Drive Thru RPG Review: Night’s Black Agents

A few weeks ago I headed out to my local comic shop for a little retail therapy.  While I picked my few comics I spied an interesting book on the shelf.  It was entitled Night’s Black Agents by Kenneth Hite.  I knew that having Mr. Hite as the author meant that this was going to be something good.  When I read the back cover I was sold.  This was a game that combined the spy thriller with vampiric conspiracy where Bram Stoker’s Dracula meets The Bourne Identity.  It quickly joined my few comics in my trek through the store.

My schedule kept me from being able to put any time into the book until I went out of town for a conference.  It was in the evenings after events wound down that I was able to dig into the book.  I couldn’t believe that I had not picked up this book when it was first released as it fired on all cylinders and dealt with the topics that I love, Vampires and Spies.

Night’s Black Agent’s uses the Gumshoe system.  It is a very simple system requiring only a single D6.  Outcomes are determined by the roll of a D6 compared to a difficulty number ranging from 2 to 8 with the ability to spend points from your skill to affect the roll.  A very simple system where the complexity lies within the skills themselves.

The system has Investigative skills and general skills.  Investigative skills are somewhat self-explanatory.  They provide the information that is necessary to move forward with a spy operation.  Information is the engine that drives the story and for this reason investigative skills always succeed.  In addition to keeping the game moving, it also allows for multiple was of communicating this information to the players.  The Director can have a list of the character skills and tell them the important info when they enter the scene or allow the players to choose what skills they would like to try and deliver the info through the lens of their choice if possible.  Players may also spend points from their investigative skill to get more information if it is available or provide a future benefit from a more thorough investigation at this juncture.  Once the intelligence has been gathered, general skills come into play.  These are the skills that allow your character to pull off the feats of daring do that you see on the big screen.  These differ from investigative skills in that there is always the chance of failure.  These skills range from the standard combat skills you have come to expect from an rpg to the network skill that reflects your connectedness to the shadowy espionage community.  The ability to spend points from your general skill allows for the character to grab the spotlight and succeed when the odds seemed stacked against them.

Night’s Black Agents also has a mechanic for choosing the type of spy thriller you would like to play.  This called the mode of play and consists of Default, Burn, Stakes, Dust, and Mirror.  The mechanics for these types of games are appropriately marked throughout the game.  The Default mode of the game is a cinematic thriller.  This is what the rules as written are set up for and require no special changes to maintain.  Dust mode is a grittier and more realistic style in line with Three Days of the Condor. Mirror mode is based on movies like Spy Games and Mission Impossible.  The landscape is one of ever shifting loyalties and the inability to ever fully trust anyone you are working with as they may be using you to further there own personal agenda. If  the Bourne Identity is more to your liking, then Burn mode is what you are looking for.  This mode highlights the emotional damage inherent in the business of espionage.  Finally, there is the Stakes mode.  This style of play is more in line with Bond films and novels wherein the protagonist is driven by higher ideals and is willing to sacrifice themselves for those same ideals.  This ability to dial the style of play to fit the mood of the table is something that I appreciate being supported mechanically.

As one would expect, the book has a section devoted to the Vampire conspiracy as well.  It breaks the idea down into manageable chunks making it very simple to go through and create a vampire that should be enjoyable and fresh to everyone at the table.  There are sidebars throughout this section dealing with different issues that present themselves while designing your vampire.  These can be anything from how many vampires is a good number to use to the problem of a player that wants be a vampire.  Each of which has valuable advice for how to handle these issues within the game and pointing out issues you may have based on your choices.

The book itself is a beautiful 232 pages in full color.  The art is sparse throughout the book but this is more than made up for by the great layout.  The writing is excellent and sprinkled liberally with historical and cinematic references making for an enjoyable read.   I was highly impressed and look forward to getting the chance to run this game for my group soon.  If you are a fan of the spy genre, this is a game for you.

Written on November 9th, 2012 , Columns, DriveThru RPG Reviews, Games, Role Playing Games Tags: , ,
DriveThru RPG Reviews: Nights of the Crusades

Who says you need a book thick enough to stop a bullet to have a heavy simulationist game?  Nights of the Crusades proves that it can be done in only 106 pages.

As may be inferred by the title, Nights of the Crusades is set in the Middle East during Medieval Times.  It is a time of conflict and bigotry of all sorts from racism to sexism to religious intolerance.  But the historical crusades are not the only inspiration for Nights of the Crusades.  The famous 1001 Nights also plays a role in the game, with the mythical creatures and supernatural dangers from those stories added to the already dark themes of war and conquest.  This is not the Disney version of these stories and the djinn in the game are malicious, massively powerful creatures that delight in tricking and tormenting mortals.

Obviously, given these source materials, Nights of the Crusades is a very dark game.  Even if a player does not particularly want his character to dislike another character, whether player or game master controlled, there is a system of allegiances which insure that it is much easier to be aggressive against people of opposing allegiances than it is to assist them.  Of course, whether or not the character acts on these hatreds is up to the player.  The ranks of these allegiances can change so clever players can manipulate their ranks to make it easier or harder to attack or negotiate with a particular group depending on the groups the player wants his character to be allied with. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on September 7th, 2012 , DriveThru RPG Reviews, Role Playing Games Tags: , , ,
Apocalypse World

D Vincent Baker is a big name on the indie game scene.   He is the creator of cool games such as Dogs in the Vineyard, In a Wicked Age, Mechaton, Murderous Ghosts, Poison’d, and Apocalypse World.  I had not had the pleasure of playing one of his games until GenCon 2012. The first game that I played at Games on Demand ended up being Apocalypse World and I now understand why Vincent Baker has such a reputation.

My introduction to the game was a simple set-up.  The MC started out by explaining to us that world as we knew it had ended some time in the past and that nobody alive had any recollection of what that world was like.  What was left in the wake of the fall of society was the psychic maelstrom.  Outside of this, what the world was like was up to us as the players.  We went around the table discussing the various movies that played with the post aopcalyptic tropes and quickly discarded the idea of the desert setting.  It was done to death according to us and we all seemed to have a penchant for Waterworld, despite it being a horrible movie overall.  So, our Apocalypse World would be very similar to this movie but lacking in any Aquaman analog.  After this, the MC described to us the basic mechanics of the system.

It was very easy to understand.  Every character has access to a basic set of moves.  These range from Going Aggro, to Acting under Fire.  Each move details what happens within the story and what stat is added to the roll when the action is undertaken.  When you are Going Aggro, you would roll 2D6 and add your Hard stat.  If the total is 6 or less, you have failed.  If the total is 7-9 you have a weak hit and a 10 or better is strong hit.  A weak hit means that you have accomplished what you have set out to do with some complications.  For me, I was playing the Brainer which is a psychic/weirdo and I went aggro on a member of the holder’s entourage as he was threatening another psychic in town.  I rolled a 9 and instead of backing down, he took the damage I was threatening to cause and dropped to his knees from the pain causing me to have to up the ante another notch.  Yeah, I ended up getting shot but it was so worth it!  In addition to the basic moves, each character has access to moves that are specific to their character.  As the Brainer, I had the ability to Go Aggro using my Weird instead of my Hard which meant I was threatening you with my mind not my body.  This was awesome as it fit well within the idea I had for my character and led up to me facing down a bunch of thugs with just my mind.

In addition to the Brainer which I mentioned above, the game has a large array of character types available with each one representing a trope from post-apocalyptic fiction.  There is the Driver that is your typical Mad Max character and there is the Holder which represents the leader of a settlement in this blasted landscape.  Other types of characters include the  Battlebabe, the Chopper, and the Angel to name a few.  Each has it’s own play book which provides a list of options for you to customize the character to your liking.  Each also comes with their own custom moves which highlight the feel that you want to have while playing that character.  I really enjoyed the process of customizing my Brainer as the choices I made really helped set the tone for the rest of the game.

Fair warning though, this game is not your standard fare.  In addition to being a story game it also does not shy away from mature subject matter that is inherent in the genre.  Specifically, every character has a sex move.  This is something mechanical that happens when one character sleeps with another character.  For my Brainer, this move allowed my character to subject the other character to a deep brain scan which allowed me to learn the characters true wants and needs.  In addition to this, all the characters have a History stat which reflects how each character is connected.  They are rated in strength from -4 to +4 and are based on questions in each players playbook and how play works out.  I know these things may not be everyone but they certainly make for one hell of a fun game.

I really look forward to playing the game again.  My only disappointment was that I could not pick up the game at GenCon.  I had to wait until I came home and things had returned to normal for me to be able to order it from Vincent Baker’s site.  If you are looking for a new game with post-apocalyptic trappings, I suggest picking up Apocalypse World.  You won’t be disappointed!

Written on August 31st, 2012 , Role Playing Games Tags: , ,
Knights of Reignsborough: Season Two Sandboxing – A New Knight

As we motor forward to season two a new player is introduced to the game and a new Knight is born.  John from Thistledown Actual Play joins the table.  This episode, then, finds us hip-deep in character pitching.  Who will be the newest Knight?

We’d love to hear from you! Give us a call at 972-763-5903 and share your comments, questions, and suggestions. If we use your voicemail in the show, you’ll win an Ideology of Madness SurPrize!

GM’s note: Knights of Reignsborough is a role playing game actual play podcast. It is not our intent to teach a system, rather to entertain. As such, much of the game mechanic discussion has been edited from the audio.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Written on August 19th, 2012 , Comics, Games, Ideology of Madness Actual Play, Knights of Reignsborough, Podcasts, Role Playing Games, Savage Worlds, Superhero Tags: , , ,
IoM Actual Play: Squires of Reignsborough!
It’s all led up to this!

The Rogues of Reignsborough have Escaped from Dauger Island…

The Ghosts of Reignsborough have rampaged across the city…

…And now The Squires of Reignsborough are on the scene. Can the city’s youngest heroes save the day? Join Partisan Boy, Kid Ricochet, Adept, Golden Girl and Monkey Boy as they stand against the horrors and villainy let loose on Reignsborough. Are they ready to graduate to the big leagues?

SQUIRES OF REIGNSBOROUGH is an actual play recording made at Fear the Con 5. This is the THIRD of three interlinked actual play recordings made at the con using the Savage Worlds system in the Reignsborough setting.

In two weeks, an all-new sandboxing episodes featuring new characters, new dangers for Season 2!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Written on August 5th, 2012 , Ideology of Madness Actual Play, Knights of Reignsborough, Podcasts, Role Playing Games, Savage Worlds, Superhero Tags: , , , ,
DriveThru RPG Review: Casting Call of Cthulhu

 

 

Do you Cthulhu?

I know I do!  Ok, not as much as I used to but that is only because I’m getting old.

I hear your old man jokes.

Get off my lawn!

Where was I…Oh, Do you Cthulhu?  If the answer is yes then I may have a book for you.

Casting Call of Cthulhu is a collection of 120 npcs for any Cthulhu game set in the Modern Era written by R J Christensen.  It breaks down these individuals into 15 different categories with eight examples under each category.  Each individual is nicely fleshed out.  You are given a name, an occupation, appropriate stats, and a nice blurb to make the person both interesting to read as well as making it easier for the keeper to create an engaging portrayal of the character.

If you are like me, this will be an invaluable reference material.  When I am running Call of Cthulhu, I have difficulty coming up with npcs for my scenarios.  I have no problem creating the npc that will serve as the impetus for the adventure.  The other associated personnel prove difficult for me to both think of and create before hand.  This book solves this problem for me handily.  If the players need a person to stitch up their wounds on the fly, I can turn to this book.  Voila! I have Charlie Ferrari, paramedic ready just for such an occasion.  Problem solved and the players now have a contact with some handy skills whenever they are in a pinch.

My favorite character in the book is filed under unusual as the role playing game writer.  Christensen has inserted himself into the book with a nice little blurb about him and thanks the reader for picking up his monograph.  Little things like that always tickle me as I am a big fan of Easter eggs.  In addition to the role playing game writer, the npcs in the book provide a nice cross section of society.  The offerings provide a nice selection of gender, ethnicity, and social status.

If you do Cthulhu, then this is a good book to add to your library.  It will definitely be a labor-saver for any keeper.  Go check it out!

Written on July 24th, 2012 , DriveThru RPG Reviews, Role Playing Games Tags: , , , ,
IoM Actual Play: Ghosts of Reignsborough

There are those who who dwell apart from us. Their eyes unaccustomed to the bright rays of our golden sun.   The darkness is their home for they dwell in a city under our city. These… Mollochs… Have been content to silently shadow the citizens of Reignsborough, but the recent escape of the Rogues from Dauger Island has agitated our downstairs neighbors.  Clearly, this is a job for the Ghosts of Reignsborough!

GHOSTS OF REIGNSBOROUGH  is an actual play recording made at Fear the Con 5. This is the SECOND of three interlinked actual play recordings made at the con using the Savage Worlds system in the Reignsborough setting.

Your game master is John of Thistledown AP.com.

Squires of Reignsborough,the third of our FtC5 Reignsborough actual plays, will be released on August 3rd.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Written on July 22nd, 2012 , Ideology of Madness Actual Play, Knights of Reignsborough, Podcasts, Role Playing Games, Savage Worlds, Superhero Tags: , ,
DriveThruRPG Reviews: Gimme Some of That Good Pie Shop

Let’s face facts: most adventurers are homicidal, if not genocidal maniacs. Even in the best of circumstances, they beat up the bad guys in less than legal circumstances and more often than not, they simply slaughter sentient beings and loot their dead bodies. In darker games, the characters are not even expected to have a moral excuse for performing such slaughter; they are simply giving in to their accursed nature. Pie Shop takes this often overlooked fact of role playing to all new levels. In fact, the game takes it to a level where it is the very core of the game. In Pie Shop the characters (it is impossible to think of them as heroes in even the loosest terms, even “anti-hero” is too nice a title for them) are serial killers.

The author goes to great lengths to convey the skewed, dark and downright creepy nature of his subject matter. Each chapter begins with a scene from Alice in Wonderland but the excerpts are altered so that Alice is a killer who leaves a bloody path in her wake as she travels through Wonderland. The game text itself is written in a twisted, slightly insane style and from the perspective of one killer talking to another, a sort of psychotic mentor. This writing includes the obligatory piece of flavor text but even this is knocked sideways from expectations by taking a sudden, violent, dark turn in the middle that is all too appropriate for the game. Reading Pie Shop gives a feeling not unlike reading the novel American Psycho. You’re travelling through a strange land that is the mind of someone almost completely alien, yet disgustingly human and it is hard to look away. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on July 17th, 2012 , DriveThru RPG Reviews, Role Playing Games Tags: ,
DriveThruRPG Reviews: A Fun, Freeform RPG …In Spaaace!

Some sci fi games feature hard science settings with very realistic rules for gravity, faster than light travel and high tech weapons. Other games are basically designed for space operas. These games feature artificial gravity, ship travelling as fast as they need to to get to the plot and the only limitations on weapons are how cool they are. Then, there is …In Spaaace! by Greg Stolze. If Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has a genre and there are other stories in it, this is the game to play them.

The game is fairly short, both the setting and rules encompassing only 15 pages but that is really all that’s needed for the subject. The setting information takes up the first half of the book but in those 7 pages players get all they need to know about the ridiculousness of living in this particular future. Much like the world in Hitchhiker’s Guide, the ideas presented in this book are nothing more than the trends that currently exist in the real world taken to their logical, ridiculous extreme. And there’s more than a hint of philosophy thrown into the descriptions for good measure. For instance, Artificial Stupidity is just as important a part of Machine Consciousness in …In Spaaace! as Artificial Intelligence. This makes perfect sense since we constantly rate whether or not a computer is self aware based on how much it acts like a human. A computer can be perfectly logical, far more logical than humans and thus quite intelligent but it is not considered sentient because it does not have emotions. And less face facts, emotions generally make us do stupid things in one way or another. Thus, it is the flaws in the machines that make them self aware just as it is our own flaws that make us individuals. Other science fiction tropes like cloning and aliens are presented as well and given the same insightful yet ridiculous treatment. A surprisingly complete vision of the world of …In Spaaace! ends up being given in those 7 short pages. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on July 16th, 2012 , DriveThru RPG Reviews, Role Playing Games Tags: ,
IoM Actual Play: Rogues of Reignsborough – Escape from Dauger Island

Dauger Island, NJ is a maximum security prison that mystically de-powers supervillains once they set foot on it…

…Every day has been hell for you since Partisan defeated you and shipped you out here. A small part of you dies every time some two bit street thug beats you up for your pudding. Your thoughts drift to ending it all, which a lot of super criminals end up doing. But when all seems lost, a light at the end of the tunnel appears. A chance to get off this nightmare rock…

Escape from Dauger Island is an actual play recorded at Fear The Con 5 using the Savage Worlds System in the Reignsborough setting.

Ghosts of Reignsborough, the second of our FtC5 Reignsborough actual plays, will release on July 20.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Written on July 5th, 2012 , Ideology of Madness Actual Play, Knights of Reignsborough, Podcasts, Role Playing Games, Savage Worlds, Superhero Tags: ,
<< Older Entries

Ideology of Madness is proudly powered by WordPress and the Theme Adventure by Eric Schwarz
Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS).

Ideology of Madness

If we geek about it, we speak about it.