that and to quote the late great Professor Snape, “Obviously…”

The last and final step of character creation is selecting four qualities which will help make each character unique. Qualities are character perks, which will impact game rolls. These extra qualities are in addition to those awarded with the type of Merfolk that has been selected. The quality: Sneaking will give a bonus success, when attempting, you-guessed it- do some sneaking! Mermaid Adventures offers a decent sized list of qualities, including magical qualities if you wish to include magic with your game, which will assist players, while providing some additional utility to each character.

Mechanics in Mermaid Adventures involve the use of black and white six sided dice and is a D6 system with a bit of a tweak. Fear not, if you are a Seattle Seahawks fan (like this reviewer) and possess only green and blue dice. If I can figure this out, I have faith that you will as well.

Success on a specific roll (or how many are required) is determined by the Navigator (GM). The difficulty level (1-5) determines the number of black dice rolled, while the characters Ability and Quality determine the amount of white dice rolled. Success for either is rolling a 4, 5, or 6. Overall triumph on a specific task is getting more counted successes on the white dice, than the black.

My one criticism is that overall the mechanics for dice rolls are a bit too fancy for my taste and I think the four, five and six year olds might agree with me: small hands and all. There’s nothing wrong with setting a target number a notch higher (perhaps 3-10) and requiring some straight rolling. Let’s not forget it’s hard enough for a six year old to keep a dice roll on the table let alone wield more than one successfully. The four year old might forgo rolling altogether and wonder instead what a handful of dice tastes like! Luckily no doubt the navigator will be there to navigate and forgive me Mermaid Adventures I kid, yet I’m serious. Add to this comparing success vs failure between the two toned dice and as I said it’s just a bit too fancy. I’m sure this system works but something simpler could work as well; and to be clear this is not a criticism of four to six year olds…

I couple of nice sections are the pre-generated characters which the players could utilize or a navigator could use as non-player characters (NPCs) and the sections that stat out creatures of the sea natural and fantastical.

Progress Points are the game’s experience point system. As a character in Mermaid Adventures progresses they get points awarded by the Navigator after a session. The player can choose how to distribute those points to build their character and for the most part the system is set up for rewards that will happen once a single adventure is concluded. Keeping the target gamer in mind this is a very simple and effective system.

(This review is property of Kenzer and Company and republished here with permission. Mermaid Adventures was supplied free of cost for the purpose of review)

Advice sections for the Navigator and role-playing are pretty basic stuff for an experienced gamer-but no doubt credit is due for including them. There is also a cute story at the beginning of the book which (gives a narrative of play) I found delightful enough to read to my daughter as well as the section which gives a good example of what gameplay will be like. I like products that boast being a complete RPG to maintain key sections, which explain the role of players and basics of roleplaying-it just makes good sense-and Mermaid Adventures ties it all together with a creative approach.

The final chapter of Mermaid Adventures consists of five short adventures. Beside an interesting mix of adventure, I would say nothing ground breaking here, however something to consider, is again-the target gamer. The adventures maintain a basic approach at introducing RPGs to a younger gamer. Dare I say a gamer who’s attention span is a bit more easily influenced to distraction and who’s, (Are we there yet?) mentality would be more pleased at arriving sooner to the conclusion of the adventure, rather than later. Two dolphin fins up for this section.

To close, Mermaid Adventures provides a good introduction to roleplaying. As a product it does a good job of not forgetting who this game is designed for. If you skipped ahead to the final couple of paragraphs of this review: Kids! This game is for kids. The layout is crisp and the game rules are easy to follow. The art is very appealing or at least my seven year old hasn’t stopped bothering me about playing it, since peaking over my shoulder, whilst I was thumbing this review.

Speaking of which, the five sample adventures are certainly enough to get a Navigator started. So it looks like I will be making a visit under the sea relatively soon. Perhaps we’ll see you there!