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Trinity Continuum: Assassins
Publisher: Onyx Path Publishing
by Peter F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/11/2022 22:42:49

Trinity Continuum: Assassins adds a dark element to a setting that, in spite of horrors like the Aberrant War, leans toward the bright. And it does so brilliantly, with the best summation I've ever seen in any work that covers this topic: "After all, the idea that violence is universally a moral ill favors the powerful and the status quo. Those with the monopoly on violence do not want others to turn it against them. Assassins have the power to upend this status quo and strike fear into the hearts of the elite." While there are more vicious, criminal-aligned elements in the "world of Shadow" (which, yes, bears superficial similarities to certain other darkness-filled worlds Onyx Path develops), the factions more clearly intended for player membership are devoted to this ideal. Aside from inter-Assassin rivalry, the game does a fine job of creating organizations filled with despicable people. (I'm a bit surprised that the name "Theseus" doesn't appear once, given that they are already Assassin-adjacent and their arch-enemies are major players here, but there's plenty of time for their inclusion.)

By design, the Flux-shrouded society of Assassins hides beneath the pulp-inspired adventure of Trinity Continnum, and the section discussing how to connect it to other TC settings is short but to the point. Inspired Assassins gain abilities much like other Talents of the reality, inspired (pun intended) by the settings that the game is meant to emulate, but they are otherwise very much like Daredevils from previous works. High-end Assassins can perform some truly superhuman feats, but as a rule their abilties exist to let them get in, perform a flawless kill, and get out with none the wiser. Of course, missions will go sideways, and that too is built into the mechanics of the game. As the developers state up front, this is a competence fantasy, so those mechanics create opportunities for events to occur that interfere with the assassination in ways that do not arise from any poor planning or execution on the part of the protagonists. Thus, they can end up having to improvise, dodge guards they would otherwise evade with ease, or end up in dire situations that let the protagonists show off their combat skills. It's an elegant system as focused on its purpose as the spring-loaded blade at the heart of its primary predecessor.

What this is not is a game for beginners. Aside from the technical processes involved in the game mechanics, by definition TC:Assassins is about doing questionable things for a greater good and wondering if you're doing the right thing. As I have been running a one-on-one game that combines the same elements of inspiration with a setting very much like Aberrant for years now, I have tremendous appreciation for the things Assassins does and how well it does them. Mixed games that include Assassins, especially in Trinity Continuum where idealism is celebrated rather than disparaged, will raise difficult questions, and those looking for something more light-hearted should probably look elsewhere. I consider that a strength rather than a weakness, however. TC: Assassins may allow for the notion that killing might sometimes be the right thing, but it never ignores the weight of such a choice, and that balance alone makes this a great book. For those ready to embrace the Code and face tyranny, oppression, and exploitation with the most dire tool available in their gaming world, I cannot recommend this book more.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Trinity Continuum: Assassins
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Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition
Publisher: Renegade Game Studios
by Peter F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/13/2020 20:59:24

I feel the need to preface this review with three caveats. First, by giving V5 five stars, I'm not saying it's perfect. There are a few layout issues (there's a lot of talk about Attributes before you get to the Attributes, which have changed to something between oWoD and nWoD) and a few tonal issues (is this the darkest version of Vampire, or the brightest?). Second, Vampire has never been my preferred flavor of the World of Darkness. I've always been more of a Mage and Werewolf person, with a fondness for a noble if flawed cause in the face of extreme opposition. Third, if you want to play Sabbat Kindred, you'll need an earlier edition, or a later supplement (as of early 2020). This version is very much a back-to-basics edition when it comes to the Clans.

That said, this version of Vampire has hooked me as no other before it. The Second Inquisition, while a simple concept, transforms the entire setting. Where once a neonate was at the bottom of the food chain in a global conspiracy of world domination, vampires are now on the run. This isn't just about greater danger to the PCs, however. Instead, the SI brings opportunity as well. In short, V5 finally solves the Elder problem in the most elegant way possible: the Masquerade has cracked, and the doomsayers are proven right. Kindred who remembered Troy and Carthage burned, while licks who know how to use smartphones stay one step ahead. The Time of Thin Blood turned out to be the thin-bloods' time.

If that was the only change, it would be enough, but the classic Clans have been reconfigured and rebalanced. The Tremere weakness, in particular, has always been a mess, and it's finally fixed here -- who says metaplot has to be bad? Further, each vampire can have a stronger or weaker Bane depending on the character's nature. The Hunger mechanic has already been talked up, down, and sideways to undeath, so I'll just say it's a perfectly serviceable system with room to play with. And if you don't want "SJW" themes in your roleplaying...what were you doing in VtM fandom in the first place?

Take this review for what it's worth. I won't deny that another game that made changes this big to a setting I love might set me off too. I also bought on a really good sale, so that helped. Still, V5 feels like a proper new beginning for a line once in torpor. Whether you want to play Kindred who are monsters to avoid becoming monsters, vicious Jyhad warriors, or completely independent coteries figuring out their unlives, the new Masqerade is a bloody good place to start.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition
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Paragons
Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing
by Peter F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/19/2016 22:49:50

Paragons is a strange beast. I absolutely adore this book, but I can't recommend it without a few initial caveats. First and foremost is that Paragons is not exactly a setting. It's a toolbox, albeit one with all the elements of a setting: a high concept (a real-ish world with mysterious superpowers, where the "Breakout" of paranormal ability is relatively recent), a whole boatload of organizations and NPCs to interact with, lots of adventure seeds, and the Imageria -- a spirit world/collective unconscious/paranormal enigma in which all of myth, legend, and story can be found in some form or another. Second is that the design of the book leans heavily towards being a source for GMs. All the information on the NPCs, including any secrets they might have, are listed right there in the character section, rather than separated into their own chapter as used to be commonplace. Finally, Paragons is almost ten years old as of this review -- the setting and concepts translate surprisingly well, but a few things stand out as anachronistic (remember when the TV series Heroes was the hot new thing, just before Iron Man changed the superhero landscape forever?), and it uses Second Edition M&M, so playing Paragons in 3e will take a little work.

All that said...remember when I mentioned loving Paragons? This book just oozes personality, somehow implying an enormous setting with a rich history without setting any of it in stone. For a GM who wants a semi-realistic modern setting with super-powers, a world of dark strangeness revealed, or a gonzo everything-is-connected framework to provide connections in a more four-color setting, Paragons can't be beat. Its organizations have enough detail to hint at complex, ongoing agendas while leaving plenty of room for GM development or reimagining. Every NPC is an interesting potential plot hook. The Imageria gives Paragons a unique flavor that keeps it from being generic, while having more than enough flexibility to serve a wide variety of different campaign purposes. Many of the forces in play are connected, giving Paragons a lived-in feel, while still managing to allow for the insertion or removal of characters or factions without disrupting the meta-setting's elegance. It's simply a master class in world kit design. Frankly, I would call it perfect were it not for the aforementioned lack of separation between player and GM sections.

There's a trend in superhero gaming that leans toward getting back to the bright colors and "anything goes" nature of old-school comics. It's a welcome move towards optimism and pure fun, and Freedom City staked out territory in that realm many years ago. Even so, there's still plenty of room for a more critical eye on what superhuman powers would do to, and with, real people. Further, not only is there nothing stopping groups from running a near-straight superhero campaign in Paragons, the idea gets plenty of support with the official UN super-team Vanguard and a few sample NPC heroes (though the Paragons plug-in found in Worlds of Freedom would probably help). Just don't expect the super-villains to fly around wearing spandex; that's largely a hero gig. Where Paragons shines is in the chance to do other things with superpowers, either instead of or in addition to old-fashioned rescuing. There are mysteries to solve, conspiracies to foil, tough questions to face, vast reaches of space and Imageria to explore, and the big question to which Paragons gives no definitive answer (while covering the most likely possibilities): just how is all this impossibility possible?

I cannot recommend Paragons enough to GMs looking for something unique in a modern setting. Yes, it takes a lot of buy-in, and much of the work is front-loaded, but the results will almost certainly be worth it. Paragons is a book and world that needs a lot more love.

As a final aside, much of the buy-in and early work can be minimized by borrowing from a few of the other "secret modern world with powers" books on your shelf. Mage (either), Shadowforce Archer, Feng Shui, Conspiracy X, just about anything with Lovecraft...all can be raided for parts, with groups and/or characters fitted into Paragons with a minimum of fuss.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Paragons
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Shards of the Exalted Dream
Publisher: Onyx Path Publishing
by Peter F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 07/13/2012 01:49:49

How much do you need an alternate settings book for a game with a setting that's already fantastic? More than you think. Four completely bent takes on the time before (or is it after?) the World of Darkness give birth to ideas, characters, toys, locations, and of course, Charms, that can add to any Exalted experience. Even if one particular tool doesn't work for you (I'm looking at you, Burn Legend Techniques), there are a half-dozen others that will. Discover Creation again for the first time.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Shards of the Exalted Dream
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Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade
Publisher: White Wolf
by Peter F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/24/2012 03:18:01

I don't know if the scan has been improved since the original reviews (given how long it's been, that does seem likely), but with the ability to search the book to some extent, the PDF has value of its own. Rules and writing, being Mage only more swashbuckling, are five stars easily. It's still not a perfect scan by any means, however. While most of the pages came out quite nicely, many of the charts are cockeyed and at different angles, and there are cases of pictures being poorly scanned and many sections of text not having been picked up by the automated system. Still, it's Sorcerers' Crusade. Few games this fantastic have ever been produced. Don't let a so-so scan stop you from checking out this mind-bending, reality-jamming ride.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade
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Mutants & Masterminds, Second Edition
Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing
by Peter F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/19/2010 00:32:02

When I first heard about Mutants & Masterminds, I was a bit skeptical to say the least. A d20 superhero game? Really? And what's with that name? The whole thing just reeked of bandwagon-ism. As an old Champions fan and a more recent buyer of Silver Age Sentinels, I was more than a little dubious.

Then I read it. The original Mutants & Masterminds was a brilliant example of both how to reimagine a system for your own purposes and how to do a superhero game. It captured both the mechanics and the spirit of superheroic adventure perfectly. Simple combat systems and a clean but infinitely-expandable character creation system, rivaling Hero Games in potential but vastly easier to use, made M&M the best superhero game since Champions revolutionized gaming twenty years earlier.

When I read the guidelines on converting from First to Second Edition, I was once again unsure. I loved the changes to skills and Hero Points, but the apparent alterations to Extras and tweaks to Feats, both power and regular, worried me.

I should've known better by then. To paraphrase from another hero's catch phrase, they're still the best at what they do. More streamlined and balanced, easier than ever to read and play, Mutants & Masterminds 2e isn't just the best superhero game on the market, it just might be the best overall roleplaying system ever. There's a reason they've done expansions for fantasy and anime. It just works.

Now, as of this review, M&M is down to ten bucks. Ten bucks! Not only is it one of the best RPGs on the market, as a PDF it's one of the best deals you're likely to find. So. Are you ready to save the world, hero?



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Mutants & Masterminds, Second Edition
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Silver Age
Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing
by Peter F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/15/2010 22:24:40

There's some great stuff in here, especially if you're interested in Freedom City's own Silver Age (waves hand), but as a huge fan of the era, I was deeply disappointed in two things: 1) there's a difference between "tongue in cheek" and "snide," and 2) it's all well and good to be a Bronze Age fan, but in a book titled "Silver Age," a reader should not find the titular era bashed in favor of its successor period. Put the two together and...well, it's not pretty.

I was really looking forward to the M&M take on the Silver Age and wanted to love this book, but in the end, it was a really mixed bag. Great for Bronze Age fans and anyone looking to play Freedom City in the time period (time travelers included), but as a full-on Silver Age sourcebook, it's a disappointment, especially for a line that's been as consistently awesome as M&M.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Silver Age
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